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Thailand Privilege, formerly Thailand Elite, offers five membership tiers with terms of 5 to 20 years, and you pay the fee once, after approval. Before you pay, do not assume that membership lets you work, own land or reduce your tax. Each of those questions needs its own check. The fee for every tier is shown here as [price]; ask the operator for a written quote for the tier you want.
In short
- Bronze and Gold give five years of membership, Platinum ten, Diamond fifteen and Reserve twenty. Reserve is by invitation only.
- The membership fee is paid once, after approval. Get a written quote for your chosen tier.
- Do not rely on membership as permission to work. Before you accept a job, find out which immigration status and work permit it needs.
- Do not assume that buying membership gives you a tax exemption. Your tax position needs a separate review.
- Ask the operator whether Bronze and the companion promotion are open to you, and ask your bank what it requires, before you commit.
Thailand Privilege visa cost: what are the five tiers?
The programme is run by Thailand Privilege Card Co., Ltd., a state enterprise under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Its official membership page lists the five packages below. We show the fee as a placeholder, so take the current amount from the operator when you compare packages.
| Membership tier | Membership term | Membership fee | What to check when comparing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | 5 years | [price] | Whether it is still open; no closing date has been confirmed |
| Gold | 5 years | [price] | Its current benefits compared with Bronze, in writing |
| Platinum | 10 years | [price] | Next Member, if someone will join you |
| Diamond | 15 years | [price] | The companion terms and how long you expect to stay |
| Reserve | 20 years | [price] | Invitation only; confirm access before you plan around it |
The table shows how long the membership lasts. It does not tell you how long you can stay on each entry. Before paying, ask the operator in writing how long the visa is valid, how long each entry lets you stay and what is needed to extend. These details matter most if you want to spend most of each year in Phuket.
Bronze and Gold run for the same five years, so the term alone cannot decide between them. Ask for the current benefits schedule and mark the services you actually expect to use. A longer package can also outlast the period you can realistically plan for. Someone trying out a move to Phuket faces a different decision from someone who has already settled there.
Packages offered before October 2023 have been discontinued. If a friend recommends a package by name, check that name against the current range before you plan around their experience. Terms that an existing member still has may not be available to a new applicant.
Is the Bronze tier still available?
Bronze is still listed on the operator's official membership page, and the operator has not announced a closing date. You may see different deadlines quoted online, but none of them has been confirmed by Thailand Privilege. The listing tells you the package exists today; it does not promise that Bronze will still be open on the day you apply.
Ask the Thailand Privilege contact centre whether Bronze is accepting applications and whether the quoted terms will apply on your planned application date. If anyone gives you a deadline, ask the operator to confirm it in writing and to say exactly what it covers. We advise against paying in a hurry only because you have heard that Bronze is about to close.
Can a companion join through Next Member?
The Next Member promotion for Platinum, Diamond and Reserve has been extended to 31 December 2026. The companion fee is [price]. This date belongs to the promotion and says nothing about when Bronze might close; the two are separate questions.
Before you include a companion in your budget, ask the operator to confirm that the promotion applies to your tier and to the person you want to add. Ask which documents are needed and whether the application or the payment has to fall within the promotion period. Ask the operator which relationships qualify under "Next Member" and how it reviews the companion's application; do not assume the approval in advance.
What does Thailand Privilege not give you?
Work and land ownership
Do not rely on Privilege membership as permission to work. Before you accept a job, find out which immigration status and work permit that job requires. If you plan to run a business in Thailand, check what that activity needs before you buy membership. Our lawyers can look at your plans and tell you which status fits the work you have in mind.
Here is an illustrative example, not a client case. Suppose you first plan to spend winters in Phuket without working, and later consider a job offer there. The job changes the question. You no longer need to choose between five and ten years of membership; you first need to know which status allows that work.
Do not assume that membership gives you any right to own land. If you are also buying property, keep that review separate from the membership decision. A membership quote says nothing about whether your purchase structure is lawful, and the tier name gives you no rights to the property. When a purchase is part of your move, our team checks the property and the deal on their own terms.
Tax relief and bank accounts
Do not assume that Privilege membership creates a tax exemption, and leave any expected tax saving out when you compare the fee with another immigration option. How long you spend in Thailand, what you earn and how you transfer money all need a separate review. The membership price does not answer any of those questions.
For banking, ask the bank you intend to use about your own circumstances. Membership does not promise that an account will be opened, and it does not mean an account will be refused. Ask the bank for its document list and tell it which immigration status you expect to hold. If a local account is essential to your move, get that answer before you commit to membership.
Each of these checks answers a different question. The operator can explain the package it sells. A bank can explain what it needs to assess your account application. A tax review looks at your income and transfers. We recommend getting all three answers rather than letting one stand in for the others.
What should you check before paying?
This checklist helps you prepare the decision. It is a list of questions to settle before you buy, not an official application procedure.
- Describe your purpose. Write down how long you expect to live in Thailand and whether you intend to work. Include anything that could change the status you need, such as a possible job offer.
- Choose a realistic membership term. Compare the five-, ten-, fifteen- and twenty-year options against your plans. Ask separately about the conditions for each stay.
- Get the full quote in writing. Confirm the tier, the membership fee, the included benefits and any companion offer. For Bronze, ask whether it is still open; for Next Member, ask which deadline conditions apply.
- Settle tax and banking questions. Arrange a tax review if you need one, and ask your bank which documents it requires. Keep these answers apart from the package's list of benefits.
- Check the practical terms of the application. Ask for the current document list, the expected processing time and the refund conditions. If your travel date is fixed, say so before you commit and do not assume approval will arrive in time.
- Confirm the approval and payment instructions. The membership fee is due after approval. Check the approval notice and the payment instructions directly with the operator, and keep copies of the agreed terms and the receipt.
If you are also weighing a visa that requires proof of funds, our typical DTV bank-statement case shows why careful document preparation matters. It concerns the DTV, not Privilege, and it does not describe Privilege application rules or bank policy.
When should you compare another visa?
Compare another status when what you need goes beyond what membership is for, or when the commitment does not fit your plans. A person who wants a base in Thailand for several years without working faces a different question from someone moving for a job. Neither should decide by dividing the fee by the number of membership years.
If you have not narrowed down the options yet, start with Thailand visa options in 2026, which compares the LTR with Privilege and the other long-stay routes. Before you treat an "investment visa" as an alternative, check the actual visa category and its requirements.
If you would like help choosing a status, tell us how long you plan to stay and whether you intend to work. We reply within 24 hours and agree the cost with you before any work starts. Status selection and support with an LTR or Privilege application: [price]. You can start from Stay in Thailand longer than 30 days and discuss your situation with our team before you commit to a membership.
