Immigration: Over-stayers up by nearly half in 2017

 

Image: Thai News Agency

 

The Thai Immigration Bureau has announced figures for 2017 and the last quarter that show while visitors are up overstaying has gone through the roof.

 

And the Chinese and Indians are the worst culprits.

 

Also nearly 2,000 undesirables had been turned away by immigration before they could even enter Thailand in the last few months.

 

Sutthipong Wongpin of the bureau said that visitors to Thailand were 35 million in 2017 an increase of nearly a million on two years ago.

 

These were Chinese mostly with Malaysians, South Koreans, Indians, the Japanese and Russians filling the next five places.

 

Over-stayers, however, were up 46% with Chinese the worst followed by Indians, Vietnamese. Pakistanis and Nigerians. 

 

There had been 28,000 cases of wrong doing and lawbreaking in one way or another over the last year, reported TNA.

 

From 1st October to December 15th 2017 1,760 people had been denied entry as they were suspected of behavior incompatible with their visa status. 

 

The bureau also used the opportunity to announce the latest arrests in various cases.

 

Two Ugandans were nabbed on human trafficking charges after 30 of their compatriot women were helped this week. Belinda Namuli was arrested at a condo in Pridi Phranomyong Soi 42, Klong Tan which led to the arrest of Moses Musoki.

 

Two Thai women have been arrested on charges of tricking Thai women into the sex trade in Oman. They are Nareerat Mutkhunthot or "Ang" and Rattanaporn Jemsai or "Muay" . They told their clients they would be doing Thai massage in Oman but it was just a front for sex services.

 

Finally an Indian tourist - Agarwal Prashant - was arrested in possession of 12,300 baht, $377 US, credit cards and other documents after he picked up a bag left at a Suvanabhumi airport counter.

 

The bag belonged to another traveller and Agarwal decided to keep it all to himself.

 

Source: Thai News Agency

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-12-30

Finally an Indian tourist - Agarwal Prashant - was arrested in possession of 12,300 baht, $377 US, credit cards and other documents after he picked up a bag left at a Suvanabhumi airport counter.

 

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1017843-indian-man-nabbed-for-stealing-at-suvarnabhumi-airport/?page=1

 

 

 

There is much breathing in this photo to back up the facts.

Quote

These were Chinese mostly with Malaysians, South Koreans, Indians, the Japanese and Russians filling the next five places.
 
Over-stayers, however, were up 46% with Chinese the worst followed by Indians, Vietnamese. Pakistanis and Nigerians. 

Big problem, how do we deal with it, khaaap?

 

No worry, easy - make the visa harder for farangs.

 

{Applause in the background}

Obviously they are economic immigrates how should be welcomed with open arms and government subsidy transfer-payments.

Also nearly 2,000 undesirables had been turned away by immigration before they could even enter Thailand in the last few months.

 

Is this alarming? No! This works out to be about 5 persons a day as they cant even be specific on the NEARLY 2000!

35 million arrivals - not tourists.

For overstays I would say the Phuket incident brought a few cronies (with nobody left to pay off) out of the woodwork, and so shows a temporary flux in numbers. It doesnt mean the amount of overstayers is increasing.

 

 

For overstays I would say the Phuket incident brought a few cronies (with nobody left to pay off) out of the woodwork, and so shows a temporary flux in numbers. It doesnt mean the amount of overstayers is increasing.

 

 

I hope nobody is surprised. Make the procedures even more complicated and the number will rise further. Combined with the rampant corruption on all levels - go figure! 

Needless to say, that Thailand is a declared nirvana for all those "quality" tourists from China, India etc. If you go to India you can possibly imagine, that many of those Indians will go very very far to avoid going back and Thailand - sort of - invites them. No strangers to corruption (same same China) makes me assume that postings into the immigration costs more money today than a decade ago. 

1 hour ago, Sydebolle said:

I hope nobody is surprised. Make the procedures even more complicated and the number will rise further. Combined with the rampant corruption on all levels - go figure! 

What procedures have been made more complicated to make overstaying rise?

40 minutes ago, elviajero said:

What procedures have been made more complicated to make overstaying rise?

