Foreigners targeted at Najomtien immigration checkpoint

[Cloudy]

Great to see the police out there and making sure foreigners are obeying the rules and regulations of Thailand. There are too many of you out there breaking the laws of the country and you need to be reigned in.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[jacko45k]

Aren't tourists and foreigners being harassed enough! 

With all the aggravation now being presented at immigration being stopped by this gang on the way home from soi 5 would just about push some over the edge!

[Lupatria]

21 hours ago, Rimmer said:

No results of the checks were provided.

So we will never know how much they forked in...

[jacko45k]

15 hours ago, scorecard said:

Do you expect the various authorities in your country to check that foreigners in your country have valid visas, etc., etc?

 

The police would be vilified in my country if they selectively went around targeting foreigners. Nor would it appear very welcoming to tourists if it were done. 

[animalmagic]

15 hours ago, Henrik Andersen said:

It racist not to stop all 

thai people driving more bad and meny with no licence or fake license and always no helmet and high speed 

 

It's an immigration check point; not a traffic check point!

 

[jacko45k]

13 hours ago, BestB said:

I was caught up in a raid on walking street and detained for not having original passport with me. 

Personally that is a better result than taking it out with you. I tend to leave my wallet with the cards in it at home too. Can pull up pics of passport on the phone if needed. 

This harassment of tourists is getting out of control.

[jacko45k]

13 hours ago, Henrik Andersen said:

You spot on and if they was smart check on beaches in Pattaya too 

They did, parading down in 34 degC!

[alex8912]

12 hours ago, BestB said:

Traffic road blocks is one thing, immigration hunts is what i do not agree with.

 

With traffic stop shake downs, to be honest i do not have a problem at all.

 

In all honesty and fairness, how many times per day do you break traffic rules one way or another?

 

I know i do a dozen times per day, ranging from illegal uturns, to illegal parking, speeding and few other things.

 

If and when i get pulled over and shaken down for 500-1000 baht, i do not mind paying at all even more so when i was caught doing something illegal.

 

Back in the West, you park 2 cm more than allowed away from the curb and you get a huge fine, you park too close to the corner and you get a fine, you park 1 min later than the meter and you get a fine, you speed and camera gets you, you run yellow light and you pay the fine.

 

So, its really not a bad deal to be able to get away with most traffic infringements but get caught on occasion ????

Not in my West. You must be from England or AUS. Top two nanny places. 

[jacko45k]

11 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

good for them in seeking to control their borders.

Aren't any borders near Na Jomtiem!

[gk10002000]

15 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

who else would you target at a immigration checkpoint?

Even here in the good ole US of A, on the I-10 just outside of Las Cruces New Mexico, there is an immigration check point.  In the last few years I have driven through there a few times.  Me, looking very Caucasian and speaking with a New England accent is waive right through, once not even stopped.  And here in San Diego, right on the I-5 Interstate there is a big rolling gate they push onto the freeway now and then.

[Ramdas]

What else is new ?! They’re always after foreigner while allowing Thais do all kinds of traffic violations, accidents and getting away with a murder does it get more biased ?! The laws should must apply on everyone Thai people to start with !

This kind of xenophobic attitude should put off anyone coming to Thailand, no ones needs this kind of harassment and money extortion from the land of deceptions and so on  ????

[jacko45k]

All this talk of checks on Interstates near the 3000 Km USA Mexican border looking for Hispanics has little to do with checking Caucasians in Na Jomtiem. Not many Western borders with Thailand near there!

[dundas]

6 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

Even here in the good ole US of A, on the I-10 just outside of Las Cruces New Mexico, there is an immigration check point.  In the last few years I have driven through there a few times.  Me, looking very Caucasian and speaking with a New England accent is waive right through, once not even stopped.  And here in San Diego, right on the I-5 Interstate there is a big rolling gate they push onto the freeway now and then.

My experience too. When driving from Nogales to Tucson there's an Immigration checkpoint where every single vehicle gets looked at. When I've been with a number of other people in the car we've always been pulled over and asked if we're US citizens (I'm not, so then they've asked for my passport). When I've been the driver without any passengers they take one look at me and wave me on. 

[jacko45k]

15 minutes ago, dundas said:

My experience too. When driving from Nogales to Tucson

I did that quite a few times when I was living in Phoenix, had a lot more fun during a weekend in Nogales!

[Thaidream]

14 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

You certainly do not understand the police directives here.

Oh I understand them quite well-  the problem is that the directive  given by the Police Commissioner to stop  setting up checkpoints without prior approval is not being adhered to.

 

In addition, using the military in law enforcement  is an absurd concept and  not legal.

 

Setting up an Immigration checkpoint  makes sense if one is looking for violators of the Immigration law but they need to be staffed solely by Immigration Officers.  Regular traffic police are not authorized legally to ask for passports because they have no authority in this area.

 

If the Immigration Department wants to find over stayers- they might want to open a checkpoint on Walking Street or Soi 6. I doubt they found any violations outside the Ambassador Hotel which is hardly a place an overstay would be found.

A complete waste of manpower and merely a Public Relations act

[mikebell]

I drive past here three times a week.  I am harassed for driving at the legal speed by crazy locals swerving in and out of lanes into my safe braking distance.  Not a cop in sight; then you come across ten of them holding up traffic; what kind of mentality is in charge of this police force?

[JRG23]

Discrimination is alive and kicking in Thailand.

Such a shame that Thais (generally) don't have the IQ/sense/education to acknowledge it.

