beware if you see a BMW parked there...it is very smart....

8 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

You are the ‘perfect’ Thai Elite candidate, additionally you are not really a ‘tourist’.

 

Immigration at the Airports have a record of every entry and exit into Thailand and use key information (Name, DOB, Nationality, Place of Birth etc) and can go back years and see your records.

 

A friend of mine works in Immigration, about 7 or 8 years ago we were in the pub and I ‘tested him’ about the records, within about 10mins he had screen prints on his phone of all of my entries and exits over the past number of years (on different passports) - my take away is ’they know everything they need to’ although I not certain how well tied in the land boarder crossings are. 

 

If you want to stay here ‘risk free', stumping up for an Elite Visa would be your best option, everything else involves taking the gamble and risking rejected entry. 

 

On his phone? <deleted> kind of security do they have on that system? Not much, apparently. 

The problem that you have is that if you just go and get a new passport, the IO will see it as a cleanskin but his records will show different so it may ring alarm bells especially if your old passport has not been filled. Using your old passport also has risks to it because of the amount of stamps you have in it. It is a risk whatever way you go

I've seen the screen that the I.O. sees when he enters your passport details. I can't speak for others but I was gobsmacked at what I saw. Every entry and all my passport details were there - old and new. At one time I had a need for 2 passports (legal in the UK) - I was surpised to see that my second passport number was also listed.

 

I don't see how a new passport will solve anything, especially now they've got finger print readers.

The fingerprints won't be the problem. To compare them with millions of others even a supercomputer would need hours to match.

But the IO database should be advanced enough to give you no chance with a new PP.

Edited February 17, 20206 yr by JustAnotherHun

18 minutes ago, JustAnotherHun said:

The fingerprints won't be the problem. To compare them with millions of others even a supercomputer would need hours to match.

But the IO database should be advanced enough to give you no chance with a new PP.

The fingerprints are connected to that persons passport database so they do not have to compare them with millions of others. What it will show is how many stamps were in the previous passport before a new passport was issued and if there were only enough stamps for half the passport and there was plenty of time left on that passport before it expired then it will raise questions on why you have applied for a new passport and what are you trying to hide so you risk a much more detailed scrutiny and have to answer many more questions as to why the new passport. 

25 minutes ago, Russell17au said:

The fingerprints are connected to that persons passport database so they do not have to compare them with millions of others. What it will show is how many stamps were in the previous passport...

To check that you don't need fingerprints. You just type the name and birthday on your keyboard and you get the man's history.

Fingerprint screening would only help if the name has changed - and then you will have to compare them to millions of others.

1 hour ago, JustAnotherHun said:

The fingerprints won't be the problem. To compare them with millions of others even a supercomputer would need hours to match.

FYI..... The fingerprint system used by Thai Immigration was supplied by a German company, Dermalog.  Are you ready for a shock?  According to their recent press release they claim that their system can scan 3.6 billion prints per second.  No super computer needed, but I'm not sure if it works that fast in the 'Smart Car'.

 

https://www.dermalog.com/news/article/fingerprint-matching-world-record/

28 minutes ago, 007 RED said:

FYI..... The fingerprint system used by Thai Immigration was supplied by a German company, Dermalog.  Are you ready for a shock?  According to their recent press release they claim that their system can scan 3.6 billion prints per second.  No super computer needed, but I'm not sure if it works that fast in the 'Smart Car'.

 

https://www.dermalog.com/news/article/fingerprint-matching-world-record/

Quote

DERMALOG combines its high-speed identification with an Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS). The multimodal system provides simultaneous matching of finger and palm prints as well as facial features and iris patterns. This makes the DERMALOG ABIS much more accurate than solutions that only use one biometric feature. DERMALOG´s biometric systems are used in 85 countries for biometric payment as well as for border management and other public services

 

 

And it seems they not only use fingerprints... kinda scary but that answer the question of what they know, pretty much everything.

I'm in a similar position as the OP (6 years in Thailand on Tourist Visas and VE, and I know people who have been doing this for 15 years, however that doesn't mean I will be able to do it for 15 years).

 

But to ask what immigration knows, and how I can use any lack thereof to my advantage, has never crossed my mind. I just assume they know all my travel history and have the three passports I have been through linked to my person. I need a new passport every 4 years, and I get the 32 page version instead of the 48 page version in my home country. The price per page is similar, and with 32 pages there is less flipping when looking for something than with 48 pages.

16 hours ago, Russell17au said:

What it will show is how many stamps were in the previous passport before a new passport was issued and if there were only enough stamps for half the passport and there was plenty of time left on that passport before it expired then it will raise questions on why you have applied for a new passport and what are you trying to hide so you risk a much more detailed scrutiny and have to answer many more questions as to why the new passport. 

