Elite Visa - Would i still get a 12 month re-entry stamp within the 6 month free Covid extension?

[Mover1]

Hi,

 

My 5 year PE Elite Visa run out in December 2021, but i managed to get the free 6 month PE extension due to Covid. So now i'm valid up to June 2022.

 

Before any of this Covid hit i was aware that if i left Thailand and re-entered just before my visa expired last December i'd automatically get another 12 month stamp taking me up to Dec 2022, all being i'd have to stay in Thailand for the following 12 month period without leaving which was fine. But with all the uncertainty and hassle i decided not to go this route in case it didn't work out for some reason.

 

So now i'm in the 6 month PE extension period, but does anyone know if i'd get another 12 month (Or even 6 month) stamp if i left thailand and came back in before it expires in June? 

 

I'm turning 50 in September so my plan was originally to get a retirement visa before the PE visa (inc the extra 12 month stamp) expired in Dec 2022, but now i might have a gap between June to September this year where i need to find temporary solution up until i can get a retirement visa sorted out. 

 

Any visa experts in here have any pointers at all? 

 

Cheers,

Mover1

 

 

[ed79]

My understanding is that recently they no longer automatically give 12 months.  If you have less than a year left on an Elite membership you now only get stamped until the expiry date.  This is what I've read on Elite members Facebook page

[ed79]

See 2nd paragraph...

[Mover1]

6 hours ago, ed79 said:

See 2nd paragraph...

Thanks ed79, i've just realised i had the same thing sent to me in an email from Elite Visa yesterday, but i totally missed that part. So that clears that option up for me, haha.

 

Now i've got to find a 3 month visa solution for June to September this year. Could anyone point me in the right direction? It's been 5 years since i've had to check so i'm a bit rusty about where to start looking for the correct info.

[Mover1]

I emailed the Member Service at Elite and they said i'd have to leave Thailand in June and apply for a retirement visa in September when i'm outside the country, which sounds ludicrous but doesn't surprise me too much. Surely i can be staying inside Thailand to apply for a different visa? 

 

This seems like so much hassle, just for a three month gap between visas. Even just leaving and getting back in sounds like such a nightmare due to all the <deleted> going on. 

 

There must be another way...? For info - I'm 49, from the UK, not working, can show 5 years of over 800k baht a year via Kasikorn bank statements, and intend to stay in Thailand a lot longer. 

 

Maybe i can go the NON-IMMIGRANT VISA-ED route in June, and then apply for a retirement visa after i'm 50 in September? 

[ubonjoe]

9 hours ago, Mover1 said:

Surely i can be staying inside Thailand to apply for a different visa? 

Your choices to change to any other visa with a entry from a Elite visa or extension is about zero. People have been able to get a 60 day covid 19 extension but it probably will not be available in June.

About your only choice will be to leave and re-enter the country with a visa exempt entry.

[Mover1]

4 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Your choices to change to any other visa with a entry from a Elite visa or extension is about zero. People have been able to get a 60 day covid 19 extension but it probably will not be available in June.

About your only choice will be to leave and re-enter the country with a visa exempt entry.

Wow. Thanks for the reply ubonjoe, looks like i've got some arrangements to make then.

 

Can i ask what the 'visa exempt entry' means? Is that coming in on a tourist visa or something? Sorry i don't understand

[Tuvoc]

36 minutes ago, Mover1 said:

Can i ask what the 'visa exempt entry' means? Is that coming in on a tourist visa or something? Sorry i don't understand

Certain nationalities (UK included) don't need any sort of visa to enter Thailand. You just arrive and get stamped in for 30 days as a tourist. HOWEVER of course you also these days need to go through the Thailand Pass application process (and before that it was the COE)

[Tropposurfer]

19 hours ago, ed79 said:

My understanding is that recently they no longer automatically give 12 months.  If you have less than a year left on an Elite membership you now only get stamped until the expiry date.  This is what I've read on Elite members Facebook page

As a EV holder (decades left on mine, so I don't have any firsthand experience of your predicament) and my (limited understanding lol ????) the ending of the auto-12 a while back is also my understanding.

I would suggest to check your exact circumstances .... I'd call EV and get them to pull up your file and talk with them direct to double check.

