Thailand Elite Card is pleased to announce the release of four new membership programs

[Ronuk]

In response to a question I asked TE regarding 1 of the new programmes. Note, you cannot upgrade or change to these new packages although you can still upgrade to the original 20yr top package if you are an easy access 5yr member. The cost is 1.5m baht plus VAT and 20,000 baht a year to do it.

 

Dear Mr xxxx x

 

Greeting from Thailand Elite ….

 

We apologize for a late response. Regarding your previous e-mail, we would like to inform you that now there are 4 new packages which suit your lifestyle. “'Elite Superiority Extension” Members applied for this package will obtain a Visa for 20 years with no further payment. However, the original package cannot change or upgrade to a new package.

 

           

 

 

 

 

Ms. Pakpinya Ploydee

Sales Officer, Regional 2

 

Thailand Privilege Card Co., Ltd.

110/2 North Sathorn Road, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500 Thailand

Telephone : +66 (0) 2 353 4129    Mobile       : +66(0)85 123 3099

 

[JayBird]

In case of the termination pursuant to Clause2.5 (3) above, the Membership hereunder shall immediately become invalid and the Company shall refund the remaining Membership Fee (if any) to the Member, within thirty (30) days after the Card has been returned to the Company, less the following balances (if any) and costs:
 

1. The Penalty Charge and/or outstanding fees; and
    
2. The costs of Privileges which has been used by the Member during the validity of Membership.

 

How do they determine the 'remaining Membership Fee'.  If it's 1M for 20 years, and it's cancelled after year 1, do they refund 19/20 * 1M  (950k) ?

 

Also this is pursuant to 2.5 (3):

Termination due to government policies

 

which does not include them cancelling it because they want to close shop or have given up/etc.

 

So, the question remains: Should Thailand Elite as an entity decide to stop operating, what refund is issued?

 

[Ronuk]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

So if you leave you get 1 year stamp on re entry, no charge. If you don't leave, a 1900 extension is required after a year.

 

 

Correct and there is no limit to the amount of times you can leave and enter. No need for re-entry permits and a full years stamp each and everytime you enter. 

[ubonjoe]

This topic is going way off topic. The discussion of the program being canceled is off topic, If you want to discuss it start a new topic or find and old one where it has been discussed to death.

I will be removing off topic posts without notice from now on.;

[Ronuk]

12 minutes ago, JayBird said:

In case of the termination pursuant to Clause2.5 (3) above, the Membership hereunder shall immediately become invalid and the Company shall refund the remaining Membership Fee (if any) to the Member, within thirty (30) days after the Card has been returned to the Company, less the following balances (if any) and costs:
 

1. The Penalty Charge and/or outstanding fees; and
    
2. The costs of Privileges which has been used by the Member during the validity of Membership.

 

How do they determine the 'remaining Membership Fee'.  If it's 1M for 20 years, and it's cancelled after year 1, do they refund 19/20 * 1M  (950k) ?

 

Also this is pursuant to 2.5 (3):

Termination due to government policies

 

which does not include them cancelling it because they want to close shop or have given up/etc.

 

So, the question remains: Should Thailand Elite as an entity decide to stop operating, what refund is issued?

 

You would still get your visas as that money has already been paid to immigration. It would be a refund minus the cost of any services used and the cost of the visas. Remember the programme has been going 13 years or there abouts and although it was suspended for new memberships for a period, the original members never lost anything and still got what they paid for. Considering the programme is expanding all over Asia, it seems as pretty safe a bet as anything else on offer.

Permission is being sought to operate from Don Mueng too now so I don't think closing the programme is even on the horizon.

Nothing in life is guaranteed so you just have to go with your instincts.

[meatboy]

6 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

No annual fees.

There is no annual renewal. You get a new visa every 5 years for free.

If you don't leave the country for a year you could apply for a one year extension at immigration for a fee of 1900 baht.

i have only just had my internet restored after 2days so bare with me.

can i have a 10yr.membership? why because i cant see me reaching another 20yrs.and as i dont go anywhere and have never left thailand since i have been here its pointless paying for privlidges.

so is there a 10yr.card without me having to do extensions every yr.

meatboy.

[Ronuk]

35 minutes ago, meatboy said:

i have only just had my internet restored after 2days so bare with me.

can i have a 10yr.membership? why because i cant see me reaching another 20yrs.and as i dont go anywhere and have never left thailand since i have been here its pointless paying for privlidges.

so is there a 10yr.card without me having to do extensions every yr.

meatboy.