For 9 years I travelled in and out of Thailand, sometimes a tourist visa, sometimes visa exempt and towards the end of that period a Non 'O'. I stayed on average 6 months a year. 

10 years ago I hit 50, so came with a Non 'O', extended that on the basis of retirement.

 

This coming January I will go to Immigration to extend again, 11 times in a row.

 

OK a few photocopies, earnings statement from my embassy, a photo and 1,900 Baht.  Normally in and out in under 30 minutes.

 

It is not so hard.

 

WHAT HAS CHANGED?

 

As I see it NOTHING.

The statistics on overstayers is very misleading. The maximum number overstayers are the Chinese and Indians, but it could be a miniscule percentage of the total arrivals from those countries. On the other hand, the percentage of British (or Pakistani or German etc) overstayers could be higher as a measure of their total arrivals. Obviously they will not stop 8 million Chinese arriving here as 200 will overstay. 

11 hours ago, elviajero said:

What procedures have been made more complicated to make overstaying rise?

Multiple entry tourist visas.

Visa waiver entry limitations.

More stringently applied border crossing requirements.

 

Tougher regulations for Non-Imm-O multiple visas.

Removed an off-topic post.

On 12/30/2017 at 12:12 PM, Coconut007 said:

Big problem, how do we deal with it, khaaap?

 

No worry, easy - make the visa harder for farangs.

 

{Applause in the background}

Errrr- they are ALL Farangs.

18 hours ago, BigBadGeordie said:

OK a few photocopies, earnings statement from my embassy, a photo and 1,900 Baht.  Normally in and out in under 30 minutes.

 

30 minutes, or several hours icluding a mult-reentry permit, if one resides in Chiang Mai.

 

18 hours ago, elviajero said:

What procedures have been made more complicated to make overstaying rise?

 

Enforcement of the TM28 & TM30 ?

8 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Multiple entry tourist visas.

Visa waiver entry limitations.

More stringently applied border crossing requirements.

 

Tougher regulations for Non-Imm-O multiple visas.

All are excuses that could be applied to every rule/regulation/ law surrounding immigration policy.

 

If anything the reason for the increase is because more people, from the worst offending countries, are able to visit. The more people that visit the more people will choose to overstay. No surprises in the list; "Over-stayers, however, were up 46% with Chinese the worst followed by Indians, Vietnamese. Pakistanis and Nigerians.". All of these countries have been a problem for years, and it seems to be getting worse.

 

On ‎30‎/‎12‎/‎2017 at 3:06 PM, 1337markus said:

Also nearly 2,000 undesirables had been turned away by immigration before they could even enter Thailand in the last few months.

 

Is this alarming? No! This works out to be about 5 persons a day as they cant even be specific on the NEARLY 2000!

Maybe if you read better:

in the last few months so a lot more then 5 a day

AND more details further in the article:

From 1st October to December 15th 2017 1,760 people had been denied entry as they were suspected of behavior incompatible with their visa status. 

 

13 hours ago, elviajero said:

All are excuses that could be applied to every rule/regulation/ law surrounding immigration policy.

 

If anything the reason for the increase is because more people, from the worst offending countries, are able to visit. The more people that visit the more people will choose to overstay. No surprises in the list; "Over-stayers, however, were up 46% with Chinese the worst followed by Indians, Vietnamese. Pakistanis and Nigerians.". All of these countries have been a problem for years, and it seems to be getting worse.

 

No, they are answers to the question YOU posed!

Quote

What procedures have been made more complicated

A non-Imm O multiple was what I used to get and lived in Thailand with for 3 years. It was easily obtained from a consulate, near my UK address at the time, not now. It is more complicated.

A better response from you might be to state how more Nationalities are now permitted visa waiver or easy Visa on arrival in Thailand, rather than seemingly denying you asked. Also Thailand got serious about overstayers and illegals. Surely the increase in tourist arrivals contributes to the statistics too.

Juat proves 2 things actually. 

 

1) They are keeping better and more acruate records. 

 

2) Increasing the punishment does not reduce the crime. 

so all the hoops that they make us go through at immigration..proof of this proof of that...paper work up the arse...and the system continues to fail even more miserably than before