baabaabobo

Overstay 12 still in jail, face deportation

RANONG: A group of 12 foreign tourists arrested for overstaying their visas have spent their second night sleeping on the floor of a jail cell at Ranong Police Station.

Ranong Immigration Police, who have announced that they will deport the group, say they are only following “standard procedures” and will send the 12 to an Immigration detention center in Bangkok “soon”.

The group were arrested by a team of six Highway and Tourist Police officers at about 11 on Wednesday morning while on their way to Ranong and Burma for a “visa run” in the well-known “Big Bus”.

The bus was in Kapoe District, just 40 kilometers from the Ranong Immigration office, when it was stopped and the 12 were separated from the other passengers on board and placed in custody.

The most that any of the 12 had overstayed was six days.

Speaking from his prison cell, one of the detainees, a 31-year-old Australian man on his second trip to Thailand, told the Gazette:

“I can’t believe what has happened. The want to send us to the Bangkok Detention Center, from where they will deport us to our home countries – all because of a one-day overstay [in my case].

It was our second night sleeping on the dirty floor, with mosquitoes. I am black and brown from dirt.”

Some members of the group had contacted their embassies, he said, but been told, “Sorry. You are being deported – there is nothing we can do, it’s all part of ‘due process’.”

He said the group members had thought they would be released after paying 1,000-baht fines at Ranong Court yesterday. But they had been misled.

“The public prosecutor told us that if we just admitted to the Court what we did and paid a 1,000-baht fine, they would let us go to Immigration and we could complete our visa trip. We paid, but when we got to Immigration they fingerprinted us and said, ‘You’re being deported – immediately’.

Jutarat Payonchart, an employee of Phenpat Co Ltd, which runs the visa run service, told the Gazette from the Ranong courthouse this afternoon that the police had overreacted in incarcerating the visa runners.

“Why did they have to keep them overnight in a cell? These aren’t illegal aliens trying to hide out in the country,” she said, adding that most had overstayed by just one or two days.

Speaking from his prison cell, the Australian told the Gazette, “We sent money for the tsunami problem. We like the Thai people and want to visit – and then we got s**t on.

“We are part of one of their tours, where everyone makes money. We spend money in Phuket, we want to stay here. It’s good for the economy, good for everyone. And now we are just being s**t on.

“We’ve been treated like animals, sleeping on the ground. I’ve never been locked up before in all my life. It’s absolutely disgusting. You cannot trust the Tourist Police anymore. They are supposed to be on our side, helping us. But now they have gone against us and made a big problem for us.

“This is absolute crap, of course. They must have another agenda. Only they know what it is; I can only speculate. This is completely wrong. I have spoken to other tourist police and they say, ‘This is unbelievable.’ There are a few bad apples involved and they have created major, major problems.

“I’ve lost flights, lost my money … it’s ridiculous,” he said, adding that he did not want to give his name “at this stage” as it might jeopardize any remaining chance of regaining his freedom and avoiding deportation.

Those chances appear slim, however.

Pol Capt Weerachai Phugkesorn of the Ranong Immigration Office told the Gazette that all 12 foreigners were arrested because they had overstayed their visas.

Among those facing deportation were English, Korean, German, Vietnamese, French, Italian and Swedish nationals, none of who had overstayed by more than six days, he admitted.

He stressed that the arrest, confinement and deportation of the tourists did not reflect a change in Ranong Immigration’s long-standing and relaxed policy when it comes to overstays.

“It’s true that if people arrive at our office and have overstayed their visas we just fine them 200 baht per day of overstay. But it was [another police division] that arrested them, not us. If they hadn’t been arrested, we would have just fined them as usual.

“The case went to court, where the judge rendered a decision. They were sent to us by the police and we are just following the provisions of the Immigration Act by transferring them to Bangkok for deportation,” Capt Weerachai said.

Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, Assistant Director of TATs Region 4 Office in Phuket, said he believed the arrests would have no impact on tourism as long they were legal.

