A Thailand Elite Card... What Is This

[dennis13]

hello i'm 27 years and from belgium i am planning to start a live living in thailand but with my age it's not so easy to do iff i don't marry a thai.

now i am looking for my options how to get a nice visa untill i marry in thailand and i cross over someone who told me about a

'' thailand elite card'' ( cost round 1.500.000 BATH )

i hear iff i buy sutch a card i can get a 5 year renewable visa.

my question is because i just hear about this and have no idee what so ever about the truth on this?

what for a card is this?

is it tru?

and how and were to get sutch a thailand elite card?

thnx

[Maestro]

It is true:

www.thailandelite.com

--

Maestro

[percy2]

hello i'm 27 years and from belgium i am planning to start a live living in thailand but with my age it's not so easy to do iff i don't marry a thai.

now i am looking for my options how to get a nice visa untill i marry in thailand and i cross over someone who told me about a

'' thailand elite card'' ( cost round 1.500.000 BATH )

i hear iff i buy sutch a card i can get a 5 year renewable visa.

my question is because i just hear about this and have no idee what so ever about the truth on this?

what for a card is this?

is it tru?

and how and were to get sutch a thailand elite card?

thnx

Search this forum there are many threads on the subject. But be prepared for the wildly varying views.

Also read their own web site http://www.thailandelite.com/membership.php

Cheers

[dr_Pat_Pong]

hello i'm 27 years and from belgium i am planning to start a live living in thailand but with my age it's not so easy to do iff i don't marry a thai.

now i am looking for my options how to get a nice visa untill i marry in thailand and i cross over someone who told me about a

'' thailand elite card'' ( cost round 1.500.000 BATH )

i hear iff i buy sutch a card i can get a 5 year renewable visa.

my question is because i just hear about this and have no idee what so ever about the truth on this?

what for a card is this?

is it tru?

and how and were to get sutch a thailand elite card?

thnx

Search this forum there are many threads on the subject. But be prepared for the wildly varying views.

Also read their own web site http://www.thailandelite.com/membership.php

Cheers

Not a lot of support or faith in the program by TV members.

[thaihome]

Not a lot of support or faith in the program by TV members.

Not much support by people that can't afford one. Those that have bought one seem pretty satisfied with it.

TH

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Not a lot of support or faith in the program by TV members.

Not much support by people that can't afford one. Those that have bought one seem pretty satisfied with it.

TH

Judging by the lamentable success of the Elite Card's marketing, I suspect there was little support for it by those people who could afford one either.

[thaihome]

I was just going by the TV members that actually have a card. You have to read the threads closely to get past the junk, but you will find posts by holders that say it works for them.

As one of the few TE members on the forum, I'd say that:

1) Yes, it's been a great scheme for me and thoroughly glad I bought in (about 18 months ago).

2) If money was really the point, you'd save a fortune by doing most of your visa-runs by bus to Cambodia/Laos. That was almost the last thing on my mind when I joined - I thought of it as buying a suite of services (the visa being one), rather than a way of saving money.

3) Were I in the market for membership right now, I'd probably hold off until the new government is in place and see how everything settles. The scheme is still tainted (not least by some on this forum) by its affiliation to Thaksin, and the purge may continue. Whilst I'd like to think your views of what might happen if they close the scheme are prescient regarding grandfathering, we simply have no idea of what might happen.

Everything else is just subjective rants, your own post is a classic example.

TH

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I was just going by the TV members that actually have a card. You have to read the threads closely to get past the junk, but you will find posts by holders that say it works for them.

As one of the few TE members on the forum, I'd say that:

1) Yes, it's been a great scheme for me and thoroughly glad I bought in (about 18 months ago).

2) If money was really the point, you'd save a fortune by doing most of your visa-runs by bus to Cambodia/Laos. That was almost the last thing on my mind when I joined - I thought of it as buying a suite of services (the visa being one), rather than a way of saving money.

3) Were I in the market for membership right now, I'd probably hold off until the new government is in place and see how everything settles. The scheme is still tainted (not least by some on this forum) by its affiliation to Thaksin, and the purge may continue. Whilst I'd like to think your views of what might happen if they close the scheme are prescient regarding grandfathering, we simply have no idea of what might happen.

Everything else is just subjective rants, your own post is a classic example.

TH

As is yours.

[thaihome]

And even funnier as I doubt either of needs an Elite Card to stay Thailand as long as we need to.

TH

[Theyreallrubbish]

hello i'm 27 years and from belgium i am planning to start a live living in thailand but with my age it's not so easy to do iff i don't marry a thai.

now i am looking for my options how to get a nice visa untill i marry in thailand and i cross over someone who told me about a

'' thailand elite card'' ( cost round 1.500.000 BATH )

i hear iff i buy sutch a card i can get a 5 year renewable visa.

my question is because i just hear about this and have no idee what so ever about the truth on this?

what for a card is this?

is it tru?

and how and were to get sutch a thailand elite card?

thnx

Search this forum there are many threads on the subject. But be prepared for the wildly varying views.

