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[soi41]

baboon, on 2012-05-16 22:43:07, said:

Soi41: I suggest you make use of the massage and spa facilities before you have a coronary.
Relax, it`s just a chat on the internet. Why the venom?

Quite funny actually, as I am the owner of 2 spas and another privillige with the card is free yearly healthchecks

[Chua]

The best way for Thailand to continue to ruinits reputation in the global community as a bungling, inept, backwards, and xenophobic country would be to abolish the Thailand Elite car, which has already sold >2,500 lifetime of benefits at 1,000,000Thai Baht each to the wealthiest and most influential investors in Thailand.  Are these really the 2500 people Thailand wants to royal piss off?  They don't want their money back -- they want the privileged and benefits they paid for.   Its no worth any law suits or more bad PR -- rather at least  just honor these memberships already sold. Otherwise they risk the most severe and significant downgrade in the highest end segment of foreign Thai investors, which could cripple the Thai economy.

The smart move would be to keep Thai Elite going, even if the program itself has a loss.   The overall benefit in terms of infux of huge foreign capital investment alone is worth it.

[baboon]

soi41, on 2012-05-16 22:59:12, said:

baboon, on 2012-05-16 22:43:07, said:

Soi41: I suggest you make use of the massage and spa facilities before you have a coronary.
Relax, it`s just a chat on the internet. Why the venom?

Quite funny actually, as I am the owner of 2 spas and another privillige with the card is free yearly healthchecks

Oh well. I own a bicycle and a ferocious soi dog. Time to crawl back under my rock.

[ratcatcher]

soi41, on 2012-05-16 22:59:12, said:

baboon, on 2012-05-16 22:43:07, said:

Soi41: I suggest you make use of the massage and spa facilities before you have a coronary.
Relax, it`s just a chat on the internet. Why the venom?

Quite funny actually, as I am the owner of 2 spas and another privillige with the card is free yearly healthchecks

Another happy ending.

[GentlemanJim]

soi41, on 2012-05-16 22:59:12, said:

baboon, on 2012-05-16 22:43:07, said:

Soi41: I suggest you make use of the massage and spa facilities before you have a coronary.
Relax, it`s just a chat on the internet. Why the venom?

Quite funny actually, as I am the owner of 2 spas and another privillige with the card is free yearly healthchecks

I always wondered where Harry got his inspiration from   Quite funny actually.

[mccw]

LivinLOS, on 2012-05-16 12:11:53, said:

The idea itself isnt horrible, but the inept management and way the project was fund once for lifetime use is just doomed to failure..

A government approved system, providing red carpet visa service, investment links, path to PR and citizenship (these are the kind of people for citizenship apps surely) etc etc Is a problem crying out for a solution.. Look at the Malayasia my second home or brazilian investment schemes..

Of course if its going to be a badly run, ill funded, ill defined idea without any clear mandate from government run by xenephobic rules.. Its also doomed to failure.

2 simple step would make them a fortune.
Allow the card holder life time multiple entry visa
And right to own up to a limit of a half a rai of land. Easy
Land limit would be to allay fears of foreigners (taking over Thailand, farms, food supply, inflation etc.)

[Soi Sauce]

If he actually had any dosh, he wouldn't live in Soi 41.

An old bBc comedy show used to have a voice that shouted, "Don't you believe it"

Empty vessels and all that. Must be a member of the Thai gov.

[Beetlejuice]

This could have great advantages and huge disadvantages.

The elite American Express card comes to mind:



And BTW, has anyone considered that the authorities could impose purchasing an elite card for those who wish to stay in Thailand long term as part of the Immigration requirements?

[Mosha]

Soi Sauce, on 2012-05-16 16:47:27, said:

Thought Thaksin, PTP, and their red dupes were opposed to the Elite.

I must be wrong coz they want to create another million of them with people's pennies.

Robin Hood in reverse I reckon.

Look at the old boss, same as the new boss.

[ratcatcher]

Beetlejuice, on 2012-05-17 01:28:47, said:

This could have great advantages and huge disadvantages.

The elite American Express card comes to mind:



And BTW, has anyone considered that the authorities could impose purchasing an elite card for those who wish to stay in Thailand long term as part of the Immigration requirements?

They possibly could, but they probably won't.

[jerrysteve]

[timewilltell]

steveromagnino, on 2012-05-16 15:09:43, said:

"The management of this scheme carries a clear message. Do NOT believe what Thai's promise (particularly if they want your cash up front), Do NOT do business in Thailand, do not invest in Thailand and do not show any faith in the Thai government.

last phrase maybe but don't tar an entire country and people just because we have morons running the place.

Well actually you do have to tar the entire country because if you invest here then it will be the government who set the rules and directives to discriminate against your company and against you personally in so many ways and secondly because the people who live in this society have accepted corruption into their lives at least to the extent - 'If you can't beat them, join them'.  So I think the original posters comments actually did not quite go far enough.

