My journey to Elite (Visa)

[papersource]

Hi, 

 

I would like to ask about 8 pages of background information on you to make the application. Are they looking for names and references in Thailand or my home country? Are they going to come and ask questions of my condo building manager here in Thailand? 
 

Is is just a regular police background check in my home country showing never convicted of any crime? Or would have a person have to explain something such as why they were arrested briefly 30 years ago as a college student for appearing drunk but never convicted of anything for example.
 

do they ask health questions and could they require health insurance because of the answers?
 

8 pages is a lot to write about and this is making me nervous. Thanks in advance for replies...

 

[Jenkins9039]

10 minutes ago, papersource said:

I would like to ask about 8 pages of background information on you to make the application. Are they looking for names and references in Thailand or my home country? Are they going to come and ask questions of my condo building manager here in Thailand? 

Never had this, but from my understanding there are two areas they are specifically looking at.

:- National (international?) criminal background check.

:- Source of funds (your professional history/commercial activities).

 

I was not asked about my home country as that would be difficult (British, but Swiss is where i am a resident when not in Thailand and been here for a decade almost).

 

On residence, i own a home in Thailand so that was submitted alongside, i am unaware of any other requirements but the legal/agency took that information with them.

 

[Jenkins9039]

15 minutes ago, papersource said:

Is is just a regular police background check in my home country showing never convicted of any crime? Or would have a person have to explain something such as why they were arrested briefly 30 years ago as a college student for appearing drunk but never convicted of anything for example.

This i am uncertain on.

Some say its a Thai immigration check, but if that were the case 30-45 days would not be required as they can pull that up immediately, also interpol they can pull up immediately also as I've actually observed that system in person with a Bangkok IO in respect of a criminal case i was pursuing against someone, so this leads me to believe they carry out the check through your embassy in your native country.

I imagine they are concerned on AML aspects and serious crime, opposed to what you describe. 

[Jenkins9039]

18 minutes ago, papersource said:

do they ask health questions and could they require health insurance because of the answers?

As i understand, health insurance is required if outside of Thailand specific to Covid, but if doing from Thailand, i did not have to provide, but have health/accident insurance with my bank. 

 

[Farma]

I applied online and didn't have to fill in 8 pages. I've been approved in under 4 weeks and just waiting for the approval letter.

 

Initially they replied with a link to my member page on their web site. I had to upload a scan of my passport photo page and addresses for them to contact me.

 

Next I was sent 2 pages to fill in scan and email back. They also required a scanned passport photo.

 

Simple questions like if i have more than 3 empty pages in the passport.

Do i currently hold any valid Thai visa. If so what is it and when does it expire.

How many times have you overstayed in Thailand in the past 3 years.

What is your main reasion to become a Thai Elite member.

What is your expectation as a Thai Elite member.

 

The 2nd page is a list of 9 items about your charactor plus permission for them to do a background check on you that you need to sign.

 

The wording on the background checks was

"In addition, I concent to the Company's verifying my background against the information pertaining to myself kept by the Royal Thai Police, the Immigration Department, the Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and/or at other relevant government offices, as well as concent to the Royal Thai Police, the Immigration Department, the Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and/or at other relevant government offices, disclosing my background to the Company"

 

Once that was done it was a case of hurry up and wait for approval.

 

 

 

Edited September 11, 2020 by Farma
additional info

[Jenkins9039]

20 minutes ago, papersource said:

8 pages is a lot to write about and this is making me nervous. Thanks in advance for replies...

For me, (I have the larger passport), they wanted a scan of every page.

They wanted separate the bio page, the past 2yrs visa's and travel history.

 

They then asked you to fill in the form.

 

They are very anal about the signature matching the passport, the passport in my case being 5yrs old, and pre a period in which i suffered immense stress, stress surprisingly changes your signature, and well my signature was nothing like, they rejected that, i had to re-do it (100 pre-tests till i got it right) and then it got passed through and is in process).

 

Some say go direct (i had no immediate response -48hrs) so approached an agent, response was immediate and process started same day. 

I believe the agents get a cut from immigration, opposed to a separate costing, as i have not been informed of any costs their end yet.

[Jenkins9039]

1 minute ago, Farma said:

Initially they replied with a link to my member page on their web site. I had to upload a scan of my passport photo page and addresses for them to contact me.

This may be why i never got a response, i did rec that link, but didn't realise you processed it through that system.

[ukrules]

On 8/15/2020 at 11:51 AM, AAArdvark said:

Does it really matter?  I can scan every page of my passport at home with my cheap printer/scanner and do it in < 10 minutes.

