Thailand Elite Card is pleased to announce the release of four new membership programs

[ubonjoe]

11 minutes ago, jankan88 said:

Btw, anyone know how to know exactly what kind of discount/promotion it is for each privilege at

 

http://www.thailandelite.com/#/privilege

Or does one need to call each place and ask what kind of deal they have with TE? Or does one have to ask TE what deal they have with each place? Both options seems like a hassle.

 

Because clicking on a privilege only gives information about that particular company.

It depends upon which membership you pay for as to what privileges you get.

Click on your membership, click learn more for your membership and it will show your privileges here. http://www.thailandelite.com/#/

[MartinBKK]

Can anyone with experience of the "departure service" advise what one can expect at Suvarnabhumi. I have never seen any information about it. I have the Superiority Extension Membership i am not sure if that gives you less than the full blown membership or not. I am not entitled to Limo service so do i go to the Thailand Elite office at the airport on arrival or something? Is the lounge airside or before immigration? What service is offered there? Can you skip the immigration lines? I am planning a trip out soon so any information would be appreciated. 

[anotheruser]

I think he means when they say they have special benefits for members such as discounts. There is a list of what you get included but they always say they offer different perks at hotels and restaurants that always remain somewhat vague.

 

Like this screenshot from their site tells us about exclusive discount rates all over Thailand. Then they send a couple of adverts from a couple of hotels and restaurants in a news letter every month with out ever giving any specifics of any deals or discounts.

 

 

[jankan88]

2 minutes ago, anotheruser said:

I think he means when they say they have special benefits for members such as discounts. There is a list of what you get included but they always say they offer different perks at hotels and restaurants that always remain somewhat vague.

 

Like this screenshot from their site tells us about exclusive discount rates all over Thailand. Then they send a couple of adverts from a couple of hotels and restaurants in a news letter every month with out ever giving any specifics of any deals or discounts.

 

 

Exactly what I meant :)

[jankan88]

Just got this answer through email

 

"For the question regarding the privileges on our website. Please be informed that as the discount/promotion for each privileges are vary; so you are required to check the discount/promotion through Thailand Elite only."

[thaifoodruns]

Yes, they're a lot slower than promised.  The famous line they gave me:

The entire process takes no longer than 14 working days.

Of course, I planned my trip back to Oz and return thinking that this was true. So 22 working days later, money paid etc and having returned on a visa exemption, I'm still waiting for the welcome letter. I'll give them until mid-next week, then I'll start making phone calls.

 

 

Ask them to assign you to your own customer representative, my experience and another above went alot quicker when we we're dealing with 1 person.

[anotheruser]

1 minute ago, jankan88 said:

Just got this answer through email

 

"For the question regarding the privileges on our website. Please be informed that as the discount/promotion for each privileges are vary; so you are required to check the discount/promotion through Thailand Elite only."

You would think they would email the appropriate tier of discount to each member. I am on the easy access plan. So please send me details of what my discounts are rather than make me enquire about a product I may not even be interested in as I don't have any details lol

 

This is the sort of thing that makes me say they don't really go out of their way. Same as when you go for your visa stamp and they make you sit in the main hall.

 

You would think they would let you sit at least at amazon and have a coffee. You never talk to anybody from immigration anyway. The pictures showing people on yachts and jets are quite amusing. 

 

Because the service is what it is I don't know who they are targeting. It sounds like even their initial service is in decline.

 

I just enquired about one of their deals just to see what it offers. I will report back on what they offer me and do a price comparison from booking.com or tripadvisor etc. I will report the results whether good bad or ugly.

 

 

[anotheruser]

Just now, thaifoodruns said:

 

 

Ask them to assign you to your own customer representative, my experience and another above went alot quicker when we we're dealing with 1 person.

This should be automatic not optional. hahah  

[MartinBKK]

Also, last month (in newsletter) there was a promotion offering a free round of golf at a course in Rayong. So i emailed to say i would like to play and was told my membership level is not entitled to this offer. Ok fair enough but why send me the newsletter with an irrelevant promotion?

[thaifoodruns]

At least you got a news letter, they couldn't be bothered to email me one

 

[anotheruser]

Just now, MartinBKK said:

Also, last month (in newsletter) there was a promotion offering a free round of golf at a course in Rayong. So i emailed to say i would like to play and was told my membership level is not entitled to this offer. Ok fair enough but why send me the newsletter with an irrelevant promotion?

