Not 50 Yet.

[sriracha john]

I don't ever recall seeing this FAQ before on their website:

Who can join Thailand Elite?

Thailand Elite is open by invitation from selected sources.

They must have been inundated with hundreds of thousands of requests to join and thus have had to cut back on their memberships.

To directly answer your question about reporting, I didn't see a specific answer listed on their site, only that you are exempt from having to leave the country every 90 days.

Perhaps best to get an answer straight from the horse's mouth:

For General Queries:

Thailand Privilege Card Co., Ltd.

Tel. 66 0 2353 4000

Edited December 13, 2007 by sriracha john

[sriracha john]

I do think I'd be remiss if I didn't forewarn our new Thaivisa member with what is facing the Card by referring her to a couple of relevant threads as means of caveat emptor ("Let the buyer beware").

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...=147096&hl=

Elite Card To Cut Benefits, Double Its Price, Distributor says it needs better sales strategy

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...c=97438&hl=

Elite Card Could Face Closure, Audit team investigates poor performance

[simon43]

Simon,

It wasn't you I was referring to, and I tend to enjoy reading your posts, and yes your sense of humour and wit is way above my head. I am not even close.

I think you are a lot closer than you say . . .

Simon

[simon43]

Amelia, although it sounds a great dream, especially if you have the financial means to implement it - if you isolate yourself in a remote Thai village then I'd give you 9 months before you go completely crazy!

Simon

[ameliaL]

Simon,

if you haven't figured it out yet, i am already completely crazy, hence the need for full isolation....lol...

amelia

[ameliaL]

Thanks SrirachaJohn for that info on elit card....

oh well.... i guess i am going to have to marry a thai man and support his whole village....

or..... ??? any other creative ideas out there on how to stay in thailand?

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

amelial

Have never lived in Panama. Spent time there about 14mo ago when we were trying to decide which we would prefer Panama or Thailand. There are a lot of trade offs between the two. Some partsa of Panama are considered unsafe. I never felt threatened or unsafe in Panama, nor have I in Thailand. I think it is mostly the area you choose to live in. But between the two I would pick Thailand as being the safest. Panama really does want people to retire there and have heaps of benefits and could not make it much easier to move there.

We were only there for a month so I am no authority on it. Like I said I found the people friendly and outgoing and you could find almost anything you could want in Panama City. Did not really find a place that felt like home. They do have bars on the windows which I feel is a bit of a turn off. In Thailand we ended up in Cha Am about 20 minutes from Hua Hin and really love it here. Very quiet nice beach lots of places to eat and a nice beach.

It was a tough decision between the two but for the most part I think we made the right decision. You can't have it all so you have to pick and choose what is the lifestyle you want. I suggest you take your time try out Thailand and if that dosen't do it for you give Panama a try. In the meantime you can continue researching both.

I must admit I envy you getting to retire at such a young age. I retired at 50 and my only regret is that I didn't do it sooner.

Good Luck in whatever you choose.

[ameliaL]

Hi Beentheredonethat,

thanks for that information. i was wondering, have you been to malaysia? is seems its easy to retire there in terms of visa but i keep getting conflicting information regarding safety. some say its very safe, some say its horrible with a lot of crime in KL and Penang and kidnappings happen frequently with violent crime out of control... i don't know who to believe about this. i haven't been to malaysia so i am wondering if it is worth visiting... and wondering how are the beaches there.... are they as nice as in thailand?

someone suggested Cambodia on this thread, but when i started doing research, i read that foreiners aren't really welcomed there....

Would you know anything about any of this stuff?

amelia

[BEENTHEREDONETHAT]

amelial

Have been to Malaysia but it was many years ago. My impression was it was not a very friendly place. And for a single woman living there it would be the pits as the Muslims have no respect for women. They do however make it easy to buy there. It would be way down on my list of places to retire to.

You can read up on what people think of Malaysia. Just do a Malaysia search in TV. You will get a lot of different opinions.

