Well heeled "Elite card" holders to "fly in on private jets from UK and Germany"

[webfact]

Well heeled "Elite card" holders to "fly in on private jets from UK and Germany"

 

Picture: Daily News

 

In a move that is bound to enrage people with legitimate reasons to be in Thailand but who are being locked out, the people who run Thailand's "Elite Card" have admitted that people are being allowed entry from the UK and Germany. 

 

Yesterday the UK, where much of the country is under increasing lockdown, reported nearly 19,000 new Covid-19 cases and in Germany the figure was well over 6,000. Thailand has the virus almost completely under control.

 

Retirees, property owners and people with loved ones have been contacting Thaivisa in droves to complain that they are unable to get back to Thailand. Many are in countries where the virus is more under control. 

 

They will see the Elite card holders' special privileges as a kick in the teeth even though many have invested heavily in Thailand themselves. 

 

While Elite card holders will say, we paid top dollar for this, why shouldn't we be allowed back.

 

Meanwhile the man who runs the scheme has made no bones about it - these people are wealthy, high spenders that the country needs.

 

It appears that the rest of those desperate to return will just have to suck it up. 

 

Somchai Soongsawang, manager of Thailand Privilege Card Co. Ltd, revealed that the CCSA, the country's covid committee, had given the green light for 500 more Elite card holders to return.

 

Fifty two have so far returned and have undergone or are undergoing state quarantine. 

 

Of the 500 Somchai  said that most were from Europe, particularly mentioning the UK and Germany.

 

He said that they would be entering the country on a continuing basis.

 

Many would fly in on their own private jets though others are on chartered and commercial airlines. 

 

As reported by Daily News, Somchai called on the Thai foreign ministry to speed up the issuing of Certificates of Entry to the Elite card holders. 

 

Thaivisa contacts in England have been told by the TAT there to essentially forget coming to Thailand as the infection rates are too high in the UK.

 

Somchai said that the 500 are loaded with money and willing to spend 80,000 to 100,000 baht on the 14 day state quarantine.

 

He said their spending power was $100 dollars a day. (The absurdity of this ridiculously low figure was not missed on Thaivisa, though we report it as is, suggesting it could have been a typo).

 

The latest stats from the end of September show that there are 11,132 Elite card holders. The scheme has generated 1.6 billion baht in revenue and applications this year are 26.7% up on last year. 

 

There are expected to be 2,500 new applications next year, roughly similar to 2020. 

 

Thaivisa is currently running a series about "The Stranded". 

 

While accepting that Elite card holders may have put down anything from 500,000 to 2 million for the privilege, some point to the fact that being locked out they cannot access similar large sums in Thai banks deposited for visas and multi-millions in investments in property especially condos. 

 

One told us that they could not even get a lawyer as a proxy to release their funds in Thailand and they are now desperate for money abroad.

 

For people like them this all smacks of injustice and a situation of them and us.

 

They are increasingly claiming that the Thai authorities are only interested in money, not legitimate humanitarian concerns.  

 

Source: Daily News

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-10-16

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[Thaiwrath]

12 minutes ago, webfact said:

They are increasingly claiming that the Thai authorities are only interested in money,

That has been the case since I first came in 1991, and will never change !

[Surelynot]

Both of them?

[Pottinger]

Yeah well, stuff 'em, I'm done with bad-tempered, ill-mannered extortion.

[2 is 1]

14 minutes ago, webfact said:

He said their spending power was $100 dollars a day.

 High Roller's! Where Thailand put all that money?

[spidermike007]

More nonsense, from the carnival crew. Fly in on their private jets? I would venture to guess there are less than 10 expats in Thailand, that have private jets. Why do I say that? 

 

Thailand just cannot attract higher end tourists and expats anymore. There are countless things the government could be doing, if they wanted to attract the high quality tourists, and rich ex-pats, and go for quality over quantity. Rich tourists like to spend money when they travel. And they cannot do that here, as they do not like getting taken for a ride. Most wealthy people are smart with their money. Thailand could be making a fortune on a 25% luxury tax. Instead of the 100% of more, which discourages most people from buying. How many people do you see in the luxury stores here? They are almost always completely empty. Inane. Beyond inane. The focus on quantity over quality will continue to erode the nation on countless levels. More is rarely better. It just lowers the quality of life for nearly everyone, creates more congestion, more smog, more traffic, longer lines at immigration, and makes life difficult, especially in the big cities.

 

Quantity over quality is never a good thing, unless you are selling one dollar items at a swap meet. It just lowers the quality of the experience for all.

 

These issues and problems were becoming apparent long before Covid. And none were being addressed. That is part of my point. Tourism had been declining for years already. The numbers were up. But the quality of tourist was way down. And according to everyone I spoke to last year, the year before and the year before that, income was way, way down. So, this blame it all on Covid scenario is somewhat disengenuous. Sure, Covid is huge. And the drop now is stunning. But, my point is there were plenty of issues prior to Covid. 
 

