Great English!!

Everybody I know with a New Elite card are flying to Vancouver Canada Sept 1 because the restrictions are gone for double vaccinated arrivals. They can enjoy the Okanagan Valley and going fishing on Vancouver Island.

A hell of a lot better then going to an ugly run down closed up rat, wire infested and   impoverished Phuket. Some places don't need Elite cards to get attention.  Including a swab test in the letter is a real winner. 

3 minutes ago, arick said:

Everybody I know with a New Elite card are flying to Vancouver Canada Sept 1 because the restrictions are gone for double vaccinated arrivals. They can enjoy the Okanagan Valley...

You sure about that?

"So, thank you three times".

I think a real opportunity exists for one agent to negotiate with the Immigration  Department to offer a full service for long term residents like retirees and those married to Thais. 
 

This would entail doing extensions with income statements and 90 day reports, residence notifications etc  as usual for say two or three years (with agent’s help)

 

After this qualifying period when the bona fides have been proved, the agent could do all the reporting, no need to prove income or residence to Immigration, just submit bank statements or residence changes to agent who does any notifications to Government including 90 day reports.

 

This would be via a proper functioning website and database, to which the Immigration Dept would have access for monitoring and audit purposes. 

There would be no need for people to visit Immigration offices routinely with thousands of photocopies  which would save the Department and applicants cost. 
 

I would be prepared to pay reasonable.fees say 5000 or 10000 baht per year for this service, a portion of which could go to Immigration to help cover their costs.

 

I appreciate that this may not appeal to the Immigration Dept staff who think they would lose jobs, but this could come from natural wastage and cessation of recruitment, or redeployment to enforcement activities.

 

This is fundamentally a privatization of the routine processes of Immigration like companies like VFS have done for passport renewals. As long as it is regularly and randomly audited, I think it could be effective.

 

Current agents would be subsumed into the business. 

Interested to hear if anyone thinks this could work in Thailand or if it’s just a pipe dream.
 

 

Classic Ray that sounds like what I do, only thing is I do need to prove residence once a year by way of giving my agent my lease agreement, I set foot in immigration once per year for about 2 minutes, I do need to visit the agent to give them my passport every 90 days, perhaps that could be done online, I've never asked, they are only a 5 minute drive away so no drama regardless.

3 hours ago, patongphil said:

Great English!!

My services are available!

High time to drop the price for retirees. B800k sounds about right.

Hmmmm...its too late baby

This also smacks of a post as if intended to make the elite card holder feel special when they are really offering next to nothing and offering no incentive to come here with that paltry initiative!

 

Back to the drawing board and sack the entire promotional team responsible for putting out this garbage.

 

Ever heard of giving nothing and trying your best to make it look like something substantial?

 

Not an original thought in their insincere heads

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 11, 20214 yr by Scouse123

5 hours ago, patongphil said:

Great English!!

It reads like a scam email. Free yacht also included.

Welcome back to amazing paradise. 

 

 

Getting, or got?

4 hours ago, Classic Ray said:

I think a real opportunity exists for one agent to negotiate with the Immigration  Department to offer a full service for long term residents like retirees and those married to Thais. 
 

This would entail doing extensions with income statements and 90 day reports, residence notifications etc  as usual for say two or three years (with agent’s help)

 

After this qualifying period when the bona fides have been proved, the agent could do all the reporting, no need to prove income or residence to Immigration, just submit bank statements or residence changes to agent who does any notifications to Government including 90 day reports.

 

This would be via a proper functioning website and database, to which the Immigration Dept would have access for monitoring and audit purposes. 

There would be no need for people to visit Immigration offices routinely with thousands of photocopies  which would save the Department and applicants cost. 
 

I would be prepared to pay reasonable.fees say 5000 or 10000 baht per year for this service, a portion of which could go to Immigration to help cover their costs.

 

I appreciate that this may not appeal to the Immigration Dept staff who think they would lose jobs, but this could come from natural wastage and cessation of recruitment, or redeployment to enforcement activities.

