Overseas concerns add to problems of Thailand Elite Card

[SOEYCHANLOY]

... and now, say you have that card.

I doubt any Thai anywhere has any idea what it is or what to do with it.

I could be wrong, since I have no idea what it is or gives you "elite" status.

Showing your money around, gives us all "elite" status here in Thailand.

yeap this is well true ! Only cash is king. The card is a plastic chip. Try to pay a whore with that Elite card....

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[OMGImInPattaya]

The cards are named "Thailand Elite" by Thaksin and we have his Reds condemning the elites in Thailand...

A true genius in business and marketing if ever there has been one...

Somewhere on the red-poster crib-sheet, it must surely read, "Shin-Elite Good, Old-Elite Bad !" ?

May I propose a new slogan, "Thai Elite Card, the Scam which Keeps On Scamming !" ?

But I still believe that, had it been devised in the form of an automatic on-arrival 5-year no-90-day-reporting Visa-card, there might well have been hundreds of thousands of potential foreign-residents, who might have been happy to shell-out B100k for one ? I myself certainly would have been willing to stump-up the cash.

Why should Thailand, or any country, basically sell anyone a 5 year residency permit for what amounts to a few thousand dollars? I agree it would certainly be popular but what's in it for Thailand?

[tomacht8]

Who the hell buys this card for 2 million baht?

The same card can also be purchased for 300 baht in the Khao San Road.

And this card works also for discounts on hotels and golf clubs.

Edited February 21, 2014 by tomacht8

[baboon]

Remember, the initial Thaksin Elite Card scheme was to sell 1 million at 1 million baht. Now, it is 2 million baht, not lifetime, 20,000 baht annual fee, no land purchase, and can be canceled at any time by Thai Gov with no refund. Definitely, for stupid people only.

Sounds like a great deal to me, and only 2 million Baht too! Where do I sign up?

[HerbalEd]

I could "maybe" be interested in this card if the benefits weren't so heavily based upon golf course privileges ...which doesn't interest me at all. Someone is inaccurately stereotyping the card's potential customers as all being golfers. Instead they should be offering a choice of other non-golfing benefits.

BTW, no offense to golfers. It's just not my cup of tea.

[Davidhere]

TPC president Apisit Chuenchompoo said there was no doubt the Elite Card's image had been marred by the country's political problems, especially after the government declared a state of emergency in Bangkok. This was undermining their confidence because the card is directly issued by the government.

This is the funny stuff. As if the last 3 months is reponsible for the abysmal sales figure of the card for the past 11 years and that previously the Elite Card had a great image full of strong foreign confidence.

.

[Davidhere]

Remember, the initial Thaksin Elite Card scheme was to sell 1 million at 1 million baht. Now, it is 2 million baht, not lifetime, 20,000 baht annual fee, no land purchase, and can be canceled at any time by Thai Gov with no refund. Definitely, for stupid people only.

Sounds like a great deal to me, and only 2 million Baht too! Where do I sign up?

Contact real estate developer Nusasiri and buy one of their broom closet sized condos for 5,000,000 Baht and you're sorted.

.

[richard_smith237]

I'm a T.E Card Owner... I bought the card for 1MB in 2005, back then I was 30, the life time membership looked good (yes, a dash naive of me) - I used the logic that by now it would have paid for itself... It hasn't... I've used an estimated had of that in privileges...

My reasons for purchasing:

• I used to golf regularly... (1-2 times per week)
• I also used massages... (1-2 times per week)
• I was well under retirement age
• I worked overseas (not in Thailand - thus no work permit)
• I wasn't married (thus only eligible for a tourist visa)
• I live in Thailand but travelled in and out to work regularly

I still frequently rely on the card:

• Airport pickup and drop off (used to be a 7 Series BMW, now a Camry) very useful and reliable - no taxi issues or hassles, no need to queue for a taxi, worry that he might be ripping me off or that he doesn't know my destination etc...

• Escort through immigration (on arrival and departures) at the airport... I get met at the gate and escorted through immigration into a lounge, someone else collects my baggage and I get whisked strait to the waiting Camry.

• Massage: I no longer use the massage benefit. It changed to Thai massage only (I don't enjoy Thai massages).

• Golf: Free golf at a number of courses around the Country: I use the Golf Less lately, the number of participating courses has dropped to about 20 nation wide.

• Visa: I'm now married, so don't really need the visa, but I don't need the hassle of doing the type O visa every year either... The 5 Year (renewable for life) visa is very convenient (we still have to 90 day report if I'm in country for long enough).

