Thai Privilege Card

[alyx]

Another question: you said that you were doing the residence's registration by mail; would it be too much asking you the details?

I meant the 90 day reporting done by mail , not the actual 90 day extension that of course has to be done in person.

Yes Emptymind I did understand that; that is why I was talking about the residence (which is the 90 day reporting). How do you do that? (well ,as you know, I have to queue for that ) Thanks

[alyx]

I can easily afford it but I worked too hard for my fortune to squander it away.

How can it be working well if they had to impose such a substantial increase

for the joining fee while at the same time the " benefits " are evaporating on almost a

monthly basis.

And it certainly has all the signs of a scam - in particular when the money is sent to an account

in another country

Hey The point is not whether or not you can afford it but whether or not you are interested and trust the system. I insist that it has always been stated tand heavily advertised that this "privilege" was created in order to attract investors and obviously their money and for no other reason

As for the joining fee the raise is, by all means, quite substancial in terms of Thai baht but you do certainly know that when this program was launched the Thai baht was much stronger than it was (and still is) some months ago. Therefore in Euros there is not such a great difference between the fee initially paid and what one should pay today.

[alyx]

According to the Post a couple days ago, the head of Thai Priviledge Card Company recently resigned. More problems and low sales I guess. I certainly raised my eyebrows when the official applications I received and reviewed said the 1.5M membership fee was to be sent to a bank in SINGAPORE!

Would you kindly let me know which article you are talking about as I have tried to find it on Bangkok post and have been unable to do so?

In any case I will ask the thailand elite directly (if what you say is true - and I have no reason not to believe you- they might come up with an explanation)

[NotNew2You]

According to the Post a couple days ago, the head of Thai Priviledge Card Company recently resigned. More problems and low sales I guess. I certainly raised my eyebrows when the official applications I received and reviewed said the 1.5M membership fee was to be sent to a bank in SINGAPORE!

Would you kindly let me know which article you are talking about as I have tried to find it on Bangkok post and have been unable to do so?

In any case I will ask the thailand elite directly (if what you say is true - and I have no reason not to believe you- they might come up with an explanation)

It was just a small side-bar note (I think in the business section around 3-4 days ago) that the current head of the company that runs the TEC program was leaving/resigned due to poor membership sales.

[alyx]

Thanks 'NotNew2You'

[mgjackson69]

I too seriously considered the program about a year ago...just before they raised the cost as it would surely have eased my visa status for the next decade till I reached 50. At 1M it made economic sense but when they raised it to 1.5 the numbers no longer made it economically worthwhile, as I was just interested in the visa privileges.

I have since found a way to get a multi-entry non-imm O visa that costs me about $2500 to obtain every 15 months (plus another $200 or so in visa runs). It works for me and is much cheaper than $ 44,000 up-front!

Actually, the $2500 would likely be spent anyway on a vacation back home in any case...so the actual visa cost is $175 and another $60 for return overnite mail.

Well yes, Good point. however, what happens when they crack down on the non-imm O visas etc like they did with the tourist visas ? It seems these days that people are just buying a non-imm O to remain in Thailand for 15 months as a tourist. That can't last forever and no doubt will go the same way that the 90 stamps went for people abusing the system.

Isn't it illegal to apply for and obtain a visa that your not using for the purpose that it was issued ?

It is *already* getting harder to get the 1-year multi-entry Non-O visas. For marriage to a Thai national, for example, almost every embassy/consulate seems to be issuing 90-day single entry visas, advising the applicant to apply for extension of stay inside Thailand.

As for our friend NotNew2You, if he has found a way to obtain the visa that he wants by working within the system, more power to him. In fact, I really do not care if he is doing something underhanded to obtain said visa (not that I am implying any such thing)....It is no skin off my ass either way.

I know what *I* need to do to meet the requirements to extend my stay, and I have no problem with doing so.

Edited August 31, 2008 by mgjackson69

[sabang]

I looked at the Elite Card with an open mind.

Really, what does it get you apart from some golf, discount massages, and apart from that just Bullshit?

As best I can see, you have no more right of residency here than any other annual renewable visa.

whats the point?

