Why you should consider getting a Thailand Elite Visa

[webfact]

 

The Thailand Elite Visa is possibly one of the most underrated visas in Thailand because people tend to lose interest once they hear about the application fee. However, the special visa program actually offers lots of convenience and benefits.

 

Whether you are an investor, a retiree, or a digital nomad, the Thailand Elite Visa is available for anyone who lives or regularly comes to Thailand but doesn’t want to deal with the complex immigration bureaucracy. Besides, there are many other things you can enjoy by being an Elite Visa member. Let’s take a closer look at the main benefits.

 

Continuous stay without visa runs and paperwork

 

PHOTO: Freepik

Thailand is notoriously strict about visas, especially for those who want to stay in the country long-term. While you can get a 30-day tourist visa without much difficulty, obtaining a long stay visa or a visa to come in and out of the country 2-3 times a year can be a pain in the neck. From 90-day reporting to the ever-changing visa regulation, dealing with immigration can be confusing. And not to mention the paperwork. Every time you apply, renew, or extend your visa, you must prepare at least five different sets of documents.

 

With Thailand Elite Visa, you don’t need to worry anymore about these things. You can stay in the country long-term or enter multiple times without having to abuse tourist visas or do border runs every 90 days. Moreover, you’ll be able to bypass long immigration lines and get visa assistance. Say goodbye to paperwork. All you need is a copy of your passport. An Elite Visa agent will handle everything for you, and you’ll get your visa within 30 minutes.

There are different types of Thailand Elite Visa. The starting point, the Elite Easy Access, allows you to stay in Thailand for 5 years. For a longer term, the Elite Privilege Access has a 10-year validity. However, many foreigners who plan to stay in the country long-term usually opt for the Elite Superiority Extension or the Elite Ultimate Privilege. Both give you a 20-year stay, but with different benefits.

 

Long-term stay for anyone

 

PHOTO: Digital Nomad via Unsplash

If you’re only 40 years old and want to retire in Thailand, you can’t apply for a retirement visa since you must be 50 years of age or older to do so. However, you can spend your early retirement in Thailand by obtaining a Thailand Elite Visa since you don’t need to reach a certain age.

 

The Thailand Elite Visa is also available for anyone who wants to live in the country long-term or needs to visit more than twice a year but can’t find any suitable visa options. For example, digital nomads who aren’t employed by any particular company to get a business visa and their job doesn’t fall into one of the four SMART visa categories.

 

You don’t need to have a job in Thailand, attend a language course, marry a Thai, have health insurance, have 800,000 Baht in your bank, or within a certain age to obtain a Thailand Elite Visa.

 

by Cita Catellya 

TOP PHOTO: Freepik

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/guides/visa-information/why-you-should-consider-getting-a-thailand-elite-visa

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-08-15

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

 

[retarius]

I heard it is a million baht and still have to do the bugbear 90 day reports? No thanks, I have better uses for a million baht.

[proton]

why you should not get one- outrageously large charges, few real benefits and still have to do 90 day reports.

[ikke1959]

Too expensive and no advantages... still doing 90 days reports, and address notifications.. It is much cheaper to prepare your papers and copy them all several times for several years and pay 1900 THB for extension.. and rubbish that you don't need a health insurance.. Everybody needs one or if something happens you have to pay everything yourself and with dual pricing for foreigners it will be very expensive.. And retiring at 40??? from which planet are they coming??  

[KhunLA]

No need for 800k in bank, but application fee is 600k baht ... ????

[Lemsta69]

35 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thailand is notoriously strict about visas, especially for those who want to stay in the country long-term.

Thailand is notoriously lax about visas. There, I fixed it for you ????

[proton]

4 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

Thailand is notoriously lax about visas. There, I fixed it for you ????

Yes what a laugh that is, anyone including escaped criminals, perverts and fake teachers can get one by paying a bribe via an agent when they are not entitled to one.

[BE88]

[watchcat]

1 hour ago, proton said:

why you should not get one- outrageously large charges, few real benefits and still have to do 90 day reports.

....and TM30 reports.

[jaywalker2]

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

No need for 800k in bank, but application fee is 600k baht ... ????

And that's only for 5 years

[Toddunctious]

Imagine ripping yourself of in the Land of S̶m̶i̶l̶e̶s̶ Scams with this when you can do it for less than half of this exorbitant fee with dodgy agents. 
 

 

[JayClay]

1 hour ago, Toddunctious said:

Imagine ripping yourself of in the Land of S̶m̶i̶l̶e̶s̶ Scams with this when you can do it for less than half of this exorbitant fee with dodgy agents. 
 

 

Under 50 and not married. Please, I'd be eternally grateful if you could introduce me to one of these dodgy agents who you claim can get a long stay in these circumstances.

[zzaa09]

Oh dear.

 

 

 

Suckers.

[Doctor Tom]

On 8/15/2023 at 9:47 AM, KhunLA said:

No need for 800k in bank, but application fee is 600k baht ... ????

Yes, and the 800K remains yours, you lose the 600K.  The EV is a scam, nothing more nothing less. 

[Doctor Tom]

On 8/15/2023 at 10:43 AM, watchcat said:

few real benefits

There are no benefits, it's a massive scam, and the illiterates who go for it clearly can't do the maths and have more money than sense. 

