The Thailand Privilege visa, sold as Thailand Elite until 2023, is a long-stay visa you buy as part of a paid membership. In October 2026 the five tiers cost from 650,000 baht for five years (Bronze) to 5,000,000 baht for twenty years (Reserve, by invitation), and each entry gives a stay of up to one year.
Unlike most Thai long-stay visas, it does not ask you to prove a pension, keep money in a Thai bank or be over a certain age. You pay a fee up front and receive a visa for the length of the membership. The price is high, and the visa is not a work permit, so it suits a fairly narrow group of people: those who want years of hassle-free residence and would rather pay than meet the conditions of the cheaper visas.
The scheme is run by Thailand Privilege Card Co., Ltd. (TPC), a state-enterprise company. Everything below comes from TPC's official site and the Thai e-Visa portal as read on 2 October 2026. Prices and conditions are set by TPC and can change, so treat this page as a guide to how the visa works and check the official site before you pay anything.
Thailand Privilege visa in brief (October 2026)
- Operator
- Thailand Privilege Card Co., Ltd., Bangkok (state enterprise)
- Tiers
- Bronze, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Reserve (invitation only)
- Price range
- 650,000 to 5,000,000 baht, paid once for the whole term
- Membership term
- 5, 10, 15 or 20 years depending on tier
- Stay per entry
- Up to 1 year on the Privilege Entry (PE) visa
- Staying longer
- 1-year extension at your local immigration office, 1,900 baht cash
- Still required
- 90-day address reports; a work permit if you take a job
- Official site
- thailandprivilege.co.th
The five membership tiers and what they cost
TPC lists five visa memberships. The main differences are the length of the membership and the number of "privilege points" you receive each year. Points pay for extra services such as airport assistance and help with the 90-day report (more on that below). The Bronze tier comes with no points at all, so it is in effect the visa alone.
| Tier | Membership fee | Term | Points per year | Fee per year of membership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | ฿650,000 | 5 years | 0 | about ฿130,000 |
| Gold | ฿900,000 | 5 years | 20 | about ฿180,000 |
| Platinum | ฿1,500,000 | 10 years | 35 | about ฿150,000 |
| Diamond | ฿2,500,000 | 15 years | 55 | about ฿167,000 |
| Reserve | ฿5,000,000 | 20 years | 120 | about ฿250,000 |
The last column is our own division of the fee by the number of years, before extension fees and anything you buy on top. It shows that the cheapest annual cost is not the cheapest tier: Platinum works out lower per year than Gold, because the term doubles while the price does not. The catch is that you pay ten years in advance, and you only get the value if you actually live in Thailand for that long.
Prices are fixed in baht. For a rough sense of scale, check the current exchange rate with our baht converter rather than relying on figures quoted in older articles, which often use the pre-2023 prices.
The old Elite packages and their prices no longer exist. TPC lists every membership sold before October 2023 (Elite Easy Access, Elite Family Premium, the Lifetime packages and others) as "discontinued". Articles that still quote 600,000 baht for five years, or "five years per entry", describe the old scheme. Existing members of old packages should contact TPC directly about their terms.
TPC's home page also advertised a "Next Member" promotion at 750,000 baht in October 2026. Its conditions were not readable on the public page, so we cannot say what it includes; ask TPC in writing before you rely on any promotion.
How long you can stay: one year per entry
This is the point most often misreported. The membership may last five, ten or more years, but each arrival gives you a stay of up to one year, not the full term. TPC's own FAQ says the Privilege Entry (PE) visa, a gold sticker, "allows 1 year per entry". Some older members hold a Special Entry (SE) visa, a green sticker, which gives 90 days per entry.
Members who remain in the country beyond twelve months without a trip abroad file for an extension at the provincial immigration office that covers their home address. According to TPC, PE visa holders are granted a one-year extension each time. You must go in person, because the officer takes your photo and fingerprints, and you can apply up to 30 days before your current stay ends. The fee is 1,900 baht per person, paid in cash to immigration.
Leaving and coming back simply starts a new one-year stay, as long as the membership is still valid. TPC asks members to check the stamp in their passport every time they arrive, and to report a wrong stamp before leaving the airport. A stamp with a shorter stay than you are entitled to can turn into an overstay record if nobody notices; our guide to overstaying in Thailand explains what that leads to.
What membership includes beyond the visa
The visa is the core product. The rest is a set of services that TPC either provides in exchange for points or sells directly. From the official site, these are the services that matter most to someone living in Thailand:
- Airport assistance. TPC's Elite Personal Assistant (EPA) service meets members at Suvarnabhumi and Phuket airports on international flights. It must be booked at least 24 hours ahead.
- 90-day report service. Members with points can have TPC file the 90-day report. In Bangkok, passports go to TPC's head office on Sathorn Road on a Monday, no earlier than 15 days ahead of the report date, and come back on the Friday afternoon. TPC also has representative offices in Chonburi, Chiang Mai and Phuket.
- Bank account opening. Members can open accounts with Bangkok Bank and Kasikornbank with their membership card or certificate letter.
- Thai driving licence. TPC offers an application service at the Department of Land Transport in Bangkok, booked at least five working days ahead.
- Member Contact Center. A 24-hour English line, with Mandarin, Japanese and Korean speakers from 06:00 to 21:00.