Also read their own web site http://www.thailandelite.com/membership.php

Cheers

Is it just me or does that site make it really hard to find out what the benefits actually are. There seem to be 100s of spa discounts, but I can't any details on land ownership

[monty]

My personal objective view:

Advantage: it definitely works for certain people, especially visa wise. Forget about most other perks, they're already taking away/reducing some of these perks while simultaneously increasing the price of their product. Unfortunately this is standard business practice from operators in dire financial situations!

Disadvantage: It's any body's guess how long this thing will keep on existing. First, as above mentioned they are losing money at an alarming rate, secondly, it was the brainchild of Thaksin, so it kind of looks like without his support, it might completely fizzle away.

In short, count on 1 (one) 5 year visa for your 1.5 million Baht, and hope for the best when renewal time comes up in 5 years. They might still be around, who knows!

[dr_Pat_Pong]

hello i'm 27 years and from belgium i am planning to start a live living in thailand but with my age it's not so easy to do iff i don't marry a thai.

now i am looking for my options how to get a nice visa untill i marry in thailand and i cross over someone who told me about a

'' thailand elite card'' ( cost round 1.500.000 BATH )

i hear iff i buy sutch a card i can get a 5 year renewable visa.

my question is because i just hear about this and have no idee what so ever about the truth on this?

what for a card is this?

is it tru?

and how and were to get sutch a thailand elite card?

thnx

Search this forum there are many threads on the subject. But be prepared for the wildly varying views.

Also read their own web site http://www.thailandelite.com/membership.php

Cheers

Is it just me or does that site make it really hard to find out what the benefits actually are. There seem to be 100s of spa discounts, but I can't any details on land ownership

The land ownership died out in the first few months of the programs launch. But I agree that the Elite website it is a bugger of a site to negotiate.

[LivinLOS]

Theres much cheaper ways to legalize a stay without paying this lump sum..

It works for some but offers little for a lot..

[Meerkat]

My personal objective view:

Advantage: it definitely works for certain people, especially visa wise. Forget about most other perks, they're already taking away/reducing some of these perks while simultaneously increasing the price of their product. Unfortunately this is standard business practice from operators in dire financial situations!

Disadvantage: It's any body's guess how long this thing will keep on existing. First, as above mentioned they are losing money at an alarming rate, secondly, it was the brainchild of Thaksin, so it kind of looks like without his support, it might completely fizzle away.

In short, count on 1 (one) 5 year visa for your 1.5 million Baht, and hope for the best when renewal time comes up in 5 years. They might still be around, who knows!

Not disputing you, but is there evidence that it is still losing money at an alarming rate? I've not seen anything regarding the recent financials of the scheme.

To the OP, yes the scheme continues and works extremely well, but my caveat referred to by somebody else above remains. We're in somewhat volatile times politically here in Thailand at the moment, so nobody knows how/if the scheme will be affected going forward. Of course that goes for any other type of visa as well, as the demise of the investment visa and limiting of entries via visa-exemption show.

[cali]

A couple things I have not seen discussed thoroughly. One of the bigger and more valid concerns is the longetivity due to political climate. You are required to pay a lifetime of fees up front so if the next day it closes its doors you are SOL right? Not necessarily because in the event the program is terminated by the government, they will refund the balance, though I have no idea how they calculate that. Also worth a thought is if you find yourself on the wrong side of the law they have the right to revoke the card immediately and refund you nothing.

One other part is there is a parachute of sorts. Not everyone will spend the rest of their lives in Thailand. If you decide Thailand isn't the place for you at some stage in the future, the card can be transferred one time to another person at 30% of its prevailing rate, with the limitation it is a 30 year card for them rather than lifetime. So if the card keeps getting priced higher as is the current trend or ultimately is capped like they say they intend to do, selling it could be a viable way to get your investment back, give or take. Of course they could just as well shift strategy in the future to massively reduce the price. Let's not forget many are given away for free.

The card has a number of things going for and against it. Ask yourself if the convenience and certainty of a 5 year visa is worth 1.5m baht. If so and you can writeoff the cost in your mind as a worst case scenario then you should probably study it more, otherwise probably not the best direction.

[tropo]

My personal objective view:

Advantage: it definitely works for certain people, especially visa wise. Forget about most other perks, they're already taking away/reducing some of these perks while simultaneously increasing the price of their product. Unfortunately this is standard business practice from operators in dire financial situations!

Disadvantage: It's any body's guess how long this thing will keep on existing. First, as above mentioned they are losing money at an alarming rate, secondly, it was the brainchild of Thaksin, so it kind of looks like without his support, it might completely fizzle away.