• 10% at some hospitals - (not really a big deal)...

• Free yearly Medical- I've used this full on medical each year, something I might not have otherwise done if it wasn't included.

With the benefit of hindsight would I have purchased the Card again??? Simple answer really, No !...

But that 'No' is based on a lot of the negative publicity the card has generated.

There are four negatives since 2005:

• Change of Massage to Thai Massage only
• Reduction of number of participating golf courses
• Change in AOT vehicle from 7 Series BMW to a Camry
• Future of the Program

The future of the program is perhaps the greatest negative, however, this has been in question for 3 or 4 years now.

Do I need the card no ? But does anyone need a nice car, business class travel, luxury housing etc ?? No, of course not...

This card losses less money than a BMW or Merc...

With regards to the name... well, 'Elite' is just down right daft... they should have called it something else and removed the pretentiousness.

I know other Members, they are happy if the program continues, but would like the golf course and massage privilege to go back.

Owning Land: Well, that would be an excellent plus and bring in members...

Edited February 21, 2014 by richard_smith237

[Ricardo]

The cards are named "Thailand Elite" by Thaksin and we have his Reds condemning the elites in Thailand...

A true genius in business and marketing if ever there has been one...

Somewhere on the red-poster crib-sheet, it must surely read, "Shin-Elite Good, Old-Elite Bad !" ?

May I propose a new slogan, "Thai Elite Card, the Scam which Keeps On Scamming !" ?

But I still believe that, had it been devised in the form of an automatic on-arrival 5-year no-90-day-reporting Visa-card, there might well have been hundreds of thousands of potential foreign-residents, who might have been happy to shell-out B100k for one ? I myself certainly would have been willing to stump-up the cash.

But the they'd have to call it 'Thai Riff Raff', anyone can stump up 100k.

"anyone can stump up 100k"

And that's the point, all of us who live here, or even just stay for several years, would have gladly kicked-in to assist the government in helping develop the country, and simultaneously cut the cost of their administering our staying, by saving the cost of all our visits to Immigration.

"Rif Raff' or 'Elite', they're going to come in their tens & hundreds of thousands, or even millions as he hoped and predicted, and their goodwill could have been harnessed.

But Thaksin set the price too high, he only wanted elite hi-so golfing types, like himself. He didn't research or understand the market, indeed when one looks at the TAT's regular drives to attract a better class of tourist, it's evident that they still don't understand Thailand's attraction as a cheap-and-cheerful beach-holiday destination. Thailand isn't, and never will be, all that up-market., there are many 'better' places to visit, but many of us prefer to come here instead !

And the Thai Elite scheme, with its reduced benefits & increased fees, is still trying to make his original dream work.

[boomerangutang]

I looked at their site. It's very elitist (or tries to be, in Thai style). Over 80% of the several dozen offers are either in Bkk or 'Chon Buri' (probably means; Pattaya, but they don't want to use the name Pattaya as it has a sordid reputation). the offers at restaurants are 10% off food only - whoop dee-do. Instead of paying a very high prices for MSG laden food, you only have to pay high prices. The express check in at Suwanboom (I spell it as it sounds) apply only to the card holder. If that person is with anyone else, he/she has to wait for those others to go through regular entry procedures.

[ratcatcher]

I am more likely to buy a timeshare for winter use in Mongolia...

Maybe contact jollyman ?

[jpduggan]

TPC intends to sell 1,300 cards in its 2014 financial year, which started last October,yet since it was established in 2003 there are only 1,300 members. Thailand is not run by but overrun by MORONS.

[bigbamboo]

I'm a T.E Card Owner... I bought the card for 1MB in 2005, back then I was 30, the life time membership looked good (yes, a dash naive of me) - I used the logic that by now it would have paid for itself... It hasn't... I've used an estimated had of that in privileges...

My reasons for purchasing:

• I used to golf regularly... (1-2 times per week)
• I also used massages... (1-2 times per week)
• I was well under retirement age
• I worked overseas (not in Thailand - thus no work permit)
• I wasn't married (thus only eligible for a tourist visa)
• I live in Thailand but travelled in and out to work regularly

I still frequently rely on the card:

• Airport pickup and drop off (used to be a 7 Series BMW, now a Camry) very useful and reliable - no taxi issues or hassles, no need to queue for a taxi, worry that he might be ripping me off or that he doesn't know my destination etc...

• Escort through immigration (on arrival and departures) at the airport... I get met at the gate and escorted through immigration into a lounge, someone else collects my baggage and I get whisked strait to the waiting Camry.