 

This is fundamentally a privatization of the routine processes of Immigration like companies like VFS have done for passport renewals. As long as it is regularly and randomly audited, I think it could be effective.

 

Current agents would be subsumed into the business. 

Interested to hear if anyone thinks this could work in Thailand or if it’s just a pipe dream.
 

 

Yes it actually does. I used Thai visa immigration service. I didn't have to go to immigration I simply posted my passport and I got my retirement visa extension and  they will do the 90 day reporting for me until my next extension due in one years time. Their fees are very reasonable and I can't possibly see any advantages of having an elite card ,

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Welcome back to amazing paradise. 

 

 

They got the 'amazing' part right........????

On 8/11/2021 at 10:43 AM, Scouse123 said:

This also smacks of a post as if intended to make the elite card holder feel special when they are really offering next to nothing and offering no incentive to come here with that paltry initiative!

 

Commonly referred to a steaming pile of polished turd.

On 8/11/2021 at 1:59 PM, PETERTHEEATER said:

They got the 'amazing' part right....

You'd have thought they'd have put all those desperate hungry thais to work rebuilding all the roads.

On 8/11/2021 at 1:21 PM, gamini said:

Yes it actually does. I used Thai visa immigration service. I didn't have to go to immigration I simply posted my passport and I got my retirement visa extension and  they will do the 90 day reporting for me until my next extension due in one years time. Their fees are very reasonable and I can't possibly see any advantages of having an elite card ,

Advantages include the following.

- No paperwork.

- No dealing with immigration.

- No Waiting

- No Smelling Sex-Pats 

- No mingling with Sex-Pats

- Car/Driver at airport (really convenient) -ergo you're not leaving your car there, or having to arrange/wait for transport.

- Lounges keeping you away from Sex-Pats, Kids on Gap Year etc

- Multiple Golf resorts rounds (more than i'll ever use).

- Spa treatments (multiple)

- when the neighbours try and brag about their work permits etc (i', here legally etc), its nice to say to them, ah shame, you should have done Elite you'd not have to deal with it every year.

I'm sure there's many more, to be frank though its peanuts compared to what i've paid for similar (citizenship, residential etc) elsewhere and serves a purpose, i've done "Investor Visa", " Marriage Visa", "Work Permit Visa", "Tourist Visa, all had their pro's and con's, Investor Visa was pretty good as it allowed freehold ownership with the amount i threw into the country, but I grew bored of the paperwork, and "immigration still treating you as second class", now i just go in (if i need to during the covid closure of the Elite Office who normally do everything for you) and i hand them the passport and that's an end to it, they do it and bring back to you.

 

Though its mainly because you have so many checks carried out, they don't have any suspicion when you are elite compared to others (interpol, europol, criminal, civil, bankruptcy, AML etc).

On 8/11/2021 at 6:12 AM, arick said:

Everybody I know with a New Elite card are flying to Vancouver Canada Sept 1 because the restrictions are gone for double vaccinated arrivals. They can enjoy the Okanagan Valley and going fishing on Vancouver Island.

A hell of a lot better then going to an ugly run down closed up rat, wire infested and   impoverished Phuket. Some places don't need Elite cards to get attention.  Including a swab test in the letter is a real winner. 

Oh my what a drama queen! 

On 8/11/2021 at 10:48 AM, fondue zoo said:

Free yacht also included.

But whose paying for the maintenance lol 

On 8/11/2021 at 6:16 AM, mikebike said:

You sure about that?

Still better then Phuket 

Just now, arick said:

Still better then Phuket 

Phuket and Samui is ok, the roads are empty and there's no waiting around.

 

Even Bangkok is more pleasant.

I have been there twice in the last 12 months nothing there. The only thing open was Makro 

15 minutes ago, arick said:

Still better then Phuket 

Really?