[Naam]

I would have bought the card had it remained 1 million baht as I am the target market for it. However 1.5 is just too much. I'd rather buy a house in the US and sit on it a few years.

a house or a shack?

[NotNew2You]

I have since found a way to get a multi-entry non-imm O visa that costs me about $2500 to obtain every 15 months (plus another $200 or so in visa runs).

Actually, the $2500 would likely be spent anyway on a vacation back home in any case...so the actual visa cost is $175 and another $60 for return overnite mail.

As for our friend NotNew2You, if he has found a way to obtain the visa that he wants by working within the system, more power to him. In fact, I really do not care if he is doing something underhanded to obtain said visa

My wording was a little less than artful...just to make it clear...I qualified under one of the numerous categories for a non-imm "O" visa and was able to find a counsel who agreed with me (that's the trick I think). The mention of the $2500 cost is not any tea money but the cost for the trip home every 15 months to get another visa.

Edited September 1, 2008 by NotNew2You

[mgjackson69]

I have since found a way to get a multi-entry non-imm O visa that costs me about $2500 to obtain every 15 months (plus another $200 or so in visa runs).

Actually, the $2500 would likely be spent anyway on a vacation back home in any case...so the actual visa cost is $175 and another $60 for return overnite mail.

As for our friend NotNew2You, if he has found a way to obtain the visa that he wants by working within the system, more power to him. In fact, I really do not care if he is doing something underhanded to obtain said visa

My wording was a little less than artful...just to make it clear...I qualified under one of the numerous categories for a non-imm "O" visa and was able to find a counsel who agreed with me (that's the trick I think). The mention of the $2500 cost is not any tea money but the cost for the trip home every 15 months to get another visa.

That is how I read your post...$175 for the visa, $60 for postage, $2265 for airline and incidentals on the trip.

And that is the trick... to interpret the rules to your benefit, and find someone to agree with you. There is nothing nefarious about that. Hence my comment about working within the system.

[Rockefeller]

Hi, I am new to this fantastic message board and also an Elite member.

I wish to vindicate the poster EmptyMind who said Elite Visa extensions take hours and remember we are talking about the sweaty, noisy confines of Suan Plu. You wait in not just one queue, but two of them. Yes Alyx, you do have a so called appointment but that has 0 relevance. The instructions Elite give you absolutely tell you to get in the queue which can have about 100 people ahead of you and ruin your day. And I don't think the contact person at Immigration I am supposed to meet has ever said so much as hello to me. Elite members are serviced at the same windows like everyone else. Yes Alyx, we can pay 2000 baht in addition to the 1900 baht extension fee to have an Elite Personal Liason meet us to do the extension, but what is the point? All they do is wait in the queue with you. Been there, done that.

Seriously Alyx, I think it is unfair to people here to mislead them like you are doing. The reality is Elite members get no priority, nothing and the process is more convoluted than other visas. Tourists on tourist visas go in and out of Suan Plu in 15 minutes to get their extensions meanwhile Elite members wait hours. This is the reality for every member I know. Elite has some good and bad parts and some of us members are even capable of being honest and objective.

[alyx]

And I don't think the contact person at Immigration I am supposed to meet has ever said so much as hello to me.

Do you say hello to them? If that is the case and they do not answer that is certainly rude, but I might add unlikely for Thai people

Elite members are serviced at the same windows like everyone else

Yes ...and no (depending on what you mean by everyone else)

Yes Alyx, we can pay 2000 baht in addition to the 1900 baht extension fee to have an Elite Personal Liason meet us to do the extension, but what is the point? All they do is wait in the queue with you. Been there, done that.

Well I have never had the need of being assisted in that kind of process. I was not even accompanied the first time I went to register for the elite visa

Secondly I just stated the fact that assistance was available (and I have never say it was free of charge, on the contary and understandable)

Seriously Alyx, I think it is unfair to people here to mislead them like you are doing.

