Thailand Elite easy access 500k THB card

[rickthailand]

i want to join the elite card programme can someone tell me how long did it

take from sending an email untill you received your card?visa letter?

thanx in advance

rick

i read through this thread again and found my answers

sorry

rick

[neverdie]

i want to join the elite card programme can someone tell me how long did it

take from sending an email untill you received your card?visa letter?

thanx in advance

rick

Rick, It's all in this thread. Stanly had to wait 4or 5 days for approval after submitting the forms initially. (From memory), after that it's all about you completing the paperwork and paying.

I think UK rules did it all in under 2 weeks from within Thailand where Stanley is outside Thailand. They want and need the money, it happens very fast however you must be initially APPROVED by immigration, obviously they are checking to see your history, blacklisting etc.

Stanley provided step by step, blow by blow from the start of this thread.

Best of luck.

[OMGImInPattaya]

As I said previously I e-mailed Thailand Elite to ask exactly how the visa works in regards to length of stay, extensions etc. I was expecting them to answer by Monday but apparently they work 7 days a week so I already have their reply.

The sum of It is as follows:

1) Member gets a 5 year visa and per each entry into Thailand they can stay for 1 year.

2) After 1 year if they want to continue to stay in Thailand they have to go immigration office to do another 1 year stay extension so in the period of 5 years visa they can stay in Thailand without leaving the country but have to do 1 year extension in every year.

3) The cost of each annual extension is THB 1900.

4) Every 90 days the member has to make a report. But if the member has residence in Bangkok they can send the document and passport to Thailand Elite, and they will go and do the report and then send it back to the member within 4 working days.

5) There is NO fee for the 90 day reporting.

I hope this clears everything up.

So as I suspected, it's basically just a 1 year non-immigrant "O" visa with lipstick on it! Any non-immigrant visa can be renewed annually if one qualifies and if one has a WP or retirement extension, no 90-day exits either. Also, maybe as a service for Bangkok based members, if Thai Elite process the 90-day reports at Chang Wattana, they pay for the B1900, but I suspect for any nonBKK based members who do their own reporting! they have to pay it themselves.

1. It's NOT basically just a 1 year non O visa

2. You can NOT renew your non O visa

3 You DON'T pay 1900 when doing the 90 day report

You say "renew" I say "extend" it's basically the same thing and yes I can...indefinitely so in that sense, my annual US$ 160 non-imm "O" visa is better than this US$ 15,000 five-year visa. At the end of the 5th or 6th year, it's another 15k but for me it's just another $150!

If I said there was a B1900 fee for reporting, I misspoke and meant for the in-country renewals/extensions or whatever they call it for the 5-year visa. I think someone said if Elite does the renewal in Bangkok they pickup the fee...don't know about non-BKK members when they renew in their locality, however. (I guess they think all the hi-sos who buy into the program must only deign to live in Bangkok.)

[bangkoklasse]

As I said previously I e-mailed Thailand Elite to ask exactly how the visa works in regards to length of stay, extensions etc. I was expecting them to answer by Monday but apparently they work 7 days a week so I already have their reply.

The sum of It is as follows:

1) Member gets a 5 year visa and per each entry into Thailand they can stay for 1 year.

2) After 1 year if they want to continue to stay in Thailand they have to go immigration office to do another 1 year stay extension so in the period of 5 years visa they can stay in Thailand without leaving the country but have to do 1 year extension in every year.

3) The cost of each annual extension is THB 1900.

4) Every 90 days the member has to make a report. But if the member has residence in Bangkok they can send the document and passport to Thailand Elite, and they will go and do the report and then send it back to the member within 4 working days.

5) There is NO fee for the 90 day reporting.

I hope this clears everything up.

So as I suspected, it's basically just a 1 year non-immigrant "O" visa with lipstick on it! Any non-immigrant visa can be renewed annually if one qualifies and if one has a WP or retirement extension, no 90-day exits either. Also, maybe as a service for Bangkok based members, if Thai Elite process the 90-day reports at Chang Wattana, they pay for the B1900, but I suspect for any nonBKK based members who do their own reporting! they have to pay it themselves.

