Thailand Elite Card To Be Relaunched In June

jbrain · June 11, 2013

and my friend jbrain will soon come to see me (not sure where yet) to have a (quality) beer together

Don't hold your breath on that. Jbrain has a sense for value, something Thai elite card members have proven of lacking over and over again, and traveling a 2000 Km roundtrip either way in exchange for a beer clearly isn't. value.

gerry1011 · June 11, 2013

and my friend jbrain will soon come to see me (not sure where yet) to have a (quality) beer together

Don't hold your breath on that. Jbrain has a sense for value, something Thai elite card members have proven of lacking over and over again, and traveling a 2000 Km roundtrip either way in exchange for a beer clearly isn't. value.

Friendship is priceless !!!

Should I fly and bring a few bottles? (I'll have a few too, if you don't mind)

jbrain · June 12, 2013

and my friend jbrain will soon come to see me (not sure where yet) to have a (quality) beer together

Don't hold your breath on that. Jbrain has a sense for value, something Thai elite card members have proven of lacking over and over again, and traveling a 2000 Km roundtrip either way in exchange for a beer clearly isn't. value.

Friendship is priceless !!!

Should I fly and bring a few bottles? (I'll have a few too, if you don't mind)

You're always welcome, I will be pleased to savour a few bottles with you. I'm in Pattaya.

Let's see how much you value friendship, and if you will put your money where your mouth is.

gerry1011 · June 12, 2013

and my friend jbrain will soon come to see me (not sure where yet) to have a (quality) beer together

Don't hold your breath on that. Jbrain has a sense for value, something Thai elite card members have proven of lacking over and over again, and traveling a 2000 Km roundtrip either way in exchange for a beer clearly isn't. value.

Friendship is priceless !!!

Should I fly and bring a few bottles? (I'll have a few too, if you don't mind)

You're always welcome, I will be pleased to savour a few bottles with you. I'm in Pattaya.

Let's see how much you value friendship, and if you will put your money where your mouth is.

Uhm... I would prefer Bangkok, ... or anywhere with an airport.

Pattaya is not really on my way. Not sure it is my style either... (but ok, I have never been there, so cannot say...).

jbrain · June 12, 2013

and my friend jbrain will soon come to see me (not sure where yet) to have a (quality) beer together

Don't hold your breath on that. Jbrain has a sense for value, something Thai elite card members have proven of lacking over and over again, and traveling a 2000 Km roundtrip either way in exchange for a beer clearly isn't. value.

Friendship is priceless !!!

Should I fly and bring a few bottles? (I'll have a few too, if you don't mind)

You're always welcome, I will be pleased to savour a few bottles with you. I'm in Pattaya.

Let's see how much you value friendship, and if you will put your money where your mouth is.

Uhm... I would prefer Bangkok, ... or anywhere with an airport.

Pattaya is not really on my way. Not sure it is my style either... (but ok, I have never been there, so cannot say...).

Well, since you said that you would bring the beers with you, I don't consider an Airport the right place to consume them for an Elite member, neither will the steps of a nearby 7/11 be the right place.

So since Pattaya is not your style, it is clear that you place yourself once again above other people. If you value friendship so high, I'm sure you will not mind to come as far as my house to join together the beers you bring with you, but yeah maybe my house is also not your style/

By the way, this is my last post in this thread, as I don't feel comfortable polishing someones ego on a forum.

bigbamboo · June 12, 2013

Looks like the wedding's off then.

gerry1011 · June 12, 2013

Well, since you said that you would bring the beers with you, I don't consider an Airport the right place to consume them for an Elite member, neither will the steps of a nearby 7/11 be the right place.

So since Pattaya is not your style, it is clear that you place yourself once again above other people. If you value friendship so high, I'm sure you will not mind to come as far as my house to join together the beers you bring with you, but yeah maybe my house is also not your style/

By the way, this is my last post in this thread, as I don't feel comfortable polishing someones ego on a forum.

Did I say something wrong?

Well, no problem, ... life (in this thread) goes on

gerry1011 · June 12, 2013

Looks like the wedding's off then.

