Thailand’s “pay to stay” visa program for wealthy foreigners is seeing an expansion opportunity, with visions of the country becoming a haven for expats thanks to its relative success in containing the coronavirus.
The Thailand Elite Card is a residential-visa program for affluent expats, investors and long-stay groups. Membership, which ranges from 500,000 baht to 2 million baht ($16,000 to $64,000), provides for a renewable five-year visa. It also comes with perks, which at the top end include limousine transport, jet and yacht charters, medical checkups and golf at championship courses in Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya.
With borders currently closed and global travel at a near standstill, this would seem like the worst possible time for a visa program. But Thailand Elite, which has been around for 17 years, is holding up during the pandemic. It forecasts 2,288 new enrollees…
MACAU DAILY TIMES 澳門每日時報Elite Thai visa program aims to lure expats seeking virus haven
