Not looking good to extend visa - Richard Barrow

[anchadian]

 

Richard Barrow in Thailand 

 

@RichardBarrow

·

Bangkok Immigration came to inspect my workplace. They were here for 3 hours. Looks like they will not extend my “visa”. They said I most likely will have to leave the country. Nothing to do with anything else. They will give me a final verdict next week. Not looking good

 

 

Edited August 13, 2020 by Jai Dee
Title expanded

[richard_smith237]

As with the Natural Fruits Deformation lawsuit against Andrew Hall... Thailand does not like truth, reality or anyone gaining any degree of following which ‘could’ compromise the facade with facts, truth or reality. 

 

And then there is the Jonathan Head case, given 5 years for deformation (later dropped) after his investigation into some fraudulent dealings in Phuket. 

 

 

Unfortunately it looks like Richard Barrow could pay the price for his following.

He hasn’t broken any law, he’s been careful about what he reports on, or how he reports - yet this news makes it clear he is known and the Thai Government is doing what they can to ensure he can’t remain in Thailand. 

 

Unfortunately, what they [the Thai Government] don’t get is that outside of Thailand his [Richard Barrows] truth more dangerous as he is no longer constrained by flawed laws - deformation, computer crimes, 112.

 

 

The mere potential for such action is a blight on freedom of speech - carrying out such an obvious expulsion is an insult to not just every foreigner, but every one one Thailand. 

 

 

Edited August 13, 2020 by richard_smith237

[FlyingThai]

That’s a real bummer. Richard is a first class guy.

 

It’s a very fine line that he is walking on and sometimes I wonder if he picks the right battles worth fighting for.

 

As I commented on his post as well, was it really necessary to start things like this #2pricethailand initiative and report about the corrupt IOs that asked for 20k to issue that other guys visa? All this while his own visa is under consideration.

 

And then he tweets again and again “I should really lay low...” well yes, he should but he doesn’t. ????

 

Also given the volume of his “reporting” I wonder if there is a point when Immigration would consider that his primary job even if it doesn’t generate income. If they suspect or simply say his IT job is a front then there’s very little to defend against that claim. Unless he has some powerful friends in certain places to lean on immigration.

[Matzzon]

That is very small information. What reason did they give for not extend the visa?

 

I guess Mr Barrow have to stop talk in riddles.

 

 

[FlyingThai]

19 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

... Unfortunately, what they [the Thai Government] don’t get is that outside of Thailand his [Richard Barrows] truth more dangerous as he is no longer constrained by flawed laws - deformation, computer crimes, 112.

Exactly!

 

It’s defamation by the way, deformation is something different. ;)

[richard_smith237]

5 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

That is very small information. What reason did they give for not extend the visa?

 

I guess Mr Barrow have to stop talk in riddles.

 

 

I suspect its because he [Richard Barrow] was given very little information from the Immigration guys who spent 3 hours investigating his work place and suggesting ‘he will have to leave’ with out giving a valid reason. 

 

If he is forced to leave, we all 'know' the reason....   if he is forced out it will be on a technicality.

Edited August 13, 2020 by richard_smith237

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, FlyingThai said:

Exactly!

 

It’s defamation by the way, deformation is something different. ????

Thanks - typing without QC’ing.... 

[anchadian]

Yes, I remember those case.

 

I have been following RB for some while now and although he works at a Thai school, he manages to squeeze time into helping others who are interested in travel within the Kingdom.

 

I believe he has devoted his life in remaining in Thailand......what a way to go, if his visa is not renewed.

[Matzzon]

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

I suspect its because he [Richard Barrow] was given very little information from the Immigration guys who spent 3 hours investigating his work place and suggesting ‘he will have to leave’ with out giving a valid reason. 

 

If he is forced to leave, we all 'know' the reason....  but if he is forced out it will be on a technicality.

You mean that you suspect the reason. How can you know it?

[richard_smith237]

6 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

8 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

I suspect its because he [Richard Barrow] was given very little information from the Immigration guys who spent 3 hours investigating his work place and suggesting ‘he will have to leave’ with out giving a valid reason. 

 

If he is forced to leave, we all 'know' the reason....  but if he is forced out it will be on a technicality.

You mean that you suspect the reason. How can you know it?

Yawn....  You know what I mean. 

 

... I mean... I suspect you suspect what I mean 

 

 

Edited August 13, 2020 by richard_smith237

[4MyEgo]

1 hour ago, anchadian said:

Bangkok Immigration came to inspect my workplace. They were here for 3 hours. Looks like they will not extend my “visa”. They said I most likely will have to leave the country. Nothing to do with anything else. They will give me a final verdict next week. Not looking good

I would have thought that there would be more than one way to skin aggressive threatening cats. 