[soi41]

Soi Sauce, on 2012-05-17 01:21:00, said:

If he actually had any dosh, he wouldn't live in Soi 41.

An old bBc comedy show used to have a voice that shouted, "Don't you believe it"

Empty vessels and all that. Must be a member of the Thai gov.

Just back from Nana? Believe it or not there are other Soi 41's than Sukhumvit. What about Hua Hin, next to Klai Kangwon Palace and the beach ? With posters like you, there are no need for old BBC comedies. Time for a little water in the ballast tanks !

[baboon]

soi41, on 2012-05-17 08:56:38, said:

Soi Sauce, on 2012-05-17 01:21:00, said:

If he actually had any dosh, he wouldn't live in Soi 41.

An old bBc comedy show used to have a voice that shouted, "Don't you believe it"

Empty vessels and all that. Must be a member of the Thai gov.

Just back from Nana? Believe it or not there are other Soi 41's than Sukhumvit. What about Hua Hin, next to Klai Kangwon Palace and the beach ? With posters like you, there are no need for old BBC comedies. Time for a little water in the ballast tanks !

What about Hua Hin, next to Klai Kangwon palace and the beach?

[soi41]

baboon, on 2012-05-17 09:10:29, said:

soi41, on 2012-05-17 08:56:38, said:

Soi Sauce, on 2012-05-17 01:21:00, said:

If he actually had any dosh, he wouldn't live in Soi 41.

An old bBc comedy show used to have a voice that shouted, "Don't you believe it"

Empty vessels and all that. Must be a member of the Thai gov.

Just back from Nana? Believe it or not there are other Soi 41's than Sukhumvit. What about Hua Hin, next to Klai Kangwon Palace and the beach ? With posters like you, there are no need for old BBC comedies. Time for a little water in the ballast tanks !

What about Hua Hin, next to Klai Kangwon palace and the beach?

Soi 41 !!

[p_brownstone]

Chua, on 2012-05-16 23:01:55, said:

The best way for Thailand to continue to ruinits reputation in the global community as a bungling, inept, backwards, and xenophobic country would be to abolish the Thailand Elite car, which has already sold >2,500 lifetime of benefits at 1,000,000Thai Baht each to the wealthiest and most influential investors in Thailand.  Are these really the 2500 people Thailand wants to royal piss off?  They don't want their money back -- they want the privileged and benefits they paid for.   Its no worth any law suits or more bad PR -- rather at least  just honor these memberships already sold. Otherwise they risk the most severe and significant downgrade in the highest end segment of foreign Thai investors, which could cripple the Thai economy.

The smart move would be to keep Thai Elite going, even if the program itself has a loss.   The overall benefit in terms of infux of huge foreign capital investment alone is worth it.

Total nonsense.

In the first place a very large number of the Cards were given away free to sports stars, personalities etc..

Secondly I frankly do not believe that most of the "Elite" who paid for this Card are intelligent Investors - in the Thai Economy or elsewhere.

Any competent Investor would look at the supposed benefits of the Card and immediately realise that it was totally unsustainable and simply could not last - "Free" Health checks, "Free" Golf Course Fees, "Free" Limousine transport and supplementary Airtickets etc. etc., that's the clear red flag! Nothing is "Free"; the costs of all these benefits must be paid by the TPC Company to the provider of the service. Some lucky Cardholders boasted on this and other Forums that they had quickly earned back their "Investment" by using these "Free" Services, good for them, perhaps they saw the flaws in the scheme, but now those not so fortunate whine that the Card is in trouble and benefits are being reduced or limited and cannot understand why.

TPC has no Income apart from the Fees paid by new Members, it's basically a Ponzi scheme which must inevitably collapse once money received from new Members dries up.

I sympathise with the Cardholders who paid but have absolutely no respect for them as Businessmen!

Patrick

Edited by p_brownstone, 2012-05-17 09:24:09.

[baboon]

soi41, on 2012-05-17 09:23:04, said:

baboon, on 2012-05-17 09:10:29, said:

soi41, on 2012-05-17 08:56:38, said:

Soi Sauce, on 2012-05-17 01:21:00, said:

If he actually had any dosh, he wouldn't live in Soi 41.

An old bBc comedy show used to have a voice that shouted, "Don't you believe it"

Empty vessels and all that. Must be a member of the Thai gov.

Just back from Nana? Believe it or not there are other Soi 41's than Sukhumvit. What about Hua Hin, next to Klai Kangwon Palace and the beach ? With posters like you, there are no need for old BBC comedies. Time for a little water in the ballast tanks !

What about Hua Hin, next to Klai Kangwon palace and the beach?

Soi 41 !!

Yees...And?