Foreign tourists would be more confident of their safety if they knew they the police were carrying out their duties strictly according to the law, he added.

Source: The Phuket Gazette 10-2-06

THE GEOGRAPHY OF A WOMAN

> Between 18 and 20, a woman is like Africa. Half discovered, half-wild,

> naturally beautiful with fertile deltas.

>

> Between 21 and 30, a woman is like America. Well developed and open to

> trade, especially for someone with cash.

>

> Between 31 and 35, she is like India. Very hot, relaxed and convinced

> of

> her own beauty.

>

> Between 36 and 40, a woman is like France. Gently aging but still a

> warm

> and desirable place to visit.

>

> Between 41 and 50, she is like Yugoslavia. Lost the war, haunted by

> past

> mistakes. Massive reconstruction is now necessary.

>

> Between 51 and 60, she is like Russia. Very wide and borders are

> un-patrolled. The frigid climate keeps people away.

>

> Between 61 and 70, a woman is like Mongolia. A glorious and all

> conquering

> past but alas, no future.

>

> After 70, they become like Afghanistan. Everyone knows where it is,

> but no one wants to go there.

>

> THE GEOGRAPHY OF A MAN

>

> Between 15 and 90, a man is like Zimbabwe. Ruled by a dick

Police arrest 12 on Ranong ‘visa run’

RANONG: -- Twelve foreign tourists were pulled off a “visa run” bus just 40 miles from Ranong and confined to a jail cell overnight for overstaying their visas.

The company that arranged the tour claims that the arresting officers, from the Tourist Police and Highway Police, demanded 5,000 baht from each of the overstayed tourists in exchange for letting them go. The police strenuously deny this.

Six officers waved over the well-known “Big Bus” run by Phenpat Co Ltd at about 11 am yesterday morning in Ranong’s Kapoe District. The officers inspected the passports of the 34 foreign passengers and found that 12 had overstayed their visas.

They separated the 12 from the others, who were allowed to continue on to Ranong. The 12 were taken off in a police truck and confined in the local police cells.

Jutarat Payonchart, an emplo yee of Phenpat Co Ltd, told the Gazette from the Ranong courthouse this afternoon that the police had overreacted by incarcerating the visa runners.

“Why did they have to keep them overnight in a cell? These aren’t illegal aliens trying to hide out in the country,” she asked, adding that most were just one- or two-day overstays. The maximum overstay was just 12 days, she added.

K. Jutharat said she was preparing to pay fines for those who had not brought along enough money to cover the unexpected expense – but by 5:30 pm the following day they were still at Ranong Provincial Court trying to pay the fines.

One of those arrested, a 31-year-old Australian man whose 30-day tourist visa expired the day before, told the Gazette: “It was terrible. I am so dirty now – I need to change my clothes. We didn’t have any information.

“It was crap. The pol ice are hospitable in a way, but they don’t give us any information. They say we broke the law and all this stuff.

“In my case, on Tuesday I went to [Phuket] Immigration and said, ‘This is the last day of my visa, it expires tomorrow, what should I do?’ and they said, ‘Go and do a visa run tomorrow and pay a 200 baht overstay.’

“That’s exactly what I [was doing], but then we get pulled over by the Tourist Police and Highway Police and they make a huge problem for us,” he said.

He added that he found it dangerous and embarrassing to be forced to squat in the back of a cramped, hot police truck, which transported the overstayers along the highway with a police escort, sirens blaring.

The unexpected delay had also caused him to missed his flight out of the country, he said.

Pol Maj Songproad Sirikul, the new head of the Ranong Tourist Po lice, told the Gazette that his office had received a report that a business was assisting illegal aliens by bringing them to Burma. He said he ordered his men to check into this and, when they did, it turned out to be true.

“The police arrested them because they broke the law,” he said.

He denied K. Jutarat’s claims that the officers asked for 5,000 baht from each tourist in exchange for letting them go.

“I think that’s impossible. I can guarantee that the Tourist Police officers did not ask for money because we are not in trouble [financially] and I constantly remind them to not do that.