[John Drake]

24 minutes ago, webfact said:

Of the 500 Somchai  said that most were from Europe, particularly mentioning the UK and Germany.

I'm happy to see that no Americans were dumb enough to fall for this.

[WhatsNext]

On the subject of being locked out of your bank in Thailand : Don't these incredible high rollers with private jets coming out of their ears, have a thai debit/credit card like i have that you can use worldwide to withdraw money and pay for purchases ?

Not to mention your banking app and deemoney to transfer from thailand to European countries.... 

 

Sorry no time to type more, i am going from my home in Hua Hin to the beach in my private helicopter to spend my 300 baht per day.

[Mr Meeseeks]

9 minutes ago, WhatsNext said:

my home in Hua Hin to the beach in my private helicopter to spend my 300 baht per day.

I know that is a lie as private helicopter ownership is illegal in Thailand. 

[Misterwhisper]

Even a 1,000 "well-healed Elite Card holder" arriving on private planes are not going to save this country's tourism sector. When will this finally sink in? What IS the pathologically obsessive fascination of the local tourism authorities with the super wealthy and the role they're allegedly playing in the larger picture of things?

 

Those millionaires are going to stay at super-luxurious hotels and resorts, either owned by a handful of local obscenely rich families or large international chains. So... the only hospitality operators that potentially can benefit from those foreign Elite Card tourists are exactly the ones who are in the LEAST URGENT need  of "being saved" as they have plenty of financial reserves to tide them over.

 

Meanwhile, hundreds if not thousands of smaller, less outrageously priced and less luxuriously appointed hotels are going bankrupt. I am not talking about bottom-end backpacker accommodations but comfortable, clean hotels and resorts run by middle-income families and SMEs. And once these places have called it a day, it's going to be the end of the line for Thailand's tourism sector because even the much touted domestic tourism ultimately is but a drop in the bucket.

 

I don't even want to dwell on Mr. Somchai's comment that Elite Card holders' supposed "spending power was $100 dollars a day." It OUGHT to be a misprint. Because if he really mentioned that figure, the man is a twit.

[ChouDoufu]

43 minutes ago, webfact said:

One told us that they could not even get a lawyer as a proxy to release their funds in Thailand and they are now desperate for money abroad.

that doesn't sound well-heeled to me.

the logic is............amazing.

 

just who are these ueber-rich with private jets that are in dire straits because they cannot access a measly million thai baht?

 

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

$100

 

Reminds me of the first time I went to Cambodia overland in 1998. A Thai business colleague in Bangkok told me that $100 was enough for a 3-day trip there as it was so cheap so I took about $150 in THB cash and left the rest. I had a bank card too in case I got into an emergency, thinking that would get me out of trouble easily.

 

Well, when I arrived in Siem Reap the $150 didn't last too long what with drinks, food, souvenirs, motorbikes, beggars, tour guides and $60 3-day ticket pass to the Angkor temples and 24 hours later I was needing more. 

 

Problem is back then there were no ATM machines at all, not a single one, in fact there were hardly any tarmac or concrete roads outside of Phnom Penh either! Siem Reap was all dirt tracks with the exception of a single, short road in the city centre.

 

Luckily I found an agent that could do visa money transfer and using my card and paying an extortionate fee I managed to get more.

 

Judging by the amount of backpackers there at that time, I suppose I would have been regarded as well-heeled. 

[Logosone]

Quote

Yesterday the UK, where much of the country is under increasing lockdown, reported nearly 19,000 new Covid-19 cases and in Germany the figure was well over 6,000. Thailand has the virus almost completely under control.

Either you have something "completely under control" or you do not. You can't have something "almost completely under control".

 

Thailand certainly does not have the virus "under control". No country on earth can control this virus. Certainly not the UK, Italy or Spain with extreme lockdowns.

 

In Thailand we have seen excess deaths of 2800 to 8200, more or less the same figure of covid deaths as in Germany.

 

The virus has just not exploded in Thailand and Germany, but for some reason it has in the UK. 

 

You can't say Thailand has the virus "completely under control". That's a nonsense. A second wave may yet prove devastating in Thailand.

[steven100]

more hogwash saying the rich are coming .....  ' Many would fly in on their own private jets '

absolute nonsense ......  imo

' He said their spending power was $100 dollars a day. '  

[Matzzon]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

He said their spending power was $100 dollars a day.

Yes, there will be droves of such rich guys that are arriving in their own jets. 

 

Just wondering. Does anyone know when the next mental health check-up for this guy is due?

[Misterwhisper]

14 minutes ago, johng said:

I have a clue but.....????

anyway what happened to the 7 Chinese Billionaires that where flying in on their private jet for a "short stay"

never did get to hear about if they arrived and how they avoided 14 days  quarantine.

