A new card scheme has been launched that promises to save its members thousands of baht on travel, tours and tourist services around Thailand. The 1,500 baht Thailand Travel Card is set to rival the Thailand Elite Card in a matter of months with its spread of major cost savings on products ranging from deep-sea fishing, snorkeling trips, diving courses, dive equipment, bungy jumping, yacht charters, safaris and eco-tours, to name just a few of the many services to which the card will give members access.

Thailand Travel Card founder and managing director, Steve Anderson told Phuket Post that the savings the card offers are made possible by cutting out the tour agency middle man and going direct to the service provider, who charges the card member the wholesale rate.

?The idea came to me a few years ago, when I was trying to market my own tours in Australia,? Mr Anderson said. ?I found that trying to get my products to the market was difficult, and it wasn?t usually dependent on the quality of the products or services being offered. It depended on how much commission was being paid to the agents. There are also a lot of online booking services now and they are all charging even higher fees.?

By cutting out the tour agencies and their heavy commissions, Mr Anderson said he can offer his members a better range of products at prices that would benefit both the buyer and the service provider. ?The great benefit is that our members pay cash to the service providers, which is a major issue for tourism businesses now. They do not have any bad debt, which is a well-known problem in the tour industry.?

?I know 1,500 baht seems very cheap,? the Australian resident said. ?But I came about this price so members can get their money back after only one booking. Short-term visitors to Thailand do not have to wait long for their investment to be returned.?

As an example, Mr Anderson explained that a speedboat trip to Phi Phi Island is normally sold at 2,800 baht per person, but his members pay only 1,500 baht, and savings of 6,000 baht can be made by members who hire the entire boat. ?The savings for scuba diving are massive,? he said. ?They can save at least twice the cost of the card for their open-water diving course.?

Local residents will also benefit from becoming card members, he said, with Phuket-Ranong Visa Run services available at just 400 baht each.

?We expect to have 10,000 members in the first year and, at the moment, we have 230 service providers all over Thailand and over 120 of them here in Phuket. Every day we are adding new tours and services.

The Thai Travel Card office can be contacted on 076 383 796 or toll-free on 1800 468 5463. Or visit www.thaitravelcard.com for more information.