Thailand Elite one year extension without leaving the country

[HerbalEd]

Sure, I know the 800,000 baht can be taken out and used, just so you have 800,000 baht in the bank 90 days before you apply for your next extension. Sad to learn you can't apply for your extension in CM -- that you have to go physically go down to Bangkok. Reading the TE website, it implies it can be done in CM.

Did the math and realized a visa agent if definitely the way to go for retired people -- esp. once I read the TE website and realized you don't get the spa and golf bennies with the 500,000 baht package.

Read some more. You do get discounts at various spas, golf courses, and restaurants ... although I've never used them and probably never will.

[HerbalEd]

Been here over 7 years and paid nowhere near 500k!!

I'm 41, married to a Thai, don't have marriage visa, had a work permit half the time i have been here, come and go as i please and never had a re-entry permit!!

I don't think i have even spent 250,000 bht in that time in lawyers fees and tax for my house.

But how much time, effort and travel have you spent doing all that? Some people have more money than time, and/or they are willing to pay more money for more convenience.

[ronaldo0]

Been here over 7 years and paid nowhere near 500k!!

I'm 41, married to a Thai, don't have marriage visa, had a work permit half the time i have been here, come and go as i please and never had a re-entry permit!!

I don't think i have even spent 250,000 bht in that time in lawyers fees and tax for my house.

But how much time, effort and travel have you spent doing all that? Some people have more money than time, and/or they are willing to pay more money for more convenience.

I would hardly call a ten minute drive every 3 months to drop off my passport at the lawyers office taking up much time,effort or much travelling!

[dickyknee]

If you exit and re-enter just before the visa expires and receive a permission to stay stamp for one year, can you effectively extend the life of the visa to six years, using a re-entry permit to keep that final year's permission to stay alive since your visa would have expired?

Also, has anyone had experience with TE in Chiang Mai? I'm on a retirement visa, but CM Immigration has become such a nightmare, I'm wondering if people with TE status get any special treatment. I suppose I could just hire a visa agent and get the same results. I wouldn't need to have that 800,000 baht tied up, would I? Hmm.... gotta do the math.

the limo is the holiday-inn airport shuttle, you still have to pay 500 baht for the express residence-cert. can use the Thai-national queue in the international arrival and departure halls. I've never had to do a 90 day report, so I can't comment.

All my mates call me sir at our Friday beer meet.

[dickyknee]

Been here over 7 years and paid nowhere near 500k!!

I'm 41, married to a Thai, don't have marriage visa, had a work permit half the time i have been here, come and go as i please and never had a re-entry permit!!

I don't think i have even spent 250,000 bht in that time in lawyers fees and tax for my house.

Everybody is happy for you.

You made some great savings there. Good.

However, not everybody needs to save money. Especially when we speak about such small amounts.

Also, not everybody is married. Hopefully I would say

And, most members never had to consider a "work permit". Thailand Elite is not a product aimed at those who still need to work.

Many members are under 50, but many members are above 50. Thailand Elite is about quality of life. It makes life comfortable for young and older people.

I was younger than you when I became a member.

12 years of membership and I can only be thankful to the program for allowing me such easy stays.

Well, in any case, we are all happy that you are happy with your cheaper option and made some savings. Great for you

Believe it or not, I, as a Thailand Elite member, am also very happy.

And I think all other members are happy too.

Happiness. That is what counts.

Got nothing to do with saving money!!

I certainly wouldn't be living here if i wanted to save money.

I just happened to find a lawyer that knew what he was doing.

But if you are happy then im sure that's all that matters!!

in confused, did you have a work permit because you were working or because you found a "good" lawyer?

[pinkpanther99]

Good OP and thanks for the update.

The Thailand Elite visa is a great option if you're under 50, not married, no kids, don't work here and have some funds in the bank.

I looked into getting one about two years ago but then got offered a job so that covered my visa and have now since got married so I'm covered for visa that way too.

But if you've got the money and want hassle free life without visa runs and the rest of it then it's worth looking into in my opinion.

One thing I did notice, when I was speaking to TE the people they seemed very eager to distance themselves with the program that was launched under Thaksin regime, which was before my time in Thailand so don't know how the current TE differs from the one originally launched.

They were offering me all kinds of stuff though, free airport transfers etc.

Like I said, I'd have gone for it if I hadn't got a job here.

It would be a good option for the offshore guys who are under 50.

[NancyL]

Yes, definitely seems like a very good option for the O & G guys who come in here on their rotations and sometimes get the stink eye at Swampy Immigration about how many 30 day stamps they've collected in their passport. With TE they'd start their down time in style, instead of wondering if they're going to be hassled coming back "home".