1. It's NOT basically just a 1 year non O visa

2. You can NOT renew your non O visa

3 You DON'T pay 1900 when doing the 90 day report

You say "renew" I say "extend" it's basically the same thing and yes I can...indefinitely so in that sense, my annual US$ 160 non-imm "O" visa is better than this US$ 15,000 five-year visa. At the end of the 5th or 6th year, it's another 15k but for me it's just another $150!

If I said there was a B1900 fee for reporting, I misspoke and meant for the in-country renewals/extensions or whatever they call it for the 5-year visa. I think someone said if Elite does the renewal in Bangkok they pickup the fee...don't know about non-BKK members when they renew in their locality, however. (I guess they think all the hi-sos who buy into the program must only deign to live in Bangkok.)

To apply for the extension of stay is not the same as renew the non O visa. After one year the visa expire and you don't have it anymore. It's not the visa you extend or renew. The extension of stay also have very different rules to qualify for. Like a 800k in the bank or 65k income every month. The visa don't have that

[OMGImInPattaya]

As I said previously I e-mailed Thailand Elite to ask exactly how the visa works in regards to length of stay, extensions etc. I was expecting them to answer by Monday but apparently they work 7 days a week so I already have their reply.

The sum of It is as follows:

1) Member gets a 5 year visa and per each entry into Thailand they can stay for 1 year.

2) After 1 year if they want to continue to stay in Thailand they have to go immigration office to do another 1 year stay extension so in the period of 5 years visa they can stay in Thailand without leaving the country but have to do 1 year extension in every year.

3) The cost of each annual extension is THB 1900.

4) Every 90 days the member has to make a report. But if the member has residence in Bangkok they can send the document and passport to Thailand Elite, and they will go and do the report and then send it back to the member within 4 working days.

5) There is NO fee for the 90 day reporting.

I hope this clears everything up.

So as I suspected, it's basically just a 1 year non-immigrant "O" visa with lipstick on it! Any non-immigrant visa can be renewed annually if one qualifies and if one has a WP or retirement extension, no 90-day exits either. Also, maybe as a service for Bangkok based members, if Thai Elite process the 90-day reports at Chang Wattana, they pay for the B1900, but I suspect for any nonBKK based members who do their own reporting! they have to pay it themselves.

1. It's NOT basically just a 1 year non O visa

2. You can NOT renew your non O visa

3 You DON'T pay 1900 when doing the 90 day report

You say "renew" I say "extend" it's basically the same thing and yes I can...indefinitely so in that sense, my annual US$ 160 non-imm "O" visa is better than this US$ 15,000 five-year visa. At the end of the 5th or 6th year, it's another 15k but for me it's just another $150!

If I said there was a B1900 fee for reporting, I misspoke and meant for the in-country renewals/extensions or whatever they call it for the 5-year visa. I think someone said if Elite does the renewal in Bangkok they pickup the fee...don't know about non-BKK members when they renew in their locality, however. (I guess they think all the hi-sos who buy into the program must only deign to live in Bangkok.)

To apply for the extension of stay is not the same as renew the non O visa. After one year the visa expire and you don't have it anymore. It's not the visa you extend or renew. The extension of stay also have very different rules to qualify for. Like a 800k in the bank or 65k income every month. The visa don't have that

I don't think this is correct. For people with non-imm visa for which they qualify for extensions (e.g., workers or retirees) it IS the visa itself that is renewed/extended year to year. That's why you never get a new one if you are using them.

Agree, under certain scenarios, this Elite visa can make sense.

[bangkoklasse]

it IS the visa itself that is renewed/extended year to year. That's why you never get a new one if you are using them.

No it's not the visa itself that you renew/extend. You get the Extension of Stay.

[ubonjoe]

A off topic post with political comments along with a reply to it has been removed.

[OMGImInPattaya]

it IS the visa itself that is renewed/extended year to year. That's why you never get a new one if you are using them.

No it's not the visa itself that you renew/extend. You get the Extension of Stay.

Ok...the extension of stay, based on the initial visa, is renewed/extended year to year. Like a relative of mine has 13 renewals/extension stamps in their passport but only one visa.

[ukrules]

it IS the visa itself that is renewed/extended year to year. That's why you never get a new one if you are using them.

No it's not the visa itself that you renew/extend. You get the Extension of Stay.

Ok...the extension of stay, based on the initial visa, is renewed/extended year to year. Like a relative of mine has 13 renewals/extension stamps in their passport but only one visa.

