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Thailand Elite Visa flaws my review!


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Mines a 5 year membership, it says PE from memory, the first one was hand written but this newer one is printed, it's elsewhere in the house and I'm not checking it right now.

 

If you enter the country just before the visa expires they will give you the usual stamp - which is 1 year, even if you come back days before it expires.

 

This is how it can be stretched into 6 years.

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2 hours ago, alyx said:

Agreed...and that is why I am confused as you all seem to be writing about the sixth year (so the number of renewed visas is irrelevant ) or I must be missing something as I am pretty certain that the immigration would not give an extension at a later than the date stipulated on the visa of the member.

That "6th year" thing people are talking about here is different from the current "extra 6 months" promotion TE is running.

 

The promotion is official while the 6th year was never official and has been contingent upon leaving and re-entering the country short before expiration of the TE Visa, maybe even in combination with a re-entry permit. You'd get another one year stamp and as such could remain 6 years even though the visa is officially just for five. Same as you could use a TV that is good for entries until lets say 15.8. for another 3 months when you arrive on 14.8.

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5 hours ago, alyx said:

Ok...so you are saying that all the visas are marked equally? 

Yours is a 20 year if I recall correctly...what is written in your visa: PE visa ?

yes they are all marked Visa Type "PE".   The Visa is 5 years for every Elite member. The 20 year membership just gives you 4 visa but while the membership covers 20 years they are 5 year visa each. 

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On 8/8/2020 at 2:35 AM, ukrules said:

Mines a 5 year membership, it says PE from memory, the first one was hand written but this newer one is printed, it's elsewhere in the house and I'm not checking it right now.

Where did you get the printed visa, at the airport or when renewing it at CW?

 

Having handwritten visas in my passport drives my OCD wild.

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2 hours ago, FlyingThai said:

Where did you get the printed visa, at the airport or when renewing it at CW?

They have been using visa stickers for a few years now. It doesn't matter where you get it done at.

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6 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

They have been using visa stickers for a few years now. It doesn't matter where you get it done at.

Negative. My last one was done at CW and they scribbled it by hand plus some rubber stamps which already drove me nuts. Friend of mine got his in August 2019 and same thing, it looks like a job done in Somchai's basement. In fact Somchai would likely do a better job.

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8 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

They have been using visa stickers for a few years now. It doesn't matter where you get it done at.

Sorry to clarify my post, yes they do use stickers but the information on these visa labels is hand written/rubber stamped. Some that are issued at BKK Airport are at least part printed.

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  • 1 month later...

good afternoon. Very happy to be here. 

I have a question.....i'd like to do Thailand Visa Elite but i like to travel outside thailand too.

Is it possible with thailand visa elite stay outside thailand for 4 or 5 months continuously

??? I read in old posts that i have to make 90days report !!! or is it possile to stay outside thailand only for 89days. ???thks a lot

Edited by robyleave
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The 90-day reporting is only for people seeking to remain in Thailand for at least that long. In Bangkok and possibly elsewhere, you can submit your paperwork to Thailand Elite rather than visiting immigration personally. If you leave before 90 days, then the clock restarts the next time you enter.

 

It typically takes 2 or 3 months to get approved. If you're from a country where the virus is under control, then this suggests that you could enter early next year, potentially even before existing Elite holders in countries where it's rampant.

 

To anyone who manages to enter while the pandemic is still festering, please leave a note here:

 

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1184274-has-anyone-entered-on-an-elite-visa-after-july-2020

Edited by BradFinch
fixed link
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10 hours ago, robyleave said:

good afternoon. Very happy to be here. 

I have a question.....i'd like to do Thailand Visa Elite but i like to travel outside thailand too.

Is it possible with thailand visa elite stay outside thailand for 4 or 5 months continuously

??? I read in old posts that i have to make 90days report !!! or is it possile to stay outside thailand only for 89days. ???thks a lot

No problem, The Elite is a multi-entry Visa.

90 day reports are only required if you stay IN Thailand for 90 days or more continuously.

 

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On 8/10/2020 at 11:50 PM, bwpage3 said:

Works out to US $275/month to stay in Thailand.

US$132 per month if you are paying 1 million baht for the 20 year option. 

 

I paid 1 Million for the life time option when I was 30 (Membership was for lifetime back then) 

It was US$26,000 at the time (which is no 820,000 baht).

 

A lot of it paid for itself with use of privileges such as Golf etc which I used a lot for the first 8 years or so. 

Airport transfers about 16 times per year were handy. 

The yearly medical is also good and something I’d probably not go for as often. 

 

That said: 

This Covid-19 issue has highlighted how utterly useless the ThaiElite Visa is. 

Along with Retirement Visas the Government has not accommodated at all for those Elite Visa holders (and retirement Visa holders) who’ve committed to Thailand - its a shambles and an insult to those who’ve committed their lives to Thailand. 

 

I was fortunate and could come in on a Non-Imm O Visa (in July) but I find it despicable that those with existing visas are not honoured. 

 

I would certainly not be investing my money in a ThaiElite visa at the moment considering the disregard the government has shown for existing ThaiElite visa holders. 

 

 

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5 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

US$132 per month if you are paying 1 million baht for the 20 year option. 

 

I paid 1 Million for the life time option when I was 30 (Membership was for lifetime back then) 

It was US$26,000 at the time (which is no 820,000 baht).

 

A lot of it paid for itself with use of privileges such as Golf etc which I used a lot for the first 8 years or so. 

Airport transfers about 16 times per year were handy. 

The yearly medical is also good and something I’d probably not go for as often. 

 

That said: 

This Covid-19 issue has highlighted how utterly useless the ThaiElite Visa is. 

Along with Retirement Visas the Government has not accommodated at all for those Elite Visa holders (and retirement Visa holders) who’ve committed to Thailand - its a shambles and an insult to those who’ve committed their lives to Thailand. 

 

I was fortunate and could come in on a Non-Imm O Visa (in July) but I find it despicable that those with existing visas are not honoured. 

 

I would certainly not be investing my money in a ThaiElite visa at the moment considering the disregard the government has shown for existing ThaiElite visa holders. 

 

 

Can you have Non O and Elite visa at the same time?

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10 minutes ago, HashBrownHarry said:

Can you have Non O and Elite visa at the same time?

Yes... I have both Visa’s in my Passport. I had to obtain the Non-Immigrant Type O because I couldn’t enter on my Thai Elite Visa under the rules of the Emergency Decree (only Non-Imm visas allowed). 

 

I have also held a Non-Immigrant Type B (and work permit) and worked on that in Thailand while also holding a valid Thai Elite Visa, but obviously had to leave the country and re-enter on the Non-Imm B. 

 

 

 

 

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I applied for the Elite visa on August 4th. Still waiting for the Immigration approval.

I am grateful that it took so long. It seems STV will be easier and new Elite members cannot enter Thailand - so far I have not seen anyone with a new membership who managed to get his visa affixed at some embassy and enter the country.

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34 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

This Covid-19 issue has highlighted how utterly useless the ThaiElite Visa is. 

It's working out just fine for me, being here in Thailand already I don't have to even bother keeping up with the latest 'visa news'.

 

They gave me an extra six months membership as well. I guess I will review the situation when it's time to renew in 2025.

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