Elite card holders - many Brits - spend 3,000 baht a day - company heading for profit as membership soars

[tlcwaterfall]

5 hours ago, RR2020 said:

Dont forget............. Elite visa do not need to spend 40K baht per year on "medical insurance" for visa renewal.

 

5 years times 40K = 200K baht...........so the real cost before was only 300K baht   (500K minus 200K).

 

Then take off time spent renewing the annual visa, flights and all that annual hassle...........

 

If you cannot afford 300K for a 5 year visa, you aint really the kind of person "they want" in Thailand............... simple is it not............

 

And if you have plenty of money and over 50.......you would get an O-X ten year visa (5+5).

 

Generally the people who complain over Elite Visa are the people who cannot afford an Elite or O-X visa.

 

In other words............its their money and they can do what they want........if you are jealous of that then your a sad person.

 

I believe the price is now 600k.  You may or may not agree that people have a choice how to spend their money. Not wishing to spend 600k on an Elite visa is a choice and does not make anyone a sad person!

[sambum]

6 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

It was in THB 555 million of debt just a few weeks ago. 

 

He works for TAT in his spare time!

[Yellowtail]

I think that is all you are using is the visa it seems very pricy, but if you are flying in and out of the country a lot and use the other services it does not look that bad.  

[jethro69]

5 hours ago, RR2020 said:

Dont forget............. Elite visa do not need to spend 40K baht per year on "medical insurance" for visa renewal.

 

5 years times 40K = 200K baht...........so the real cost before was only 300K baht   (500K minus 200K).

 

Then take off time spent renewing the annual visa, flights and all that annual hassle...........

 

If you cannot afford 300K for a 5 year visa, you aint really the kind of person "they want" in Thailand............... simple is it not............

 

And if you have plenty of money and over 50.......you would get an O-X ten year visa (5+5).

 

Generally the people who complain over Elite Visa are the people who cannot afford an Elite or O-X visa.

 

In other words............its their money and they can do what they want........if you are jealous of that then your a sad person.

 

I guess, the question asked should rather be: "Is Thailand (still) worth it, to visit after all ?"

Even if I had money to burn, I do not plan to spend that amount of time in Thailand in the future that would justify an Elite visa, or what else they might come up with.

[10baht]

7 hours ago, Pilotman said:

haha I didn't know that. 

Here is something else you may not know, to get a CEO with an 

 

7 hours ago, Pilotman said:

haha I didn't know that. 

Plus to get a COE elite visa holders have to get Dept. Of Foreign Affairs approval. It is done in batches and there are sometimes weeks of waiting and depending on where you are coming from may be "delayed" indefinitely.

[kg1947]

7 hours ago, Pilotman said:

haha I didn't know that. 

Correct --  90 day Reporting must be done .... but it is free of cost .

but .... does this price ( 600K ) include " Re-Entry Permit for 5 yrs "  ??

cost p/yr for Re-Entry Permit is  B 3,800.-

[Snig27]

8 hours ago, Pilotman said:

A crazy waste of money in my view. But I suppose that if it is the only way to get into the country, you could be forced to use this scam visa. The thought of throwing 600,000 Baht at these people every, what is it, 5 years, is laughable and to avoid 90day reports, which take me 10 minutes online every 3 months.  Now you can get one with an over priced, poorly built condo. Unbelievable. 

 

Sounds like you were turned down for one (and no, I don't have one).

[Snig27]

1 hour ago, Jimbo2014 said:

About 20,000 dollars for a few rub jobs, suffocating on a golf course in sweltering heat and pollution, a basic medical checkup and someone to hold your hand through immigration and bang you into a fancy cab.  Think Ill pass.

 

One suspects they passed on you. 

