Here's the link, as promised, to Learn More about this visa: landingpage.thailandprivilege.co.th?aflid=6690f45891c3ea5faca612a6&lang=en-US

The Privelege visa is next to worthless. US$25,000 for 5 years for what exactly? 1) the privilege of been forced into the Thai tax system after 180 days 2) the Privelege of been exposed to up to 35% tax on the money you remit during your stay in 2024 and possibly up to 35% tax on all your worldwide earnings in 2025 and beyond. This visa is simply not worthwhile as it stands.

They should add tax free foreign/worldwide income to those visas - that could make them much more interesting.

I wanted to buy the Elite Visa before the price increased, but they rejected my application because I had previously held a Student Visa. This was very strange because I had obtained the Student Visa fully legally and always followed the law. Now, the Elite Visa is not worth it. For the same price, you can buy a second passport in some good countries. The problem is not only the price but also that Thailand is not a strong democratic country, and they change the laws very often. For example, there is a new law about foreign tax income. When you pay a high price for the Elite Visa for many years, you also take on the risk that the laws will change against you.

Cost is too high.

Sorry mate but you have missed a big point - Taxation. Thailand is not the place to retire anymore. Great to live and work there like you and others in same business, but not for retirees. Starting 2025 Thailand taxes the income of retired Expats (including Pensions), while all the other countries in SEAsia do not. Hopefully Thailand will change their mind, but as it is starting on Jan 2025 Expats have been told to pay income taxes on the money they bring to Thailand from Jan 2024 onwards. Thailand also wants to implement worldwide taxation, so even if you dont remit the money to Thailand they want to tax it. No way mate - mo matter how good their Visas are - for retired Expats Thailand is not the best option (we are leaving).

This President guy is a cross between a smooth-talking Mr. Roarke and a fast-talking TV evangelist - With a certain Asian flair!

I used to have an OA visa and now I have the pensioner LTR. My OA health insurance applied to my LTR so that wasn’t an additional expense. The real benefit I see for the Privilege visa is the ability for people under 50 years old to stay in Thailand long term.

At 900,000 baht for 5 years not even worth it. I would rather do a retirement visa. Huge difference between having that amount in the bank and having all that money available when you leave.....Compared to handing over 900 thousand baht and not having a dime to your name

This visa is to attract wealthy foreigner and make is very convenient for them. It 's not for the average person. Average people get the destination Thailand visa, student visa, tourist visa and border run lol

If the price of the Elite Visa were decreased, I would consider getting one, but at the current price, it's too much.

It's the poor man's LTR really. The perks are barely worth it, but most critically, there is no tax exemption like LTR.

That was great Chris. Thanks. I have been thinking about that program and this gives me a good source to get my questions answered. Always a pleasure.

End of May no visas were announced which would take effect as of June 1 , 2024 As these have -as far as I know- not officially been published still not operational 🤷‍♂️. Any news about it ??? I hope that the announced digital nomad visa will come available any time soon Planning to come to TH early Nov 🎉

Greetings Chris Parker, the Thailand Privilege Card sounds like an excellent option for those like you and myself who can afford it. Nonetheless, awesome interview with Mr. Manatase Annawat as he explained the privilege card program well. I would sign up for the Thailand Privilege Card as a travel option to Thailand however, the upcoming taxation requirements are a show stopper for me.. Thanks for sharing.

I acquired a 20 year just before the price went up. It really does make you feel like a VIP every time you come. Was especially good when I flew in by myself with lots of belongings to move long term. Having staff pick me up and help me through the airport and to my destination was extremely helpful.

Great video Chris. Thanks for providing such helpful information for someone considering spending some extended time in Thailand. Until the next one.....

The price of Elite visas jumped way too high recently. They should lower it.

I have it, the old version 1 mill for 20 years, well worth it for me. The airport gate pick up service only works at BKK, not DMK, CNX etc. You can go through the fast track passport line though at every airport. You can also use the Coral lounge before all international flights though which is nice. Imagine being emotional because he's wearing a t-shirt instead of a shirt for an interview. You'll be good fun in Thailand. 😅👍🏽

Please people, seek a professional in regards to visa's. You should not be listening to You tubers that if anything, confuse the hell out of people.