Ooops! "Mislead" means that I am aware that a is false and I lie about it: therefore I am being deceptive

I am sure that you do not mean it that way, but it is somewhat offensive

I am just relating what happened to me twice:

The first time I went there with an appointment's letter and the name of the officer written on it (and it went accordingly to my previous post)

The second time I had a letter with no name. I called Elite and they told me that it was the official form. I then took my dossier to the counter, presented it to a very nice lady who took it and asked me to wait. Some time later (sincerely I didn't check the time I waited but it really did't seem long - 10 to 15 minutes tops). And no: there was no queue standing at the counter apart from one guy who was talking to another office

Everybody was nice and polite (Trust me the immigration officers are being very civil and I am sure that you remember being treated quite differently by this service some 10 years ago whatever your status was)

The reality is Elite members get no priority, nothing and the process is more convoluted than other visas. Tourists on tourist visas go in and out of Suan Plu in 15 minutes to get their extensions meanwhile Elite members wait hours. This is the reality for every member I know.

Now you cannot say that anymore (mind you you don't really know me )

That may be true (and I do not doubt your word unlike you do mine) when you are talking about Suanplu (although I honestly disagree) but can you say that for Don Muang?

Elite has some good and bad parts and some of us members are even capable of being honest and objective.

(does this mean that you have judged the others as being dihonest and biased?)

Well that is when you are talking of your own experiences. Believing that they reflect the truth is understandable but aren't forgetting that you may represent an exception or that my experiences may represent an exception to the rule (but are still truthful accounts)

For the record I have got what I expect from the card

[alyx]

I learned that the membership (lifetime) fees for Thai Elite membershiop increased this year to 1.5 million Baht and limited to 2 dozen the number of Spa treatments and free golf available to members.

I am under the old program, any service provided EVERYDAY.

My question, has anyone signed up recently and comment on any other changes.

Thank you

In any case that is what the topic is/was about (and obvioulsy none of us seems to fit the description)

I should add that I wouldn't mind meeting (virtually or not) any other members. Something positve and nice might come out of it. meetings with other memebers (official meetings that is) are very scarce these days

[EmptyMind]

Uff tired of these Elite Card trolls who keep using the word 'scam', As it was always advertised the Elite card IS NOT and WAS NOT designed to suit everyone, So for you who keep yelling SCAM ! This is how I use mine.

To be honest with you, I'm not interested in any of the golf, discount massages blah blah either.

I only got it because I don't fit into any other visa category. I'm too young to retire, Been here too long to be a tourist, Don't work here or own a business etc.

I used to fly with my partner every three months to bordering countries on either a hunt for a new Single entry tourist visa that was becoming silly as I physically live in Thailand, Or, using a Business Visa I would do the same 3 monthly border runs for the new 90day stamp.

The thing for me was that this was tiresome and expensive and also getting to be a worry constantly asking for tourist visas or business visas that in theory I wasn't entitled to, I was neither a tourist or a businessman.

I don't like to do land border runs and flying economy just makes life miserable, so, Lets say I did this on 3 month Tourist Visas.

Flight Business Class for 2, Approx 49,850.00 in flights - Say 20,000 for a decent hotel + A few other expenses your talking about 70,000 Baht a trip.

4 trips a year 280,000, say I do this for 10 years. 2,800,000 Baht

Say I use the Elite card for 10 years and the economy never changes

Cost = 1,000,000 Baht

90 Day Stamps = 4 x 1900 x 10 = 76000 Baht

So 2,800,000 - 1,076,000 = A total saving of 1,724,000 Baht (or if I use it for 30 years, thats a saving of millions of Baht)

Also as well as saving the money I have the clear mind that I don't have to bother with border runs / planes / visas / hotels etc and of course peace of mind is priceless.

Yes I do understand that like anything in any country, things can change and we will just have to wait and see if the scheme is still up and running in 10 years.

So, for those of you like Midas and mgjackson69 who just keep yelling scam, how can you justify calling it a scam ?

For those of you who are whining on about where the Bank is, Loads of agents are selling these cards so where the agents or banks are is totally irrelevant. I paid mine at the Bangkok Bank to a Bangkok Company. If other sales agents are based in other locations or countries does that make them a scam? Of course the middle man makes a profit just as in any business but just because its a Thai Elite card its been renamed by people like Notnew2You as "skimming something off the top before the funds are remitted back to the company's accounts in Thailand"

When you buy a pint of milk does 100% of the money go directly to the farmer and directly into HIS bank account ?