We were going to have a beer together, not marry... We are not done for each other

wordchild · June 13, 2013

strictly speaking, is it your house jbrain? could be even riskier than a TE card, start a new thread on that subject and I am sure you will get some good advice!

jbrain · June 13, 2013

strictly speaking, is it your house jbrain? could be even riskier than a TE card, start a new thread on that subject and I am sure you will get some good advice!

I could always provide you with a copy of the building license, issued by the Thai government in my farang name if you insist. And it didn't cost me a million to get that license.

wordchild · June 14, 2013

strictly speaking, is it your house jbrain? could be even riskier than a TE card, start a new thread on that subject and I am sure you will get some good advice!

I could always provide you with a copy of the building license, issued by the Thai government in my farang name if you insist. And it didn't cost me a million to get that license.

I am sure you could, but who owns the land?

wordchild · June 14, 2013

strictly speaking, is it your house jbrain? could be even riskier than a TE card, start a new thread on that subject and I am sure you will get some good advice!

I could always provide you with a copy of the building license, issued by the Thai government in my farang name if you insist. And it didn't cost me a million to get that license.

I am sure you could, but who owns the land?

The reason i ask and the reason it is relevant to this thread is because i noticed that you had posted pictures of your house in the Real Estate forum (finished house pics thread), its not entirely my taste but you seem very pleased with it; which is all that matters, obviously.

In any event ,what is clear, is that it is almost certainly worth more than 1m bt and that it is not movable. As you say you are a farang and, as we all know, it is strictly forbidden for non Thais to own land, then someone (or something), other than you , must own the land on which it stands. I am sure that the ownership structure that you have will be completely legal but ,as is often reported on Thai Visa , all of the various ways that farangs have found (other than the foreign freehold of a condo) to own property in Thailand ,carry some degree of risk. Whether it is owned through a Thai wife/partner , a company or nominee of some kind, a lease or usufruct, they all carry their own significant risks and potential pitfalls . I am sure you will be aware of these.

We all have had to find our own ways to live as we wish in this country within the laws as they stand. For many, especialy those of us who were not eligable for retirement visas, the Thailand Elite program seemed to offer some useful answers. You have been particularly vocal on this thread and on a prior one in criticizing people who bought into the original program for not foreseeing the risks and for wasting (our own) money. You seem never to accept that there maybe some people for whom it has worked out at least ok (my case) and others for whom it seems to have worked out quite well.

While i would accept that some of the points you have made are valid eg the risk that the rules can be changed in a heartbeat, what i dont understand is why, given all that you have said, you seem to have taken (on the face of it) a much larger risk with your own personal situation. From my perspective, building a house on land you dont own is fraught with risk and you will find on this forum stories of people who have lost everything through doing this.

jbrain · June 14, 2013

strictly speaking, is it your house jbrain? could be even riskier than a TE card, start a new thread on that subject and I am sure you will get some good advice!

I could always provide you with a copy of the building license, issued by the Thai government in my farang name if you insist. And it didn't cost me a million to get that license.

I am sure you could, but who owns the land?

The reason i ask and the reason it is relevant to this thread is because i noticed that you had posted pictures of your house in the Real Estate forum (finished house pics thread), its not entirely my taste but you seem very pleased with it; which is all that matters, obviously.

In any event ,what is clear, is that it is almost certainly worth more than 1m bt and that it is not movable. As you say you are a farang and, as we all know, it is strictly forbidden for non Thais to own land, then someone (or something), other than you , must own the land on which it stands. I am sure that the ownership structure that you have will be completely legal but ,as is often reported on Thai Visa , all of the various ways that farangs have found (other than the foreign freehold of a condo) to own property in Thailand ,carry some degree of risk. Whether it is owned through a Thai wife/partner , a company or nominee of some kind, a lease or usufruct, they all carry their own significant risks and potential pitfalls . I am sure you will be aware of these.

We all have had to find our own ways to live as we wish in this country within the laws as they stand. For many, especialy those of us who were not eligable for retirement visas, the Thailand Elite program seemed to offer some useful answers. You have been particularly vocal on this thread and on a prior one in criticizing people who bought into the original program for not foreseeing the risks and for wasting (our own) money. You seem never to accept that there maybe some people for whom it has worked out at least ok (my case) and others for whom it seems to have worked out quite well.