The Elite privilege Access 10 yr option. It is 1m baht with privileges so if you don't want the privileges then the 20yr option is better value  for you at the same money. There is no 10yr cheaper option without privileges. The next cheapest is the 5yr Easy access option at 500,000 inc VAT if you want a shorter period. That again includes privileges.

[elviajero]

2 hours ago, meatboy said:

i have only just had my internet restored after 2days so bare with me.

can i have a 10yr.membership? why because i cant see me reaching another 20yrs.and as i dont go anywhere and have never left thailand since i have been here its pointless paying for privlidges.

so is there a 10yr.card without me having to do extensions every yr.

meatboy.

You can see all the options here: http://www.thailandelite.com/glimpse.php

 

Whatever term you choose the visa is only good for 5 years at a time. At the end of each 5 years the visa is, automatically, renewed if you have valid membership.

 

If you don't leave the country you need to apply for an extension of stay each year (1,900 baht). 

[thaitero]

Letś say you have 3 years left of validity of your current 5 year passport when you apply to this scheme.
With 5 year visa, do you travel last 2 years with 2 passports (old and new) or do you get new visa to new passport?

[Kommissar123]

Just to be very clear here: One does only have to apply for the 'extension of stay' 1x in a year for 1,900 THB. Is that correct?

 

Can't begin to tell you how tired I am of having to do the 90 day reporting at Immigration...

[Ronuk]

44 minutes ago, Kommissar123 said:

Just to be very clear here: One does only have to apply for the 'extension of stay' 1x in a year for 1,900 THB. Is that correct?

 

Can't begin to tell you how tired I am of having to do the 90 day reporting at Immigration...

You only need to do an extension of stay if you don't leave the country anytime in 12 months. If you leave and return you will get a new 12 month stamp on each and every entry each time you enter the country. There is no limit on the amount of times you can leave and re-enter. You also do not need a re-entry permit. You still need to do a 90 day report if you are in the country for each period of 90 days. You can do the report online, by post or in person. If you live in Bangkok, Pattaya, Chang Mai or Phuket, drop your passport off to the TE office and the TE staff will do the report for you.

[elviajero]

2 hours ago, Kommissar123 said:

Just to be very clear here: One does only have to apply for the 'extension of stay' 1x in a year for 1,900 THB. Is that correct?

 

Can't begin to tell you how tired I am of having to do the 90 day reporting at Immigration...

• Yes.
• You still need to do 90 day reports even as a TE member. 

Edited August 3, 2016 by elviajero

[BritTim]

6 hours ago, Kommissar123 said:

Just to be very clear here: One does only have to apply for the 'extension of stay' 1x in a year for 1,900 THB. Is that correct?

 

Can't begin to tell you how tired I am of having to do the 90 day reporting at Immigration...

 

The 90-day reports are still required. Depending on where you live, Thailand Elite may be able to do the reports for you.

 

The extension is once annually, only necessary if you do not travel abroad at any time in the previous 12 months, and (again) depending on your location, Thailand Elite may be able to assist.

[meatboy]

9 hours ago, elviajero said:

• Yes.
• You still need to do 90 day reports even as a TE member. 

seems i have misread this 4new packages for elite members,it does nothing for the true expats who have contributed fortunes to the thai economy,and continue to do so 365days of the yr.

500,000bht for a 5yrs.of extensions at 1,900bht.a yr.seems a little bit exspensive.and still have to do 90day reports.

who said dual priceing is extorsion. 

in over 35yrs.i have never had a black mark against my name[school talk] yet the hurdles are reaching high jump heights.

so come on elite management why not do something worthwhile for all of us expats that want the [whats left of our time here] easy no hassle retirement our playboy time is over.

meatboy love my life,my wife and beloved avatar.

[HerbalEd]

After a year of Thai Elite Membership, I must say I am very happy with my five-year visa and the excellent service I receive.

 

I just recently did my first ever 90-day report and was expecting it to be a hassle. It was not. In fact, it was super easy. There's a BTS station near the TPC office so getting  there and back home was very easy. I gave the staff my passport and extension form and that was it. I returned the next day to pick up my passport and I was finished. They said I can even have my passport delivered to them and picked up the next day by courier, but doing it myself is easy enough. Plus I discovered the very nearby historic and excellent House on Sathorn restaurant and stopped in for an superb lunch. Now I'm actually looking forward to my next 90-day extension. 555

Edited August 4, 2016 by HerbalEd

[Ronuk]

12 hours ago, Kommissar123 said:

Just to be very clear here: One does only have to apply for the 'extension of stay' 1x in a year for 1,900 THB. Is that correct?

