My Elite Visa Application (Day 1 until the End)

[LASportsNut]

Greetings everyone.

Like most of us, I have been miserable waiting for the travel restrictions to end.

It appears it is much more serious and/or problematic than most expected.

I have been following the Thailand Embassy restrictions closely.  I have been zigging and zagging trying to come up with a solution for "my" needs.

Here is my story.  This includes my most normal travel to Thailand as well as most recent and current Visa request(s):

I have been traveling to Thailand and Pattaya since 2012. 

I always traveled 30 days each May and again 30 days each November (2012-2018).  

In March 2019 I retired and was able to spend 180 days in Thailand.

I traveled May to July with side trips to Japan and Vietnam to break up the 30 day travel restrictions.

I then returned to Los Angeles, California, USA from August to mid September.

I then repeated a similar Thailand trip from September to November, however I substituted China (Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Shanghai and Taiwan) to break up the 30 days.

 

Edited August 4, 2020 by LASportsNut

[gmingot]

Looking forward to seeing how the process goes

[lavista4u]

Great ....Looking forward to it..I always wondered what the process is ..
 

[LASportsNut]

I realize there will be those who are skeptical:

• "This Visa is too expensive"
• "I will never use all the privileges"
• "Why not wait for normal travel options after the coronavirus travel restrictions?'

Edited August 4, 2020 by LASportsNut

[gitteyman]

I'v got the popcorn ready !  and

looking forward to your report LASPORTSNUT. ....." Thanks in advance for doing it "

[LASportsNut]

After being on this forum for 8 years I realize the make up of the forum is like each of our lives.

Each of us live in a City or Town that is diversified by either race or financial make up.

The same applies here.

So please be open for this discussion.

Not all of us on the forum have the same life timeline (working, retired, close to death). 

I am serious about this.  

Fortunately I am only in the retirement category.

But one must also also recognise each financial situation.

Are you in debt, living check to check, or do you have a decent amount of income and savings, as well as a large amount of income and/or retirement income.

We are all different.

A $1,000,000 donation from Bill Gates is like us giving a 100 baht to a massage girl.  

Please do not judge.

 

Edited August 4, 2020 by LASportsNut

[LASportsNut]

After I returned to Los Angeles in December 2019, I began to reflect on my travel for the year.

While my travel was very memorable and I would only change a few minor things. 

I realize there is one thing for sure i would change

I would not return to the USA in the middle of my 7+ months of holiday.

I decided in 2020 I would do whatever it took to stay in Asia from April to December.

Edited August 4, 2020 by LASportsNut

[LASportsNut]

In January 2020, I decided to apply for a Retirement Visa O-A.

I completed all the required background checks:

• Medical
• Criminal Record

I spent approximately $100 USD to get both of these items.

[chippysam]

  Looking forward to your experiences , good luck.

[LASportsNut]

I also was required to prove I had medical insurance.

I needed to prove I had over $40,000 USD insurance

The good news is I was able to retire with 100% lifetime medical insurance. up to $1 million USD.

The bad news is although I have my medical card and my medical policy information, it is not enough proof for the Thai Embassy.

They wanted a signed letter from my medical provider's president or CEO.

Are you F-ing kidding me?

This is virtually impossible.

I was on the phone on and off for months trying to obtain this with everyone laughing at me.

In the USA it is normal for us to receive a medical card to show our medical insurance and coverage. 

Unfortunately Thailand does not understand this or accept it.

Edited August 4, 2020 by LASportsNut

[KhunChang]

26 minutes ago, LASportsNut said:

After being on this forum for 8 years I realize the make up of the forum is like each of our lives.

Each of us live in a City or Town that is diversified by either race or financial make up.

The same applies here.

So please be open for this discussion.

Not all of us on the forum have the same life timeline (working, retired, close to death). 

I am serious about this.  

Fortunately I am only in the retirement category.

But one must also also recognise each financial situation.

Are you in debt, living check to check, or do you have a decent amount of income and savings, as well as a large amount of income and/or retirement income.

We are all different.

A $1,000,000 donation from Bill Gates is like us giving a 100 baht to a massage girl.  

Please do not judge.

 

Yeah, good move if you have a good amount in savings AND are bored to death in your country.

Should allow you to come few months earlier.

Hope for you that the decree get published this month as i have read that at the moment the people who have the visa already have still to wait for this.

Edited August 4, 2020 by KhunChang

[KhunChang]

5 minutes ago, LASportsNut said:

I also was required to prove I had medical insurance.

I needed to prove I had over $40,000 USD insurance

The good news is I was able to retire with 100% lifetime medical insurance. up to $1 million USD.

