Thai Tourist Police beginning crackdown on 200,000 over-stayers

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Thailand's Tourist Police Chief led a big raid on a call center operation at a northern Bangkok condominium yesterday.

 

It was as much a raid on people who have overstayed as those involved in crime.

 

Surachet Hakpan along with 191 special branch and immigration officers raided the Ban Suan Thon condo in Ratanathibet, Nonthaburi.

 

In two rooms on the second and first floors they found six Taiwanese men and two Chinese women running call center scams.

 

There were no passports at the premises with those arrested claiming they were extending their visas.

 

Video and communications equipment was taken into evidence.

 

Surachet said that the raid was under ministerial orders to crack down on the estimated 200,000 over-stayers in Thailand but in this case the illegal immigrants were involved in serious crime also.

 

The chief said that 89 arrest warrants were being acted upon to round up over-stayers.

 

Surachet - previously referred to as head of 191 - is now being named in the Thai media as fronting the Tourist Police.

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-11-14

The numbers have doubled overnight ?

 

 

Edited November 14, 20178 yr by Thaiwrath

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

The chief said that 89 arrest warrants were being acted upon to round up over-stayers.

199,911 to go !

Ignoring for a moment how people get into overstay, Thailand has itself largely to blame for the amount of long term over stayers. Once someone has gone into overstay, they have no attractive options. Face jail, get blacklisted etc. If they were to offer a short window, no questions asked, amnesty, many people would take the option to leave, either permanently, or long enough to obtain the correct visas. This would be far cheaper and efficient than the current, largely incompetent efforts, that barely scratch the surface of the problem and free the police up to actually target serious criminals. And God knows, there are plenty of them around.

Edited November 14, 20178 yr by darksidedog

1 minute ago, darksidedog said:

If they were to offer a short window, no questions asked, amnesty,

I fear the perps would abuse that time period as well

13 minutes ago, Thaiwrath said:

199,911 to go !

Old Chinese proverb say: "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step".

Can't say I get quite the link between one Chinese boiler room bust in Nonthaburi and an alleged 200,000 overstayers.

22 minutes ago, AGareth2 said:

I fear the perps would abuse that time period as well

I am sure they would. Get out clause for less cost than a fine and a ticket home after a while in IDC !!

Would just encourage overstay.

2 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Ignoring for a moment how people get into overstay, Thailand has itself largely to blame for the amount of long term over stayers. Once someone has gone into overstay, they have no attractive options. Face jail, get blacklisted etc. If they were to offer a short window, no questions asked, amnesty, many people would take the option to leave, either permanently, or long enough to obtain the correct visas. This would be far cheaper and efficient than the current, largely incompetent efforts, that barely scratch the surface of the problem and free the police up to actually target serious criminals. And God knows, there are plenty of them around.

I would suggest a complete rethink on visas and making Thai citizenship more attainable which would take most of the "good guys" out the current bureaucracy so freeing up resources to round up the miscreants.

Edited November 14, 20178 yr by Tilacme

That´s great! Maybe they can deport all this sickness in the country. Implement better security systems, and make it easier on the people that stays here legally.

2 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Ignoring for a moment how people get into overstay, Thailand has itself largely to blame for the amount of long term over stayers. Once someone has gone into overstay, they have no attractive options. Face jail, get blacklisted etc. If they were to offer a short window, no questions asked, amnesty, many people would take the option to leave, either permanently, or long enough to obtain the correct visas. This would be far cheaper and efficient than the current, largely incompetent efforts, that barely scratch the surface of the problem and free the police up to actually target serious criminals. And God knows, there are plenty of them around.

You are ignoring the fact that Thailand did just as you said.... and yet there are apparently 200,000 overstayers that did not take them up on that opportunity.   I fully expected a widespread operation when they changed the enforcement -- and expected them to start sweeping overstayers up.  Those that were in an overstay situation 18+ months ago that ignored the change -- have no-one to blame but themselves.  Those that overstayed after the new punishments were announced -- had up to 90 days to voluntarily correct it.   Leniency did not solve the problem, so now a less lenient approach is warranted. 

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Can't say I get quite the link between one Chinese boiler room bust in Nonthaburi and an alleged 200,000 overstayers.

The link is that overstayers who have no legitimate source of income and who apparently did not even have enough money to exit and get a tourist visa and re-enter legally... provide a pool of desperate people that can then recruited for illegal activities etc.

2 hours ago, overherebc said:

I am sure they would. Get out clause for less cost than a fine and a ticket home after a while in IDC !!

Would just encourage overstay.

They had a grace period before the current law came into effect. They were given a few months warning.

Tourist police, hmmmmm. Considering they are virtually invisible ( so few of them ), it'll be interesting to see how they do on 200,000 suspects.

I just hope it doesn't lead to pavement checkpoints in Chiang Mai looking at my passport every time I go outside.

Few on here will be getting cold feet, might be the no money but got the extension crackdown next 

Tourist Police? If they are like the ones in Pattaya, everyone is safe...???

3 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

The numbers have doubled overnight ?

 

 

Tomorrow the number will be 400,000 :)

22 minutes ago, abrahamzvi said:

They had a grace period before the current law came into effect. They were given a few months warning.