In short, count on 1 (one) 5 year visa for your 1.5 million Baht, and hope for the best when renewal time comes up in 5 years. They might still be around, who knows!

It should be pointed out that extensions are still required every 90 days (1900) which makes it even worse value for money.

You can buy quite a lot in SE Asia for 1.5 million baht. IMO a total waste of money even if you can afford it.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

My personal objective view:

Advantage: it definitely works for certain people, especially visa wise. Forget about most other perks, they're already taking away/reducing some of these perks while simultaneously increasing the price of their product. Unfortunately this is standard business practice from operators in dire financial situations!

Disadvantage: It's any body's guess how long this thing will keep on existing. First, as above mentioned they are losing money at an alarming rate, secondly, it was the brainchild of Thaksin, so it kind of looks like without his support, it might completely fizzle away.

In short, count on 1 (one) 5 year visa for your 1.5 million Baht, and hope for the best when renewal time comes up in 5 years. They might still be around, who knows!

It should be pointed out that extensions are still required every 90 days (1900) which makes it even worse value for money.

You can buy quite a lot in SE Asia for 1.5 million baht. IMO a total waste of money even if you can afford it.

ThaiHome will take the stick to you Tropo. ( see earlier posts from him in this thread )

[xbusman]

Ah the Thailand Elite card, still providing us fun filled conversations years after its introduction. It sure has legs considering the complete and total disaster it has proven to be for the Thai government to date. They have hung on gamely and considering the losses you certainly have to give them credit for that.

Correct me if I am wrong, but its pretty much a five year visa and a call center for 1.5 now. I think that could be a pretty good deal for some.

I still think the business model was great. Give me 1M times the 1000 paying customers and we could put on a pretty good spread from them just on the interest off the trust fund. Unfortunately, this dog was milked dry before it got off the ground, corruption is an expensive overhead.

[naka]

Don't listen to the 'naysayers' Dennis ... Just do it !

Naka.

[thaihome]

My personal objective view:

Advantage: it definitely works for certain people, especially visa wise. Forget about most other perks, they're already taking away/reducing some of these perks while simultaneously increasing the price of their product. Unfortunately this is standard business practice from operators in dire financial situations!

Disadvantage: It's any body's guess how long this thing will keep on existing. First, as above mentioned they are losing money at an alarming rate, secondly, it was the brainchild of Thaksin, so it kind of looks like without his support, it might completely fizzle away.

In short, count on 1 (one) 5 year visa for your 1.5 million Baht, and hope for the best when renewal time comes up in 5 years. They might still be around, who knows!

It should be pointed out that extensions are still required every 90 days (1900) which makes it even worse value for money.

You can buy quite a lot in SE Asia for 1.5 million baht. IMO a total waste of money even if you can afford it.

ThaiHome will take the stick to you Tropo. ( see earlier posts from him in this thread )

No stick, justs different ideas of what my time could be worth and how much I of it I would want to put into visa stuff.

With the capital the OP claims to have, putting 1.5 mil into an Elite card is probably not a good use of the money. He can probably save some by going to 1 year multi B from EU or US and 90 day entries as put forth by our resident multi millionaire.

But, if I had say, 10 million USD (in the US), was living off the interest, and was a lazy fuc_k (and under 50), a 5 year visa requiring 90 day trips to immigration (and probably not in person) would probably fit well.

The cost would be something like .00046% of my capital. I think I could afford it.

TH

[Jingthing]

Yes, if 1.5 million baht sounds like a fair deal to buy ONE 5 year visa, then go for it. Just realize there is no guarantee there will be another 5 year visa waiting after the first 5 years. That isn't speculation on my part, read the text of the "promises" on their website. They can change anything at any time. Who knows, maybe even immigration could change their minds about the first 5 year visa, but that seems unlikely.

[sriracha john]

A couple things I have not seen discussed thoroughly. One of the bigger and more valid concerns is the longetivity due to political climate. You are required to pay a lifetime of fees up front so if the next day it closes its doors you are SOL right? Not necessarily because in the event the program is terminated by the government, they will refund the balance

Is that definitive answer documented anywhere?

, though I have no idea how they calculate that. Also worth a thought is if you find yourself on the wrong side of the law they have the right to revoke the card immediately and refund you nothing.

One other part is there is a parachute of sorts. Not everyone will spend the rest of their lives in Thailand. If you decide Thailand isn't the place for you at some stage in the future, the card can be transferred one time to another person at 30% of its prevailing rate, with the limitation it is a 30 year card for them rather than lifetime.

So the seller pays a 450,000 baht transfer fee and is selling a card which loses half its longevity (using the OP's age and life expectancy as an example. Is there much of a market for second-hand Elite Cards? In other words, how really viable is this option?

