Elite Visa to Non-Immigrant B

[phills2k1]

Just out of curiosity, if in Thailand on an elite visa and a job opportunity arises, what happens if you switch to a non-immigrant B? Any chance the Elite visa pauses or does the 5 year clock continue?

 

Thanks

[richard_smith237]

I’ve been in that situation a handful of times... 

But, I got the life long Elite Visa around the time the program first started so it was simple enough to leave the visa running.

 

I did have to exit the country to get the Non-Imm B visa, re-enter and then apply for the Work Permit. 

 

I suspect only Thai Elite can answer that question, but I imagine it depends what visa’s are in your have already.

i.e. theoretically you have 5x 12 month visas - if you have used 3 of them, you may able to ‘save’ the remaining two for another time. I’ve no idea if thats possible of course but definitely worth asking. 

Edited September 24, 2022 by richard_smith237

[FriendlyFarang]

2 hours ago, phills2k1 said:

Any chance the Elite visa pauses or does the 5 year clock continue?

You pay the money for their memberships, 5, 10 or 20 years. One of their membership perks is the visa. Your membership continues to run, even if you don't use the visas, you can still use any other perks though.

[Captain Monday]

There is nothing such as "the Elite visa". If you signed up for the 5 year Easy Access plan you are a member of Thailand Elite for 5 years.

• One of the perks of membership is access to the PE visa.. Employment prohibited

If you wish to work in Thailand, Thailand Elite office can help you cancel the visa so you may apply for the correct visa for your purposes of stay. The rest of the membership benefits of the Thailand Elite programme continue to the original termination date specified in your contract. When you wish to extend you can apply to Thailand Elite again.

 

 

Edited September 24, 2022 by Captain Monday

[richard_smith237]

15 hours ago, Captain Monday said:

There is nothing such as "the Elite visa". If you signed up for the 5 year Easy Access plan you are a member of Thailand Elite for 5 years.

• One of the perks of membership is access to the PE visa.. Employment prohibited

If you wish to work in Thailand, Thailand Elite office can help you cancel the visa so you may apply for the correct visa for your purposes of stay. The rest of the membership benefits of the Thailand Elite programme continue to the original termination date specified in your contract. When you wish to extend you can apply to Thailand Elite again.

 

 

Do you know this for a fact ??

 

There are many memberships which permit a ‘hiatus’ due to circumstances.

i.e. Wife takes out Gym membership for 12 months - we go to the UK for 3 months, she can pause the membership.  It’s worth asking Thai Elite if they can do something similar.

 

I don't hold much hope for the Op getting what he wants, but ultimately it comes down to a ‘decision maker’ who’ll agree or disagree - it just depends how 'service minded’ they want to be.

[phills2k1]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

Do you know this for a fact ??

 

There are many memberships which permit a ‘hiatus’ due to circumstances.

i.e. Wife takes out Gym membership for 12 months - we go to the UK for 3 months, she can pause the membership.  It’s worth asking Thai Elite if they can do something similar.

 

I don't hold much hope for the Op getting what he wants, but ultimately it comes down to a ‘decision maker’ who’ll agree or disagree - it just depends how 'service minded’ they want to be.

Hah I assumed I'd have zero chance of being able to "pause" it so that I could change my visa back to a non-immigrant B (and thus not have wasted the 600,000 baht) but figured it was worth asking

 

Thanks

[Captain Monday]

10 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Do you know this for a fact ??

 

There are many memberships which permit a ‘hiatus’ due to circumstances.

i.e. Wife takes out Gym membership for 12 months - we go to the UK for 3 months, she can pause the membership.  It’s worth asking Thai Elite if they can do something similar.

 

I don't hold much hope for the Op getting what he wants, but ultimately it comes down to a ‘decision maker’ who’ll agree or disagree - it just depends how 'service minded’ they want to be.

I don't know it as a fact I have not been a member for a few years 

 

I remember the subject coming up in announcements. Many members don't spend all their time in Thailand then would they  thus be asking to cancel the visa for several months out of a year or maybe most of it to use as an extension?  Thailand Elite income comes from by selling memberships, upgrades and  extensions. The main office were apoplectic when discovering that members were still using their totally valid one year "permissions to stay" after 5 membership expired resulting in kinds of threatening emails.

 

Thailand Elite is a membership program that offers various services . The PE visa is most members  main interest surely but it just one benefit. Seriously doubt they would allow a free membership period extension just because one wishes to take up work.

 

One fact is the PE visa is free, if you have a valid membership. I don't remember there being an application fee, If a member loses their passport one simply arranges for a new sticker to be affixed and the new visa sticker would expire at the end of the original membership period.

[Tropposurfer]

I have an Elite.

There is no grey area; We cannot work on this visa (its a retirement visa and as such no-one is allowed to work on these visas. 

As to putting the visa is a state of 'stasis' because its through the Elite Program I have no idea but I would opine that this is not possible.

 

Reason being; You cannot have any retirement visa (O or OA) and work in Thailand ... ergo the retirement visa under the Elite Program would need to be cancelled in order to gain a work permit. Just as it is for other types of visas.

 

Go call the Elite concierge number you have and ask them they'll tell you immediately what's what. 

Edited September 26, 2022 by Tropposurfer

[ubonjoe]

This from FAQ's on the Thai Elite site.

Source: https://www.thailandelite.com/faq/

[richard_smith237]

3 hours ago, Tropposurfer said:

I have an Elite.

There is no grey area; We cannot work on this visa (its a retirement visa and as such no-one is allowed to work on these visas. 

As to putting the visa is a state of 'stasis' because its through the Elite Program I have no idea but I would opine that this is not possible.

I suspect so too...  but worth the ask. 

 

3 hours ago, Tropposurfer said:

Reason being; You cannot have any retirement visa (O or OA) and work in Thailand ... ergo the retirement visa under the Elite Program would need to be cancelled in order to gain a work permit. Just as it is for other types of visas.

??? say what now ???....  retirement visa under the Elite Program ??.....     The Thai Elite Program has nothing to do with Retirement Visas.

 

I had both visa’s open at the same time (5 year S.E. Visa - Life long Thai Elite Member).

I took work in Thailand, had to fly out and re-enter on Non-Imm B, secured work permit etc. 

The 5 yr S.E. Visa (Elite Visa) remained open. 

Only issue I had was when my work finished while I was overseas - I returned the day before my extension expired.

Immigration wanted to stamp me in up to expiry of that extension, i.e. 1 day. I’d then have to fly out and back in again entering on my S.E. (Elite) Visa.

I had to first argue with the desk Immigration officer at the Airport that no, stamp me in on my S.E. Visa. Then his supervisor who also wanted to stamp me in for 1 day. I pushed and escalated higher to the next level speaking with an officer senior enough to make an intelligent decision. I was stamped in  on my S.E. Visa (90 days). 

 

 

3 hours ago, Tropposurfer said:

Go call the Elite concierge number you have and ask them they'll tell you immediately what's what. 

The Elite Concierge won’t be able to answer that question, they handle pretty basic stuff, booking etc and have given me extremely poor and incorrect visa advice in the past (regarding renewals and entering under Emergency Decree early on - they didn’t know we couldn’t enter on Thai Elite initially). 

 

Thus: best option is to go and see them or write a clear and concise letter and ask that it is pushed to those who are sure of their answer. 

[phills2k1]

Thanks everyone