[NanLaew]

10 hours ago, SamuiGeezer said:

... I'm told they manage to get ED Visas based on their kids being in kindergarten. 1 per child.

Looks like a job for mythbusters 'r' us.

[Nyezhov]

1 hour ago, Ramdas said:

 

This kind of xenophobic attitude should put off anyone coming to Thailand, no ones needs this kind of harassment and money extortion from the land of deceptions and so on  ????

Life isnt fair, and until the so called xenophobia affects me, I will enjoy my stays here. YMMV.

 

I dont understand why if someone leaves Thailand, hates it, and is never coming back, why one would post here? To tell us how bad it is? Wow, thanks for making me alert of the hellhole as I bathe in the sea, get sun, eat fresh seafood and party while you post your misery. 

[fisherd3]

19 hours ago, champers said:

Is it just me, or does it seem like a lot of police activity directed against Russians lately? Who will be next?

Maybe the Russians have been making a nuisance of themselves lately, and who will be next is who is making a nuisance of themselves at the time.....without paying.

[connda]

18 hours ago, Kim J said:

Does this mean they are actually checking that you are carrying your passport around? I am fully aware this has always been a requirement in Thailand...

It is not a requirement to have your passport on your person.  Keeping photocopies of your front pages and visa stamp/extension stamp or a photos of the same on your smartphone will suffice.  However, you do need to be able to produce it if they request to see it.  If you are out locally, then they can follow you home; if you are traveling outside of your local area, then it's wise to carry it with you although you don't need it on your person, simple close enough by that you can take the cops to see it.

[connda]

Time to hassle foreigners again.

[KarlS]

3 minutes ago, connda said:

It is not a requirement to have your passport on your person.  Keeping photocopies of your front pages and visa stamp/extension stamp or a photos of the same on your smartphone will suffice.  However, you do need to be able to produce it if they request to see it.  If you are out locally, then they can follow you home; if you are traveling outside of your local area, then it's wise to carry it with you although you don't need it on your person, simple close enough by that you can take the cops to see it.

You can, LEGALLY, be detained until such time as a valid passport which contains a valid visa/extension of stay is produced.

[topt]

1 hour ago, mikebell said:

I drive past here three times a week.  I am harassed for driving at the legal speed by crazy locals swerving in and out of lanes into my safe braking distance.  Not a cop in sight; then you come across ten of them holding up traffic; what kind of mentality is in charge of this police force?

Then you should be aware that this is a regular place for a police stop and has been mentioned in these pages many times.

 

It is unusual in that it rarely gets mentioned in a press article with specifics as to its purpose and that Immigration was involved.

[NanLaew]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

The police would be vilified in my country if they selectively went around targeting foreigners. Nor would it appear very welcoming to tourists if it were done. 

Judging from 99% of the comments so far on this thread, the local police are already vilified and making unwelcome approaches to tourists so not sure if I see your point.

 

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

...  This harassment of tourists is getting out of control.

Maybe they're looking for the fake tourists? You know, the ones on long-term or repeated/extended stays in Thailand who are abusing the privileges of their visa. If they even have one that is.

 

I got pulled over at the Ambassador traffic stop a couple of months back. Notably I was the only car pulled over during the impromptu, late afternoon 'stopover'. The initially stern-faced traffic cop was suddenly all happy and joy after I gave him a Thai DL issued in Udon. Then, like others before him, tried to engage me in pidgin Lao.... feckless twerps. I reckon they saw a farang in a rental car (Avis have personalized rego plate frames) and thought an easy steal if it's a foreigner with the 'incorrect' driving license. Just another shakedown, 3-4 minutes I won't get back but no need to get in a froth about it. It is what it is and we can't hope that it will ever really change.

[IAMHERE]

19 hours ago, champers said:

Is it just me, or does it seem like a lot of police activity directed against Russians lately? Who will be next?

Good question, Putin says with his dooms day Poseidon bomb there will be no next. I'm betting that Russian Leader has watched Dr. Strangelove.

[Mukdahanman]

19 hours ago, Kim J said:

Does this mean they are actually checking that you are carrying your passport around?

I am fully aware this has always been a requirement in Thailand, but have never heard of random check before.

I’ve had to show mine three times in the last two months - they were particularly interested in the visa details and insisted on seeing the original, not a copy

[AhFarangJa]

You do not have to carry your passport with you at all times......A copy is sufficient for a spot check......

Taken from Thai Visa March 2016......

BANGKOK:-- 
On Friday evening, officers from Lumpini and Thonglor police raided entertainment venues and set up two police checkpoints in order to ensure that foreigners were carrying either their original passport or a photocopy with them.

The operation led by Pol. Lt. Gen Sanit Mahathavorn, Metropolitan Police Commander, saw raids on 15 entertainment venues.

[jacko45k]

17 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Judging from 99% of the comments so far on this thread, the local police are already vilified and making unwelcome approaches to tourists so not sure if I see your point.

Well as my post was responding to the one I quoted perhaps the point is there.

17 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Maybe they're looking for the fake tourists? You know, the ones on long-term or repeated/extended stays in Thailand who are abusing the privileges of their visa. If they even have one that is.

So how will they determine this stopping people driving down Sukhumvit in Na Jomtiem unless they are driving a Taxi or delivery truck?

[gk10002000]

40 minutes ago, KarlS said:

You can, LEGALLY, be detained until such time as a valid passport which contains a valid visa/extension of stay is produced.

Yes and I have heard of a few people that argued, or got confrontational or whatever, and were taken to the station, and had to find ways for somebody to go retrieve their pass port.  I have also read some posts here where they did follow the person back to their hotel/house.