mikeymike100

Exactly! This raiding of clubs/bars is weeding out a few overstayers that have committed the cardinal sin of overstaying their permission to stay. Meanwhile there are cartels of Chinese, Russians and more who are committing serious crime, spending serious money to the police to be left alone? Whilst most overstayers are not a serious threat, the ones that are a serious threat are never apprehended? These are the ones running illegal casinos etc and can afford to pay their way out,!

Not at all disagreeing with you, but as you can see there is some confusion over what the 'law' does and does not say! The raids in Pattaya Tree town that are on going by the police have netted a few over stayers. The article says that copies or pics on a phone of your passport particulars etc are acceptable. The problem is that the police are known to be not very consistent and what happens today, may change tomorrow. There is always one cop you may meet who insists on seeing your passport?????

I wonder how they check?

Apparently they have a gizmo, called a camera which can take your picture and by the latest miracle of the internet can connect to the immigration database?????

yes, indeed, there seems to be some confusion over this issue, some say pics on your phone will do, others you need your original documents, passport. I have requested posters on many occasions to say which law says you need your original passport, nobody has replied. It would make sense in this day and age of digital technology that the immigration police would have apps on their phone which can interrogate the immigration database and have facial recognition technology, there bye making the need to carry a passport non existent?

Welcome to Thailand? Where you need to carry your papers with you at all times, other wise you can be arrested and put in jail, or may have pay a 'fine'. Have a nice stay!????

As a Muslim country Indonesia was very moderate. The women do not have to cover their hair or wear a hijab, they have Christian churches, alcohol is freely available, you can buy pork products, they have 'mens' clubs etc. Now having said that this is definitely a backward step. However I dont think it will have any effect on tourism, we will have to wait and see?

I got the sarcasm, hence the laughing emoji!????

What time people of any legal age start drinking is a personal thing and none of your business?

You should join the UN?????

Yes you said, you can't make this stuff up!????

Good One!????

Excellent news, he was a sleazeball! Now get Hunter Biden!????

I didn't realize that there was that much money to be made smuggling pork? Seems to be big business for some reason?

So can we now expect the Chinese will be allowed to travel overseas?

Quite so the OP is trying to make out that the 'internet' and 'facial recognition' technology are the latest thing in fighting crime. Both have been out for a very long time, its just that Thailand didn't catch up until recently?????

Correct if you go to the airport and have a boarding pass to somewhere out of Thailand, the 19 days overstay would not be a problem, just a fine?

Yes it seems that way, but the 'smart car' obviously has a camera that takes a picture and is attached to the database that Immigration has?

"The arrest follows after Surat Thani Immigration officers were patrolling in the Smart Patrol Car that has advanced facial recognition technology." So one would assume that this technology is available in Bangkok, Pattaya etc and yet they???? still raid venues and ask foreigners for passports?

I dont know how much the IO gets, but I am sure you are in the right ball park. If its illegal surely they would be arrested?????

This is off topic, but the agents do not do anything illegal, they are merely middlemen/women, between the customer and immigration. There are shady agents who rip people off however.

Which was........???

Yes indeed, the Chinese seem to be into everything, property scams, school scams, visa scams, even barbershop scams? Where will it end I wonder?

Obviously so famous, nobody knows?

Well isn't overstaying a crime, which would make him a criminal?