My school just announced that, according to the Ministry of Education, all foreign teachers who are residents in Thailand on a Non-B immigrant visa must now visit the Thai Police headquarters in Siam every year to get a criminal background check as part of the visa renewal process.
 

Attached is a scan of the letter they have provided me to present to the police office.

I've tried searching this forum and the Internet at large, but haven't found anything on this. Can anyone confirm or provide further information about it?

-hucifer

It might be a new Ministry of Education but I have not seen anything about it.

It is certainly not a requirement to apply for a one year extension based upon teaching at immigration. 

 

Moving this topic to the Teaching in Thailand forum.

My school worded it like this in the announcement email:

 

Quote

The Ministry of Education is now requiring police background checks on all teachers every year.... Once the background check is completed (it will take around 10 days), the report will be sent directly to [our school's head office].

So it suggests that this check in part of the requirements for either the visa or the work permit, but I'm not sure.

Quite right too, and I hope, a Police check from their home country

A police check from your home country when you first arrive in Thailand makes total sense.

However, requiring an annual check from the Thai police for people who have been living, working and happily paying their taxes in Thailand the whole time is nonsensical.

18 minutes ago, hucifer said:

A police check from your home country when you first arrive in Thailand makes total sense.

However, requiring an annual check from the Thai police for people who have been living, working and happily paying their taxes in Thailand the whole time is nonsensical.

well it is until you read of the many instances of child abuse here, both sexual and physical.  It should be the same for all teachers, Thai or farang.  Maybe annually is excessive, but say every 3/4 years sounds sensible. 

It would be far more sensible and efficient for the police to directly report to immigration when a foreign teacher is arrested or charged with a crime.

 

That way, the remaining 99% of law abiding teachers wouldn't be further burdened with unnecessary paperwork.

 

2 hours ago, hucifer said:

A police check from your home country when you first arrive in Thailand makes total sense.

However, requiring an annual check from the Thai police for people who have been living, working and happily paying their taxes in Thailand the whole time is nonsensical.

Working with kids, it makes a lot of sense to check if the person is suitable.

There is still room for first offenders, but that can happen in any circumstance. To me, it's logical that if the teacher is arrested/charged with an offence involving minors, or is likely to affect their employment status, then that is reported to the school named on the work permit. Any non-job related crime can be dealt with in the normal way. Like 'hucifer' said above, why inconvenience the vast majority of law abiding teachers here?

My school have said the same. We go to the main police station in Nakhon nayok

22 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Working with kids, it makes a lot of sense to check if the person is suitable.

Of that there is no doubt. However, the idea that you can ONLY get the check done IN PERSON at RTP HQ does seem ridiculous, for me that's a 6 hour round trip, for others even more. If they want to bring in these sorts of policies it has to be done with a modicum of common sense. Either make it possible to do it online or at least doable at your local police HQ. I'm pretty sure that in even the most backwoods areas of the Kingdom the police headquarters buildings have internet access. 

Has it been confirmed that this applies to annual Extensions of Stay for teaching?

Thailand: constantly searching for ways to kick foreigners out.

"We have a shortage of teachers due to Covid."
I know what we can do.  Let's create more regulations to make it more difficult for the teachers already here to stay.
"Great idea!!!"

32 minutes ago, flinc2020 said:

Of that there is no doubt. However, the idea that you can ONLY get the check done IN PERSON at RTP HQ does seem ridiculous, for me that's a 6 hour round trip, for others even more. If they want to bring in these sorts of policies it has to be done with a modicum of common sense.

No.  It's not about your convenience.  It's about you understanding your place (very, very low) in Thai society and them making you dance.

On 4/1/2021 at 10:21 AM, hucifer said:

A police check from your home country when you first arrive in Thailand makes total sense.

However, requiring an annual check from the Thai police for people who have been living, working and happily paying their taxes in Thailand the whole time is nonsensical.

