Prawit orders crackdown on ‘illegal’ foreigners

[1337markus]

being involved in criminal activities.

 

Better WATCH this seeing it has come from the master of watches

[Wake Up]

 I hope they enforce the overstay laws and clean up the soi 3 though 13 area in BKK. 

[Charlie1]

So, this is defense of the country....

But gangs shootings tourists is not a problem?

Who are the REAL criminals in this country?

And who are the <deleted> trying to make a good picture by chasing a few overstayers?

Disgusting and it's about time Thais are being treated the same way in other countries as well.

No matter their status!

[boonrawdcnx]

He ordered the crackdown yesterday!?

Isn’t it hilarious how they try to jump on every bandwagon AFTER the fact and try to get their faces into the news?

Think he missed the fact that the crackdown was already underway last week.

Wonder if they are serious this time and will manage to catch some real foreign criminals - who are in plain sight with police and army on their pay-list?

But somehow I think they are going to miss those again.

And as long as they do this is nothing but a farce to keep their faces in the news.

Going after some small time crooks and overstayers - big deal.





Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[GalaxyMan]

2 hours ago, generealty said:

22 people from African Nations 'collared' but 8 released for being legal suggests they arrested 8 innocent people. If they continue that then harassment of innocent foreigners will hit the international media. Will not bode well.

It's called guilty while black, an American import. ????

[khunpa]

Just another “crackdown” annoncement, like all the other previous “crackdowns” before this one.

 

Its like the “hub” announcements. It all sounds great and effective. And it is all forgotten in a week or so.

 

 

 

[klauskunkel]

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

1.6 million foreigners living in Thailand

Canadians were the biggest group – 9,872

let's say all the foreign groups have the same amount of people: 10,000 (for simplicity sake)

with 1,600,000 foreigners it follows that people from 160 countries are living in Thailand

there is a total of 195 countries in the world

this leads me to two Big Joke questions:

1) who has been using the special calculators that were supposed to be used for the election only?

2) 35 countries are not represented, who are the deviants?

[TMNH]

2 hours ago, generealty said:

22 people from African Nations 'collared' but 8 released for being legal suggests they arrested 8 innocent people. If they continue that then harassment of innocent foreigners will hit the international media. Will not bode well.

Inasmuch as a certain element should be weeded out, worry about your own Thai citizens who get away with a simple wai and contribute to the hypocrisy. Do as I say, not as I do.  Double standards are not in my sensible way of looking at reality.                                                                                                                                                                                   .                                             

[maddermax]

It is likely that many farangs who cannot get a certified letter of income from their embassy who do not have the ability to deposit the necessary funds in a fixed interest account are likely to become overstayers so this number could increase.

Another example of not thinking their policies through and shooting themselves in the foot!

[Retiredandhappyhere]

Am I missing something or just displaying my normal level of ignorance, but the article states that more than 10 million foreign tourists entered the kingdom during the (8 month) January to August period, so how can the full year total be as high as 30 to 35 million?  Has TAT just let the cat out of the bag with these latest (true) figures?   

 

I am assuming that "foreign tourists" include those with particularly high status in the Junta's eyes, such as the Chinese?

[RyanWalker]

This becoming daily news now. Boring

[Retiredandhappyhere]

3 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

 

let's say all the foreign groups have the same amount of people: 10,000 (for simplicity sake)

with 1,600,000 foreigners it follows that people from 160 countries are living in Thailand

there is a total of 195 countries in the world

this leads me to two Big Joke questions:

1) who has been using the special calculators that were supposed to be used for the election only?

2) 35 countries are not represented, who are the deviants?

There are so many things wrong with the statistics in the article.  See my post number 35 above.   None of it makes sense but then we are only farangs who do not understand these things.

[crazykopite]

3 hours ago, Wilsonandson said:

Make sure you carry your passport or have a photocopy with you when out and about in Bangkok.

Sent from my SM-A700FD using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

If you have your passport with you what’s the point of having a photocopy as well . I have my passport and visa stamp on my phone I never take my passport out only to immigration when I do my 90 day visit.

[taxin]

3 hours ago, Wilsonandson said:

Make sure you carry your passport or have a photocopy with you when out and about in Bangkok.

Sent from my SM-A700FD using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Why ? I am not from an African country, nor do I hang around Sukhumvit Soi 3.

[lvr181]

3 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Prawit therefore really means then: If you're illegal, keep your head down for a month, then it will all be over...

A whole month for a crackdown - that is serious. Usually it's less than two weeks.

 

Mmm..........maybe he is just giving Immigration a month to get underway? But what have they been doing in the past?

 

A month - Bangkok traffic problems were to be fixed in one month (according to some Thai authority)! and, the rest is history.  Seems something "magical" about "one month"?

 

Oh well, just another ho hum (much talk, little real action) announcement, again, probably. ????

 

 

[ronaldo0]

Complaints from the general public ?? Seems the locals are getting a tad jealous of foreigners having money and spending it in all these pesky foreign restaurants etc that some rich Thai leases to them to conduct business in !!

Want the money but not the people !! ????

[Splash210]

4 hours ago, Crash999 said:

Those numbers don’t seem right. How can there be 1.6m foreigners and Canadians are the biggest group at 9,872?

