5 Year Long Stay Visa may be in the works

[Guest]

Are you quoting my post? Thank you!

Last word is hundreds of thousands of baht. No exact number yet.

Smells like a ELITE CARD scam....

pheww!

cheers,

[khunsanuk]

Hi,

 

So, what the fuck is the logic behind a ridiculous amount like that? Normal 1 year extension is 1,900 Baht (if I remember correctly), so one would expect this to be less than 5 times that amount as it is less hassle / work for the immigration office. Instead they want to charge 10-20 times the price

 

Sanuk!

[jasmine]

[color:"red"]Normal 1 year extension is 1,900 Baht (if I remember correctly), so one would expect this to be less than 5 times that amount as it is less hassle / work for the immigration office. Instead they want to charge 10-20 times the price

[/color]

 

I have the feeling that the fee will change tremendously. I think that the "elite" card has failed.

 

When I first heard of the "elite card" I thought it was the tactic of the government to convince Thailand to change the law of land ownership and now I feel I was right. A few government big shots (I would love to name the names, but not possible here) lobbied to overide the land law and without the protests of strong figures in Thailand, they could have done it. The lobbying and protest are still going on.

 

The land ownership is there to protect the poor/normal Thais who has no way to fight the purchasing power of the non-Thais.

 

Jasmine

[elef]

web page

 

"Apparently the Pattaya Today article was misleading. The Police Colonel was talking to the group about the process of applying for permanent residence permits, I am told by Pattaya Immigration.

 

Because of the confusion, I decided to check with Pattaya Immigration, and was referred to the lady officer sitting directly in front of the head of the unit. She advised me that there is no "new 5 year visa program", only the Permanent Residency program which is open for applicants only between December 15 and 31st of each year. Under this program, one can apply, but only at the main Bangkok Immigration office. Soi Suan Plu, where all applications must be filed.

 

The fee for applying, non refundable, is 7,600 baht; the fee if the permit is granted is 191,400 baht, but with a Thai spouse, only 95,700 baht is required.

 

This is not a new program, as suggested by the Pattaya Today story, but one available only during the last half of December each year.

 

Apparently, there is nothing "new" about this permit application process, and no great new opportunity for farang to get a long term visa easily."

[Guest]

elef said:

web page

 

"Apparently the Pattaya Today article was misleading. The Police Colonel was talking to the group about the process of applying for permanent residence permits, I am told by Pattaya Immigration.

 

***This is true...I was at the meeting, held at Pattaya People's New offices on Soi-day-Night. The discussion was about _permanent resident permits_. The 5-year 'green card' like visa is not in process, but was suggested.

 

Because of the confusion, I decided to check with Pattaya Immigration, and was referred to the lady officer sitting directly in front of the head of the unit. She advised me that there is no "new 5 year visa program", only the Permanent Residency program which is open for applicants only between December 15 and 31st of each year. Under this program, one can apply, but only at the main Bangkok Immigration office. Soi Suan Plu, where all applications must be filed.

 

The fee for applying, non refundable, is 7,600 baht; the fee if the permit is granted is 191,400 baht, but with a Thai spouse, only 95,700 baht is required.

 

***The application is non-refundable. It is said to take 2-years to process all the paperwork and it will go through 10 different Thai bureaucracies (departments). The 191k-Bt and 95k-Bt charges are one time charges assessed only if the permit is granted. It was suggested that those having paid Thai taxes during all or part of their 3-year minimum stay on an OA visa, will have the best shots at the residency permit. It was also said that of a 100 slots available last year, they only had 60 applicants. It was not specified whether that was a 100 individuals total or 100 for a particular country.

 

This is not a new program, as suggested by the Pattaya Today story, but one available only during the last half of December each year.

 

Apparently, there is nothing "new" about this permit application process, and no great new opportunity for farang to get a long term visa easily."

[Nervous_Dog]

So we have a visa thats granted only 15 - 31 December each year!

 

Now thats just funny

[rickfarang]

Well...like the man said:

 

"If it sounds too good to be true..."

[thalenoi]

stupid gullible farangs

[Khun_Kong]

jasmine said:

[color:"red"]Normal 1 year extension is 1,900 Baht (if I remember correctly), so one would expect this to be less than 5 times that amount as it is less hassle / work for the immigration office. Instead they want to charge 10-20 times the price

[/color]

 

I have the feeling that the fee will change tremendously. I think that the "elite" card has failed.

 

When I first heard of the "elite card" I thought it was the tactic of the government to convince Thailand to change the law of land ownership and now I feel I was right. A few government big shots (I would love to name the names, but not possible here) lobbied to overide the land law and without the protests of strong figures in Thailand, they could have done it. The lobbying and protest are still going on.

 

My understanding of the "land ownership" was that the Elite Co actually owned the land. Card holders were simply given the right to use it.

 

The only change regarding ownership was that, effectively, those who ran the Elite Co now owned the land, i.e., the rich and politically connected.

 

For all of it's failures, the most obvious signs of it's success are the two large pieces of land, with large buildings on them, that I've seen in BKK. One on Sri Ayyutheya, I think, and I can't remember where I saw the other one, maybe somewhere up off Suk. There are probably more offices somewhere.

 

 

The parking lots are invariably filled with cars- nice cars!

 

 

I wonder who you have to know to get a job with the Elite Co?

 

I wonder how much you get paid?

 

I wonder how much (how little) work one of these bigshot employees must do to earn their overinflated pay?

[jasmine]

[color:"red"]My understanding of the "land ownership" was that the Elite Co actually owned the land. Card holders were simply given the right to use it.

 

The only change regarding ownership was that, effectively, those who ran the Elite Co now owned the land, i.e., the rich and politically connected.

 

For all of it's failures, the most obvious signs of it's success are the two large pieces of land, with large buildings on them, that I've seen in BKK. One on Sri Ayyutheya, I think, and I can't remember where I saw the other one, maybe somewhere up off Suk. There are probably more offices somewhere.

 

[/color]

 

That is news to me thank you. Still no foreighners, elite cards or not can own land in Thailand.

 

Jasmine