Well, I've just gone through the process with Thailand Elite for a 5 year Privilege Entry Visa (PE Visa) and have this morning received confirmation of my Membership nr. I had been considering moving back to Thailand for about 2 years when I received some good news 2 weeks ago which accelerated my decision. Once I had made up my mind that starting a new chapter in my life, thus moving back to Thailand, was the right decision, I re-acquainted myself with all the Thai visa options available. I'm 46, so not eligible for a retirement visa, which means it would have to be a Student Visa, the new 6 months visa, various multiple-entry options, the PE Visa or just go in and out via the 30 days visa exempt system. After weighing up the various pro's and con's of each Visa, I decided the PE Visa was the easiest option around. Sure, it costs 500K Baht, but over a 5 year period that's not so much more all the other options would cost either when taking visa runs into consideration.
This is the timeline it took for the membership to get sorted:
Sunday, 22nd of November I asked for info via the Thai Elite website ( http://www.thailandelite.com/index.php).
Monday, 23d of November I received a reply with explanation, requirements and application form (6 pages).
Monday, 23d of November I emailed them a scan of my passport, scan of a picture and the application form in pdf format.
Tuesday, 24th November Thai Elite emailed me acknowledging receipt of my application and explaining the procedure. Main point was that they were waiting for Immigration clearance which could take 5 working days.
Wednesday, 25th November I received confirmation that my application had been approved by Immigration and was given bank details for remittance of funds.
Monday, 30th November I transferred the funds from a UK based HSBC Premier Account and emailed them the remittance details.
Wednesday, 2nd December they emailed me acknowledging receipt of funds and informed they were in the process of setting me up on their system. Membership ID nr. would follow in a couple of days.
Wednesday, 2nd December, a few hours after their previous email, I received my membership nr, together with some practical information
I have opted to receive the actual visa upon arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport. In order for everything to run smoothly Thai Elite has asked me to communicate my arrival details 5 days in advance by either phone or email so that they can arrange for a pick up at the gate and an escort to immigration. All in all I must say that I'm extremely impressed with their service, it was fast & efficient + every time I rang their office the girl(s) I was speaking to spoke excellent English. If budget is an issue than this Visa might not be for you, if however, you're willing to pay for comfort and ease of mind this is the way to go in my opinion. Let's be honest, if you're looking to emigrate to Thailand without intending to work or start a business and don't have enough funds to afford a 500K expense, your best option in most cases would be to stay at home.
Below the last email from Thai Elite confirming my membership...
Dear Mr. XXXXXXXXX:
Greetings from Thailand Elite .
Welcome to Thailand Elite Member Club, the worlds first membership club, backed by the government. We already registered your name into the system and your ID number is XX XXXX XXXX
We hope you would find our privileges and benefits useful during your stay in Thailand. Please be noted, members are required to make advance reservations for all privileges and benefits.
Also, please kindly find the welcome letter and fact sheet showing privileges and benefits you are entitled to .
Please be gently reminded, Thailand Elite Members are require to do 90-day report at the Immigration Office as well. Furthermore, members who have permanent residence in Bangkok, we have a staff do on behalf of you. Please kindly drop the passport before 90-day report due at our office on Tuesday and come pick it up on Thursday.
Regarding to the request for Elite Visa, kindly inform Member Contact Center (MCC) for 5 working days in advance.
For more information or reservation on service(s), please contact 24/7 MCC at +66 2 352 3000 or memberservice@thailandelite.com and identify yourself with the aforementioned ID number.
Moreover, the list of vendors, Please find them in the privilege book. kindly go to download at http://www.thailandelite.com/downloadable_form_file/downloadable_form_file30.pdf
Should you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact us anytime. We are looking forward to welcoming you as a guest of the country soon.
I was originally booked into the JW for this trip, but about 3 weeks ago I received a marketing email from Accor announcing a fire sale with 40% discount on offer, downside was that it needed to be pre-paid. Out of interest I checked what they were offering and found quite a good deal for the Sofitel, so after some deliberation I decided to cancel my booking at the JW and bite the bullet in favour of a pre-paid room at the Sofitel.
It is my first stay at this hotel and to be honest I'm wondering why I haven't stayed here before. The place is much better than The Landmark or the JW, there are no loud groups of kids around and the location is near perfect. The pool area is good with sun in the afternoon, the restaurants are top notch and the coffee shop on the ground level serves fantastic coffee. There is no joiner fee and on the 2 occasions I've had a guest there was no need for them to leave ID at reception.
Pics below are of the 'Opera Suite'.
Living room which is quite spacious. Wifi is free and fast.
Bedroom with a very comfy king size bed. The place is totally noise free and the curtains black out any light. For a very light sleeper like myself there is no need for the usual earplugs.
Nice bath in the massive bathroom.
Large shower cubicle with rain shower. Water pressure is excellent.
Double sinks with plenty of amenities.
Pool area which is very relaxing with light music in the background.
I have been eating here for quite a few years now and was a bit gutted that they have stopped the Lamb Chops. But the Pork Chops more than made up for it.
Other dishes i have had here include the Rack of Ribs, the Bully's Burger and the Steak
I choose this hotel asI have stayed at their sister hotel in Soi 13 a couple of times and I could not get my usual one bedroom suite at @Mind in On Nut as they had no rooms available.
The hotel itself is situated on the alley on Soi 11 that leads down on to Soi 3. It a brand new hotel that had only been open a few months.
The rooms are just slightly bigger than those on Soi 13. features..... of the room include, 32 LCD TV with multi-lingual channels, Individually Controlled Air- Conditioning, Wifi throught out that was contstant and never failed while I was there, Mini bar including condoms, tea & coffee including a kettle, in room electronic safe that could fit a large laptop. Key card electronic security and they give two cards so you can charge I pad or laptop while out and about, The walk in shower includes a rain shower.
Facilities.... Munch restaurant with a varanda for smokers. A tuk tuk that runs every half n hour, laundry service, Gym with a view of the city but no pool. I asked reception if it was ok to use the pool at Citrus Soi 13 and they rang the reception there to let them know I was on my way as they use a key card if the lift in Citrus 13 and they have a roof top pool.
The staff are very friendly and there is no joiners fee and it is ladyboy friendly
There are so many excellent places, from very cheap to very costly, that it's hard to say which ones are favourites with me. For a special night out with a girl you feel special about you could go for pre-dinner drinks at Vertigo, the roof top bar of the Banyan Tree hotel, followed by mind boggling good food at Nahm in the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Don't make the mistake of eating at Vertigo though, it's mediocre at best. Make sure you invite a girl who is comfortable in these surroundings, as the majority of girls probably prefer a simple noodle stand by the road.
AntAnt_1964 got a reaction from Youngone in Privelege Entry Visa (5 year multiple entry)
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