There has been discussion on these forums about how the 5 year visa could be turned into a 6 year stay by timing the last entry date on the visa.

 

Earlier this week I received an email from Thailand Elite offering a promotional rate to reapply for a new 5 year visa when my present one expires.

 

In the message is this paragraph

So there is no more extra time to stay added on, the day your Thailand Elite membership ends is the day your permission to stay ends.

 

Can anyone provide any more information on this ruling?

So if Thailand is like "closed" 2 years, they don't give you sht from this time ! When you can't use your elite "status"! Must feel so ELITE!

17 minutes ago, ch4974 said:

Can anyone provide any more information on this ruling?

That has come before and it has been the general consensus that it is nonsense and its proven by people getting the extra year and stayed in the country without a problem.

10 minutes ago, 2 is 1 said:

So if Thailand is like "closed" 2 years, they don't give you sht from this time ! When you can't use your elite "status"! Must feel so ELITE!

Well it is a 5 year visa and these are special times for the extra year which in nomal times can be easily wangled.

 

Basically they get a five year visa which is what they paid for.

Edited October 8, 20205 yr by userabcd

I like how the Thailand Elite says they are "We are pleased to inform you...." of the following bad news.
 

Lots of people have done a border bounce towards the end of the Visa & gotten (almost) an extra year of stay out of it, but do be warned that if you do this you cannot renew the membership in-country & will need to leave/re-enter to get a new membership.

 

I also read on another thread that the 500,000 is being raised to 600,000 from January 2021, I don't know how true this is or whether any of the other memberships are also rising.

 

It suggests that the relationship between Thailand Privilege Card and Thai Immigration is not as tight as they would have you believe. Perhaps there is some friction there.

4 hours ago, ch4974 said:

So there is no more extra time to stay added on, the day your Thailand Elite membership ends is the day your permission to stay ends.

 

Can anyone provide any more information on this ruling?

What they say is wrong, they just want to pressure people into extending their membership after 5 years.

7 hours ago, jackdd said:

What they say is wrong, they just want to pressure people into extending their membership after 5 years.

I feeel that way too, membership is sold on the basis that each entry during the Visa validity gets you a one year Permit To Stay.... they then claim if that Permission goes beyond the life of the membership/Visa that you will be on overstay. Since when has the Permission to Stay end date previously had anything to do with the Visa end date?

There are two different matters here. One is that after 5 years, your membership finishes. Two is that if you get a one year extension just before it expires is an entirely different matter. What I am trying to say is that the 5 year Visa and the 5 year "membership" are two different creatures. As someone said: from what I have seen, the Privilege Company & Thai Immigration are uneasy bedfellows.

18 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

Lots of people have done a border bounce towards the end of the Visa & gotten (almost) an extra year of stay out of it, but do be warned that if you do this you cannot renew the membership in-country & will need to leave/re-enter to get a new membership.

 

I also read on another thread that the 500,000 is being raised to 600,000 from January 2021, I don't know how true this is or whether any of the other memberships are also rising.

 

My 5 years expired in July 2019. Couple of days before expire date, I did visa run and received another year. However, all priviIeges such as limo to airport etc, ceased in July 2019. I renewed in July 2020 without any problem, didn't even have to leave the country.

20 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

That has come before and it has been the general consensus that it is nonsense and its proven by people getting the extra year and stayed in the country without a problem.

Yes, you get the extra year for sure. BUT the big difference is when you want to renew the membership you cannot do it inside the country if the membership is over. You have to leave thailand to apply. My experience !