'thai Elite Card': First Sublime, Then Ridiculous.

[morphic]

Thankyou powers that be within Thailand. I read with great mirth the story of how the Thai Elite Card price is set to double for expats. Upon seeing the title of this story on ThaiVisa.com I assumed, against all odds, that the scheme must have been an immense success. Silly of me to think thta only huge demand could have spured Thaksin's decison to double the price. But when I opened the story up I discovered, just as expected by all but the witless and worthless, that the scheme has so far been a total flop. So, in response to the dismal but predictable perforamce (200 cards so far, but many of those probably had to be given away) , the price for expats is going to be doubled! Yeah, right, good idea, that will get them selling like hotcakes! The reason is that the expats who buy them are likely to want to use the services too much! So, presumably, the point of offering the five year visa and 'house buying' mechanism etc is actually to attract only those who spend a tiny amount of time in the country and woud haave no use of the visa or property. The card just about made sense to a few gullible expat suckers with more money then brains, but now even they have been ruled out. By the way, Dr Pat Pong, if you could afford a card, would you buy one? Anyway, I had a jolly good laugh.

[Butterfly]

hahaha !!! couldn't have put it better myself. I think you are exactly right.

But the doubling of price actually make sense when you can't cover your sales target or fixed cost. They can't sell below costs, right ? but I guess there were a little bit too optimistic in their sales projection.

200 sold

999,800 to go

[samran]

I am sure the Prime Minister now has realised the error of his ways and instead will halve the price of the Elite Card thanks to Morphic's post.....

I look forward to further serious immigration policy discussion.

Goodonya Morphic...you mover and shaker you...

[Adjan]

I am sure the Prime Minister now has realised the error of his ways

Lèse Majesté ? Khun Toxine cannot be wrong. But customers they still don't buy that card do.

[Thaiquila]

I was thinking about a good thing to say about the management of the card.

At least they are telling the TRUTH about the pitiful number of cards that have been distributed (notice I didn't say sold, because we don't know what percentage of that 200 were given away). But whether it is 200 actually sold or 50 actually sold, these low numbers are a red flag to anyone who was considering the card.

For example, if there really were a million holders, it would be harder to rip off so many people as the damage to face would be a much bigger incentive to keep promises.

[Axel]

I think we do wrong to our great inventor of this card. Personally, I believe 200 actually sold. This makes an income of Baht 200,000,000. Now deduct from this the overheads. Salaries, office rent, advertisements, dues and fees, amouunts paid out to providers, total of it be what? 100 million? Jeez, I could run a major operation with the net-balance, and now it's only January.

[Gfunk]

well said morphic

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Dr Pat Pong, if you could afford a card, would you buy one?

Well.....frankly Morph....not even with your money . I'm silly, but not bloody mad.