Over 8,000 foreigners have a Thailand Elite Card, surge in applicants in 2019

[donnacha]

37 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

They want cashed up Elite holders. No reason to introduce a scheme to encourage bums who can't afford it.

You are thinking only in the dimension of money - you are presuming that the only reason people hesitate to buy an Elite visa is because they cannot afford it.

I am saying that if you also factor of time commitment, you can see that there are solid reasons for people who can afford it not to proceed with a purchase.

I suspect that many of the people you dismiss as "bums" are putting quite a bit of money into their local economies. Remember, the minimum wage in Thailand is only $10 per day, so, even fairly limited spending supports the equivalent of at least one local job and, if they drink, they are contributing quite a lot to the Thai taxman. 

But, okay, let's say you agree with the junta that these Westerners on moderate budgets are a problem. Do you really think those particular guys are going to be queuing up to pay an additional 10K per month to stay in Thailand?

Or will they, in fact, continue doing what they are already doing as as Thailand becomes evermore expensive and move, in their thousands, to Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines?

Just as the increasing cost of Thailand is a "quality" filter, so would the 10K per month scheme I am suggesting.

Thailand is missing an opportunity because the people who designed the Elite visa scheme do not come from money and, as you can tell from the ridiculous depictions of "rich people" in their lavish adverts, do not know actually know anyone who comes from money. They, like you, think only in terms of Rich or Not Rich.

Their crude attempt to cash in on the mess that is the Thai visa system has caused them to completely miss the real opportunity to cash in on a far broader market and actually squeeze out more dollars per victim too.

 

[Scot123]

Some how I just don't believe this. 

[Number 6]

3 hours ago, NanLaew said:

I see you've been drinkin' that Trump Kool-Aid as well?

So...I'm  not even going to the internet on this one you think the UK has more millionaire, billionaires, more industry, more wealth, higher GDP than the US?

 

Trump cool aid. That's not even funny.

[ExpatOilWorker]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

Some very selective understanding there... 

 

90 day report - Yes, you can send your passport to the Elite Office and they will do your 90 day report for you, or you can just do it yourself or through the mail. But, that is not the point of the Thai Elite Visa is it?

 

The SE and PE visa's offer a very simple trouble free solution for a cost - its that simple. 

 

When I read all the threads about retirement Visa (O and OA visas), the income requirements or Minimum seasoned balance, or the Marraige Visa and income requirements, the dancing through hoops to meet these requirements I consider the Elite Visa money well spent. 

 

When I look at the huge queues in Immigration on my regular trips in and out of Thailand, I consider the Money well spent. 

 

When I am returning to Thailand and know for certain that I will not face so much as a raised eyebrow I consider it money well spent.

 

Others, prefer to spend their money elsewhere, I see value in the Thai Elite Visa system, it works extremely well for me and has been the perfect solution to potential visa woes for 14 years (for me), I imagine others feel the same. 

 

 

 

 

Do you still need to get a re-entry permit every year or is that included/exempt when holding the Elite visa?

[ParkerN]

8 hours ago, BigBadGeordie said:

Albeit at a slightly higher price (12.5K to 17K), this is already available from many immigration offices and agents located throughout the Kingdom.

 

Really? Lerned something today then. Does that mean that paying 12.5k - 17k means no need for 800,000 in the bank? I might be interested in that myself...

[donnacha]

44 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

Nobody reads long "What if?" or "Thai immigration should" posts.

You're wrong.

While short, quick-hit posts are fun, the main reason many of us come here is for the more thoughtful, insightful posts.

Those tend to be longer but return a better "value" for our attention because they effectively sum up, in one place, a particular perspective.

The number of responses or Likes my posts generate gives me a pretty good indication that people do, indeed, read my "long" posts - it is pretty sad, by the way, that a mere 287 words is considered long these days.

I do not disagree that my funny one-liners get far more Likes but, to be honest, that is not the audience I care about. I would rather engage in real thought and discussion, even if it is only with the handful of other thoughtful posters here.

 

[richard_smith237]

12 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Do you still need to get a re-entry permit every year or is that included/exempt when holding the Elite visa?

No... 

I have the S.E. Visa from Thai Elite. 
It’s a 5 year visa renewed every 5 years for the rest of my life (that what the visa they offered with Thai Elite back then).

BUT, I have to do a 90 day extension of stay (or something similar) which is different to the process for holders of the P. E. Visa, who, I believe, only have to do 90 day reports, but they do need the yearly re-entry visa (if they haven’t left Thailand within that time period). 
 

