ELITE VISA QUESTIONS

[fleur3]

On 7/23/2020 at 5:58 PM, BritTim said:

If you are outside Thailand, there is no problem. If you are inside Thailand on a non immigrant extended permission to stay, there have been reports that it is not possible to convert this to a Thailand Elite entry and permission to stay. Under normal circumstances, the easy solution is to fly out and back, getting the visa at the airport. I am not sure if Thailand Elite has negotiated other solutions in this time where that would clearly be impractical.

i am being informed that it is not possible to apply for a thai elite visa if your current visa, for instance 1 year non o is still valid.!! This has to be canecelled in advance but that has to be done insde thailand. Maybe i am totally wrong, hope so,  but thai elite visa agent told me that.

[fleur3]

On 7/23/2020 at 5:58 PM, BritTim said:

If you are outside Thailand, there is no problem. If you are inside Thailand on a non immigrant extended permission to stay, there have been reports that it is not possible to convert this to a Thailand Elite entry and permission to stay. Under normal circumstances, the easy solution is to fly out and back, getting the visa at the airport. I am not sure if Thailand Elite has negotiated other solutions in this time where that would clearly be impractical.

i am being informed that if you are outside thailand and want to buy a thai elitevisa, you can do that only if your current visa, for instance a one year non o is expired. If not, the non o has to be cancelled. That can only be done inside thailand !! 

[fleur3]

On 8/8/2020 at 4:48 PM, yamadajr said:

Hi everyone, just looking for some information regarding recent experiences with obtaining the Thailand Elite Card during covid-19.

 

1. After application approval, how many days do you have to submit payment?  

2. After application approval, if you decide not to move forward and not pay, is there any penalty or negative consequences?  Could you apply again normally in the future if you wanted?

3. Based on my reading in the forum, if on the 2nd year of an O-A visa (expired Nov 2019 with last entry into Thailand in Oct 2019) with a current permission to stay stamp until October 2020, this permission of stay can now be cancelled by CW Immigration within Thailand and the new Elite stamp issued?  Is my understanding correct during this covid period?

 

Thanks for your assistance.

 

item 3, cancelling of permission to stay. Yes, thai elite visa informed me that i should have my visa (non o retirement 1 year) cancelled by CW immigration and after that i could apply for a thai elite visa. Unfortunately i am in europe so no chance going to thailand and having my visa cancelled.

[fleur3]

On 8/9/2020 at 4:37 PM, Winegeeker said:

It took about 20 days for approval. 
i cant come in anyway as they are only letting 200 existing elite members come in for now. 
hope it changes soon

thai elite visa informed me that AT THIS MOMENT a thai elite visa does  NOT qualify for entrance in thailand !

[FlyingThai]

37 minutes ago, fleur3 said:

Myvisa was issued by the thai embassy in the netherlands dated 3rd naj 2020 and expires 3rd of januari 2021. So exactly same date. Was hoping that thai elite members were able to enter thailand qwithin a few months. For that reason i have contacted thai elite company with above mentioned result: not possibleto apply before jan 3 2021. Any comments or knowledge that helps? Tha nks

In this case I'd lean back and maybe spend a few months in Southern Europe during the winter if I were you. Maybe the Canary Islands or Madeira. Who knows how the world is going to look like in February, maybe no need for the costly TE option anymore just to get into Thailand. And as per your last post you were informed correctly, right now there is no confirmation that TE does anything at all for you while still being outside the country.

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, fleur3 said:

i am being informed that if you are outside thailand and want to buy a thai elitevisa, you can do that only if your current visa, for instance a one year non o is expired. If not, the non o has to be cancelled. That can only be done inside thailand !! 

Were you talking with Thailand Elite directly, or dealing with an agent? My own understanding is that an existing visa and/or extension of a previous permission to stay should not be a problem if you are outside Thailand. On arrival, you are not obliged to use an existing visa or reentry permit if you have a better alternative, in this case the new Thailand Elite visa affixed to your passport on entry.

 

Saying that the visa (if they really mean a visa) can only be cancelled in Thailand is completely backwards. A consulate outside Thailand can cancel a visa, but Thai immigration cannot do so.

[HerewardtheWake]

I am stuck in the US with an O-A visa valid until 6 December 2020. The Elite agency I talked with said that upon landing in Thailand, the Elite agency will void the O-A visa and stamp the passport with the Elite visa. In other words, the Elite supersedes the  O-A.

 

Fleur3 has apparently been told the opposite. In which case his and my O-A visa would not allow to apply for an Elite until the December-January. 

 

Is it likely that by December O-A visas would be allowed in? So that could preclude the need for an Elite. All of this imprecision and conflicting information may be par for the course for the authorities. But really, would they forfeit a large income by letting an O-A visa holding up an Elite visa?