The card has a number of things going for and against it. Ask yourself if the convenience and certainty of a 5 year visa

Is that definitive answer documented anywhere?

If so and you can writeoff the cost in your mind as a worst case scenario then you should probably study it more, otherwise probably not the best direction.

Edited January 16, 2008 by sriracha john

[sriracha john]

Not a lot of support or faith in the program by TV members.

Not much support by people that can't afford one. Those that have bought one seem pretty satisfied with it.

TH

Is that definitive answer documented anywhere?

[cali]

Is that definitive answer documented anywhere?

Yes. It is documented in the contract.

So the seller pays a 450,000 baht transfer fee and is selling a card which loses half its longevity (using the OP's age and life expectancy as an example. Is there much of a market for second-hand Elite Cards? In other words, how really viable is this option?

It does not seem unreasonable that there might be someone who would go for a 30 year Elite card for say a 50% discount. Possible reasons being a combination of value, risk, and age. For instance, someone 75 years old may not see the extra value in a lifetime vs 30 years. Example 2, someone below 50 may want something to get them a visa until they reach retirement visa age. Dunno, just thinking out loud here, but it seems plausible to me. It is an interesting feature of the card. Wonder if one has ever been bidded for on ebay for instance?

[torrenova]

One point that seem sto be overlooked is their recent talk about the potential introduction of annual fees. Now what rate would they be ? Perhaps Bt100,000. They are not going to be Bt5000 are they ? That could throw the whole mathematical argument out of line.

What would have been far far better was a card which provided some visa assistance at an annual cost of perhaps Bt50,000. It would in effect solve the annual visa problems for all of the under 50's without their having to fly here and there to fill out more and more paperwork. It would also raise a significant sum for the government. An alternative could have been a Bt500,000 lifetime card or perhaps the Bt50,000 a year option.

Hiking the price from Bt1m to Bt1.5m in January this year just makes it less viable if it ever was.

[sriracha john]

Is that definitive answer documented anywhere?

Yes. It is documented in the contract.

Could you please replicate it here? A link to an online corroboration or a scanned copy of a documented evidence that a refund is guaranteed if the program collapses. Thank you.

So the seller pays a 450,000 baht transfer fee and is selling a card which loses half its longevity (using the OP's age and life expectancy as an example. Is there much of a market for second-hand Elite Cards? In other words, how really viable is this option?

It does not seem unreasonable that there might be someone who would go for a 30 year Elite card for say a 50% discount. Possible reasons being a combination of value, risk, and age. For instance, someone 75 years old may not see the extra value in a lifetime vs 30 years. Example 2, someone below 50 may want something to get them a visa until they reach retirement visa age. Dunno, just thinking out loud here, but it seems plausible to me. It is an interesting feature of the card. Wonder if one has ever been bidded for on ebay for instance?

Ok, so if the original seller sells it for 750,000 baht... and out of that pays the 450,000 baht transfer fee, he's left with a 300,000 baht return on his original 1,500,000 baht purchase... hmmm... still, I suppose it is at least something.

It does, however, point up to some of the recent downgrading changes to the program, as previously, the transfer fee was much, much less.

I'd just add that out of all the Elite card threads posted on by all the various thousands of thaivisa memmbers, I've never seen mention of a single case of a card being bought or sold second-hand.

Edited January 16, 2008 by sriracha john

[torrenova]

I would have thought the 95% of card carriers who get theirs free would have some second hand trade to get something for nothing.

[tropo]

One point that seem sto be overlooked is their recent talk about the potential introduction of annual fees. Now what rate would they be ? Perhaps Bt100,000. They are not going to be Bt5000 are they ? That could throw the whole mathematical argument out of line.

What would have been far far better was a card which provided some visa assistance at an annual cost of perhaps Bt50,000. It would in effect solve the annual visa problems for all of the under 50's without their having to fly here and there to fill out more and more paperwork. It would also raise a significant sum for the government. An alternative could have been a Bt500,000 lifetime card or perhaps the Bt50,000 a year option.

Hiking the price from Bt1m to Bt1.5m in January this year just makes it less viable if it ever was.

The very least they should have done was allow the person with an Elite Card to stay without the hassle of having to get extensions every 90 days. How difficult would that have been? How "elite" would the holder of the card feel when lining up with all the ordinary visa runners holders down at the local Immigration Office every 90 days?

That would be a major reason to put me off buying one.

The card also doesn't allow the holder to have a dependent spouse to stay...unless of course he pays for 2 cards.

[cali]

Could you please replicate it here?

See attachment

[sriracha john]

Thank you very much for posting that.

I'm a bit curious about their refund. How do they calculate the "remaining membership fee" on something that is issued for a "lifetime."

Do they base it upon average life expectancy of the country of origin of the member?