It matters when you email them because their email server rejects emails over a certain size - and it's not that much.

 

I found this out without needing to email in all my passport pages and still needed to split it up into separate emails containing different pages in order for it to be delivered.

 

[ukrules]

1 hour ago, papersource said:

I would like to ask about 8 pages of background information on you to make the application.

I've never heard of this before.

 

I have all the original PDF forms that I printed and filled out saved on my computer, I'll take a look at them a little later on. There was no 8 pages requiring background information late last year.

 

[Jenkins9039]

Just an update.

 

I finally got accepted a week ago, for Thai Visa, bare in mind it commenced in August 2020 (last week). 

 

I paid for it today (bank transfer), learned something new, in branch the max per transaction the banks allow you to send is 100,000 THB (weird, i'm guessing so they don't have to file SAR's).

 

But if you complete via application, no issues (guessing automated SAR's).

 

Processing point from here, 3 days approx, then arrange meeting in Bangkok Immigration, where they affix the stamp to the passport (sticker).

 

Received an additional 6 months for free, its apparently increasing in January price wise, due to some new added perks, which is to (according to my conversation this morning) drive HNWI's in to THAILAND to invest as they don't feel tourism will return to normality till 23/24.

 

I was hesitant now i have it as I'd like to see democracy win out (current protestors), if it doesn't then we'd write it off and just use Thailand as a extended holiday home it it all goes to <deleted>.

Edited October 26, 2020 by Jenkins9039

[ukrules]

29 minutes ago, Jenkins9039 said:

I paid for it today (bank transfer), learned something new, in branch the max per transaction the banks allow you to send is 100,000 THB (weird, i'm guessing so they don't have to file SAR's).

 

But if you complete via application, no issues (guessing automated SAR's).

I doubt it's anything to do with suspicious activity report (SAR) for such low amounts.

 

For example when I paid my most recent 500k membership fee nearly a year ago I was too late in the day to do a bank to bank transfer and not wanting to come back to the bank in person again I just withdrew 500k in cash and walked it over to the TE banks branch for a cash deposit. I then scanned and emailed them the deposit slip.

 

No questions and no problem....I did the same on my first membership as well.

Edited October 26, 2020 by ukrules

[cjinchiangrai]

On 10/26/2020 at 10:03 PM, Jenkins9039 said:

Just an update.

 

I finally got accepted a week ago, for Thai Visa, bare in mind it commenced in August 2020 (last week). 

 

I paid for it today (bank transfer), learned something new, in branch the max per transaction the banks allow you to send is 100,000 THB (weird, i'm guessing so they don't have to file SAR's).

 

But if you complete via application, no issues (guessing automated SAR's).

 

Processing point from here, 3 days approx, then arrange meeting in Bangkok Immigration, where they affix the stamp to the passport (sticker).

 

Received an additional 6 months for free, its apparently increasing in January price wise, due to some new added perks, which is to (according to my conversation this morning) drive HNWI's in to THAILAND to invest as they don't feel tourism will return to normality till 23/24.

 

I was hesitant now i have it as I'd like to see democracy win out (current protestors), if it doesn't then we'd write it off and just use Thailand as a extended holiday home it it all goes to <deleted>.

Yours was even slower than mine. Aug 27 to Oct 15. I have to wait until Nov 16 for the sticker and then who knows for the entry. The fact that MFA needs to approve it three separate times proves what ha convoluted and inefficient system it is.

[Jenkins9039]

On 10/28/2020 at 9:32 AM, cjinchiangrai said:

Yours was even slower than mine. Aug 27 to Oct 15. I have to wait until Nov 16 for the sticker and then who knows for the entry. The fact that MFA needs to approve it three separate times proves what ha convoluted and inefficient system it is.

Well, paid Monday, its Friday, still not had confirmation that the funds are acceptable (AML checks).

[ukrules]

12 minutes ago, Jenkins9039 said:

Well, paid Monday, its Friday, still not had confirmation that the funds are acceptable (AML checks).

Did they specifically confirm to you that they're investigating the source of your funds or doing additional AML checks?

[Jenkins9039]

6 minutes ago, ukrules said:

Did they specifically confirm to you that they're investigating the source of your funds or doing additional AML checks?

No, that's just what it sais on the document they sent out for the payment, funds came from a bank account they've sat in for about 4yrs, into my every day spending account with another bank because it was easier to transfer (online banking) as in-branch they could only transfer in 100k lots and that is not acceptable with Elite Visa.

 

So, no, not as far as i am aware, just normal AML processes they have to carry out.

