Thailand Elite Card banished to the auction block

“Holding the Thailand Elite Card is like holding an exclusive pass to access all the treasures of the Kingdom,” says a soothing voice in the promotional video (above) for the embattled luxury membership program introduced during the Thaksin Shinawatra era.

But as lovely as that may sound, it would appear the world simply isn’t ready for exclusivity of this magnitude. A report in Wednesday’s "Bangkok Post" says the government has decided to auction off Thailand Privilege Card (TPC), the operator of the loss-ridden lifetime membership scheme. 

Criticism of Thailand Elite Card has been going on since its introduction back in 2003.

In all fairness, though, it would be pretty cool to be a member.

The cards, now priced at 1.5 million baht, offer fast-track immigration, 90-day visas, insurance, luxury transportation, resort discounts, airfare discounts, guaranteed restaurant reservations, business connections, complimentary green fees at top Thai golf courses and free spa treatments, among many other perks.

“But after six years, the members total 2,570, and the TPC, set up by the [Tourism Authority of Thailand] to run the scheme, has accumulated losses of 1.4 billion baht due to high payroll, management costs and reported abuse of privileges by executives,” reports the Post, noting that of those Thailand Elite Card members, 795 are believed to reside in Thailand in contravention of the membership rules.