Heap some more xenophobic fear of foreigners on the fires of racial distrust. 
Will Thai teachers be subjected to the same?  No. 

1 hour ago, connda said:

No.  It's not about your convenience.  It's about you understanding your place (very, very low) in Thai society and them making you dance.

I thought that General Cha Cha was the dance expert.

Well, I went down there today to get myself entered into the police database. Each finger and thumb on both hands was carefully scanned. Interestingly, I did not have to present my work permit, proof of residence, or tenancy agreement; merely my passport and a signed passport copy.
 

2 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Has it been confirmed that this applies to annual Extensions of Stay for teaching?

The above, plus the fact that the police check takes ten days (which will be after this year's visa gets renewed for me) makes me think it may not actually be linked to my visa at all, but is rather just a wheeze to further document and hold personal data on all us pesky foreigners, and to collect thousands of 100 baht bills in the process. If your employer doesn't specifically ask you to do this, I wouldn't worry about it for now.
 

2 hours ago, flinc2020 said:

Of that there is no doubt. However, the idea that you can ONLY get the check done IN PERSON at RTP HQ does seem ridiculous, for me that's a 6 hour round trip, for others even more. If they want to bring in these sorts of policies it has to be done with a modicum of common sense. Either make it possible to do it online or at least doable at your local police HQ. I'm pretty sure that in even the most backwoods areas of the Kingdom the police headquarters buildings have internet access. 

To clarify, I am based in BKK, so it may be that those of you in other provinces may be able to visit your local police headquarters instead. But I can't confirm that.

2 hours ago, connda said:

Thailand: constantly searching for ways to kick foreigners out.

"We have a shortage of teachers due to Covid."
I know what we can do.  Let's create more regulations to make it more difficult for the teachers already here to stay.
"Great idea!!!"

Perhaps you could enlighten me as to what has been introduced in say the past ten years or so to make it easier to “ kick foreigners out”

I haven’t found it any harder to stay here and none of my many  expat friends have raised any issues, perhaps because we comply with the legal requirements to live here.

As far as teachers are concerned I think you will find that most western countries have restrictions on teachers convicted of offenses against children.

I certainly don’t want such people teaching my daughter but perhaps my standards are higher than yours.

5 hours ago, connda said:

Thailand: constantly searching for ways to kick foreigners out.

"We have a shortage of teachers due to Covid."
I know what we can do.  Let's create more regulations to make it more difficult for the teachers already here to stay.
"Great idea!!!"

they are enjoying the shortage, it gives an excuse to hire non-natives on a lower wage

On 3/31/2021 at 11:21 PM, hucifer said:

A police check from your home country when you first arrive in Thailand makes total sense.

However, requiring an annual check from the Thai police for people who have been living, working and happily paying their taxes in Thailand the whole time is nonsensical.

So you think that someone living in Thailand won’t commit any crimes.

 

12 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Has it been confirmed that this applies to annual Extensions of Stay for teaching?

Not today, as reported by some teachers extending their stays at the Nonthaburi office. 

9 hours ago, hucifer said:

Well, I went down there today to get myself entered into the police database. Each finger and thumb on both hands was carefully scanned. Interestingly, I did not have to present my work permit, proof of residence, or tenancy agreement; merely my passport and a signed passport copy.
 

The above, plus the fact that the police check takes ten days (which will be after this year's visa gets renewed for me) makes me think it may not actually be linked to my visa at all, but is rather just a wheeze to further document and hold personal data on all us pesky foreigners, and to collect thousands of 100 baht bills in the process. If your employer doesn't specifically ask you to do this, I wouldn't worry about it for now.
 

To clarify, I am based in BKK, so it may be that those of you in other provinces may be able to visit your local police headquarters instead. But I can't confirm that.

What does scanning fingerprints have to do with a criminal background check - especially if it is to do with the safety of children? I smell a rat. I suspect they will run those prints and compare them to those found in crime scenes. I see no other reason to take finger prints. 

