The Elite thingy is just a way to minimize contact with Immigration. You could hardly blame someone that had the spare cash for in part dodging that nightmare. Only people who adore a boot stamping on their face would deny it. Was there the other day for a simple extension, not busy, but sat there for 4 hours, the paranoid might even assume that the experience is deliberately horrible and inefficient to encourage Visa agencies and Elite cards?

 

It's funny with Thailand, had decided not to retire here, then after being here a while you get back into the swing of things, and yes spending plenty of money and enjoying the place and you think yeah maybe, then you visit Immigration...and the plan is quickly back to not retiring here.

 

And no I won't watch the door on the way out, it just means holidaying here without the visa hassles rather than living here jumping through ever more hoops as you pretend that you are welcome. And of course the reporting where you are if you leave home for 24 hours makes it an even better experience! Managed to dodge the fine on that one but have been warned. Doesn't matter how elite you feel you still have to deal with that onerous task plus 90 day reports. If they dumped those bureaucratic requirements suspect would get many more Elite sales.

47 minutes ago, Bigz said:

Absolutely not if you are a mid class millionaire/slightly above the average farang these days. One of the cheapest, most hassle free option around the world to get a residency in my view. Wish I could afford it.

Residency? I guess it depends on how one would define residency. It is nothing more than a glorified tourist visa.

3 minutes ago, bermondburi said:

I can think of 27.

Where? In Africa? 

4 minutes ago, Fairynuff said:

Amazed.... an admission there’s something you don’t know ????

i know; there is very little that falls into that category 

4 hours ago, prakhonchai nick said:

not much left for pay a girl for the night

There are people for whom that isn’t a consideration 

Ah well, sorry Thailand, as a retiree I only spend 2740 baht a day  over the last 10 years while now supporting a Thai wife and her Daughter. Do tell, how many of us long stay retirees versus your Elite members?

11 minutes ago, mogandave said:

 

He didn’t say not wishing to spend 600k on an Elite visa made you a sad person, he said being jealous of someone that spent 600k on an Elite visa made one a sad person. 

 

Everyone does not have a choice. Only people that have enough disposable income to pay for it have a choice...

So happy you have chosen to comment on my post. Hope you feel better now.

 

 

47 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

ha ha. i didn't apply because I don't waste money on useless unnecessary <deleted>

Well for some of us it’s not a lot at money and a waste.

 

You just need to start earning some more to understand that ????

34 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Its not about the cost.  I could pay the price of the Elite  visa many times over, but the reason I can do that, is that I have not wasted my money on useless products with no tangible benefits. That is the point.  Affordability is not the issue, at  least for me. 

If you find the cost too high you can't truly afford it.

7 hours ago, RR2020 said:

Dont forget............. Elite visa do not need to spend 40K baht per year on "medical insurance" for visa renewal.

 

5 years times 40K = 200K baht...........so the real cost before was only 300K baht   (500K minus 200K).

 

Then take off time spent renewing the annual visa, flights and all that annual hassle...........

 

If you cannot afford 300K for a 5 year visa, you aint really the kind of person "they want" in Thailand............... simple is it not............

 

And if you have plenty of money and over 50.......you would get an O-X ten year visa (5+5).

 

Generally the people who complain over Elite Visa are the people who cannot afford an Elite or O-X visa.

 

In other words............its their money and they can do what they want........if you are jealous of that then your a sad person.

 

Ans you must be a cardholder then ? Reacting like stung by a bee . You must feel bad that some people are staying for way less then the sceam you are paying for . 

29 minutes ago, Fairynuff said:

In your view......

that's what I said didn't I? 

Personally I think the Elite Visa is a great and cheap deal. I also collect Rolex watches, invest in Crypto and spend a lot on lady drinks, when I go out. Hell, I even give money to charity.

 

What’s the problem? It is MY money and I spend it like I want. 

 

If you think the Elite Visa is a waste of your money, then just don’t buy it. But calling people stupid who own it and can afford it ... is actually really stupid. Just because some people can afford a "luxury", does not make them stupid. It just shows they are smarter at making money.

 

Some people choose to spend THB 10K on drinking and smoking every month. Others buy an Elite Visa instead. Let people spend their own money the way they want.

 

 

9 hours ago, SussexExpat said:

How many is 'many'?

 a few (at least)

14 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

that's what I said didn't I? 

 

And I think thats fair enough - everyone who has come across it has their view on the Thai Elite Membership. 

 

When I opted for the Thai Elite Visa - it was 1MB for life time membership. 

I was in my early 30’s living in Thailand. Unmarried. 

I was playing Golf about 40 times per year (twice per week when not overseas)

In and out of Thailand about 8 times per year (8 return airport journeys)

Full medical each year (25k) 

 

At the time I calculated membership would have paid for itself before 10 years. 

I’ve been a member for 13 years - membership has pretty much paid for itself already.

 

 

Now I’m married I don’t need the visa. But the perks are still very handy.

