think_too_mut Posted November 20, 2003 Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 Posting the entire artice, may be of interest: Thais massage tourist wallets By Kimina Lyall, South-East Asia correspondent in Bangkok November 20, 2003 It's the ultimate "user-pays" red carpet treatment. Airport limousine pick-up, free golf green fees, complementary 90-minute Thai massages and discounts at all of Thailand's five-star resorts. In an effort to attract high-end tourists, Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday launched a scheme under which visitors pay $US25,000 ($34,575) for the privileges of the elite. The Thailand Elite card, which Mr Thaksin presented yesterday to the first 80 members of a projected one million, offers not just VIP pampering but tangible benefits such as the right to own residential land and hold long-stay visas . When he first announced the scheme a couple of months ago, it was received with scepticism by an expat community already used to relatively cheap golf courses. But Mr Thaksin's idea has won over Alfred Bartsch, the 51-year-old owner of Melbourne Airport Undercover Parking, a company that offers limousine parking and pick-up services to executives visiting Melbourne. Mr Bartsch and his wife Lisa first discovered Thailand on a stop-over to Europe. Now, they no longer travel to Europe and hope to retire in Thailand. One of three Australians to receive the gold-covered card yesterday, Mr Bartsch said he would use his privileges to get around Thailand's tough laws on land ownership . "I think they're going to be rushed off their feet at the end of the day because, when you think about it, if you're buying a $US1 million dollar property, to add $US25,000 to it to own it in your name, that's a very small commission," he said. Others have different motives. Alan Wilson, 47, who runs Australasian Golf Academy, a business school in Queensland with students from all over the world, has become frustrated in his attempts to set up new facilities on the Gold Coast. Mr Wilson, who believes the golf industry in Australia is in decline, has set his sights on establishing a company in Thailand, in co-operation with a local university. He believes the card will help him meet top-level officials to help win approval. "I'm not here for the free spas or to play golf. I'm not here to do anything else besides getting involved with meeting higher level government officials," he said. "That's the reason for (buying the card). It shows we're committed." If he is successful, Thailand might get other benefits. Many of the students Mr Wilson now recruits from 21 countries to learn golf course management and coaching in Queensland might instead be diverted to Thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 20, 2003 Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 Well TTM .. I like the idea. And I think they will sell 1000s of these. Lifetime card. So you are 40 - 45. Come here for the next 25 years (some of us have already) That 40, 000 baht a year to be. A real VIP in a country that worships status. Many closed doors will open for you. Get the land in YOUR name, not a shell company or the gf. Hell it's cheaper than a Golf CLub membership. So who will be the first board member to get one ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitney Posted November 20, 2003 Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 I wonder if any of these cardholders have read about or visited the Soi 10? building demolition site on Sukhumvit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
think_too_mut Posted November 20, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 >So who will be the first board member to get one ? I won't be the first one but I am seriously entertaining the idea. The trouble is, for 25K US$ I can buy 25 times the land I already bought, could be half a village! What am I going to do with that? Probably, prime waterfront locations (Phuket, Krabi, Koh Samui....) prices will skyrocket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
think_too_mut Posted November 20, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 >I wonder if any of these cardholders have read about or visited the Soi 10? building demolition site on Sukhumvit. Those shacks and beer bars were on the leased land. The demolition was organized by the land owner. Not that I agree with what he did, but it was his land. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
think_too_mut Posted November 20, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 >And I think they will sell 1000s of these. It's been in the wings for long time. Earlier this year I think the price tag was much more, if I remember correctly - 100K US$ for the card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted November 20, 2003 Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 Hi, Still pretty much disgusted by this, sounds like yet another form of bribery / corruption. " "I think they're going to be rushed off their feet at the end of the day because, when you think about it, if you're buying a $US1 million dollar property, to add $US25,000 to it to own it in your name, that's a very small commission," he said. " Yeah, but how many people are interested in buying a '$US1 million dollar property'? If I would buy a house, we would be talking about 2-3M Baht, and adding and extra 1M Baht is a huge amount then. I don't know, but to me this is all saying that Thailand welcomes the rich, while at the same time telling the rest of us to fuck off. Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pe7e Posted November 20, 2003 Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 I thought the same myself, I mean a million baht isn't exactly a lot of money nowerdays, especially when you can actually own land and protect yourself from the risk of a scheming BG walking off with the lot. And to this add the benefit of not having to queue for ages at passport control plus a cheap helecopter transfere, it becomes an absolute bargain. So credit card in hand I log on and go to sign up, but being the businessman I am, I read the small print, and all is not what it seems, yes you can own up to 14 rai of land GREAT! but then you have to build one non commercial property on this land and this residence must have a build cost of a minimum of 20 million baht! at this stage I put the credit card away and went back to the planning stage again, the other benefits do not exactly light my fire. I think there will be plenty of takers , but I doubt I will be one of them, yes, they really are seeking the elite! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted November 20, 2003 Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 Hi, "and all is not what it seems, yes you can own up to 14 rai of land GREAT! but then you have to build one non commercial property on this land and this residence must have a build cost of a minimum of 20 million baht!" Guess this kinda confirms what I just wrote. Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
think_too_mut Posted November 20, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 KS and others, You would certainly know more than me - all I read was this article. Getting into the fine print may change (not only mine) initial enthusiasm. All I know now is - it is possible, the ticket is 25K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.