Right that's what I mean they know what membership level you are and should know better. I sent an enquiry with just my name and didn't mention my membership level. So I am curious if they can do the leg work to enter my name and find it without asking me what my status is. 

 

 

[anotheruser]

Just now, thaifoodruns said:

At least you got a news letter, they couldn't be bothered to email me one

 

it is just a link on their main site. they pack it up and send it to you so you feel you are privy to something the plebs aren't I can forward it to you every month if you would like me to. 

[thaifoodruns]

it is just a link on their main site. they pack it up and send it to you so you feel you are privy to something the plebs aren't I can forward it to you every month if you would like me to. 

No worries mate, my membership qualifies for the visa and bank account only so wouldn't be much use, thanks anyways

[jankan88]

31 minutes ago, anotheruser said:

You would think they would email the appropriate tier of discount to each member. I am on the easy access plan. So please send me details of what my discounts are rather than make me enquire about a product I may not even be interested in as I don't have any details lol

 

This is the sort of thing that makes me say they don't really go out of their way. Same as when you go for your visa stamp and they make you sit in the main hall.

 

You would think they would let you sit at least at amazon and have a coffee. You never talk to anybody from immigration anyway. The pictures showing people on yachts and jets are quite amusing. 

 

Because the service is what it is I don't know who they are targeting. It sounds like even their initial service is in decline.

 

I just enquired about one of their deals just to see what it offers. I will report back on what they offer me and do a price comparison from booking.com or tripadvisor etc. I will report the results whether good bad or ugly.

 

 

Exactly, it makes us do more work than them. With my citibank prestige credit card (I guess most credit cards) they give very detailed information about each discout/promotion in terms of price. Strange that TE cant do that because the privileges "vary" so often. I will try to inquire about 5 of them and I bet most will not be in play any longer or not for my membership level. Lets see.

Oh, the main hall at immigration, yay. They could at least have a booth with their golden color with Thailand Elite on it :D

Please let us know what they reply back to you.

[anotheruser]

Okay they got back to me on the hotel deal they give members. Anantara Siam hotel.Here is a screen shot of their price list from my email and there is also a screen shot from the booking site of the hotel itself. 

 

Keep in mind the hotel includes taxes and fees and the TE offer is before 10% service charge and taxes.

 

Edited June 1, 2017 by anotheruser
added new pic with two rooms for better comparison

[anotheruser]

Final prices with taxes

                                          

                                  double occupancy    breakfast lounge     1,000 baht food voucher 

TE

deluxe room   7,294 Baht    *                           *              *

hotel site         5,317 Baht    *                                                                  *

 

TE 

junior suite   14,594              *                            *             *

Hotel site       9,581                *                                           *                     *

 

 

So you can see the suite is a much better value from the hotel website. It doesn't include breakfast but has the lounge and a 1,000 Baht voucher for food downstairs.

 

The deluxe room is a closer comparison but still includes a 1,000 Baht voucher but no lounge access or breakfast. You would need to decide for yourself which if these is better value. Is lounge access worth the nearly 2,000 Baht extra? That's subjective but that's the price break downs.

 

 

Edited June 1, 2017 by anotheruser
This is based upon final prices with 10% service charge and 7% tax

[jankan88]

Rubbish I would say :) And this proves our point. Inquiring about each "privilege" like this is crazy

[anotheruser]

Just now, jankan88 said:

Rubbish I would say :) And this proves our point. Inquiring about each "privilege" like this is crazy

Well paying 5,000 Baht extra for a suite for a night isn't exactly anything worth pursuing. You would have to be insane to take their deal. Another observation is the hotel has suites up to the 95,000 Baht a night price but TE stops at the junior suite. 

 

Anyway that is my sleuthing for the day make of it what you will.

[BEVUP]

9 minutes ago, jankan88 said:

Rubbish I would say :) And this proves our point. Inquiring about each "privilege" like this is crazy

Why! isn't that what your paying for

I am only going to touch on this subject as i think i only got half way through the topic

Well ok it would cost me $2000 Aud per year for the 20 yr option as i do not want the perks = $40,000 & you still have to prove the funds every 5 yrs

Also you still have to do the 90 day reports & iv'e read if you don't leave country you still have to do yearly so why have a 5 yr Visa

All you people say no dealing with Immi but you are the ones preparing the forms as you all ready do 

This situation is only good if you are in an International airport area (that's where Elites offices are ) or Pattaya 