While i would accept that some of the points you have made are valid eg the risk that the rules can be changed in a heartbeat, what i dont understand is why, given all that you have said, you seem to have taken (on the face of it) a much larger risk with your own personal situation. From my perspective, building a house on land you dont own is fraught with risk and you will find on this forum stories of people who have lost everything through doing this.

Don't worry, without going into detail I can assure you that my ownership structure is safe and will allow me to live in the house till the end of my days, and thereafter will go to the one I decided.

The difference between me and the Elite card members is that I engaged in a upfront known risk, and dealt with it accordingly, while the majority of the card members purchased the card with the promise that they could own 1 Rai of land which was taken away from them soon after they parted with their money.

RogueLeader · June 14, 2013

Don't worry, without going into detail I can assure you that my ownership structure is safe and will allow me to live in the house till the end of my days, and thereafter will go to the one I decided.

The difference between me and the Elite card members is that I engaged in a upfront known risk, and dealt with it accordingly, while the majority of the card members purchased the card with the promise that they could own 1 Rai of land which was taken away from them soon after they parted with their money.

You're singing the same tune that raises the roofs of expat bars from Hat Yai to Chiang Rai: it's an opera whose third act is a tragedy. Beware, is all I'm saying. If your continued residence there is based on legalities, the 'upfront risks' that you faced mean nothing. If you ever contest anything in court against a Thai, you will lose because you are not living in a country where the rule of law is respected or often even considered and all lawsuits between Thai and farang in Thailand are automatically settled in favour of the Thai.

Documents mean nothing. Power, wealth, patronage and influence mean everything. Tread carefully.

tomyummer · June 26, 2013

Source: http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/315-EliteCard.shtml

-- ASIATravelTips 2013-05-31

I can hardly wait. I wonder if I can get a discount if I buy in bulk.

Does the card come with a white wash job included?

No. Just a bunch of hand jobs.

I wonder if Bill Gates still has his?

gerry1011 · June 26, 2013

Source: http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news13/315-EliteCard.shtml
-- ASIATravelTips 2013-05-31

I can hardly wait. I wonder if I can get a discount if I buy in bulk.

Does the card come with a white wash job included?

No. Just a bunch of hand jobs.

I wonder if Bill Gates still has his?

This is already very old news... from 300 posts away.

Please come up with something new... Then we might succeed it bringing this tread to 400 posts

ukrules · May 26, 2014

So now there's a 5 year membership option for 500k Baht called 'Thailand Elite Easy Access' as opposed to the 2 Million Baht 'Thailand Elite Individual' membership.

You get the same 5 year visa with multiple one year entries, there's no yearly fee but the other benefits are reduced.

To me it makes sense to offer the 5 year option, I have no clue what I'll be doing or where I'll be in 10 years time so I'm going for the 5 year version of this.

They don't appear to be promoting this too much as it's hard to find the details on the official website, maybe it's a relatively new offering.

Does anyone know how long this 'Easy Access' 5 year membership has been available for ?

casualbiker · May 26, 2014

So now there's a 5 year membership option for 500k Baht called 'Thailand Elite Easy Access' as opposed to the 2 Million Baht 'Thailand Elite Individual' membership.

You get the same 5 year visa with multiple one year entries, there's no yearly fee but the other benefits are reduced.

To me it makes sense to offer the 5 year option, I have no clue what I'll be doing or where I'll be in 10 years time so I'm going for the 5 year version of this.

They don't appear to be promoting this too much as it's hard to find the details on the official website, maybe it's a relatively new offering.

Does anyone know how long this 'Easy Access' 5 year membership has been available for ?

10 minutes and it runs out 20 minutes after you pay!

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

ukrules · May 26, 2014

10 minutes and it runs out 20 minutes after you pay!

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I don't understand what you mean. You pay 500k and get an immediate 5 year visa in your passport, no need to even leave Thailand if you're already here.

Once the visa is in your passport there's a proven track record of them being honoured over many years, even when the program was suspended for a short time a while back the visas were still valid.

jethro69 · May 26, 2014

http://www.thailandelite.com/newcreate/glimpse.php

I think it was covered in another thread already, from people who actually own it. (the 500K one)

chotthee · May 26, 2014

http://www.thailandelite.com/newcreate/glimpse.php

I think it was covered in another thread already, from people who actually own it. (the 500K one)

500K is worth it.