It was nice to meet you on Sukhumvit a couple of weeks ago I hope your shoulders are ok. Having the visa for me means one less thing to worry about .

i have a question is it possible to buy a Thai elite visum from in site Thailand lets say i know u dont neet a visum for 2 weeks if i remember good so your insite Thailand then u think i wand ton stay in Thailand longer can u buy the elite visum insite Thailand also if u life near the border of Laos u think okay to day i go on holiday to Laos if u cros the border do the Thai elite visa stops counting days or do the counting goes one thanks for reading and thanks for creating this vlog dutch-buddha

I was considering this Visa at one time but now it’s just outrageously priced. I think it went up 3-4X overall. Used to max out at 1M baht for the 20 yr now thats like 5M baht!!!! Insane

Chris, you mentioned some people have done a cost breakdown...that would be nice to see you do in a video.

Tax ! Tax ! Tax!

Let's all move in thailand !! ❤🇨🇷 Everyday party in chris house 😂🎉

I'm confused. Does the Privilege visa come with health insurance or just allow you to not have health insurance?

How about taxes???? Can we scip the new tax laws owning a elite visa?

It was more desirable before the recent changes, and not just because of the prices. Plus no one knows how long they will live. So paying out for a 20+ year visa means that if you die early on, your beneficiaries miss out.

"... there is no need to invest." Yeah right, they take a large sum of money instead of an investment that is yours to keep and gives revenue.

Having lived in Thailand for 20+ years since i was a teenager been on all the visas now i have the privilege card i can honestly say it's been the best experience, i havn't been to immigration for years anyone who shiiits on this visa are just poor and havn't had 20 years of visa struggles.

it used to be affordable but not now

$25,000 for 5 years? That’s excessive 🤷‍♂️

You didn't ask about world wide taxes.

I heard some folks who had it said they couldn't even use some of the perks like taxi, etc

One of the main problems about this visa is that you're not allowed to work in Thailand. For me, that's an automatic 'no'.

Ya you should get extra services and I'm sure it's a good service but overpriced amount. Sorry bro fellow Canuk, but not worth the money. You missed on this one.😢😢😢. I'll keep my Thai lawyer on speed dial instead of paying that crazy amount to have my peace of mind. If you need an over price babysitting service you shouldn't live in Thailand. Their title says it all "Privileged " SORRY but it's the first time I've ever given you you a thumds down.😢 Got my O retirement for 38,000 bath, no hassles. I'll keep my money in my pocket. It's for the wealth or the woke. Im stilled covered under my Canadian government civil service medical insurance. 100 cad for top notch medical service. Plan ahead and don't worry, be happy. You disappointed me big time Chris. Im willing to discuss it with you anytime why i don't believe in this promo. There are much easier and cheaper ways to obtain a retirement visa and renewal.

So let me ask ,just to be sure. I already bought my accommodations for 30 days however I didn't buy plane tickets yet. I can easily add a few more weeks. Are are you saying we can stay as tourist up to 60 days? Fyi My accommodations is the middle of January to middle of February

If you die early. Do you get your money back?

I just got an email from the Penang Thai Embassy. I previously mailed them asking for the DTV visa, my big doubt was whether the 500K needed to be in a Thai bank or not, and this is what the answered: "The bank account can be either a Thai bank account or your home country's account."

He misspoke about the LTR health insurance requirement. You can meet the requirement with Thai health insurance OR a $100,000 bank deposit. You don’t need both.

Do the Privilege Visas provide clean air?

Am interested in the elite visa but really need to understand how the change to implementation of tax law pans out as I would prefer to retire to a permanent base, rather move every 6 months.

Thanks mate

I got the 20-year visa last year for 1 million baht. I thought it was better than putting 800,000 baht up every year for O visa. I do get the meet at the gate but don't get the limo. I called to get assistance for the bank account and they just said go to one of 3 banks (no assistance). If you live outside of their main hubs you don't get assistance. I live in Samut Prakan, so no assistance with 90-day report, driver's license, etc. Because I have the "old" Elite Visa the points system does not apply. I love no hassle immigration and meet at the gate. Definitely worth the price of admission!

Do you know of any lawyers that will handle the retirement visa process for expats in Phuket? Any cost estimate in US$?

So for all Long Term visas one of the most important questions to ask would be how would taxes work?