No it does not. In their interior computer database.

Not from every other country you have entered or exited on the history of your previous passport.  

And many people lose, get stolen, wash in the laundry, drop in water their passports and go to their embassy to get a new one.  Easy to explain why you have a new one.

The concern on TV is usually some questionable historical issues with Thailand.  People who think getting a new passport will wipe the slate clean.  This is false thinking like reported, all your previous dealings with immigration in this country is in fact recorded in their system.

There are some worldwide databases for criminals and terrorists that Thailand has access to.  Interpol being the most common.  With this, I always question why some people reporting on here are pulled aside at the airports and grilled.

Could it be their criminal past or questionable activity/affiliations that creates the IO investigation? 

Possibly, but of course they would never admit it on here would they.

Edited February 18, 20206 yr by bkk6060

17 hours ago, JustAnotherHun said:

The fingerprints won't be the problem. To compare them with millions of others even a supercomputer would need hours to match.

IIRC, a fingerprint is stored as a 20-byte code, and Thailand might get 20 million unique codes per year.  So, a lookup of everyone in the past 12 months plus a check against maybe another 100,000 people of interests would take a few seconds max.  The main purpose of the fingerprint scanners is to validate against the biometric data on the passport as I understand it.  They store the data though for future use.

 

19 hours ago, BritManToo said:

So your fingerprint's didn't positively identify you (which is as I always claimed).

Not without cleaning the thing frequently.  All 20 points matching would be a pretty confident match; even 12 points is pretty good.

According to news Dubai are testing scanners after your first scan/info no check in, through, Immigration etc. from biometrics.

They'll supposedly have a smart car

21 hours ago, USNret said:

On 2/17/2020 at 8:42 AM, richard_smith237 said:

You are the ‘perfect’ Thai Elite candidate, additionally you are not really a ‘tourist’.

 

Immigration at the Airports have a record of every entry and exit into Thailand and use key information (Name, DOB, Nationality, Place of Birth etc) and can go back years and see your records.

 

A friend of mine works in Immigration, about 7 or 8 years ago we were in the pub and I ‘tested him’ about the records, within about 10mins he had screen prints on his phone of all of my entries and exits over the past number of years (on different passports) - my take away is ’they know everything they need to’ although I not certain how well tied in the land boarder crossings are. 

 

If you want to stay here ‘risk free', stumping up for an Elite Visa would be your best option, everything else involves taking the gamble and risking rejected entry. 

 

On his phone? <deleted> kind of security do they have on that system? Not much, apparently. 

 

He checked with a friend who was on duty, sent the photo of the screen (of my details) via Line Messenger.

 

Sounds like you should just bite the bullet and get the elite visa if you plan to stay here

On 2/17/2020 at 5:53 AM, Faddybus said:

Ok maybe I should have put it a different way.

When I fly into Suvarnabhumi with a clean passport, do the immigration bods look on the screen to see my Thailand travel records  or just do a visual check of the passport.

I think it's just a visual check going by the info they had at overland borders but not sure.

Would be appreciated if anyone in the same sort of position or someone that has been pulled with a clean newish passport to advise please.

Thanks fb

It depends on the IO.

Last time I came in, I flew Business Class and was flying in from Germany. This was a month after being denied an SETV by the good folks /s at the Phnom Penh RT Embassy. The I/O stamped me through so quickly that there was no way that she checked anything. I was through in about 15 seconds. No questions and she barely looked at me. If she took my photo it must have been extremely blurry because I was constantly moving and never looked at the camera.

In my experience, there is not way to tell what will happen at Suvarnabhumi. I've had multiple experiences from an I/O grilling me about my place of stay to the I/O completely ignoring me. 

Once, I had a runny nose from allergies and sneezed a couple of times...that guy could not get me processed fast enough. lol He even asked me to step back. I assume he thought I had a cold but it was just allergies which hit me hard every couple of years. I don't recommend being sneezy or having a runny nose at this time.  lol

There is no rhyme or reason to what a given I/O will do at any given time. 

The only thing that I can tell you is that if you fly in business class, they rarely give you a second look. I assume that they see you as a big Dollar, Yuan or Euro sign and pass you on through. I would not be surprised if they had an SOP at the Premeir entry that stipulates that they simply pass everyone through with no questions. Greed is a hell of a drug. I'd bet a guy or gal could walk through Premeir with full blown AIDS, Coronavirus and Ebola doing dumpster dives out of their mouths, ears and noses and blood running out of their eyes and they'd still get passed on through. lol

It's all about the money.

Backpackers don't bring money.

Nigerians with connections selling drugs at 7 on Sukhumvit get a lifetime pass.