[Pilotman]

1 minute ago, Snig27 said:

 

Sounds like you were turned down for one (and no, I don't have one).

ha ha. i didn't apply because I don't waste money on useless unnecessary <deleted>

[Bigz]

8 hours ago, Pilotman said:

A crazy waste of money in my view. But I suppose that if it is the only way to get into the country, you could be forced to use this scam visa. The thought of throwing 600,000 Baht at these people every, what is it, 5 years, is laughable and to avoid 90day reports, which take me 10 minutes online every 3 months.  Now you can get one with an over priced, poorly built condo. Unbelievable.   

Absolutely not if you are a mid class millionaire/slightly above the average farang these days. One of the cheapest, most hassle free option around the world to get a residency in my view. Wish I could afford it.

[Pilotman]

Just now, Bigz said:

Absolutely not if you are a mid class millionaire/slightly above the average farang these days. One of the cheapest, most hassle free option around the world to get a residency in my view. Wish I could afford it.

then why would you want to live here

[Tropposurfer]

I got a 10 year one one ... its fantastic ???? But as they say; 'a fool and his money are easily parted' lol ???????????????????? Get all sorts of perks and free things????????????

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

3 hours ago, Antonymous said:

 

Har Har.

 

Pr's look down on the Elites

Elites look down on the Retirees

Retirees look down on the Married's

Married's look down on the Tourists

Tourists look down on the illegals

 

KNOW YOUR PLACE

 

Reminds me of that classic Two Ronnies sketch about the British class system

 

https://youtu.be/feSyuiH-90g

Don't forget us teachers, we're near the bottom of the list. A bunch of alcoholic losers who are absolutely nuts for taking the job.

[chilli42]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

He admitted that the company had burned 246 million baht.

What am I missing (genuine question).  If they are collecting 2million per member how do they lose this amount of money ... which I would bet is a lowball number.  What do they spend 246million on?

[simon43]

[quote]

Most of the new members have been Chinese businessmen spooked by the turmoil in Myanmar looking for a safe haven in Thailand. 

[/quote]

 

Huh?  The 'turmoil' in Myanmar only started last Monday....

[Bigz]

9 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

then why would you want to live here

You could ask the same question to about 99% of the foreigners in Thailand , who don't seem to be able to afford the elite visa. You don't necessarily have to give up your dreams if you are poor. All I'm saying that there are hardly any countries in the world where you can buy a 10 or 20 years residency for a couple of million bahts.

[JasonB]

8 hours ago, Pilotman said:

A crazy waste of money in my view. But I suppose that if it is the only way to get into the country, you could be forced to use this scam visa. The thought of throwing 600,000 Baht at these people every, what is it, 5 years, is laughable and to avoid 90day reports, which take me 10 minutes online every 3 months.  Now you can get one with an over priced, poorly built condo. Unbelievable.   

We are not all old and can get a retirement visa. And for some of us 600K-2 mill is really not a big deal. The TIN number that comes with it, saves me more per month than the actual cost of the visa. 
Have fun at cheap charlies and say hi to the other old broke chaps from me. 

[Burma Bill]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Most of the new members have been Chinese businessmen spooked by the turmoil in Myanmar looking for a safe haven in Thailand.

 

 Oh really!! I quote from Time.com 2 February 2021:-

 

"The winner is China, which will now become an ever-more important source of financial help as Western sanctions take a toll. As part of its Belt and Road infrastructure investment project, the two countries have already signed deals for construction of a China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, a project that will boost commerce for Myanmar while giving China land access via highway and rail to a strategically valuable deep-water Indian Ocean port on Myanmar’s west coast.

When Myanmar’s generals made their democracy deal a decade ago, they hoped to open the country to both Western and Chinese investment. Now that they’ve clawed back full power, they’ll depend almost exclusively on China. Beijing is happy to do business with anyone in power in Myanmar, but the Western retreat will be welcome news"

[Pilotman]

6 minutes ago, Bigz said:

You could ask the same question to about 99% of the foreigners in Thailand , who don't seem to be able to afford the elite visa. You don't necessarily have to give up your dreams if you are poor. All I'm saying that there are hardly any countries in the world where you can buy a 10 or 20 years residency for a couple of million bahts.

