Immigration's BMW "smart car" nabs snitched on overstaying Australian pensioner - he thought hiding in a country village would keep him safe

[Gecko123]

The Thai language news report really was far less inflammatory than I imagined it would be after reading the ThaiVisa recap of the story. The Thai language report (see link in OP) is much more matter of fact in tone, and really can't be said to be stirring up anti-foreign sentiment.

 

The Thai language report doesn't use the word "snitched." Nor was this guy "snitched" on in the sense that someone knew he was on overstay or doing something wrong and then reported him. He was reported to the local police because he seemed out of place and no one seemed to know what he was doing in the area. The police found him, checked his papers and only then discovered his visa had expired.

 

The guy is referred to in the Thai language report as an elderly "hiding kangaroo" and a man from "the land of kangaroos." The immigration police used the "hiding kangaroo" term in their yellow poster board. I am inclined to believe that this was just an attempt at humor, which understandably might have been poorly received in the Australian expat community.

 

But to be fair, the kangaroo is deeply associated with Australia, the red kangaroo is the national animal, and there have been famous Australian movies like Kangaroo Jack and Crocodile Dundee which many Thais have been exposed to. Also, kangaroo (or Jingjoe) is not an uncommon nickname in Thai, so calling someone a kangaroo doesn't have a negative connotation in Thai.

 

At the end of the day, I don't think too much should be read into this.

Edited February 16, 2020 by Gecko123

[Jack100]

Vrmmm Vrmmm

[metisdead]

A post with offensive Nazi generalizations and the replies have been removed.

 

Some posts bickering about the pension plans and the replies have been been as this topic is not specifically about the Australian pension plan payments. 

 

Posts commenting on moderation regarding this news topic have been removed, please read the following excerpt from the forum rules:

 

The ThaiVisa News Team gathers and disseminates news bulletins from Thai and International sources, and republishes them in the News Forums for our members' information and enjoyment. Our News Team works hard to bring quality content to the News Forums, and should be respected for their efforts.
Comments such as "slow news day" or "clickbait headline" are neither respectful nor welcome on the forum, and will be considered as troll comments and removed and the offending poster warned and/or suspended accordingly.
Except as otherwise indicated in the byline, news bulletins are reprinted verbatim from a mass media source which has given TV permission to use its feed. 
Original articles, especially in the Thai press, often have grammatical mistakes or misspellings. ThaiVisa is not responsible for these nor does ThaiVisa have the rights to alter content it is reprinting from another source. Similarly, ThaiVisa is not responsible for any opinions reflected  or quoted in reprinted news stories.

 

[Scot123]

So many people on here missing the point and that is when you retire to a country investing in that country then having immigration changing rules on a whim and mostly with immediate effect to then be told at 70+ if you don't like it F off and these reactions coming from your fellow expats. A very big requirement for retirement/getting old is SECURITY and you do not have that in Thailand anymore. I left Thailand for this reason. I had built a nice home, children at a private school, we had are motorbikes and a nice suv and more than enough for visa requirements. However uncertainty was the elephant in our paradise lifestyle and the older you get the less you want to risk. Imagine being in the shoes of an 80 year old being told to leave after 20 years, losing their home, family and friends and reading on TV the attitude of other expats..... Wow. My advice to anyone who is thinking about retirement in Thailand is DON'T DO IT! 

[moontang]

On 2/15/2020 at 9:19 AM, lujanit said:

I wonder how many foreigners have been reported by xenophobic thais to Immigration.

I heard they get so many snitch calls in BKK, they pretty much ignore.  Being "wanted" would get their attention, though.  

[lapamita]

the tread is dirty

the police action is dirty

 

shame shame

 

no more coment

[Maxwadd]

Well 

I hope they're proud of themselves! 

Dobbed in a frail old man living quietly and "he's no match for the bmw racing to arrest this heinous criminal". Disgusting and petty. 

What harm was he doing?

Disgraceful xenophobes

I've always been told Asian cultures are taught to respect elderly

What now - jail and deportation? 

I'm tipping he's got nothing in oz to come back to

So sad 

 

 

[Jane Dough]

8 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

The word 'kangaroo' to describe an overstaying Australian is subtly dehumanizing. By describing a person as an animal, it encourages people to think of the hunt for overstayers as a hunt for game and serves to discourage consideration of the human impact his deportation might have. 

