gerry1011

they are simply not capable of learning from the repeated mistakes. The Thai ethos appears to be if you don't success the first-time in scamming people simply re-vamp it. <deleted>!

They have learned two things: how to scam people. That a fool and his money are quickly parted.

After more than 200 posts I finally succeeded to start a nice conversation with jbrain... Without you guys coming up with "words".

Could not last, of course

Thanks for bringing "fool" again, it brings back the conversation where you like it to be.

Go on, go on

Wow... A post with a smile and no critic !

If we continue like that we might even become friends.

Uhm... Naaaaaa, that would be too much to ask.

Or... Well maybe. There must be at least "some" nice people in both groups.

At the end being a member of Thailand Elite or not might not be relevant at all...

Gerry, I try to explain this to you.

This is an anonymous forum, where I don't know who you are you don't know me, so how can I hate you or other members.

The definition of a forum is to share opinions, and of course defend the reasoning behind those opinions.

When we are talking about the Elite card, I have always said that with the privileges it was initially started up it could have been of value. However I have to add that the privileges like the land ownership were not legal from the start and he who started this venture should have researched this before he introduced the card. We all know that the one who introduced the card his only concern was to make a name and even more to line his own pockets, hence the fact probably that the fees had to be paid in a Singaporean bank instead of a Thai bank. Legallity was and has always been until today the least of his concerns.

So don't think I hold a grudge against you because you bought into this scam, as I only give my opinion about the Elite card scam scheme and not about you as a person, and as you said we even could become friends and maybe have some lunch, dinner and drinks together.

Of course I expect bills would be on you as you have made it clear that you have some more money available to waste

The bill would be on me, of course. My pleasure (but not on the wedding day of the other poster I already agreed to go, ok?)

Wow... A post with a smile and no critic !

If we continue like that we might even become friends.

Uhm... Naaaaaa, that would be too much to ask.

Or... Well maybe. There must be at least "some" nice people in both groups.

At the end being a member of Thailand Elite or not might not be relevant at all...

Yeah that's bad.

Looks like the haters are gone too...

How strange...

I feel like the posters (haters as well as members) are getting short of arguments.

What should we do to revive a bit this nice conversation?

Amazing that a thread about a card affecting (according to the real expert on the subject here, Khun Jbrain) less than 200 foreigners, can create more than 10k views and 200+ replies!

The sad thing is, whenever this topic pops up, it is the same posters saying exactly, what they said last time the card was in the news!

@ MikeO. If you really worried about the Thai taxpayers money, you should start posting about the rice-scam, the watermanagement plan, the 2+trillion infrastructureplan.

Whatever money the government are using/wasting here is peanuts!

Indeed it are always the same posters popping op in these threads saying exactly the same. Their names are Wordchild, Gerry1011 and Soi41. Recently the latter one however has admitted in post #170 that he actually realises that it is a waste of money and he wouldn't consider it again after he found out he was scammed.

The named Khun Jbrain has also provided him on his request with a few clear links from the Elite card scam regarding claims he insisted were incorrect, after which Khun Soi41 went remarkably silent.

Even Wordchild has ceased a bit on defending the Elite card leaving only Gerry1011 as he actually doesn't get his head around the fact that he could have spent the money on better things.

As for Mikeoboe57 and the numerous other taxpayer scams this government transforms out of their sleeve, I see him comment on these also on a frequent base, in their respective threads of course as they are not directly related to the Elite card. Those scams are same same but different.

Thanks for being concerned.

I still have money over. Please be welcome to tell me on which "better" things I can use it.

Thanks for your help. Really appreciated.

Time for a poll...........how many people responding to this topic can afford the Elite Card?

Maybe that's the true cause of the bitterness against it. You would love the 7 series beamer picking you up and access to all the benefits, including the most important one the "Special Assistance" line.

The people that will go for this will regard it as small change, these are the same guys that are spending $10,000 a year on golf club memberships and the like, first class air travel at $10K a pop, you get the idea.

I don't think they'll be one bit concerned about the thoughts of the average Thaivisa member.

The wealthy people and Thailand Elite members indeed are certainly not one bit concerned by the thoughts of the average Thaivisa members.

But I must admit that as a Thailand Elite member I always look forward to these new threads about the card.

I find reading the posts related to Thailand Elite entertaining and better than going to the cinema.

The envy, the bitterness, the hate and the frustration of some posters is just amazing. The way they twist and distort the subject is really interesting.

It's also funny to see how the two groups use different wording in their posts.

I don't remember a Thailand Elite member using denigrating words when writing about the ones who cannot afford the card. On the other side, the "will never be members" systematically use "words" to qualify the wealthy ones and the Thailand Elite members. It shows a lot about their level of bitterness and I am quite happy that I only meet these guys through a forum.