Way more than just a few months. It was discussed for over a year before the grace period came into force.

3 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Ignoring for a moment how people get into overstay, Thailand has itself largely to blame for the amount of long term over stayers. Once someone has gone into overstay, they have no attractive options. Face jail, get blacklisted etc. If they were to offer a short window, no questions asked, amnesty, many people would take the option to leave, either permanently, or long enough to obtain the correct visas. This would be far cheaper and efficient than the current, largely incompetent efforts, that barely scratch the surface of the problem and free the police up to actually target serious criminals. And God knows, there are plenty of them around.

Why should there be an attractive option for people who don't care about the law?

You leave when you have to and come back when you sorted out your money issues.

3 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Ignoring for a moment how people get into overstay, Thailand has itself largely to blame for the amount of long term over stayers. Once someone has gone into overstay, they have no attractive options. Face jail, get blacklisted etc. If they were to offer a short window, no questions asked, amnesty, many people would take the option to leave, either permanently, or long enough to obtain the correct visas. This would be far cheaper and efficient than the current, largely incompetent efforts, that barely scratch the surface of the problem and free the police up to actually target serious criminals. And God knows, there are plenty of them around.

Is this the system used in your country also?

3 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Can't say I get quite the link between one Chinese boiler room bust in Nonthaburi and an alleged 200,000 overstayers.

I am sure the Thai government will be worried about that.

Immigration is computerised. If it can't give an exact number of people stamped in and not stamped out or extended, what's the point?

 

They can arrest them all when they go for their 90 day stamps ! LOL

53 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Tourist police, hmmmmm. Considering they are virtually invisible ( so few of them ), it'll be interesting to see how they do on 200,000 suspects.

I just hope it doesn't lead to pavement checkpoints in Chiang Mai looking at my passport every time I go outside.

It's the price the rest of us have to pay for the scofflaws.  

 

200,000?  Pfffft.   Give me a call when it gets to 20 million, like in the U.S.   (OK, make it 6.7M if you want to get all proportional....)

 

 

 

I feel local citizens should be vigilant, and report the suspicious people to police.

 

I hope Thai TV's should create a promotional video about illegal stay, and how to check  valid visa etc.

 

Otherwise there is no way this country will safe while insurgents are attacking the Army in the south.

3 minutes ago, NextStationBangkok said:

I feel local citizens should be vigilant, and report the suspicious people to police.

 

I hope Thai TV's should create a promotional video about illegal stay, and how to check  valid visa etc.

 

Otherwise there is no way this country will safe while insurgents are attacking the Army in the south.

i think you need to do some research about who these 'insurgents' are... you will find they are not usually on visas, being that they are Thai.

 

But you carry on with your hysteria, I am sure it keeps you happy :)

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Surachet - previously referred to as head of 191 - is now being named in the Thai media as fronting the Tourist Police.

 

Did he get a new job/assignment after the botched (dismissed) criminal case against the zero dollar tour operators and their seized buses???

54 minutes ago, RayD said:

Immigration is computerised. If it can't give an exact number of people stamped in and not stamped out or extended, what's the point?

 

Police need excuses to enter Nana for raid the Lady-Boy bars and pubs, and take money from them. How can someone be hiding behind the bikinis ?

 

In fact Police don't arrest the over-stayers, they just give stickers for few thousand baht/month, so that they are having a standard income per month and let them stay happily.

 

They are not serious about cracking down the over stayers.

22 minutes ago, NextStationBangkok said:

I feel local citizens should be vigilant, and report the suspicious people to police.

 

I hope Thai TV's should create a promotional video about illegal stay, and how to check  valid visa etc.

 

Otherwise there is no way this country will safe while insurgents are attacking the Army in the south.

Over-stayers have turned to insurgents! Gents, someone been smoking.

Edited November 14, 20178 yr by Machiavelli

7 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Ignoring for a moment how people get into overstay, Thailand has itself largely to blame for the amount of long term over stayers. Once someone has gone into overstay, they have no attractive options. Face jail, get blacklisted etc. If they were to offer a short window, no questions asked, amnesty, many people would take the option to leave, either permanently, or long enough to obtain the correct visas. This would be far cheaper and efficient than the current, largely incompetent efforts, that barely scratch the surface of the problem and free the police up to actually target serious criminals. And God knows, there are plenty of them around.

A short window was and is being offered. 

The Policy of strict enforcement and penalties was announced well in advance (a year?) before the enforcement commenced. 

Overstayers also have a 90 day Window within which to rectify their overstay without facing more severe consequences such as a year ban. 

 

Additionally so local illegal laborers have also been offered an amnesty (which has currently lasted approximately 6months) in which they can get their affairs in order. This has allowed us sufficient time to employ our maid/nanny directly rather than through an agency who did not provide sufficient documentation and apply for and provide a work permit ourselves. 

 

In short, Thai Immigration have offered sufficient clarity and sufficient time for anyone on overstay or working illegally to sort out their affairs. 

 

If someone continues to work illegally or overstays more than 90 days the seemingly harsh response seems somewhat justified. 

 

Edited November 14, 20178 yr by metisdead
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