[LivinLOS]

If you really want to live on a Island and pretty much be by yourself you might consider Bocas del Toro in Panama. They definitely make it easyfor you too own land there and the people are quite friendly. The down side is you have to get around by boat as it is nothing but islands. The main island has a few roads and shops and there you would not need a boat. If for some reason Thailand dosen't work out it is worth investigating.

To Beentheredonethat,

i wanted to say that panama is on my list to visit. the only thing i dont like so far that i hear is that there is a good amount of crime in panama, alot worse then US is what i hear, house brake ins, ext. being single and alone, i dont want that kind of worry all the time. i wonder, have you lived there by chance? did you feel unsafe?

best regards,

amelia

Without having been there.. I would have to imagine that living alone on an island would change any overall perspective of possible break in / random violent crime..

[LivinLOS]

Amelia, although it sounds a great dream, especially if you have the financial means to implement it - if you isolate yourself in a remote Thai village then I'd give you 9 months before you go completely crazy!

Simon

I tried to say the same thing..

[percy2]

I do think I'd be remiss if I didn't forewarn our new Thaivisa member with what is facing the Card by referring her to a couple of relevant threads as means of caveat emptor ("Let the buyer beware").

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...=147096&hl=

Elite Card To Cut Benefits, Double Its Price, Distributor says it needs better sales strategy

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...c=97438&hl=

Elite Card Could Face Closure, Audit team investigates poor performance

It would also be remiss of you not to point out that you have posted 200 times regarding the Elite card , always negatively, for over 2 years and in that time your predictions of the demise of the scheme have yet to come to fruit.

Its interesting that the topic above that talks of the scheme closing down is 1 year old.

Amazing what perspective does.

Cheers

[sriracha john]

Interesting to talk in terms of mentioning 1 year and 2 year time frames for something that purportedly speaks of a Lifetime of benefits.

btw, are they nearing their goal of 1,000,000 cards yet? The Treasury could sure use that one trillion baht.

[sbk]

I do think I'd be remiss if I didn't forewarn our new Thaivisa member with what is facing the Card by referring her to a couple of relevant threads as means of caveat emptor ("Let the buyer beware").

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...=147096&hl=

Elite Card To Cut Benefits, Double Its Price, Distributor says it needs better sales strategy

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...c=97438&hl=

Elite Card Could Face Closure, Audit team investigates poor performance

It would also be remiss of you not to point out that you have posted 200 times regarding the Elite card , always negatively, for over 2 years and in that time your predictions of the demise of the scheme have yet to come to fruit.

Its interesting that the topic above that talks of the scheme closing down is 1 year old.

Amazing what perspective does.

Cheers

You've counted?

[Lite Beer]

Amelia, although it sounds a great dream, especially if you have the financial means to implement it - if you isolate yourself in a remote Thai village then I'd give you 9 months before you go completely crazy!

Simon

Nothing wrong with a remote Thai village, It suits me and a lot of other people. Maybe it would suit Amelia or maybe not. Up to her to try and decide.

[Andiamo]

amelial

Have been to Malaysia but it was many years ago. My impression was it was not a very friendly place. And for a single woman living there it would be the pits as the Muslims have no respect for women. They do however make it easy to buy there. It would be way down on my list of places to retire to.

You can read up on what people think of Malaysia. Just do a Malaysia search in TV. You will get a lot of different opinions.

Rather a sweeping statement BEENTHERE DONE THAT! Seriously........

Back on topic, as another poster mentioned, the Info you posted Amelia referred to Sabah which is East Malaysia on Borneo. I would imagine if you were to consider Malaysia you mightperhaps be thinking more of Peninsular Malaysia (or Western Malaysia as it is often referred to).

It seems that although you mention you do love Thailand, the real issue for you is with doing a Visa Run. As others have mentioned, it is relatively easy here to obtain a Non-Immigrant O or B from a friendly Consulate in your Home Country which is good for 15 months. (And No, not everyone whio has a Non-Imm Visa is ducking and diving - Jeez!)