For us in other major country cities we would have to send the lot to one of those places or still deal with Immi but am able to flash a card

So for the previllidge of a fast track without nearly having to wai 

So ok for one yr if i was to do = Always have to have funds / Initial Ext 1900 / 90 days 1900 x 3 / Ext 1900 = 5 x 1900 = 10,000 

 

 

[anotheruser]

2 minutes ago, BEVUP said:

Why! isn't that what your paying for

I am only going to touch on this subject as i think i only got half way through the topic

Well ok it would cost me $2000 Aud per year for the 20 yr option as i do not want the perks = $40,000 & you still have to prove the funds every 5 yrs

Also you still have to do the 90 day reports & iv'e read if you don't leave country you still have to do yearly so why have a 5 yr Visa

All you people say no dealing with Immi but you are the ones preparing the forms as you all ready do 

This situation is only good if you are in an International airport area (that's where Elites offices are ) or Pattaya 

For us in other major country cities we would have to send the lot to one of those places or still deal with Immi but am able to flash a card

So for the previllidge of a fast track without nearly having to wai 

So ok for one yr if i was to do = Always have to have funds / Initial Ext 1900 / 90 days 1900 x 3 / Ext 1900 = 5 x 1900 = 10,000 

 

 

You should probably examine the price comparison of what Jan is calling rubbish.  It seems that the discounts offered to esteemed members at times are slightly higher than the rack rate on hotels or even quite a bit higher. 

 

Look a couple posts above his comment and you will see a detailed comparison.

[jankan88]

8 minutes ago, BEVUP said:

Why! isn't that what your paying for

I am only going to touch on this subject as i think i only got half way through the topic

Well ok it would cost me $2000 Aud per year for the 20 yr option as i do not want the perks = $40,000 & you still have to prove the funds every 5 yrs

Also you still have to do the 90 day reports & iv'e read if you don't leave country you still have to do yearly so why have a 5 yr Visa

All you people say no dealing with Immi but you are the ones preparing the forms as you all ready do 

This situation is only good if you are in an International airport area (that's where Elites offices are ) or Pattaya 

For us in other major country cities we would have to send the lot to one of those places or still deal with Immi but am able to flash a card

So for the previllidge of a fast track without nearly having to wai 

So ok for one yr if i was to do = Always have to have funds / Initial Ext 1900 / 90 days 1900 x 3 / Ext 1900 = 5 x 1900 = 10,000 

 

 

I was not talking about the membership itself. I was talking about the special "discounts" TE offers on hotels/restaurants etc.

[BEVUP]

3 minutes ago, jankan88 said:

I was not talking about the membership itself. I was talking about the special "discounts" TE offers on hotels/restaurants etc.

Yes i know as my reply wasn't related to any of the deals as i was not interested in them

I was stating a point about the membership for us out of towners & what would normally cost us 10'000 bht p/y x 20 = 200,000 as we do now compared to the $2000nAud = 50,000 p/y x 20 = 1'000'000 & we either are still dealing with Immi or have to send to b=BKK

[anotheruser]

Just now, BEVUP said:

Yes i know as my reply wasn't related to any of the deals as i was not interested in them

I was stating a point about the membership for us out of towners & what would normally cost us 10'000 bht p/y x 20 = 200,000 as we do now compared to the $2000nAud = 50,000 p/y x 20 = 1'000'000 & we either are still dealing with Immi or have to send to b=BKK

Yes we have discussed all of that a million times. You jumped into the conversation in the middle of a different discussion and quoted Jan for saying he thought the discounts are rubbish. 

 

At this point most of us with a TE card have come to the consensus that the visa is worth it for all of us that joined. The year is now 2017. 

 

 

[snowflake]

I have over the last year lived here on a 60 day tourist visa, and let me tell you that there are costs with going out all the time. I do not work here and I am to young for a retirement visa.  I know that next year, in January I will severely look into the whole 5 year visa. I spend the better part of 6 months a year here, but just the hassle to deal with the local immigration is just worth it.

If I can also have a bank account and get a proper DL I am all set.

500000 is a lot of money, but over a period of 5 years it is not! Every time I go to Penang I spend at least 20000, yes, I don't have to spend it, but when I travel I like to do so with comfort...

nice hotel, 4 days, good food, entertainment, shopping for myself, the woman in my life, our baby boy and 11 year old daughter... it all adds up... plus the whole trip it self...  No, I am aiming for the whole Elite 5 year visa, makes it simpler and I might stay here more than 6 months a year then, if I manage to get some sort of WP on that visa....

