Big Joke turfs out more than 70 foreigners - champion had near six year overstay

[duanebigsby]

3 hours ago, BobbyL said:

I would love to know which 'International Schools' are the ones that seem to be continually raided by this guy. 

Especially as the names in the report indicate no Native English speakers.

International schools require education degrees and prefer native English speakers, but these were mostly Africans. The report doesn't say they caught any one at the schools. Perhaps when they raided the international schools every one was legit but the news report doesn't clarify that.

[4MyEgo]

4 hours ago, shackleton said:

Sends out a message  to those not adhering   to the rules 

hope he keeps it up 

we are talking about those over stayers and others who can't be bothered to 

get the proper visas 

 

 

Message for some, the local village we live in has a new farang that moved in about a week ago, gossip has it, he is the mayor's sisters husband, 62 years of age, passport expired 3 years ago, wife bought 3 bars with his money in Phuket, gambled and lost all the money they were making, tried to sell the bars, but closed them down one at a time as she owed 800,000 baht to people from gambling debts, and has fled to Pattaya to work and make some money, but not before dumping her husband to her sister-in-law to look after Mr Farang till she returns, and there he sits at the front of the sister-in-laws house/shack, like a lost dog waiting for its master to return.

 

Pitiful really.

[Media1]

9 minutes ago, duanebigsby said:

I feel for you, but why aren't you mailing it in?

But agreed, every time foreigners try a back door or illegal way to stay, the rest are scrutinized more stringently.

 

Thailand 4 has really taken off with these superior Thai websites that don't work. It's really quite unbelievable that you can't do it online. A real pipe dream Thailand 4

[gamini]

4 hours ago, KittenKong said:

In what way?

 

I did my retirement extension in Jomtien recently and was in and out in under 10 minutes the first day, and barely one minute the next to collect my passport. I cant really imagine an easier or simpler or faster procedure.

Agree.  It's getting easier and easier for a genuine retiree or someone on a marriage visa.

They never check retirees overstay or visit their homes.  The 90 day reporting is a non-issue.

Filling in forms are no longer required. You or anyone else can simply present the passport at a special kiosk at any immigration Department and be in and out in a couple of minutes. It can also be posted and done online. What the immigration department does rightly check is long term tourists many of them were working without permission and exceeding what really constitutes a tourist. Nearly all countries limit tourists to six months stay in one year.  marriage visas are naturally checked with home visits, to stop People abusing the system by marrying a girl in order to get a visa.

Quite a long time back when I first came to Thailand I had to get income tax clearance every time I left the country!

[Get Real]

5 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

Just making it harder and more complicated for people who actually follow the rules to be with their wife or legitimately want to retire here. 

Do you know something others don´t? Plaease elaborate on this and develop your thoughts and fantasies into a reality that could be understood.

[duanebigsby]

Seems kind of strange to me how they say they target the schools, but never say anyone caught was actually from a school. The names s then come out, and none of them sound like Native English speakers. Perhaps they're after the Burmese and Cambodian cleaning staff? 

[RT555]

The Nigerians must be laying low. Way low.. 

[Get Real]

Out with the pack. Looks like everybody belives it´s just to travel to Thailand and stay as long as they want.

TV had a survey that said a lot of foreigners stay in Thailand on smaller than 40K baht a month, I suggest they send that info to Immigration.

Staying long time legally in Thailand requires a Non-O longstay visa. That is connected to a minimum of 40K per month.

Just throw all that can show that out of the country, if not on tourist visa and onlt having holiday in Thailand for a month or two.

[bkkcanuck8]

13 minutes ago, gamini said:

Agree.  It's getting easier and easier for a genuine retiree or someone on a marriage visa.

They never check retirees overstay or visit their homes.  The 90 day reporting is a non-issue.

Filling in forms are no longer required. You or anyone else can simply present the passport at a special kiosk at any immigration Department and be in and out in a couple of minutes. It can also be posted and done online. What the immigration department does rightly check is long term tourists many of them were working without permission and exceeding what really constitutes a tourist. Nearly all countries limit tourists to six months stay in one year.  marriage visas are naturally checked with home visits, to stop People abusing the system by marrying a girl in order to get a visa.

Quite a long time back when I first came to Thailand I had to get income tax clearance every time I left the country!

I am of a different view, I think they should remove "classifications" of the visas and only have two or three.  The first is entering on a visa waiver or tourist visa (Canada is up to six months on a single entry), then if you want to stay longer and you have the means a temporary resident visa (up to 2 years at a time), after that you get into work visas (working for a local company or earning local wages) and permanent resident status.  The classification system was designed to make it easier to apply a common way of evaluating those applying, but it breaks down very quickly as the state of things never stays the same.  Market forces could then be used to limit visas if there are too many people (i.e. fees, financial means).