But, as I said, I still enjoy such people's company in a thread about Thailand Elite

And, to the great disappointment of the Thailand Elite haters, this subject is coming back all the time since the program is still going on and on and on... To the satisfaction of the members

Personally, I come to read this thread just to "play around".

Behind my Thailand Elite membership there is in fact nice and interesting story to tell, ... But useless to tell on this forum.

So, lets keep going !!!

I love Thailand Elite

That would maybe upgrade the level of the people coming to retire in Thailand.

Good idea...

I could not do it myself, I am too young to qualify for a retirement visa.

Ah, finally we get there. The point of the Elite card holders is that they consider themselves above others

Come on jbrain, continue your interesting reasoning. We love you

Please, do not come already with conclusions. You will make this thread stop too soon.

Help

The "will never members" already consider the Thailand Elite members as "suckers", "idiots", most probably "jerks" too, ... and "considering themselves above others"... That can't be all!

Please keep this thread alive. You can certainly find something more. You seem to have enough time for that.

Please go on !!!

Wonder how long until the annual fee is 40k 60k 100k!!

When I once gave my opinion to managers of Thailand Elite, I told them that there should be an annual fee and that the annual fee should be 100k... A fee that I would have been happy to pay.

why would you be happy to pay 100k a year when you do not have to?

Do you have THAT much money that you just want to give it away?

If yes.. i'm getting married next year .. do you want to come to the wedding

On my latest retirement visa renewal I also suggested that the fee should be 20.000 instead of 1900

That would maybe upgrade the level of the people coming to retire in Thailand.

Good idea...

I could not do it myself, I am too young to qualify for a retirement visa.

Wonder how long until the annual fee is 40k 60k 100k!!

When I once gave my opinion to managers of Thailand Elite, I told them that there should be an annual fee and that the annual fee should be 100k... A fee that I would have been happy to pay.

why would you be happy to pay 100k a year when you do not have to?

Do you have THAT much money that you just want to give it away?

If yes.. i'm getting married next year .. do you want to come to the wedding

To your wedding?

Yes, why not. Thailand Elite members can be nice people too, believe me

Wonder how long until the annual fee is 40k 60k 100k!!

When I once gave my opinion to managers of Thailand Elite, I told them that there should be an annual fee and that the annual fee should be 100k... A fee that I would have been happy to pay.

One million for a convenient visa?

In the early days some saw this as a bargain !

Two million nowadays?... still is a good deal for an even more convenient visa.

Well it depends on your perspective, of course...

It's only 1/20th of the price of the latest Lamborghini, but about 30.000 times the price of a beer.

It's only 1/100th of what you would pay for an 85 foot yacht, but around 40 times the price of a motorcycle.

It's only 8 times the price of a first class return ticket to Europe, but around 60 times the price of an economy ticket.

It's only twice the price of the latest Bulgari Octo watch, but 1000 times the price of a cheap watch.

You could still wear a cheap watch and be a member of Thailand Elite, of course. Let's be open minded and welcome everyone in the club

I seem to recall that a lot of the fuss last time was that people bought the card and were subsequently refused a visa. It seems that there are (or were) a lot of conditions attached to the 5 year visa beyond merely buying into the scheme.

I can just imagine the consulate/embassy saying "Sorry Mr, you not understand" when applying for the visa.

Your recalling "a lot of fuss" is simply not correct! No additional conditions whatsoever. The 5 year visas are issued by immigration in Thailand and not by any consulate/embassy abroad.

I know this is a "hate the rich" thread, but at least get your facts straight!

You must be short of memory

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/555486-thailand-elite-card-tat-hopes-to-present-revamped-project-to-cabinet-by-end-of-may/?p=5773405

There was even a time period they were unable to issue new visas to those that needed them and members were told to get tourist visas.

What I don't understand is, You have not got the card, you dont want the card, you dont like the card. Fair enough ......

Why even reply to this thread to only stir people up ?

Oh is this a thread open for Elite card members only, I wasn't aware of that.Why not ask for a private forum?

The reason I posted is that Soi 41 posted that there NEVER was a period that NO visa's were issued to Elite card members. He even admitted it on the open forum at that time, but the post is removed.

I only posted a post FROM an Elite card member ( Bamboo2) who posted that there was a period that NO visa's were issued.

But the truth seemingly hurts, isn't it?

You are right. There has been a short moment when the renewal of the visa was a bit unsure.

But that was under the Democrat administration. Apparently the Democrats did not agree with the idea of having wealthy foreigners come to Thailand. So, they wanted to close the program to make space for backpackers and families. Or maybe it was just to upset Thaksin, not sure. I don't think that the reason was to make the Thaivisa members happy, but who knows...

Anyway, don't worry! The Democrats are gone now. The program is safe. It will never happen again. And the Elite members are happy... and I am sure that this good news fills your heart with happiness for them too, right?

