Immigration proposes much harsher penalties for failing to report foreigners staying in Thailand

[connda]

On 3/26/2019 at 9:40 AM, Youlike said:

Yes it's her house, so my wife has to go to the immigration to report it or to the policestation?

Take a TM 28 to the police station and watch the confused looks.

[connda]

On 3/26/2019 at 9:40 AM, PeterPan63 said:

It's not about controlling movements of tourists, visitors, etc. but it is about knowing the whereabouts of potential criminals, like in the case of the of the 2015 Bangkok bombing.

The bottom line being that all foreigners are potential criminals in countries such a Thailand.
Now, can you hear the outcries of xenophobia, racism, and discrimination if the same was implemented in the US, UK, or EU?
Immigration lawyers would be lining up to sue the various governments.

[ianf]

In any democratic country its not the police that makes the rules, it's the Government (via its Parliament in most cases).

And that's the problem here. Rules are constantly changing. Grossly mismanaged and grossly unfair.

[mokwit]

6 minutes ago, connda said:

The bottom line being that all foreigners are potential criminals in countries such a Thailand.
Now, can you hear the outcries of xenophobia, racism, and discrimination if the same was implemented in the US, UK, or EU?
Immigration lawyers would be lining up to sue the various governments.

Thailand is letting in millions with a very easy first entry and then trying to control the criminal/overstay by design elements after they are here - obviously this impacts all.

[connda]

On 3/26/2019 at 9:50 AM, lust said:

This country sucks more and more every day. If I didn’t have a family here I would go to chaeng Wattana and finger all the staff, and then head to suvarnabhumi.

One of those officials would pull out their .38 and shoot you for offending them.  Much ado in the press for 48 hours -basically assigning the blame of being shot on you,  and then it would disappear as the news cycle rolled over.  The person who shot you would be assigned to an inactive post in some obscure province until the flack blew over - then back to business as usual.  You unfortunately would be chained to your hospital bed until you paid your bill or raised enough money to be set free via a Go-Fund-Me campaign.  Unfortunately, during that time your visa will expire and you'll be thrown into immigration prison to rot.

[Geordie59]

I would have no issue with any if this if the reporting could be done by individuals online just like hotels are supposed to do  

[mike787]

17 hours ago, Fairynuff said:

I remember in my early days of traveling to Vietnam, a permit was needed to travel between different provinces/cities. Vietnam saw the idiocy of this decades ago and did away with it. It seems in this country we’re going the opposite way.

If we use Vietnams helmet mindset to illustrate how backward Thailand is you will see change may never come.  Vietnam realized after yr 2, wearing a helmet significantly decreased scooter deaths, so they kept wearing them.  Thailand is incapable of such insight. After decades Thailand has FAILED to noticed the direct relationship between those 2 variables...common sense = safety.  Don't hold your breath on immigration developing any commons sense.

[connda]

On 3/26/2019 at 10:18 AM, neeray said:

And what about overnight train trips where I sleep in a bunk. I wonder if the train crew will report me! 555, what a great way to discourage travel within the country. Way to go immigration. TAT will just love it (sarcasm).

There was a very disconcerting time in history where showing your 'papers' was an imperative to the government along with clearly labeling certain non-native ethnic minorit8ies as - different.  You think we learn from history - but those who wish to control do not.  It's a slippery slope to trend down, even in the 21st century.

[lkv]

I find this inspirational.

[Jay2013]

What would happen if somebody enters thailand, on a non-o visa and lists his wifes address in a rural part of thailand on the landing card, and she doesnt report because shes unaware, but the foriegner leaves before the 90 days entry stamp is up, and doesnt want to extend, to go bk home?? Will he face any issues at the airport for his wife failing to report??

 

Sent from my SM-G965F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mike787]

16 minutes ago, lkv said:

I find this inspirational.

Instead of the "don't tip the IO" posted behind them at the airport, they need this video on a repeating loop...Welcome to the LOS.

[Tropposurfer]

Another topic for all the nay sayers and catastrophisers and worry warts to write endlessly about e.g. "treating foreigners like criminals".

[raccos21]

How bad their system anyway! Sound awful to me if you are on holiday you need spend half of your holiday time at police station and local immigration office reporting that your are here.Wow that ridiculous. I don’t think I need that kinda of holiday.

[connda]

14 minutes ago, Tropposurfer said:

Another topic for all the nay sayers and catastrophisers and worry warts to write endlessly about e.g. "treating foreigners like criminals".

And with 40 posts, who are you to understand the significance of policies which effect not only those who have sunk significant amounts of money in making Thailand their retirement home, but also those of us who have been married for well over a decade if not longer and support family - and yet are treated like cattle.

My guess is you have an opinion without a lot of "skin in the game."

[raccos21]

New way how to make money actually!

[CeeGee]

Example question on forthcoming Immigration Officers Promotion Exam.

A farang arrives by air visa exempt 30 days and completes his entry form giving the address of his girlfriend.

He stays with her, after a few days they go to visit her brother in another province, they stay 2/3 days in his house. They then go to another town and stay in small hotel where the hotel uses the girlfriends Thai ID card to register. Again they stay 2/3 days.They go to another town and stay 2 days in an AirBnb. They then visit her sister, again staying 2/3 days. After that, they decide that a few days in a hotel in another town, this time the hotel takes the farangs passport details.