I knew how much it would cost BEFORE payment, What I received was EXACTLY the cost that I was quoted and what I paid for actually works and also will save me millions of Baht. Now how on earth is that a scam ?

On a final Rant : For those of you saying that its always losing money, I only use the sticky bit of paper privilege called a Visa. They certainly made a good profit from me.

Have fun pulling my post apart.

[alyx]

Emptymind, why do you keep arguing and justifying yourself: you are 100% correct so what do you care

Some people (the one who are not interested) have their reasons and you cannot stop them from thinking they are right (which they might be)

I guess that, although this is a forum where everyone is entitled to read posts and write their answers, the topic is quite a specific one and is aimed at members of this group. It has turned in a battle between cardholders and non potential applicants

So let it be: the only thing that matters is that you have paid for a service and you have got what you have paid for, just as I did.

[mgjackson69]

I never called the Elite Card a "scam"...I did refer to it as a "rip-off"...maybe the same, maybe not.

Up to you if you buy it or not...I personally think it offers very little value for the huge cost. For most of us here, I would venture that 1 million THB (now 1.5 million, with reduction in benefits as well) *is* a large amount of money.

But I am in agreement, I do not see how it could be called a "scam"...and the argument about the location of the bank is just silly.

[LivinLOS]

I have since found a way to get a multi-entry non-imm O visa that costs me about $2500 to obtain every 15 months (plus another $200 or so in visa runs).

Actually, the $2500 would likely be spent anyway on a vacation back home in any case...so the actual visa cost is $175 and another $60 for return overnite mail.

As for our friend NotNew2You, if he has found a way to obtain the visa that he wants by working within the system, more power to him. In fact, I really do not care if he is doing something underhanded to obtain said visa

My wording was a little less than artful...just to make it clear...I qualified under one of the numerous categories for a non-imm "O" visa and was able to find a counsel who agreed with me (that's the trick I think). The mention of the $2500 cost is not any tea money but the cost for the trip home every 15 months to get another visa.

That is how I read your post...$175 for the visa, $60 for postage, $2265 for airline and incidentals on the trip.

And that is the trick... to interpret the rules to your benefit, and find someone to agree with you. There is nothing nefarious about that. Hence my comment about working within the system.

Not only that, but O's are easy to obtain for many options but even if that closes, ED's are easy also for studying ''scuba diving' or 'Thai culture' or many other hobbies. Even if that all closed the cost of making a shelf company, employing some fake people, and never doing a visa run, giving it all to a book keeper and staying on long stay extensions is less than the interest I would get on the 1.5 mil.. Plus I pay as I go, retain full control of my money, have zero risk. I can leave Thailand at any time and stop paying. Theres also the added benefit of counting to PR in that route.

I could also add that for annual visa applications I dont have to return to my home country.. I just have to vacation outside of Thailand while one of my multiple passports goes to my home country. Totally legal and above board, that 2500 you mention is a welcome break from the Land Of Coups.

[LivinLOS]

Hi, I am new to this fantastic message board and also an Elite member.

I wish to vindicate the poster EmptyMind who said Elite Visa extensions take hours and remember we are talking about the sweaty, noisy confines of Suan Plu. You wait in not just one queue, but two of them. Yes Alyx, you do have a so called appointment but that has 0 relevance. The instructions Elite give you absolutely tell you to get in the queue which can have about 100 people ahead of you and ruin your day. And I don't think the contact person at Immigration I am supposed to meet has ever said so much as hello to me. Elite members are serviced at the same windows like everyone else. Yes Alyx, we can pay 2000 baht in addition to the 1900 baht extension fee to have an Elite Personal Liason meet us to do the extension, but what is the point? All they do is wait in the queue with you. Been there, done that.

Seriously Alyx, I think it is unfair to people here to mislead them like you are doing. The reality is Elite members get no priority, nothing and the process is more convoluted than other visas. Tourists on tourist visas go in and out of Suan Plu in 15 minutes to get their extensions meanwhile Elite members wait hours. This is the reality for every member I know. Elite has some good and bad parts and some of us members are even capable of being honest and objective.