• Massage: I no longer use the massage benefit. It changed to Thai massage only (I don't enjoy Thai massages).

• Golf: Free golf at a number of courses around the Country: I use the Golf Less lately, the number of participating courses has dropped to about 20 nation wide.

• Visa: I'm now married, so don't really need the visa, but I don't need the hassle of doing the type O visa every year either... The 5 Year (renewable for life) visa is very convenient (we still have to 90 day report if I'm in country for long enough).

• 10% at some hospitals - (not really a big deal)...

• Free yearly Medical- I've used this full on medical each year, something I might not have otherwise done if it wasn't included.

With the benefit of hindsight would I have purchased the Card again??? Simple answer really, No !...

But that 'No' is based on a lot of the negative publicity the card has generated.

There are four negatives since 2005:

• Change of Massage to Thai Massage only
• Reduction of number of participating golf courses
• Change in AOT vehicle from 7 Series BMW to a Camry
• Future of the Program

The future of the program is perhaps the greatest negative, however, this has been in question for 3 or 4 years now.

Do I need the card no ? But does anyone need a nice car, business class travel, luxury housing etc ?? No, of course not...

This card losses less money than a BMW or Merc...

With regards to the name... well, 'Elite' is just down right daft... they should have called it something else and removed the pretentiousness.

I know other Members, they are happy if the program continues, but would like the golf course and massage privilege to go back.

Owning Land: Well, that would be an excellent plus and bring in members...

Interesting analysis of the pros and cons. I was never tempted when it first appeared and quite why anyone would join up now baffles me.

Of course calling it the 'Elite Card' was tempting fate but as they don't come any more 'elite' than it's progenitor, Thaksin Shinawat, I suppose his ego wouldn't allow it to be called anything else.

[richard_smith237]

I looked at their site. It's very elitist (or tries to be, in Thai style). Over 80% of the several dozen offers are either in Bkk or 'Chon Buri' (probably means; Pattaya, but they don't want to use the name Pattaya as it has a sordid reputation). the offers at restaurants are 10% off food only - whoop dee-do. Instead of paying a very high prices for MSG laden food, you only have to pay high prices. The express check in at Suwanboom (I spell it as it sounds) apply only to the card holder. If that person is with anyone else, he/she has to wait for those others to go through regular entry procedures.

Not true... My Wife and I travel together frequently, she receives the exact same courtesy as I upon departure and arrival...

I've also travelled with friends, they too have been permitted to accompany me through fast track.

The restaurants part: 10% discount - I never knew !... but I doubt I'd even go to those restaurants.

With regards to Bangkok and Chonburi - In digging too hard for a negative you've lost balance. Bangkok and Chonburi are simply provinces.... Pattaya is a town within Chonburi.

As you can see in my first post in this thread - I've attempted to provide a balanced opinion... Conversely, in attempting to ridicule the Thai Elite Card two of your three points above are factually incorrect.

Edited February 21, 2014 by richard_smith237

[Davidhere]

As you can see in my first post in this thread - I've attempted to provide a balanced opinion.

It stands in strong contrast to the numerous other threads of the past on the subject that I reviewed. In those threads, the card holders (or at least the numerous posters claiming to be card holders) come across as completely pompous tools with unbelievable claims.

You are to be commended for your honesty.

.

[boomerangutang]

I looked at their site. It's very elitist (or tries to be, in Thai style). Over 80% of the several dozen offers are either in Bkk or 'Chon Buri' (probably means; Pattaya, but they don't want to use the name Pattaya as it has a sordid reputation). the offers at restaurants are 10% off food only - whoop dee-do. Instead of paying a very high prices for MSG laden food, you only have to pay high prices. The express check in at Suwanboom (I spell it as it sounds) apply only to the card holder. If that person is with anyone else, he/she has to wait for those others to go through regular entry procedures.

Not true... My Wife and I travel together frequently, she receives the exact same courtesy as I upon departure and arrival...

I've also travelled with friends, they too have been permitted to accompany me through fast track.

The restaurants part: 10% discount - I never knew !... but I doubt I'd even go to those restaurants.

With regards to Bangkok and Chonburi - In digging too hard for a negative you've lost balance. Bangkok and Chonburi are simply provinces.... Pattaya is a town within Chonburi.

As you can see in my first post in this thread - I've attempted to provide a balanced opinion... Conversely, in attempting to ridicule the Thai Elite Card two of your three points above are factually incorrect.

Many of the venues which say 'Chon Buri' are actually in Pattaya. I stick with my earlier reason why they don't say 'Pattaya.' If you're not sure of what type of reputation Pattaya has, may I suggest you take a look at the Pattaya forum.

