Choksiri Rodboonpha, managing director of the firm which issues the Thailand Elite Card, said the company would strictly limit membership to less than 7,000. “This way we can give better services and more benefits to members,” he said.

He said the membership fee would increase from Bt1 million to between Bt2 million and Bt4 million, probably in 2008.

He added that the company had already achieved a membership of 2,063 and expected to sign up 2,000 new members this year, mostly from Western countries.

The target is down somewhat from the aim of one million members set by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra when the scheme was launched several years ago. However, Choksiri said the PM, along with the tourism and sports minister and the company’s board, had approved the changes.

He said that to meet the target this year, TPC would improve its services by fast-tracking facilities for visa extensions, driving licences, lounges, priority tee times at 10 golf courses, and elite packages at spas.

Meanwhile, it will revamp its sales and marketing network by setting up regional distribution centres overseas instead of just country representatives. Each of the centres will take care of three to five countries.

TPC plans to have at least six regional distribution centres, mostly in Asia. It will expand the model to Western regions – including Scandinavia and North America – and the Middle East.

In 2005, members visiting Thailand accounted for more than 3,500 trips with total spending of Bt500 million.

Choksiri said some members had invested in tourism, motor-home, jewellery, hotel, bio-technology, golf school, villa and furniture projects, with total investments worth Bt3.7 billion.

Suchat Sritama

 The Nation