On 4/1/2021 at 2:17 PM, Pilotman said:

Quite right too, and I hope, a Police check from their home country

And/or recent countries where they have been teaching.

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

And/or recent countries where they have been teaching.

Further point, I wonder how many schools contact the previous school(s) where teacher candidates say they have worked.

 

And do they ask the ultimate question; 'would you employ this person again?'

12 hours ago, DavisH said:

Not today, as reported by some teachers extending their stays at the Nonthaburi office. 

 

That's good to hear.  It would be ridiculous if it was required very year for teachers' Extensions of Stay.

On 4/2/2021 at 12:57 PM, hucifer said:

Well, I went down there today to get myself entered into the police database. Each finger and thumb on both hands was carefully scanned. Interestingly, I did not have to present my work permit, proof of residence, or tenancy agreement; merely my passport and a signed passport copy.
 

The above, plus the fact that the police check takes ten days (which will be after this year's visa gets renewed for me) makes me think it may not actually be linked to my visa at all, but is rather just a wheeze to further document and hold personal data on all us pesky foreigners, and to collect thousands of 100 baht bills in the process. If your employer doesn't specifically ask you to do this, I wouldn't worry about it for now.
 

To clarify, I am based in BKK, so it may be that those of you in other provinces may be able to visit your local police headquarters instead. But I can't confirm that.

Nope, we have to travel to RTP Bangkok too, I had to do it a few months ago when I moved schools. I was based in Pathum Thani and had to go to Bangkok then moved to Phetchaburi and STILL had to go to BKK

 

On 4/1/2021 at 9:18 PM, connda said:

Heap some more xenophobic fear of foreigners on the fires of racial distrust. 
Will Thai teachers be subjected to the same?  No. 

I will try to find out about Thai Teachers, but I suspect there is some mechanism in place to do a check on them as well.  In my experience, the vast majority of abuse is perpetrated by Thai teachers, not foreigners, even by % of number of teachers employed.   I have only dealt with a handful of foreign abuse cases and most of those were rough handling of children and did not involve the police.  

On 4/3/2021 at 10:14 AM, scorecard said:

Further point, I wonder how many schools contact the previous school(s) where teacher candidates say they have worked.

 

And do they ask the ultimate question; 'would you employ this person again?'

From my experience, they do & because the previous school has lost 'face' because you left, they proceed to tell the new school that they would not hire you!

 

On asking why they employed me for 6 years then, they just got silence. ????

 

Thankfully, my current employer rang teachers in the previous school and I got glowing reports. HOD & directors don't like it when you leave. Children!

On 4/3/2021 at 10:14 AM, scorecard said:

And do they ask the ultimate question; 'would you employ this person again?'

If all hiring of teachers in Thailand depended on this question, hardly anyone would ever get hired again. Many are told their contract won't be renewed for various reasons, which don't necessarily include their performance as a teacher. I've lost some wonderful, competent colleagues this way.

 

I've known some to be shown the door because of having rubbed someone the wrong way. A project ran into a snag, someone had to fix it, and someone else ended up looking bad. I've known of a CV landing in the HoD's office of someone with a more attractive look or background, yet really wasn't any more qualified, and so the school decided to make a switch. I've also heard of teachers who had immense popularity with students, but couldn't quite click with some admin, and thus their fate was sealed.

 

In all cases, in order to save face, when a reference check is made on these former employees, the response has to be less than positive, former colleagues have told me. Fortunately the new schools they go to are aware of this, and they are eventually reemployed.

 

On the other hand, I've known of other teachers who do deserve of contracts not being renewed, as their style of "teaching" mostly involves passing out a worksheet, then sitting behind the teacher's desk with headphones on and YouTube for the period. Yet for whatever reason, I suppose some skillfully applied charisma, the type enabling incompetence the world over, they hold onto their positions for years.

So, we have to do this for the visa extension? Or work permit?

 

Or is it for first time Non-B applications?