If it was a Brit it would be a hunt for a Gentlemen, if Japanese A Raw Fish eater, if German a beer drinker etc etc....I wouldn't take it too seriously. Have a beverage and relax.

 

Rooster

[teacherbrendan]

The country is absolutely awash with illegal drugs and guns. Gangs run amok in every provincial capital. What’s the priority? Nicking some Aussie OAP who’s overstayed his visa. More brains in a false face.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Scot123 said:

So many people on here missing the point and that is when you retire to a country investing in that country then having immigration changing rules on a whim and mostly with immediate effect to then be told at 70+ if you don't like it F off and these reactions coming from your fellow expats. A very big requirement for retirement/getting old is SECURITY and you do not have that in Thailand anymore. I left Thailand for this reason. I had built a nice home, children at a private school, we had are motorbikes and a nice suv and more than enough for visa requirements. However uncertainty was the elephant in our paradise lifestyle and the older you get the less you want to risk. Imagine being in the shoes of an 80 year old being told to leave after 20 years, losing their home, family and friends and reading on TV the attitude of other expats..... Wow. My advice to anyone who is thinking about retirement in Thailand is DON'T DO IT! 

Scot, There is something odd about your posting to me.  You had "...built a nice home, children at a private school, we had are motorbikes and a nice suv and more than enough for visa requirements."  I am not sure what Visa you had ... but the "we" might suggest marriage?  If not, a Non Immigrant O perhaps?  The point is, the only change to these is that Thailand no longer allows people to pay the bribe fee to Embassies to get a piece of paper that says "No worries, this dude has the cash"  But, you have "more than enough for visa requirements" ... yes?  So let me get this straight.  You were living the dream, and were on the glide slope for a long happy life in Thailand ... but some irrational and unfounded fear that suddenly, out of the blue, in a county that has NEVER done what you imply, and has given no indication it intends to ... in a disastrous tourist decline, is going to implement a policy where 150,000 Expats all withdraw 800,000 THB on the same week?  REALLY?  How about you tell us the REAL reason you packed it in?  Because "Imagine being in the shoes of an 80 year old being told to leave after 20 years" is ridiculous. 

[Guest]

10 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

The word 'kangaroo' to describe an overstaying Australian is subtly dehumanizing. By describing a person as an animal, it encourages people to think of the hunt for overstayers as a hunt for game and serves to discourage consideration of the human impact his deportation might have. 

Said the guy who calls people from New Zealand a piece of fruit.  Oh, the horror!  Dude, I literally imagine you clutching your pearls every time you hear a 4 letter word!  555 

[Guest]

19 hours ago, SpanishExpat said:

How about a phone number to report one of the ten-thousands Somchais not paying taxes?

 

While it’s not right to overstay, that guy wasn’t a threat for sure. However all those morons not paying taxes and acting selfish are one of the reasons that retired ppl get their miserable 800 Baht pension per month!!!

Here is a perfect example of "False Equivalency"  These situations are completely unrelated, and frankly, whether or not Thai Nationals pay taxes?  Hardly your concern!  I guess you are from Spain.  I hear it is beautiful.  Let me ask you  .. can I fly there and just live without a Visa and with a small sum of money (meaning, if I get sick or injured, Spain has to pay, because I am broke)?  Because if that is the policy ... I am all in!

[Guest]

1 hour ago, teacherbrendan said:

The country is absolutely awash with illegal drugs and guns. Gangs run amok in every provincial capital. What’s the priority? Nicking some Aussie OAP who’s overstayed his visa. More brains in a false face.

"...country is absolutely awash with illegal drugs and guns. Gangs run amok ..." are we talking about Thailand ... or the USA????

[JomtienRay]

11 hours ago, emptypockets said:

Yes, I do. The greatest Prime Minister Australia ever had. John Winston Howard.

Oh dear... I think I want to vomit..!! ????

[tropo]

On 2/15/2020 at 10:38 AM, Grumpy John said:

It took my wife 9 years to figure out I was from Australia, not from Austria!   And that's after 3 trips down there!  It got tiring explaining Australia is between Indonesia and New Zealand......and Austria is next to Yermany. 

Do they teach Geography at school in Thailand? They are probably much the same as Americans in that they view their own country as the centre of the universe.