The bad news is although I have my medical card and my medical policy information, it is not enough proof for the Thai Embassy.

They wanted a signed letter from my medical provider's president or CEO.

Are you F-ing kidding me?

This is virtually impossible.

I was on the phone on and off for months trying to obtain this with everyone laughing at me

Can't you just buy a Thai Embassy recommended covid insurance? once in the country they are not going to check if it expires or not

Edited August 4, 2020 by KhunChang

[LASportsNut]

1 minute ago, KhunChang said:

Can't you just buy a, Embassy recommended covid insurance? once in the country they are not going to check if it expires or not

i will get to that.  Coming soon

[LASportsNut]

So I completed the application and I acquired all the documents:

• Proof of Income
• Proof of Savings
• No Criminal Record
• No Medical Issues (include STD)
• Proof of Medical Insurance
• Where will I live
• Emergency contact
• Copies of Passport
• Extra Passport Photo

And I submitted the application with Federal Express to the Thai Embassy in Washington DC (recommended by Thailand)

Edited August 4, 2020 by LASportsNut

[emazza58]

how much do you need for the elite visa?

[LASportsNut]

They did not accept my medical insurance documents. F!!!

Instead of rejecting my entire package, they seemed to allow me to scramble for information regarding my medical.

Knowing the nightmare I had just to prove what I Medical information I had already submitted,  I decided to pay for a Thailand insurance.

Edited August 4, 2020 by LASportsNut

[LASportsNut]

6 minutes ago, emazza58 said:

how much do you need for the elite visa?

• 500,000 baht for 5 years
• 1,000,000 baht for 10 years
• 2,000,000 baht for 20 years

The math works out to 100,000 baht or approximately $3,200 per year.  

Edited August 4, 2020 by LASportsNut

[KhunChang]

19 minutes ago, LASportsNut said:

So I completed the application and I acquired all the documents:

• Proof of Income
• Proof of Savings
• No Criminal Record
• No Medical Issues (include STD)
• Proof of Medical Insurance
• Where will I live
• Emergency contact
• Copies of Passport
• Extra Passport Photo

And I submitted the application with Federal Express to the Thai Embassy in Washington DC (recommended by Thailand)

• Proof of Income
• Proof of Savings
• No Criminal Record

They did not ask for those before.

[LASportsNut]

Just now, KhunChang said:

• Proof of Income
• Proof of Savings
• No Criminal Record

They did not ask for those before.

Well they do now.

[LASportsNut]

4 minutes ago, KhunChang said:

• Proof of Income
• Proof of Savings
• No Criminal Record

They did not ask for those before.

It appears they had too many farang come to Thailand without proper income, savings and/or had a criminal record.  

I am happy they ask for this.

I would imagine not everyone is clean on these items

Edited August 4, 2020 by LASportsNut

[KhunChang]

9 minutes ago, LASportsNut said:

It appears they had too many farang come to Thailand without proper income, savings and.or had a criminal record.  

I am happy they ask for this.

I would imagine not everyone is clean on these items

If i have 1 million in the bank but no income or if my country does not provide those documents i cant get it  ?

I know that this was not a requirement a year ago and this programm have been running for something like a decade now.

Just Now because of covid they have the possibility to sell quite a few of them compared to the previous years and they make this expensive program more difficult to access ? LOL

Edited August 4, 2020 by KhunChang

[LASportsNut]

1 minute ago, KhunChang said:

If i have 1 million in the bank but no income or if my country does not provide those documents i cant get it  ?

I know that this was not a requirement a year ago and the programm is something like a decade old now.

Just Now because of covid they have the possibility to sell quite a few of them compared to the previous years and they make this expensive programm more difficult to access ? LOL

Relax.  Follow the story. Please do not jump ahead. 

I am still describing my Retirement Visa experience as it plays into my Elite Visa application. 

[davidge]

The thread is already getting very confused as a result of interjections. It might be better if people wait until the OP finishes his (lengthy) story and then ask questions at the end if necessary!

[KhunChang]

1 minute ago, LASportsNut said:

Relax.  Follow the story. Please do not jump ahead. 

I am still describing my Retirement Visa experience as it plays into my Elite Visa application. 

Oh sorry, i thought this was for the Elite 

[LASportsNut]

3 minutes ago, davidge said:

The thread is already getting very confused as a result of interjections. It might be better if people wait until the OP finishes his (lengthy) story and then ask questions at the end if necessary!

Thanks Davidge,

Sorry for being "lengthy" however it all helps explain the decision making and will assist others with their decisions in the future.

Edited August 4, 2020 by LASportsNut