Will you buy the 1 million baht vip card?

[Thetyim]

I will definitely, definitely buy a VIP card.

But only if it is 100 baht from Khao San Road

[DaveYo]

Hey everybody, listen up.   This 1 Million Baht card is for Millionaires and Billionaires.   It has nothing to do with the ordinary Thai people and the ordinary public from abroad.  Their requirements are quite specific, you need to have a Million Dollars in a bank account to start and you need to accumulate a million yearly minimum as the other requirement.  MEANING USA DOLLARS.  The TAT person even wanted the Diplomats to promote this card and give them 15% commission on the sales, and that means 15% per card SOLD, which is 150K USA Dollars PER CARD to the Diplomats.  The PM wants to find a way to generate 1 Trillion out of this deal.  Now translate that into BAHT.  Holy Glory be.  Who gets rich out of this new Scheme!   Like I said, they are looking to legally ROB the already Richie Rich.  The Thai Government wants to sell 1 Million of these cards.  This translates to a cool 1 Trillion, minus the payoffs to the Diplomats.

Be advised I will not want to even support this venture or even get this dummy of a card, even if I had such money in my piggy bank.  Why give it to the Thai Government.   Read up on the recent announcement on this, because they just had their meeting and many Diplomats shot the guy to ####.   Terrorist Organizations would have a field day with this, and you all know they have ways to hide their true affiliations.  Many of them even complained that their own people are living on Thai Fruit!

This also poses a very dangerous risk to the Thailand Government because if you get 1 million card holders, and that they also put their money in the piggy bank of Thailand and then Thailand gets a repeat of 1997 , guess who will then control the Country.  There will be no way in #### that it will be the Thai people.  It will be controled by an Incorporation of the Card Holders because they lost their money in Thai Piggy Banks.   Guess who is going to hold the POWER.  The rich people are looking at this part, to control Thailand, not the card itself.  They look for the long term and review the monetary status of the country and its stability.  These rich people know Thailand now is on shaky ground financially.  The only question now is how and when they want to place their bets!

Let's look beyond the CARD, Let's look underneath it and behind it.  That is the real McCoy we all want to see and to know.  What is HIDDEN is the most DANGEROUS PART.  Not from what we see visually on paper here.

Sigh, more yet to come for all of us Expats!   ???   :blues:

[Payne]

Payne are you one of the people previously mentioned who spend long weekends in Amsterdam? Have you fallen and banged your head recently?

Actually, its about 39 years since I spent a long weekend in Amsterdam. I was a judge at the Wet Dream Film Festival in the early "60's if you recall that event.

What's this about hitting my head? I must have missed that post.

Let's just wait and see what privileges are dished up with the card before being so bloody  judgemental. As I mentioned, if the perks are substantial then one may be a subscriber. If not, then good luck to the chaps who buy a card.

PS I am somewhat surprised that no TAT official has contacted me to give some free  advice on this matter as I am really an ideal  candidate for the card and involved in marketing myself. Just make the "privileges" substantial or the whole thing could bomb. I assume that the TAT monitors this forum? If not I would appreciate if one of you would kindly bring my remarks to their attention.

[DaveYo]

Payne, just out of curiosity, do you earn a million dollars a year, or have 1m plus in the piggy bank????  That is what this card is about.  So if it goes out to the diplomats, they in turn do the fox hunt to find the richie rich, and try to sell this card because they have been offered 15% commission on per sale.  Yet it was the diplomats who shot the creator to swiss cheese.  They did not like it at all.

Incidently they have no intent to sell this to the general public in thailand or to general public in the world.  Maybe just maybe to some extremely wealthy Thais if any if they are in Thailand.

:blues:

[PREM-R]

Payne I am sorry if you took offence at my posting, but most of the things you suggest would be worth buying the card for really are  already available here in LOS for a few baht 'tea money' (if you know the right people).  

DaveYo, I have only read that the card will cost a 'one-off' payment of 1 million baht (approx. 15,000 GBP or 20,000 USD),where did you get the information that the holder will need 1 million USD and a further income of 1million USD per annum to qualify.  They say that they hope to 'sell' an initial 100,000 of these cards ( are there really 100,000 mult-millionaire visitors to Los each year?) , do multi-millionaires look for 'money-off' coupons in magazines etc? I doubt it.

