Hello,

 

I am French 36, I had a ED visa for one year then my school (because of covid situtation) could only help with a volunteer visa (via another province).

I am now under covid extension and I was planning to get an elite visa so I don't have to worry about immigration headaches anymore.

However, A French-Thai lawyer specialized with Thai Elite visa is advising me that "currently" the Thai Elite has a stand on people who had a volunteer visa in their passport (even expired) and will deny the Elite Visa for them all.

The lawyer is telling me that I have to make a new passport otherwise I might loose the entire membership fee during the process. I find it nearly impossible that someone could keep the full membership fee without providing the visa in the end to which the lawyer answered :

1 - send the thai elite request

2 - immigration checks and approves or denies

3 - if approved, payment and letter of confirmation

4 - appointment with Thai Elite to apply the visa. Thai Elite can refuse to provide the visa at this point and not pay back the fully paid membership.

 

This lawyer managed to scare the hell out of me. She even confirmed right after this that "thai elite confirmed their stand on ex-volunteer visa to her".

 

So according to her: I must do a new passport or I will very likely loose all my membership fee of 600K thb (not because of immigration but because of Thai Elite).

 

I find this very surprising and nearly impossible but maybe the lawyer knows something else that is going on right now.

 

Has anyone seen someone with a similar experience ? Can someone confirm if yes or no there is something going on now against volunteer visas at Thai elite level ? is it even possible that they keep the membership fee or my lawyer is just inventing stories ? should I make a new passport to avoid any problem ?

 

Thank for your help guys, this is very stressfull for me, my current covid extension will expire soon and I even hear stories that I might not be able to come back...

 

 

 

Do you have the Elite visa now, 

" I will very likely loose all my membership fee of 600K thb (not because of immigration but because of Thai Elite)."

It's a bit confusing what you write, if you have it ,no problem, 

regards worgeordie

I suggest you contact Thai Elite directly instead of going through an agent. Info here: https://www.thailandelite.com/#/

You could travel by air to Cambodia and stay long enough to get a covid 19 test and return visa exempt if you are from a country that qualifies for ont.

The you could have the Thai Elite visa issued shortly after arrival.

Don't even bother speaking to agents or lawyers about this - most of them don't appear to have any clue what they speak about.

 

Step 4 is, I believe made up, once you're approved the visa insertion is a certainty.

 

Apply directly to thailandelite.com via email and ask them all the questions you have, tell them what the agent.lawyer said to you and they will almost certainly confirm that he has no idea what he's talking about.

 

You can apply for the visa by sending a few forms in by email along with some passport scans as email attachments and they will either approve or deny your application - once it's approved then it's approved - all you need to do is make the payment and collect it.

 

It sounds to me like you're taking advice from someone who has no idea what he's talking about - so better to check directly with Thailand Elite.

 

The application for a Thailand Elite membership does not require you to pay any money up front. Once your application is approved, you then need to decide whether to pay and go ahead. As @ubonjoe advised you, it will be necessary to leave Thailand and return before the Thailand Elite visa can be placed in your passport. When on a Non Immigrant entry, no such conversion is possible.

 

Even with a Thailand Elite visa in your passport, there is a chance that Immigration can refuse to honour the visa for cause. It has been reported that some in the upper echelons of Immigration are upset by the dubious procedures used by agents to get volunteer extensions for those who were not volunteering. This will need to be considered when the time comes to actually pay for the Thailand Elite membership.

As mentioned above, contact Elite directly. Address the issue of the volunteer visa with them and they'll be able to give you an official answer. Beware that applying for Elite visa can take many weeks in some case. So, if your Covid extension expires soon, you'll probably have to leave the country and return before you can get the visa affixed in your passport.

 

I haven't read reports of people leaving and being denied to enter back in Thailand in a long time. I believe immigration officers are less "rogue" due to Covid. 

 

Bon courage and don't forget to let us know Elite's stand on the matter. It can help others.

2 minutes ago, BritTim said:

It has been reported that some in the upper echelons of Immigration are upset by the dubious procedures used by agents to get volunteer extensions for those who were not volunteering.

 

If there is ever a single rejection after payment based on a senior immigration officer being 'upset' or for any other reason whatsoever then it will destroy all trust in the system making it worthless.

 

One single report of someone losing their money is all it will take to remove any trust in the whole system, it would completely collapse if this ever happened.