[thailandforumaddict]

Thank you for report, still envy you even if I have another visa I cannot stay meeting any stupid official more than once a year.

I came to read this thread to read all the ridiculous posts from the cheap charlies who know noting and have no money to have a decent lifestyle, so funny them to keep talking about what they don't know and will never have !

[thailandforumaddict]

Don't worry your wife spend for you and if you built a house you already spent a lot more than this !

Been here over 7 years and paid nowhere near 500k!!

I'm 41, married to a Thai, don't have marriage visa, had a work permit half the time i have been here, come and go as i please and never had a re-entry permit!!

I don't think i have even spent 250,000 bht in that time in lawyers fees and tax for my house.

[nzexpat]

Thank you for report, still envy you even if I have another visa I cannot stay meeting any stupid official more than once a year.

I came to read this thread to read all the ridiculous posts from the cheap charlies who know noting and have no money to have a decent lifestyle, so funny them to keep talking about what they don't know and will never have !

That comment reveals more about you than it does about what are sneeringly referred to as cheap charlies !

[JB300]

Been here over 7 years and paid nowhere near 500k!!

I'm 41, married to a Thai, don't have marriage visa, had a work permit half the time i have been here, come and go as i please and never had a re-entry permit!!

I don't think i have even spent 250,000 bht in that time in lawyers fees and tax for my house.

But how much time, effort and travel have you spent doing all that? Some people have more money than time, and/or they are willing to pay more money for more convenience.

I would hardly call a ten minute drive every 3 months to drop off my passport at the lawyers office taking up much time,effort or much travelling!

So if you don't stay on the basis of being Married to a Thai or being over 50 or having a work permit and don't leave every 90 days, on what basis do you stay in Thailand? Edited June 11, 2015 by JB300

[ronaldo0]

Been here over 7 years and paid nowhere near 500k!!

I'm 41, married to a Thai, don't have marriage visa, had a work permit half the time i have been here, come and go as i please and never had a re-entry permit!!

I don't think i have even spent 250,000 bht in that time in lawyers fees and tax for my house.

But how much time, effort and travel have you spent doing all that? Some people have more money than time, and/or they are willing to pay more money for more convenience.

I would hardly call a ten minute drive every 3 months to drop off my passport at the lawyers office taking up much time,effort or much travelling!

So if you don't stay on the basis of being Married to a Thai or being over 50 or having a work permit and don't leave every 90 days, on what basis do you stay in Thailand?

Not a clue! I don't even look at my visa apart from the date it has to be stamped. I just pay my lawyer and that's all i know.

[HidyHo]

Not a clue! I don't even look at my visa apart from the date it has to be stamped. I just pay my lawyer and that's all i know.

And how is your personal situation applicable to general public?

[nzexpat]

Not a clue! I don't even look at my visa apart from the date it has to be stamped. I just pay my lawyer and that's all i know.

And how is your personal situation applicable to general public?

It is not but if we wait "ronaldo0" may reveal where this "magic" lawyer can be found !

[ukrules]

Where did you get your one-year extension?

My understanding is that you don't personally have to get the one-year extension yourself, and can, instead, have the people at the Elite Visa office do it for you. Do you know if this is true?

What about 90-day reporting? How did you do that? Again, my understanding is that staff at Elite Visa office can do that for you also. Yes/no?

I've only had my Elite Visa for several months, but I LOVE IT! It's one of the best investments I ever made. After many years and countless times of applying for tourist visas, 30-day exemptions, visa extensions, border runs, overstays, queuing for hours, etc., I am so happy not to do any of that anymore.

I did my extension at the local Hua Hin immigration office.

I believe you can use the concierge service in Bangkok, I used it when I first signed up for my membership to Thailand Elite Easy Access (the cheaper 5 year option). I live in Hua Hin these days so I don't have ready access to the Bangkok based concierge service.

I currently report every 90 days at Hua Hin immigration office, every foreigner on a long term visa regardless of which one it is must do the 90 day reports if they don't leave the country every 90 days.

While I was there yesterday I did a 90 day report the old fashioned way by filling out the form. I also enquired about the online 90 day reporting and they said that some people have had success using the system but there are some problems which are being worked on. I suspect a lot of the problems people experience might be browser related as the system requires a certain browser.

I will definitely be testing the online system in September when it's time to do my next 90 day report. I'm a tech guy and will setup the exact environment required by the process before I test it in September.

A agreee on the convenience of the whole thing.