[Damrongsak]

On 2/14/2020 at 10:40 PM, DrTuner said:

I guess you can call that bimmer ze snitchwagon from now on. Works fine, as long as some Thai neighbour identifies the evil farang and calls the farangbusters first.

 

In other words, the car had sod all to do with it.

 

[chilli42]

On 2/15/2020 at 9:18 AM, rkidlad said:

What does this even mean? He was snitched on. That’s how immigration suspected he was on overstay. What on god’s green earth does a waste-of-money BMW have to do with it? Other than the fact that the immigration officers could have been driving a tuk tuk and it would have made zero difference to the outcome. 

So I guess this is what happens when the person who procured these, and pocketed the money, try’s to validate their decision. 

[Bangkokazy]

A Thai can call just to ruin your day.

Thais are jealous of us because we have more than them.

[LazySlipper]

Were I from a country like Australia where the weather is fair there is no way I would come here other than for a vacation. 

[Yadon Toploy]

10 hours ago, Jane Dough said:

If it was a Brit it would be a hunt for a Gentlemen, if Japanese A Raw Fish eater, if German a beer drinker etc etc....I wouldn't take it too seriously. Have a beverage and relax.

 

Rooster

I disagree.

 

There is a racist and xenophobic undertone and that is deliberate.

 

There's no love lost with the Australians at the moment due to the Sydney Morning Herald exposing the convicted drug smuggler in a ministerial position. 

 

I know this for absolute fact. 

 

There is absolutely no need to dehumanise this old man, no need for grandstanding his arrest and no need for the animal references to describe him.

 

The whole debacle is yet another embarrassment.

[Sydebolle]

Well, taking the few overstayers compared to 40 million visitors ......... go figure.

BMW must be delighted in Munich that the Thai immigration is promoting their vehicles over the moon. Not to diminish the endeavours but fully computerized vehicles with communication gizmos might be something new here in the land but have been in service for decades in other parts of the world.

If the investment into these cars justifies the "damage" by those overstaying alien (who, in most cases have no open bills/debts) is of course yet another thing. But at least the immigration officers get to drive nice cars of German craftsmanship ???? 

[drbeach]

On 2/15/2020 at 9:45 AM, Psimbo said:

All this angst on many threads over the type of vehicle they are using. In the big scheme of things who gives a toss what sort of car they have? If I'm travelling long distances around the country I'd want a bit of comfort instead of a Hilux as well.

 

Get over it. 

Would be nice if all those cool full size American pickups could be bought in Thailand. With very, very rare exceptions of someone importing a LHD version from America and paying a super huge amount of import tax on top (yes, LHD vehicles can be legally registered here) the closest you'll get to seeing such vehicles is in border areas near Laos or especially Cambodia, where they are sold through dealerships and they sometimes cross over for shopping or medical treatment on the Thai side.

 

Unfortunately, the Americans have decided it's not worthwhile manufacturing these vehicles in RHD (not sure why, given the UK, Australia and NZ markets alone would make it "worthwhile") so Thais are left driving the same boring vehicles as everyone else. When a BMW shows up in the rural countryside it's considered "super luxurious" although there are enough BMWs driving around Bangkok that they are becoming pretty ordinary too.

[drbeach]

3 hours ago, Yadon Toploy said:

I disagree.

 

There is a racist and xenophobic undertone and that is deliberate.

 

There's no love lost with the Australians at the moment due to the Sydney Morning Herald exposing the convicted drug smuggler in a ministerial position. 

 

I know this for absolute fact. 

 

There is absolutely no need to dehumanise this old man, no need for grandstanding his arrest and no need for the animal references to describe him.

 

The whole debacle is yet another embarrassment.

I doubt Thai immigration treats Australians any differently to any other western nationality or that any Thai even remembers that incident. Thailand isn't China - where the government reminds it's citizens it's "hate Japan" time again. Of course I agree that there is a sort of xenophobic element present in Thailand, at least at the higher levels of government, but I don't think there is a specific target nationality. Thailand is too dependent on tourism and exports, and has too small a domestic consumer class to alienate countries like China can.

[overherebc]

On 2/16/2020 at 9:21 AM, Airbagwill said:

Lets go round Chonburi and Rayong and find all those teachers working without Degrees, visas and work permits

That would be like painting the Forth Bridge, get to end and by that time you got to start at the other end again. ????