Hi guys

Have fun again with the Thailand Elite subject?

As some know, I am a member of Thailand Elite since the beginning and... I find it just great.

Now with the new 1year per stay rule it will be even better

I love Thailand Elite

If the people drink Budweiser in other countries it could be in part for the "America in a bottle" experience, more than its taste. But is it such a bad beer? I don't think so. I even drink some myself. And I am not American...

I do not pretend to be a beer expert. I like what I like and that is about it, but to me going on about how "terrible" Budweiser is, is just fashion. It is the same as saying that Starbucks coffee is "terrible". I do not think that Budweiser is especially good or especially bad and I would put Starbucks coffee in the same category. However, Starbucks is overpriced and so is Budweiser beer in Thailand. I can get behind that.

I agree with you that for many people it seems fashionable to say "how bad Budweiser is", while in fact (I believe) that there is nothing wrong with its taste.

Budweiser is an iconic multi-billion dollar brand. If I was American I would be proud to drink it.

I like to say that there is a beer for every moment. Corona at the beach, Budweiser at a party with friends, Stella early evening, Hoegaarden with a sea food dinner, Leffe with connoisseurs, etc...

Budweiser and other imported beers are overpriced in Thailand because of the taxes. But in some supermarkets in Bangkok you can buy it at around 60b a can (not sure the exact price). This is because ABI is testing the market at the moment with promotions.

But once ASEAN becomes reality and the borders open, then foreign beers will be available at a normal price. All the big brewers own breweries in the area, they just wait for the right moment...

The OP must have known he'd be slammed for requesting Budweiser in Thailand. (Maybe it's a troll post.) Or perhaps he's just realizing now that Anheuser-Busch, Miller, and Coors products (the big 3 in US brewing) are thought internationally to be some of the most insipid beers ever made. I was in Friendship supermarket earlier in the week and noticed a decent selection of European brews, including a few from Belgium -- a country that has great respect for brewing and IMHO probably the most consistently good beer in the world. Get away from that mega-mass produced US swill and treat your taste buds to some real suds.

Budweiser is kind of belgian now.

Anheuser-Busch was acquired by belgian brewer InBev in 2008...

No kidding! They must have felt that Bud in its US form was a travesty to beer, so maybe they bought Anheuser-Busch hoping to slowly change their formulas until (unknowingly) people in the US were actually drinking real beer.

Of course, not all US beer is bad and many micro-breweries have opened, but according to a documentary I saw ("Beer Wars", I believe) Anheuser-Busch controls about 1/2 the US market and is extremely aggressive in eliminating the competition, often by simply buying the other brand then either dropping it or mass-producing it in their huge factories. Of course, what was once a nicely crafted brew made in smallish batches (take Rolling Rock, for example) becomes noticeably plainer and closer to the insipid swill they've been making for years. What was also interesting is how many formats Bud is sold in, utilizing different size containers and different quantities of bottles or cans. What this does is allow them to create the equivalent of a huge billboard right in the grocery store.

Hopefully, the US brewing scene will see more of these good micro-breweries getting a foothold. I was working in Houston, Texas for about 1/2 a year on a project and attended a beer festival that featured products from all the surrounding little breweries. There was truly some wonderful beer to be had, so of course, Americans know how to make good beer -- they just have to resist the hard-ball marketing of the big 3, especially Anheuser-Busch, which doesn't play nicely, at all.

It difficult to compare beers coming from micro breweries with mass productions beers.

I think that both types have their place on the market.

The best selling beer in the US is Bud Light, followed by Budweiser. So, it cannot be that bad.

A mass producer like AB-InBev brews every type of beers, be it Budweiser or Corona (being fully acquired now) but also premium beers like Stella Artois and high quality super premium brands like Leffe...

Mass producer can make a great brand global and accessible to many people around the world. That is the good side of the big brewers.

A bad beer would be difficult to sell. So, in my opinion, if the people buy Bud light and Budweiser so much it means they like the product.

Since the acquisition of A-B by InBev the Budweiser brand is expanding worldwide.

If the people drink Budweiser in other countries it could be in part for the "America in a bottle" experience, more than its taste. But is it such a bad beer? I don't think so. I even drink some myself. And I am not American...

It is kind of funny to see somebody looking for Bud but I saw something recently about Budweiser getting a foothold in Europe. Is that true?

The real Budweiser is a Czech beer and is sold already for many years in Europe, at least in Germany. Concerning the quality, let me express it like this: the Czech Budweiser is served in heaven, the US Bud is for the sinners in the HELL.

Believe me, I am not trying to argue with you. But after so many years hearing about the Czech's Bud(var), I finally tasted one (in Hong Kong).

It is certainly a question of taste... But in this case I could not finish my glass. I quickly switched to a Hoegaarden (there was no Budweiser).