On the Elite site, they specify that ONLY the Elite card holder can use the 'fast track' privilege. Others traveling with the card holder cannot. What actually happens at that venue is subjective (up to what officials feel like doing).

[Tokay]

A fool and his money are soon parted.

[Ricardo]

The cards are named "Thailand Elite" by Thaksin and we have his Reds condemning the elites in Thailand...

A true genius in business and marketing if ever there has been one...

Somewhere on the red-poster crib-sheet, it must surely read, "Shin-Elite Good, Old-Elite Bad !" ?

May I propose a new slogan, "Thai Elite Card, the Scam which Keeps On Scamming !" ?

But I still believe that, had it been devised in the form of an automatic on-arrival 5-year no-90-day-reporting Visa-card, there might well have been hundreds of thousands of potential foreign-residents, who might have been happy to shell-out B100k for one ? I myself certainly would have been willing to stump-up the cash.

Why should Thailand, or any country, basically sell anyone a 5 year residency permit for what amounts to a few thousand dollars? I agree it would certainly be popular but what's in it for Thailand?

Thaksin's original aim was, I believe, to raise a trillion Baht from hi-so visitors to his country, and attract more of the right sort of long-term visitor, who might also invest here.

The scheme failed to achieve this aim, since richer tourists/visitors aren't stupid when it comes to money, and recognise poor value-for-loney when they see it. Most of the then-promised benefits were available individually anyway, at lower cost, only the right (quickly withdrawn) to own land in your own name, and the eternal-right to a 5-year visa-on-arrival, meant much.

Then an absolute fortune was spent promoting the card, and the operating-company, all taxpayers' money flowing out ! But once the distribution of free-cards ended, actual cash-purchases were relatively-few, and a problem arose. Then the scheme's originator lost power.

The scheme can still IMO raise a serious windfall for the country, a few hundred thousand purchasers paying a hundred-thousand-Baht each, is still worth having. And it costs the country hardly anything, a plastic-card & call-center, plus rights which cost nothing at all !

There would also be a significant saving, should there be hundreds-of-thousands of purchasers, in the cost to Thailand of operating the Immigration-system.

I myself did consider the Elite-Card, before I moved to live here, they couriered me a pack of information-lite glossy publicity-material, but my other research showed me that the benefits (to a non-golfing non-massage 50-year-old married-to-a-Thai-national farang) weren't that valuable, in my own case. Then they fudged the right to own land in my own, or in our own, names. Then they discovered that 90-day-reporting would still be required. By then I'd made the correct decision, for my own case, and so had many other potential buyers.

Other may have a different opinion of the scheme, but it wasn't for me as then set out, however I still might be attracted by a B100k 5-year visa-on-arrival with no reporting-requirement, I'd also quite like to contribute something extra, to my new home-country (as I regard it), and receive some recognition of having done so.

Is that vanity, or a reasonable business-proposition ? Whatever, I still think there may be elements of a workable idea, somewhere inside the original scheme, but of course a new name will be required, given Thaksin/PTP's new aim of waging war on Elites of any kind !

Edited February 24, 2014 by Ricardo

[boomerangutang]

When Thaksin sees a farang, he thinks; "How rich is he, and how can I suck as much money off him as possible?" The Elite Card, his idea, is the same concept taken to loftier heights.

[taony]

Yeah, it was doomed from the start. Thais don't always understand the concept of "investment". Offer REAL benefits, offer benefits that are desirable to more than a few people, but most of all, offer them at a DISCOUNT. Get people into the country and they will spend money while here. You try to rob them blind while they still haven't even gotten on the plane , well, then don't be so surprised when people don't fall for it.

[rametindallas]

This whole scam is a, 'jobs for the boys'.

"the TPC, set up by the [Tourism Authority of Thailand] to run the scheme, has accumulated losses of 1.4 billion baht due to high payroll, management costs and reported abuse of privileges by executives"

http://travel.cnn.com/bangkok/sleep/thailand-elite-card-banished-auction-block-909083

[lachiplo]

what advantages do i have if i purchase this card? do i get like a easier and less restricted visa or smt?

[boomerangutang]

what advantages do i have if i purchase this card? do i get like a easier and less restricted visa or smt?

You might get a less restricted smt, but I don't know what that is. Sounds rather intriguing. Related to smut, perchance?

It would be interesting to see how many cards have been given away, compared to how many purchased. I'd guess the ration is around 5 to 1, give-aways to purchases.