FAQs Elite Visa Thailand

At the time of writing, the least expensive option is the Elite Easy Access visa, which costs 600,000 Thai Baht, with no annual fee. It is described by Thai Immigration as a renewable, 5-year multiple entry visa, enabling the holder to enjoy extendable one-year stays in the country.

Whichever of the Elite Visas you intend to apply for, you are unlikely to be successful in your application if you have a criminal record, either here in Thailand or in your home country. The exception to this rule is for those whose offences were due solely to negligence and not any criminal intent. If you require any clarification regarding this rule, we recommend that you contact the Thailand Elite team directly.

The relatively new Thailand Long-Term Resident Visa is a visa that is designed to appeal to affluent visitors, including independently wealthy individuals, pensioners, skilled professionals and those who make a substantial income working from home. In order to qualify for this visa as an independently wealthy individual, you must have assets of US$1 million or more, an annual income of US$80,000 or more and a Thai government bond investment portfolio of at least US$500,000. Similar requirements apply to other categories of people who qualify for the LTR visa.

An Elite Visa, on the other hand, can be applied for by anyone who possesses the required fee and has a clean record, regardless of assets, income or the state of their personal finances. If you apply for one of the Elite Visas, you will, however, need to pay a large up-front fee and, depending on the type of visa you choose, possibly an annual fee as well. This is in contrast to the LTR, which does not involve any such fees.

We should point out that if your goal is to secure permanent residence in Thailand,

neither an Elite Visa nor an LTR Visa will grant you this privilege. If this is indeed your goal, it will be necessary for you to pursue alternative options once you have been living in the country for a while.

No, you do not have to be in Thailand to apply for a Thailand Elite Card. You may also apply for an Elite Card from outside of the country. If you wish to do so, it is recommended that you approach an accredited Thailand Elite agent, who will work with government officials to complete the necessary immigration and criminal background checks.

There is no Thai-speaking requirement for Elite Visa applicants. However, if you acquire some basic Thai language skills, you’ll find your time here a lot easier and more enjoyable. Consider booking one of our self-learning or classroom-based Thai language courses before you arrive.

According to the latest update as of June, 2023, there have been changes to the Thailand Elite visa program, specifically related to the Family Excursion Visa package. The previous package, Family Excursion with a fee of 800,000 Thai Baht for the primary member and 300,000 Thai Baht for additional family members for a 5-year visa, has been canceled.

Instead, there are now two types of Thai Elite packages available for the Family Excursion Visa. The first is Elite Family Alternative, which offers a 10-year visa for a fee of 800,000 Thai Baht for the primary member. Additional family members can be added to the visa for 700,000 Thai Baht per person. Only offers VIP services. 

The second package is Elite Privilege Access, which also provides a 10-year visa. The fee for this package is 1 million Thai Baht for the primary member, with additional family members requiring a fee of 800,000 Thai Baht per person. The Elite Privilege Access package offers additional benefits such as annual health check-ups, 18 short-haul transfers, and VIP services.

Both packages require a single fee payment for the full 10 years, and payment is not necessary until after the visa application is approved. This ensures that there is no financial risk involved in submitting an application. But you still need to do at 5 years renewable.