Thailand Elite Program Is Dying! Special Entry Visa Suspended!

[naturelover]

Thailand elite program is dying! Special Entry Visa suspended!

I am a Thailand elite member and I was informed today by Thailand elite company that the renewal of Thailand elite 5 year Special Entry Visa has been suspended.

The Thailand elite program was marketed as a government backed program that gives its members indefinite visa privileges in a form of a special visa entry that is renewable every 5 years. As a result of this extraordinary privilege many members has bought in to this program for 1 million baht. Apparently today the renewal of visa privilege has been suspended!

There has been a lot of negative comments in the past towards this program coming mainly from expats that live in Thailand and are not members of this program. Apparently those fears about the government not continuing to respect this program are coming to be true!

My personal opinion is that this situation will kill the programs reputation completely regardless the outcome of the expected cabinet vote about Thailand elite visa privilege approval.

As for today there are about 2500 members in the program. I am just wondering what will be the consequences of this move by thai government after not respecting a program it has self established, generating significant profits of this scam and insulting influential wealthy people from many nation around the world? What does this say about the country? What does this say about the people of this country? What does this say about doing business in this country?

For more information about this program you can visit thailandelite web site

[dotcom]

Yeah you wonder if there is a class action law suit coming?

Best of Luck.

[Jai Dee]

Hmmm... the website talks about a special entry visa:

"Perhaps the most important and attractive benefits attached to a Thailand Elite Membership are the enhanced immigration and visa privileges. Membership confers the right to stay in the Kingdom, with special entry visa as well as extendable 90-day stays without the usual need to leave the country.

Members will be granted a special entry visa when applying at any Royal Thai Embassy, Royal Thai Consulate General, or at any Thai Immigration Bureau at Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket Airport.

*This special entry visa is subject to the Thai Immigration Bureau’s approval."

[sriracha john]

Hmmm... the website talks about a special entry visa:

"Perhaps the most important and attractive benefits attached to a Thailand Elite Membership are the enhanced immigration and visa privileges. Membership confers the right to stay in the Kingdom, with special entry visa as well as extendable 90-day stays without the usual need to leave the country.

Members will be granted a special entry visa when applying at any Royal Thai Embassy, Royal Thai Consulate General, or at any Thai Immigration Bureau at Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket Airport.

*This special entry visa is subject to the Thai Immigration Bureau’s approval."

I believe that's been their standard blurb there for quite some time, Jai Dee.

Has there been an actual news update on the website (available only to members) regarding the suspension of the visa?

If so, could the OP or other Elite member please post it?

Edited January 15, 2009 by sriracha john

[andy1308]

Only last August the program was being sold and promoted heavily in Japan.

[PoorSucker]

Yes, The Special visa in not mentioned in Police order 777/2551.

[samuibeachcomber]

maybe its a false alarm,but if it is suspended everyone will get their 1 million bahts worth i assume.very expensive priveledge at 200,000 baht per annum.

[sriracha john]

Could any of the numerous Thai Elite Card holding thaivisa members please weigh in on this announcement? A call to their Service Desk or Customer Relations or whatever they have?

c'mon now... there's dozens of you out there from previous threads.

[naturelover]

"Perhaps the most important and attractive benefits attached to a Thailand Elite Membership are the enhanced immigration and visa privileges. Membership confers the right to stay in the Kingdom, with special entry visa as well as extendable 90-day stays without the usual need to leave the country.

Members will be granted a special entry visa when applying at any Royal Thai Embassy, Royal Thai Consulate General, or at any Thai Immigration Bureau at Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket Airport.

*This special entry visa is subject to the Thai Immigration Bureau's approval."

I believe that's been their standard blurb there for quite some time, Jai Dee.

Has there been an actual news update on the website (available only to members) regarding the suspension of the visa?

If so, could the OP or other Elite member please post it?

this is the offical letter for thailand elite members - Please see attached PDF flie

Clarified_Letter_of_Thailand_Elite_5_Years_Special_Entry_Visa_Re_Application_1_.pdf

[sriracha john]

*This special entry visa is subject to the Thai Immigration Bureau's approval."

I believe that's been their standard blurb there for quite some time, Jai Dee.

Has there been an actual news update on the website (available only to members) regarding the suspension of the visa?

If so, could the OP or other Elite member please post it?

this is the offical letter for thailand elite members - Please see attached PDF flie

Thank you very much for that.

Indeed, it's been changed drastically from it's previous status.

One wonders if the whole program isn't teetering on the brink now.

[Briggsy]

So if Elite Card Members go outside Thailand, they need to apply at an embassy for 90 days. Sounds like a visa run to me.

[Pdaz]

Makes you wonder.. I always thought that anyone with a million Baht spare would also have some common sense.. But they fell for it.. They believed that the card was genuine.. they actually believed

Okay I've heard the rationalization that if your were absolutely 'minted' that 1 mil Baht was only a pittance and nothing to worry about.. Okay I guess if all the customers were oil rich Arab Sheiks.. But seems that plenty of people to whom a mil Baht was a fair bit of cash also bought into the scam scheme..

Once again ''Amazing Thailand''....

[mrtoad]

I was aware that a number of the benefits had dwindled, but the visa benefit, was probably one of the main reasons why people decided to buy it.

From my understanding it now costs 1.5 million baht, so they reduce the services and up the prices. Sounds very typical of a number of business practices here.

Cavaet Emptor comes to mind.

[samgrowth]

Thaksin is gone. All his programs (including this one) will be removed one by one. I am not surprised at all. Good luck to you all who have donated 1 million to Thaksin. Call it betting on a loosing horse if you like.

