Big Joke: Promises easier, faster and more "watertight" Immigration rules

[webfact]

Big Joke: Promises easier, faster and more "watertight" Immigration rules

 

Picture: TNA

 

As immigration officials prepared to present proposals for a new Immigration Act to a ministerial committee yesterday chief Lt-Gen Surachate Hakparn outlined what it would mean to visitors and expatriates in Thailand. 

 

Speaking to TNA the chief said that the 1979 act was out of date and not in line with modern countries. 

 

Thailand was the third most visited country in the world and while not a direct target for criminals was a place where those up to no good would hide out under the guise of being tourists. 

 

The Lt-Gen suggested that one of the best ways to solve this problem was to ensure that hotel and condo owners report the whereabouts of foreigners. The man known as Big Joke even went so far as to specifically mention "people of color and South Africans" as a problem. 

 

Over the last two years these people and others have been a problem and if the immigration police know where they are that will be a help. 

 

Better screening of potential visitors to Thailand is also being proposed in the new regulations. This includes use of the Advanced Passenger Processing System (APPS) that will speed things up. 

 

Channel 7 TV reported that the chief wanted to make things easier, faster and more watertight. 

 

The introduction of Artificial Intelligence that includes ten finger fingerprinting and iris recognition technology would speed up applications and make them harder to circumvent. 

 

Channel 7 said that in the past warnings to people such as hotel owners and condo owners for failing to report foreigners in their properties would now be replaced by fines. 

 

Thaivisa earlier reported proposals that 10,000 baht fines might be levied if the minister agrees. 

 

There are also changes to business visas and extensions of stay based on people who have children or who are married to Thais. 

 

Exactly what these are - or indeed if they are anything new that has not already been reported - remains to be seen. 

 

But Channel 7 mentioned specifically the problem of agents handling visa extensions and the issue of having 800,000 baht in the bank. 

 

They said the chief had promised to make doing business in Thailand easier.

 

Passport visa stamps are also set to change - one looking like a flag will be used for entry and one resembling an ear of rice will be used for exit. 

 

The ministerial committee was scheduled to meet and discuss the proposals yesterday afternoon with TNA saying that Defense Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan was keen to put his own ideas on the table. 

 

Source: Channel 7

 

 -- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-03-28

[cornishcarlos]

They always promise exactly the opposite of what is going to happen !!  

Compulsive lying, I believe, is the term ????

[mercman24]

i can see a lot of second hand Mercs on the market, >>  NOT <<  lol

[Khaeng Mak]

Yep.  Get ready for the next hammer blow.  Every piece of bad news from immigration in recent years has come with the sales pitch that it will make it easier for us.

 

And what ministers have to approve this proposal?  I thought the election result and subsequent ministerial positions was still unclear in the wake of the election "irregularities".

 

Is this getting rushed through by Prawit before he is replaced?

[darksidedog]

Says absolutely nothing other than a load of waffle about doing "something" while reinforcing the blatant racism Thailand has towards black people.

[BritManToo]

2 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

Says absolutely nothing other than a load of waffle about doing "something" while reinforcing the blatant racism Thailand has towards black people.

I'm more worried about the blatant racism Thailand shows towards white people.

[Hayduke]

29 minutes ago, webfact said:

Passport visa stamps are also set to change - one looking like a flag will be used for entry and one resembling an ear of rice will be used for exit. 

 

Yes...absolutely...this will definitely make a difference. People will know instantly, and without doubt, whether they have just entered or have just departed the country

 

 

[ThreeEyedRaven]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I'm more worried about the blatant racism Thailand shows towards white people.

Racism is alive and thriving here towards all foreigners, especially the neighbours, who are considered less than human by many Thais. White folk are kind of tolerated, though definitely not loved, but clearly there is a mindset that dark skinned people are almost universally not wanted. Judging a book by its cover I believe is the term.

[Khaeng Mak]

Easier, faster and more watertight =

 

• 1.6 million baht on deposit for 12 months for retirement extension
• 800K baht on deposit for 12 months for wedding extension
• 30 day reporting with full finger printing and facial scan on each occassion
• 10K baht fine for not doing TM30 report (payable by foreigner on next extension application)
• Compulsory medical insurance payable to agent at each immigration office. No choice of providers
• New stamps that will burn a full page in your passport, not just half a page like the previous ones.