[phetphet]

On 8/15/2023 at 9:34 AM, retarius said:

I heard it is a million baht and still have to do the bugbear 90 day reports? No thanks, I have better uses for a million baht.

Does it get you off the double pricing in the National Parks I wonder?

 

It's not a visa that fits everyone. It's expensive, and the price is about to increase. Not as attractive perk-wise as the original one. Suits under 50's and wealthy people that won't miss the money. i imagine many younger Chinese and Russians would find this attractive to get away from oppressive regimes, and maybe digital nomads.

 

For me, Non Imm 'O' plus Multiple re-entry permit is not too much hassle. Under THB6,500 (including bank statement and medical)

Edited August 16, 2023 by phetphet

[xtrnuno41]

Yes would be thinking about that when staying in Thailand permanent.

20 years / 1 million.

800 kbaht on bank is yours , but has to be in bank 2 months prior to application (non O retirement) and then another 3 months after that. Then you can use half of the money, but has to be 800 kbaht when going for extension.

Yes technically it is yours, but you cant do anything with it. Then better buy EV, I think

And as it says no health insurance required and no amount on bank specifically to hold when with your other visa. No more paper work.

However I saw they are going to change the EV and throw away the existing ones.

I ve red a raise to 800 kbaht for 5 years and 5 million baht/20 years. However not mentioned officially.

I was hoping to find it here, but no it is the old system still. If it will become 5 million then it is no fun anymore.

 

Is this article meant to "force"you in the old system? As time is short (15 september)for that ones and the new is hopeless? Cant find a thing about the changes, plans. They keep it quite, making your decision time very short. For 5 year runners, it would be wise to upgrade for the 20 years one, if the numbers of paying for it is correct. Some probably know (no idea where they get it) and sadly Cita Catellya isnt telling it aswell.

 

But if you get forced in health insurance in your visa application or extension then probably as a retirement person cant live in Thailand anymore. As payments go up in getting older and at one time you are refused to have insurance. So then you are old and have to leave Thailand. 

 

[Dan O]

On 8/14/2023 at 10:47 PM, KhunLA said:

No need for 800k in bank, but application fee is 600k baht ... ????

Exactly, At least the 800K in the bank still belongs to you and can continue to be used for many years vs spending 600k that you'll never see again and have to pay up again in the future to continue it or pony up 800k to go away from it

[ukrules]

It's a great option for those under 50 who want to live in Thailand.

 

I've been using it for years. No real problems.

 

My one gripe is that you need to go to Bangkok to get a new visa inserted when they expire as the maximum visa length is either your passport expiry date or 5 years, whichever is shorter.

 

So for a 20 year visa that's 4 trips to Bangkok unless you take a trip abroad where you can get it inserted on re-entry but that would require the trip to coincide with your visa expiry.

 

Personally I don't travel much, I think I've left the country twice in the last 8 or 9 years.

[CygnusX1]

23 minutes ago, ukrules said:

My one gripe is that you need to go to Bangkok to get a new visa inserted when they expire as the maximum visa length is either your passport expiry date or 5 years, whichever is shorter.

Do you know what happens if you’re not in Thailand when the first 5 years of a 20 year elite visa expires? I assume there’d be no problems getting the next 5 years on your next entry to Thailand via Suv airport, even though there’d be a period when you wouldn’t have a current 5 year visa.

I realise that I’ll need to contact the elite visa people about this, but it would be good to have a bit of knowledge first, especially if their reply turned out to be confusing.

[ukrules]

31 minutes ago, CygnusX1 said:

Do you know what happens if you’re not in Thailand when the first 5 years of a 20 year elite visa expires? I assume there’d be no problems getting the next 5 years on your next entry to Thailand via Suv airport, even though there’d be a period when you wouldn’t have a current 5 year visa.

I realise that I’ll need to contact the elite visa people about this, but it would be good to have a bit of knowledge first, especially if their reply turned out to be confusing.

 

You email them, it's the same procedure as when you first apply for a TE membership outside of the country. Once they know your flight number they meet you at the gate and take you to a special immigration waiting area next to the place where airline crew have to sign some kind of register before they pass through immigration - they insert your visa and you then proceed through one of the fast track / flight crew lanes which is right next to it.

 

I did this for the insertion of my second visa, I left the country and came back, getting the new TE visa inserted on arrival - one of the few times I've left the country in many years.

 

 

[CygnusX1]

3 minutes ago, ukrules said:

I did this for the insertion of my second visa, I left the country and came back, getting the new TE visa inserted on arrival - one of the few times I've left the country in many years.

Thanks for that, hoping it was that easy. Good to hear from someone who’s done it once. 

Not looking forward to another ride in the Golden Cart though. As an Australian, one of the worst things you can be is ‘up yourself’, and as the beautiful lady driver furiously beeped the cart’s horn to scatter the common rabble walking to immigration, I felt so far up myself that I feared I’d never be seeing daylight again.

[jacko45k]

I thought the Elite was being reviewed and the T&Cs were expected to change later in the year. There may be a small window still available on the old T&Cs... but I am surprised to see this advertorial.

https://www.siam-legal.com/thailand-visa/thai-elite-visa.php

Edited August 17, 2023 by jacko45k