Thailand Elite Still Advertising?

[TotallyOz]

I have seen several maps of Bangkok and Thailand that say compliments of Thailand Elite. I thought they were gone and over with? Still going?

[Gaybutton]

I believe they ended the program not long after the coup. I don't know whether that included people who had already paid for it. What you're looking at is probably surplus maps still left over from when they were in operation.

[Guest fountainhall]

I believe they ended the program not long after the coup

 

They wanted to end it, but found there were too many legal complications. So the programme still exists, but it has been significantly downgraded and this has led to several recent letters to both The Bangkok Post and The Nation that border on the vitriolic.

 

There is an announcement on the Thailand Elite website dated 12 June 2009 written by someone who clearly knows little about PR -

 

Due to the current situation and the worldwide economic crisis which effect to Thailand and also Thailand Elite, we have to revise some Privileges and Benefits in order to sustain the whole program . . . On the other hand, according to the company current situation, we must apologize for any inconveniences members may have been facing during these days for some unavailable golf courses and spas

 

It is the withdrawal of many golf course and spa privileges in places like Phuket and Samui that has led to the most criticism. Apparently, there is now just one of each in Phuket.

 

So, we have yet another example of Thaksin's largesse turning on itself and creating even more bad feeling about the country.

[Guest buckeroo2]

They wanted to end it, but found there were too many legal complications. So the programme still exists, but it has been significantly downgraded and this has led to several recent letters to both The Bangkok Post and The Nation that border on the vitriolic.

 

There is an announcement on the Thailand Elite website dated 12 June 2009 written by someone who clearly knows little about PR -

 

 

 

It is the withdrawal of many golf course and spa privileges in places like Phuket and Samui that has led to the most criticism. Apparently, there is now just one of each in Phuket.

 

So, we have yet another example of Thaksin's largesse turning on itself and creating even more bad feeling about the country.

 

Thre was a Thaivisa forum thread today discussing the Thai Elite forum. I already deleted the article from my E-mail. It said the Elite program is under review with 3 possibilities - 1) closure - ending the program and refunding all of the member's fees. 2) Have a private enterprise take over to revamp and run the program. 3) Put the Elite program under the direction of the TAT. The article said many members are very unhappy as the program has been scaled back from what was promised upon initial membership - family member visas dropped and participating golf clubs dropped from 35 to 12.

[Guest fountainhall]

Thre was a Thaivisa forum thread today discussing the Thai Elite forum

 

This sounds like a summary of a 2-page article in today's Bangkok Post Magazine which I just read. I really can't seen any option but cancellation, despite the possibility of legal action, more bad PR overseas and the cost of refunds. The number of members is a tiny fraction of Thaksin's forecast. Getting new ones will require additional benefits at a time when these are being significantly reduced. Why throw a lot more money at it when so much has already gone down the drain, including a recent Bt. 100 million computer system to keep track of members?

[TotallyOz]

Looks like they have decided to keep it and promote it more. This time, it costs 2M baht for the Card and 20,000 year year and it has a limit of 20 years. So, more money and less value. Thai logic!

[Guest fountainhall]

In April 2011, the government decided to scrap it and swallow the losses of around Bt. 2 billion. This government then changed its mind and resurrected it from the dead. Since the whole Elite fiasco was Thaksin senior's idea, presumably word came from Dubai that he'd not be happy if it was scrapped.

 

When Thaksin launched the Card, he proudly claimed there would be 1 million members. Yet, total numbers were little more than 2,600, and a lot of the service providers - spas, golf courses etc. - withdrew from the Scheme. Further, as CNN reported back in 2009, almost a third of the memberships were actually living permanently in Thailand in contravention of the Card's regulations! Plus a lot of the original cards were given free to celebrities as a way of promoting the scheme.

 

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

 

The difference now is that the card is valid 20 years. The original one was 5 years at a cost of approx. Bt. 750,000. Also the marketing focus has changed from wealthy western tourists. Now the target is visitors from the wealthier Asian countries like China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Russia, other ASEAN countries and the Commonwealth of Independent States. In other words, a refection of Thailand's rapidly changing tourism demographics. And with a target of just 1,300 for the first year after relaunch, maybe - just maybe - it will work this time around.

[ceejay]

I've never been able to see the point of it myself. Allow 3% interest for having 2million baht in the bank, 20,000 a year membership fee and 100,000 a year depreciation on the original fee, then it's costing baht 180,000 a year. That's a lot of rounds of golf and spa treatments. Anybody who can afford to drop that amount of money will probably be able to find a personal "government concierge" (at a much better rate) to help them with any little difficulties they may have with officialdom. They'll probably also be going through fast track at the airport, on the back of first class tickets.

[Guest fountainhall]

Given the way millionaires throw money away, I doubt if they'd calculate this in the same way you and I would. Bt. 180,000 is nothing for them, and if it's like belonging to something exclusive, I can see some of Asia's multitude of new millionaires going for it.