Thaivisa To Issue Thailand Expat Gold Card

[raybkk]

Make it a real credit card. However the amount of credit they give you is based on the amount you deposit. They do that in Singapore as well. Works for everybody. Regardless.... Good or Bad credit. All are approved. And the more you deposit, the more points you earn.

[brahmburgers]

As for "real estate sources" I work with a small group of Thai people up here in Chiang Rai offering real estate services - primarily connecting buyers and sellers. I looked for an appropriate place on Thaivisa.com to submit this info, but didn't see a designated link, so I settled on mentioning it here. To whomever is (or will be) coordinating the mechanics of the 'Gold Card' - feel free to contact me about this.

[george]

- Will it only be available to permanent expats - It's an expat card

Will that then be judged by visa status? Why not make it availble to tourists? I know most people on thaivisa.com would class themselves as expats but in reality the majority or at least a large percentage of this board (which is where I expect you will get most of your buyers) are classed as tourists.

Good Idea making it available to people other then expats of Thailand. I am an expat living in Japan and travel to Thailand often to see a "friend". I would be interested in ths. .

The card will be available to all and valid in all countries. The card administration and customer service will be outsourced abroad. The card currency will be USD or Euro, not Thai Baht.

[Diggerbasher]

The key to making this thing fly is a good conversion rate from Baht to home currency.

Edited July 10, 2005 by Diggerbasher

[malcolminthemiddle]

                        

Bring it on!

Bring it on!

Bring it on!

I like the idea of the SMS messenging service, not interested about the golf.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I like the idea of golf discounts, green fees are on the up and up, not interested in the SMS messenging service.

A list of courses please, when available.

Also, providing membership rules allow, all of you (outside LOS) with teeraks, you could give her one of these cards and top it up whenever instead of sending cash.

Edited July 10, 2005 by malcolminthemiddle

[george]

As an EXPAT card, surely one ISP or another would be interested in creating a similar service+free modem deal along the lines of CSLox's Bangkok deal?

Great idea Gaz Chiangmai, but include the provinces as well hey George?

l believe a few ISP's will be interested to offer special promotions.

[The_Moog]

The card administration and customer service will be outsourced abroad. The card currency will be USD or Euro, not Thai Baht.

You mentioned that this card was going to help overcome the problems faced by expats in Thailand in connection with their banking arrangements.

A card denominated in a non-Thai currency, where you have to phone overseas for support doesn't achieve that.

So if I send my THB20,000 to charge up my card , then this money goes - somewhere- offshore - then I phone up some call centre somewhere else - perhaps in UK to find out where the money went when it doesn't appear on the statement.

Then I say, 'well what about my discount in Spasso's then', and I get some Hungarian student at the Call Centre in Bradford.....

Not trying to be intentionally contrary, but the fact that this is being offshored makes for a new set of issues

[Artisan]

If the qualfications for membership do not include some kind of non-Imm visa (or residency), it means you have potential 6 billion members.

Standard Credit Card Terms and Conditions will apply.

Eg: Those not on the Electoral Roll in the UK cannot get a Credit Card at the High Street Banks. Some similar benchmarking will apply here.

Dose of reality - they're not going to be giving Credit Limits of THB 2m to English teachers - so that one can buy a plasma television, then default.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I haven't been on the electoral roll in the UK for 12 years and I have a bank of Scotland Visa Gold Card.....renewed every two years. My billing address is here in Thailand. The BoS also sends me a Visa Electron Debit card to my home in Thailand.

[george]

I didn't say "offshore" I said "abroad". Support could be a local toll free Thailand number rerouted. Statement could be online. We are speaking with serveral banks and institutions, so don't worry...

All details are defintively not final, we appreciate your input.

[Artisan]

Could work.

My thoughts are-

Available to WP holders only. Avoids a lot of trouble in the eyes of the authorities in LOS.

A law & immigration call line 24/7 provided by a seriously respectable law firm. Too much to ask, I know. But I thought I'd try.