I clearly remember Elite card defenders claiming they didnt have to attend, that the Elite card people would do this proicess for you ??

Another aspect thats about as 'elite' as a bus pass.

[NotNew2You]

But I am in agreement, I do not see how it could be called a "scam"...and the argument about the location of the bank is just silly./quote]

Same here...I wouldn't call it a scam or anything as it obviously exists and provides services to its members. Whether is makes financial sense depends on a variety of unique individual factors that each person can calculate for themselves.

I just found it odd that the official application I received from a Thai broker for the program said the membership fee of B 1.5M was to be remitted to a bank account in Singapore. I could see if I was a Singaporean applying for the program from a Singapore based broker...but a Thai broker?

The program itself is not a scam but maybe the company itself is playing fast and loose with its books. Have their books ever been audited by the Auditor General's office

[LivinLOS]

I used to fly with my partner every three months to bordering countries on either a hunt for a new Single entry tourist visa that was becoming silly as I physically live in Thailand, Or, using a Business Visa I would do the same 3 monthly border runs for the new 90day stamp.

The thing for me was that this was tiresome and expensive and also getting to be a worry constantly asking for tourist visas or business visas that in theory I wasn't entitled to, I was neither a tourist or a businessman.

I don't like to do land border runs and flying economy just makes life miserable, so, Lets say I did this on 3 month Tourist Visas.

Flight Business Class for 2, Approx 49,850.00 in flights - Say 20,000 for a decent hotel + A few other expenses your talking about 70,000 Baht a trip.

4 trips a year 280,000, say I do this for 10 years. 2,800,000 Baht

Say I use the Elite card for 10 years and the economy never changes

Cost = 1,000,000 Baht

90 Day Stamps = 4 x 1900 x 10 = 76000 Baht

So 2,800,000 - 1,076,000 = A total saving of 1,724,000 Baht (or if I use it for 30 years, thats a saving of millions of Baht)

Also as well as saving the money I have the clear mind that I don't have to bother with border runs / planes / visas / hotels etc and of course peace of mind is priceless.

Your number are just silly.. A airplane visa run can be done in a day for 5k return from my location (Phuket) to KL or last time looked sing (tiger jetstar have changed a bit so its been a while, Even silk air to Sing with hotel package is about 8 or 9k last time I looked at thier specials. Of course driving to a border is a hassle, but could be about 2k all in and not really much longer than going to the gov office for me (7 - 8 hours round trip).

Thing is I tend to vacation and take short hops out of the country anyway, so rarely do I have to visa run, these cost vanish in my travel plans for fun. The grand Prix coming soon, A weekend city break, Bali for a month, etc.

Once a year I need to make sure I vacation for a month out of Thailand, DHL one of my passports, and pay 110GBP for a visa. They used to DHL it back to me globally but had some problems and wont now take that responsibility. So lets say something like 20k baht once every year or 15 months. Plus the cost of a vacation I need to get away from here anyway.

So now we are looking at actual costs about 30k per annum at a min up to maybe 80k per annum at a max, plus a nice vacation on top.. Versus 1.5 million and the loss of 150k per annum at only 10% returns. Smooth move fellas !! Making my assets meant I needed smarts, having money doesnt mean I have lost them.

[alyx]

Hi, I am new to this fantastic message board and also an Elite member.

I wish to vindicate the poster EmptyMind who said Elite Visa extensions take hours and remember we are talking about the sweaty, noisy confines of Suan Plu. You wait in not just one queue, but two of them. Yes Alyx, you do have a so called appointment but that has 0 relevance. The instructions Elite give you absolutely tell you to get in the queue which can have about 100 people ahead of you and ruin your day. And I don't think the contact person at Immigration I am supposed to meet has ever said so much as hello to me. Elite members are serviced at the same windows like everyone else. Yes Alyx, we can pay 2000 baht in addition to the 1900 baht extension fee to have an Elite Personal Liason meet us to do the extension, but what is the point? All they do is wait in the queue with you. Been there, done that.

Seriously Alyx, I think it is unfair to people here to mislead them like you are doing. The reality is Elite members get no priority, nothing and the process is more convoluted than other visas. Tourists on tourist visas go in and out of Suan Plu in 15 minutes to get their extensions meanwhile Elite members wait hours. This is the reality for every member I know. Elite has some good and bad parts and some of us members are even capable of being honest and objective.