I think that when the card is a disaster they will 'save face' and turn it into a 'success' by offering visa and residency benefits to purchasers (wishful thinking on my part?) :cool:

[chuang]

..Well folks don't despair, I think in no time you can get the million baht card from Khao San Road or MBK at a very cheap price...they are in the process of printing.    :laugh:

[george]

Ooopps.....

Stick to reporting news says Thaksin

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has called on the media to limit its role to reporting and not commenting or presenting opinions detrimental to society or the country.

``News must be news. News must not be an opinion. But now news is a piece of opinion that can confuse the public.

``There is nothing wrong with reporting an event or voicing one's opinions on the opinion pages. But news coverage full of personal opinion can distort facts,'' Mr Thaksin said.

He cited as example a Bangkok Post article in the Aug 31 edition which quoted a senior diplomat as saying the Tourism Authority's ``Thailand privilege card'' scheme would turn the country into a colonial state of one million people.

Other diplomats said the privilege cards, to be sold to wealthy foreign tourists for one million baht each, discriminated against Thais and fast-track immigration services that were transferable could be exploited by terrorists.

Mr Thaksin said the diplomats who were quoted were ``shocked'' because they had been allegedly misrepresented.

The prime minister said the supposed distortions were unintentional, but the newspaper should have been careful in the first place.

--The Nation 2003-09-02

[DaveYo]

Oh dear me, this sounds like the PM is censoring opinions now and even the news.  I wonder what is really going on?  Then he covers the tracks of some diplomats who personally made these comments by saying that they misrepresented the issues wrong or made the wrong statements or ideas or thinking.   Hmmmmmmm        

I suspect something is going on.  Question is what?   :blues: ???

[Payne]

Payne, just out of curiosity, do you earn a million dollars a year, or have 1m plus in the piggy bank????  That is what this card is about.  

David, I don't beleive that one has to be a dollar millionaire to buy the Thailand Privilege Card. As far as I can gather it is just necessary to fork up one million baht for the puchase price -- which isn't such a great sum to many business people if the card will provides real  conveniences of the type I mentioned a few posts back.

Prime Minister Taskin is right to warn the press about reporting opinion rather than facts. However, it would be salutary if the correct details concerning the Thailand Privilege Card could be issued sooner than later.

An official of TAT advised me yesterday that a big launch is being planned for later this month, although it may have to be delayed until October.  Apparently, the idea will be to add "privileges" every month during the sales campaign.A seperate TAT subsidiary company has been established to run the program. This seems like a good move as the sales campaign will thus  be self financing.

This is an innovative  scheme that surely  deserves support by all Thai citizens and residents.

[pnustedt]

isn't such a great sum to many business people if the card will provides real  conveniences

I guess there some expats who do not qualify under current rules to live in Thailand. If this card can give them a qualification, then they may see it as an opportunity.

I guess we have to wait and see just what benefits the card will bestow.

[KenUdon]

Prime Minister Taskin is right to warn the press about reporting opinion rather than facts

PREM-R. Yes you are right. He has had a bang on the head!!

[kwiz117]

I can not understand the thinking behind this project. T is only interested in his own publicity. See some of the projects he has started.

1. Eliminate all Drug Dealers in Thailand; only when HRH pointed this matter during his last birthday speech.

2. Fight against corruption by transfering police people from one jungle to another.

3. Legalize all Massage parlors without stopping Massage brothels

4. Stop Porn websites in Internet while allowing to run all live shows in Bangkok

5. Stop all Liquor ads in TV while allowing all petrol sheds to sell them over the counter.

Above are some of his recent programs. I can not come up with a single project he has actually accomplished.

He is a guy who will create some excitement in each quarter so his government will have some action to talk and do some propaganda.

Oh Forgot! “The CEO Governors” to a bunch of politicians. He, himself will review the performance of these CEO governors without defining any Performance Measurement Criteria or Targets. May be he think Thailand as a Limited Liability Company.

So guys, Just add his “1 Million Bht previladge card without defining the privileges” also in to the above cart. Let him have the cake and eat the cake alone.

May be only “Toxins luck” is working for Thailand, like the way it had worked for his own Company.

[DaveYo]

Hmmmmm, interesting notices on board here.  One thing I noticed is and it has not ever been mentioned here -- "What is the interest rate going to be on this card?"  