“If the visa runners have any witnesses or other evidence as to which officer asked for money, they should contact me direct,” he said.

Source: The Phuket Gazette 2006-02-09

A mistake was made in the police report and it turns out the guy was Austrian and NOT Australian... the page has been updated.

Can anyone confirm this or is it as I suspect, untrue....?

redrus

Why would you suspect it being untrue?

http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/Austri...8836359668.html

A Boeing 737 belonging to Nok Air had to perform emergency landing after just a few minutes after taking off from Bangkok airport yesterday.

Nok Air flight DD 4506 had requested emergency landing from the control tower at Don Muang (ดอนเมือง) Airport at 2 pm yesterday, after having taken off at 1.48 pm. The pilots had informed the control tower that the engine of the plane was malfunctioning and an emergency landing had to be made. The plane landed safely after the control tower prepared the runway and emergency units for the landing. Of its 110 passengers and 5 crewmen, no one was injured from the landing. However, 2 were slightly hurt in the process of evacuating the aircraft.

Nok Air executives said that the captain of the flight bound for Phuket decided to bring the aircraft back to Bangkok after abnormal noise was detected from the right wing. The plane then encountered glitches in the braking system while performing the landing and it skidded off the runway.

Not foreigners warned, but Americans :-)

The British embassy warning is less dramatic

"A large political rally is scheduled for 4 February 2006 at King Rama V monument in the vicinity of the national zoo and Parliament buiding in Bangkok. This could cause congestion and disruption. You should avoid large crowds and demonstrations.

A mistake was made in the police report and it turns out the guy was Austrian and NOT Australian... the page has been updated.

I've stayed at the full moon guesthouse in Kata and it was a pleasant italian run family place with pool,restaurant and garden yet very close to everything. it's at 109/20 Taina road and the number is 076-330573 (ask for Andrea). My bungalow had two large beds and a balcony and I have fond memories.

I'd toss a poisoned steak to all and any barking dog. Shame I cannot do that to the owners of those dogs.

Are you saying it is you who poison the dogs? AND wish to do the same to humans. It's not the dogs we need to get off our streets to keep Phuket safe

PATONG: Residents here are insisting that “up to 100 local dogs” have been poisoned in the middle of the night by people driving around in a Patong Municipality garbage truck.

But Patong Deputy Mayor Chairat Sukbal vehemently denies that the cull has anything to do with the municipality.

Prasert Moonlad, a resident of Nanai Rd in Patong, told the Gazette, “My three dogs died on Nanai Rd. I saw a yellow municipal truck come by and they loaded the dogs onto the truck at around 4 or 5 am. I also saw other dogs dead by the roadside in early January.”

He added, “There are warning notices in the area regarding stray dogs, but our dogs were not strays – they wore collars.”

A volunteer who helps feed stray dogs in Patong said, “Recently, some of [the dogs I feed] were poisoned on Soi Nam Sia. Several people saw the Tessabaan doing this. I have also been informed by friends that this has happened in many other places in Patong as well.”

She continued, “Why do the authorities say they are not going to kill stray dogs but sterilize them instead, and then sneak around at 5 am poisoning them?

“My friend lost two of his dogs to this recent poisoning – they were not even stray dogs.”

However, Deputy Mayor Chairat said, “The Municipality has no policy to kill or poison dogs. It’s possible that they were poisoned by local people as they may have been bothering the residents.”

As to the accusations that a municipal garbage truck was involved, he replied, “Our staff’s responsibility is to collect garbage. They don’t have time to poison dogs.”

He added that he believed the number of dogs that have died was overstated. “It is an exaggeration to claim that 100 dogs have died. That would mean that we’d have to have a very large truck to load them all into.

“I stress again that the Municipality has no policy to poison or to kill dogs.” He said that it was possible that the garbage workers had been picking up dead dogs and residents had jumped to the conclusion that the garbage workers were also doing the poisoning.

