Immigration's BMW smart cars out all over Thailand - Thai house owners fined

[webfact]

Immigration's BMW smart cars out all over Thailand -  Thai house owners fined

 

Picture: Naew Na

 

Naew Na reported that the Immigration Bureau's fleet of sophisticated "Smart Cars" were out and about looking for foreign criminals and others breaking the regulations over the last few days. 

 

Each car is fitted with high tech wizardry - namely a tablet, a notebook and an internet connection.

 

This abundance of modern, state-of-the-art technology helped immigration officers across four provinces track down Thai house owners who had not reported foreigners at their addresses within 24 hours. 

 

They were all fined accordingly.

 

In Chumphon at a school construction site three Myanmar workers had not registered their address. The person putting them up was fined. 

 

Picture: Naew Na

 

(No BMW was evident in the picture commemorating the bust - it seemed to be a pick-up, perhaps a smart pick-up, notes Thaivisa). 

 

A BMW was utilized in Prajuab Khirikhan where a Thai running a hotel was fined for not reporting a foreign guest. 

 

Likewise in Pathum Thani the immigration team there found two unreported foreigners and fined one householder. 

 

In Ratchaburi there were two more and one more fine, flushed out thanks to the BMW's renowned capabilities. 

 

A team of half a dozen PR people at the IB were quoted as saying all this was to make the public aware of the IB's policies, gather information and track down foreign criminals. It was all part of IB chief Lt-Gen Sompong Chingduang's master plan.

 

Picture: Naew Na

 

The PR team said that people could make life easy on themselves by downloading the 24 hour reporting mobile application. 

 

And they reminded the public to call 1178 if they hear of anything suspicious. 

 

Thaivisa notes that sacked former immigration chief Lt-Gen Surachate "Big Joke" Hakpan was known to have raised criticism of the BMW car scheme that he viewed as a waste of taxpayer's money. 

 

 

Picture: Naew Na

 

He was later stripped of his job and told to shuffle paper at the PM's office. 

 

After receiving a warning from the PM for his actions in the wake of the shooting of his car in Bangkok earlier this month, Big Joke has now resigned and is on his way to be ordained as a monk in India. 

 

Source: Naew Na

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-01-28

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[Somtamnication]

I feel safer now!

[Creasy]

Each car is fitted with high tech wizardry - namely a tablet, a notebook and an internet connection.

????????????????

[canopy]

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

The PR team said that people could make life easy on themselves by downloading the 24 hour reporting mobile application. 

 

Just because there is an app does not mean it is easy. Especially if the house owner is in a different province or out of country and unreachable.

 

[faraday]

3 minutes ago, Creasy said:

Each car is fitted with high tech wizardry - namely a tablet, a notebook and an internet connection.

????????????????

 

[Creasy]

(No BMW was evident in the picture commemorating the bust - it seemed to be a pick-up, perhaps a smart pick-up, notes Thaivisa) ????????????

[Yadon Toploy]

A pick-up would have done the same job for 30% of the money.

 

 

[Brer]

Wow these Beamers could be equipped with the latest Thai technology to track down the Coronavirus Chinese tourists.

No wonder the PM claims 100% in controlling the virus.

[darksidedog]

Lots of money spent, lots of hard work and for what? A series of very minor infringements. Given the crime rate across the country, you have to ask if the money and effort wouldn't be better spent policing the local population perhaps?

[Yadon Toploy]

Seriously though, what a horrible place this is becoming to live.

 

Encouraging people to call up and 'report' foreigners, cars creeping about surveilling foreigners, people that have foreigners living with them being investigated, fingerprints being taken on entry to the country, etc. 

[DLock]

I guess we better get used to these meaningless rationalizations of why the Gestapo have BMW's instead of Nissan Leaf EV's, and trolling the street like North Korean internment guards.

 

Big Joke may not have been such a big joke after all.

[Yadon Toploy]

Just now, darksidedog said:

Lots of money spent, lots of hard work and for what? A series of very minor infringements. Given the crime rate across the country, you have to ask if the money and effort wouldn't be better spent policing the local population perhaps?

Same with the biometrics, fingerprint readers etc.

 

They make Thaksin's mob look inept when it comes to corruption.

[Pravda]

Not worth commenting, yet here I am

[seajae]

big joke has done a runner to India, have to wonder now if he was removed because he actually stood up against the usual graft, who was getting the kick backs from buying all the beemers and just how high up were they. Again we see a total waste of money all in the name of snouts in the trough, Thailand needs an honest government but with the graft and corruption so firmly entrenched here I doubt we will ever get one. FF is the best bet but the ones running the show currently dont want to lose their place in the trough so are desperately trying to have them removed before they can be elected at the nest election

[meechai]

38 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thaivisa notes that sacked former immigration chief Lt-Gen Surachate "Big Joke" Hakpan was known to have raised criticism of the BMW car scheme that he viewed as a waste of taxpayer's money. 