Why tie you money up? - even if you have money, a million Baht is still better in your Bank account than someone else's methinks! Another consideration for you may also be would you have internet access on your island to report online? (If it's possible to do that here????)

I would also like to agree with LivinInLos' comments, IMO I find it a nice break to leave every three months and take a short trip to a nearby country. It is a great opportunity to see Laos, Shanghai, Macau etc etc and so cheap nowadays with the countless budget airlines. You can also stock up on things you cannot always get here in Thailand!! (Get additional inspiration for your painting ).

Perhaps if you look at Visa Trips as a different experience to travel in the region and to save giving one million baht to a scheme which doesn't seem to have very much credibility nowadays, rather than as a hardship...you may feel dfferently about things.

Best of luck with your decision Amelia!

Ciao

[Lite Beer]

Amelia . I don`t recall you saying what your home country is. There are a handful of Thai Consulates who will at the moment probably give you a Multi Non O Visa. Hull, Birmingham and Liverpool in the UK being the most obvious. This would give you up to 15 months in Thailand but would need the dreaded 3 monthly Visa runs. I know you have stated that you dont want to do this, but as stated by others it would give you a break from your remote Thai Village hideaway. These border runs are really not a problem and as said by others far more knowledgeable than I am, a better bet than an iffy subscription scheme.

[sfokevin]

Amelia . I don`t recall you saying what your home country is. There are a handful of Thai Consulates who will at the moment probably give you a Multi Non O Visa. Hull, Birmingham and Liverpool in the UK being the most obvious. This would give you up to 15 months in Thailand but would need the dreaded 3 monthly Visa runs. I know you have stated that you dont want to do this, but as stated by others it would give you a break from your remote Thai Village hideaway. These border runs are really not a problem and as said by others far more knowledgeable than I am, a better bet than an iffy subscription scheme.

And what are the suggestions for the "nicest" consuls in the USA

[moe666]

Give me one million baht a year //misunderstood line removed//

[jackr]

Amelia . I don`t recall you saying what your home country is. There are a handful of Thai Consulates who will at the moment probably give you a Multi Non O Visa. Hull, Birmingham and Liverpool in the UK being the most obvious. This would give you up to 15 months in Thailand but would need the dreaded 3 monthly Visa runs. I know you have stated that you dont want to do this, but as stated by others it would give you a break from your remote Thai Village hideaway. These border runs are really not a problem and as said by others far more knowledgeable than I am, a better bet than an iffy subscription scheme.

And what are the suggestions for the "nicest" consuls in the USA

Houston. Can apply by post

LA supposedly a pig.

[jfchandler]

Houston worked for me in mid 07 for a non-imm b, multiple entry visa... All done by mail.

But, I needed sponsorship documents from folks here in Thailand who do that.

My home was L.A., and never applied there. Was told they absolutely will not issue such visas.

--John

[ameliaL]

to Moe666.

//flame removed//

[Larryst]

ameliaL, I've read the thread and a few countries have been mentioned for you to consider. Have you thought about the Philippines. This one hasn't been mentioned yet. I've read that it's a little easier to stay there for a long period of time with there immigration.

[lopburi3]

Would like to advise all not to flame - in post that some find humor others may find something else. We should try to believe the positive rather than assume the negative.

[Firefan]

A few comments not cleared here:

1. both the 10M Baht and the 3M Baht visas are no longer issued (old ones grandfathered for extensions only)

2. The Thai Elite card is apparently going up to 1.5M Baht at new year

Like others I suggest to go for for a 1 year multiple entry o or b visa at a friendly consulate (not embassy) based on visiting friends/study culture/looking for biz oppurtunities which will cover the first 15 months with a few visa trips and follow that with a Thai Elite card should it exist at that time (which I believe it will).

Cheers!