He added, “We act in co-operation with Phuket Provincial Livestock Office (PPLO) and some dog foundations such as the Soi Dog Foundation to round up and sterilize dogs in the area.”

PPLO chief Sunart Wongchawalit told the Gazette that it is provincial policy not to poison dogs, which was why the PPLO had established its dog pound in Thalang.

He said, “Tambons and municipalities do have the authority to poison dogs but [whether they do so] depends on each [organization’s] policy.”

Meanwhile, in the Layan area, some 30 dogs were poisoned recently. Local people told the Gazette that the finger of suspicion pointed toward a goat farmer, but there was not enough evidence to do anything about it.

The Phuket Gazette

I can see it now...

"Darling, we're late, Have you got the keys? oh and Jumbo has just pooed on the carpet again- can you clean it up?"

woolen glue

This sign is in Phuket - I also saw "deep fried porn" on a menu today

Just back from third visit and they said I did not need the T.47 as they have given me a month until papers come back from BKK. The money is needed for a car and although I have more coming there will be a period when account is very low. I take your point about using the money - good advice.

Hi all,

My name is Randa in(I'm)

24 and in(I'm) from the Netherlands 

Just returned from Phuket 3 weeks ago

for me?? ?

also my first visit and ofcourse (spacing) also fell in love!With the country 

Not a sentence

I am now thinking of coming back next year for a year to work and live although I am finding out that working in Phuket isnt punctuation as easy as it used to be.

Il I'll probably come back in march and check some stuff out while there.

If I want to come for a year what time is best to start it meaning wich which month.

Is teaching english(TEFL course) really my only option?

Are there any internet sites for nice appartments the ones I found were all villa's villas.I was really hoping to leed

lead tourists

punctuation the guides I had there

thier? english sucked but I heard no way thats punctuationpossible? 

Any pointers or advice is welcome!!ThanxThanks all in advance!

Hoping to hear sometingsomething 

Regards Ran

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Corrections in red.

Let me get this straight - you want to come to Phuket to teach english?

Seriously though there are almost no jobs available to foreigners in Phuket unless you are highly specialised or have a teaching degree. Also it is one of the most expensive places in Thailand to stay.

A great place for a holiday but at 24 you should look at work in nearby asian countries that have less restrictions on work permits and er... maybe stop thinking about TEFL.

We have just been through (still going through) a similar situation where my wife has my name in her passport and her maiden name on her ID card. Despite this we were able to buy a house and I have just applied for my first non-O extension. For both things she did not need a passport. We were asked to bring along a witness to say we were married and, not having any friends here yet (recent arrivals) , we used the lady who rented us our car and barely knows us. This however seemed to have more importance than our 15 year mariage papers and son's birth docs.

If her maiden name is on both her tabien bahn and ID card there should be no problem as to her identity in Thailand - the only hitch is proving that she is the same person on the mariage cert. but if you have documentation saying that she used the other name you should be OK. On the day I guess it depends on the immigration guy who deals with you. I suggest bringing other bits of paper showing you are married and photos etc.

Good luck

Good news.  One other thing if they did not mention it you are probably close to having a 90 day report due.  The extension visit does not count so when you have 90 days from your current entry (plus/minus 7) you should visit and fill out a TM.47 form and get it stapled into your passport.

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Eek - where do I get this form and who do I give it to? Immigration? Police station? It was never mentioned.

You do not need a medical certificate of any kind for a support Thai wife extension nor do you need a house in the name of your wife, or a son.  What you do need is:

1.  Marriage certificate/copies signed by you both.

2.  Letter from bank within last 7 days confirming your bank balance.  You probably need a copy also in Phuket.

3.  Your bank deposit book and copies of all pages signed by you (both if joint account).

4.  Your passport with copies of all pertinent pages signed by you.

5.  Photos of you and wife together at home (this is why they want a Thai to verify you live together as man and wife) - they either have to visit you or use this information type of proof.

6.  Wife and her id card and copies signed.

7.  Home register of wife and copies signed.

8.  They might also ask for bank receipts of money transferred into your account from overseas but often just the bank book will suffice.

