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

[Knocker33]

There are only going be Chinese and Indians here soon so who cares

[geoffbezoz]

15 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

This man, the biggest joke, is at the very root of some of the issues plaguing the ex-pat community in Thailand, and diminishing the tourism industry. The inconsistent policy, the extreme xenophobia and fear of foreigners, the constant crackdowns. 

 

Hopefully, the opposition can form a coalition and get rid of the joke and Prayuth. Thailand cannot move forward with such incompetents in control. 

Not to mention he has clearly upset many expats and TV members who have consistently used "agents" to arrange their extensions.

[fforest1]

26 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

Yes, but they are organised lobby groups. The poster appears to think that Big Joke should be following the discussions on TV intently

LOL.........After 100s and 100s of suggestions on here about the O-X visa in the end they did not change a single thing about that horrible visa.......The agenda will move forward.....Expats opinions just dont matter at all not even a little...

[justin case]

4 hours 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.

I hope they kick out all the old geezers that make sarcasm their favorite toy when someone post a real problem

 

they should double or more the pension requirement as a start 

[emptypockets]

1 hour ago, Khaeng Mak said:

Oh really... I will bookmark your post so that it is easier to say I told you so.

What a ridiculous statement to make.

Show me now.

Oops you can't.

Sure things may and probably will change in the future but at present - zip, zilch, nothing.

Only the underfunded need to worry about any future changes in my opinion.

People who moved to another country with nothing but a government pension have been kidding themselves that they have somehow earned the right to live away from their homeland and should be concerned, but being a broke farang is hardly the fault of Thailand's immigration policies.

I don't know of any country that doesn't modify their immigration policy from time to time. Australia certainly does.

[Artisi]

26 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

You think he's not? ????️‍♂️

only when he needs a good laugh …..

[Artisi]

5 minutes ago, fforest1 said:

LOL.........After 100s and 100s of suggestions on here about the O-X visa in the end they did not change a single thing about that horrible visa.......The agenda will move forward.....Expats opinions just dont matter at all not even a little...

and why should expats opinions matter, are we responsible for running this country?

[zydeco]

34 minutes ago, dotpoom said:

When I read the headline I thought to myself...."How many replies will I have to read before I reach a positive one"....I gave up (par for the course). I think a lot of people here are never happy unless they have something to moan about?

Then, there are the people who come on here to moan about the moaners.

[gunderhill]

23 minutes ago, Lupatria said:

Announcing the founding of a "future backward party" with apirat kongsompong and big joke at the helm?

 

Surely that should be the "no future backward  party"?

[Madgee]

I really wish that they would look at the Chinese system in use for those married to a Chinese citizen and apply it in Thailand when married to a Thai citizen.

It's simple, very clear cut and inexpensive.

No financial requirements.

No 90-day nonsense. 

 

A comprehensive medical check required ... the cost in the region of ฿2500  (approved local medical clinic only)

X-rays, eye tests, organ scans, blood and urine tests etc. 

Proof of marriage, passport, wifes house book, and I.D. card, extra passport photos, and copies. ( + wife!)

 

Multi entry residents permit valid for 1-3 years. The first year of application is normally granted 1 year. 

... The cost about ฿3500.

 

The only condition I know of is reporting to the local police on return after leaving the country and supplying an address.  

 

It really is a no-nonsense attitude to someone married to a native citizen of a country. 

 

[Bantex]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The man known as Big Joke even went so far as to specifically mention "people of color and South Africans" as a problem. 

Aren’t Thai’s “of colour”?

[fforest1]

13 minutes ago, Artisi said:

and why should expats opinions matter, are we responsible for running this country?

Every company on earth cares about their customers and shareholders opinions...And so do enlightened governments...

[jethro69]

11 minutes ago, Bantex said:

Aren’t Thai’s “of colour”?

That depends which and how much of whitening creams they can afford ????

[Gecko123]

2 hours ago, humbug said:

these illegal nationslists in control now do 'not' have a majority mandate to keep running this land into the ground. they are pushing through 100's of laws that people dont want, knowing it will take years to correct the mistakes. their mandate about foreigners was set along with the other rules, to control this land before sutheps mob and at a one day stadium protest, lasting 7 hours with dinosaur generals hyping themselves 7 years ago.

Did some informal unscientific post election polling this afternoon. Couldn't find a single person who seemed pleased with the results. "Demoralized" "resigned" and "resentful" are the words I would describe the five people I talked to.

[emptypockets]

57 minutes ago, eggers said:

Ok, let's wait & see how long before see any signs of improvements???

Plus, with the changes, are foreign expats opinions or suggestions being taken?

Or, as usual just more Gov't edicts prepared without due consideration of or input from those affected, i.e. Foreign Expats, Visitors, etc??? 

As has been eluded to before on this forum, the Immigration people do read this. Hardly surprising that they have made changes after all the scams have been discussed on here before - how to get around the classroom requirements of the ED Visa for example.

Even after the latest change requiring 65k a month be brought in for retirement extension qualification, many posters immediately published their schemes of recycling money back to the old country or sharing it between friends accounts to rort the system. A real genius move.

 

Add to that the constant and ongoing denigration by some people of Thailand, its people and its culture, it's no wonder some changes have been made.

Time for some hard truths:

Personally I'd leave the bona fide married families alone and clamp down even harder on the elderly single males of whom a high percentage are only here to live cheaply and shag the local girls. I can see absolutely no benefit for Thailand in this. 

How would you feel if a similar demographic was encouraged in your own country?