The detailed list of what each tier's points buy (lounges, health checks, golf, spa visits and so on) sits in TPC's "Full Privilege Book" and loads only in a browser. We did not verify it item by item, so read it before you choose a tier. If the extras are not worth much to you, Bronze is the visa without them.
What the visa does not do
It is not a work permit. As with every Thai visa, working in Thailand requires a work permit, and the Privilege visa does not include one. If you plan to take a job with a Thai employer, the usual route is a Non-B visa and a work permit, described in our guide to working legally in Thailand.
It does not remove the 90-day report. Anyone in Thailand for over 90 consecutive days owes immigration an address report, members included. TPC can file it for some members, but the duty stays with you, and TPC says it will not accept passports that are already past the due date. TPC's FAQ gives the late-report penalty as 2,000 baht. Our guide to 90-day reporting explains how to do it yourself online or in person.
It does not change your tax position. The 180-day test for tax residence applies to members exactly as it applies to other foreigners, and so does the tax on foreign income that a resident remits to Thailand. The details are on our page about the 180-day rule and foreign income; a tax adviser can tell you how it affects your pension or salary.
It does not register your address. Your landlord or hotel still files the TM30 residence notification, and TPC lists the TM30 receipt among the documents for the 90-day report and the extension. Our older article on the TM30 explains why that slip of paper matters at renewal time.
How Privilege compares with the LTR and retirement visas
The Privilege visa is often weighed against two other long-stay routes. Each is covered in depth elsewhere on the site, so this is only the headline comparison.
The retirement visas are for people aged 50 or over and ask for 800,000 baht in savings or 65,000 baht a month in income. That money stays yours; Privilege is a fee you do not get back as savings. The Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa from the Board of Investment has much higher income or asset thresholds, but in return holders get a visa for as long as a decade, report to immigration once a year, can obtain a digital work permit in all but one category and benefit from a published tax exemption on overseas income.
Privilege can make sense if
- you are under 50, or do not want to keep a deposit tied up in a Thai bank
- you do not meet the LTR income or asset tests
- you will spend several years in Thailand and value airport help and a contact center
- your income is irregular, so income-based visas are hard to prove each year
Look elsewhere if
- you need to work for a Thai company (you need a work permit either way)
- you qualify for a retirement visa and do not mind the yearly paperwork
- you are not sure you will stay long enough to use the term you pay for
- you work remotely and the Destination Thailand Visa fits for a much lower visa fee
Applying: the steps and the background check
You apply to TPC through its official website or by contacting its sales team in Bangkok. Applications go through a background check before membership is approved, and TPC has posted notices about delays in that check, so allow time before you plan a move. The e-Visa portal has its own "Thailand Privilege Card" visa category, and TPC's airport service mentions visa affixation on arrival at Suvarnabhumi and Phuket. Which route applies to you is something TPC will tell you once you are approved.
Many sales agents market the visa, some with their own fees on top. TPC's website lists its own sales contacts; if you use an agent, confirm with TPC directly that the agent is authorized and that the price you are quoted is the official one. Never pay a membership fee into a private person's account.
Read the membership terms on refunds and transfers before you pay. The fee covers many years in advance. TPC changed the transfer fees for some old memberships from 15 June 2026, which shows that these terms do change. Ask what happens to your membership if you leave Thailand early, and keep TPC's reply on file.
Once you have the visa, life in Thailand looks much like any other long-stay arrival: an address, a local account at a Thai bank (the general process is in our guide to opening a bank account) and health cover, which the visa does not require but hospitals expect; see health insurance for expats.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Thailand Privilege visa cost in 2026?
TPC's official prices in October 2026 are Bronze 650,000 baht (5 years), Gold 900,000 baht (5 years), Platinum 1,500,000 baht (10 years), Diamond 2,500,000 baht (15 years) and Reserve 5,000,000 baht (20 years, by invitation only).
Is Thailand Elite the same as Thailand Privilege?
Yes. Thailand Elite was renamed Thailand Privilege, and the packages sold before October 2023 have been discontinued. Prices and package names in older articles about "Thailand Elite" no longer match what TPC sells today.
Can I stay five years without leaving Thailand on the Privilege visa?
Not on a single stamp. Each entry on the Privilege Entry visa gives up to one year. You can then extend for another year at your local immigration office, in person, for 1,900 baht, and repeat this while the membership is valid.
Can I work in Thailand with a Thailand Privilege visa?
No. The visa allows you to live in Thailand, not to work. Any job in Thailand needs a work permit, which for most people means a Non-B visa sponsored by a Thai employer.
Do Thailand Privilege members still have to do the 90-day report?
Yes. Any stay longer than 90 consecutive days triggers the address report. Members with privilege points can have TPC file it for them, while others report in person, by post or online like any other foreign resident.
Sources
- Thailand Privilege Card Co., Ltd. – Visa memberships and prices (checked October 2026)
- Thailand Privilege Card Co., Ltd. – Bronze membership (checked October 2026)
- Thailand Privilege Card Co., Ltd. – Living in Thailand: 90-day reporting, stay extension, bank accounts, FAQ (checked October 2026)
- Thailand e-Visa (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) – Visa categories (checked October 2026)
- Thailand e-Visa – Retirement visas (for comparison) (checked October 2026)
- Board of Investment – Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa (for comparison) (checked October 2026)