 

This man has done a lot of good for the Thai's, but they are too blind to see it, that said, if they do oust him, I will do my best to be selective when it comes to my monthly budget/spend here and as for domestic holidays here, not going to happen, I will do my best to make my money go externally, meaning I won't be supporting the Thai economy, perhaps everyone should think up of a similar scheme and then jump on the same wagon, hit them where it hurts, but it would have to be in volumes. 

Edited August 13, 2020 by 4MyEgo

[FlyingThai]

6 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

I would have thought that there would be more than one way to skin aggressive threatening cats. 

 

This man has done a lot of good for the Thai's, but they are too blind to see it, that said, if they do oust him, my monthly budget spend and domestic holidays will be spent externally, meaning I won't be supporting the Thai economy, perhaps everyone should jump pon the same wagon, hit them where it hurts, but it has to be in volumes. 

Externally? How do you want to leave and come back? And regarding the Thai Economy, you’re going to import all your items of daily consumption? Let’s not be silly here.

 

Thai Immigration is already <deleted> about many things right now and there have been quite a few rows between them. Remember the Immigration head honcho who mouthed off against Richard when he posted some inofficial chart back in March/April? 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

12 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

 Perhaps he should look at getting an agent or applying for a retirement visa, can't hassle the man then, can they.

 

Can't work legally on a retirement extension.... That would be tantamount to silencing him as a journalist just the same, at least so long as he was to remain in country.

 

[FarFlungFalang]

9 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

I would have thought that there would be more than one way to skin aggressive threatening cats. 

 

This man has done a lot of good for the Thai's, but they are too blind to see it, that said, if they do oust him, I will do my best to be selective when it comes to my monthly budget/spend here and as for domestic holidays here, not going to happen, I will do my best to make my money go externally, meaning I won't be supporting the Thai economy, perhaps everyone should think up of a similar scheme and then jump on the same wagon, hit them where it hurts, but it would have to be in volumes. 

If all the foreigners leave what would imm do?When do they bring in the Immigration teller machine at 7/11 with thumb print and passport chip to complete any immigration task performed by the current staff members?Imagine the money saved and the money lost!

[Tagged]

Who will follow Richard out of the country? I guess it is time for a leavig thread again now after all of this. 

 

I will be staying as long it is worth it, but I holding back enough to cut loose and leave in short notice now. 

[4MyEgo]

10 minutes ago, FlyingThai said:

Externally? How do you want to leave and come back? And regarding the Thai Economy, you’re going to import all your items of daily consumption? Let’s not be silly here.

When Covid is well and truly over, holiday in neighboring countries, the monthly budget spend would go into those ecomony's, as for daily consumption items, well one would be looking at spending less than more, besides most of our food is imported, so cutting back wouldn't be an issue.

[cyril sneer]

wonder what visa it is, isn't he working in IT at a school but not as a teacher?

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, anchadian said:

Nothing to do with anything else.

I wonder about that sentence.

One interpretation is that there are problems with the documents from the school where he works. And all his comments on twitter and other media have nothing to do with the visa problem.

I don't know if that is the "real" interpretation. But I think we should wait a little before we come to conclusions why there are problems.

 

I had one time in a company the problem that for one month they had not the required amount of Thai staff for the number of foreign work permits. 11 out of 12 months all was ok, only one month was wrong and for that reason one of our staff had to make a visa run out of the country to apply for a new visa. It happens - for seemingly little unimportant reasons.

 

Let's stay cool and look what happens. I think the last thing Richard needs in the moment is lots of farangs making lots of unfounded accusations.

[4MyEgo]

10 minutes ago, Tagged said:

I will be staying as long it is worth it

Yep plan B is there, just have to wait a few years and I will be out.

[mr mr]

looks like there was a sale on hammers today at home pro. 

[brewsterbudgen]

Would be a shame, as his blog is useful.

 

However, Barrow knows how to create some suspense and get attention/hits/followers, so my bet is that it will all be OK, as last year.

[anchadian]

2 minutes ago, mr mr said:

looks like there was a sale on hammers today at home pro. 

Yes, the poor guy died trying to get one.

Edited August 13, 2020 by anchadian

[Puchaiyank]

Thais are suspicious of foreigners...especially those who shed light in dark places...

 

Your tenure in Thailand is only good for one year for most farang...ruffle any feathers and you will be gone.

 

It is the Thai way or highway!

 

Learn to smile as you experience the Thai way.