[Jingthing]

I don't see a problem with trashing failed Thaksin programs. I do see a problem with promising customers a lifetime benefit and then taking it away. There really ought to be a lawsuit for members to recover the cost of the cards as the visa program was a huge portion of the benefit sold, for many, the only thing they were spending the money for. At one time I considered it, and the only reason I wanted it was the visa feature. I didn't really expect it to be honored for life, but that is what they at least implied. Thaksin may now be a wanted fugitive but at one time he represented the government of Thailand and put the reputation of the government of Thailand behind this card, even though it was administered by a private company (how convenient).

Edited January 15, 2009 by Jingthing

[Tigs]

Mmmmm ..A very bad show indeed.

There are many people who bought in to this for whom 1 Million baht is a substantial amount of money. I nearly did, for the visa and for the potential business opportunities (they used to say in the early days of the scheme that you could skip red tape and get to meet appropriate Ministers and other Government officials). I do think however that there are a lot of people in the scheme who are minted and they are the type of people who will have no hesitation in bringing a class action lawsuit against the Thai Government, and they will sue for a lot more than their 1 Mill Baht. A question for any existing members.... was it in the small print or the Terms and Conditions that they could pull a stunt like this??

[Jingthing]

Tigs, I read their website and if I recall correctly, the escape clause wasn't even fine print. Its just that this was originally presented as a Thai government sanctioned program. What does it say to any future potential foreign investors dealing with the Thai government?

Edited January 15, 2009 by Jingthing

[sniffdog]

Elite Program = Madoff of Thailand?

[JimmyTheMook]

Another rusty nail in Thailand's reputation for wealthy foreign investors.

Guess exporting cashews and coconuts is Siam's true destiny.....

Edited January 15, 2009 by JimmyTheMook

[Netfan]

The funny thing is there are people actually surprised by this. Hey, I'm sorry, but after everything that was written about this scam- and I mean going back to when it was first proposed, and considering the guy who was behind it, I don't feel the least bit sorry for anyone who who fell for handing over the million baht. A blind man could have seen this coming in the fog.

Edited January 15, 2009 by Netfan

[WAERTH]

They cannot even afford to hire proper writers. The written English in that announcement is horrendous!

[sriracha john]

Mmmmm ..A very bad show indeed.

There are many people who bought in to this for whom 1 Million baht is a substantial amount of money. I nearly did, for the visa and for the potential business opportunities (they used to say in the early days of the scheme that you could skip red tape and get to meet appropriate Ministers and other Government officials). I do think however that there are a lot of people in the scheme who are minted and they are the type of people who will have no hesitation in bringing a class action lawsuit against the Thai Government, and they will sue for a lot more than their 1 Mill Baht. A question for any existing members.... was it in the small print or the Terms and Conditions that they could pull a stunt like this??

"Too bad...so sad...nothing much you can do" *

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, above, speaks at the launch of the Thailand Elite Card.

Associated Press

* = or words to that effect according to "Terms and Conditions" here:

http://www.thailandelite.com/membership.php

[Jingthing]

The funny thing is there are people actually surprised by this.

I agree. It is not surprising. I figured it was good for ONE 5 year visa, and after that, don't count on it. That said, the honorable thing would be for the Thai government to either refund the card costs or grandfather the current holders visa option for life. Will they do that? What do you think?

Edited January 15, 2009 by Jingthing

[Tigs]

Siracha John

Thanks for the link. Straight from the website.

Termination due to government policies  

In case there is any order, rule, regulation or law announced by any related government authority which has an impact on the business operation of the Company to the effect that the Company is unable to continue its business or perform its operations as usual, the Company shall be entitled to terminate the Membership by giving an advance written notice to the Member.

Yikes! Looks like as normal they will walk scot free.

Jingthing

What does it say to any future potential foreign investors dealing with the Thai government?

I guess it says 'Don't do it!

Sorry to all those who have lost privileges/money.

[MeetJohnDoe]

As has been posted in the past, even paying the "membership" fees was kinda suspicious...as the official application materials one received from the Thai Privilege Card Co. directed that the monies be transferred to the company's bank account in SINGAPORE. I guess doing this made the "skim" easier

These materials did state that if there were material changes in the program's services or the whole scheme discontinued, "prorated" refunds of membership fees paid would be made. Good Luck on that one!

Agree with those who have said that this was a big Square Faced Guy project and now that it looks like he's gone for good, the current regime would shed no tears at its demise.

[Jingthing]

Maybe they want to do their part to confirm the age old adage:

Don't bring any money to Thailand you can't afford to lose.

After all, if you were really "elite" a million b is chump change, na?

[humbug]

on another thread i was reading the thai government were stating they were going to waive visa fees etc, so by suspending the elite special visa renewal then the thai government will now alienate another bunch of foreigners, just plain stupid

or do you think the op is being a little melodramatic and the visa renewal will just go ahead after the new government signs the dotted lines for his elite program to carry on as normal?

[Soutpeel]

I suspect the sh*t caning of Toxic's Thailand Elite card is paving the way for a "new and improved" Thailand Elite card to be introduced, of course members of the old scheme will be welcome to apply for a "nominal" fee

[adjan jb]

Rats!

[Jingthing]

I suspect the sh*t caning of Toxic's Thailand Elite card is paving the way for a "new and improved" Thailand Elite card to be introduced, of course members of the old scheme will be welcome to apply for a "nominal" fee

You are an optimistic sort, aren't you?

I doubt it. The whole Elite card company is a reminder of the Thaksin years. It was a huge failure. The sales numbers were tiny. I think they have every good reason to trash this program completely. However, that is obviously not fair to the current holders.