Elite visa : use an agent or not

[kevin612]

Hello everyone, I contacted the elite office directly and also an agency near BTS asok. It seems like no fees required except the 1 million baht ( elite superiority). Please let me know is it better to use an agent or not. Thank you.

[bkk6060]

Why?  The online application seems fairly straight forward.

[ukrules]

Non need for an agent, you can do the whole thing by email - all you need to do is print out the forms, fill them out, scan them and email them back - that's all the agent will do.

Edited June 29, 2022 by ukrules

[EricTh]

Help me understand.

 

A normal retirement visa is 800,000 so this elite visa is only 200,000 more ?

 

How long do we have to keep the 1 million baht?

[Upnotover]

4 minutes ago, EricTh said:

Help me understand.

 

A normal retirement visa is 800,000 so this elite visa is only 200,000 more ?

 

How long do we have to keep the 1 million baht?

You don't keep it, it's not a deposit, you pay for the visa with it.  It's gone.

[Onerak]

36 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

You don't keep it, it's not a deposit, you pay for the visa with it.  It's gone.

But for a retirement visa you must be over 50. Elite can be purchased at any age. If you're retired and don't want to keep 800K in a bank, you could use an agent for 15K for extension. That will amount to 300K in 20 years, provided the agent fees remain the same for 20-years. Still cheaper than an elite. Of course for an extension one must be present in Thailand and there is no such requirement for a multiple entry elite visa. You can come and go anytime you want. And each time you enter, you get one year "permission to stay" stamp. 

[EricTh]

53 minutes ago, Onerak said:

But for a retirement visa you must be over 50. Elite can be purchased at any age. If you're retired and don't want to keep 800K in a bank, you could use an agent for 15K for extension. That will amount to 300K in 20 years, provided the agent fees remain the same for 20-years. Still cheaper than an elite. Of course for an extension one must be present in Thailand and there is no such requirement for a multiple entry elite visa. You can come and go anytime you want. And each time you enter, you get one year "permission to stay" stamp. 

So for those above 50, retirement visa is still better.

 

For those below 50 with no jobs/Thai wives, they usually do visa-runs so I don't think many people will pay for elite visa.

 

Edited June 29, 2022 by EricTh

[BeerAttractedPerson]

No reason at all to use an agent. Same documents you need to send in both cases. Go for the direct approach with Elite. After sending the required documents there's about 10 days waiting period for their checks. After approval you pay and arrange whether you want the visa affixed in Thailand or when arriving at the airport. You get a welcome package and membership card.

[scorecard]

5 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Why?  The online application seems fairly straight forward.

And by all reports their direct staff hold your hand from the minute you contact them and many other times ongoing to guide/assist/help etc. 

[JBChiangRai]

To answer your question, you can apply for the elite visa yourself, or you can use an agent, it will cost exactly the same.

 

However, the agents know what to look out for and a good agent will go through the KYC process and assist you to remove any red flags, for example any posts on your social media that will prevent you being accepted.  They will also act as intermediaries on any questions TPC Co. might have in the vetting process and advise you on the best response to their questions.  Not everyone passes the vetting process for an Elite Visa.

 

Under 50, you don't have much choice.  Over 50, you can use an agent for 15k-20k, all these visa agents are basically providing an illegal service that is unlikely to continue indefinitely, it comes down to your appetite for risk.

 

Over 50, you can do it properly with the money in the bank, currently 800k for a retirement extension, bear in mind that effectively you're tieing up 800k every year, at some point that 800k will probably increase, as long as you can tie up the new amount, you may prefer this method, again, it comes down to your appetite for risk, the new amount could be substantially more than the 1 million baht needed for a 20 year Elite.

 

Personally, I preferred to use an agent for a 20 year elite superiority extension at a million baht.  In effect I'm tieing up 200k more than a retirement extension, but I'm future proofing my position for 20 years.  I suspect I'll be dead before those 20 years are up.  My visa agent specifically asked me about multiple withdrawals from my bank account here overseas and presented it to TPC Co. in a way that removed the potential hurdle from my application.

[thurien]

why? Elite Visa is your personal agent already!

[Tropposurfer]

I have Elite so I speak from direct experience. NO need NONE for an agent. Just direct with Elite. Its straight forward and as easy as any visa process, perhaps even easier as Elite do everything as long as you provide them with correct paperwork (which they help you through entirely).

I'd get them to meet you at the plane door when you arrive for the next chapter of your life and escort you to and through Swampy I.O. As this gives you a Thai interpreter for I.O. contact and their being there does add to the ease of this important process. 

[arithai12]

2 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

...Personally, I preferred to use an agent for a 20 year elite superiority extension at a million baht.  In effect I'm tieing up 200k more than a retirement extension, but I'm future proofing my position for 20 years....

Your choice of course, but:

-Elite, you say good-bye to 1M (in your case), it's not "tieing up".

-Ret, you will see your 800k again along with some minimal interest accrued, on the day you decide to end your arrangement.

(for those who like to split hairs, in fact you need to tie up 400k for one year and the other 400k you could decide to make them more profitable for you during 6 months, provided you put them back before extension)

 

Perhaps, in the case of someone who doesn't expect to live to the end of the arrangement and doesn't care to leave the money to anyone, it may seem like a 200k difference but life can be unpredictable.

Edited June 30, 2022 by arithai12

[sead]

No......

The Elite visa comes with free help.