[bkkcanuck8]

1 minute ago, Get Real said:

Out with the pack. Looks like everybody belives it´s just to travel to Thailand and stay as long as they want.

TV had a survey that said a lot of foreigners stay in Thailand on smaller than 40K baht a month, I suggest they send that info to Immigration.

Staying long time legally in Thailand requires a Non-O longstay visa. That is connected to a minimum of 40K per month.

Just throw all that can show that out of the country, if not on tourist visa and onlt having holiday in Thailand for a month or two.

Immigration already knows -- and some of their office 'tip' jars are topped up on that knowledge.

[FitnessHealthTravel]

5 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

Just making it harder and more complicated for people who actually follow the rules to be with their wife or legitimately want to retire here. 

Great, the harder the better.

[Get Real]

5 minutes ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

Immigration already knows -- and some of their office 'tip' jars are topped up on that knowledge.

Great, then I will be the best one to tip them at my next visit.

[cyberfarang]

5 hours ago, sanemax said:

The Spouse visa and retirement visa will not be affected by these overstayers

Disagree.

 

The more a**holes coming into the country and abusing the laws, the more hurdles us legitimate stayers in Thailand have to jump over each year.

[Wilsonandson]

Let's hope there's a 'Big Joke' equivalent in all our home countries kicking out the overstayed Thai's and printing their names in the national papers.

[tlcwaterfall]

31 minutes ago, gamini said:

Agree.  It's getting easier and easier for a genuine retiree or someone on a marriage visa.

They never check retirees overstay or visit their homes.  The 90 day reporting is a non-issue.

Filling in forms are no longer required. You or anyone else can simply present the passport at a special kiosk at any immigration Department and be in and out in a couple of minutes. It can also be posted and done online. What the immigration department does rightly check is long term tourists many of them were working without permission and exceeding what really constitutes a tourist. Nearly all countries limit tourists to six months stay in one year.  marriage visas are naturally checked with home visits, to stop People abusing the system by marrying a girl in order to get a visa.

Quite a long time back when I first came to Thailand I had to get income tax clearance every time I left the country!

"They never check retirees overstay or visit their homes".

 

 

Immigration came to my house last week to check I am living here. They are checking all foreigners in my area as well. They also interviewed several villagers to confirm that I am actually living here.

[peperobi]

5 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

Just making it harder and more complicated for people who actually follow the rules to be with their wife or legitimately want to retire here. 

My first few visas and WP was very easy walk-in and out from the immigration, then year by year become more and more difficult with always more obstacles. Thanks on all those illegals that don't care about others. I'm not a criminal and I was never on an illegal basis here but is not easy anymore for us the way to immigration. I'm happy that I do always a year visa.

[Dogmatix]

Since Big Joke is head of the Tourist Police I can't understand why he is spending his time rounding up overstayers which is the job of the Immigration police. Presumably he finds Immigration's work much more enjoyable and can generate more publicity for himself than doing his own job which is protecting legitimate tourists.  I wonder what Immigration feel about him encroaching on their turf. I suppose it all depends on who has the best connections with the police commissioner and Gen Watchman.

[rascalman]

I am a elderly disabled US veteran who has lived here over 11 years. Never bothering, breaking laws etc.. Last year doing my yearly passport stamp talking to an agent of Immigration telling her its physically difficult spending nearly all day accomplishing this. She smiled saying sometimes ambulances bring some to do their update.

This is impossible to comprehend. I am a good citizen, spend nearly all my money here yet No efforts to help those like me. Not amusing to me, what can be done besides dying or just stop doing this? Why do these people make it so difficult to live peacefully in Thailand? I am 67years old! 

[colinneil]

1 minute ago, rascalman said:

I am a elderly disabled US veteran who has lived here over 11 years. Never bothering, breaking laws etc.. Last year doing my yearly passport stamp talking to an agent of Immigration telling her its physically difficult spending nearly all day accomplishing this. She smiled saying sometimes ambulances bring some to do their update.

This is impossible to comprehend. I am a good citizen, spend nearly all my money here yet No efforts to help those like me. Not amusing to me, what can be done besides dying or just stop doing this? Why do these people make it so difficult to live peacefully in Thailand? I am 67years old! 

 Well mate i was in hospital on life support, wife went to immigration to do my extension, i was 35 days overstay due to being in a coma, immigration told my wife she had to arrange an ambulance to get me to their office as they did not believe her.

After taking 20.000 baht off her and reading the doctors letter did they relent.

Each year since she takes me to immigration, goes to do my extension and an officer comes out and takes my photo.