The OP must have known he'd be slammed for requesting Budweiser in Thailand. (Maybe it's a troll post.) Or perhaps he's just realizing now that Anheuser-Busch, Miller, and Coors products (the big 3 in US brewing) are thought internationally to be some of the most insipid beers ever made. I was in Friendship supermarket earlier in the week and noticed a decent selection of European brews, including a few from Belgium -- a country that has great respect for brewing and IMHO probably the most consistently good beer in the world. Get away from that mega-mass produced US swill and treat your taste buds to some real suds.

Budweiser is kind of belgian now.

Anheuser-Busch was acquired by belgian brewer InBev in 2008...

Lamborghinis have no place in Thai society as it is today. Ridiculous.

A few ridiculous cars at the end of a pleasure trip in the north... Quite nice.

A lot of these luxury cars are delivered up north cause they go straight over the boarders to the cartel owners in the golden triangle. Not people I'd like to upset.

If you had an occasion to meet the owners of these cars you would (maybe) change your mind. They are actually very nice people... even in the Golden Triangle.

I wonder if this forum would not be much nicer without the Thaksin haters who polute threads that, often, are not even related to him.

Whatever topic is started, some obsessed TV members feel the need to come again (and again) (and again) (...) with the same allusions or nasty comments about the same names, systematically putting the blame of whatever is happening in Thailand on Thaksin (or Charlerm, Yingluck, the reds, the PT government ...).

Not only boring, I find these guys rather depressing...
Do they dream about Thaksin (or his sister) every night?
How comes some farangs became so obsessed by Thai politics? To the point that they can't resist the urge to repeatedly come up with a reply inspired only by their hate for only one man...
Maybe this obsession comes from the fact that their opinion counts for nothing in a country for which they mean nothing... The only place to ventilate their frustration must be this forum.
Well, on the bright side it does bring a lot of traffic on this website...

Personally I would pay a premium to have a section that was kid free.I'd also pay for a quiet zone, trains have them why not planes.

The idea is good but you got it the wrong way around. I dont see why I should pay extra not to have to suffer from other people's inability to comport themselves correctly.

People with children should pay a large supplement to be in an obligatory section of their own because of the inconvenience that they cause others. This may discourage them from travelling altogether which would suit me fine. The same system could be applied to any nuisance passenger.

I also agree. I already pay a big premium to fly at the (very) front of the aircraft. Not sure I want to pay even more just to be sure that no kids are around. Would prefer the parents to pay..

Last long haul (Thai) flight I took was horrible. A (french) father on one seat with his two (!) young kids on 1 seat (!!!) ... In first class.

The father should have been sedated too, since he was speaking so loudly to his turbulent kids, like if they were alone in an empty house. The kids were not watching a movie quietly, of course, they were jumping around...

They disturbed the entire cabin till the crew (after i complained i could not sleep) sent one of the kids back to the mother... who had a seat in the back on the plane (!).

Even so the father and the remaining kid were still as loud and disturbing everyone, till I went (very diplomatically) to make him understand that it would be nice for other passengers if they could keep their voice down and let everyone sleep.

I don't know what these kinds of people are thinking. It's a question of education I guess.

On top of that I heard from the crew that they were transferred and upgraded from another flight. What a nice present for the rest of the paying passengers.

Sedate would avoid anyone to strangle them.

Pig face, money hungry piece of motherF*******ng piece of pig face will be doing anything to get his 110% paycut by all means,

Not only is he the master of white lying, but the government dog if the man in Dubai...

Cool down. Take a deep breath. Go out and enjoy the day... Your vulgarity spoiled my breakfast.

The silly part of this is you can insult the current PM by telling the truth, and it's still defamatory.

It's very true. Truth is sometimes taken as an insult, some people really can't swallow the truth. I don't understand why !?!?!?

It's like if someone said that most farangs in Thailand are cheap losers who could not achieve anything in their country, ended up here in order to better survive, continuously rant about the high price of the local beer, and the people, and everything else, while thinking of themselves as they belong to the upper class, because their modest revenue allows them to still find a young girl to save their self esteem and put at least a little bit of joy in their depressing empty lives...

I am sure that some people would take this as an insult.

Not that I personally would say that, of course.

I would not even say what was said about the PM.

It's a question of education... Everybody deserves respect. The cheap charlie as much as the PM. But many people like to speak, read or write the truth apparently. At least "their truth"...

I am going to sue you.

I am innocent !!!

The silly part of this is you can insult the current PM by telling the truth, and it's still defamatory.

It's very true. Truth is sometimes taken as an insult, some people really can't swallow the truth. I don't understand why !?!?!?

It's like if someone said that most farangs in Thailand

"most farangs" is where your simile registers a FAIL, when compared to accurate post you quote and your first sentence.

Colorful rant, though.

I knew you would like it