[JayBird]

I might be wrong here, but I thought you could apply for retirement visa on the year you turn 50, rather than the day after you turn 50.

 

So maybe you can get retirement visa a couple of months early?

[ubonjoe]

38 minutes ago, JayBird said:

I might be wrong here, but I thought you could apply for retirement visa on the year you turn 50, rather than the day after you turn 50.

You are wrong.

It is your 50th birthday not the year you turn 50.

[Mover1]

22 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You are wrong.

It is your 50th birthday not the year you turn 50.

Just so i've got this clear:

 

 - I'd have to leave when my current visa expires in June

 - I can come back in with the visa exempt entry maybe 2-3 weeks before my 50th birthday in September and apply for a retirement visa once i turn 50

 

or

 

Can i leave in June, apply for a tourist visa as soon as i get back to the UK, then come back in on a tourist visa and apply for a retirement visa when i'm 50 in September - or would i have to leave the country again and come back as a visa exempt entry to apply for the retirement visa?

 

Its sounding like i can't switch visas once i'm inside Thailand regardless whether i qualify or not, which i didn't realise was the rules. 

 

[Mover1]

Looking back, I initially entered Thailand with a 6 month multiple entry then switched to a 5 year PE visa. So i guess you can switch visas inside thailand, or maybe that only applies to EV's?

 

I'm weighing up EV's offer to pay another 500k baht before March for a new 15 year visa, which would be hassle free. But it works out at 33,333 baht a year.

or

4 months of messing around (Flights, temporary accomodation, visa applications, covid changes/uncertainty), but should result in a yearly retirement visa paying 1900 baht a year. 15 x 1900 = 22,500 baht for the same 15 year period - 477,500 baht cheaper in total - but i'd still be tying up 800k baht in a thai bank account.

 

If we were in normal circumstances i'd be more than happy to go travelling for 3-4 months, but seems like way too much hassle going anywhere at the moment. Could be different come June i guess, but not looking good.

 

Ahhh, decisions decisions.

[ubonjoe]

39 minutes ago, Mover1 said:

- I'd have to leave when my current visa expires in June

 - I can come back in with the visa exempt entry maybe 2-3 weeks before my 50th birthday in September and apply for a retirement visa once i turn 50

or

Can i leave in June, apply for a tourist visa as soon as i get back to the UK, then come back in on a tourist visa and apply for a retirement visa when i'm 50 in September - or would i have to leave the country again and come back as a visa exempt entry to apply for the retirement visa?

You could do it either way. You would need at least 15 days remaining o your 30 day visa exempt entry or the 30 day extension or with a 60 day tourist visa entry or the 30 day extension of it.

You could apply for a non-o visa at immigration on your 50th birthday.

Requirments for the non-o visa application is here. https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/8-1.pdf

 

[Mover1]

37 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You could do it either way. You would need at least 15 days remaining o your 30 day visa exempt entry or the 30 day extension or with a 60 day tourist visa entry or the 30 day extension of it.

You could apply for a non-o visa at immigration on your 50th birthday.

Requirments for the non-o visa application is here. https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/8-1.pdf

 

Ok so it turns out i have exactly 100 days between my EV visa expiring and my 50th birthday.

I could get a 60 day tourist visa + 30 day extension = 90 days.

15 days remaining when applying for the retirement visa.

90 - 15 = 75 days.

 

Meaning a gap of exactly (100-75) 25 days to fill, but would do 30 for a bit of leeway in case of any hassle applying for retirement visa.

 

Thanks for the info ubonjoe (and other guys who replied), you're a wealth of knowledge. Cheers.

 

 

[JayBird]

On 1/5/2022 at 10:36 PM, ubonjoe said:

You are wrong.

It is your 50th birthday not the year you turn 50.

Thank you kindly.  I must be thinking of some other government regulation that acts on the 'year of'.

 

I'll need to remember this ????

[BKKTRAVELER]

Just asking, can people under Elite visa entries can apply to get a/another Covid extension? Got a couple of friends (and myself) wondering. I'm not sure if PE goes under the non immigrant clause or not. Thank you.