Edited June 11, 2015 by ukrules

[ukrules]

A lady friend has just applied for the Elite visa as she is not yet 50 - she has opted for this after spending 1 year on the Ed visa and is looking forward to the hassle free benefits- she will have to report every 90days( by mail) and if she does not exit in the next year then have an extension made in Bangkok ( Chiang Mai immig. Cannot do this). This is still much easier than the alternatives to her.

I'm not sure why Chiang Mai immgration can't do this, it's the exact same scenario I just completed in the last year. I didn't leave and I got my extension at the provincial immigration office in Hua Hin.

My visa was issued to me at Chaeng Wattana whilst I was inside Thailand and not on arrival at the airport. I had been here for about 3 months on my current visa / extension when I had my visa issued in Bangkok.

I got a 1 year stamp which expired today so yesterday I went to Hua Hin immigration and did an extension. I'm told you can do this at any immigration office in the country and I certainly had no issues doing it in Hua Hin yesterday.

I did enquire with Thailand Elite in advance by email about doing my extension in Hua Hin (never leave anything to chance !) and this is what they said :

With regarding to your question about the regulation of Stay Extension after getting the 1st Elite Visa at Immigration Chaengwattana on June 12th, 2014, please be informed that you can extend the permission of stay at 30 days before the expiry date of your current stamp. Kindly be reminded that the over-stay fee will be applied THB 500 per day in case of doing the stay extension after the expiry date.

For more information, the stay extension can do at Hua Hin Immigration Office but you need to do the extension at the same place for next stay extension (in case of stay longer a year).

So now I've done my extension of stay at Hua Hin it looks like I must do subsequent extensions of stay from Hua Hin unless I leave the country before I do my next extension. This is no problem as I live in Hua Hin but it's nice to know should I choose to relocate.

I would clarify the issue on doing 1 year extensions in Chiang Mai directly with Thailand Elite, if they say it can be done then it can be done. I was half expecting to need to phone them in Bangkok yesterday while in the immigration office but there were no issues so I didn't need to phone to clarify.

[Shiver]

Thank you for this post. I'm nearing the end of my ED visa, and have been considering what options I have (the <50 years/not married/don't work category). I'm thinking of heading out for a double 60 Tourist with 30 day extensions later this month to get to the end of the year, but unsure if I can repeat that or just bite the bullet and get a TE/PE visa to get me past 50 where I could apply for retirement if I'm still around.

Although I read TVF daily, I'm still not clear on all the visa rules, and don't like to ask questions as people will say it's been answered a thousand times already. Is there a post that holds the latest information that is believed to be current? Does it depend which office you're dealing with? I'm in Udon so Vientiane would be my entry/exit point, and have a couple of friends over there so it wouldn't be such a big deal to go there for a few days every couple of months. I presume that means the 90 day reports would not be necessary if I'm leaving the country regularly.

I guess what I'm saying in my woolly headed thinking is, how does repeated double 60 Tourist visa compare to an elite visa, and can I repeat Tourist option (often confused with Visa exemption it seems), or do I bite the bullet and drop 500K to avoid the hassle. It just seems out of line with the costs of surrounding countries. It's no small amount of cash for me, but I can do it if that's what it takes.

Edited June 11, 2015 by Shiver

[ukrules]

If you exit and re-enter just before the visa expires and receive a permission to stay stamp for one year, can you effectively extend the life of the visa to six years, using a re-entry permit to keep that final year's permission to stay alive since your visa would have expired?

I very much doubt it could be stretched to 6 years but the truth is nobody knows as none of the Thailand Elite memberships have expired yet.

From what I understand the 5 year membership has only been available for around 18 months or so, I got mine as soon as I heard about it.

I guess we will find out for sure in a few years time but personally I suspect the entrance stamp date will be the same date as the visa expiry date even if it's less than 12 months away, then again maybe I'm wrong. Time will tell on this.

[ubonjoe]

Thank you for this post. I'm nearing the end of my ED visa, and have been considering what options I have (the <50 years/not married/don't work category). I'm thinking of heading out for a double 60 Tourist with 30 day extensions later this month to get to the end of the year, but unsure if I can repeat that or just bite the bullet and get a TE/PE visa to get me past 50 where I could apply for retirement if I'm still around.

Although I read TVF daily, I'm still not clear on all the visa rules, and don't like to ask questions as people will say it's been answered a thousand times already. Is there a post that holds the latest information that is believed to be current? Does it depend which office you're dealing with? I'm in Udon so Vientiane would be my entry/exit point, and have a couple of friends over there so it wouldn't be such a big deal to go there for a few days every couple of months. I presume that means the 90 day reports would not be necessary if I'm leaving the country regularly.