9.  Having a son will also (I suspect) require having his birth certificate and probably copies.

You should keep the account above 400k until you receive the final one year stay stamp as they will often check during the review and if below they may wait for it to get above before they approve the extension (at least that is what some have experienced).  Remember that any exit of Thailand must now have a re entry permit before travel or you lose extension.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks Lopburi3,

It went quite well today as I turned up with a Thai witness who was given alot of bumf to sign and was sent on her way. Our mariage cert. was not translated into Thai but this did not seem to cause a problem and after 45 minutes I was told to return in 1 month for the 1 year extension.

I will chance using the money as there will be more coming in a week or so.

BTW no photos were asked for although I had a stack in my bag - the witness probably was enough but I post this to help others who, like myself, have all the paperwork but may need another Thai to sign stuff.

The officer said that this is only required for the first application.

I have just returned from Phuket immigration where despite having all the documents required I was told to return with a Thai national who could validate our marriage. I have been married now for 15 years and have just moved to Phuket with my family - we have not had time to make many friends.

I was a little bit upset as we were allready told to come back after lunch as there was nobody on duty ( I thought they were open during lunch) and we left without resolving anything.

As far as I know I have all the requirements:

A Thai wife and son

A house in Phuket in my wife's name

400 k in the bank and letter from the bank

A medical cert.

etc.

Am I just unlucky or is this a new requirement that has just been added?

Anyone had this experience?

Another question

I am awaiting funds from farangland and may have to dip into the 400 k - how soon can I touch it after getting my extension?

Great forum - keep up the good work

Binangonandunnit!!! in 3 hours we had the chanote - waited outside until five minutes later I was called in to sign a piece of paper saying I realised that I cannot own land. When I asked my wife how they knew she was married she replied "They asked where's your husband?" she replied "outside" so much for worrying about names. Next step is the 30 year lease....

Some good replies - thanks everyone,

For years she kept her maiden name and has never taken on my nationanality. Lat time we changed her passport abroad they changed her neme to mine. We have lived in Europe for the last twelve years and were worried that the land office would notice that her thai passport has my name and her ID her maiden name. She went back to her natal village to change ID and the umpher said she needed to provide a ''thai'' marriage cert.

Thanks to this forum we have decided to buy the land with maiden name ID and not show passport.

If asked if married she will reply yes but not in Thailand. As for payment we will use cashiers cheque with no name on it ( just the beneficiary). I will keep my farang face outside unless called for.

I married my thai wife 17 years ago and we have just moved to Phuket.

She has a thai passport with my family name on it but her ID card still has her maiden name.

To buy land they ask for a thai mariage certificate (we were married abroad) to change her ID card.

Is this just a translation they want or do we have to get married again.? Can the british embassy help and are there any consular services here in Phuket or do I have to go to bangkok?

Anyone been down this road? Advice please.

I also sent an email.  I presume the person I sent it to is on holiday in the UK at the moment but I am looking forward to his reply.

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I have sent them several e-mails on a different subject and have had no reply

I see the new British International School (formerly Dulwich) is still using Dulwich in its URL.

And the title on the home page (shown at the very top of your browser) lists it as "British Curriculum Internation (sic) School." Guess that's what the owner meant when he said that ties got severed with Dulwich due to his desire to make "cultutal modifications" to the school admininstration -- like good old Thai misspelling.

Trivial perhaps, but this is an expensive international school. At least get the spelling in your own name right.

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The prices are the same as well - Pay Dulwich prices but without the Dulwich name - interesting

Ah, so when we give Tea Money to the traffic cops, it's going towards buying new vehicles?

I never understood that they were collecting for charity - perhaps they should wear red noses when they pull over motorists?

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Yup - I got an unjustified parking ticket outside Starbucks - 300 baht then they asked me for 500 to get my driver's licence back. This was just after the Tsunami & I was on my way to donate 250 K to orphans - they really made my day - Don't count on me giving them money so that they can nab more inoffensive falangs