Its not about the cost.  I could pay the price of the Elite  visa many times over, but the reason I can do that, is that I have not wasted my money on useless products with no tangible benefits. That is the point.  Affordability is not the issue, at  least for me. 

[shackleton]

Weii thats some food for thought

A lot of the Thai Elite visas arrivals are Brits  plus spending 3000 baht a day

Usually reading how bad things are here and no doubt from a few Brits here on Thai Visa

Can't be that bad if they are willing to use Thai Elite To come here

 

[moe666]

7 hours ago, realfunster said:

Hmm. What kind of Chinese “businessmen” are now running from Myanmar to the Thailand Elite Program? If they are working for credible Chinese multi nationals, wouldn’t they just transfer to Thai WP with the Thai subsidiary or simply return home ?

Even that’s assuming that a military coup an installing an authoritarian government phases them in the slightest, given they are from the PRC.

Be careful who you are letting in...

 

Thai Elite press releases normally out-ridiculous even the TAT, so I will take all this with a large pinch of salt.

 

The chinese have been in Burma a long time and there are lots of individuals who are on their own with out company back up,just small time business folks.

[NeoDinosaw]

7 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

I have Permanent Residency. 

 

People with Elite Visas are oiks and peasants pretending to be be residents that we actual residents look down upon. 

I look down on people like you ????

[popabear]

4 minutes ago, Bigz said:

All I'm saying that there are hardly any countries in the world where you can buy a 10 or 20 years residency for a couple of million bahts.

Yes we know why ,, there are hardly any countries in the World, that make it so hard to get entry into like Thailand....Regards,,,,Popa

[Odisan]

Can't recall his name, but I remember last year the case of the chappie who was in this scheme for the last 4 or 5 years and then his money ran down. When he couldn't maintain this status, his visa was downgraded to a tourist visa and was out within 30-days (Covid-19 permitting). When you've got the money, you're in but don't let past results cloud future events. No money, no compassion. As long as 'you' understand that.

[mogandave]

1 hour ago, tlcwaterfall said:

I believe the price is now 600k.  You may or may not agree that people have a choice how to spend their money. Not wishing to spend 600k on an Elite visa is a choice and does not make anyone a sad person!

 

He didn’t say not wishing to spend 600k on an Elite visa made you a sad person, he said being jealous of someone that spent 600k on an Elite visa made one a sad person. 

 

Everyone does not have a choice. Only people that have enough disposable income to pay for it have a choice...

[Fairynuff]

9 hours ago, Pilotman said:

A crazy waste of money in my view. But I suppose that if it is the only way to get into the country, you could be forced to use this scam visa. The thought of throwing 600,000 Baht at these people every, what is it, 5 years, is laughable and to avoid 90day reports, which take me 10 minutes online every 3 months.  Now you can get one with an over priced, poorly built condo. Unbelievable.   

In your view......

[Fairynuff]

9 hours ago, canopus1969 said:

They still have to do the 90 day reporting

Elite visa or mot, the only 90 day reports I’ve ever done have been in the last 12 months. 

[mogandave]

17 minutes ago, JasonB said:

We are not all old and can get a retirement visa. And for some of us 600K-2 mill is really not a big deal. The TIN number that comes with it, saves me more per month than the actual cost of the visa. 
Have fun at cheap charlies and say hi to the other old broke chaps from me. 

 

How does the TIN number save you so much? 

[Fairynuff]

9 hours ago, Pilotman said:

haha I didn't know that. 

Amazed.... an admission there’s something you don’t know ????

[bermondburi]

25 minutes ago, Bigz said:

You could ask the same question to about 99% of the foreigners in Thailand , who don't seem to be able to afford the elite visa. You don't necessarily have to give up your dreams if you are poor. All I'm saying that there are hardly any countries in the world where you can buy a 10 or 20 years residency for a couple of million bahts.

I can think of 27.