(Just imagine. You're in a club raided by the cops.  Their demands for passport and a pisstest are met with "Thai Visa Gold Card holder. Back off biatch.")

Have backers with some serious clout in LOS.

Get Central, Tesco Lotus & Carrefour on board.

Decent medical insurance.

The idea of it being accepted as a legal form of I.D. in LOS is excellent. (None of this carrying your passport crap!).

Discounts of services expats often use or frequent- bars, restaurants, hotels, national airlines i.e. Bangkok Airways etc.

Then I'd definitely be interested.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

"Available to WP holders only. Avoids a lot of trouble in the eyes of the authorities in LOS.".............What about all of the retirees here, including myself, who have lived in Thailand for a couple of decades and have brought a considerable amount of NEW ( sorry, Dr Pat for the capitals!) into the country?

[george]

No work permit required!

The card will be issued outside Thailand, so no work permits or special visa requirements. We want to avoid all red tape in this card project.

[TizMe]

I cant see it being of benefit to me if it is in any currency other than Thai Baht or Aussie Dollars. Any benefits would be eroded by conversion fees.

[Upcountry]

It's a bit of a drag to go from baht to USD, for instance, but for me it wasn't so bad - until I got hit with 3% fees.

If this card did the same thing it would not help me. If it could guarantee that I would not be hit with these fees, I would apply.

[george]

I cant see it being of benefit to me if it is in any currency other than Thai Baht or Aussie Dollars.  Any benefits would be eroded by conversion fees.

Thai Baht currency means a Thai bank issued card, that means a valid work permit and a tax history etc. No work permit = no Thai card.

This card will not be the cheapest on the market, but it will allow all Thaivisa members to get a worldwide VISA/Mastercard, with consumer protection.

If you need Thai currency billing you are better off with a bank issues by a Thai bank. We will not go that route, as it's too complicated to deal with Thai banks in this regard.

[george]

What is a Private Label Debit Card?

Thailand Expat Gold Card is a Bank Sponsored, VISA/MasterCard Licensed, ATM/Debit (Stored Value) Card. They look like a credit card but they are not.

They look like a debit card but that is not what they are either. They are not smart cards but they do act like them.

What they are:

Debit Card – enabling the cardholder to make purchases at business establishments that accept debit cards. It is not a credit card, purchases are limited to the value of the card account at the time. Printed on the back of the card are the logos of the debit networks identities where the card may be used (Star, Cirrus, Maestro etc.).

The card has a MasterCard or Visa Hologram – may be used at point of sale with either Signature or PIN. Can be used anywhere either MasterCard or Visa are accepted.

It's also an ATM Card – may be used at automated teller machines to obtain cash. With the associated network capability of the cards there are over 1 Million ATM locations worldwide where a cardholder may withdraw cash from the card.

You can top up/refill your card via SWIFT/TT Transfer/ETA, Western Union or International Check. Similar to a mobile phone SIM card top up.

Consumer Benefits:

- No credit check-ups necessary - everybody gets approval!

- No credit reporting

- Easy to access funds at ATM, POS terminals and online

- You can monitor spending activity and balance in real-time via Internet

- Access to a branded card (MasterCard/Visa) that can be used worldwide

Note that we are working with several card companies and the final product might me slightly different, we don't know exactly yet.

[Tornado]

Can you use the card to purchase items over the internet? the same way as you would with a regular credit card?

I would also be interested in sponsoring it - costs? discounts to be offered? etc

good idea George and good luck with it.

Edited July 10, 2005 by Tornado

[george]

Cab you use the card to purchase items over the internet? the same way as you would with a regular credit card?

I would also be interested in sponsoring it - costs? discounts to be offered? etc

Yes, worldwide internet functionality (Thailand issued Visa Electron debit cards can not be used on the 'net)

Sponsoring: Please PM me regarding sponsorship, so I can add you to the sponsor mailing list. We have no info package ready yet, but will have ASAP.