 

Evacuation Orders and/or Alerts have been issued in the following areas. For the most up-to-date information, check with your band office, municipality or local government.

Boothroyd Indian Band (Facebook)

Bridge River Indian Band (Evacuation Order; for Antoine Creek, Apple Spring & Terry Creek)

Bulkley-Nechako Regional District 

Cariboo Regional District

City of Vernon

Columbia Shuswap Regional District

Coldwater Indian Band (Evacuation Alert)

Cook’s Ferry Indian Band (Evacuation Order) (Facebook page)

Cowichan Valley Regional District

District of Logan Lake

Fraser Valley Regional District 

Nooaitch First Nation (Evacuation Alert)

Northern Rockies Regional Municipality

Okanagan Indian Band

Osoyoos Indian Band (Evacuation Alert)

Regional District of Central Kootenay

Regional District of East Kootenay

Regional District of Fraser-Fort George

Regional District of Kootenay Boundary

Regional District of North Okanagan

Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen

Regional District of Squamish-Lillooet

Shackan Indian Band (Evacuation Order) (Facebook page)

Skeetchestn Indian Band (Facebook page)

Thompson-Nicola Regional District

Village of Chase (Facebook)

Village of Lytton

 

Somehow I consider mass evacuations, while enduring all the same covid restrictions as Phuket, make the B.C. interior objectively worse than Phuket.

3 hours ago, arick said:

I have been there twice in the last 12 months nothing there. The only thing open was Makro 

Central has been open up until recently (back open), most other things are open except bars etc (i drink/eat in hotels/resorts/clubs mainly) so not really impacted, its been beneficial with the roads being so empty.

14 hours ago, Jenkins9039 said:

Phuket and Samui is ok, the roads are empty and there's no waiting around.

 

Even Bangkok is more pleasant.

 

14 hours ago, mikebike said:

Really?

 

Evacuation Orders and/or Alerts have been issued in the following areas. For the most up-to-date information, check with your band office, municipality or local government.

Boothroyd Indian Band (Facebook)

Bridge River Indian Band (Evacuation Order; for Antoine Creek, Apple Spring & Terry Creek)

Bulkley-Nechako Regional District 

Cariboo Regional District

City of Vernon

Columbia Shuswap Regional District

Coldwater Indian Band (Evacuation Alert)

Cook’s Ferry Indian Band (Evacuation Order) (Facebook page)

Cowichan Valley Regional District

District of Logan Lake

Fraser Valley Regional District 

Nooaitch First Nation (Evacuation Alert)

Northern Rockies Regional Municipality

Okanagan Indian Band

Osoyoos Indian Band (Evacuation Alert)

Regional District of Central Kootenay

Regional District of East Kootenay

Regional District of Fraser-Fort George

Regional District of Kootenay Boundary

Regional District of North Okanagan

Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen

Regional District of Squamish-Lillooet

Shackan Indian Band (Evacuation Order) (Facebook page)

Skeetchestn Indian Band (Facebook page)

Thompson-Nicola Regional District

Village of Chase (Facebook)

Village of Lytton

 

Somehow I consider mass evacuations, while enduring all the same covid restrictions as Phuket, make the B.C. interior objectively worse than Phuket.

Fresh burning pine and cedar trees smells better then rubbish burning in the street. Remember you can fit 3 Germmanies in the pronvince. I bet you never have been 

11 hours ago, Jenkins9039 said:

Central has been open up until recently (back open), most other things are open except bars etc (i drink/eat in hotels/resorts/clubs mainly) so not really impacted, its been beneficial with the roads being so empty.

Still one cop on a bike trying to fine people until he sees a Thai licence.. He still hasn't send me a ticket... 

On 8/11/2021 at 6:16 AM, mikebike said:

You sure about that?

Really jing jing  this is today Bella coola area 

need more than a free massage to lure me back.

 

i'll fly back when the <deleted> restrictions are gone. till then, I'm a 20 year elite member who is staying outside of Thailand and spending my cash elsewhere.