The visa clearly lasts for 5 years as per the scan of the visa I posted in this thread. The expiration date on the scanned visa is June 2019.

Extensions of stays can be done on a yearly basis. Alternatively each time you enter the country you get a 1 year stay. If you never stay for a full year you will not need to get an extension of stay, this would of course depend on your travel habits.

No 'reentry permits' are required on this visa as it's a full multiple entry visa with unlimited entries, each of which last for 1 year.

It will be interesting to see how entrances are treated in the last year of the visas validity and if they are granted up to the expiry date of the visa or for a full year which stretches beyond the 5 year visa expiration.

I will post here when I do my first 90 day report at Hua Hin immigration in a couple of months time. I believe it's free to file this form and should only take a couple of minutes to process. In Bangkok this is handled by the Thailand Elite staff via post but in provincial areas you need to do it yourself as from what I've heard it needs to be done in the province where you reside.

[OMGImInPattaya]

it IS the visa itself that is renewed/extended year to year. That's why you never get a new one if you are using them.

No it's not the visa itself that you renew/extend. You get the Extension of Stay.

Ok...the extension of stay, based on the initial visa, is renewed/extended year to year. Like a relative of mine has 13 renewals/extension stamps in their passport but only one visa.

The visa clearly lasts for 5 years as per the scan of the visa I posted in this thread. The expiration date on the scanned visa is June 2019.

Extensions of stays can be done on a yearly basis. Alternatively each time you enter the country you get a 1 year stay. If you never stay for a full year you will not need to get an extension of stay, this would of course depend on your travel habits.

No 'reentry permits' are required on this visa as it's a full multiple entry visa with unlimited entries, each of which last for 1 year.

It will be interesting to see how entrances are treated in the last year of the visas validity and if they are granted up to the expiry date of the visa or for a full year which stretches beyond the 5 year visa expiration.

I will post here when I do my first 90 day report at Hua Hin immigration in a couple of months time. I believe it's free to file this form and should only take a couple of minutes to process. In Bangkok this is handled by the Thailand Elite staff via post but in provincial areas you need to do it yourself as from what I've heard it needs to be done in the province where you reside.

Sounds good for those with no other way to reside in Thailand and want to be her so bad hey are willing to put up the dosh. Must kinda burn to pay 500,000 baht for what others get for basically 25,000!

[DrTuner]

If one can stretch it to 6y, it's about 230b/day. I'd say a fair deal.

[OMGImInPattaya]

If one can stretch it to 6y, it's about 230b/day. I'd say a fair deal.

I prefer 11 baht

[larsjohnsson]

If one can stretch it to 6y, it's about 230b/day. I'd say a fair deal.

I prefer 11 baht

Not all people are 50+ years.

The 5 year 500k visa is good for people that have some money and are younger than 50.

If you are 50+ and on a tight budget you don't even have to think about it. For most people that's obvious.

Edited June 27, 2014 by larsjohnsson

[rickthailand]

Double post

Rick

Edited June 27, 2014 by rickthailand

[rickthailand]

I am 46 year old and dont want to have 10million in thai baht. So i do tourist visas i just done one and spend 25.000 baht so this 500.000 for 5 years works out the same so that is why i am applying. Makes sence right

Rick

[OMGImInPattaya]

If one can stretch it to 6y, it's about 230b/day. I'd say a fair deal.

I prefer 11 baht

Sorry...that should be around 15,000 baht or about 7 baht a day.

[OMGImInPattaya]

If one can stretch it to 6y, it's about 230b/day. I'd say a fair deal.

I prefer 11 baht

Not all people are 50+ years.

The 5 year 500k visa is good for people that have some money and are younger than 50.

If you are 50+ and on a tight budget you don't even have to think about it. For most people that's obvious.

I think I've said that a couple times. If one is not 50 or do not quality as an employed person or are studying in thailand or don't have relatives in thailand then this would be a way to legally stay in Thailand long-term. Of course, only a tiny portion of people would be able to plop down 500,000 for something as ephemeral as a visa for the right to reside in a country other than their own.

[DrTuner]

If one can stretch it to 6y, it's about 230b/day. I'd say a fair deal.

I prefer 11 baht

Sorry...that should be around 15,000 baht or about 7 baht a day.

