Thai Immigration continues overstaying crackdown, passport checks take place across Pattaya

[Neeranam]

3 hours ago, HuskerDo2 said:

Quit treating the honest guests of your country like criminals and more like they are welcome. 

On one hand you say you're a guest, an on the other two your hosts what to do. 

 

If someone invites me to their house and I don't like their behaviour, I don't go again. 

[ThailandRyan]

3 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

He was the go to guy for promotions in the Thai Police with Prawit and other powerful figures backing him. 

 

Why do you think he was suddenly removed from his role? 

 

His wings were deliberately clipped because he was getting too powerful. 

No his wings were clipped because he was Investigating corruption with the new immigration system which got to close to someone higher up......

[jacko45k]

4 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

He was the go to guy for promotions in the Thai Police with Prawit and other powerful figures backing him. 

 

Why do you think he was suddenly removed from his role? 

 

His wings were deliberately clipped because he was getting too powerful. 

Well he is back fully feathered. 

[Andrew65]

21 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

90 day takes a few minutes.  Must be difficult for some I guess to leave their rooms every 3 months. 

If you do it at Laksi (CW) in BKK it can take up to an hour, including waiting time, and include a few hours for getting there and back. For a few years I did it by mail, very quick & easy.

(I once did it at Jomtien and it took 15 minutes).

[nigelforbes]

"Passports must be at the ready to show officials", it does not state that passports must be carried on the person at all times.

 

https://www.thephuketnews.com/no-passport-required-phuket-immigration-confirms-passport-on-person-not-required-despite-operation-x-ray-outlaw-foreigner-69367.php

[riverhigh]

2 minutes ago, nigelforbes said:

You quote some American bloggers advice as proof of your preferred answer and then expect me to post a link to Thai or Immigration law to dispute that, really!

 

If you want to see the law on this point, you go find it. The matter has been discussed here tens of times over two decades, I don't feel the need to justify my understanding, even if you want me to.

Once again, please provide the link to the Thai law or immigration regulation backing up  your understanding of the requirement of foreigners reqiured to carry their passport. Until I see the regulation linked to a Thai govermnment website I will default to the law that you are required to show your proper National ID. Just because the immigration officers accepted copies, mobile photos, etc. of your passport on the tree town raids it does not mean they will do the same on future raids. In future raids they can fine you or lock you up in a cell at there discretion if you don't have your passport. If you can't show your passport it's up to the immigration officer how to apply the law. You have no  recourse. 

[Neeranam]

1 hour ago, VinnieK said:

Seems there is special treatment for Chinese here.

Thai IDs (for a price) etc.

There is no special treatment for Chinese. 

 

[Toby1947]

1 hour ago, nigelforbes said:

The publicity is not a good thing but you can understand the underlying problem facing Imm., whether or not this is the right way to solve it is another matter. Lockdown changed much for many: many people who were visiting at the start of covid were allowed to stay for three years or more, using short term renewable visa's. Now that covid restrictions have been lifted, many of those people have decided they want to stay longer but aren't eligible for long stay visa's. Then there's the Chinese who seem notoriously poor at obtaining visa's. We have a Chinese neighbor who thinks that a visa is the lowest priority in his life and this guy has money and is eligible for a long stay visa, he always thinks he can buy his way out of everything.

In Thailand he can

[nigelforbes]

9 minutes ago, riverhigh said:

Once again, please provide the link to the Thai law or immigration regulation backing up  your understanding of the requirement of foreigners reqiured to carry their passport. Until I see the regulation linked to a Thai govermnment website I will default to the law that you are required to show your proper National ID. Just because the immigration officers accepted copies, mobile photos, etc. of your passport on the tree town raids it does not mean they will do the same on future raids. In future raids they can fine you or lock you up in a cell at there discretion if you don't have your passport. If you can't show your passport it's up to the immigration officer how to apply the law. You have no  recourse. 

see above post and a post from a Moderator further down this page.

