The Thai Privilege Visa (TPV), formerly known as Elite, has suspended its 50,000 baht or US$1,500 registration fee imposed to check the background of applicants. The fee cancellation applies to all applications received from the beginning of September to the end of the calendar year 2024. TPV offers a range of visas from 5 to 20 years, each with their own perks and bonuses, with current charges from 900,000 baht to over 2 million baht.
In a news release, the Privilege company (which is 100 percent owned by the Tourist Authority of Thailand) said the aim was to encourage more new members at a time of economic uncertainty and changes in visa policy by the Thai government. In reality, the timing of the move suggests that the root cause is the rise of several alternatives, such as the 10-year Long Term Residence and the recently-announced 5-year Destination Thailand Visa. It is also now possible for most visitors to receive 60 days on arrival without a visa, obtain a month’s extension at Thai immigration and repeat the whole procedure by joining a minibus border hop.
The Elite visa was first announced in 2003 and was transferred to the Privilege Card in 2013. It has always offered multi-entry entries and perks such as fast-track at Thai airports and discounts at specified retail outlets, hotels, spas and golf courses. However, the numbers joining remained disappointing, until the Covid pandemic saw an increase in applications from well-heeled visitors wanting to enter and leave Thailand at will. The current enrolment is unknown but is commonly thought to be about 30,000 with the largest contingent from China.
Originally the brainchild of then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Elite (as it was then known) failed to achieve target numbers. Initial promises that the visa would allow members to buy in their own name a small plot of land to build a residence were vetoed by the Cabinet. In recent years, the rules of the different categories have become complex with the more generous perks reserved for the higher-cost options. All nationalities are now able to apply, except North Koreans, but the future of the visa overall remains a controversial subject. Of course, that was always true.
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