You should ask him when the next price increase will take place as well. It’s going to increase

Great video and very informative, especially given that you were able to get the details straight from the most authoritative source! Unfortunately the whole privilege offering reeks of extortion. We fly to/from BKK on Emirates in business class. Included in the price is limousine service to and from the airport plus use of the business class lounge. While skipping the immigration line is nice we typically don't fly during peek tourist season so it's just not that big of a deal. The benefit is nice but how much is 20 minutes of your time really worth? The fine print around 90 day reporting was not clear but we generally leave Thailand enough so we rarely need to actually do it. Even so, it's just not that big a deal and (if they get it working reliably) you can do it online. All of the rest of the services offered are completely ridiculous for anyone living in Thailand ... if you can't figure out how to find and book your own activities maybe international travel/living is just not your thing. Bottom line is they are charging a high price to avoid Thailand's overly complex and poorly designed and administered visa program and bundling unnecessary "benefits" to sweeten the pot. The government should just fix the existing visa program and not conflate visa requirements with a foolish benefits scheme.

It cost $$$ to have but people will spend 1k a month (36k for 3 years)on a leased car in the states and then walk away with nothing after lease ends. 25k to come and go as you please for 5 years and the other services that come with it, seems like a deal if you can swing it.

Retirees that qualify for at least $USD 80 000.00 income on their last tax filing: Get the Thai Board of Investment 10 year Long Term Residency for Wealthy Pensioners Visa for 10% of the Elite cost, yearly reporting if you stay in continuously for the year. A no brainer.

Just so you know. Affiliate get 250,000 THB per recommendation. It's a good business for Chris to promote.

because we're smiling to everyone and all foreigner, finally we hope another counties will also open the gate for us by free visa too...

This was a good program prior to the ridiculous price hike. Also, the reason why the processing time is now shorter is because fewer people are applying due to the monetary increase.

Ya great if you're rich. The cost of these visas ar out of control. Way too expensive.

Stop trying to sell these over priced nonsense visa

I just dont understand why people would pay so much for elite visa instead of just doing retirement visa. Love thailand but most likely i will retire in cambodia or Philippines and just visit couple times a year

OH - SAID CHRIS LMFAO

I have it. Worth the peace of mind of not having to do visa runs if you can afford it. The airport pick ups and drops are nice. No lines at the immigration. You'll always go into the fast track lane along with an escort.

I just went through the process and got the Thai Privilege Visa. I now need to get the visa affixed to my passport. Something annoying is that if you're outside of the country, you can get it affixed to your passport when you arrive at the airport, but to get to Thailand you still need to apply for a regular tourist visa. I'm not from any of the visa exempt countries so I'd still need to go through the process of booking a flight there, and a return flight, and waiting weeks for processing of a tourist visa just to fly over there and then affix the new visa in my passport. Surely they should allow a special exemption if you've already paid and gotten the confirmation letter and member ID for your new privilege visa that you intend to have affixed within minutes of your arrival in country.

But you're still not allowed to work, not worth it.

how does this program compare to singapore?

If I move to Thailand I need that 900,000 thb as part of buying a condo. And there is no 5 year visa available without all those extra luxury services at an affordable price. So I'd have to deal with immigration services every 90 days. Feels like a ruse to keep out the non wealthy people. Plus you cannot own land in Thailand. So I am looking into Malaysia, where you can get long term visa if you buy a house/condo for at least 500,000 RM (depending on the region)

It would be nice if they would have a multi-year visa without all the expense. As an independent traveller I do not need all the bells and whistles. Sure if you have lots of cash to splash around it maybe worth it you want the additional services. For myself it seems like too much money for what my actual needs are at present.

What are the costs of each visa

For me it isnt worth it but its still one of the easiest to get. How many countries have something like that for the (new and higher) price ? Last year 20 years goes for 1 Million Baht, now they changed the name of the baby (Elite goes Privilege) and 20 years goes for 5 Million Baht. For me it isnt worth it but for many others it is. Another problem for me is, I dont know where I want to stay in 5, 10 oder 20 years.

If its 1 m for 10 years .. i will consider it

Just need 1-5 yr visa with no other features.

If you over 50 get a retirement visa

DTV is what they need to do. The privilege visa is just too expensive for the average Joe to enjoy Thailand.

I probably would try 10 years Platinum but 20 years is way too much rip off. Rather invest long stay visa would be better cause that's your money can withdraw one day. I probably get this when I reach 40 years old.

As a previous member, I didn't renew. Much better options out there these days.

The 5 year visa is questionable as a "VIP" experience. The 10 or 20 year is VIP. Of course $25,000 is not chump change. The limo transport is actually a shared van. The Elite Guy once wore an over the top shiny yellow blazer during the price change AKA;: Rebranding news event. He looked like a "used car salesman".