[drbeach]

On 2/15/2020 at 7:56 PM, SteveK said:

Why are the Thais so hellbent on rounding up people on overstay when there are far more pressing concerns to worry about? How much harm does a elderly westerner do the country by being on overstay?

 

Spending so much money, time and effort to catch people who are doing nothing than staying a bit longer than they should is a bit foolish. Surely they should just wait until these people turn up at a hospital, police station, airport or border crossing and deal with them then? No need for all these very expensive BMWs then.

This country definitely has it's priorities wrong.

 

Fixing the country's crippling drought by ensuring there's enough water for drinking and agriculture and stopping the spread of the dangerous pollution caused by PM2.5 would be far more pressing issues. I wonder where all the money for immigration enforcement comes from? And why it's done? I know some will blurt out "xenophobia" but there has to be more to it than that.

 

One doesn't manage a country by doing nothing about local people's health and potentially destroying entire industries like agriculture yet then suddenly have all these resources to take care of a few foreign overstayers. Something is definitely amiss here.

[drbeach]

On 2/16/2020 at 12:15 AM, Miami007 said:

I am sure the deportation centers in the USA  are not a Club Med. And most captured "illegal aliens" are being held there before being deported. 

You may have heard about the detention centers for kids.. overcrowded and not equipped to house children.

UK immigration also places overstayed in detention (happened to Thai friends) 

If you know on which basis illegal Mexicans can get citizenship in the USA, please share information. You can make a fortune as immigration lawyer in the USA, if you can deliver

I know a Thai man who was an illegal immigrant in the USA for many years who now has citizenship. It's common knowledge that politicians are campaigning on trying to legalize all illegals and make them citizens. Trump of course, is trying to do the opposite, but I'm obviously not referring to him.

[starfish]

"A 63 year old foreign pensioner wandering about in the area without a visa. Nabed by smart car and SWAT-team".

Truly avoided a threat to national security.

It´s just sad, how Thailand constantly wastes its energy on minor problems, while the country is falling apart.

 

 

[ChantraP]

7 hours ago, Bangkokazy said:

A Thai can call just to ruin your day.

Thais are jealous of us because we have more than them.

Some Thai jealous ohter Thai. No jealous Farang. Some Farang rich some Farang poor. Cheewit. 

[tomartoh]

Honda city would do the job but then not the same prestige as a Beemer.

[drbeach]

On 2/15/2020 at 6:14 PM, scorecard said:

 Agreed, however there is no reason why 99% of Thai folks would need such knowledge and/or have gained such knowledge.

 

But there's other variations I've come across: best example, Thai man claimed his Thai sisters' western fiance didn't need a visa to enter / to be in Thailand because he's a doctor (of science not medicine).

 

Same Thai man caused serious relationship problems between his Thai sister and her western fiance, they lodged an application for a visa for the Thai lady to visit fiances' country and it was rejected.

 

Lady's Thai brother then told his sister 'your fiance doesn't want you to go too his country because he already has a wife there, so he instructed his embassy to reject your application'. Followed by telling all the Thai family that for all countries a doctor can call their embassy and order them to grant visas and they have to do it.

 

Farang got the cold shoulder and some abuse by other members of his gf's family and eventually got a local Thai immigration officer to visit the family and tell them the truth of the situation.  

 

 

 

 

LOL. I love it how some poorly educated Thais believe every rumor in the sun. And then sometimes get the authorities involved to verify things.

 

It's somewhat similar in neighboring countries. Reminds me of these two drivers I knew in Myawaddy, Myanmar, just across the border from Mae Sot I hired a few years ago. One of them received an email from a Nigerian prince about winning a large sum of money. He speaks very little English. His friend, now deceased, who has quite a good knowledge of English and was once a freelance translator/fixer for Myanmar immigration gets involved and they actually go to the US Embassy in Yangon to talk about this scam. Of course they are shooed away at the entrance. The next time I see them, they tell me this story and I laughed my ass off. I mean, who in their right mind would go to an embassy with an email that everyone gets, thinking they are going to be taken seriously? Even if they had gone to the local police, it still wouldn't have had any effect.

 

I don't know what they teach in the schools around here, but it seems that people will believe just about anything another person tells them without even an ounce of critical thinking. Of course, the more educated segment of society doesn't fall for such nonsense.