Yeah I'm on marriage extensions myself so the same. But if I wasn't, I think I'd dish out the 500k. It's not really that large a sum.

[ukrules]

Sounds good for those with no other way to reside in Thailand and want to be her so bad hey are willing to put up the dosh. Must kinda burn to pay 500,000 baht for what others get for basically 25,000!

There is no option for me to get this kind of lengthy stay for less than 500,000. I wouldn't say it 'burns', then again I'm only 41 and I choose to live here at the moment.

I considered moving elsewhere in Asia but I decided I'm better off here.

I worked out that it would cost me about 1.25 Million Baht in airline fees, hotels, travel, etc over the next 5 years if I don't get this visa and only 500k in visa fees if I do get it.

Personally I hate travelling. I don't need to go to Europe or anywhere else really during this coming 5 year period and I won't have to do any of those time wasting 90 day trips around asia either. Maybe I'll go to Japan for a little holiday if and when I feel like it but that will be on my terms and at a time of my choosing.

It really is a no brainer as I get to save 750k by doing nothing for 5 years. This 750k of savings is real money that I would definitely have spent over the next 5 years just to keep my visas current. It's worth noting that this is more than enough to buy another 5 year membership when this one expires.

[OMGImInPattaya]

Sounds good for those with no other way to reside in Thailand and want to be her so bad hey are willing to put up the dosh. Must kinda burn to pay 500,000 baht for what others get for basically 25,000!

There is no option for me to get this kind of lengthy stay for less than 500,000. I wouldn't say it 'burns', then again I'm only 41 and I choose to live here at the moment.

I considered moving elsewhere in Asia but I decided I'm better off here.

I worked out that it would cost me about 1.25 Million Baht in airline fees, hotels, travel, etc over the next 5 years if I don't get this visa and only 500k in visa fees if I do get it.

Personally I hate travelling. I don't need to go to Europe or anywhere else really during this coming 5 year period and I won't have to do any of those time wasting 90 day trips around asia either. Maybe I'll go to Japan for a little holiday if and when I feel like it but that will be on my terms and at a time of my choosing.

It really is a no brainer as I get to save 750k by doing nothing for 5 years. This 750k of savings is real money that I would definitely have spent over the next 5 years just to keep my visas current. It's worth noting that this is more than enough to buy another 5 year membership when this one expires.

It's good that it works out for your personal situation and you have the funds to front-load a bunch of the travel costs. As I said, for some, this could be a good option if they have the money. When I was younger, I would have seriously considered it if it was available but it wasn't so I made other arrangements. Now that I'm only a few months away from officially in the eyes of Thai immigration an old fogy I don't need it. Over the past decade or so, I probably spent US$ 20-25k on trips Stateside for new visas and such but I also got my food and shopping fixes and enjoyed the weather. This is basically the price of the original Elite Card memberships and if I had been sure at the time that it would still be around a decade later I probably would have bought one.

Enjoy your stay.

[larsjohnsson]

Sounds good for those with no other way to reside in Thailand and want to be her so bad hey are willing to put up the dosh. Must kinda burn to pay 500,000 baht for what others get for basically 25,000!

There is no option for me to get this kind of lengthy stay for less than 500,000. I wouldn't say it 'burns', then again I'm only 41 and I choose to live here at the moment.

I considered moving elsewhere in Asia but I decided I'm better off here.

I worked out that it would cost me about 1.25 Million Baht in airline fees, hotels, travel, etc over the next 5 years if I don't get this visa and only 500k in visa fees if I do get it.

Personally I hate travelling. I don't need to go to Europe or anywhere else really during this coming 5 year period and I won't have to do any of those time wasting 90 day trips around asia either. Maybe I'll go to Japan for a little holiday if and when I feel like it but that will be on my terms and at a time of my choosing.

It really is a no brainer as I get to save 750k by doing nothing for 5 years. This 750k of savings is real money that I would definitely have spent over the next 5 years just to keep my visas current. It's worth noting that this is more than enough to buy another 5 year membership when this one expires.

Good choice. And no way others get all these years for 25k baht. Most others will do 25-30 visa and border runs instead. Or if they are old they have to have 800k on a thai account. And that's also loosing money compared to any real investment of those money

[Maestro]

The visa clearly lasts for 5 years as per the scan of the visa I posted in this thread. The expiration date on the scanned visa is June 2019.