[Baerboxer]

43 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

This man, the biggest joke, is at the very root of some of the issues plaguing the ex-pat community in Thailand, and diminishing the tourism industry. The inconsistent policy, the extreme xenophobia and fear of foreigners, the constant crackdowns. 

 

Hopefully, the opposition can form a coalition and get rid of the joke and Prayuth. Thailand cannot move forward with such incompetents in control. 

 

All of the things you mention in your second sentence were happening before Big Joke became head of immigration and before the last coup for that matter.

 

At least he's trying to do something about it. The real question will be if he succeeds or if he "takes a sledge hammer to crack a walnut" and makes it actually much worse for many genuine expats with Thai families.

 

We'll just have to wait and see. But previous civilian administrations haven't been particularly friendly to expats so not sure whichever administration is in will make much difference.

[DrTuner]

I think they're pushing towards p2p, i.e. elite schemes. They already managed to push me from marriage extensions to elite. I'm fine with it but just be transparent, also publish the amount of baht needed to buy a BOI approval and smart visas, since it's all for sale in here.

[Vacuum]

3 hours ago, Khaeng Mak said:

What makes you think that officers at local immigration offices have any knowledge of immigration rules and regulations?

They know the rules at their offices.

[Baerboxer]

3 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

As has been eluded to before on this forum, the Immigration people do read this. Hardly surprising that they have made changes after all the scams have been discussed on here before - how to get around the classroom requirements of the ED Visa for example.

Even after the latest change requiring 65k a month be brought in for retirement extension qualification, many posters immediately published their schemes of recycling money back to the old country or sharing it between friends accounts to rort the system. A real genius move.

 

Add to that the constant and ongoing denigration by some people of Thailand, its people and its culture, it's no wonder some changes have been made.

Time for some hard truths:

Personally I'd leave the bona fide married families alone and clamp down even harder on the elderly single males of whom a high percentage are only here to live cheaply and shag the local girls. I can see absolutely no benefit for Thailand in this. 

How would you feel if a similar demographic was encouraged in your own country?

 

Totally agree with you. There should be different rules for people genuinely married to Thai nationals.

 

I'd suggest that's the case in many other countries, especially the West.

[metisdead]

Some off topic posts and the replies have been removed. 

 

A post in which the quoted content had been altered has been removed. 

[connda]

Just an observation, but why is it that virtually every pronouncement from immigration included an statements which alludes to "foreigners" paired with the word "criminal." 
We, especially expats legally residing in this country, many of us in excess of a decade or more and supporting families, hear this anti-foreigner spiel literally on a weekly basis if not multiple times per week.

 

Foreigner = Criminal; Foreigner = Criminal; Foreigner = Criminal
If you're not a Criminal yet, we'll change the laws in order to make you a Criminal. 

I'd be floored if the government for once came out and mentioned that perhaps foreigners and expats supporting families actually add to the GDP of Thailand.  We bring in money from outside Thailand and spend it locally.  But no - we're all Criminals waiting to commit a crime, and Big Joke is going to streamline the process to kick as many of us out as possible is so seems. 
Soon enough they'll eventually start splitting families apart by deporting foreigners supporting family.  Give it time. 

[Suradit69]

5 hours ago, ocddave said:

I am sure this is all due to the new closeness between Thailand and China

New?  Maybe in terms of tourism, but the Cinese connection to/with Thailand is hardly a recent development and, aside from the mention of South Africa, there's nothing to suggest that any nationality is being targeted.

 

I seriously doubt that Thailand is looking to encourage a massive influx of Chinese retirees, spouses for Thais or small scale businesses run by Chinese beyond the ethnic Chinese Thais who already are settled here in significant numbers. 

[Odysseus123]

31 minutes ago, justin case said:

I hope they kick out all the old geezers that make sarcasm their favorite toy when someone post a real problem

 

they should double or more the pension requirement as a start 

Best of luck in your divorce case.

 

I wouldn't be posting about other 

"geezers" when-according to your own admission on ThaiVisa-your entire Thai family despises you.I wouldn't make "woe is me" a central meme on TV either.

 

As I have already stated-Thailand appears to be the haven of strong Cluster B personalities.

[zydeco]

1 minute ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Totally agree with you. There should be different rules for people genuinely married to Thai nationals.

 

I'd suggest that's the case in many other countries, especially the West.

Well, since we're all pursuing our own agenda, I think there should be different/easier rules for people who worked at Thai institutions, paid taxes, committed to the betterment of the country, contributed to the cultural and educational achievement, and have now chosen to retire here. How about we get to stay with no income requirement and everybody else put under a microscope. Sounds fair to me.

[Artisi]

32 minutes ago, zydeco said:

Then, there are the people who come on here to moan about the moaners.

as you have just demonstrated ????

[stanleycoin]

6 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

They know the rules at their offices.

No they don't. it all depends on the time of the month.

[mosan]

3 hours ago, LarryB said:

I would really just like to know why South Africans in particular have become a problem for Thai immigration. 

I'd like to think they were referring to the African continent in general (maybe even Nigerians-everyone acts like the Nigerians are the only bad actors here because they're black, and because they seem to take out more money than they bring in). Generally the locals like to finger anyone who has dark skin, even their own citizens.

[zydeco]

1 minute ago, Artisi said:

as you have just demonstrated ????

No, that would be me moaning about the moaners who moaned about the moaners.

[Vacuum]

6 minutes ago, stanleycoin said:

No they don't. it all depends on the time of the month.

All of them are not female officers..

[metisdead]

Some more off topic posts and replies have been removed.