[NoshowJones]

5 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Heinous criminals? Overstaying a visa, is most certainly against the law and also pretty stupid, but hardly heinous. Taking low hanging fruit, for quick headlines, is how I would describe this and I would far prefer to see a few rapists, murderers and thieves rounded up, which seems to happen way too rarely.

Yes, and I would like to see something done about the dreadful road behavior of most Thais.

[moe666]

5 hours ago, stanleycoin said:

Nah

Think it's more about  demonizing foreigners.

Plenty of real crime they could get on with here.

He is the immigration police and that is the type of crime he handles. He is not a investigator for bank robberies, rape, murder, car thief, and many more that you would have him solve when not his job.

[Dogmatix]

4 minutes ago, rascalman said:

I am a elderly disabled US veteran who has lived here over 11 years. Never bothering, breaking laws etc.. Last year doing my yearly passport stamp talking to an agent of Immigration telling her its physically difficult spending nearly all day accomplishing this. She smiled saying sometimes ambulances bring some to do their update.

This is impossible to comprehend. I am a good citizen, spend nearly all my money here yet No efforts to help those like me. Not amusing to me, what can be done besides dying or just stop doing this? Why do these people make it so difficult to live peacefully in Thailand? I am 67years old! 

 

Sorry about your predicament but what exactly do you expect them to do?  Thailand is a country that studiously avoids doing anything for its own disabled who cannot use public transport easily or get around the broken up sidewalks that serve as shortcuts for policemen on motorbikes. 

[NoshowJones]

Look at all the guys in the photo, not exactly Elvis lookalikes, are they?

[Bangkok Barry]

Can anyone PLEASE tell me why this policeman always holds his press conferences at 2am? I've never heard of anyone else, anywhere, calling the media in in the middle of the night, even for the most serious situations.

[NoshowJones]

5 hours ago, KittenKong said:

In what way?

 

I did my retirement extension in Jomtien recently and was in and out in under 10 minutes the first day, and barely one minute the next to collect my passport. I cant really imagine an easier or simpler or faster procedure.

 I can, make the reports annually instead of this ridiculous 90 days, and make it at any immigration office.

[vinegarbase]

6 hours ago, Maverell said:

How is removing overstayers making it harder and more complicated for the rest of us?

Because they don't just crackdown on illegal immigration, they crack down on immigration period. It always goes hand and hand. A few months ago I had my first job ever in Thailand, got a valid 90 day non B, work contract, work permit and worked for 1 day! Yes, just 1 day. Because when I went to local immigration to get my extension they would not give it to me. No matter what silly requirement they asked I turned in. It even got to the point where they were saying certain forms I turned in had to have certain color ink in certain places and that all black ink was not acceptable. When I jumped through all their hoops they then changed to the excuses that they questioned the validity of my documents and that they were fake, despite having all legal seals and copies. Every time I went in well dressed, smiled, didn't talk much, answered all their questions and wai'd them coming in and out. Didn't matter.

 

So yes, it is true. Immigration crackdowns mean immigration crackdowns, including making lives more miserable even for those who are doing things the right way. Everyone knows Thai immigration has some of the worst POS's working for them in the world it's not a big secret and they love being able to have more authority to cause more problems for foreigners no matter who you are.

[PerkinsCuthbert]

6 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Its great to have the BJ back in the news and as a Big fan of "BJ's" his absence this week has been sadly missed but now thoroughly justified in chucking  out these heinous criminals?

I agree, there doesn't seem to be any limit to what General Rice Porridge can achieve. However, I predict a fall from grace soon - too many petty jealousies in the RTP to allow these stupendous successes to continue.

[Bastos60]

6 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

Just making it harder and more complicated for people who actually follow the rules to be with their wife or legitimately want to retire here. 

More complicated? Would you turn in someone you know who is overstaying their visa?

 

 

[ttrd]

6 hours ago, Maverell said:

How is removing overstayers making it harder and more complicated for the rest of us?

RE - Just making it harder and more complicated for people who actually follow the rules to be with their wife

 

Maybe he ment that less men means more available women something that may make it harder to stick to his wife….

[NoshowJones]

5 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

That would only be the case if they couldn't get a new passport, as Thai embassies don't have access to databases for outstanding warrants. I think, it's more about lack of finances or simply laziness, in addition to not being able to get a new visa at reasonable cost. (Imagine, you'd have to return to your home country every time you needed a new visa: would you fork out a lot of money to do so, or rather overstay if you were intend on staying in Thailand? - Don't get me wrong, overstaying is stupid IMHO, but people are known to do desperate things sometimes.)

I do not condone overstayers, but if the government would just cut out some of these unnecessary rules that they thrust upon us, maybe there would not be so many overstayers.