Answered2 years ago
Is the Thai Elite Visa worth the cost given recent price increases?
Well I must say, for a Bronze 5yr Thai Elite Visa I wasn't expecting over $30,000 AUD...🤔
Back to the drawing board...🤔
Back to the drawing board...🤔
Answer summary
The cost of the 5-Year Thai Elite Visa has increased to over $30,000 AUD, leading to comparisons with the 20-Year option which costs between $20,000 and $25,000. Some expats express satisfaction with their VIP services and perks like expedited processing, while others criticize the value for money amidst new alternatives like the DTV visa. Many participants debate the merits of the Elite Visa versus alternatives, with views on its convenience versus expense.
62 repliesnewest first
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Jeff *******
@Sel ****
Yet the LTR is just 50k for 10 years with far better benefits (tax free status etc) . I would be regretting getting the Elite.
Robert ********
@Jeff ******
Which variant is that for 50k?
Dave *****
lol. It’s expensive coz it’s hand crafted 🤣
Ian ********
@Dave ****
lolIan ********
Do not bother with thailand. Go to philipines. Its easier to stay you can work if you want too and less corrupt
Jeff ********
@Ian *******
Unfortunately I prefer decent food.Ian ********
@Jeff *******
thai foods crap
Alison *****************
Not worth it
Milan ********
Demand and supply. They can be picky.
David **********
A service for those who want an easy trouble free lifestyle have the means and are prepared to pay for it. The other 99% muddle through best we can.👍
Jim *********
Go for DTV but expect that you need to extend your stay after 180 days and exit Thailand every year.
Михайло ********
You can buy passport 🛂 for
*****
$ and enjoy staying in Laos
Sujy *********
@Михайло *******
What do you mean buying passport for 16k? Becoming Laos citizens?Михайло ********
@Sujy ********
it means you pay *****
$ and instead of any "golden" visas just fir 5 years in Thailand, you can get Laos PDR citizenship officially after 6 monthsМихайло ********
@Jeremy *******
wish you the best of luck in researching
Jeremy ********
@Михайло *******
sounds interesting I’ll have to research this moreМихайло ********
@Jeremy *******
it's better not to take a word but Laos citizenship, at least you can open business, with 10% tax asca citizen of Laos PDR instead 25% as a foreigner or buy the land in your 100% ownershipJeremy ********
@Михайло *******
ok I’ll take your word on thatМихайло ********
@Jeremy *******
Laos PDR has a bit strange policy, so most valuable information is available only between certain people close to the governmentМихайло ********
@Jeremy *******
because online all information has been deletedJeremy ********
@Михайло *******
not sure where you get that price…I can’t find anything online about it
Andreas ********
@Михайло *******
who wants to stay in Laos?Михайло ********
@Andreas *******
many expats met in Laos who relocated from France, and sone of the refugees who can't get passports from own country according to the new law
Shane ************
@Михайло *******
Laos is a toilet
Robert *********
But you get a free round of golf and a bus pass to Pattaya thrown in tbf
Jesper *******
30k for a 5yr Elite visa and what happens after 5yrs? The 30k is gone.....I have that 30k siting in a thai bank acct evey year I paid 1900baht for a extension after 5yrs my 30k is still in the acct...seriously I don't really need that fast track service or I can do the 90days reporting myself
Matthew *********
@Jesper ******
the 90 day is online and only takes seconds. I don't see any value or privilege
Laurent ********
Why doing a thai élite visa now ? U need to pay government taxes same a standard regrets visa moré cheaper 😂
Sue **********
@Laurent *******
I believe anybody who pays for elite visa, had that money as savings from earlier income, which was already taxed in the home country, so NO tax anymore in Thailand.
Laurent ********
@Johnny ********
ltr priority lane too…. And u can buy vip package for max 50 usd too 👍
Billy *******
How much is the basic 20yr option now? I initially got the 5yr visa for about $20k-$25k and then upgraded to the 20yr option for another $20k-$25k. Very happy so far.
