Thailand has the most popular and cheapest residence by investment schemes in Asia. The scheme is known as ‘Elite visa’ which is a long term residence to foreigners. This visa is issued for 5 years to 20 years validity.
As of March 25, Elite Card had 7,617 members with visas. About 5,172 elite visas were issued to applicants who registered after 2013
Thailand Elite Card recorded sales growth of close to 60% in its fiscal first quarter as profit reached 276 million baht, according to Bangkok post.
Top 5 countries
These are the top countries nationals applying for thailand elite visa scheme
- China
- United Kingdom
- Japan
- United States
- France
Top by occupation
- Business operators
- Investors
- Retirees
- Businessman
- Students
How much it costs
Thailand offers foreigners and their families privileged facilitations through the issuance of a renewable, five-year, multiple entry Thai residence visa.
- Elite Easy – $15,700 (5 year)
- Elite Family – $25,000 plus additional fee for family members (5 to 10 years)
- Elite Privilege – $31,500 (10 years)
| ELITE ULTIMATE PRIVILEGE | ELITE FAMILY PREMIUM | ELITE SUPERIORITY EXTENSION | ELITE PRIVILEGE ACCESS | ELITE FAMILY ALTERNATIVE | ELITE FAMILY EXCURSION | ELITE EASY ACCESS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Validity | 20 years | Attached to Elite Ultimate Privilege member | 20 years | 10 years | 10 years | 5 years | 5 years |
| Single applicant | Yes | Attached to Elite Ultimate Privilege member | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Age | >20 | Any | Any | Any | Any | Any | Any |
| Airport services | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Short-haul transfer service (50-80km) | Unlimited | Unlimited | None | 18 times/year group usage | None | Four times/year group usage | 24 times/year |
| Long-haul transfer service (275km) | None | None | None | None | None | Six times/year group usage | None |
| Health check | Annual | None | None | Annual | None | None | None |
| Golf spa (per annum) | 24 times each | 10 times each | None | None | None | None | none |
| Price (Main) | THB 2.14 million w/ annual fee | Refer to Elite Ultimate Privilege | THB 1 million | THB 1 million | THB 800 000 | THB 800 000 | THB 500 000 |
| Price (per family member) | Refer to Elite Family Premium | THB 1 million w/ annual fee | NA | THB 800 000 | THB 700 000 | THB 300 000 | NA |
Elite Card Privileges
- Privilege Entry Visa ‐ renewable five-year multiple entry visa with an extendable one-year stay per each entry
- Arrival and departure ‐ VIP greeting and assistance by an Elite Personal Assistant on flights (arrivals and departures)
- Expedited immigration formalities and passport-control processing
- Access to exclusive arrival and departure lounges
- Complimentary limousine transfer available 24 times per calendar year from the airport to the individual’s residence or hotel, and from the individual’s residence or hotel to the airport on international flights
- Government concierge ‐ to assist with the 90-day report, business networking, immigration service processes, opening a bank account, obtaining driver’s license
- King Power duty free benefits and special discounts at hotels, dining establishments, shopping centers
- Member Contact Center: 24-hour English service with Korean, Mandarin, Japanese service available from 6.00 am–9.00 pm (Bangkok standard time ‐ UTC +7)
Please note, that the following nationalities currently cannot apply for Thailand Elite Privilege Entry Visa: North Korea, Afghanistan, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Algeria, Iraq, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Central Africa, Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Chad, and Venezuela.
A person who wishes to apply for Thai citizenship must hold Thai permanent resident status for no less than 10 consecutive years. Annual quotas for naturalization will be announced by the Ministry of Interior.
This is one of the experiences of smooth process of thai elite visa shared by a reddit user.
How I got my 5-year “Thailand Elite” visa for 500,000 Baht
This review is about my personal customer service experience with buying a 5-year Thailand visa for 500,000 Baht (see picture of visa above).
About me: EU citizen, living in Phnom Penh for the last few years as a permanent tourist (not employed), too young for the Thai retirement visa
Why Thailand: Cambodia tightened the immigration rules a few months ago, foreigners like me who are not employed in the country can now only get 3-months visa instead of 1-year visa. I looked for alternative countries with similar climate and saw the Thailand Elite visa.
Why the Thailand Elite visa: I don’t like to deal with authorities, I don’t like border runs. I like the idea that an agency takes care of the bureaucracy. 500,000 THB for 5 years = 8333 THB per month = 260 USD per month = 210 euro per month is worth it for me. They also sell 10-year and 20-year visas. This review is only about my personal experience and my priorities, this is not a recommendation for other people because everyone has to come to their own conclusions.
Overall satisfaction: I got what I wanted and they indeed provided a good service with only minor mishaps. I would do it again!
December 2017: I decide that I want to move to Thailand in February. I send an email to Thailand Elite to ask them if I can get the 5-year visa at the Thai Embassy Phnom Penh. They answer one day later and say yes (which would later turn out to be a wrong answer).
12 December: I fill out the online form with my application
20 December: After a clearance check with Thai Immigration they send me an approval letter by email
22 December: I send 500,000 Baht via SWIFT from my Cambodian Bank Account
29 December: They confirm that they received the payment
3 January: They register me in their system and issue a Thai Elite Membership ID number. I could move to Thailand today if I wanted to – three weeks after sending my application. This is also the starting date of the 5 years.
I tell them that I now want to have an appointment at the Thai Embassy Phnom Penh to get my 5-years visa. They tell me that this is not possible (which contradicts their earlier statement, but was not really a problem). When I enter Thailand some weeks later at the Aranyaprathet land border crossing I instead get a 30-day tourist visa exemption there.
13 February (today): I meet an “Elite Personal Liaison” staff member at Chaengwattana Immigration office in Bangkok. 20 minutes later I have the 5-year visa in my passport. Another option is to enter Thailand at Suvarnabhumi, Phuket, or Chiang Mai International Airport, then you get the 5-year visa there immediately.
90-day reporting is still required, which can be done online or I can hand over my passport at the Elite office, they do the reporting at Immigration, and I collect the passport 2 days later. Border runs are not required.
The 5-year visa was the only reason for me to get the package, but the review would be not complete if I would not mention the other frills:
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Separate Departure Lounge at Suvarnabhumi Airport, expedited passport and visa controls at the airport, Limousine service from and to my hotel/apartment.
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Bangkok Bank account
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Discounts at some hundred hotels, restaurants, spas, golf resorts, limousine services, hospitals and three cooking schools
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“Welcome Package” with USB stick, black VIZ card with more shopping discounts, leather wallet, Elite Visa membership card, pin (see pics)
