Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing Thailand Elite Visas. For those who are unaware, there is a private membership program in Thailand called the Thailand Elite Card. It is offered through actually a private company with a concession for this membership program called the Thailand Privilege Card Company just to be clear. 

Again, most folks don't really realize it is a private company but it has this particular concession. Thailand Elite cards or specifically the Visa associated therewith, can grant the bearer between 5 and up to 20 years depending on the version of the program that one is in. 

In a recent article from nikkei.com, the article is titled: Thailand Hikes Price of 5-Year Visa as Foreigners Seek COVID Haven. Quoting directly: "Thailand plans to raise the price of its best-selling 5-year Residency Permit by 20% in January. That is a bit of a misnomer there, "residency", I will get to that in a moment. Quoting further, "After the program dubbed “Elite Visa” drew record new memberships this year as people sought to stay in the largely Coronavirus free country. Starting January 1, the Easy Access, one of the nine Elite Visa packages, will be offered for 600,000 Baht or US$19,850 up from the current 500,000 Baht according to Thailand Privilege Card, the operator of the Elite Visa; so they are kind of the concessionaire. 

One thing to note, it is not really correct to call this a Residency Program. As noted in other videos on this channel, this type of Visa is a Non-Immigrant Visa. It has a VIP aspect to it. It is issued in one year increments upon arrival but it should be noted it is not Permanent Residence in the Kingdom. Furthermore, it should be noted it does not confer work authorization upon the bearer so those wishing to work in Thailand would need to obtain a Visa which can sponsor a Thai Work Permit. Meanwhile, those wishing to have Permanent Residence in Thailand, that is an entirely different endeavor from the Thailand Elite Program.