TB Immigration Info Brief 048/20: Request for entry for Thai Elite Visa holders accepted in principle, but not yet effective.
Reporter: Antony
Thailand Elite Visa holders will soon be allowed to travel to Thailand. Received the following email yesterday from Thailand Elite regarding permission to re-enter Thailand:
Dear Valued Members,
Greetings from Thailand Elite.
We would like to inform you that the government, through the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), has approved our principle to give permission to Elite Visa Holders to enter Thailand.
However, we must inform you that the principle is just the first step of the overall process, as it has only been approved, but it is not immediately effective.
After this process, Thailand Privilege Card Company will be attending meetings with other organizations such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Public Health, and other relevant ministries to finalize details of the principle before implementation.
The government would like to ensure that this allowance will cause no problem and that the second wave of infection will not take place. Visits will be allowed to begin after all details and procedures have been approved with limited quotas and conditions in the first phase.
We always keep in mind that our members are miserably waiting for further information. And we do hope that we will be able to come to a conclusion of guidance on entry in the very near future. Your kind patience will be highly appreciated as always.
Thailand Privilege Card Co.,Ltd.
110/2 North Sathorn Road, Silom, Bangrak, Bangkok 10500 Thailand
Telephone: +66 (0) 2352-3000
Regards,
RonnyLatYa
Does this mean that the richer among us will soon be the first (or the only ones) to go to Thailand?
MVG Vincent
It is of course also a form of promotion for the Thai Elite program
Dear Ronnie,
I looked at their website and saw that you can apply for an Elite Membership for 5 years and costs 500.000 Bath with multiple entries. In order to be able to travel to Thailand as a “normal tourist”, this would still be an option to enter Thailand. ?
Sincerely, Frank
You can always contact them for information, but it may be a solution.
If Thailand requires me to become an 'elite Visa holder' as an ordinary tourist for half a million baht, they can shake it there by now. Let's not all try to act normal and wait until the corona madness is over.
The question is whether the “Corona madness” will be over in the foreseeable future. And even then, it may be a long time before ordinary tourists are allowed back into Thailand. The average holidaymaker is of course of no use to an Elite card and there are also plenty of alternatives to Thailand. If there weren't strong personal reasons for me, I wouldn't worry about it either.
I read on their site that it was 2 million baht to become a member and an annual contribution of 20.000 baht and that you have to count on a 3 month membership. They have to check that you don't have a criminal record, etc. anywhere
What you mention there is only part of the pie.
There are several formulas, what you quote there is the most expensive version.
There is the option to choose 5 years, 10 years and 20 years.
5 years costs 500.000 THB
10 years costs 800.000 THB
20 years there are 2 variants, one for 1.000.000 THB and one for 2.000.000 THB and with the latter an additional 20.000 THB per year is added.
The difference lies in the additional (usually unnecessary) services offered.
In theory, this is indeed the case.
In practice, however, it rarely lasts longer than 6 to 8 weeks, but sometimes it takes only one month.
You do indeed have to have a clean criminal record (would still be missing), but they pay most attention to whether or not you have committed overstay.
Maximum once in the last 3 years they would turn a blind eye if it was a very short period, I suspect a few days and then “accidentally”…
it's half mio baht to just become a member. validity 5 years. You can upgrade to a higher segment, which will cost you another 1,5 million baht. No annual fees. That's how I read it.
The best would be Elite easy access, 1 Mbaht for 20 years.
After all, if you stay on another visa, you must always keep the 800 Kbaht or 400 Kbaht in a bank account. Don't even know if this statement will continue to be used, it is not stated.
Find the entire description rather brief.
OK, just read from an older posting from cardholders that this is so. No more 400 or 800 kbaht.
Then it becomes attractive. You will lose the money anyway, but you don't have to peddle every year, stand in lines and travel to the Immigration office.
Do know that the card is made according to Thai law and as soon as there is a change in the law on visas, the card can be changed and possibly the privileges.
Is the question whether your card is still worth something or whether there will be a new card with adjusted privileges.
And/or the old card will remain valid as long as it is valid and/or will be changed after 5 years, upon renewal. “T is a choice.
.
does the 90 day notification still exist?
The formula of 20 years for 1 million. baht is of course mathematically the most advantageous formula.
Of course depends on many elements, everyone's life is not the same and neither is everyone's situation.
But for someone approaching 70, I think this is the best. The chance that you will reach or exceed 90 is not so obvious.
And then you can rest easy for the rest of your life.
It is indeed true that you can actually consider that 800.000 baht that is frozen in a Thai bank as lost. And for a Thai Elite you don't have to show money in a Thai bank.
What you say there about possible changes to the rules and regulations is indeed possible, but those changes only apply to new memberships. Since you conclude a kind of contract with Elite Card Company, that contract will of course continue to exist for the full duration of the contract.
But the most important thing is that you have "peace of mind" and are rid of all that yearly stress and randomness and eternal paperwork at Immigration.
For those who leave Thailand at least once a year, they will not even have to register with Immigration for an annual renewal during the term of the contract.
The 90-day notification will remain, but that can easily be done online or if you wish, Thai Elite will do that for you. Then you bring your passport to them and after three days you can collect it there.
But convenience and “peace of the soul” also has its price… that is true for everything in life.
Those 800.000 don't have to be lost, you can leave them to a partner or charity.