 

After receiving a warning from the PM for his actions in the wake of the shooting of his car in Bangkok earlier this month, Big Joke has now resigned and is on his way to be ordained as a monk in India. 

What??

[BobbyL]

Thank God for that. Those multi - millions spent on the BMWs are well worth it now. 

[Dmaxdan]

21 minutes ago, Yadon Toploy said:

Seriously though, what a horrible place this is becoming to live.

 

Encouraging people to call up and 'report' foreigners, cars creeping about surveilling foreigners, people that have foreigners living with them being investigated, fingerprints being taken on entry to the country, etc. 

All of this is water off a duck's back for those of us with nothing to hide. 

[ianezy0]

As Liam Neeson said, “I will look for you, I will find you and I will kill you."

[Misterwhisper]

51 minutes ago, webfact said:

Each car is fitted with high tech wizardry - namely a tablet, a notebook

Wow!!!! I am so impressed! And running Windows XP? 

[Yinn]

41 minutes ago, Creasy said:

Each car is fitted with high tech wizardry - namely a tablet, a notebook and an internet connection.

????????????????

A lot more. See camera on roof, facial recognition from distance etc etc.

 

maybe the writer doesn’t know. He should investigate. Amazing technology.

maybe he want to mock?

 

Thailand always have 4 million + foreigners. Must check them, some are bad people.

 

 

[rkidlad]

2 minutes ago, Yinn said:

A lot more. See camera on roof, facial recognition from distance etc etc.

 

maybe the writer doesn’t know. He should investigate. Amazing technology.

maybe he want to mock?

 

Thailand always have 4 million + foreigners. Must check them, some are bad people.

 

 

But why does it have to be a BMW? Why not a basic Toyota with all the technology attached to it. Also, when these cars need maintenance and repairs, it costs a lot more compared to a locally made Toyota, etc. 

 

This is a huge waste of tax payers' money. 

[WineOh]

They really are terrified of us. Shaking in their shoes with sweaty palms to boot!

[PatOngo]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Each car is fitted with high tech wizardry - namely a tablet, a notebook and an internet connection.

Cool, it would seem that I, too, am equipped with hi tech wizardry!

[WineOh]

7 minutes ago, Yinn said:

A lot more. See camera on roof, facial recognition from distance etc etc.

 

maybe the writer doesn’t know. He should investigate. Amazing technology.

maybe he want to mock?

 

Thailand always have 4 million + foreigners. Must check them, some are bad people.

 

 

Lot's of bad thais too.

Drug dealers, murderers and rapists. 

 

Why not focus on checking them?? why waste money going after the minority?

[Yadon Toploy]

Just now, rkidlad said:

But why does it have to be a BMW? Why not a basic Toyota with all the technology attached to it. Also, when these cars need maintenance and repairs, it costs a lot more compared to a locally made Toyota, etc. 

 

This is a huge waste of tax payers' money. 

Indeed, but do not expect to apply common sense, logic and rational thought here.

 

6 minutes ago, Yinn said:

Thailand always have 4 million + foreigners. Must check them, some are bad people.

Those in glass houses, shouldn't throw stones.

[PatOngo]

3 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

But why does it have to be a BMW? Why not a basic Toyota with all the technology attached to it. Also, when these cars need maintenance and repairs, it costs a lot more compared to a locally made Toyota, etc. 

 

This is a huge waste of tax payers' money. 

Hey, who cares, the peasants are paying for it!

[Creasy]

6 minutes ago, Yinn said:

A lot more. See camera on roof, facial recognition from distance etc etc.

 

maybe the writer doesn’t know. He should investigate. Amazing technology.

maybe he want to mock?

 

Thailand always have 4 million + foreigners. Must check them, some are bad people.

 

 

They could of achieved the same results with a 1998 Toyota Corolla and saved the Thai taxpayers millions of baht.

 

But, who am I to judge and I'm sure a third world countries police force really need BMW's

[Yadon Toploy]

11 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

All of this is water off a duck's back for those of us with nothing to hide. 

I have nothing to hide but I don't want my details being used for nefarious means by criminals i.e. those in uniform here.

 

Case in point convicted drug smugglers in cabinet positions. 

 

I work with these people I know exactly what they are capable of should you make them lose face or they decide they want to steal from you. 

 

Hope that clarifies.

[Thaidream]

10 minutes ago, Yinn said:

Thailand always have 4 million + foreigners. Must check them, some are bad people.

Thailand has 68 million Thai people-  must check them some are bad people.

 

I don't see Thai police driving 5 million Baht BMWs checking  Thai citizens- in fact, i don't see many thai police doing much of anything that doesn't involve  money.

[yokat]

It's only a temporary PR campaign, they have to pretend the BMW were justified when a bunch of smartphones would have worked just as well.