I clearly remember Elite card defenders claiming they didnt have to attend, that the Elite card people would do this proicess for you ??

Another aspect thats about as 'elite' as a bus pass.

I guess that you are referring to the immigration process

You are not remembering correctly: it is clearly stated that assistance (free of charge) is provided ONCE (for the record I have not used it and I am still entitled to it) Ifg assistance is needed it is charged.

now if you are referring to assistance at the immigration of the Airport (Bangkok only) members are escorted by Elite's staff every step of the way the moment they step in the airport. For those who travel first and business little change but for the one in economy I guess it is quite a positive experience

I seem to be advertising the Elite card: well I am not.

[midas]

So now we are looking at actual costs about 30k per annum at a min up to maybe 80k per annum at a max, plus a nice vacation on top.. Versus 1.5 million and the loss of 150k per annum at only 10% returns. Smooth move fellas !! Making my assets meant I needed smarts, having money doesnt mean I have lost them.

LivinLOS what amazes me even more with people like EmptyMind is they cant possibly refute the

possibility this whole scam could just collapse tommorow. We all know the reason he needs to inflate

his figures ...................whatever it takes to make him feel better

[EmptyMind]

I used to fly with my partner every three months to bordering countries on either a hunt for a new Single entry tourist visa that was becoming silly as I physically live in Thailand, Or, using a Business Visa I would do the same 3 monthly border runs for the new 90day stamp.

The thing for me was that this was tiresome and expensive and also getting to be a worry constantly asking for tourist visas or business visas that in theory I wasn't entitled to, I was neither a tourist or a businessman.

I don't like to do land border runs and flying economy just makes life miserable, so, Lets say I did this on 3 month Tourist Visas.

Flight Business Class for 2, Approx 49,850.00 in flights - Say 20,000 for a decent hotel + A few other expenses your talking about 70,000 Baht a trip.

4 trips a year 280,000, say I do this for 10 years. 2,800,000 Baht

Say I use the Elite card for 10 years and the economy never changes

Cost = 1,000,000 Baht

90 Day Stamps = 4 x 1900 x 10 = 76000 Baht

So 2,800,000 - 1,076,000 = A total saving of 1,724,000 Baht (or if I use it for 30 years, thats a saving of millions of Baht)

Also as well as saving the money I have the clear mind that I don't have to bother with border runs / planes / visas / hotels etc and of course peace of mind is priceless.

Your number are just silly.. A airplane visa run can be done in a day for 5k return from my location (Phuket) to KL or last time looked sing (tiger jetstar have changed a bit so its been a while, Even silk air to Sing with hotel package is about 8 or 9k last time I looked at thier specials. Of course driving to a border is a hassle, but could be about 2k all in and not really much longer than going to the gov office for me (7 - 8 hours round trip).

Thing is I tend to vacation and take short hops out of the country anyway, so rarely do I have to visa run, these cost vanish in my travel plans for fun. The grand Prix coming soon, A weekend city break, Bali for a month, etc.

Once a year I need to make sure I vacation for a month out of Thailand, DHL one of my passports, and pay 110GBP for a visa. They used to DHL it back to me globally but had some problems and wont now take that responsibility. So lets say something like 20k baht once every year or 15 months. Plus the cost of a vacation I need to get away from here anyway.

So now we are looking at actual costs about 30k per annum at a min up to maybe 80k per annum at a max, plus a nice vacation on top.. Versus 1.5 million and the loss of 150k per annum at only 10% returns. Smooth move fellas !! Making my assets meant I needed smarts, having money doesnt mean I have lost them.

I quoted the figures based on ME not based on YOU. I dont like sitting on the back of a Jetstar plane or staying at hotel backpack. If it would cost you money and not save you money, then dont buy it.

[EmptyMind]

So now we are looking at actual costs about 30k per annum at a min up to maybe 80k per annum at a max, plus a nice vacation on top.. Versus 1.5 million and the loss of 150k per annum at only 10% returns. Smooth move fellas !! Making my assets meant I needed smarts, having money doesnt mean I have lost them.

