Transcript of the above video: 

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing basically the Elite Visa appointments are being cancelled. It seems like something big is going on in Elite Visas, it might have ramifications in the broader immigration space. I am going to make another video contemporaneously with this one discussing that. That said, let me get into this. 

I got this information from a viewer. They emailed it to me, let me go ahead and read this. "Good afternoon, I watch your YouTube channel for your great information that you provide." - thank you very much - "I was in the process of getting my Elite Visa transferred over to a new passport when I received an email stating that the appointment at Chaengwattana was cancelled, but not only my appointment, all appointments were cancelled. I did a Google search to investigate, and I found a thread on ASEAN now by the Thaiger...titled... ELITE VISA APPOINTMENT SUDDENLY CANCELLED... I didn't want to post a link because I don't open links from strangers. After talking to Elite I could figure out that a new policy was put in place on 29 AUG (correction) 2025 for new background checks on all Elite/Thai privilege holders."

So again, they have changed the Elite Visa thing so many times, and then they sort of changed the name. It's sometimes called Thailand Privilege Visa, sometimes called Thailand Elite Visa; I still call it the Elite Visa, most people do, whatever. That said, quoting further: "I hope I translated it correctly, from all the replies all visas have basically expired until new background checks were/are completed. If this happened to the Elite/Privilege holders this could or may turn into a waterfall effect on all visas and yet a new ripple in the forever changing world of Thai Immigration and the Visa process." I'll get into that in another video. 

That said, I did go over to ASEAN NOW, so tip of the hat to those folks, aseannow.com, again under the title: Elite Visa appointment suddenly cancelled. Quoting directly: "I had an appointment set in a couple of days to go have my Elite Visa put in my passport. This evening I out of the blue received an email saying, quote: "Greetings from Thailand Privilege Card, Member Contact Center. Thailand Privilege, with immense regret, must inform you of the cancellation of your Visa affixation appointment at the Immigration Chaengwattana, which had previously been confirmed. This is due to a new National Security Policy recently enforced by the Immigration Bureau, requiring additional background checks from relevant government agencies. As a result, all confirmed appointments are currently affected and cannot proceed as scheduled. The Contact Center was unable to offer any further information on the matter. This leaves me in a bind as I don't have many days left on my permission of stay before I will be forced to leave the country. Has anyone encountered a similar situation or know anything about this "new national security policy"?”

Well we have been dealing with a little bit of this here in the office and we are kind of flogging through it as best we can, just like everybody else. It's important to point out that some years ago there were no background checks on Elite Visas and then they imposed them, and I remember processing a few cases where when it was imposed, it really changed things: it upended things. And the problem with it was when they weren't imposing background checks, it effectively, a lot of people got; I remember reading the articles at the time. They were finding people had come in and gotten the Elite Visa. They had criminal records in other jurisdictions and things, so they put into effect the background checks, and it had a pretty profound effect on those who were already even in the system trying to renew, as well as folks trying to come into the system. So this isn't unprecedented. As I have noted in other videos, Elite has "evolved" quite a bit over time. If anything, it has almost existed in a kind of state of flux. That said, quoting further from an email received by a viewer from Thailand Privilege. "Thailand Privilege with immense regret must inform you of the cancellation of your visa affixation and stay extension appointment at Chaengwattana on xx September," - so on whatever day, - "September 2025, which had previously been confirmed. This is due to a new national security policy recently enforced by the Immigration Bureau requiring additional background checks from relevant government agencies. As a result, all confirmed appointments are currently affected and cannot proceed as scheduled. This is the reason why we requested that you sign the consent form to allow us to proceed with this process to have your updated criminal record in the system. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. Please be informed that we will get back to you once we have received the background check approval from the Government. We earnestly apologize for this inconvenience and disruption. Thailand Privilege with all due respect asks for your understanding in the matter." 

Which again, I have discussed this in other videos. Thailand Privilege, the Company that deals with the Privilege system, with the “membership club” if you will, that part and parcel of it, the Visa is a privilege or benefit of, they aren't the ones that issue the Visas. At the end of the day it is Immigration, and it is their final determination based on their discretion whether or not an Elite Visa is issued or maintained. And Elite Visas can be lost; I have done videos in the past of folks on Elite Visas who are caught working in Thailand and they have their visas cancelled and deported. It is not a pretty sight when you see a violation of that, and they cancel the Visa. But that is Immigration's function, and they do have the ability to do this. 

Now how all of this is going to play out moving forward remains to be seen with this appointment stuff, but we will certainly be keeping you updated on this channel as the situation evolves.