None of it makes much difference for me, I travel too frequently. Its the simplicity and reliability of the Visa which works for me. 

 

[scubascuba3]

4 hours ago, BigBadGeordie said:

They also do it for those married to a Thai national.

I admire your optimism, but I have doubts that 10K a year would stop corruption.

The reason it would stop corruption is the dodgy agent route for year extension is 12,500+, so offering across the board at 10,000 baht would pull the rug from under the corrupt IOs

[ExpatOilWorker]

37 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

No... 

I have the S.E. Visa from Thai Elite. 
It’s a 5 year visa renewed every 5 years for the rest of my life (that what the visa they offered with Thai Elite back then).

BUT, I have to do a 90 day extension of stay (or something similar) which is different to the process for holders of the P. E. Visa, who, I believe, only have to do 90 day reports, but they do need the yearly re-entry visa (if they haven’t left Thailand within that time period). 
 

None of it makes much difference for me, I travel too frequently. Its the simplicity and reliability of the Visa which works for me. 

 

Nothing is ever simple in Thailand.

With the SE Visa, does that mean you have to go to immigration and/or leave the country every 90 days?

PE Visa holders still have to go to immigration and queue up once a year or is it all done seamlessly by the Elite company? 

[Pravda]

Before I say this I think Chinese are actually decent spenders in Thailand. 

 

That being said it's quite an eye opener at who is a top elite visa holder. 

 

I know from experience with that Chinese will pay top dollar for a chance to conduct illegal activities. Elite visa must be a good bargain for them to push their junk into Thai market. 

 

Expect the prices of elite visas to double soon. Chinese will still buy it. 

 

It may actually be a good resale investment. 

[Destiny1990]

Are you allowed to buy 1 rai of land with an Elite visa to build an house?

otherwise what’s elite about it besides that price?

[dcnx]

11 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

Or we could bring the Machiavellian immigration laws back into the 21st. century? Just sayin'

When you have immigration officers recommending the Elite to people and pointing to a huge Elite ad INSIDE the immigration office, me thinks they are being cashed out.
 

If it wasn’t just a tourist visa and came with a work permit it would be a great deal. Otherwise, no thanks.

[mosan]

11 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

A better option would be a 1 year 10k visa\extension without any income, balance or bank statement nonsense. Govt would make more money

I don't think they want the country overcrowded (overrun?) with destitute people who can scrape up 10,000 baht.  I mean seriously, who can't afford a measly 300 USD?!?

[SmartyMarty]

5 hours ago, TTSIssues said:

They come and collect your passport, take it away and do the report for you. You don’t have to waste time and money going to immigration and doing it yourself. If your time is “free”, you are very unusual, my time is worth a fortune to me. 

90 day can be done online now.....even while on the crapper.

[SmartyMarty]

5 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Comfortably well off and living in Thailand?

 

Proof if ever proof were needed that having money just doesn't guarantee having common sense.

every day I like to do something dangerous......in thailand that means going outside. 555

[richard_smith237]

45 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Nothing is ever simple in Thailand.

With the SE Visa, does that mean you have to go to immigration and/or leave the country every 90 days?

PE Visa holders still have to go to immigration and queue up once a year or is it all done seamlessly by the Elite company? 

I would have to go to immigration every 90 days (with the SE Visa). 
I’ve only ever had to do that twice (in the past 14 years) as I’m usually traveling overseas again within 90 days. 
 

The simplicity of not having to do a yearly renewal or extension of O or OA Visa works for me along with knowing the goal posts will not shift between now & my next renewal. 
 

 

[Olmate]

59 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

The reason it would stop corruption is the dodgy agent route for year extension is 12,500+, so offering across the board at 10,000 baht would pull the rug from under the corrupt IOs

Exactly why it won’t happen,surely you get that!

[zydeco]

2 hours ago, Captain Monday said:

Nobody reads long "What if?" or "Thai immigration should" posts.

Apparently, you did.

[ukrules]

3 hours ago, Felt 35 said:

What do the "mugs" have to provide of documentation in addition to the money to get a Elite compared to us "cheap Charlie's" as me who are here on retirement extension?

A photocopy of your passport is required, that's about it.

[NoshowJones]

That is really bad news, it will just encourage the Thai government to keep a lot of us who cannot afford the elite Visa, or are not willing to pay out all that dead money for very little in return, particularly the under fifties, to keep jumping through more hoops all the time.

I now await posts from people who will say that if you cannot afford the Elite Visa, then you should not be living in Thailand.