 

 

They count everybody who is not considered Thai a foreigner. Meaning Chinese, Indians, Koreans, Japanese, people from Laos, South Americans, etc..

[mejomini]

Watch out, Time is running out for those evildoers. 

 

[connda]

No doubt the majority of us here will be in the crosshairs of the Thai on foreigner neo-pogrom because all foreigners are potentially here illegally and were all potential criminals until proven otherwise (and it's never assumed to be proven otherwise). 

 

I'll be waiting with baited breath for the knock on the door from the police and then a repeat of the last visit where I prove my status to these inept morons and make sure that I'm not caught doing something illegal <head shake - they have my visa paperwork and last 90 on record at Immigration but obviously these morons don't have interconnecting databases>.  Perhaps they'll recheck to make sure that I'm not gaming the system by claiming that I'm married to a Thai, considering I have been for the last decade.  Or maybe forced to pee in a bottle this time, or prehaps check to make sure I'm not working in my own garden without having a 2 million THB business with 4 Thai hired to tend my tomatoes and lettuce - and of course a work permit.  Obviously I'll be busted - holding a hoe while amongst the green beans.  I'll be jailed for taking a 'reserved job' away from a Thai.

"Evil foreigners.  We must kick them out!!!"
Great.  Find a reason to deport me then my family ends up in poverty and the 700,000 THB I inject into the community each year dries up.  These are some spectacularly short-sighted idiots, Mr. Rolex a prime example.

"May I see your papers pleazzee."

 

/rant-mode off

[Derek B]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The immigration bureau is yet to speed up the establishment of the foreigners' biometric identification database, the immigration screening system, and linking the visa information system electronically at all immigration units to enable immigration officials to access a centralized information which includes the information about visas from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, information about a residency report by the Ministry of Interior, and information about the accommodation of tourists by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. 

So what are they looking at on their screens at the airport if not a fully integrated data base?

[Derek B]

2 minutes ago, Donaldo said:

the more I read, the happier I am am with my decision not to have retired in Thailand.

 

2 minutes ago, Donaldo said:

Absolutely right, and the more I read, the happier I am am with my decision not to have retired in Thailand. I think a lot of foreigners would also choose a different country to go to if they had to choose again. But once they have "invested" whatever they have in properties that don't belong to them they have little choice as trying to make the best of it. And what I agree with whole heartedly is the fact that Thai's should be treated exactly the same way when abroad, whatever their status.

 

2 minutes ago, Donaldo said:

the happier I am am with my decision not to have retired in Thailand.

If you do not mind me asking where did you decide to retire to?

[lvr181]

4 minutes ago, Derek B said:

So what are they looking at on their screens at the airport if not a fully integrated data base?

Facebook!?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

3 hours ago, chicowoodduck said:

The last thing I would do when going to BKK.....????????

 

It's ALWAYS advisable to carry at least a photocopy of one's passport, either in your wallet or on your smartphone, anytime, anywhere in Thailand.

 

The police have the right to ask to see it. And if you can't produce it in some form or another, you could well find yourself being arrested and detained.

 

However, it is NOT required to carry the original of one's passport at all times, especially considering the hassle and expense and complications of getting a lost or stolen passport replaced, including getting new Immigration/visa stamps -- just be able to produce it if for some reason the authorities aren't satisfied with the photocopy versions.

 

[Artisi]

4 hours ago, Crash999 said:

Those numbers don’t seem right. How can there be 1.6m foreigners and Canadians are the biggest group at 9,872?

 

 

Near enough, don't worry about splitting hairs and screwing up their story. 

[connda]

Given the recent edicts by General Rolex, it makes me wonder if Prawit has problems with the appointment of Pol. Maj. Gen. Surachet (Big Joke) to his present position has head of immigration. 
Edict 1.  If an evil-doer foreigner is caught deport them within one month.
Edict 2.  <ups the ante> All evil-doer foreigner must be apprehended in one month.

 

Makes me wonder what games of power are afoot at Government House.  It would make good Lakhon. 

[zaphod reborn]

Maybe they should focus on their border immigration officers who gladly wave foreigners through without passports for a small donation of THB 10,000.

[connda]

2 hours ago, GalaxyMan said:

It's called guilty while black, an American import. ????

Then when they sweep up farangs, it will be called guilty while white, a South African import ????

[newatthis]

And all because someone rightly [or wrongly] complained about Quasimodo ringing the bells.????

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

31 minutes ago, Derek B said:

So what are they looking at on their screens at the airport if not a fully integrated data base?

 

Read the 2nd news report in this thread... Emphasis on the words... yet to... in the first sentence.

 

Quote

The immigration bureau is yet to speed up the establishment of the foreigners' biometric identification database, the immigration screening system, and linking the visa information system electronically at all immigration units to enable immigration officials to access a centralized information which includes the information about visas from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, information about a residency report by the Ministry of Interior, and information about the accommodation of tourists by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. 

 

I think when the Immigration folks hear the term "Big Data," I'm guessing they probably think it means Big Joke has a brother by that name! 
 

[bluesofa]

2 minutes ago, newatthis said:

And all because someone rightly [or wrongly] complained about Quasimodo ringing the bells.????

Hmm, that name face rings a bell.