Thailand keeps hunting for 8,000-plus overstaying foreigners

[webfact]

Thailand keeps hunting for 8,000-plus overstaying foreigners

Source: Xinhua|Editor: Lifang

 

File photo

 

BANGKOK, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's authorities are continuing to hunt for over 8,000 foreigners who have allegedly overstayed in this country, according to Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Kongcheep Tantrawanich.

 

Those foreigners, suspected to have illegally overstayed in varied spots throughout Thailand, might possibly have been involved in crimes or any outlawed activities only to smear this country's image in the eye of the international community, the spokesman said on Wednesday.

 

Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan had ordered the authorities to locate and arrest the 8,000-plus suspected overstayers in addition to a number of others who may have illegally entered this country, he said.

 

Those illegal aliens, mostly of who came from Asia, Africa and Europe, will not only be arrested but have all their wealth confiscated by the authorities, he said.

 

Full story: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-01/31/c_136939460.htm

 

-- Xinhua 2018-02-01

[gunderhill]

I doubt any smearing they could do would  match that of the Thais themselves.

So now any overstayers  wil also lose  all their  money regardless!!

Edited January 31, 2018 by gunderhill

[simoh1490]

If only many Western countries had adopted a similar approach years ago!

[ezzra]

Not sure how did they get to that figure,  how do they know who's of the overstays engaged in criminal

and who's not, I'm thinking that this is maybe a ballpark figure and that in reality there are many more

than 8,000 out there.....

[rkidlad]

I’m guessing a lot more than 8,000. I already know of about 5 people. 

[Rally123]

A couple of years ago the Kap Choeng IO did home visits of all foreigners on their books claiming they were trying to catch overstayers and illegal workers. What chance had they of catching people when we were inform of their pending visit? They couldn't organize a ................in a brewery.

[George Bowman]

Getting rid of serial overstayers is a good thing. If a person does not have enough coins to be able obtain a visa to live in Thailand year round, they are either broke or working in a shady business. Send them home.

 

In the past someone else handled my visa paperwork. Now, it is up to me. Every 90 days I go visit the immigration office in Phitsanulok which is typical of many government buildings. Rundown and drab. But the staff is ok. I now have to jump through the paperwork hoops much like my wife did years ago applying for her American Green Card.

 

I was always taught if you want to dance, you have to pay the fiddler…

[simoh1490]

1 minute ago, Rally123 said:

A couple of years ago the Kap Choeng IO did home visits of all foreigners on their books claiming they were trying to catch overstayers and illegal workers. What chance had they of catching people when we were inform of their pending visit? They couldn't organize a ................in a brewery.

I think it was a pretty good idea actually and it worked quite well.  What they did was two things: they took the immigration details of individuals and made home visits,  that showed up a number of things including the accuracy of their records. The second thing they did was to ask locals about details of any foreigners living in the community and then they tried to track them down and check up on them. I know the second part of the above is true because residents of my wife's village reported my occasional presence there to the local police some years ago and they made several visits to the MIL's home trying to find me, even though some of that same police had been guests at our wedding! Eventually, I went to the police station to clear up matters and the coin finally dropped with them, keystone doesn't even begin to describe! 

[steven100]

I believe they are in Pattaya.

[catman20]

38 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

I’m guessing a lot more than 8,000. I already know of about 5 people. 

drop a dime, bunch of toe rags make it look bad for the rest of us.

Edited February 1, 2018 by catman20

[Darcula]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

not only be arrested but have all their wealth confiscated by the authorities

Yeah right, keep your wealth ready in 500 baht notes please.

 

[rkidlad]

13 minutes ago, catman20 said:

drop a dime, bunch of toe rags make it look bad for the rest of us.

Maybe. But I’ll let someone else deal with that. I enjoy Thailand cos I can be left alone. 

[bluesofa]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

"Those illegal aliens, mostly of who came from Asia, Africa and Europe, will not only be arrested but have all their wealth confiscated by the authorities"

Is this for all overstayers, I wonder?

It also says they "might possibly have been involved in crimes [within Thailand]" - fair enough.

However, what right does the government have to steal their cash - assuming it was brought into the country legally?

[simoh1490]

1 minute ago, bluesofa said:

Is this for all overstayers, I wonder?

It also says they "might possibly have been involved in crimes [within Thailand]" - fair enough.

However, what right does the government have to steal their cash - assuming it was brought into the country legally?

Consider it a fine and a deterrent.

[Cadbury]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand's authorities are continuing to hunt for over 8,000 foreigners

Thai officials don't hunt for anyone...that requires effort. Their form is to sit in their aircon offices and wait for tip-offs.

[Rally123]

1 hour ago, simoh1490 said:

What they did was two things: they took the immigration details of individuals and made home visits,  that showed up a number of things including the accuracy of their records. The second thing they did was to ask locals about details of any foreigners living in the community and then they tried to track them down and check up on them.

The thing is that every year, in the 12 I've lived here, the local police come around and take a photocopy of every farangs passport living within the Amphur. That there is the problem in that the Immigration Offices do not link up with the local police.

[bluesofa]

18 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

Consider it a fine and a deterrent.

Fair enough. I'm just playing devil's advocate here:

In theory if you had a two day overstay (your fault I know) and you also had invested five million Baht (for whatever), that would be a very heavy fine.

[simoh1490]

1 minute ago, Rally123 said:

The thing is that every year, in the 12 I've lived here, the local police come around and take a photocopy of every farangs passport living within the Amphur. That there is the problem in that the Immigration Offices do not link up with the local police.

The lack of link up is understandable, this is Thailand!