[NoshowJones]

10 hours ago, Momofarang said:

I thought that according to forum rules we shouldn't "suggest illegal activity".

What illegal activity?

[NoshowJones]

7 hours ago, BMW Overlander said:

Yup, 8000 mugs with money and peace of mind.

You would be one too if able to afford ????

I wouldn't, I have principles.

 

[NoshowJones]

6 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Only for over 50s, I'm talking all ages and a simple 10k a year would stop the corruption

Really? They would just think up another way.

[NoshowJones]

6 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

why would you not want people here who spend money and support local businesses and partners. Thais just don't think things through properly

Like I said before, this is a third world country being run by people with a third world mentality.

[Fex Bluse]

5 hours ago, donnacha said:

planning five years ahead based on a country that is changing so quickly on every level, and is politically unstable at its core, is a lot to ask.

Reading the stories about the erratic behavior of Immigration officers does not engender a feeling of trust in the Thai authorities in general

This is key. Thailand is a low trust environment. We cannot rely on anything here.

 

Also, there is NOTHING elite about the country. Why would I pay extra. A person who spends 1 million Baht:

 

- STILL sits in horrible traffic if he has a driver.

 

- Or steps onto unstable moving pavements.

 

- He STILL must cross paths with millions of people with only the most basic education.

 

- He STILL will not be respected by most locals, and merely treated as a transaction. 

 

- He will never find friendship with any locals. 

 

- He will STILL have no equal protection in any legal dispute. 

 

Thailand is a full on undeveloped and regressive country that genuinely wants to believe it's a modern one. The best value here is handjobs and cheap pork, and there is no need to spend 1 million Baht for it. 

[Captain Monday]

4 hours ago, donnacha said:

You're wrong.

While short, quick-hit posts are fun, the main reason many of us come here is for the more thoughtful, insightful posts.

Those tend to be longer but return a better "value" for our attention because they effectively sum up, in one place, a particular perspective.

The number of responses or Likes my posts generate gives me a pretty good indication that people do, indeed, read my "long" posts - it is pretty sad, by the way, that a mere 287 words is considered long these days.

I do not disagree that my funny one-liners get far more Likes but, to be honest, that is not the audience I care about. I would rather engage in real thought and discussion, even if it is only with the handful of other thoughtful posters here.

 

 I learned from having the Thailand Elite Visa for 5 years most importantly on thing is that is was something forced on them from above and they (Thai Immigration) DO NOT LIKE IT. Nothing posted on internet forums about what immigration should do or is better to do gets no attention whatsoever.  They don't want white people here for more than once in a lifetime short visits. Chinese are the economic masters for now but as tourists they are crude so Thais can feel superior to them.  My friends from Norway won't come here anymore all they wanted to do is sit and eat seafood, and maybe smoke a cig on the beach they go to Vietnam now.

 

[donnacha]

31 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

Chinese are the economic masters for now but as tourists they are crude so Thais can feel superior to them.

Interesting angle that had not previously occurred to me. It rings true.

 

32 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

Nothing posted on internet forums about what immigration should do or is better to do gets no attention whatsoever.

That is certainly true, very little chance of any us ever influencing the Thai government. Farangs are the last people they want advice from. Hell, I have learnt the hard way that even my girlfriend does not want help from me, even if it would solve a problem she is having.

Discussing these matters here, on this forum, is just a form of spectator sport for us.
 

 

38 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

I learned from having the Thailand Elite Visa for 5 years most importantly on thing is that is was something forced on them from above and they (Thai Immigration) DO NOT LIKE IT.

Interesting. Did they ever actually try to stop you getting what you were entitled to?

 

[kevin612]

Chinese at the top, way more than any other countries. Wow

[Selatan]

54 minutes ago, kevin612 said:

Chinese at the top, way more than any other countries. Wow

In 2018, around 40,000 applications were approved for the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme. Here are the top 10 countries:

China 11,820 applications
Japan 4,618.
Bangladesh 4,018,
United Kingdom 2,608,
Korea 2,069,
Singapore 1,421,
Iran 1,381,
Taiwan 1,347,
Pakistan 1,017 and
India 1,008

Malaysia MM2H program received over 1 million applications contributed over RM 12.8 billion to economy

[BigBadGeordie]

7 hours ago, ParkerN said:

Really? Lerned something today then. Does that mean that paying 12.5k - 17k means no need for 800,000 in the bank? I might be interested in that myself...

That is up to you. I pay, and have paid, 1,900 Baht for the last 14 years.

But there are many options available.