The tourism authority of Thailand (tat) has finally persuaded more than 80 wealthy foreigners to pay 1,000,000 Baht (US$25,500) for the right to be classified as an Elite Tourist in Thailand.
In return for the 1 million Thai baht for the VIP card, the tourists get life-time privileges including fast-track access through airport immigration, discounts at Thailand's luxury hotels and the eventually the right to buy property in Thailand.
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who came up with the idea of the Elite Card, said he hoped the initiative would promote Thailand as a luxury destination for wealthy tourists and at the same time improve the Thai economy.
The scheme of the Thai VIP Card or Privilege Card is targeting potential tourists from Japan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, as well as those from the United States and the United Kingdom.
In the old days we opened our country to almost everyone, Paisit Kaenchan, director of the Thailand Privilege Card Co, which is marketing the card, told reporters. Right now, we have to concentrate on wealthy people and tourists who spend lots of money in Thailand, he said.
Prime Minister Thaksin will give the first Privilege Cards to each of the VIP members who have signed up for the black and gold "Thailand Elite Card" " in a official ceremony on Wednesday 19 November 2003.
Nearly half of the inaugural member cardholders are reportedly Chinese. They include executives from the Bank of New York and the Mitsubishi Corporation.
The Thai tourist authority of Thailand said they want to invite more than 100,000 people to join the elite of the VIP Card scheme and to this purpose, the Thai government has set up a government-owned company named "Thailand Privilege Card Co" (TPCC) to promote the VIP program.
"Thailand Privilege Card Co" has been set up with a registered capital of 1 billion baht (S$45.5 million) and was greeted with great skepticism in Thailand when it was planned some months ago, principally because the Thai government was planning to give cards free to celebrities like David Beckham.
Khun Paisit Kaenchan, director of "Thailand Privilege Card Co" was reluctant to emphasize that all the 80 initial cards had been were paid for, but said that the Thai government may choose to give some Elite Cards away for free in the future.
TPCC claims that a Thailand Elite member could generate four times the value of the 1 million Baht membership fee if he visits Thailand at least four times a year, stays 4 to 5 days and uses all the freebies that the VIP card offers.
TPCC estimates the Elite program could attract about 20 billion Thai baht of additional tourist spending and investments in next 8 years.