 

I have no experience with elite visas but if I had to bet, it sounds like the “lawyer” is making things up.

 

that’s just what common sense tells me 

As someone said above you should just contact thai elite directly 

 

she wouldn’t be trying to charge you to get you the new passport would she? 
 

Can’t immigration just see your volunteer visa from a computer/photocopies? Would shock me to know that in 2022 they have no records of your prior visas other than a stamp in your passport 

This is not a lawer...   she is a ‘scam artist’..... 

 

Contact Elite directly... Don’t go via agents or anyone else... there is no point. 

 

 

Just to be clear, one can arrive visa exempt as per normal and apply for Elite? If not forthcoming, can extend 30 days until visa ready?

1 minute ago, daveAustin said:

Just to be clear, one can arrive visa exempt as per normal and apply for Elite? If not forthcoming, can extend 30 days until visa ready?

Yes

If leaving from here and returning visa exempt you could show them your tickets out and back and start the application early.

Contact Elite directly. Theyre very helpful and will give you all the answers you need.  Check with them and see what they suggest.

 

I had elite approval over a year ago but couldn't enter due to covid entry restrictions at the time. I entered getting around those restrictions by using a non-o and entering that way.

 

BUT i had to wait 60 days before immigration would allow me to change to Elite visa so check with elite. 

 

I think lawyer con you. What that can possibly chance if you chance new passport? Like if you are "black" listed nothing chance even you chance passport to new one, they know whitch kind visa's you have had before anyway. Like said here already , contact directly to Elite. Hope all go well.

I have experience with this to the extent that I have been told exactly the same thing (more or less) directly from Thai Elite staff.

 

Well. The Thai Elite staff actually implied that the problem would found when trying to re-enter the country with this volunteer visa in my passport. They suggest that the problem is/will be with immigration, not with Thai Elite.

 

The exact wording from Thai Elite: 
"Since we have been informed that our applicants who obtained a volunteer visa and came back to Thailand with Tourist visa, they were denied to enter Thailand with Thai Immigration’ s reason. Therefore, we would like to suggest you that you may have to leave Thailand go back to your home country, then change a new passport and come back with a single-entry Tourist Visa, Visa on Arrival and Exempted Tourist Visa."

 

I made a thread several months back to check the validity of their claim: 

 

It does seem painfully unnecessary and pathetic to have to get a new passport when that clearly doesn't erase the fact that we were once on the volunteer visa. But this post makes me thing that it might be the only option.

You apply first for the Elite Visa, and when it is approved, you have a certain period to pay the fee. You can’t lose the fee.. 

Contact and work directly with Thailand Elite.  Their process is simple, and they are helpful.

 

There is never a reason to use a lawyer or agent for this.

 

I do not recall anyone ever having a problem with them.

 ED visa for one year then my school (because of covid situtation) could only help with a volunteer visa (via another

 

OP why does the volunteer visa you presently have sound sketchy.  What volunteer work are you doing with what charity?

 

The lawyer may be correct about Thai Elite denying you based on what you have written.  

 

Take Everyone's advice leave the country go on a holiday come back and start over.

 

OH Yeah and get a new lawyer.

The Agent serves no useful purpose in the Elite Visa process, you don't need them and it will be hard for them make any money out of you..

 

The Agent may prefer to keep you in the grey areas like Dodgy Volunteer/Education visa's etc..

 

The Elite Visa is there for people with financial means but do not fall into the other categories Married or 50+ etc..

 

As mentioned, talk to the elite people directly.

 

Like others have said why have you engaged a lawyer ?

Completely unnecessary for application for the Elite.

Do as others have advised, go home, get a nice new passport with lots of fresh pages for your years of travel ahead, then make application through Elite only. 

I have one and the process was almost as easy as falling off a log. But I didn't have this volunteer cloud visa issue you speak of.

Get rid of the lawyer asap, go directly to Elite.

My personal experience; have never, never had any shoddy, sleazy, confusing, questionable dealings with Elite in the nearly 3 years I applied for and had mine and had contact with them over this time with mandatory reporting etc.

 

As an update here, I've been told that at least one person has successfully applied for and received the Thai Elite visa with said volunteer visa still in their passport.

On 3/2/2022 at 4:03 PM, whizzergo said:

As an update here, I've been told that at least one person has successfully applied for and received the Thai Elite visa with said volunteer visa still in their passport.

Can I contact them? I have the same issue. I was worried about the affix of the elite. And I cannot change a new passport now. Thank you!