[jacko45k]

On 8/14/2020 at 4:27 AM, unsubscribe said:

I'm sort of ok with that if they aren't inflating the prices.

They likely aren't.... simply not offering the 'usual' discounted fares to passengers who have little choice. 

[Kelsall]

5 hours ago, fleur3 said:

skeptric7 started this topic by telling us that he is outside of thailand, has a non o visa (extension) that expires 3rd of januari 2021. he wonders if he can get a elite visa being outside thailand.  The answer is yes BUT i want to add a element that could be worriing.

I am being informed by Elite visa that it is NOT possible to get a elitevisa as long as your original visa is still valid. That would mean that skeptic7 can not apply for an elitevisa before 3rd januari 2021.

Hope that is not true as i happen to be in the same situation. Myvisa was issued by the thai embassy in the netherlands dated 3rd naj 2020 and expires 3rd of januari 2021. So exactly same date. Was hoping that thai elite members were able to enter thailand qwithin a few months. For that reason i have contacted thai elite company with above mentioned result: not possibleto apply before jan 3 2021. Any comments or knowledge that helps? Tha nks

I obtained Elite membership in Feb of this year while I still had a valid extension based on retirement and a valid reentry permit.  I flew out and back in and Imm affixed the Elite Visa sticker upon my entry at CNX.  No problem.

Edited August 16, 2020 by Kelsall

[PoodThaiMaiDai]

There seems to be a lot of questions that are all listed on the Thailand Elite Visa site.

 

Here is the link to the FAQ.

[FalangTingTong]

6 hours ago, PoodThaiMaiDai said:

There seems to be a lot of questions that are all listed on the Thailand Elite Visa site.

 

Here is the link to the FAQ.

The FAQ is quite useful but unfortunately it's missing the Most Frequently Asked Question, which seems to be:

"Will they let me in with an Elite Visa now and if so, subject to what restrictions?"

Does anybody know of an official source for that one?

 

What I see on this forum is mostly positive but then occasionally (as above) someone hears the opposite.  My local embassy (Germany) still has the rules from July 1st up, though in fairness I haven't phoned them yet.

(And honestly it seems like the easiest thing for them to do: let Eliters in with business tickets and ASQ and insurance, you have probably $6K per head before they drink their first Chang, and by definition they're going to spend money right?  Not to mention all the people like me who are applying for new ones. Start with a trickle of tourists who like to spend, then maybe open the gate a little, add some flights and some ASQ hotels, wash rinse repeat... anyway I certainly hope they both allow tourists to return, and keep the quarantine requirement. Catering to the Elite holders is the obvious way to start doing it.)

[HerewardtheWake]

Falang is right on the spot. This is the obvious and profitable first sequence of events the authorities should execute.

[fleur3]

17 hours ago, BritTim said:

Were you talking with Thailand Elite directly, or dealing with an agent? My own understanding is that an existing visa and/or extension of a previous permission to stay should not be a problem if you are outside Thailand. On arrival, you are not obliged to use an existing visa or reentry permit if you have a better alternative, in this case the new Thailand Elite visa affixed to your passport on entry.

 

Saying that the visa (if they really mean a visa) can only be cancelled in Thailand is completely backwards. A consulate outside Thailand can cancel a visa, but Thai immigration cannot do so.

thanks for your reply. I am very happy with that. I did not talk with the thai elite directly but the agent did. I have send a mail to the thai embassy in europe with the question: can you cancell an non o retirementvisa that is still valid. Waiting for an answer.

[michel7752]

I applied last week for an Elite Visa, directly on their website. Once they had all the information needed, I got an email from Elite stating that immigration approval might take about one month. They also wrote:

"Kindly be informed that currently foreigners are still not allowed to enter Thailand including Thailand Elite members. However we still waiting for official announcement from government." (16/08/2020)

[Kelsall]

13 hours ago, michel7752 said:

I applied last week for an Elite Visa, directly on their website. Once they had all the information needed, I got an email from Elite stating that immigration approval might take about one month. They also wrote:

"Kindly be informed that currently foreigners are still not allowed to enter Thailand including Thailand Elite members. However we still waiting for official announcement from government." (16/08/2020)

Of course that statement is not true as many foreigners with work permits and those married to or parents of Thais have entered Thailand in recent weeks.

Edited August 19, 2020 by Kelsall

[FlyingThai]

8 hours ago, Kelsall said:

Of course that statement is not true as many foreigners with work permits and those married to or parents of Thais have entered Thailand in recent weeks.

Too broadly worded but in the end what matters is the information that TE are currently not allowed to enter.

 

At least they are forthcoming about that.

[Travelanimal]

Just got confirmed with Email that Elite members who have been out of thailand for long can apply to get back in , requirements are same which were in for other groups who were allowed , they have sent list of available hotels too ranging from 30k- 100k THB. 

