Thailand Privilege Card
This one is bought rather than applied for. The Privilege Card, formerly Thailand Elite, sells long stay permission as a membership, with no income test and no deposit test.
Start here
| Need | Best page |
|---|---|
| Is this actually a visa | Privilege Card guide |
| Compare the five tiers | Privilege Card tiers |
| Compare against the LTR | Privilege Card versus LTR |
Programme snapshot
| Item | Current rule |
|---|---|
| Main audience | Anyone who can pay and wants simplicity |
| Legal nature | Membership, not a visa issued under the Immigration Act |
| Tiers | Bronze, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Reserve |
| Validity | 5 to 20 years depending on tier |
| Stay per entry | 1 year |
| Financial test | None. No income proof, no deposit |
| Work permit | No |
| Family | Platinum and above only |
| Settlement | None |
| Fee | THB 650,000 to THB 5,000,000 |
Tier table
| Tier | Fee | Validity | Points per year | Family | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | THB 650,000 | 5 years | none | no | Extended to 31 Dec 2026 |
| Gold | THB 900,000 | 5 years | 20 | no | Ongoing |
| Platinum | THB 1,500,000 | 10 years | 35 | yes | Ongoing |
| Diamond | THB 2,500,000 | 15 years | 55 | yes | Ongoing |
| Reserve | THB 5,000,000 | 20 years | 120 | yes | By invitation |
What it actually is
The Privilege Card is not a visa. It is a membership sold by a state-owned concessionaire, with a long stay permission attached.
That has three consequences.
It is not assessed by an immigration officer against statutory criteria. It is assessed by the card company, which is faster and more predictable, and which is why people with messy income documentation use it.
It is not appealable in the immigration system if something goes wrong. If the programme changes, your permission changes with it.
It does not count as residence for any purpose. Years on a Privilege Card do not accumulate toward permanent residence, do not establish domicile, and are not a visa history in the usual sense.
For most holders none of that matters. They want to arrive, stay a year at a time, leave and come back, for a decade, without proving income. The card does that well.
Good fit
People whose income is real but hard to document: crypto, informal consulting, family money, multiple small clients. People over 35 and under 50 who are not old enough for retirement routes and do not want a DTV’s 180 day cycles. Families who want ten or fifteen years of cover on the Platinum or Diamond tiers. Anyone who values speed over cost.
Poor fit
People who want permanent residence, because no tier provides it. People who intend to work for Thai entities, since the card carries no work permit. Budget travellers, because THB 650,000 for five years is expensive relative to a DTV at THB 500,000 that you keep. People who want the cheapest lawful option, which is almost never this.
Watchpoints
- Bronze closes 31 December 2026. The entry tier is a limited promotion, not a permanent product.
- Family is only on Platinum and above. Gold and Bronze are single person.
- No work permit on any tier. Working for a Thai employer on a Privilege Card is a violation.
- It is a membership. Programme terms can change, and have, including tier restructuring in 2023.
- The fee is not refundable and not an investment. You are buying a service, not an asset.
- Compare against the DTV first. If you can show a THB 500,000 balance, the DTV is free by comparison.
Sources
- Thailand Privilege Card, official tier comparison. Checked 2026-10-22.
- Thailand Privilege Card, 2026 membership terms and Bronze extension. Checked 2026-10-22.
- thaievisa.go.th, Thailand Privilege Card category. Checked 2026-10-22.