[ubonjoe]

7 hours ago, BKKTRAVELER said:

Just asking, can people under Elite visa entries can apply to get a/another Covid extension? Got a couple of friends (and myself) wondering. I'm not sure if PE goes under the non immigrant clause or not. Thank you.

The Thai Elite PE visa is in a category of its own but it is close to being a tourist visa and not a non immigrant visa.

Whether or not you can apply for a covid 19 extension will depend upon the immigration office where you apply.

[BKKTRAVELER]

7 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

The Thai Elite PE visa is in a category of its own but it is close to being a tourist visa and not a non immigrant visa.

Whether or not you can apply for a covid 19 extension will depend upon the immigration office where you apply.

Thanks Joe, I'll go check later on and will report in case it helps others.

[Mover1]

On 2/2/2022 at 7:37 AM, ubonjoe said:

The Thai Elite PE visa is in a category of its own but it is close to being a tourist visa and not a non immigrant visa.

Whether or not you can apply for a covid 19 extension will depend upon the immigration office where you apply.

Now that the 60 Covid Ext has been extended to 25th July i'll be applying for it when my EV runs out in June, hopefully all will be ok.

 

If i do that in June, can i do it again in July before the 25th for another 60 days? Effectively taking me up to 25th September (or thereabouts)...? 

[Onerak]

You only need 3 months before you can apply for retirement at 50. If I were you, I would try in the following order. 1. Try to get a covid insurance for 60-day. Can decide for another 30-day once the time comes. 2. Get a TV for 60-day and extend it for another 30-day to reach age 50. Once you reach 50 and you don't have 15-days time to apply for a Non-O conversion, just make a land crossing and come back with 30-day exempt. Then you can apply for a retirement at 50. 

[Mover1]

On 5/27/2022 at 3:51 AM, Onerak said:

You only need 3 months before you can apply for retirement at 50. If I were you, I would try in the following order. 1. Try to get a covid insurance for 60-day. Can decide for another 30-day once the time comes. 2. Get a TV for 60-day and extend it for another 30-day to reach age 50. Once you reach 50 and you don't have 15-days time to apply for a Non-O conversion, just make a land crossing and come back with 30-day exempt. Then you can apply for a retirement at 50. 

Hi, thanks for replying. Just trying to understand you correctly - Do you mean skip the Covid extension completely and leave in June but come back on a 60 day tourist visa? I'm not fully understanding why you'd say to do that if i can get a 60 day extension with a Covid extension without leaving?

 

Maybe i can do the 60 day Covid extension in June, then leave 60 days later in August and come back on a 60 day tourist visa plus 30 days extension if needed. That would work now that the restrictions are much easier for re-entering i guess. I'm sure i'd get the covid insurance somewhere.

 

Thanks again for the reply

[Onerak]

On 5/27/2022 at 9:29 PM, Mover1 said:

Hi, thanks for replying. Just trying to understand you correctly - Do you mean skip the Covid extension completely and leave in June but come back on a 60 day tourist visa? I'm not fully understanding why you'd say to do that if i can get a 60 day extension with a Covid extension without leaving?

 

Maybe i can do the 60 day Covid extension in June, then leave 60 days later in August and come back on a 60 day tourist visa plus 30 days extension if needed. That would work now that the restrictions are much easier for re-entering i guess. I'm sure i'd get the covid insurance somewhere.

Try covid extension first. Not sure if they will give covid insurance or not. If they give covid insurance you're set for at least 60 days. YOu can then decide what you would do after 60 days. 

If covid extension does not pan out, go out of the country and get a TV for 60-days that you can extend it for another 30-day. A total of 90-days. There are end less possibilities but start with the covid extension first. 

[Mover1]

For anyone interested in the same situation, i managed to get the 60 day covid extension with the PE elite visa. Despite being told i couldnt get it from the elite visa helpline, who just wanted me to renew the visa even though i'm 50 pretty soon. The farang helpers at the immigration office in Phuket Town also said i couldn't get it, but to be fair they said i was the first person they'd seen with the elite visa try to apply for a covid extension. I like those guys, they're always really helpful, they just wasn't sure this time.

 

I'll try the covid extension again before 25th July. If that doesnt work i'll leave and come back on a 60 day TV and then apply for a Retirement Visa after i'm 50.

 

Thanks for the helpful replies above.