Jon *****
@Billy ******
5 million bahts (via invitation only)Billy *******
@Jon ****
damn, 5x more expensive than I paid about 7years ago.
Abhishek *******
@Billy ******
I am gonna tell my mom she would be happy to hear
Alex ********
Got the 5 Yr with option for 20 before price increases. Past 90 day report was 4 minutes and skipped the queue to @ immigration. These little perks make it worth while.
Mark ********
@Alex *******
You can do 90 day reporting online.
Damo ***********
@Mark *******
correct.. and takes ***
of the time of 4 minutes 🤣Alex ********
@Mark *******
yea and half and time it doesn't work for the province I live in
Steven ******
I read somewhere, don't remember where so it could be bollocks, that the benefits of bronze were going to be changed and increased as the DTV has all but stopped people from going for Bronze Privilege.
Todd *********
Great visa though. It’s the poor man’s LTR, but still great. No difficult qualifications. Just pay up and enjoy 5 years
Jeff *******
@Todd ********
Speaking of which the LTR is insanely annoying to pin down if you're retired and without a salary showing on a tax return.Todd *********
@Jeff ******
Yes, totally depends on those sources of income and their long term viability. Some are able to solve the application process with a few screen shots of accounts. For others with widely diverse income streams, it can be more complex to pin down for sure.Todd *********
@Jeff ******
you are misinterpreting their rules a bit here. Yes - the £5M in a bank account is meaningless to them (but puts you well on your way to wealthy global citizen LTR) but if structured to provide regular passive income in the form of dividends or interest, it counts as passive income for LTR-WP.So if earning £80k from work, it’s also doesn’t count. The $80k income must be passive and not earned. Overall, the BOI is there to assist. They can advise in what they can accept or not and help facilitate the process. Very helpful.
And yes, with an original target of 1 million, I’m surprised the criteria hasn’t been adjusted a bit more by now
Jeff *******
@Todd ********
Yep but not so sure, if you can show you have, for example, £5m, in a bank account, it means nothing to them, but show them you earn just £80k a year, (because you need to work) and thats a green light. I'm assuming that's why their initial target of 1 million LTR take ups, is currently floundering at, I was told, a paltry 5000.Johnny *********
@Todd ********
yes its good i think
Jim ********
@Todd ********
that’s my view on it
John ********
Waste of time and money 💰
Bruce *******
@John *******
don't agree
Brandon ************
The Elite visa doesn't make sense anymore now that the DTV exists.
Øyvind *************************
@Brandon ***********
dont write that.then they surly vil change the dtv visa..they want quality people to come to thailand I read..
Andrew ********
@Brandon ***********
it's a DTV for the rich ans gives other perks including priority in immigration issues as wellJim ********
@Brandon ***********
it doesn’t make sense but it also does if money is no object
Gary ***********
@Brandon ***********
Elite is too expensive, unfortunately DTV is a mess and just results in people taking the ****, badly thoguht through
Rob **********
@Gary **********
the LTR visa looks ok, I have at least 6 of my friends over here on it now.Rob **********
@Brandon ***********
100% correct Brandon.Brandon ************
@Rob *********
Don't fix what's not broken, right?Rob **********
@Brandon ***********
in my opinion also, but I am happy with my Non O based on marriage to a Thai National, have been on it for years, and this year we clock up 37 years of marriage.Brandon ************
@Rob *********
Best visa available right now if you can qualify.
Pui *****
@Gary **********
your reasons are exactly why the Elite visa still makes perfect sense to those who can afford it. To me, if you would have considered the elite visa before the DTV existed, then it means you can afford it, and there is still a valid reason to choose the sure thing vs. the mess that the DTV can be.Gary ***********
@Pui ****
At the old price I may have gone for the Elite for an easy life but, as i'm over 50, the retirement makes more sense now, I can see the DTV getting really tightened up on if not even abolished in the futureActivity
39 joined39
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