Transcript of the above video: 

At the title of this video suggests, we are discussing the fact that the Elite Visa, or at least the Bronze Package, is going to be extended; people are going to continue to be able to use this moving forward. That said, the reason that "Thailand Privilege" is in quotation marks in the title to this video is because the Elite Visa has changed more often than a chameleon. I did a blog post, I want to say back around about 2009, 2010, talking about the old, then it was called the Elite Easy Access card. We then saw the whole program go into mothballs, go on ice, and then we saw it sort of resurrected some years later and now we have seen multiple iterations of the Visa program. 

That said, I thought of making this video after reading a recent article from the Bangkok Post, bangkokpost.com, the article is titled: Thailand Privilege extends Bronze Membership and Family Promotion through 2026. Quoting directly: "Thailand Privilege has announced the official extension of two of its most in-demand offers, the Bronze Membership and the Next Member Family Promotion, giving prospective long-term residents additional time to plan their move to Thailand." I'm really, I understand how people use this terminology, but understand, the only thing that confers Lawful Permanent Residence in Thailand is a Permanent Residence application. The Elite Visa should be viewed as like a really long Tourist Visa. It's not work authorized; it does not confer residence; it is a Non-immigrant Visa. It's basically a special O Visa under the Immigration Act of '79; that's basically how it is treated regulatorily. So I think it's important to understand these nuanced differences in terms of terminology. 

That being said, quoting further: "The extension follows feedback from applicants and authorised agents requesting greater flexibility as interest in long-stay residency options continues to grow. Both offers will now remain available until March 31, 2026, or until further notice." Quoting further: "The Thailand Privilege Programme, formerly known as the Thailand Elite Visa, is a long stay residency scheme that allows foreign nationals to reside in Thailand for periods ranging from 5 to 20 years, depending on the membership tier. The program offers a premium, long-term residency solution for individuals and their families, eliminating the need for regular Visa renewals." Well no it doesn't eliminate the need for regular Visa renewals. You have to extend it on a yearly basis if you stay in Thailand or do a Border Run once a year to continue to keep up your stamps. 

Again there are a lot of misnomers associated with a lot of Thai Immigration matters here in Thailand but yeah, Elite can be very useful. Word of caution. As discussed in prior videos I have made on this channel, they have started doing prolonged background checks and things associated with Elite Visa and frankly I kind of find that concerning because the program's at least implied purpose, is to be able to get into the Visa System without a lot of hassle; you basically sort of buy your way in if you will. And still they make people jump through an inordinate amount of hoops to deal with this stuff. 

Long story short, for some people the Elite Visa may me the best option in their circumstances. That said, there may be other options that are less expensive and more conducive to one's own circumstances. Again the underlying facts of the given case will be driving that analysis. Those who feel a bit overwhelmed about their visa options here in Thailand, it may not be a terrible idea to contact a legal professional and gain some insight and guidance into how best to proceed.