A new immigration card will be introduced for use by those going in and out of Thailand by the end of this year, said Immigration Police chief, Pol Lt-Gen Chatchawan Suksomchit.
Holders of the Immigration Card will include those who travel in and out of the country three to five times in a year, regardless of their nationality.
The Immigration Card holders, Thai and foreign alike, will bypass normal procedures of the Immigration Police which include scanning for criminal suspects or those on the police and immigration Watch List.
Instead, the Immigration Card holders will have the privileges to go through fast passage at airports, the Immigration Police chief said.
The Immigration Card, which will be issued to travellers by the end of this year, at the height of the tourist season, was part of the efforts to promote tourism and investment in the country.
Unfortunately, as usual the initial information offered is extremely vague.
For a start I find it unfortunate to name "immigration Card" a card intended for tourist and not immigrants.
There is no explanation as to who can get this card and how to apply.
Besides, everyone remembers the advantages offered to those who subscribed a few years ago to the Elite Card -which cost at the time one million Baht or USD 30,000- and that were similar to those introduced here : 5 year visas, "V.I.P. passage" at airports, etc.).
All of theses services where canceled when the Elite Card (which was promoted by the government though) went bankrupt.