[jadee]

4 minutes ago, cyril sneer said:

wonder what visa it is, isn't he working in IT at a school but not as a teacher?

I'm curious too - I'm guessing it's a Non-immigrant B visa. When he says 'extending', the actual visa will have expired and he'll be on a 1-year extension of stay linked to his work permit (I guess). So he really means that he thinks immigration won't give him another 1-year extension.

But I don't know why they went to his school in the first place. I think everyone is assuming that Richard is being silenced but the fact that there's a need for immigration to visit suggests that there's a problem with the school. 

It could be that they've been hiring people/teachers without the proper paperwork or something like that, maybe nothing to do with Richard or any of his work. Under normal circumstances, the school (which I think is in Samut Prakarn) would go to the Paknam immigration with the paperwork and apply for a 1-year extension there. It's not common for immigration officials to visit a school and certain not common for them to give any 'verdict' about whether a teacher would/wouldn't be granted an extension. 

[Jackcwba]

The man is a properganda clown for the most part. He really views himself as a celebrity thinking he knows everything about everything.

 

He craves attention have you seen some of his tweets recently ?

 

1  : “ my taxi ride was something like 100 baht I gave him 1000 baht and told him to keep the change”

 

Does a good deed even exist if you don’t tell the whole world about it? Keep it to yourself <deleted> stop bragging and fishing for likes.

 

2 : “I should really lay low while my visa is under consideration” ... next day he is pretty much being condescending towards the government and exposing attractions who have 2price policy.

 

3: the Chiang mai marathon he’s been talking krap about that aswell “ why can’t they just admit they was wrong etc”

 

it’s all fuel to the fire, he loves the attention, the dude even made another twitter account to respond back to his tweets like he’s some all star LOL

 

did I mention he also tells his 160K followers how xenophobic Thailand everyday?

 

i wouldn’t be surprised if he still gets to stay, none of us know what went down today, like I say.. he loves attention...

 

mr burrows needs to put his laptop down on an evening and chill

 

 

 

Edited August 13, 2020 by Jackcwba
K

[Pilotman]

You play with fire, then you will get burnt at some stage. Meddling in other countries business is never very wise when you live there and you are their guest, as he now knows. He has clearly outlived his welcome. Personally, I think the final nail in his coffin was when the British Ambassador mentioned him in one of this Covid pod casts, as a source of reliable information, a very stupid thing for the Ambassador to have done. I never signed up to that opinion of him as the source of all knowledge, as he has been caught out too many times passing on poor intelligence as fact. If you want to live here, keep your nose out of the Thai's business.    

[Pilotman]

2 minutes ago, Jackcwba said:

The man is a properganda clown for the most part. He really views himself as a celebrity thinking he knows everything about everything.

 

He craves attention have you seen some of his tweets recently ?

 

1  : “ my taxi ride was something like 100 baht I gave him 1000 baht and told him to keep the change”

 

Does a good deed even exist if you don’t tell the whole world about it? Keep it to yourself <deleted> stop bragging and fishing for likes.

 

2 : “I should really lay low while my visa is under consideration” ... next day he is pretty much being condescending towards the government and exposing attractions who have 2price policy.

 

3: the Chiang mai marathon he’s been talking krap about that aswell “ why can’t they just admit they was wrong etc”

 

it’s all fuel to the fire, he loves the attention, the dude even made another twitter account to respond back to his tweets like he’s some all star LOL

 

i wouldn’t be surprised if he still gets to stay, none of us know what went down today, like I say.. he loves attention...

 

 

 

well said. 

[jadee]

Quote

You play with fire, then you will get burnt at some stage. Meddling in other countries business is never very wise when you live there and you are their guest, as he now knows. 

I completely agree - Richard has always been careful to state that his blogging/online stuff is an unpaid hobby, not a job, but I've never understood why exactly he's felt the need to write about the topics he chooses - maybe a personal desire to be recognized or respected?

[WineOh]

3 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

You play with fire, then you will get burnt at some stage. Meddling in other countries business is never very wise when you live there and you are their guest, as he now knows. He has clearly outlived his welcome. Personally, I think the final nail in his coffin was when the British Ambassador mentioned him in one of this Covid pod casts, as a source of reliable information, a very stupid thing for the Ambassador to have done. I never signed up to that opinion of him as the source of all knowledge, as he has been caught out too many times passing on poor intelligence as fact. If you want to live here, keep your nose out of the Thai's business.    

Dreadfully said. 

[utalkin2me]

It sounds to me like he wants a way to be kicked out of here. Maybe his plan is to make a final blog post of the entire spectacle.