I will get one one day

you can pay for everything in this world lol

You'll need to be admitted to the hospital with angina after you pay that exorbitant fee! Wowzie! 🤣Yes not for everyone.

I have the Privilege visa. It’s not true that there is zero visa process during the lifetime of the visa. I still need to do 90 day reports and every year I must get a new 1 year stamp which costs around 1800thb + my time + paperwork. Each immigration office I have dealt with also has their own random version of what documents (and how many of each) is required as well. *not complaining I’m just saying it’s not all bells and whistles* Cost wise, the previous 1M thb for 20 years made sense. It actually saved money in most cases. Now it would be 900k x 4 (3.6m thb) which in my opinion, is still ok, but not great value unless you have considerable discretionary funds.

Virtually all countries around the world (including the US and UK) have "wealth visas" ...... In other words, you have so much money that you will never need to work in that country. As long as you can prove that, you are entry stamped all the way. Off hand, I cannot remember but I seem to recall that the one for the US was about $3,000,000 sat in an easy access account (should not include business, private property, shares ..... This is strictly just cash).

This is one of the most confusing things I have about visas. This all sounds good Chris, but I definitely am not able to afford this, but the right visa for me is what I need help with. I'm going to have to compare all the rest of what is available so I can choose the one that I will be able to afford. Where do I need to go to find all of these choices? Is there a video about this? Help, please! 😊 🙏🙏

Like anything in life, you often pay for the privilege. The current Thai visa privilege card service seems tailored towards a first-class experience, potentially saving time and hassle by avoiding unreliable operators. However, it's likely out of reach for many due to its high cost. I believe there's an opportunity for a more budget-friendly option that would appeal to a broader range of travellers. Imagine a metaphorical "business class visa" service, affordable yet effective in safeguarding against potential scams when dealing with essential services. This could be offered in tiers such as Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze service levels, catering to different needs and budgets. Such an expansion could not only enhance their business potential but also broaden their market appeal, making quality visa assistance accessible to more travellers.

Very useful as the website didn't explain the point system that well

I have the TPC and it is very convenient especially getting through immigration at the airport. It is a little pricey and with the new price increase will probably deter me from renewal. If you are under 50 and have money, it is probably worth it to purchase it. The process was very quick and easy. The staff is quite friendly and very professional. The online customer service is also very good and they respond to your emails the next day if not the same day.

I got my Privilege Card recently, and I am arriving in Bangkok next week. Yes, it is an expensive option.

Cannot work on it right? Rather invest the money elsewhere.

Gave 👎🏻 to the video because of your t shirt and shorts. The Thai man would have definitely consider it disrespectful.

If you travel in/out of Thailand via Samui you don’t get the elite service. You queue with everyone else.

I have it just so my Thai partner can't go with me on the buggy and fast-track through immigration with me. Getting home a few hours earlier than her and the treasured quiet I get is well worth the cost.

Your right,most of us can only dream about this.

Awesome show Chris!

Over the last 3 years they have increased the price of the 20 visa by 5 times! I think that is very excessive now.

15 July 2024 officially announced and confirmed.60 days visa waiver program Thailand.no need of a visa Holiday vacation maximum 60 days.extension for more 30 days possible at immigration office

Agree. It’s way too much. Should be about $7500.

Ummmm......no

My retirement multientry Visa with Bangkok Bank account AND 800,000 baht sponsor (meaning I dont put a dime into my BKK Bank, the Visa Service puts up 800k baht). Cost per year? $18,500 baht Every 90 day check in, 100 baht Gold Elite Visa for 5 years (the lowest cost) is 900,000 baht. Do the math, it sucks.

I’m hoping to retire there with 10k USD income per month in retirement. Please help me with what visa I need and where I should live. I don’t want to drive I want to have to have the best air conditioning and quality along with super fast internet. I’ll also be opening a bank account with 500k USD. Thanks 🙏

I want a work visa so that I can eventually be a citizen, privilege card doesn’t allow that

This visa gives you ten years unlimited entries for $40k usd No other visa is as easy as this one. Even the retirement visa has a lot of nonsense attached

such a waste of money. i was approved, but decided to pass. "no investment" he said lol. just a small $30k donation. stupid 😃

Chris, another great video. Thank you once again for your hard work. You are a fantastic ambassador of Thailand 🇹🇭. Waiting for you, Hailey and Dana to visit Tokyo! 😎

Sounds like a hotel loyalty program… Marriott?