LivinLOS what amazes me even more with people like EmptyMind is they cant possibly refute the

possibility this whole scam could just collapse tommorow. We all know the reason he needs to inflate

his figures ...................whatever it takes to make him feel better

Midas, How can something that works be called a scam ? You get what you pay for, please enlighten us to which part of that is what you call a scam ?

Yes it could fall apart tomorrow but so can anything, people have been saying for years that it wont work, but it does.

Also if you check the prices of business class flights and nice hotels, you will find my figures quite accurate thank you !

Edited September 3, 2008 by EmptyMind

[midas]

So now we are looking at actual costs about 30k per annum at a min up to maybe 80k per annum at a max, plus a nice vacation on top.. Versus 1.5 million and the loss of 150k per annum at only 10% returns. Smooth move fellas !! Making my assets meant I needed smarts, having money doesnt mean I have lost them.

LivinLOS what amazes me even more with people like EmptyMind is they cant possibly refute the

possibility this whole scam could just collapse tommorow. We all know the reason he needs to inflate

his figures ...................whatever it takes to make him feel better

Midas, How can something that works be called a scam ? You get what you pay for, please enlighten us to which part of that is what you call a scam ?

Yes it could fall apart tomorrow but so can anything, people have been saying for years that it wont work, but it does.

Also if you check the prices of business class flights and nice hotels, you will find my figures quite accurate thank you !

Firstly Thailand Elite or whenever it's now called

was introduced by a prime minister who we now know could definitely not be trusted

so for a start it doesnt have a good pedigree.

I guess it all depends on how you assess risk. I think is laughable that people

say " oh well if it fails I can afford to write off the money " ?

I probably consider it to be a scam because I question why any organisation

such as this that claims to be legitimate needs to levy all the money " upfront " ?

They are only providing a service and should have minimal overheads

so why do they need all the money in advance ? Why couldn't they charge

a modest annual subscription which would at least display a greater degree

of permanence and reduce the risk for the subscriber ?

Any organisation that wants everything paid upfront brings to mind some conman with a

suitcase ready to run off to another country and then we hear the bank account

is another country

[SiriusBlack1]

Bloke down pub tells me a new Elite card is now available for $5 million. It's called the Land Of Smiles Elite card. Members of this card, called LOSErs, are eligible for benefits such as condominiums unencumbered by clear titles, meterless taxi rides and 500-baht entry to national parks.

[torrenova]

I remember when this first came out and the main benefit was not the visa but the supposed land ownership. Then that was diluted to ownership through some quasi government backed company, then it was or appears to have been dropped altogether.

What happens when you get some high ranking Thais around a table ? plans are formed which would be knocked back in any western company or government but they are not in Thailand because those who are in a position to dissent want their turn at the head of the trough and as such are not going to say anything to threaten that possibility. QED, the Elite Card was born.

Now at Bt1m there are various arguments which either make it a bargain or a rip off. The seriously wealthy or ostentacious state that XYZ this and that at mega prices means that the card is good value even if only for a few years. The more sensible who do not need private jets for a one hour flight make arguments which state the exact opposite. My feeling is that the truth was somewhere in between.

Raise the bar to Bt1.5m and reduce benefits substancially and the arguments about the validity must move to the side of those who detract from the scheme. Any other argument is pure justification to oneself that the money paid is worth it. Note also that those who have paid never accrue the interest or return they would get on their investment but they tend to write it off in one go. Strange in the extreme.

I did not purchase a card. I could afford one and write it off. I did not because there was no compelling reason to do so. Perhaps if I flew in and out 30 times a year then those benefits would be worthwhile as perhaps would they if I spent more time in Bangkok.

Quite rightly their are comments that the scheme could collapse at any time. Surely a reduction in services and the raising of a fee that so few were willing to pay in the beginning marks the next step in the withdrawal process ? I see the visa remaining but then when has obtaining a visa for a country been that difficult ?

[EmptyMind]

Bloke down pub tells me a new Elite card is now available for $5 million. It's called the Land Of Smiles Elite card. Members of this card, called LOSErs, are eligible for benefits such as condominiums unencumbered by clear titles, meterless taxi rides and 500-baht entry to national parks.