 

Can't begin to tell you how tired I am of having to do the 90 day reporting at Immigration...

You only need to do an extension of stay if you don't leave the country anytime in 12 months. If you leave and return you will get a new 12 month stamp on each and every entry each time you enter the country. There is no limit on the amount of times you can leave and re-enter. You also do not need a re-entry permit. You still need to do a 90 day report if you are in the country for each period of 90 days. You can do the report online, by post or in person. If you live in Bangkok, Pattaya, Chang Mai or Phuket, drop your passport off to the TE office and the TE staff will do the report for you.

 

19 minutes ago, meatboy said:

seems i have misread this 4new packages for elite members,it does nothing for the true expats who have contributed fortunes to the thai economy,and continue to do so 365days of the yr.

500,000bht for a 5yrs.of extensions at 1,900bht.a yr.seems a little bit exspensive.and still have to do 90day reports.

who said dual priceing is extorsion. 

in over 35yrs.i have never had a black mark against my name[school talk] yet the hurdles are reaching high jump heights.

so come on elite management why not do something worthwhile for all of us expats that want the [whats left of our time here] easy no hassle retirement our playboy time is over.

meatboy love my life,my wife and beloved avatar.

You seem to be struggling to understand how this program works. You cannot have it for less than what it is. Maybe you should try staying long term in another country and then see how hard and expensive that can be.

In all honesty, there aren't too many country's that make it as easy to stay as Thailand does.

[Ronuk]

Sorry for the multi quoting. I was only quoting meatboy but the software has a mind of its own this morning ?

[meatboy]

this is for ronuk.

try staying in another country and see how hard and expensive that can be?

my wife had 20yrs.in the uk.she didnt find it hard or expensive.

also she bought a house,didnt have to report to immigration and was treated with respect.

you might ask why move to thailand,well i had 64yrs.on and off in the uk.and my wifes home country and family live in thailand.

once again i dont understand why we are treated like someone who is on probation.

maybe 33yrs.ago an elite membership would have been up my street[when i was a playboy] but i never played golf,only the field.

[anotheruser]

If you are retired and have a  (yes I know it is an extension based on retirement) retirement visa, what's the problem? Nobody is forcing anybody to get a PE visa. Why the need to be unhappy with something that doesn't effect you? The thread is to discuss the different options TE offers. I am not sure why people not wanting one for whatever reason find their drawn out explanations as to the how and why of their reasoning think that anybody here would find it relevant.

 

A great idea would be to have a TE wish list thread. Then they could post their wishes and what would convince them to pay the membership fee. This thread as far as i can tell should be limited to current benefits that are available today. You can already see this thread beginning to derail like the last one did if these sort of posts are allowed to continue. Anyway I won't respond to any more of these type posts as they make it a headache for Ubonjoe. 

 

Back on topic I find it interesting that I can not switch to a family plan from my current plan if I want to add my partner. Thanks for finding that information out for us Ron. 

 

 

[Kommissar123]

On 8/4/2016 at 1:21 AM, BritTim said:

 

The 90-day reports are still required. Depending on where you live, Thailand Elite may be able to do the reports for you.

 

The extension is once annually, only necessary if you do not travel abroad at any time in the previous 12 months, and (again) depending on your location, Thailand Elite may be able to assist.

Thanks for clarifying.

[Mover1]

Sorry to be dumb but can i ask a few questions about the 5 year TE please, i'm in two minds about getting one or trying to get a 12 METV from Penang (if still possible!):

 

1. On the 5 year TE i can go out and back in as many times as i like in the 5 year period, but i still have to 'report' to immigration every 90 days after re-entry, is that correct?

 

2. I currently have 5 years and 3 months left on my UK passport. Would i be best to renew my UK passport now and then apply for the 5 year TE, or won't it make any difference? Current passport has 13 blank pages. Is the TE visa automatically put into a new passport if the old one runs out or has to be renewed?

 

3. The cost is 500,000 THB (£10,900 at todays rate) but is there anything extra to pay like a hidden annual charge or anything? I saw the 1900 THB cost for something, but don't really understand what its for.

 

Cheers,

Mover1

[elviajero]

You won't get any METV's from Penang unless you a Malaysian or are resident there.

1. You can enter as often as you want. You have to leave (border hop) every 12 months or apply for an extension of stay. Yes you need to report if you stay longer than 90 days.
2. You don't need to get a new passport now. If you get a new passport in the future any valid visa would stay in the old passport, and you would use the two passports until the visa expires.
3. There are no other charges. The 1,900 is only payable if you apply for an extension of stay.