I know most cards have an interest rate of somewhere between 11 percent to a hellish 33 percent.  Depending on your credit ability to pay.

I agree with one of our members here about all the projects PM has gotten started concerning his agenda topics , and interesting to say, I do agree none of them are completed.  I think he is doing the shuffle dance so to speak and lol he is getting very unpredictable.  Making a lot of strong tsunami twitters.

I just wonder who is doing the shaking and the baking?

 :laugh: :blues:

[DaveYo]

Reminds me of the song by the Beach boys, Good Vibrations! :laugh:    :cool: :blues:

[johan79]

Typical Thai attitude.I have never been in a country that gives so much power to money.

We the tax paying majority bail them out of there 1997 financial crisis through the world bank and for that they make more difficult to invest in this country.

What quarantees do we get(none) if this new venture fails,we the expats are left holding the bag.

No problem they are farang they can afford it.

[wolf5370]

I fear the lifetime of these 'lifetime' cards are the same as the lifetime of the present government - 2 terms max.

DaveYo - I don't think these are credit cards, just club membership cards (sort of) I think, correct me if I'm wrong.

Interesting that Mr T picked an English language newspaper as the target for his no-opinion type reporting. Did he mention any Thai papers - they can't all be playing ball ?

If Mr T wants reporters to stop speculating and giving opinions, he has to come clean and give a definitive list of benefits of owning a card.

[DaveYo]

Wolf, I am not even sure of your question.  If this is a club card or credit card.  I would imagine it being a credit card type deal because it states 1M baht card.

That is why i brought up the interesting point of about Interest on this card.  Nothing to this day has been said about it.  Not even from PM himself.

So I guess we go back and do the shuffle dance with or without the PM!   :laugh:    :blues:

[MaiChai]

So one woul'd not cough up 1M Baht unless you knew exactly what it was about, unless you are a completely stupid farang? Maybe its a case of "You give money now, tell you later what you get." Famous Thai words "You no worry!".

[Thetyim]

I would imagine it being a credit card type deal because it states 1M baht card.

I thought the card cost 1 million to buy.

Where did you get the idea that it gives you 1 million credit.

Could I use the credit to get past the retirement visa requirments ? ???

[wolf5370]

DaveYo, my impression was you pay 1m Baht for the card and its 'benefits'. That's it. The card is simply an 'I paid a million' ID card as far as I'm aware. This is my impression, not enough info to be overly convinced, but all that has been stated/rumoured is benefit related - no mention of credit has been made.

[DaveYo]

I agree, and with that said, it might be a benefit card.  But what the heck, why spend the money now to get that card when the latest news came out of the new changes about to take effect in  July of 2004 concerning foreigners in Thailand.  

Read up on it in the Thailand Expat News section.  We have a major problem on our hands.  This time I have to re-consider my plans to Thailand.

:blues: ???  

[george]

The card to be put on ice, according to today's Bangkok Post:

Panel urges card scheme be put on ice

Apiradee Treerutkuarkul

The House panel on tourism affairs has urged the government to postpone its Thailand Privilege Card campaign.

Panel chairman Songsak Thongsri, the Thai Rak Thai MP for Buri Ram, said the Thailand Privilege Card Co still could not efficiently promote the campaign.

The company planned to sell 100,000 privilege cards on Sept 15, but it had yet to show it was ready or had solid plans to promote the card, he said.

Also, the Immigration Department and Tourism Authority of Thailand, along with tourist agencies and hotel operators, had not yet been signed up, he said.

The panel had sent a letter to Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak to urge a postponement.

The government ordered a Tourism Authority of Thailand subsidiary to draw up strategies for membership expansion and the distribution of revenue to contracted service providers. It also has to choose quality golf courses, spas and hospitals to join the programme.

The cards, costing one million baht each, aim at raising instant revenue to lift Thailand's tourism industry.

Targeting well-off foreigners, the card offers lifetime discounts to golf courses, spas and up to 50% off airfares to Thailand. Other privileges will include fast-track visa services and the streamlining of other immigration processes.

[pnustedt]

So there's 14 contributors to the forum with a spare million baht now!