Just what this forum needs, more pointless replies !

[EmptyMind]

So now we are looking at actual costs about 30k per annum at a min up to maybe 80k per annum at a max, plus a nice vacation on top.. Versus 1.5 million and the loss of 150k per annum at only 10% returns. Smooth move fellas !! Making my assets meant I needed smarts, having money doesnt mean I have lost them.

LivinLOS what amazes me even more with people like EmptyMind is they cant possibly refute the

possibility this whole scam could just collapse tommorow. We all know the reason he needs to inflate

his figures ...................whatever it takes to make him feel better

Midas, How can something that works be called a scam ? You get what you pay for, please enlighten us to which part of that is what you call a scam ?

Yes it could fall apart tomorrow but so can anything, people have been saying for years that it wont work, but it does.

Also if you check the prices of business class flights and nice hotels, you will find my figures quite accurate thank you !

Firstly Thailand Elite or whenever it's now called

was introduced by a prime minister who we now know could definitely not be trusted

so for a start it doesnt have a good pedigree.

I guess it all depends on how you assess risk. I think is laughable that people

say " oh well if it fails I can afford to write off the money " ?

I probably consider it to be a scam because I question why any organisation

such as this that claims to be legitimate needs to levy all the money " upfront " ?

They are only providing a service and should have minimal overheads

so why do they need all the money in advance ? Why couldn't they charge

a modest annual subscription which would at least display a greater degree

of permanence and reduce the risk for the subscriber ?

Any organisation that wants everything paid upfront brings to mind some conman with a

suitcase ready to run off to another country and then we hear the bank account

is another country

Yes but the point your missing here is that the card was and still is aimed at people who will pay the fee so that the Government makes money from them in one way or another. That point never was hidden and again you say scam.

If they took the money and then refused to answer e-mails or give you membership, then yes, that would be a scam. However since you get what they advertise for the advertised price, I think you need to do some Googling to see what the word scam really means.

Again, It was never targeted at "everyone'. That's why its called an ELITE CARD and not a 'back-packers bus pass with free visa'.

I wish that you people who hate the card just because you can't afford it or don't want it would stop hijacking every post that mentions the card with your naive notions of a scam. Who cares where the bank is, Many agents for the card have bank accounts in their own countries. These crazy comments are totally unjustified as usual.

Do you call everything a scam back in your home Country ? It's getting tiring listening to you people with no interest in the card what so ever rambling on about it.

[alyx]

I remember when this first came out and the main benefit was not the visa but the supposed land ownership. Then that was diluted to ownership through some quasi government backed company, then it was or appears to have been dropped altogether.

What happens when you get some high ranking Thais around a table ? plans are formed which would be knocked back in any western company or government but they are not in Thailand because those who are in a position to dissent want their turn at the head of the trough and as such are not going to say anything to threaten that possibility. QED, the Elite Card was born.

Now at Bt1m there are various arguments which either make it a bargain or a rip off. The seriously wealthy or ostentacious state that XYZ this and that at mega prices means that the card is good value even if only for a few years. The more sensible who do not need private jets for a one hour flight make arguments which state the exact opposite. My feeling is that the truth was somewhere in between.

Raise the bar to Bt1.5m and reduce benefits substancially and the arguments about the validity must move to the side of those who detract from the scheme. Any other argument is pure justification to oneself that the money paid is worth it. Note also that those who have paid never accrue the interest or return they would get on their investment but they tend to write it off in one go. Strange in the extreme.

I did not purchase a card. I could afford one and write it off. I did not because there was no compelling reason to do so. Perhaps if I flew in and out 30 times a year then those benefits would be worthwhile as perhaps would they if I spent more time in Bangkok.

Quite rightly their are comments that the scheme could collapse at any time. Surely a reduction in services and the raising of a fee that so few were willing to pay in the beginning marks the next step in the withdrawal process ?

At last a sensible comment (I mean it)

I still don't get the point of this argument; some of us have bought the card and have their reasons while others haven't and they have their reasons too.

By the way I'd like more details about the "...... when has obtaining a visa for a country been that difficult ?"

I might be interested in US UK EEC etc....