I guess what I'm saying in my woolly headed thinking is, how does repeated double 60 Tourist visa compare to an elite visa, and can I repeat Tourist option (often confused with Visa exemption it seems), or do I bite the bullet and drop 500K to avoid the hassle. It just seems out of line with the costs of surrounding countries. It's no small amount of cash for me, but I can do it if that's what it takes.

No problem to get a 2 entry tourist visa in Vientiane.. The 30 day extension of the 60 day entry is routine at most immigration offices.

After the first entry and extension just cross the border to Vientiane turn around and come back to use the 2nd entry. Then get another 30 day extension.

You could get as many as 3 two entry visas in Vientiane.

No need for 90 day reports since you will not be staying longer than 90 days.

[nzexpat]

Thank you for this post. I'm nearing the end of my ED visa, and have been considering what options I have (the <50 years/not married/don't work category). I'm thinking of heading out for a double 60 Tourist with 30 day extensions later this month to get to the end of the year, but unsure if I can repeat that or just bite the bullet and get a TE/PE visa to get me past 50 where I could apply for retirement if I'm still around.

Although I read TVF daily, I'm still not clear on all the visa rules, and don't like to ask questions as people will say it's been answered a thousand times already. Is there a post that holds the latest information that is believed to be current? Does it depend which office you're dealing with? I'm in Udon so Vientiane would be my entry/exit point, and have a couple of friends over there so it wouldn't be such a big deal to go there for a few days every couple of months. I presume that means the 90 day reports would not be necessary if I'm leaving the country regularly.

I guess what I'm saying in my woolly headed thinking is, how does repeated double 60 Tourist visa compare to an elite visa, and can I repeat Tourist option (often confused with Visa exemption it seems), or do I bite the bullet and drop 500K to avoid the hassle. It just seems out of line with the costs of surrounding countries. It's no small amount of cash for me, but I can do it if that's what it takes.

If you are < 50, are not married and do not work you have very few options ......................

1. Tourist visas which will become increasingly difficult to obtain as time moves on and the number TV's applied for increases.

2 . The TE visa

[ukrules]

Thank you for this post. I'm nearing the end of my ED visa, and have been considering what options I have (the <50 years/not married/don't work category). I'm thinking of heading out for a double 60 Tourist with 30 day extensions later this month to get to the end of the year, but unsure if I can repeat that or just bite the bullet and get a TE/PE visa to get me past 50 where I could apply for retirement if I'm still around.

Although I read TVF daily, I'm still not clear on all the visa rules, and don't like to ask questions as people will say it's been answered a thousand times already. Is there a post that holds the latest information that is believed to be current? Does it depend which office you're dealing with? I'm in Udon so Vientiane would be my entry/exit point, and have a couple of friends over there so it wouldn't be such a big deal to go there for a few days every couple of months. I presume that means the 90 day reports would not be necessary if I'm leaving the country regularly.

I guess what I'm saying in my woolly headed thinking is, how does repeated double 60 Tourist visa compare to an elite visa, and can I repeat Tourist option (often confused with Visa exemption it seems), or do I bite the bullet and drop 500K to avoid the hassle. It just seems out of line with the costs of surrounding countries. It's no small amount of cash for me, but I can do it if that's what it takes.

I guess it all depends on how often you're willing to leave the country and whether they continue to issue back to back tourist visas on an ongoing basis over a period of many years, I believe this is the issue you might come up against.

I've heard things about some kind of limit where you can only get something like 3 back to back visas at a given embassy before you need to start travelling to other countries to get your visas.

This is why I used to return to Europe and get a triple entry visa once a year, then I found out about the TE Easy Access 5 year membership....now I don't bother going to Europe at all.

Edited June 11, 2015 by ukrules

[NancyL]

If you exit and re-enter just before the visa expires and receive a permission to stay stamp for one year, can you effectively extend the life of the visa to six years, using a re-entry permit to keep that final year's permission to stay alive since your visa would have expired?

I very much doubt it could be stretched to 6 years but the truth is nobody knows as none of the Thailand Elite memberships have expired yet.

From what I understand the 5 year membership has only been available for around 18 months or so, I got mine as soon as I heard about it.

I guess we will find out for sure in a few years time but personally I suspect the entrance stamp date will be the same date as the visa expiry date even if it's less than 12 months away, then again maybe I'm wrong. Time will tell on this.

