Thailand Privilege Visa by Siam Legal

When you have earned your Thailand Privilege membership along with the Thailand Elite Visa, you will be issued a 5-year multiple-entry visa that you can renew depending on the duration of your membership. For example, the Gold membership provides one 5-year visa and is not renewable, whereas a Platinum membership provides a 5-year visa that is renewable once, for a total of 10 years. Once your Thailand Privilege membership has expired, you will need to submit a new application or upgrade to a higher tier with a longer duration prior to the expiry date if you wish to continue enjoying its benefits.

Yes, you have the option to upgrade your Thailand Privilege Visa to a higher level. To upgrade, you will need to pay the fixed upgrade fee of 100,000 THB and then an additional membership fee, which is calculated as the difference between your current membership plan and the one you want to upgrade to.

Upgrading a Gold membership package:

• From Gold to Platinum Membership: 600,000 THB
• From Gold to Diamond Membership: 1,600,000 THB
• From Gold to Reserve Membership: 4,100,000 THB

Upgrading a Platinum membership package:

• From Platinum to Diamond: 1,000,000 THB
• From Platinum to Reserve: 3,500,000 THB

Upgrading a Diamond membership package:

• From Diamond to Reserve: 2,500,000 THB

Applicants who have acquired a 20-year Reserve membership have the option to continue their stay in Thailand indefinitely by continuing to renew their 5-year visa as many times as they want. This is the closest that Thailand Privilege has to a lifetime membership.

Yes, for the Platinum, Diamond, and Reserve memberships, you can add family members for a reduced price. To add a family member, they will need to provide their passport and a passport-sized photo as well as complete an additional application form (one meant for "next members").

The membership fees for additional members are as follows:

• Platinum Membership: 1,000,000 THB
• Diamond Membership: 1,500,000 THB
• Reserve Membership: 2,000,000 THB

No, while family members can leverage the benefits of the Thailand Privilege program individually, they will have to use the allotment of privilege points issued to the primary member. For example, if a core member adds two family members to their Platinum membership package and seeks help to open an individual bank account for all three members (which costs 2 privilege points each), each member spends 6 points. Rather than 35 privilege points, they will now be left with a total of 29. This is why it's always important to plan ahead when deciding on which privileges to redeem.

To become a Thailand Privilege member and acquire a Thailand Elite Visa, you will need to provide the following set of documents:

• Membership Application Form (for the membership of your choice)
• Membership Application Fee Payment Form
• PDPA Form
• Photocopy of the passport biopage (in color)*
• Passport-sized photo (in color, taken against a white background)
• Any additional documents (ie: education visa holder acknowledgment form if a current or past ED Visa holder, or marriage certificate if your spouse is being added to your membership plan)

*NOTE: The passport biopage must also have the signature visible. If there is no signature, a photocopy of the passport signature page must be included. The signature on any forms you’ve signed must match the signature on your passport.

The application process lasts a total of 1 to 3 months on average. It takes 4 to 6 weeks to complete the background check (for some nationalities this could take longer) and 5 to 10 working days to wait for a membership ID and welcome letter to be issued.

If you want to acquire a Thailand Elite Visa, you will need to proceed through these stages:

1. Decide on which membership package to apply for
2. Read the eligibility requirements and conduct a self-assessment
3. Consult a General Sales and Services Agent (GSSA) such as Siam Legal
4. Provide all the required documents and completed forms to your GSSA
5. Pay the application fee and complete the Membership Application Fee Payment form
6. Your GSSA will review and submit your application to the Thai government
7. Your GSSA will provide you with login details to track your application
8. Your application will undergo a background check by a Thai immigration officer
9. If the background check is successful, you will receive an approval letter and payment instructions
10. Follow the instructions to pay your membership fee within 30 days
11. Wait 5 to 10 business days to receive your membership ID and welcome letter
12. Book an appointment with the member contact center to affix your visa
13. Collect your visa at one of the following locations:
• Suvarnabhumi Airport or Phuket International Airport (if abroad)
• Royal Thai Consulate or Thai Embassy (if abroad)
• Immigration Bureau on Chaeng Wattana Road (if in Thailand)
14. Apply for a Thailand Privilege membership card (optional, but recommended)

At any time during the application journey, you will be able to contact the General Sales and Services Agent (GSSA) who is handling your application. They will be able to liaise with the Thailand Privilege staff for updates on your application. If you have been approved, you will receive confirmation of this via email. You will also receive the instructions for affixing the Thailand Elite Visa to your passport the same way.

No, an address in Thailand is not required for the application. You can apply while in Thailand or while in another country. If you do have an address in Thailand, there is a section on the form to note it down.

No, you cannot work in Thailand while on a Thailand Elite Visa. This is because it is still classed as a tourist visa which bars you from acquiring a Thai work permit. However, there are no restrictions against working remotely in Thailand for a company located internationally or profiting from investments in the Kingdom.

If you have lived in Thailand for over 180 days (6 months) and have income from overseas, you may be liable to pay taxes. If you have any concerns about taxation in Thailand or need assistance with filing taxes, contact a Thai tax consultant to get started.

No, health insurance is not a requirement to be a Thailand Privilege member. However, it is highly recommended, as insurance is quite affordable in Thailand compared to other nations.

The Thailand Privilege Card Co., Ltd. (which operates this visa program) only issues invitations for Reserve Memberships to people who are important contributors to the Thai economy or are considered special VIPs.

If you are interested, contact your GSSA who can tell you more and liaise with the authorities to share your interest in this package. Whether or not they will issue the invitation is up to their discretion, but you can always start out at a lower tier and upgrade later. Establishing a relationship with the Thailand Privilege Card Co., Ltd. early in this way may help your chances, but there are no guarantees.