[ukrules]

7 minutes ago, Jenkins9039 said:

No, that's just what it sais on the document they sent out for the payment, funds came from a bank account they've sat in for about 4yrs, into my every day spending account with another bank because it was easier to transfer (online banking) as in-branch they could only transfer in 100k lots and that is not acceptable with Elite Visa.

 

So, no, not as far as i am aware, just normal AML processes they have to carry out.

I suggest you email the sales agent assuming you went directly to TE and ask them for a progress update, in my experience which was nearly a year ago once you're approved and the payment is made that's it - and I paid by cash deposit due to restrictive bank transfer BS for which I have zero tolerance.

 

I'd definitely email them if I were you.

 

[tlock]

On 10/26/2020 at 7:30 AM, ukrules said:

I doubt it's anything to do with suspicious activity report (SAR) for such low amounts.

 

For example when I paid my most recent 500k membership fee nearly a year ago I was too late in the day to do a bank to bank transfer and not wanting to come back to the bank in person again I just withdrew 500k in cash and walked it over to the TE banks branch for a cash deposit. I then scanned and emailed them the deposit slip.

 

No questions and no problem....I did the same on my first membership as well.

 

It sounds like you've done 2 separate 5 year elite visas.  Was the second one any easier?  Is it as simple as just paying the 500k and renewing?  Or did you have to go through the whole background check, etc. process again?

[ukrules]

6 minutes ago, tlock said:

 

It sounds like you've done 2 separate 5 year elite visas.  Was the second one any easier?  Is it as simple as just paying the 500k and renewing?  Or did you have to go through the whole background check, etc. process again?

 

Yes, I'm on the second membership. I filled out the same forms on the second one but it was fully processed and ready for payment in about 2 or 3 days so there's definitely a big difference, or at least that was the case late last year when I did it.

 

[Jenkins9039]

Still no update...

[Jenkins9039]

On 10/30/2020 at 4:54 PM, ukrules said:

I'd definitely email them if I were you.

Oh, yeah i emailed them after 4 days (last week), also called them after two hours of payment (Monday) to confirm, as mentioned they said it was with their accountants.

My current visa expires end of the month (Nov) so no rush, but i'd like to get the additional 6 months on the visa which they appear to now be honouring as long as it is concluded by Nov.

[Jenkins9039]

Just an update, they informed me i receive my membership number on the 9th... So i can then arrange for Bangkok to swap my visa's there after.

[Jenkins9039]

Obviously it takes two minutes to confirm payment, not a week and a half, so this must be their AML checks.

[ukrules]

4 minutes ago, Jenkins9039 said:

Obviously it takes two minutes to confirm payment, not a week and a half, so this must be their AML checks.

 

I joined twice and paid with a large wad of 1000 Baht notes each time. There are no checks.

[cjinchiangrai]

Push, push, push. They are dragging their feet at every opportunity. They will let things sit for months if you let them.

 

The system is terrible and the organization worse. I understand from a major vendor that MFA and TAT are having issues and not cooperating well lately. Not what I want to hear when they are sitting on a million of my baht.

 

The elite visas are pure profit. They should at least pretend to care.

[Jenkins9039]

Well, finally, bare in mind this commenced around the 20th onwards of August... 

 

I believe i now need to make an appointment with them to have the visa affixed, receive the welcome pack, and card.

[Jenkins9039]

On 11/7/2020 at 7:47 PM, cjinchiangrai said:

Push, push, push. They are dragging their feet at every opportunity. They will let things sit for months if you let them.

 

The system is terrible and the organization worse. I understand from a major vendor that MFA and TAT are having issues and not cooperating well lately. Not what I want to hear when they are sitting on a million of my baht.

 

The elite visas are pure profit. They should at least pretend to care.

Sure, they are profitable for the company/government, actually i am unsure what the Government generate from them, as it is an enterprise that allocates them (Visa Elite), and usually an agent that deals with the End Client (many hands in the trowel).

I did consider the longer version one (1m or up) but couldn't see the benefit, i.e Thai baht will depreciate in the years to come, so ideally the additional 500k THB would cost less in USD/GBP/EURO by that point ( in mind 500k used to be about 10kGBP). 

[ukrules]

38 minutes ago, Jenkins9039 said:

Well, finally, bare in mind this commenced around the 20th onwards of August... 

 

I believe i now need to make an appointment with them to have the visa affixed, receive the welcome pack, and card.

 

That's the one, just go and get the visa inserted using the concierge service they offer where they meet you by appointment at Chaeng Wattana and it's easy all the way from now.

[Jenkins9039]

Finally stamped in yesterday, took a total of 3 months and 1 week.