What I was proposing -- getting six years of "life" out of a five year TE visa -- is similar to what retirees do with a one-year multi-entry O-A visa, obtained in their home countries. Each entry is stamped for 12 months, so the common advice is to exit and re-enter Thailand just before expiration of the visa and then use a re-entry permit to keep that permission-to-stay valid. Viola -- two-year validity from an O-A visa, and thus no need to move funds into Thailand to justify a retirement extension for 1 year and 10 months if someone is going to have to use the 800,000 baht in-a-Thai-bank method of justifying a retirement extension.

In the case of the TE visa -- getting six years life vs. five year life makes that 500,000 cost a little more tolerable.

Edited June 11, 2015 by NancyL

[elgenon]

Just to be perfectly clear, do you need to report every 90 days w a TE Easy Access?

[Shiver]

My understanding (not fact) is that you need to report every 90 days no matter what kind of visa. I haven't had experience of all visa types though so that's not comprehensive. I've done Multi-O, Business Exploration visa, ED, Tourist and Exemption. I don't have TE/Marriage/Non-B/Retirement experience though.

[ukrules]

Just to be perfectly clear, do you need to report every 90 days w a TE Easy Access?

Yes, of course you do, every foreigner in Thailand does this. If you're in Bangkok there's a TE service where they will do it for you but it still gets done every 90 days.

If you enter Thailand on any kind of visa and are staying longer than 90 days then you or someone operating on your behalf needs to do a 90 day report or there will be a fine.

[elgenon]

Just to be perfectly clear, do you need to report every 90 days w a TE Easy Access?

Yes, of course you do, every foreigner in Thailand does this. If you're in Bangkok there's a TE service where they will do it for you but it still gets done every 90 days.

If you enter Thailand on any kind of visa and are staying longer than 90 days then you or someone operating on your behalf needs to do a 90 day report or there will be a fine.

So in all other areas you have to do it yourself?

Also if you extend in one area you have to report in same area?

[larsjohnsson]

It works on one year stamps which are issued every time you enter the country or do an extension.

If you don't leave the country at all then you need to extend your current stay by one year at a time as the 'admitted until' date approaches.

With this visa it makes no sense to get a re-entry permit as it's a multiple entry visa with no limit on the number of entries while it's valid, also each entrance gets a fresh 1 year stamp from the day of entrance.

I presume this ends when the membership period ends but that remains to be seen as nobody will have had a membership expire yet.

As for how much money it saves, that would depend on your individual circumstances. But I believe it pays for itself in my case in less than 2 years.

It seems it is no different from a retirement visa which costs only 1900bt per year

It's a huge difference for people that are below 50 years old

[ukrules]

Just to be perfectly clear, do you need to report every 90 days w a TE Easy Access?

Yes, of course you do, every foreigner in Thailand does this. If you're in Bangkok there's a TE service where they will do it for you but it still gets done every 90 days.

If you enter Thailand on any kind of visa and are staying longer than 90 days then you or someone operating on your behalf needs to do a 90 day report or there will be a fine.

So in all other areas you have to do it yourself?

Also if you extend in one area you have to report in same area?

I do mine myself in Hua Hin but as it's just a regular 90 day report you can send an agent to do it for you if you want and apparently the online reporting is supposed to be live right now.

I haven't moved address in the last few years but I suspect it will be the same as when someone who's on a year long retirement extension moves address, does this create any issues if there's a move between provinces / immigration offices ? I'm not sure, you could always email them.

[HerbalEd]

If you exit and re-enter just before the visa expires and receive a permission to stay stamp for one year, can you effectively extend the life of the visa to six years, using a re-entry permit to keep that final year's permission to stay alive since your visa would have expired?

Also, has anyone had experience with TE in Chiang Mai? I'm on a retirement visa, but CM Immigration has become such a nightmare, I'm wondering if people with TE status get any special treatment. I suppose I could just hire a visa agent and get the same results. I wouldn't need to have that 800,000 baht tied up, would I? Hmm.... gotta do the math.

the limo is the holiday-inn airport shuttle, you still have to pay 500 baht for the express residence-cert. can use the Thai-national queue in the international arrival and departure halls. I've never had to do a 90 day report, so I can't comment.

All my mates call me sir at our Friday beer meet.

My limos have been from Thai Tourist authority and I've never been asked to pay anything extra for the limo ride to and fro the airport.

[mrfaroukh]

Well I think it is a good visa if you are under 50 and can not get a retirement visa. Also many below 50 get a Ed visa which cost them around 25000 a year and probably have to leave the country and go their own country to renew the visa. So how much more they spend on travelling have not idea. But on the whole I think it become much less than the VIP visa.

You should tell us what other benefits this card has.