[LPCustom69]

I wonder how many people are on the waiting list for the card? Haha

:cool:

[francois]

hi'

good work goofy !

it seems that this words 'mankind doesn't learn from history"

is a real fact for Thailand ...

1M baths for what?, "they" would like to attrack "rich foreigners",

to make money promising that "they" will take care of them at their best ... ts ts ts ....

what can "they" offer more to someone who has all and even more than this sometime?

this is very prententious!

in one hand "they" would like to get rid of "ordinary" foreigners who live peacefully, and in the other hand "they" would like to get very rich people to come here, stay and spend their money, do you really think that this might work?

what are "they" taking "rich foreigners" for? dairy-cows?

this card stinks, it is non-sens and as it has been said, "they"

should take more care about Thai people, the long term is here with Thai people, not with foreigners, whatever we might bring here as knowledge or skill ...

"they" should think twice before to announce stupid things like this, don't you think?

all the best

francois   ???

[francois]

"on ice" .. haha

keep it frozen for long  

this is a good news  LOL :laugh:

[DaveYo]

Well, they seemed to have rushed this million kinda fast and tried to shove it in somehow.  It appears that the travel agencies, and the tourist industry didn't care to sign up to something that will ruin them.   I mean try selling this card to some tourist who obviously has the million baht so readily available , but plans on just visiting this country only once or twice in their lifetime.  Also many are already covered under some kind of  insurance for health, and life etc, so try to sell them this.  Another how many care to hit a ball around the field and chase it for 18 holes?   Oh only one good point, (visa fast track), how about residency fast track or visa extension fast track or some fast track that does not make us long timers that have to leave the country every 90 days, and simply go to one central point in Thailand and register ourselves, and those on extensions not have to be leaving all the time.   Or how about this, if we take the million baht card, that this exempts us from the income requirements both for residential and business?   Now if they did this, then I can see getting the million baht card worth getting>

Oh getting 50 percent off on airfares.  Not bad to go from USA to Thailand for R/T at 350.00 USA money.  To the general public with a modest income or families, this might appeal to them, but to the rich, I suppose they laugh at this part, cause what is 350.00 to them?  Not worth looking at or to think about here.

Just my afterthought comments, :blues:

[plachon]

actually, this is v. reassuring news, as it shows someone in the govt. has a little more sense than the head honcho, (and I have no doubts that this is where this bright idea came from). Even better, they're prepared to say so!

[george]

Conflicting stories... The card is now on sale according to Bangkok Post....

TAT says Privilege Card well received

Target of selling 1m cards likely to be met

The Thailand Privilege Card project is making a good start and attracting interest from well-to-do foreigners, according to Juthamas Siriwan, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

Some 300,000 Chinese premium tourists had already shown keen interest in purchasing card memberships, each costing one million baht, while a top golf association in the United States with 25,000 members was committed to promoting the card among its members, she said.

As well, the TAT has promoted the privilege service among wealthy people, mostly retirees in Palm Springs, California.

Mrs Juthamas said that a call centre had already been set up to sell the cards at 02-900-9900, with several English-speaking officers.

By the beginning of next year, the centre would provide services in seven languages to accommodate tourists worldwide, she said.

Brochures outlining privileges and other related services, including offers at 20 top golf courses, 60 luxury hotels, are ready for distribution.

However, the official opening of the programme will be chaired by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as the project is the brainchild of the premier.

Mrs Juthamas said she was confident that one million cards would be sold within five years as target, generating one trillion baht for Thailand.

With the one trillion baht in revenue from cards and one million cardholders visiting Thailand, spending and shopping, she estimated that spinoff revenue generated from the activities could reach 20 trillion baht.

Mrs Juthamas said immigration officials would undertake screening and would reject any suspicious applicants.

In another development, the Tourism and Sports Ministry has reported the first tourism growth since the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars).

In August, the number of tourists reached 634,593, about 500 more than than in the same period last year, said minister Sonthaya Khunpleum.

He said Thailand was the first country in the region to show tourism growth since the Sars crisis.

--Bangkok Post 2003-09-16

[DaveYo]

It is amazing to now discover one of our top golf organizations here with 25,000 members contributing to this fiasco.   I got to find out the name of this organization and I will not say what I plan on doing.  Because this site from what I hear is monitored by the Thai authorities.  They will find out themselves.  This is an insult to us americans.

:blues: