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How long to obtain Elite - start to finish?


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48 minutes ago, ukrules said:

How long ago was this? Mine took only a week but that was 5 years ago.

November 2017, most of the time was just waiting for their clearance and acceptance letter

rest was fast, I made some appointment in BKK (was in Mae Hong Son at that time, needed to fly down) then sat around in immigration while they did everything and left with passport and little bag they gave me.

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47 minutes ago, kekalot said:

November 2017, most of the time was just waiting for their clearance and acceptance letter

rest was fast, I made some appointment in BKK (was in Mae Hong Son at that time, needed to fly down) then sat around in immigration while they did everything and left with passport and little bag they gave me.

This makes sense, things seem to have changed this year, especially in the run up to the election.

 

In fact it's like someone pencilled in the beginning of March as the time to change things.

 

Retirement visa rules changed on March 1, there are reports elsewhere on this forum that immigration are now enforcing 400k in the bank for 3 months after extensions based on marriage via an 'internal memo' instead of written law / police orders, I wonder what else changed?

 

So, various things appear to have changed in March.

 

I wonder if anyone has received an approval for a TE visa application since March 1, 2019.

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It sounds like the consensus is that it used take days or weeks; now the process is pushing 45-60 or more days for current applicants.

 

It would be nice to hear when the current group of those who applied after the start of March begin to get the good news.

 

 

 

 

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I called their official phone number and the rep said the same. It may take up to 4 months. And if somebody does not have any history in Thailand (like me), it takes a little longer but never more than four months. I also asked for any express service to speed up the process but she said they don't have express service. Oh well, if need be, I can always go to Singapore and get a new tourist visa or may be go and stay in Macao for a few months. 

Edited by CartagenaWarlock
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12 hours ago, marke985 said:

We should meet for a beer next time I'm in Parttaya area.  We might be the only two Elite card holders who still take the cheap bus.  I still fly into DMK, take the airport bus (30 baht) to the BTS.  Take BTS to Ekkami station, walk to the bus station, 108 baht bus to Pattaya.  Depending how I feel/how much luggage I have, I sometimes make the 1.5KM walk to my lower end hotel in Pattaya to save on the motorbike taki/ baht bus monopoly they have running.

OK, I’ll send my driver to pick you up in the Rolls.

I think there’d be more than the two of us in that club. I saw somewhere that only 2% of people had gone for the full-on 2M baht visa with its limousines and golfing. Maybe one reason for the delays in approval is someone in Immigration becoming concerned that too many of the lower classes are applying for the 1M baht visa.

Last time I used the baht bus monopoly at the North Pattaya bus station, I was a bit miffed to be dropped off at the Pattaya to Jomtien stop next to the school, rather than the agreed upon destination in Jomtien.

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7 minutes ago, CygnusX1 said:

Last time I used the baht bus monopoly at the North Pattaya bus station, I was a bit miffed to be dropped off at the Pattaya to Jomtien stop next to the school, rather than the agreed upon destination in Jomtien.

When I am in Pattya, I extensively use Grab. Fast, good service, no cash transaction, and no haggling required. 

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Maybe, I have been coming to Thailand for too long. But the increasingly inefficient vetting by immigration, combined with the threat to maybe anyway refuse a visa for those who were cleared if they have previous overstays raises my suspicions. I think it probable that senior levels in immigration are looking for a bigger share pf the membership fee in return for a smoother process.

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9 hours ago, onera1961 said:

When I am in Pattya, I extensively use Grab. Fast, good service, no cash transaction, and no haggling required. 

I am not sure they will pick up from the bus station. I use Grab often but am mindful of being picked up away from regular taxis. 

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22 hours ago, nucleative said:

 

It's possible that I'm doing something very wrong, but owning a Thai company and thus maintaining a Non-B visa costs well in excess of THB 100,000 annually including:

 

-monthly bookkeeping/accounting services and tax filing,

-semi-annual and annual audit

-2-4 Thai employees (even if using the, uh, roundabout ways on this)

-admin assistance to handle the continual gov't related errands

-annual visa renewal fees/agent fees and

-the heartache of never knowing what "new rule" will come into effect at the next extension and thus whether you'll need an emergency trip out of Thailand at the last minute

 

So a Non-B visa is not a smooth or inexpensive way to stay in Thailand. If your "work" can be done 100% remote anyways, it's hard to see any clear advantage. For some reason, extending a B-visa and work permit for another year seems harder than getting it the first time; so I've met a few people who just open a new company every year and close the last one down each time.

 

I'm open to the possibility that I'm doing this all wrong, but so far I've not found a legal or smooth way around it.

 

In comparison with Elite visa, I'm looking at paying 500k (averaged to 100k/annual or even less if I can stretch to that 6th year) and then... I'm basically done thinking about it except a few stamps every year.

 

 

 

Are your taxes fully paid up? 

Is the company closed? That takes time, paperwork and a bit of money. 

Edited by VocalNeal
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1 hour ago, vibration said:

Yesterday evening I applied for my Thai Elite Visa and received an email today reply stating the following "..........The copy of your passport page will be sent for the immigration approval which may take about 3 month. Once approved, you will receive an approval letter via email with banking details for payment.............."

 

I really look forward to getting it and I will keep this Post updated.

 

Good luck to all with with your Visa's and extensions.

 

Thanks for the insight; let us know when you hear back from them!

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A three or four month approval process makes a complete mockery of the system.

 

People who aren't already on 1 year visas will potentially need to leave the country twice if they're already inside Thailand.

 

They're making it very inconvenient to get this visa now, it used to take a week.

 

What's changed and why?

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On ‎5‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 6:24 AM, CartagenaWarlock said:

I'm also waiting for three weeks for 20-year visa. I applied when I was in the US. When I last spoke, the rep said it could take up to 4 months. I'm now in Bangkok with a tourist visa and probably I have to go out to Singapore again to get another tourist visa if I don't get it approved before my admitted until date in the current visa. 

Damn, so much for the convenience of being met at the BKK airport for the final touches and issuance.   Given the mentality of the "government" I would be very leery of a cash grab and "circumstances" popping up

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13 hours ago, vibration said:

Yesterday evening I applied for my Thai Elite Visa and received an email today reply stating the following "..........The copy of your passport page will be sent for the immigration approval which may take about 3 month. Once approved, you will receive an approval letter via email with banking details for payment.............."

 

I really look forward to getting it and I will keep this Post updated.

 

Good luck to all with with your Visa's and extensions.

 

And good luck to you that no issues pop up in the future and that your funds actually do get you what you paid for

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On 5/7/2019 at 9:21 AM, nucleative said:

 

In comparison with Elite visa, I'm looking at paying 500k (averaged to 100k/annual or even less if I can stretch to that 6th year) and then... I'm basically done thinking about it except a few stamps every year.

 

 

 

 

Sorry to be dumb but could someone explain again how to stretch it for 6 years ?

I've read it before without paying so much attention, but now that i am approching 44 years old, it would make sense to get it now for 6 years and then wait retirement age.

 

 

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Hmm. If you apply for permanent residency they give you a "Applied and under consideration" stamp so you don't have to get new visa or. or. Sometimes it is good for a year or more.

If you already have a decent visa and you apply for Elite doesn't it work the same way

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12 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Hmm. If you apply for permanent residency they give you a "Applied and under consideration" stamp so you don't have to get new visa or. or. Sometimes it is good for a year or more.

If you already have a decent visa and you apply for Elite doesn't it work the same way

When you apply for  Permanent Residency you have had a Non O Visa and 3 consecutive 1 year extensions.  The Elite Visa is simply a high priced Tourist Visa and it appears to me the process of this Visa is taking way too long to approve. 

 

Compared to an O-A or O-X issued by a Thai Embassy in 24-48 hours- it is obvious the Immigration bureaucracy is causing the delay.  

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14 minutes ago, Thaidream said:

Compared to an O-A or O-X issued by a Thai Embassy in 24-48 hours- it is obvious the Immigration bureaucracy is causing the delay.  

You cannot really compare the two categories of visas. The OA and OX visas are only issued at embassy or official consulate in your home country or country of legal residence and they both require a criminal background check to be submitted with the application.

The PE visa for Thai Elite is issued by immigration here and my understanding for the delay in approving the application for those from some counties requires immigration to request a back ground check from their home country.

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42 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

Hmm. If you apply for permanent residency they give you a "Applied and under consideration" stamp so you don't have to get new visa or. or. Sometimes it is good for a year or more.

You do not get a under consideration stamp after applying for permanent residency. You have to apply for a 6 month extension every 6 months until it the application is approved.

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4 hours ago, marke985 said:

Update:  Submitted all documents to Thailand Elite and received acknowledgement via email they were passed on to Immigration on March 21.  A follow up email the same day stated the review process takes around 1 month.

 

May 14th, my application was accepted the payment link is available for payment.

 

Other possibly relevant information for those interested:

 

*USA passport

*36 year old white male

* 1 two day overstay two years ago

* Been in and out doing visa runs the last 5 years. (Two trips back to the USA for about 6 months each time)

*Was denied entry coming from the Philippines in March. (Flew into DMK without a tourist visa).  A month later flew back to DMK with a tourist visa issued in Philippines and let in without a problem.

*In 2016? not sure what year, had 25 cartons of cigarettes confiscated by Thai Immigration at Poipet entry point.  They took my picture in front of the cigs with me holding my passport, was all official, told me I could take 2 cartons with me, and smiled and said welcome to Thailand.  Not charged a fine, and they made little fuss over it. (I thought this might be an issue when I applied)

*Today, May 15, I still haven't received a phone call or email saying my application has been approved.  I only know it has because I check my account I set up on Thailandelite.com daily waiting for approval.

Did you receive the approval letter 

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On 5/15/2019 at 10:08 AM, marke985 said:

Update:  Submitted all documents to Thailand Elite and received acknowledgement via email they were passed on to Immigration on March 21.  A follow up email the same day stated the review process takes around 1 month.

 

May 14th, my application was accepted the payment link is available for payment.

 

Other possibly relevant information for those interested:

 

*USA passport

*36 year old white male

* 1 two day overstay two years ago

* Been in and out doing visa runs the last 5 years. (Two trips back to the USA for about 6 months each time)

*Was denied entry coming from the Philippines in March. (Flew into DMK without a tourist visa).  A month later flew back to DMK with a tourist visa issued in Philippines and let in without a problem.

*In 2016? not sure what year, had 25 cartons of cigarettes confiscated by Thai Immigration at Poipet entry point.  They took my picture in front of the cigs with me holding my passport, was all official, told me I could take 2 cartons with me, and smiled and said welcome to Thailand.  Not charged a fine, and they made little fuss over it. (I thought this might be an issue when I applied)

*Today, May 15, I still haven't received a phone call or email saying my application has been approved.  I only know it has because I check my account I set up on Thailandelite.com daily waiting for approval.

 

I'm a little confused by the last part - do you mean the website link for making a payment shows up, but it doesn't show you as Approved yet?

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1 hour ago, nucleative said:

 

I'm a little confused by the last part - do you mean the website link for making a payment shows up, but it doesn't show you as Approved yet?

 

I don't have an account on their website as that was not a thing when i got mine, but if you write them to memberofelite@gmail or whatever email they use u should get a reply within some hours usually ...i would do that before you pay obviously.

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3 hours ago, nucleative said:

 

I'm a little confused by the last part - do you mean the website link for making a payment shows up, but it doesn't show you as Approved yet?

My account says approved and the payment link was/is available. 

 

* a heads up for anyone else in the process.  When I made my first of 2 payments yesterday, I was given the option to pay in US dollars at a guaranteed exchange rate of 30.1 baht to the USD processed through Bangkok Bank.  I opted to pay in Thai Baht with my Chase credit card (where the small print said no rate would be guaranteed and it would be final) and the exchange rate was 31.45 baht to USD.  That amount makes a difference when sending 1,000,000 baht.

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On 5/15/2019 at 2:26 PM, Travelanimal said:

Did you receive the approval letter 

I recieved pdf approval letter via email two days after my online account showed my application was approved by immigration.  Poorly written, a little confusing, something about a 500,000 baht value service I don't know what it means. (Wouldnt surprise me if my sales rep sent me the wrong document)

 

I find it astonishing they can't even send a grammatically correct approval letter.  

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Also got my approval letter (email) today. It took almost 2 months. I will call them tomorrow to arrange for payments. As I am in Thailand now with a tourist visa, I will go to their office to make arrangements for the visa. 

 

1 hour ago, marke985 said:

I opted to pay in Thai Baht with my Chase credit card (where the small print said no rate would be guaranteed and it would be final) and the exchange rate was 31.45 baht to USD.  That amount makes a difference when sending 1,000,000 baht.

Great tips. Always pay in local currency to get the best rate. Never pay in you home country's country.

I noticed lots of brouhaha about health insurance. Does it apply to anybody over 50, like TE card holders? I checked the rates and they are not bad (only 2K USD per year but coverage is paltry). I already have a catastrophic health plan from United Health (the largest health insurance company in the World) for up to one million USD anywhere in the World with a max out of pocket 10K USD and a 20:80 co-insurance. I also have a tax free HSA account accumulating 3K per year for 10 years. I don't want to buy any additional insurance if I could avoid it. If forced, I have to buy a worthless insurance, I guess. 

Edited by CartagenaWarlock
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