 

[DUS]

23 minutes ago, snowflake said:

I have over the last year lived here on a 60 day tourist visa, and let me tell you that there are costs with going out all the time. I do not work here and I am to young for a retirement visa.  I know that next year, in January I will severely look into the whole 5 year visa. I spend the better part of 6 months a year here, but just the hassle to deal with the local immigration is just worth it.

If I can also have a bank account and get a proper DL I am all set.

500000 is a lot of money, but over a period of 5 years it is not! Every time I go to Penang I spend at least 20000, yes, I don't have to spend it, but when I travel I like to do so with comfort...

nice hotel, 4 days, good food, entertainment, shopping for myself, the woman in my life, our baby boy and 11 year old daughter... it all adds up... plus the whole trip it self...  No, I am aiming for the whole Elite 5 year visa, makes it simpler and I might stay here more than 6 months a year then, if I manage to get some sort of WP on that visa....

 

 

You cannot have a WP with the TE visa and you wouldn´t need TE if you have a job anyway.

 

But the other reasons for TE that you are giving in your post are valid. I spent the last year here on TRs and I spend roughly 60,000 just for the trips. Plus the time! So the difference to the 100k it costs per year (for the 5 year version) becomes "very" small especially if you take into consideration the convenience and "piece of mind" that comes with the TE visa.

Edited June 1, 2017 by DUS

[anotheruser]

If you have a work permit you don't need a TE anyway. So the problem solves itself. 

[lkn]

6 hours ago, anotheruser said:

[…] So you can see the suite is a much better value from the hotel website. It doesn't include breakfast but has the lounge and a 1,000 Baht voucher for food downstairs.

It does include breakfast, at least the deal (from their site) that I am looking at says: “Offer includes accommodation plus daily gourmet breakfast”.

 

6 hours ago, anotheruser said:

Is lounge access worth the nearly 2,000 Baht extra?

Personally, if I would need the lounge access (for some stays, I really like having an executive lounge) then I would definitely go for the Junior Suite booked directly with the hotel, rather than take the Deluxe Suite via TE :)

 

 

[lkn]

4 hours ago, snowflake said:

I spend the better part of 6 months a year here, but just the hassle to deal with the local immigration is just worth it.

The least friction is by getting a METV from your home country. This is valid for 6 months and gives you a 60 day stay each time you enter Thailand, which can be extended by 30 days at immigration. After 90 days you must leave the country, but crossing a land border is enough to get a new 60 days stamp.

 

So in 6 months (180 days to be exact), you will have to spend roughly a day on a border run, and two trips to the immigration office, which should take 1-2 hours (pro tip: fill out the PDF form on your computer and re-use it for your next extension).

 

This of course depends on where you are located (how much queue at the immigration office and distance to nearest border).

 

That said, I can certainly understand why someone would consider paying to avoid the above, I am pretty much in the same boat as you, for the last 5 years, I have been spending my winters in Thailand, and the forced border runs do bother me, though in these five years, I have only done 3 border runs and probably 4-5 extensions, the latter is fairly trivial, it’s mostly the bus ride to Myanmar I would prefer to avoid, but if I do the math, 3 in five years means at least 80,000 baht to avoid each (if I take the 20 year plan).

 

But I am 85% decided on signing up for TE before my next trip to Thailand because I have enough money to spend a million without concerns, it’s just the ridiculous cost/value proposition that I have to come to terms with (for someone in my situation).

[anotheruser]

36 minutes ago, lkn said:

It does include breakfast, at least the deal (from their site) that I am looking at says: “Offer includes accommodation plus daily gourmet breakfast”.

 

Personally, if I would need the lounge access (for some stays, I really like having an executive lounge) then I would definitely go for the Junior Suite booked directly with the hotel, rather than take the Deluxe Suite via TE :)

 

 

God knows after we pay for the visa we need to find some deals. :)

Edited June 1, 2017 by anotheruser

[newatthis]

14 hours ago, jankan88 said:

Haha mine too :D But not after giving them a push this morning :)

Confirmed to go to chaengwattana next week as well but I wont rest until I get that stamp :)

Ok, a little bit of topic. I go next Friday 9th. Coming from Ayutthaya, I get the van to Mo Chit BTS. How do I get to chaengwattana from there?