 

 

Their inexperienced pilot took a wrong turn over Laos and delivered them to Mauritius. They reportedly like it there.  

[madmen]

21 minutes ago, Misterwhisper said:

Even a 1,000 "well-healed Elite Card holder" arriving on private planes are not going to save this country's tourism sector. When will this finally sink in? What IS the pathologically obsessive fascination of the local tourism authorities with the super wealthy and the role they're allegedly playing in the larger picture of things?

 

Those millionaires are going to stay at super-luxurious hotels and resorts, either owned by a handful of local obscenely rich families or large international chains. So... the only hospitality operators that potentially can benefit from those foreign Elite Card tourists are exactly the ones who are in the LEAST URGENT need  of "being saved" as they have plenty of financial reserves to tide them over.

 

Meanwhile, hundreds if not thousands of smaller, less outrageously priced and less luxuriously appointed hotels are going bankrupt. I am not talking about bottom-end backpacker accommodations but comfortable, clean hotels and resorts run by middle-income families and SMEs. And once these places have called it a day, it's going to be the end of the line for Thailand's tourism sector because even the much touted domestic tourism ultimately is but a drop in the bucket.

 

I don't even want to dwell on Mr. Somchai's comment that Elite Card holders' supposed "spending power was $100 dollars a day." It OUGHT to be a misprint. Because if he really mentioned that figure, the man is a twit.

Those big luxury chains employ a LOT of people that t care for their extended families as well. What's wrong with that? 

[Rimmer]

Some troll posts have been removed

[ezzra]

So they gave up on the Chinese and now they're after the "well heeled" European, they should try to bring "well tanned" people from Africa next, or "well furred" from Antarctica, and the list of potential customer is endless...

[Misterwhisper]

14 minutes ago, madmen said:

Those big luxury chains employ a LOT of people that t care for their extended families as well. What's wrong with that? 

You are missing the point.

[actonion]

First it was China, now U.K., & Germany, looks like we're going around the world before the truth happens

[yang123]

22 minutes ago, Logosone said:

In Thailand we have seen excess deaths of 2800 to 8200, more or less the same figure of covid deaths as in Germany.

Source?

[holy cow cm]

The airport fees alone will help rebuild Suvarnabhumi to its glorious AOT income days lining the pockets creating huge personal smiles. So why are they discriminating against the super rich who would come in their yachts, submarines or air balloons? I just find this whole charade atrocious.

[jollyhangmon]

3 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

I know that is a lie as private helicopter ownership is illegal in Thailand. 

 

... darn, that's how you found out, Sherlock ...?  

[Seismic]

4 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

That has been the case since I first came in 1991, and will never change !

1980 for me, and I agree.

[TheFishman1]

I tried to make a new post but I can’t do it for some reason I’m just asking why on TV the sensors are blocking out the students were protesting in Bangkok

[miamiman123]

Maybe that Ferrari driver is amongst them?

hehehe

[davidmann]

4 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

That has been the case since I first came in 1991, and will never change !

why. go to thailand if you have a lot money. ,south France quite nice. ,what about many other places in the world with fine beaches /mountains /clean air ,if you after female company thats everywhere. ,only difference  is the price

[Oldie]

I was wondering already because I know a farang who is in quarantine in Bangkok at the moment (he has no private plane). He normally stays in Pattaya. But there was nothing in the news that European foreigners are arriving already. And this from high risk areas. 

 

Here a quarantine plan of a hotel 

 

[phantomfiddler]

3 hours ago, Logosone said:

Either you have something "completely under control" or you do not. You can't have something "almost completely under control".

 

Thailand certainly does not have the virus "under control". No country on earth can control this virus. Certainly not the UK, Italy or Spain with extreme lockdowns.

 

In Thailand we have seen excess deaths of 2800 to 8200, more or less the same figure of covid deaths as in Germany.

 

The virus has just not exploded in Thailand and Germany, but for some reason it has in the UK. 

 

You can't say Thailand has the virus "completely under control". That's a nonsense. A second wave may yet prove devastating in Thailand.

Devastating only as far as the restrictions are concerned. I find it difficult to understand why the general population cannot understand the relative severity of this situation. To date 59 people have supposedly died. That is 0.00008% of the population. The Black Plague took out 50% of Europe, which has a severity factor of 1  :  650,000 !! Around 10,000 people have died in Bangkok alone this year just from pollution ! Over three hundred times as many people have been killed on Thailand,s roads this year as have succumbed (supposedly) to this virus !  Yet show a picture on the telly of someone getting buried and everyone goes mental.  In reality what has happened is that it has fallen out of fashion to die of old age. Apparently there have been no deaths due to natural causes since March this year ????