They then return to the girlfriends rented home where they stay until he flies out.The Thai girlfriend knows nothing about immigration law.

 

Question:How many laws have been broken

                  How many times has each law been broken?

                   How can we fine the farang(who has now left the country)?

                  How much can we fine the Thais?

                 If all laws had been followed to the letter, how much paper would have been used and how      many people would be needed to process this information?

Is the farangs name Walley?

You have three days to complete this question

[CeeGee]

Just for clarification, the above is posted tongue in cheek,however the scenario is one that could easily occur.How much time would be wasted on a holiday if the letter of the law was followed.

[DrTuner]

The definition of Land of Smiles from the video above:

 

 

Now that's a happy IO, just look at that friendly smile. It goes wider for each day they manage to extort out of the poor bugger.

Edited March 27, 2019 by DrTuner

[MrMuddle]

On 3/26/2019 at 9:13 AM, phuketrichard said:

This will screw up lots of backpackers plans to fly into Thailand and use it as a base for visiting other countries in the region. Also those traveling  onwards to Cambodia, Burma by land

Simple answer - they won't go to Thailand ! More tourist revenue lost. Young people are the lifeblood of the future tourist industry !

[MrMuddle]

2 hours ago, raccos21 said:

How bad their system anyway! Sound awful to me if you are on holiday you need spend half of your holiday time at police station and local immigration office reporting that your are here.Wow that ridiculous. I don’t think I need that kinda of holiday.

My local office said we didn't need to report, when we only went out of the Province for Hospital treatment (1-2 days), six months ago.
How old is this new poster ?

[DrTuner]

I just have to do a "I told you so", about 3-4 years ago here in TVF I mentioned how much fun it'll be when they start enforcing the ancient Immigration Act reporting requirements fully and got "She'll be alright mate, no worries, never going to happen" back. Well lookey at the poster above.

 

If there's one thing you can trust in Thailand it's farangs will always get the short stick.

 

EDIT: it was in 2014: 

 

Edited March 27, 2019 by DrTuner

[donim]

47 minutes ago, CeeGee said:

Example question on forthcoming Immigration Officers Promotion Exam.

...

Question:How many laws have been broken

                  How many times has each law been broken?

                   How can we fine the farang(who has now left the country)?

                  How much can we fine the Thais?

                 If all laws had been followed to the letter, how much paper would have been used and how      many people would be needed to process this information?

Is the farangs name Walley?

You have three days to complete this question

[BritManToo]

2 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

I just have to do a "I told you so", about 3-4 years ago here in TVF I mentioned how much fun it'll be when they start enforcing the ancient Immigration Act reporting requirements fully and got "She'll be alright mate, no worries, never going to happen" back. Well lookey at the poster above.

 

If there's one thing you can trust in Thailand it's farangs will always get the short stick.

I'm not an immigrant (says so in my passport) that poster doesn't apply to me.

[DrTuner]

8 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I'm not an immigrant (says so in my passport) that poster doesn't apply to me.

Apart from immigration being unable to let farangs give any input when making posters, they can't get their lingo right, the visa/extension is nearly always messed up, immigrant/non-immigrant/tourists get bundled up, the usual c*********k.

 

Unfortunately the immigration act makes no mention of any visa classes .. probably because it was written in the 50's or so and the classes, if there were any or indeed visas at all, didn't exist. I'm not even a non-immigrant anymore, just a perpetual tourist on a prepaid visa, but no matter, report to parole officers or pay up.

[Skeptic7]

On 3/26/2019 at 9:45 AM, boonrawdcnx said:

Are they nuts?

Yes . I know it was a rhetorical question, but YES! 

[akampa]

Airlines should show the video on all planes arriving to Thailand, as a warning your now entering the twilight zone.???? have a happy holiday.

Edited March 27, 2019 by akampa

[DrTuner]

I think here's where it's come from https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b4d40.html

 

Alien registration act, 1950, that's since become the immigration act. Section 12.

 

We're talking about an era when automobiles in Thailand were still a rarity. So glad they manage to update their laws often.

 

(To find the origin of immigration acts, follow the path indicated by what is being superseded)

Edited March 27, 2019 by DrTuner

[zydeco]

On 3/26/2019 at 8:44 AM, webfact said:

Laws dating back to 1979 are not sufficient in the modern day especially when it comes to reporting the whereabouts of foreigners.

Then, why is Immigration going back in time to enforce these 1979 laws that haven't been enforced because they are technologically obsolete?

[DrTuner]

1 minute ago, zydeco said:

Then, why is Immigration going back in time to enforce these 1979 laws that haven't been enforced because they are technologically obsolete?

Because, TiT. Laws are enforced when there's baht to be made.

[zydeco]

1 minute ago, DrTuner said:

Because, TiT. Laws are enforced when there's baht to be made.

You know, I don't even begrudge them making whatever they think is their due. I just want to know what the rules are ahead of time. And by ahead of time, I mean give me at least a year's warning. When these changes bubble up out of the blue or become enforced retroactively, it makes going through renewals like skipping through a minefield.