 

[sammieuk1]

He needs a distraction from the rampant election fraud under his nose and Joe is in the sitting duck in the firing line ????

[bluesofa]

37 minutes ago, webfact said:

The introduction of Artificial Intelligence that includes ten finger fingerprinting and iris recognition technology would speed up applications and make them harder to circumvent. 

Prawit said below thirteen months ago, on 14-02-2018:

 

"The two agencies were told to have the new system fully functioning in six months.

As part of the new system, the Immigration Bureau will cancel the use of the Immigration 6 form and instead use e-passport data, Kongcheep said.

He said each immigration checkpoint would be equipped with identity-checking equipment, such as fingerprint readers and passport scanners, to enter information into the database."

 

None of this is working, it's just more lies.

(Perhaps apart from a few passport scanners. reading the passport code, not the biometric data chip)

 

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1025048-foreigner-database-to-be-ready-in-six-months/

 

edit:

I've just noticed my post in the link above, which I made on the day (14-02-2018):

 

"[Sarcasm mode: on] Must be implemented in six months, eh? That's doublespeak for nothing will happen and they all hope everyone will have forgotten about it. I wait eagerly to be proved wrong. [Sarcasm mode: off]"

 

[Khaeng Mak]

I have been saying for months that long stay expats in Thailand are currently under siege. 

 

Most were mocking my comments.

 

But anyone that can't see what is afoot here is entirely deluded.

[worgeordie]

34 minutes ago, webfact said:

Defense Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan was keen to put his own ideas on the table. 

We are going to have to Watch what he proposes ,he has ideas !? 

regards worgeordie

[ocddave]

I am sure this is all due to the new closeness between Thailand and China, out with the West, in with the East, out with Democracy, in with Authoritarian Military/Elite rule.

[luckyluke]

7 minutes ago, Khaeng Mak said:

I have been saying for months that long stay expats in Thailand are currently under siege. 

Many of the ones who can still obtain a L.o.I. from their embassy, aren't at all. 

 

Addendum :

So far. 

 

[malagateddy]

Surely it would be common sense to wait and see the new list of rules/regs before commenting/jumping to conclusions??
Ps..I'm a happily married man living in the Issan Province and have not encountered any " farang haters ".!!!

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Fex Bluse]

41 minutes ago, webfact said:

They said the chief had promised to make doing business in Thailand easier.

Right, such as burdening foreign residents with long-stay, non-tourist visas with reporting each and every time they leave and enter the country. 

 

Has it not occurred to K. BJ's Wizard IT team that they have that information already from customs/border control? 

[PREM-R]

The Thai Visa member who posts as 'Love Thailande Lite' got into a spat with Ubon Joe a few days ago regarding just such a proposal.  LTL said that a new 'law' would be announced on 22nd April (I think that was the date he stated),Joe suggested that he felt there was no change in the works.... and now this.  Maybe LTL was right, I hope not.

[GeorgeCross]

wife gave me a rough translation regarding marriage and business visas/extension of stay:

800K in the bank for 6 months before application

 

quote from channel 7:
 

Quote

การเสนอแก้ พ.ร.บ.ตม. 2522 มีสาระสำคัญ 3 แนวทาง คือ การคัดกรองบุคคลที่จะเข้าประเทศ โดยเฉพาะการขออยู่ต่อ เพื่อเลี้ยงดูบุตร คู่สมรส หรือแม้แต่การทำธุรกิจ ซึ่งที่ผ่านมาเกิดปัญหาระบบนายหน้าและไม่ได้มีการคงเงินค้ำประกันในบัญชีตามเงื่อนไข 6 เดือน วงเงิน 800,000 บาท และยังมีความพยายามที่จะให้คนต่างด้าวอยู่อาศัย โดยไม่แจ้งการเข้าพัก ซึ่งที่ผ่านมาเจ้าหน้าที่แค่ตักเตือน แต่ใน พ.ร.บ.ตม.ฉบับแก้ไข จะมีการเพิ่มโทษผู้ให้แหล่งพักพิงโดยไม่แจ้งด้วย

 

i guess that will stem the flow of retirees to marriage visas.