Extensions of stays can be done on a yearly basis. Alternatively each time you enter the country you get a 1 year stay. If you never stay for a full year you will not need to get an extension of stay, this would of course depend on your travel habits.

...

Are you saying that instead of making a new entry into Thailand with your multiple-entry PE visa to get a new permission to stay for one year you can go to your local immigration office, pay 1,900 Baht and get a one-year extension of stay?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[ukrules]

The visa clearly lasts for 5 years as per the scan of the visa I posted in this thread. The expiration date on the scanned visa is June 2019.

Extensions of stays can be done on a yearly basis. Alternatively each time you enter the country you get a 1 year stay. If you never stay for a full year you will not need to get an extension of stay, this would of course depend on your travel habits.

...

Are you saying that instead of making a new entry into Thailand with your multiple-entry PE visa to get a new permission to stay for one year you can go to your local immigration office, pay 1,900 Baht and get a one-year extension of stay?

Yes, that's right.

[Maestro]

That's interesting. The PE visa is of course newer than the current extension rules of Police Order 777/2551 and therefore the extension rules do not mention the PE visa, but all other one-year extensions of entries into Thailand based on a multiple-entry visa void the respective visa. For example, if a foreigner has a multiple-entry non-O visa issued on 20 JUN 2014 with an "enter before" date of 19 JUN 2015, enters Thailand on 25 JUN 2014 and gets permission to stay until 22 SEP 2014, then goes to his local immigration office to get a one-year extension of stay during the last 30 days before 22 SEP 2014, he will no longer be able to use his multiple-entry non-O visa for further entries into Thailand. The difference is, of course, that his extension expires later than his non-O visa, whereas your extension will expire before your PE visa expires.

[gk10002000]

Withe this Elite card, are there any reporting requirements such as the usual 90 day reporting for expats that have retired there? I am over 50 and am fully qualified by any of the financial options to retire to Thailand, but i really dislike constant and redundant paperwork every few months. I might not mind paying for the ease and convenience of a one time purchase of this Elite card

Thanks

[JB300]

Withe this Elite card, are there any reporting requirements such as the usual 90 day reporting for expats that have retired there? I am over 50 and am fully qualified by any of the financial options to retire to Thailand, but i really dislike constant and redundant paperwork every few months. I might not mind paying for the ease and convenience of a one time purchase of this Elite card

Thanks

That would work out at 25,000THB per 90 day report!

But yes, you still need to do it, though if you're in Bangkok TE can arrange it for you, elsewhere you still need to do it yourself.

[OMGImInPattaya]

Withe this Elite card, are there any reporting requirements such as the usual 90 day reporting for expats that have retired there? I am over 50 and am fully qualified by any of the financial options to retire to Thailand, but i really dislike constant and redundant paperwork every few months. I might not mind paying for the ease and convenience of a one time purchase of this Elite card

Thanks

That would work out at 25,000THB per 90 day report!

But yes, you still need to do it, though if you're in Bangkok TE can arrange it for you, elsewhere you still need to do it yourself.

You do know, Mr. One Percent, that no matter what type of long-term visa extension one has, you do not have to appear in person to do the 90-day reports. At least in the main tourist and expat centers, there are agents and visa-run shops who will take your details and make the report for you for a fee. In Pattaya, most charge B500 for the service.

[Maestro]

The Immigration Act allows submission of the 90- day report by mail but some immigration offices, when you ask them, indicate their preference for submission in person of you live nearby.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[DrTuner]

It could very well be that the extension rules for the PE visa predate the 777/2551. The translation floating in the internet is by Tilleke&Gibbins, a private law firm. There might very well be a plethora of other police orders that have not been translated. I'm not sure if these are published in the Royal Gazette or no. Would be great if the immigration would let all of the current orders in force be translated to English and put on line.

The immigration act mentions that permission to stay in Thailand may be granted based on ministerial orders. The original Elite card was during Thaksins administration, might well be some order still in force from that time. Or a newer one. Who knows, it ain't transparent.

[Piccadilly Circus]

I will post here when I do my first 90 day report at Hua Hin immigration in a couple of months time.

I didn't think you had to report every 90 days with this PE visa?