Edited August 19, 2020 by Travelanimal

[cerox]

Could you please post some details?

I have been out of Thailand since February. My Elite application is running and should be approved within this month.

But I am reluctant to pay before confirmation that I can get on a repatriation flight, because my embassy in Germany says they do not issue COE for Elite.

 

[FlyingThai]

1 hour ago, Travelanimal said:

Just got confirmed with Email that Elite members who have been out of thailand for long can apply to get back in , requirements are same which were in for other groups who were allowed , they have sent list of available hotels too ranging from 30k- 100k THB. 

By email from whom?

 

Thailand Elite or your local Embassy?

 

And what's most important for many: IS this valid for newly minted members without the "TE" visa label in their passport?

 

The phrase "Elite members who have been out of thailand for long" is something extremely arbitrary.

[Matty81]

Its only Elite members who have been stuck out the country and have the Elite visa stamp in the passports already at the moment according to today's update

 

 

[ukrules]

From memory the message was that people who have the visas in their passports already will take priority over those who have not yet got the visa sticker in their passports.

[Travelanimal]

14 hours ago, FlyingThai said:

By email from whom?

 

Thailand Elite or your local Embassy?

 

And what's most important for many: IS this valid for newly minted members without the "TE" visa label in their passport?

 

The phrase "Elite members who have been out of thailand for long" is something extremely arbitrary.

By Thailand Elite , it's for elite visa holders who have been stuck abroad for quite some time now 

[charlesw]

Regarding the free transportation to and from airports, anyone know if you are allowed to bring your Wife?  any surcharge?
Also, do they let the wife go through the same fast track lane at immigration as you?

[FlyingThai]

8 minutes ago, charlesw said:

Regarding the free transportation to and from airports, anyone know if you are allowed to bring your Wife?  any surcharge?
Also, do they let the wife go through the same fast track lane at immigration as you?

The transfer buggy to the immigration is usually for the member only and so is the benefit for the Immigration Counter. Never had a problem with a second person for the car transfer in the past as long as there is no stop in between to drop the second person off elsewhere.

 

If you have a Thai partner she is much faster through the electronic gates compared to the Priority Lane.

[HerewardtheWake]

Two questions, and any information would be appreciated:

 

1. Elite visa's airport reception is said to be available at Suvannabhumi, Phuket, and Chiang Mai.

 

What about Don Muang in Bangkok, Chiang Rai and Hat Yai, which also have international flights?

 

2. Does an Elite visa holder have to carry health insurance like the O-A visa requires?

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, HerewardtheWake said:

1. Elite visa's airport reception is said to be available at Suvannabhumi, Phuket, and Chiang Mai.

Those are the only airports that have it at this time.

 

4 minutes ago, HerewardtheWake said:

2. Does an Elite visa holder have to carry health insurance like the O-A visa requires?

No

[BritTim]

3 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

 

8 minutes ago, HerewardtheWake said:

2. Does an Elite visa holder have to carry health insurance like the O-A visa requires?

No

However, bear in mind that, at the current time, every foreigner, regardless of visa type, is obliged to have $100,000 of health insurance, that includes coverage for Covid-19, in order to enter Thailand. (Extensions of stay are not currently affected.) It is anyone's guess whether this requirement will ever be removed.

[HerewardtheWake]

Thanks, Ubonjoe and BritTim for the direct answers. 

 

BritTim, I know about the $100,000 health insurance requirement to enable entry. But how long does the insurance have to be effective? Does it have to be a one year policy or say, a 3 month policy would do? There seems to be some ambiguity about the period of the policy?

 

[HerewardtheWake]

One bit of good news about the Elite appears to be  that apart from the health insurance requirement now needed for entry, subsequent renewals don't call for health insurance. Obtaining health insurance when one is over 75 is a problem, so for such people Elite may be a solution.

[ukrules]

6 minutes ago, HerewardtheWake said:

Thanks, Ubonjoe and BritTim for the direct answers. 

 

BritTim, I know about the $100,000 health insurance requirement to enable entry. But how long does the insurance have to be effective? Does it have to be a one year policy or say, a 3 month policy would do? There seems to be some ambiguity about the period of the policy?

 

They don't specify this at all.

 

There is a separate PDF document which has a 'presentation' and it mentions insurance as you can see here :

 

There's no mention of the period of insurance required.

 

I would expect that they want you to have insurance for the entire duration of your trip but I would query this as health insurance tends to be sold and renewed on a yearly basis, pretty much nobody will have a full 365 days worth of insurance remaining on the day they enter unless they take out a specific policy just for this and it lasts for exactly 1 year with cover starting on your arrival date - I'm sure an agent could arrange for that to happen if you wanted it though.

 

I would suggest checking with Thailand Elite to see what they say about this.