 

the hits keep on coming..

 

 

[holy cow cm]

44 minutes ago, webfact said:

 

There are also changes to business visas and extensions of stay based on people who have children or who are married to Thais. 

OK, get ready as now he is barking in my territory! Got a bad feeling about this.  

[Artisi]

6 minutes ago, Khaeng Mak said:

I have been saying for months that long stay expats in Thailand are currently under siege. 

 

Most were mocking my comments.

 

But anyone that can't see what is afoot here is entirely deluded.

Well I've been here for nearly 20 years, never any problems, an occasional hic-up with paperwork but always easily sorted out to everyone's satisfaction. 

So what is under siege if you go with the flow. - - - start being a smart arse, try and pull a swifty you will rightfully have a problem. 

 

[ezzra]

27 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

Says absolutely nothing other than a load of waffle about doing "something" while reinforcing the blatant racism Thailand has towards black people.

With all due respect sir to your opinions and the black people in Thailand, so far most of the times when you hear about a nasty scams perpetrated by foreigners on both foreigners and Thai people , black people were somehow involved and big time, so black people in thailand has not endeared themselves in the eyes of the law nor the people of this country... 

[rabas]

2 minutes ago, GeorgeCross said:

wife gave me a rough translation regarding marriage and business visas/extension of stay:

800K in the bank for 6 months before application.

 

faster and easier my ar$e

Do you have a source for what she translated?

[GeorgeCross]

Just now, rabas said:

Do you have a source for what she translated?

Quote

การเสนอแก้ พ.ร.บ.ตม. 2522 มีสาระสำคัญ 3 แนวทาง คือ การคัดกรองบุคคลที่จะเข้าประเทศ โดยเฉพาะการขออยู่ต่อ เพื่อเลี้ยงดูบุตร คู่สมรส หรือแม้แต่การทำธุรกิจ ซึ่งที่ผ่านมาเกิดปัญหาระบบนายหน้าและไม่ได้มีการคงเงินค้ำประกันในบัญชีตามเงื่อนไข 6 เดือน วงเงิน 800,000 บาท และยังมีความพยายามที่จะให้คนต่างด้าวอยู่อาศัย โดยไม่แจ้งการเข้าพัก ซึ่งที่ผ่านมาเจ้าหน้าที่แค่ตักเตือน แต่ใน พ.ร.บ.ตม.ฉบับแก้ไข จะมีการเพิ่มโทษผู้ให้แหล่งพักพิงโดยไม่แจ้งด้วย

original source from the OP: https://news.ch7.com/detail/333691

[Artisi]

10 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

We are going to have to Watch what he proposes ,he has ideas !? 

regards worgeordie

But which watch will you watch? 

[GeorgeCross]

also mentioned an extra stamp on the extension with the officer's initials to trace the officer if things go bad but i think they have that already they just get an extra box to tick

[Dmaxdan]

20 minutes ago, Khaeng Mak said:

I have been saying for months that long stay expats in Thailand are currently under siege. 

 

Most were mocking my comments.

 

But anyone that can't see what is afoot here is entirely deluded.

Maybe I'm deluded but at least I don't suffer from chronic paranoia. BJ is just trying to eradicate all the expats who acquire their extensions illegally or through the back door. The problem is in doing so they are  inadvertently going to tread on the toes of the expats who's applications are legal and above board.  

 

Its naughty school kid syndrome. One kid misbehaves and doesn't own up so the whole class gets punished.  

[impulse]

15 minutes ago, Artisi said:

Well I've been here for nearly 20 years, never any problems, an occasional hic-up with paperwork but always easily sorted out to everyone's satisfaction. 

So what is under siege if you go with the flow. - - - start being a smart arse, try and pull a swifty you will rightfully have a problem. 

 

That's what every group says just before their method of staying tightens up...

 

[Khaeng Mak]

12 minutes ago, GeorgeCross said:

also mentioned an extra stamp on the extension with the officer's initials to trace the officer if things go bad but i think they have that already they just get an extra box to tick

Yep.  More crap to burn up even more pages in my passport.

[freedomnow]

800k needed for marriage extensions may split up some couples next, as they probably won't be gradndfathered in at old 400k rate. This guy just does not let up.