Another failure for the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand Elite Card was a doomed program from the very start. The brainchild of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, started in 2003, is set to close down business after losing a ton of baht.

Tourism Authority of Thailand Elite Card

This is just one more reason not to do business in Thailand or trust the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

This brilliant plan was supposed to attract the rich and famous to Thailand for a mere 1 million baht lifetime, non-refundable fee.  Special privileges were to be granted – like fast track at immigration, free golf, hotel and airline upgrades, and the right to purchase land in the kingdom.

The plan was to sell one million of the Thailand Elite cards generating one trillion baht.  Lots of baht to line the government’s pockets.

However, the Tourism Authority of Thailand only sold about 2,500 of these special cards.  Far short of one million.

But, sales from the 2,500 cards still generated 2.5 Billion Baht and now the Thailand Privilege Card, under the Tourism Authority of Thailand claims to have lost 1.4 Billion Baht.

Doing some digging after reading yesterday’s article in the Bangkok Post, I found a similar article from the Bangkok Post in 2009.  The numbers quoted are just about the same for amount of cards sold and total money lost by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

But, the article in 2009 mentions that the card was abused by local Thais, something not mentioned in the 2011 article.  Having the ability to play golf from free every day is a big temptation and I am sure that some Thai gave the money to some foreigner to acquire a card for him.

I am not sure what, if anything happened in the last two years but I have seen where this elite card, which started out at 1 million baht had a big price increase to 2 million baht and then down to 1.5 million.  This is typical Thai economics.  If it doesn’t sell, raise the price.

One of the bigger reasons that folks did buy the card was the opportunity to purchase land – something no foreigner can do in Thailand – legally.  The other biggie, was the 5-year visa with no visa runs required and renewable every five years.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand is asking the Thai Government to set aside 2.5 Billion baht to compensate staff and members.  The Thai Government said “NO”.  The request will go before one more cabinet meeting to see if TAT can get the money.

What the Tourism Authority of Thailand really wants the money for is this:

The TAT must come up with 500 million baht to pay for overdue registered capital to pave the way for termination, and plans to seek the sum from the Budget Bureau.

And, add to that 1.4 Billion Baht deficit.  I doubt staff will get anything other than a token farewell and members are actually not entitled to a single satang.

But the Tourism Authority of Thailand is fearing lawsuits.

The Tourism and Sports Ministry, whose state agency the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is TPC’s sole owner, was instructed to prepare to compensate the 2,500-odd members should any of them take legal action once their membership is revoked.

Apparently there is only one smart person in the travel industry in Thailand:

Prakit Chinamourphong, president of the Thai Hotels Association, said the project should have been shut down a long time ago.

There you have it.  The Tourism Authority of Thailand – over promise and under deliver.  Wonder what will happen to the poor suckers that bought these elite cards.  Will their visa still be valid?  Can they still get it extended for 5 more years?

Be very careful when conducting business with Thailand and doubly careful about anything that the Tourism Authority of Thailand promotes.

Tourism Authority Of Thailand Elite Card Failure is a post from: Khon Kaen

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Thai and Cambodian Armies have been spatting at the border over Preah Vihear Temple Ruins the past couple of days and a piece of land that both claim to be theirs.

 
The piece of land is all of about 2 miles square (4.5 square kilometers) with the ruins of Preah Vihear, an 11th century Khmer temple on the property.

This has been a pissing contest off and on for the past few years with the occasional shots fired, cease fire, shots fired, cease fire and so on.

Preah Vihear (or Phra Vihan) is an amazing place that currently can only be accessed via Thailand.  Although, I read where Cambodia is building a road to the temple and this is partly the reason for the latest clash.

Add to the mix that 7 members of the Yellow shirt political party “inadvertently wandered” into Cambodian territory and were arrested with 2 of the 7 serving time for spying/trespassing.  The land issue, based on a couple of different maps that show different land boundaries, has been a contentious point for Prime Minister Abhisit.  The Yellow shirts contend that the Prime Minister hasn’t done enough to get the Yellow shirt prisoners out of jail and is doing little or nothing to get the land that Thailand claims as their own.  Of course, Cambodia also says it belongs to them.

Cambodia had erected a sign indicating where Thailand “invaded” Cambodia and later flew the Cambodian flag over the land.  Thailand can back with demands to destroy the sign and flew their own flag.  Then, shots and artillery followed.

A couple of cease fires, more shots, and more finger pointing.  Soldiers and civilians on both sides have been killed or wounded.  All for 2 square miles of land.

It doesn’t look like this will be resolved any time soon, so here are some photos from a visit I made about 3 years ago.  Hopefully, the military on both sides don’t make the ruins a complete shambles.

Preah Vihear Temple Ruins Entrance

Preah Vihear Temple Ruins

Temple Ruins Door Arch

Temple Ruins Buddhist Monk

Temple Ruins Overlooking Cambodia

Temple Ruins Old Artillery Piece

Preah Vihear Temple Ruins Landmine Warning

Preah Vihear Temple Ruins Ripoff Duty Free Shop

We had a great day walking around the ruins and shooting photos.  The duty free shops are not real. Everything in the shops are fake – from the cigarettes to the booze to Viagra to the jewelry.  Don’t buy anything there.

Seeing the Preah Vihear ruins, complete with artillery and bullet holes, and the old Khmer statues, was a treat for and the oldest temple I have ever visited. I had no idea then that this piece of property was so hotly disputed and that I was fortunate to be able to visit it before they closed it off to the public.

I just hope that Thailand and Cambodia can settle this peacefully and that I can go back and see Preah Vihear again.

Thailand Cambodia Preah Vihear is a post from: Khon Kaen

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Arranging to get electricity run to our property was a bit more costlier than I expected. The property is on a small, dirt Soi with no other houses built yet.  We will have the first building on the block.

So, we get stuck with bringing power to the Soi.  This will involve a couple of utility poles and some wire to run from the main road to our land.  I am guessing about 150 meters.

Cost for this service – 63,117 Thai baht – approximately $2,000 US dollars! I knew it would cost a bit but this is a bit more than I expected.  And, we will still have to pay an additional 8,000 Thai baht to have the electric meter installed once the lines are run.

My wife said that she will try to ask our future neighbors to chip in to help pay but I seriously doubt if anyone will kick any baht in.

Lesson learned – don’t be the first on your block to build a house or be prepared to pay.

Electric Bill Shocker is a post from: Khon Kaen

My wife went to the water company last Monday to request water be brought to our house site.

After paying the ridiculous amount of 28,198 Thai baht (Approximately $900) we were promised that the water would be connected on Friday.  Amazingly, the water company showed up on Friday and got everything connected and working – without any additional tea money.

I wanted to get a better picture, but did not want to disturb the highly technical protective cardboard cover.

The topsoil mission is almost complete.  My wife decided to elevate the area where the house will be a little higher than the rest of the property.  Just needs to be packed down a bit and a retaining wall put up to ensure the soil doesn’t get washed away in the next heavy rain.

The small, dirt soi has taken quite a beating with all the trucks and tractors going in and out.  It will definitely need to be smoothed out and eventually the city of Khon Kaen may even give us a concrete road – hopefully before I die.

Land Update – Water Company Delivers is a post from: Khon Kaen

My wife has found another in a long line of topsoil delivery guys. Hope this one works out.

At least, when this guy showed up he brought along a sample of his soil.

Topsoil Guy #3 and wife came to an agreement, made a written contract this time, and he will start delivery tomorrow.  Told wife to keep an eagle eye on him too!

The saga continues.

Topsoil Guy #3 Hired is a post from: Khon Kaen