(This membership no longer accepts new applications starting June 16, 2023)
Thailand is a popular destination for families. With its low cost of living, rich culture, and high-quality education and medical facilities, it welcomes families to visit for holidays or move and start a fresh life. A visa is required when entering Thailand, and for those looking at long-term solutions, visas can be tricky, especially when organizing an entire family. A Thai Elite Family Excursion visa is the perfect solution for couples, families with children, or adults who want to share a wonderful retirement with their parents.
There are many long-term visa options for Thailand. Most of these visas have age, financial, or educational eligibility requirements. There is a lot of paperwork involved and often the visa needs to be renewed every 12 months.
Thailand Privilege Card Company Limited is a subsidiary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. They provide Tourist Visas to foreigners who no longer want to organize short-term visas but are looking for long-term, regular travel, or permanent relocation to Thailand.
Thailand Elite visas promote Thailand to affluent families who are looking for extended access to the country. It bypasses many requirements and restrictions to offer longevity, ease of use, and additional benefits for its members. Thai Elite visas offer exclusivity to foreign families in Thailand, and there are multiple visa options to suit any personal or financial lifestyle.
A hard lesson of the pandemic was that travel and cultural experience can be taken away in an instant. Family travel was easy before the pandemic and many parents wanted to show their children what the larger world was like at a young age. But for many children, Covid-19 is all they know. A world of lockdowns and rules, trapped in their own country and not understanding why they can’t just be kids. There is a shift in mindset and many parents have decided they won’t be trapped again. They no longer consider short-term vacations but look at long-term solutions to provide their children with different cultural experiences. The Elite Family Excursion makes this easy for couples and parents who love the Land of Smiles and want to share it with their young ones.
Overview of the Elite Family Excursion
The Thai Elite Family Excursion is a 5-year tourist visa designed for affluent and high-earning foreign nationals with families. For those who enjoy Thailand as a frequent holiday destination, it allows unlimited entries to Thailand for 5 years for up to a year at a time.
If you seek to move to Thailand and create a life with the best that Thailand offers for your family, an Elite Family Excursion allows families to live in Thailand for up to a year before needing to exit and reenter. This allows children to attend school for the year and parents don’t need to worry about “visa runs” or annual renewals. There is no minimum time a member must leave, nor any minimum stay requirement. It is a great opportunity to introduce your children to other parts of Asia while knowing it will be easy to come home. If your situation does not allow you to exit at the end of a year, you can contact Thailand Elite Privilege and they will help you extend your stay for another year.
Elite Family Excursion has few eligibility requirements. A member does not need to prove income or hold money in a Thai bank account. They do not need to attend an Educational Institution or do volunteer work. There are no age restrictions, and members do not need to complete any immigration interviews or renew their visa annually.
Any immediate family member can be part of a Family Excursion visa. Some come with their spouse, and some with their children. Other Family Excursion members want to start a life in Thailand and share it with their retired parents or grandparents. There is no limit to how many people can be part of a Family Excursion visa, and additional applicants receive their visa for a much lower fee.
The fee for a 5-year Family Excursion visa is 800,000 Thai Baht for 2 people. Additional family members can be added to the visa for 300,000 baht/person. So additional family members receive all the benefits of the visa at a much lower cost. There is one fee payable for the full 5 years, and no payment is needed until after the visa is approved. There is no financial risk in lodging an application.
When applying for an Elite Family Excursion visa, Immigration will complete a background check on all applicants under due diligence. If potential members do not have a criminal record or outstanding overstay in Thailand, they will be approved. Upon approval, the member pays their visa fee, and a visa is issued for 5 years.
Elite Family Excursion holders receive VIP service when arriving in Thailand. Immigration formalities and passport processing is expedited on arrival. A concierge service is available and travelers are met at the airport by a private driver to take them to their accommodation. A member contacts Thai Elite Privilege, provides their arrival date, and the rest is taken care of.
Thailand Elite Privilege wants their visa holders to feel special. They are VIP visitors in Thailand. When a foreigner stays in Thailand for more than 3 months, they are required to complete “90-day reporting” at a local Thai Immigration Office. This can be a nightmare for families as all family members must attend. Holders of a Thai Elite visa do not need to present themselves at Immigration. A Thai Elite staff member organizes and represents the family for this immigration formality. There are no long queues or waiting with children and elderly members for Thai Elite visa holders.
Elite Family Excursion members receive discounts and benefits at many shopping outlets, restaurants, and leisure activities throughout Thailand. This is perfect for families. It is expensive to enjoy leisure activities with kids. Thai Elite offers discounts to families in a country that already has a low cost of living. To take advantage of these perks, members present their Thai Elite Privilege card at any partner location and receive instant benefits. Members can share their benefits with visiting friends and family who are not Thai Elite members.
The Elite Family Excursion is a simple visa solution for people who know they want to spend extended time in Thailand and open their children’s minds to diverse cultures.
Elite Family Excursion
- 5-year Tourist Visa with unlimited entries
- Available to all immediate family members
- Up to 1 year stay per arrival
- 800,000 Thai Baht for 2 people with no annual fee
- 300,000 Thai Baht for additional family members
- Assistance with bank accounts, licenses & 90-day reporting
- Expedited arrival processing and private transport
- Shopping & leisure benefits
Apply for your Elite Family Excursion Visa
There are many application avenues for Thailand Elite visas. The easiest way to apply for an Elite Family Excursion visa is through one of their registered agents. Working with an agent, you can apply while in Thailand, or from your home country. The process will normally take 1-3 months depending on your nationality. The agent will advise what information they need for all family members in order to submit the application on your behalf and monitor the progress of your approval.