 

600000baht. You are all living in a dream. It is now 800000baht for 5yrs. Really good to see you all know what you are talking about. Lol

2 minutes ago, edwardjunger said:

600000baht. You are all living in a dream. It is now 800000baht for 5yrs. Really good to see you all know what you are talking about. Lol

 

Erm...    ... someone has just made a fool of themselves !!!! 

 

It’s a good job you are only 2 posts in and you can run, hide and switch to a new membership after making an idiot of yourself !!! 

 

 

not everyone is above 50, and if you aint,

all the reasonable options are gone.

a downside and probably an overlook is that elite visa

does not give 5 year driving license, that needs to be fixed

 

10 hours ago, webfact said:

He reckoned they spend between 360,000 to 540,000 baht on each visit that adds up to a 1,350 million baht contribution. 

That average spending fact is actually interesting, as many 50+ retirees might spend over a million a year in average, so perhaps it's worth to care for these long-stayers...

2 hours ago, Pilotman said:

then why would you want to live here

By your logic nobody with money lives in Thailand. Weird logic.

 

 

                           Mr. Meeseeks!

 

 

             Regarding your posting 8 hours ago:  Please, crawl back under your stone,

             if you think you are better than the guy sitting at the next table in your eatery.

 

             A little modesty can go a long way. I would not sit anywhere near your table.

             Eat Humble Pie, please Sir! You are embarrassing yourself!

 

                  Anyway, Cheers!!

1 hour ago, Pilotman said:

Its not about the cost.  I could pay the price of the Elite  visa many times over, but the reason I can do that, is that I have not wasted my money on useless products with no tangible benefits. That is the point.  Affordability is not the issue, at  least for me. 

One mans useless is another mans useful

10 hours ago, canopus1969 said:

They still have to do the 90 day reporting

   

     Correct .

3000 THB/day? 

How can they drink so much beer, per day?

Not an elite card holder, just a simple expat, but I spend much more than 3k thb/day a month including rent, food, transport, entertainment, shopping etc etc..

 

2 hours ago, Pilotman said:

Its not about the cost.  I could pay the price of the Elite  visa many times over, but the reason I can do that, is that I have not wasted my money on useless products with no tangible benefits. That is the point.  Affordability is not the issue, at  least for me. 

 

So if it was 20K rather than 2MM, you would still think it a bad deal?

 

If you fly in and out of the country often and use the other benefits it is not a bad deal. If all you use is the visa, than yes, it's not a very good deal.  

They could make this sooo much better. If they charged $1,000 US Per year. Let the visa holders decide if they want to re-up year by year. Let the Thai govt check up on the visa holder each year.  They would have a hell of alot more takers and it would not be so damn expensive for the people that only want one or two years. It would be a WIN / WIN for the visa holders and the Thai govt and people. $83 per month to stay in Thailand, that would be a great deal IMO.

23 minutes ago, JeffinChonburi said:

They could make this sooo much better. If they charged $1,000 US Per year. Let the visa holders decide if they want to re-up year by year. Let the Thai govt check up on the visa holder each year.  They would have a hell of alot more takers and it would not be so damn expensive for the people that only want one or two years. It would be a WIN / WIN for the visa holders and the Thai govt and people. $83 per month to stay in Thailand, that would be a great deal IMO.

 

YES!!!! IT would be event better if it were free and included an S500 as a signing bonus. 

 

For about $1,000 a year you can use an agent, yes? 

Since my arrival in Thailand in 2006 I spend more per month.

May one wonder how that organisation knows how much these card holders spend?

3 hours ago, khunpa said:

Personally I think the Elite Visa is a great and cheap deal. I also collect Rolex watches, invest in Crypto and spend a lot on lady drinks, when I go out. Hell, I even give money to charity.

 

What’s the problem? It is MY money and I spend it like I want. 

 

If you think the Elite Visa is a waste of your money, then just don’t buy it. But calling people stupid who own it and can afford it ... is actually really stupid. Just because some people can afford a "luxury", does not make them stupid. It just shows they are smarter at making money.

 

Some people choose to spend THB 10K on drinking and smoking every month. Others buy an Elite Visa instead. Let people spend their own money the way they want.

 

 

how dare you hold us to even a low bar of human decency and expect us to not judge things that are out of the scope of our imagination. we are here to project our own misery on to others and we don't want this kind of common sense here

1 hour ago, Yellowtail said:

 

So if it was 20K rather than 2MM, you would still think it a bad deal?

 

If you fly in and out of the country often and use the other benefits it is not a bad deal. If all you use is the visa, than yes, it's not a very good deal.  

20k vs 2mil is a false equivalency.  
 

And if all you use is the visa, then it’s a much better deal because it’s only 1mil for the one without all the bennies (which I’m not interested in anyways)

 

I would buy one myself (even at 52yo) if they reintroduced the lifetime extension vs 20 years now offered.  For someone who’s 30...sure...have at it.  For someone at 50, they’d probably get some takers if it was for the rest of their life, but with only 20 years, I’ll stick with the 800k in the bank method and still hire an agent to do the schlepping around for me.