[Thai at Heart]

p_brownstone, on 2012-05-17 09:23:19, said:

Chua, on 2012-05-16 23:01:55, said:

The best way for Thailand to continue to ruinits reputation in the global community as a bungling, inept, backwards, and xenophobic country would be to abolish the Thailand Elite car, which has already sold >2,500 lifetime of benefits at 1,000,000Thai Baht each to the wealthiest and most influential investors in Thailand.  Are these really the 2500 people Thailand wants to royal piss off?  They don't want their money back -- they want the privileged and benefits they paid for.   Its no worth any law suits or more bad PR -- rather at least  just honor these memberships already sold. Otherwise they risk the most severe and significant downgrade in the highest end segment of foreign Thai investors, which could cripple the Thai economy.

The smart move would be to keep Thai Elite going, even if the program itself has a loss.   The overall benefit in terms of infux of huge foreign capital investment alone is worth it.

Total nonsense.

In the first place a very large number of the Cards were given away free to sports stars, personalities etc..

Secondly I frankly do not believe that most of the "Elite" who paid for this Card are intelligent Investors - in the Thai Economy or elsewhere.

Any competent Investor would look at the supposed benefits of the Card and immediately realise that it was totally unsustainable and simply could not last - "Free" Health checks, "Free" Golf Course Fees, "Free" Limousine transport and supplementary Airtickets etc. etc., that's the clear red flag! Nothing is "Free"; the costs of all these benefits must be paid by the TPC Company to the provider of the service. Some lucky Cardholders boasted on this and other Forums that they had quickly earned back their "Investment" by using these "Free" Services, good for them, perhaps they saw the flaws in the scheme, but now those not so fortunate whine that the Card is in trouble and benefits are being reduced or limited and cannot understand why.

TPC has no Income apart from the Fees paid by new Members, it's basically a Ponzi scheme which must inevitably collapse once money received from new Members dries up.

I sympathise with the Cardholders who paid but have absolutely no respect for them as Businessmen!

Patrick

Lifetime memberships?

They may work with gyms, because 80% of the people stop going, but, in this case where the benefits were so numerous and ongoing,  there was absolutely no way that 1mn baht was going to pay for all of those benefits forever.  By now, if the company was private, it would have been wound up, sold, and the terms of the memberships changed just like every other lifetime membership company works, and the original owners sitting pretty on a beach somewhere.  In a good way, doing business with the government was an advantage, because they don't want to be seen to act in quite such a weasly way, although I wouldn't hold my breath.

[animatic]

PaulGary, on 2012-05-16 14:58:06, said:

I have a friend who is a Thailand Elite card member and he is very complimentary to the quality of services offered to the members. As published in the Bangkok Post on the 26th April, 2012, however, "A member survey by TPC found 51% of cardholders found the company's closure acceptable, 23% did not, and 26% had no comment."

My friend was one of the 26% "no comments" as the questionnaire was poorly written and offered a choice of a) Accept dissolution and a refund (with no amount specified) or   Happy for the card to continue (no mention of further reduced benefits).  

So the Thai government  have decided to continue a long bankrupt scheme that 77% of members have no/little interest in continuing PLUS are planning to reduce benefits for interested members further. Is this sensible to any race/culture/business?

The management of this scheme carries a clear message. Do NOT believe what Thai's promise (particularly if they want your cash up front), Do NOT do business in Thailand, do not invest in Thailand and do not show any faith in the Thai government.

Early adopters in all Ponzi Schemes are all very complimentary.
It is those screwed on the back end that understand the game best.

[Soi Sauce]

baboon, on 2012-05-17 09:10:29, said:

soi41, on 2012-05-17 08:56:38, said:

Soi Sauce, on 2012-05-17 01:21:00, said:

If he actually had any dosh, he wouldn't live in Soi 41.

An old bBc comedy show used to have a voice that shouted, "Don't you believe it"

Empty vessels and all that. Must be a member of the Thai gov.

Just back from Nana? Believe it or not there are other Soi 41's than Sukhumvit. What about Hua Hin, next to Klai Kangwon Palace and the beach ? With posters like you, there are no need for old BBC comedies. Time for a little water in the ballast tanks !

What about Hua Hin, next to Klai Kangwon palace and the beach?

Retirees near the beach?

I can afford Bkk.

Or has Thailand's Eastbourne got a lot to offer?

[gerry1011]

This program was a great idea.
The problem, in my opinion, is that, from the beginning, the Elite Card was too cheap, and there was obviously something wrong in the management of the TPC company.
The card should be more expensive, target only high spending people, offer less "discounts" aimed at the "perks seekers", and concentrate on just a few key services, like the ones that make life of the members hassle free, the visa and quick transfer at airports...
There should be an annual fee of at least 100.000b...

But the best part of the TE program may still be the comments we can read on this forum. It was more virulent in the past though   
Many on this forum were predicting (several times) the death of the program... Well that day has not come yet. Members can thank the new (in fact the old) government

[theblether]

Make the Elite Card worthwhile........grant permanent residency to those that purchase it. You would see it take off then huh?