48 minutes ago, Mikke said:

Can I contact them? I have the same issue. I was worried about the affix of the elite. And I cannot change a new passport now. Thank you!

I was told this by the elite team themselves. You can ask them, but they'll likely dissuade you and tell you to get a new passport. I suspect that they're just covering their backs in case it does go wrong, but obviously can't be certain on that.

 

In your position I would just give it a go. The worst that's going to happen is that you'll be denied and have to get a new passport before the visa is applied.

 

It would be great if you could update how you get on.

 

Good luck!

26 minutes ago, whizzergo said:

I was told this by the elite team themselves. You can ask them, but they'll likely dissuade you and tell you to get a new passport. I suspect that they're just covering their backs in case it does go wrong, but obviously can't be certain on that.

 

In your position I would just give it a go. The worst that's going to happen is that you'll be denied and have to get a new passport before the visa is applied.

 

It would be great if you could update how you get on.

 

Good luck!

Yes, reasonable. while for quite an uncertain long time, I cannot renew my passport. The worst case would be that my money will be locked in the process for a long time. There is an agency with quite plenty of good reviews that contacted me to promise to affix. I don't know if I can try this service. 

Only thing I will add.. The Thai Elite people are flat out liars for self interest when they want to be. 

I emailed them asking if it was legal to work on the elite visa.. They replied vaguely that working online in Thailand was OK without a work permit.. I pushed for clarity and after much trying to remain vague they finally made a 100% declarative statement that working online on the elite visa was legal. 

I then sent multiple sources that it was not, including the case of the man deported working online on  tourist visa.. They replied they were shocked and it was new information to them (who believes that.. With all thier lawyers !!) and would take it on for the future advice. 

I email from a new email account.. The same person replied that working online didnt need a work permit.. Days after admitting they did only after being presented proof. 

If that is the kind of honor and legal advice they give.. Make your own mind up. 

13 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

Only thing I will add.. The Thai Elite people are flat out liars for self interest when they want to be. 

I emailed them asking if it was legal to work on the elite visa.. They replied vaguely that working online in Thailand was OK without a work permit.. I pushed for clarity and after much trying to remain vague they finally made a 100% declarative statement that working online on the elite visa was legal. 

I then sent multiple sources that it was not, including the case of the man deported working online on  tourist visa.. They replied they were shocked and it was new information to them (who believes that.. With all thier lawyers !!) and would take it on for the future advice. 

I email from a new email account.. The same person replied that working online didnt need a work permit.. Days after admitting they did only after being presented proof. 

If that is the kind of honor and legal advice they give.. Make your own mind up. 

Everyone knows the only legal way to work in any country and Thailand for expats is with a work permit.

 

Immigration help line could have answered  any query you had on working on an elite visa and the answer would have been no.

 

As for considering that legal advice I would say it was not.

I am interested in all this "Volunteering". What organisation did you work with, was it a worthwhile experience.

12 minutes ago, Antiparovian said:

I am interested in all this "Volunteering". What organisation did you work with, was it a worthwhile experience.

Two posts in different threads asking rhetorical question to deflect what is being discussed. 

OK you have established that you have opposition to use of agents.

Well done. Nothing to do with the thread. Move along. 

 

To answer your question (that you know the answer to)......

No volunteering work was done.

 

 

I'd also ask Elite if they can guarantee that they can process your application before your current visa expires? Last year we had approval but there were no appointments in time to physically get the actual visa. 

6 hours ago, Antiparovian said:

I am interested in all this "Volunteering". What organisation did you work with, was it a worthwhile experience.

Are you?  Or are you just trying to bully people who have done something that they felt they had no choice but to do, in the face of a global pandemic, with a member of immigration saying (incorrectly) that everyone would be kicked out of Thailand, with no victims and no one harmed by it, and are now facing possible consequences they had no idea would happen?

8 hours ago, Mikke said:

Yes, reasonable. while for quite an uncertain long time, I cannot renew my passport. The worst case would be that my money will be locked in the process for a long time. There is an agency with quite plenty of good reviews that contacted me to promise to affix. I don't know if I can try this service. 

You do not pay until after your Elite membership is accepted. In theory, even after Elite membership acceptance, Immigration can still refuse to affix the visa and stamp your permission to stay. However, since they are supposed to have already done due diligence on the application, this would create one h*ll of a stink, and is very unlikely.