The Thailand Elite Visa is a special long-term tourist visa program managed by the Thailand Privilege Card Company Limited, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sport.

This program aims to attract wealthy and high-earning foreigners by offering them a privilege entry visa. It provides the opportunity to obtain a long-term multiple entry visa and live in Thailand for up to 20 years. The visa is beneficial for various individuals, including digital nomads seeking to avoid visa runs, early retirees, investors and business people who frequently travel to and from Thailand.

The program offers a range of other benefits to the user from airport services to discounted prices on goods and services such as golf fees; which we will touch more on in this article.

Qualifying to hold a Thai Elite visa is not difficult, but it is costly. It does however save on a lot of administrative costs of normal visas. To qualify you must have the following:

1. Holder of a foreign passport (from an eligible country)
2. No overstay record and being allowed to stay in Thailand legally.
3. Never been in jail or charged with negligence or other offences.
4. Never been bankrupt.
5. Never been declared as a person of unsound mind, incompetence, or quasi-incompetence.

The Thai Elite Visa has several tiers, each with different costs and different benefits. The Elite visa can be extended once it runs out.

GOLD: 5 years (900,000baht)

PLATINUM: 10 years (1.5 Million baht); additional family at 1 million baht each.

DIAMOND: 15 years (2.5 Million baht); additional family at 1.5 million baht each

RESERVE (INVITE ONLY): 20 years (5 million baht)

1. Start your Application and Due Diligence Process:

• You can begin the application from within Thailand or abroad.
• You will need a scanned passport copy
• A passport-sized photo
• Signed PDPA form and completed application from accredited GSSA, such as ONETHEVISA.

The entire process may take 1 month for most nationalities and up to 3 months for special countries, with 4 to 6 weeks for the background check.

2. Approval and Payment of Membership Fee
Once approved you will have 30 days to make a payment. The payment for the membership fee can be made through a bank transfer or credit card payment.

3. Membership Acceptance and Visa Issuance
After making the payment or bank transfer, the applicant will get a Membership ID and instructions on receiving the visa within 5 to 10 working days. The Thailand Elite member can then obtain the Thailand Privilege visa at their local Thai embassy or consulate using the Membership ID. If collecting the visa from the embassy isn’t convenient, they can also get it upon arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Chiang Mai Airport, or Phuket Airport with assistance from an Elite Personal Assistant

• Uninterrupted stay in Thailand.
• Fast track immigration from Thai Elite Visa lounge
• Personnal assistant waiting for you at airport, and duty free shopping guide.
• Complimentary private transport to/from the airport to/from your hotel or place or residence.
• Special discounts and promotions at countless participating stores, spas, golf courses, luxury hotels and resorts for your convenience and happiness in Thailand.
• Free annual medical.