 

But I've never heard of the police coming round to take photo's of passports and I've been here 16 years, I presume you live in Issan?.

[PremiumLane]

2 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

If only many Western countries had adopted a similar approach years ago!

someone who clearly knows nothing about immigration in the West - don't tell me, they all get luxury villas, right? 

[simoh1490]

2 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Fair enough. I'm just playing devil's advocate here:

In theory if you had a two day overstay (your fault I know) and you also had invested five million Baht (for whatever), that would be a very heavy fine.

I believe there are published tables showing the length of overstay versus the penalty, a two-day overstay might just be carelessness and a 500 baht fine applied. But a five-year overstay is slightly more than carelessness and it's those people they are after and who deserve to lose their 5 mill. investment, if they are caught.

[simoh1490]

3 minutes ago, PremiumLane said:

someone who clearly knows nothing about immigration in the West - don't tell me, they all get luxury villas, right? 

Well I know that illegal immigration the west causes some countries to build very anti-social and expensive walls along their borders. In other countries, it causes the population to vote to leave the EU trading block in order to end it and in others it causes established and otherwise capable governments to fall!

[webfact]

Security units instructed to bust drugs networks, foreign mafias

 

BANGKOK, 1 February 2018 (NNT) –Deputy Prime Minister/Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan has urged security units to eradicate drugs networks and foreign mafias, said Defense Ministry Spokesman Lt Gen Kongcheep Tantravanich. 

He said the deputy premier has put the security agencies on high alert to protect the society from harms in relation to any drugs networks or crimes. 

The order apparently followed a report which shows a large number of drugs being smuggled into Thailand with manufacturing sites and warehouses in foreign countries, while drugs networks might be associated with other crimes. 

The police were instructed to hold a conference on 1 February 2018 to orchestrate a coordinated arrests of drug lords nationwide along with the suppression of foreign mafias in Thailand, particularly among some 8,000 foreign nationals illegally overstaying in this country who might be found associated with international criminal gangs. 

The operations will root out supporters of these illegal networks and government officials involved to prevent possibilities of repeated offenses.

 

-- nnt 2018-02-01

[cnx355]

1 hour ago, Rally123 said:

A couple of years ago the Kap Choeng IO did home visits of all foreigners on their books claiming they were trying to catch overstayers and illegal workers. What chance had they of catching people when we were inform of their pending visit? They couldn't organize a ................in a brewery.

I think it is clear that people that overstay and/or people in shady business do not visit their local Immigration offices. Foreigners  that  follow the rules visit Immigration offices and jump  the many loops and navigate the red tape at best they can.

To catch the overstaying and criminals , officers need to hit the street and check the areas frequented by foreigners and also do some legwork in the upcountry villages  and local district  talking to local people.This is police work !  Immigration Office are more concerned with the paperwork , and photocopying the same passport every 90 days , even if they already have it scanned on the computer in front of them and have a original in their hands.   This is no way to catch the "bad guys"   sitting at the office.

 

 

[bluesofa]

11 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

I believe there are published tables showing the length of overstay versus the penalty, a two-day overstay might just be carelessness and a 500 baht fine applied. But a five-year overstay is slightly more than carelessness and it's those people they are after and who deserve to lose their 5 mill. investment, if they are caught.

I agree. I'm just picking holes in the quotes by immigration in the article.

It's the lack of a clear statement, with no specific details, but then that's nothing new.

 

Going OT for a second, the train project linking to China has had its details and start date changed so many times already most people have lost track. (Pun intended!)

[greenchair]

I imagine the richest ones will be first on the list. 

Thanks for the tip. 

Hide the dosh now lamers. 

[simoh1490]

7 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

I agree. I'm just picking holes in the quotes by immigration in the article.

It's the lack of a clear statement, with no specific details, but then that's nothing new.

 

Going OT for a second, the train project linking to China has had its details and start date changed so many times already most people have lost track. (Pun intended!)

The project may have indeed have gone off the rails.

[Time Traveller]

I hope this is another one of those fake news stories that Thai media is famous for because if not then it raises a number of really alarming issues such as:

1. Why is the Defense Department now tasked with a job that is normally handled by Immigration department?

2. Under what section of the Law is an immigration offense grounds for confiscating assets ?

3. And the most obvious question is what's the point of mandatory reporting of foreigners residences if Immigration and police can't even locate them ?

 

I urge everyone to think about these 3 points , and then you might come to the conclusion it's time for even the law abiding foreign residents in Thailand to start moving their assets abroad. 

  

 

Edited February 1, 2018 by Time Traveller

[simoh1490]

1 minute ago, Time Traveller said:

I hope this is another one of those fake news stories that Thai media is famous for because if not then it raises a number of really alarming issues such as:

1. Why is the Defense Department now tasked with a job that is normally handled by Immigration department?

2. Under what section of the Law is an immgration offense grounds for confiscating assets ?

3. And the most obvious question is what's the point of mandatory reporting of foreigners if you can't even locate them ?

 

I urge everyone to think about these 3 points, and then you might come to the conclusion it's time for even the law abiding foreign residents in Thailand to start moving their assets abroad.

  

 

I strongly suspect the problem lays in the article or its wording rather than anything else, there's no need for people to go overboard on that basis alone.

[geronimo]

Isn't rocket science. They know when you arrive and they know when you leave. If your visa expires and you are still here, checkmate surely?

[Raymonddiaz]

3 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

If only many Western countries had adopted a similar approach years ago!

Western countries respect human rights...Thailand only respect dogs rights...me think na...Pai laeo na!!!