Cheers

[wichianburi1]

The idea is very good, indeed. Are you planning to include hospitalization, emergency medical services, etc. with the medical/dental package?

What about spouse, dependents and/or acquaintances traveling/residing with the card holder? Would these groups enjoy the same or similar benefits?

It might be worth thinking about a silver card for "beginners/tourists" and a gold card for long-term expats. This might help to sort out the apples from the pears in many ways.

Another suggestion: Could you kindly add a spell check to your page? It would give some of us "farang" the chance to communicate better in the English language.

Many thanks.

[pete66]

What would the sign-up process be? Any ID required or just a form to fill plus payment?

[coalminer]

Great Idea.

I'm certainly "pro" for the idea, and if the cost of the card are affordable, I will certainly signup for it.

But if possible, I would like to see one thing I have since a long time in mind added.

Would it be possible to add a Travel Assistance Insurance which only would take care of the repatriation in severe medical cases?

This Travel Assistance exists for tourists, but not for expats.

I don't mind to pay a small fee for the Travel Assistance if I know that I would be repatriate immediatly in severe medical conditions.

Cheers,

Coalminer

[expatinasia]

Hi George,

Unlike many, I've read every single post. If I read "Hey, you can't get a credit card without a work permit" comment again, I'm going to scream.

I wish TV the best of success with the Expat card, and have some comments.

Several posters have indicated that they don't live in Thailand, but visit a couple weeks out of the year. Perhaps the term "expat" means something different in their neighborhoods. I've always thought it meant to live in another country, not simply to visit for a vacation. I'm not sure how TV will do it but, if it's an "expat" card, you'll need a method to assure proper residency.

Several other posters indicated that they have no intention of using the card, they simply wanted one for the "cachet". Evidently some guys have egos so small, they need a gold card to feel important. Perhaps they should cut out the sample card, and glue it on a piece of cardboard. That'll give them something to flash at the bargirls. For that reason, I think that TV should charge a fee for the card. It's going to cost someone something to issue a card and, if the user doesn't use it, the fee will cover the issuance cost. If the expat uses the card frequently enough, (s)he'll receive a credit for the fee.

Another fellow complained that the Expat card should have more than the 4 digit code that listed on the reverse of a credit card. Evidently tihs guy doesn't understand how a credit card works, and the purpose of the code. A 4-digit PIN is sufficient - it's good enough for Visa and MC - it should be good enough for us.

Others request all sorts of discounts, for example, UBC. Let's see, if UBC dropped its rates by 10%, how many of us would decide to have cable TV. Not too many. However, those of us already with UBC would be extended a discount, effectively cutting UBC's revenue. UBC management might not be the best, but I doubt that they're that dumb. Others also think that the Thai government will extend immigration and visa benefits to a card that competes with the Thai Elite card. I'm not going to hold my breath on that.

The items that I'd want a discount for have already been mentioned, so I won't waste your time with that.

Cheers!

[Jimmy in Bangkok]

George,

Sounds like you're on to a good thing here mate. As you have been bombarded with posts listing just about every conceivable option you could ever want I wont add any more. I will certainly be following this one closely and think it's a great idea if you can get it happening. Good luck and appreciate the effort you guys are going to on our behalf.

[andyadam]

How about chip and pin, as in the Eouropean system. I have no idea if they have that here.

[EmptyMind]

It's a nice sounding idea.

To be realistic the real advantage of owning such a card is the cache of carrying it in your wallet. Many of the goods and services are already offered by various companies and websites around the internet or in Thailand.

Also the amopunt of 'services' offered might seem overwhelming at first.

If the card carries a 'Visa Electron' emblem then the application process will be quite strict and the bank will have to insure and underwrite the peripheral services that you intend to offer.

I would focus on a few main features that would inspire people to shell out an annual membership fee - for example discounted health insurance.