Can I own land?

harryfrompattaya · May 26, 2014

http://www.thailandelite.com/newcreate/glimpse.php

I think it was covered in another thread already, from people who actually own it. (the 500K one)

500K is worth it.

Can I own land?

Yes you can own land in the country that you passport is from

I do and many members do noproble,

ukrules · May 26, 2014

http://www.thailandelite.com/newcreate/glimpse.php

I think it was covered in another thread already, from people who actually own it. (the 500K one)

500K is worth it.

Can I own land?

Not in Thailand you can't. The benefits of this one are the 5 year visa, express immigration and free car from the airport.

So the only real benefit is the 5 year visa, the rest is largely irrelevant although the immigration thing will be nice when there's large queues at arrivals.

Asiantravel · May 26, 2014

http://www.thailandelite.com/newcreate/glimpse.php

I think it was covered in another thread already, from people who actually own it. (the 500K one)

500K is worth it.

Can I own land?

Yes you can own land in the country that you passport is from

I do and many members do noproble,

WorriedNoodle · May 26, 2014

http://www.thailandelite.com/newcreate/glimpse.php

I think it was covered in another thread already, from people who actually own it. (the 500K one)

500K is worth it.

Can I own land?

Not in Thailand you can't. The benefits of this one are the 5 year visa, express immigration and free car from the airport.

So the only real benefit is the 5 year visa, the rest is largely irrelevant although the immigration thing will be nice when there's large queues at arrivals.

The free car sounds like a winner, where can I sign up? Lucky to get a new car below 500K these days.

plachon · May 26, 2014

they are simply not capable of learning from the repeated mistakes. The Thai ethos appears to be if you don't success the first-time in scamming people simply re-vamp it. <deleted>!

Au contraire...... for the TAT and associated private structure (offshored to Singapore) that was created to manage the Elite Card, it was a perfect gift from the government to make a shitload of money with few strings attached. The mere fact that something doesn't work, fails to reach its target or is not successful is immaterial to the more important factor of whether the elite who run the Elite Card were able to cream off a small fortune from the public funding of this scheme. I worked a treat under Thaksin a decade ago, and a few people are still probably dining off the project even now, so this is exactly why it is being repeated. In a kleptocracy with minimum checks and balances, projects of this nature are pure jewels in the rough, that inevitably get disinterred for polishing every now and then. Irrigation infrastructure projects are essentially the same.

bigbamboo · May 26, 2014

they are simply not capable of learning from the repeated mistakes. The Thai ethos appears to be if you don't success the first-time in scamming people simply re-vamp it. <deleted>!

Au contraire...... for the TAT and associated private structure (offshored to Singapore) that was created to manage the Elite Card, it was a perfect gift from the government to make a shitload of money with few strings attached. The mere fact that something doesn't work, fails to reach its target or is not successful is immaterial to the more important factor of whether the elite who run the Elite Card were able to cream off a small fortune from the public funding of this scheme. I worked a treat under Thaksin a decade ago, and a few people are still probably dining off the project even now, so this is exactly why it is being repeated. In a kleptocracy with minimum checks and balances, projects of this nature are pure jewels in the rough, that inevitably get disinterred for polishing every now and then. Irrigation infrastructure projects are essentially the same.

The Elite Card was founded on the principle that there one mug born every minute and a million of them must live in Thailand.

Turned out there were only a couple of thousand.

casualbiker · May 27, 2014

Why not get set up for a 3 year visa from the thai. embassy £250.(14,000b)

http://thaiembassyuk.org.uk/?q=node/76

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LivinLOS · May 27, 2014

Why not get set up for a 3 year visa from the thai. embassy £250.(14,000b)

http://thaiembassyuk.org.uk/?q=node/76

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Because very very few people can meet the eligibility requirements ??

Is this a trick question or ??

casualbiker · May 27, 2014

Nope. I didn't know it even existed as I'm sure others didn't.

I would imagine it's for business people who are doing said business with Thai companies.

What are the requirements?

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