Edited August 6, 2016 by elviajero

[Topah]

That 20 year Elite option looks interesting. Only 1 million incl. vat. http://www.thailandelite.com/downloadable_form_file/downloadable_form_file40.pdf

 

That is 50000b/year. You don't get the golf, spa or airport transfer but for people who fly international flight let's say 5-10 times a year, it is a bargain. I wonder what is the lounge like. It says it will have lounge access both departure and arrival. Also fast track immigration every time is great.

 

It is how you value your time and frustration with immigration. 

 

Time is money in life and stress kills as well. If your time and stress don't have value, then you save 3900 for multi entry and 1900 for extension. It is about 40000 baht cheaper to do by yourself.

 

But here is the question:

 

Do Elite members need to show any sign of money in the bank account? If I can invest that 400k and make it grow year by year, it can probably pay the elite membership itself. 

 

Only concern is that whole thing will turn up to be scam and I will die in hear attack because of it

 

Is the Elite program legit and really been working well?

 

[scubascuba3]

My issue with it is if it is cancelled, per T&Cs you get refunded remaining period, but if Elite Ltd co runs out of money / goes bust, is refund gauranteed from govt, i doubt it.

[anotheruser]

7 minutes ago, Topah said:

That 20 year Elite option looks interesting. Only 1 million incl. vat. http://www.thailandelite.com/downloadable_form_file/downloadable_form_file40.pdf

 

That is 50000b/year. You don't get the golf, spa or airport transfer but for people who fly international flight let's say 5-10 times a year, it is a bargain. I wonder what is the lounge like. It says it will have lounge access both departure and arrival. Also fast track immigration every time is great.

 

It is how you value your time and frustration with immigration. 

 

Time is money in life and stress kills as well. If your time and stress don't have value, then you save 3900 for multi entry and 1900 for extension. It is about 40000 baht cheaper to do by yourself.

 

But here is the question:

 

Do Elite members need to show any sign of money in the bank account? If I can invest that 400k and make it grow year by year, it can probably pay the elite membership itself. 

 

Only concern is that whole thing will turn up to be scam and I will die in hear attack because of it

 

Is the Elite program legit and really been working well?

 

 

They never asked me for any proof of funds whatsoever. 

[elviajero]

8 minutes ago, Topah said:

That 20 year Elite option looks interesting. Only 1 million incl. vat. http://www.thailandelite.com/downloadable_form_file/downloadable_form_file40.pdf

 

That is 50000b/year. You don't get the golf, spa or airport transfer but for people who fly international flight let's say 5-10 times a year, it is a bargain. I wonder what is the lounge like. It says it will have lounge access both departure and arrival. Also fast track immigration every time is great.

 

It is how you value your time and frustration with immigration. 

 

Time is money in life and stress kills as well. If your time and stress don't have value, then you save 3900 for multi entry and 1900 for extension. It is about 40000 baht cheaper to do by yourself.

 

But here is the question:

 

Do Elite members need to show any sign of money in the bank account? If I can invest that 400k and make it grow year by year, it can probably pay the elite membership itself. 

 

Only concern is that whole thing will turn up to be scam and I will die in hear attack because of it

 

Is the Elite program legit and really been working well?

 

• You don't need to show any money in the bank.
• It is not a scam but there is always the possibility of the scheme being cancelled. If canceled, it's unknown exactly what monies would be refunded.

[Topah]

So the whole process of taking photos with wife outside and inside house, going to the bank, getting korrors, signing papers, waiting countless hours in immigration etc. is not needed for 20 years if you get this?

 

I need to know which lounge it is at the airport. Anyone knows? 

 

It is still a risk thought. I had a lifetime membership with Californina Wow and we all know how it ended.

Edited August 7, 2016 by Topah

[Ronuk]

2 minutes ago, Topah said:

So the whole process of taking photos with wife outside and inside house, going to the bank, getting korrors, signing papers, waiting countless hours in immigration etc. is not needed for 20 years if you get this?

 

I need to know which lounge it is at the airport. Anyone knows? 

Correct. No photos of your house and you don't have to deal with immigration. I believe the lounge is Louis Tavern but I still prefer to use Eva Air lounge on my open invitation.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 2 สิงหาคม 2559 at 2:22 PM, ubonjoe said:

All the existing memberships are the same price, There are 4 new membership options.

I can't open the details. How much is the 5 years option, please?

[Ronuk]

Just now, thaibeachlovers said:

I can't open the details. How much is the 5 years option, please?

500,000 bht with 24 car services and fast track immigration.