Of course you will attract the 'party faithful' who will sign up whatever you do and that's fine, but for a broader appeal to casual forum posters and site visitors you'll have to offer a lot more than simply an email account or discount golf.

In fact this card sounds just like the "Thai Elite Card" and you should try to distance yourselves as much as possible from that fiasco.

Also - and I'm sorry to sound so negative about this, but my experience in this area permits me a certain amount of license to be so - if you are offering goods and services that come as part and parcel of membership to the card then you are accountable to your members for all of them and that means answering questions when things go wrong.

'Outsourcing to professionals' sounds like an easy way out, but as the Elite Card fiasco soon proved - the buck stops with the name on the door.

Finally - I have read some enthusiastic comments, but as a businessman myself I would largely ignore what people say at this stage of development. The stark truth is that if you offered free bungee-jumping in Chiang Rai, everyone would say what a great idea it was, but no-one would actually bother to show up to take advantage of it.

As I said at the beginning - at first your members will sign up simply to have it in their wallet! I would concentrate on that aspect of it's attractiveness. The vanity appeal!

Rollo Tomasi

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yup, don't really see the point to be honest, just another gimick to have in your pocket, if it functions as a visa debit card, where is this money held ? bank account ? hmm, sounds good and every one is saying how yummy it is without thinking about reality ? I'm sure some pple just post on here for the sake of posting something. This is the only country I have come accross where the merchant actually charges the customer the fees that THEY should be paying for using the services of Visa/Masercard etc so do you really think Thai companies will honour these discounts ? I dont think so. Nice idea but not for Thailand I don't think.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I would want our Thai Gold card to have a number we can call when we have Visa (as in immagration) problems.

Now we are really stretching things! What do you imagine that a bank issued membership card to a message board will be able to do for you that your embassy can't? What kind of 'immagration' problems might you face?

Problems aquiring a drivers license? What are you on about? Just go there with your work permit and passport and a photo. Take a test and your done! No work permit? Sorry - no license. That's the law and no-one can help you circumvent the law - not even the mighty Thai Visa operation!

Also - if you are living here on a tourist visa then you won't be buying land or a house anytime soon!

Sorry to sound so negative - but some of these posts are hoping for impossibly unrealistic expectations that no amount of the best and most expense legal help can provide you with let alone a bank card!

rollo

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not correct Rollo. A drivers license takes a Non-Immigrant visa of any category onlt. No work permit is required.

[atulmangalmurti]

i think anual fee is not main concern. which kind of value added services - this card will offer is more important. most of us use one or other credit card and some of them are free.

this will give new face to thai visa forum. wish you great success.

[Trevor]

If this is a credit card offered without credit checks then Visa or MasterCard will require a prior deposit of funds to cover the credit limit offered. Otherwise they are wide open to abuse, especially in a high-fraud zone like S E Asia.

[Totster]

If this is a credit card offered without credit checks then Visa or MasterCard will require a prior deposit of funds to cover the credit limit offered.  Otherwise they are wide open to abuse, especially in a high-fraud zone like S E Asia.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Have you read the previous posts...??

In case haven't .... the card will be a prepaid debit card....

totster

[Jai Dee]

<snip>

Can we get a card with a nice animated logo like your avatar coalminer?

[BPayette]

I agree totally with this! Many of these "great" features are rarely used or are available. This new card should focus on what isn't already offered, like the health insurance or car insurance discount. A 24/7 ENGLISH SPEAKING roadside service call in number would be VERY helpful as well. I know this is offered by some cards (SCB in particular), but the "English speaking" is in name only.

Love the idea though, I'm in.

bp

...Finally - don't assume that many of your members don't already have some of these features as p[art of their existing credit card agreements. I carry an Amex gold card which has all these features anyway and I can honestly say that I don't use any of them!

No - keep it simple. Tie the deal in with a good health insurance policy and promote the "Look what I've got" appeal.

(A whole lot less headaches too!)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>