The advantage to working with a registered agent for families is they handle all the paperwork and can provide additional services to make your transition and time in Thailand easier. Organizing documents for multiple people can be a nightmare, but your agent provides a one-on-one service from start to finish and keeps you updated on the progress or any outstanding requirements of your application.
1. Application Submission
The first step is to contact your agent. They can advise what visa might best suit you and how to start the process. An agent will send you a questionnaire with the initial information needed. This will include:
- Full name
- Date of Birth
- Passport number and validity dates
- Contact details
- Current visas or information about previous overstays in Thailand
It is important to note that each applicant will need a valid passport, including children. All family members must apply at the same time. Additional family members cannot be added to an existing visa. A questionnaire is needed for each person who will be part of the Family Visa.
Upon receiving your completed questionnaire, your agent will prefill your Elite Family Excursion application form and email it to you for signing. They will notify you of all documents required, i.e. wedding certificates, civil union certificates, birth certificates, etc. Your agent removes all confusion about what you need to provide.
Your application will include:
- A signed application form
- Colour copy of your passport profile page
- A high-quality passport-sized photo
- Any additional documents for family members
Your agent will submit the signed application on your behalf and liaise with Thailand Elite Privilege and Immigration. They will advise if any additional information is needed for approval.
When applying for your visa, you need to make sure you have 5 years of validity in your passport. If your passport will expire before the end of your 5-year term, it is possible to have your visa affixed to the current passport. When you receive your new passport, an appointment can be made to visit a Thai Embassy. You take your existing and new passport to the appointment and a new visa sticker will be placed in for the rest of your 5-year term.
2. Background Check
Under due diligence, Thailand Immigration will conduct a background check for all applicants. This check will include:
- Criminal convictions within Thailand or another country
- Any outstanding overstays in Thailand (where an overstay fee has not been paid)
- If an applicant has any current active visas in Thailand, i.e. Education, Retirement, or Work Visa. Existing visas must be canceled before a Thai Elite Visa can receive final approval.
3. Payment of Membership fee (credit card or bank transfer)
The minimum cost for an Elite Family Excursion visa is 800,000 Thai Baht. This provides two people unlimited access to Thailand for 5 years. Additional family members are added to the visa for 300,000 Thai Baht/person.
No payment is needed until you receive final approval. When your visa is approved, you will receive a Welcome Letter from Thailand Elite Privilege and your agent. The letter outlines the next steps in starting your visa and the full benefits available to you.
You will also receive a letter with all payment options available. The visa fee can be completed by credit card, international bank transfer, or internal transfer if you already have a Thai bank account. The fee is payable as a single amount upon approval. If you have a daily transfer limit, you can discuss the situation with your agent.
From the time you receive your approval and welcome letter, an Elite Family Excursion member has 3 months to pay their visa fee and start their 5-year term.
4. Issuance of the visa (embassy, airport, or Thai immigration)
There are several options available for affixing your visa to your passport.
- A member can visit a Thai Embassy in their country
- A member can be met at the airport when they arrive in Bangkok, Thailand, and have the visa affixed before completing passport control
- An appointment can be made to visit the Thai Embassy in Bangkok
Working with an agent streamlines the above process and allows a central point of correspondence. There are no additional fees payable when enlisting the service of a good registered agent.
Additional Considerations and Restrictions
Background Check
When conducting a background check, an applicant must meet the following criteria:
- Not having been sentenced by a judgment to imprisonment in any country except for an offense committed to negligence
- Not having been adjudicated bankrupt
- Not having been declared as a person of unsound mind, incompetence, or quasi-incompetence
Working in Thailand
Thai Elite Visas are classified as Tourist Visa. In order to work or earn income within Thailand, a person must hold a valid work permit. This permit is not offered under a Thai Elite visa. If a person wants to seek employment or start a business in Thailand, they can contact their Thai Elite agent and discuss avenues of attaining a work permit.
Excluded Countries
There are some countries that are restricted to apply. Citizens from the countries are not eligible for a Thailand Elite Visa:
- Africa: Central Africa, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sao Tome, Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Sudan.
- Middle East: Algeria, Iraq, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine, Syria, and Yemen
- Asia: North Korea, Afghanistan, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri-Lanka
Why Choose Thailand as Your New Home?
There are many reasons for people to holiday or relocate to Thailand.
Thailand Has a Low Cost of Living
- Living outside the city can be done at a very low cost
- It is true that Bangkok & Phuket can be expensive for luxury living
- Food options
- Reasonable transport system
Thailand offers First-Class Medical Care
- Thailand boasts some of the best medical facilities in Asia
- It costs a fraction of health services in Western countries
Thailand offers First-Class Education Facilities
- Thailand has many quality international primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions to offer children and young adults high levels of education at a fraction of the cost you would pay in fees at home.
Thailand is the Prime Travel Destination for SE Asia
- Thai airports provide easy access to many SE Asia destinations using LCC airlines
- Thailand is the perfect base to stretch out and explore the SE Asian region
The Thai Elite Family Excursion visa is for families who have enjoyed Thailand in the past and know it is somewhere they want to visit year after year, or potentially raise their children in a unique culture. They are familiar with the wonderful things Thailand offers and look to their future. With a shift in travel mindsets, people no longer want to be in a position where they cannot travel. They are moving away from quick getaways and looking longer term. Thai Elite is for those who are starting a family or want to spend extended periods in a beautiful place with their children and parents.
For inquiries about the Thai Elite Visa Application, please use this form to contact us.
