How strict is immigration currently?

[NoshowJones]

15 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Broadly agree but for those "long stay tourists" who do not have a disposable income, can't afford the full "experience" and just come and squat in Thailand longtime on the dirt cheap, I categorize them as chancers.

"can't afford the full "experience" and just come and squat in Thailand longtime on the dirt cheap,"

Can you define that a bit more? If they are not staying anywhere, sitting around looking for handouts, I would agree with you, otherwise I do not.

[BritTim]

12 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

If any tourist is here legally, his passport will say that, if that is the case, the IOs should come off their power trips, and just accept that they are tourists legally in Thailand, long stay or not.

But, many immigration officials, including some in very senior positions, disagree with the current laws. Why should they be obliged to follow those laws when they dislike them?

[hotandsticky]

7 minutes ago, BritTim said:

But, many immigration officials, including some in very senior positions, disagree with the current laws. Why should they be obliged to follow those laws when they dislike them?

 

 

...because that is the law ???

[Gottfrid]

1 hour ago, elgenon said:

Does your slogan refer to women's chests? Just curious.

Guess you have to start a new thread about that subject. In this one we are talking about Immigration and how strict they enforce as well as define the meaning of their rules. No, problem. I will be happy to post about Immigration in that one. 

[Uroller]

Depends on mood of immigration officer and how much money you have, 

[lopburi3]

On 10/21/2021 at 7:19 AM, mvdf said:

If you spend 9 months in Thailand, you are not a tourist.

Have always considered being alive the determining factor - life is the tour.

[BritTim]

7 hours ago, hotandsticky said:

...because that is the law ???

You must be new here ????

[The Hammer2021]

On 10/21/2021 at 7:19 AM, mvdf said:

 

If you spend 9 months in Thailand, you are not a tourist. I find it unforgivably fishy when one argues that "rogue" IOs are wrong to deny "tourists" permission to stay in the Kingdom that long (or longer) if there are serious indicators of visa abuse. They are not rogue as you shamelessly claim. They are doing their jobs as immigration officers do in your country. They have every right and mandate to assess immigration matters and make a decision based on that assessment and extant records related to the traveller. This is not "rogueness" and it is unfair to label these IOs as such.

A traveller. A tourist..A visa..Many countries offer long tourist visas. I stayed in India on a 6 month tourists visa. People with money and time like long travel experiences

[lopburi3]

45 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

A traveller. A tourist..A visa..Many countries offer long tourist visas. I stayed in India on a 6 month tourists visa. People with money and time like long travel experiences

In Philippines you are asked to leave after 3 years and obtain a new tourist entry.

[freedomnow]

On 10/21/2021 at 1:19 AM, mvdf said:

If you spend 9 months in Thailand, you are not a tourist.

Here we go again....total nonsensical statement.

 

So if you get a 9-month TOURIST visa issued by a Thai consulate for TOURISM after passing their requirements for tourism, you are somehow not in fact a TOURIST.

 

Great logic.

[LoeiI]

15 hours ago, BritTim said:

But, many immigration officials, including some in very senior positions, disagree with the current laws. Why should they be obliged to follow those laws when they dislike them?

I was under the impression that Senior I/Os were the law ??

[BritTim]

8 minutes ago, LoeiI said:

I was under the impression that Senior I/Os were the law ??

As a practical matter, you are not entirely wrong. However, the law as written in the Immigration Act is used a a guide unless the officials strongly disagree with the provisions.

[LoeiI]

16 minutes ago, BritTim said:

As a practical matter, you are not entirely wrong. However, the law as written in the Immigration Act is used a a guide unless the officials strongly disagree with the provisions.

Don't want to be pedantic but if the senior I/O disagrees strongly he is in fact the Law and can interprate the immigration act as he sees fit ? 

[BritTim]

13 hours ago, LoeiI said:

Don't want to be pedantic but if the senior I/O disagrees strongly he is in fact the Law and can interprate the immigration act as he sees fit ? 

I am not sure if we are seeing the power of senior officials in the same way. The power of senior officials is cultural. They can ignore the law in the same way they can take bribes. This is not because they have the official power to do so. If that is the way you view things, we are of one mind on this.

[LoeiI]

40 minutes ago, BritTim said:

I am not sure if we are seeing the power of senior officials in the same way. The power of senior officials is cultural. They can ignore the law in the same way they can take bribes. This is not because they have the official power to do so. If that is the way you view things, we are of one mind on this.

Not really sure how I view things to be honest been coming here 15+ years but only just started living here, by the sounds of your profile name you probably grew up in the same country as me where most things are pretty black and white either legal or illegal and without much leeway for interpretation, the more i see and hear things that go on here that the Thais consider normal the more i wonder whether such things are actually illegal or tolerated or as you say culturally normal, when you see millionaires actually getting away with murder in plain sight and cops on 20k a year with umpteen million quids worth of cars and houses and the Mrs just says not my problem darling what do you want for tea, maybe i shouldn't be bothered (but i am !)   

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

newsflash to all entitled expats: without PR, all are effectively  “tourists” so treated as such. various clues: 90 day reporting cycle for all non- PR foreigners…..and nine month TV.

[Pmbkk]

On 10/21/2021 at 7:08 AM, mockingbird said:

2 of them Jack????, one sitting, the other standing, and both of them pointing at the screen.

 

I put it down to a semi deserted airport, and a couple of bored IO's.

 

Probably one senior training a junior colleague, pointing out what to look for "on the job".
As you say it wasn't busy, so no big queues or wait time - all innocent.

 

But saying that - "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you" ????

[RJRS1301]

Oh it has taken them several years to find a farang who jumped bail, so I think you have to be unlucky to get caught by the IOs, provided you do not try to do the legal requirements.

 

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

“Then I got 30 days visa-exempt entrance instead of METV entrance.”

 

Declined / Cancelled your Six Month METV ? That was my goto visa between projects.

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

“This is not because they have the official power to do so. “   Senior IOs DO.

[JimmyJ]

On 10/21/2021 at 7:19 AM, mvdf said:

 

If you spend 9 months in Thailand, you are not a tourist. I find it unforgivably fishy when one argues that "rogue" IOs are wrong to deny "tourists" permission to stay in the Kingdom that long (or longer) if there are serious indicators of visa abuse. They are not rogue as you shamelessly claim. They are doing their jobs as immigration officers do in your country. They have every right and mandate to assess immigration matters and make a decision based on that assessment and extant records related to the traveller. This is not "rogueness" and it is unfair to label these IOs as such.

Do you write your own traffic tickets?