Thailand visa question & answer: Buying a condo and a 20-year visa as a gift, is that possible?
Dear editors,
Based on the following article: bangkok.coconuts.co/2015/06/11/buy-condo-pattaya-and-get-20-year-visa I wonder if this is correct. And if so, is this a new item for your “visa” file?
I'm not currently in Thailand/Pattaya, so I can't check on site.
Yours faithfully,
Peeyay
Dear Peeyay,
This has existed for years and is known to us. You can find it on the immigration website www.immigration.go.th/ Click on “English” in the top right if it appears in Thai, then in the left column on the icon of “Thailand Elite”. It's not free. Costs 2.000.000 Baht to become a member and an annual membership fee of 20.000 Baht.
This allows you to enjoy certain services. The bottom line is that everything is done for you, and you don't have to wait or queue anywhere.
You just have to read it all for yourself. Something for the wealthy who want to go on the exclusive tour, want to show it off or think of their status that joining is something for the common people.
In short - if you do everything yourself you save 2.000.000 Baht once and an annual membership fee of 20.000 Baht. As far as the visa is concerned (because you can enjoy several things) you don't really have that much special. It is the same as an annual renewal with re-entries. Someone who goes to immigration himself, and gets his extension every year, achieves exactly the same. They can also stay here for 20 years or more.
Thai Elite is also mentioned in the Dossier Visa (eg page 7). We have not gone into it in more detail because it is actually part of a total package of services (not just visa). In addition, we wondered whether there would be many TB readers who would pay 2 Baht plus the annual membership fee for it. In the end, we decided not to go into it any further, also because it involves more than just visas.
In the article you mentioned, it was mainly used as a selling point. If the Thailand Elite membership fee is included in the property offered, this will also be noticeable in the price of that property. You can rest assured that it is included in the purchase price. Free does not exist. Everyone is of course free to spend their money however they want.
I now also noticed that the link in the Dossier is not working correctly. Here is the correct link to Thailand Elite – www.thailandelite.com/
An article is also devoted to it on Thai Visa. I'll give it to you: http://goo.gl/09DfCg Weird that the details of the agreement must remain secret. So many questions remain. The majority of the responses also show that people have reservations. I would be very careful and not stare blindly at the "benefits" that this would provide according to the project developer. I'm sticking to a selling point from that developer.
This is not to say that I am not in favor of a system that allows long-term residence in Thailand, mainly for those younger than 50. These are now completely left out in the current system. The system must then be accessible to everyone through immigration and not through an expensive membership fee or through (currently 1) project developer.
Still, thanks for the info.
Regards,
Ronny
When I started this, I was asked by Thaksin at a meeting in Bangkok to represent the Pattaya region for the Thailand Elite Card. This then cost 1 million baht and later this was increased to 1.5 and now already 2 million baht. I did this for a short time, because I couldn't support the offer, it was hardly worth becoming a member. However, 2 rich compatriots liked it, because they were picked up and delivered from the plane, etc. If you hate your money I would do it too, but the benefits are quite limited, but you could then have a house in your name to buy. But there were also a number of conditions attached to this.
It was also initially expected to produce 1 million cards per year.
Well, everyone can do what they want with their money…
The Thai Elite card was started in 2003.
The goal was 1 million members in 5 years.
In 2011 (after 8 years) they stranded at 2565 members from 65 countries.
I don't know how things are now.
I thought the program had been dormant for a few years, but apparently it's back in the news now.
For people under 50 this is a solution to stay in Thailand for a long time.
Of course it will cost you something.
All info on http://www.thailandelite.com/
According to insiders, it is a marketing ploy by CEO Nigel Cornick to bring their under-construction condo tower (is it Southpoint?) to the attention of potential buyers. The condo is 30 square meters, the size of a NL prison cell. If it is true then it is a visa of 5 yrs (500000 bht) which can be renewed every 4 yrs against, what I understand from that payment of Bht 500000 again, to Thai Elite, then becomes x4 = 2 million. If it's too good to be true, it usually is. Some call it a scam.