[Neeranam]

Move to see them doing their job for a change. 

Next, arrest all who used a visa agent, to bypass immigration requirements. 

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

1 minute ago, ThailandRyan said:

No his wings were clipped because he was Investigating corruption with the new immigration system which got to close to someone higher up......

You are just guessing as to why and what happened now to try and win this argument on the Internet. 

 

Big Joke's Dad was a mate of Prawit so that's all that really needs to be said. 

[Mr Meeseeks]

2 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Move to see them doing their job for a change. 

Next, arrest all who used a visa agent, to bypass immigration requirements. 

 

Shouldn't they shut down and arrest the agents? 

 

Much more effective than arresting their customers. 

[nigelforbes]

"Under  Thai law you can be required by the  police to produce your passport on request.

 

You are not required to have it on your person, but having them escort you back to where you keep it etc may be more trouble than you'd like....and they may not be willing to go with you if where it is, is far away". Per Sheryl, Moderator, see post on page 2, linked  below.

 

 

[sammieuk1]

I bet there will be 1000's of Russians in hiding after figuring out the option is far better to be caught here ????

[Peterphuket]

3 hours ago, HuskerDo2 said:

It amazes me that they still have 90 day reporting and all the other silly rules for a law abiding Farang to stay there. Just like having people leave the country for one day only to return. WHAT IS THE POINT? What does that really accomplish and how does it improve the validation that someone is abiding by the rules and not being a problem for the country.  The good/honest people are doing the 90 days reporting. The bad guys who overstay aren't. So find a better process Thailand. Quit treating the honest guests of your country like criminals and more like they are welcome. 

Not so difficult, it's a matter of brains.

[Peterphuket]

8 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Move to see them doing their job for a change. 

Next, arrest all who used a visa agent, to bypass immigration requirements. 

 

Let me think, you don't use a agent....

However I do, but I do not worry.

[khunpa]

Don’t see any problem in them checking visas if they want, although with the right IT system it should be pretty easy to track overstayers. But of course all the current paperwork and “crack-downs” keeps a lot of people busy. Better to have them all “working” than sitting around looking at their phone.

Personally I see it like this… I am a foreigner here and they can do as they like. If one day they don’t want me to stay any longer, I will simply just move to another country. 

BTW… for those who don’t like doing 90 day reporting, why don’t you just get an agent to do it for a very small fee?

One big benefit of living in Thailand, is that you can actually pay for most of the stuff you don’t want to spend your time on.

[Andrew65]

14 minutes ago, riverhigh said:

Once again, please provide the link to the Thai law or immigration regulation backing up  your understanding of the requirement of foreigners reqiured to carry their passport. Until I see the regulation linked to a Thai govermnment website I will default to the law that you are required to show your proper National ID. Just because the immigration officers accepted copies, mobile photos, etc. of your passport on the tree town raids it does not mean they will do the same on future raids. In future raids they can fine you or lock you up in a cell at there discretion if you don't have your passport. If you can't show your passport it's up to the immigration officer how to apply the law. You have no  recourse. 

Some years ago an Immigration Dept Major General was quoted as saying that it's OK to just carry phoiocopies of passport/visa.

[Neeranam]

3 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Shouldn't they shut down and arrest the agents? 

 

Much more effective than arresting their customers. 

Indeed. 

 

I think its the responsibility of the law abiding foreigner to report officers who ask for tip or the agent who asks for 15,000 baht. 

 

Problem is, many are scared to, or don't know who to complain to. 

 

I reported one office in Isarn for having a tip box to an ex minister of finance. He sent a team to remove it. 

He is also aware of the many foreigners paying agents to bribe bent immigration officers. 

 

I know many illegal immigrants who think they're legal, just as they have a stamp in their passports, its a big problem, which makes it difficult for the law abiding ones., who get their extension the proper way and met the requirements. 

 

Get rid of corruption by reporting all agents and illegals. 

 

https://www.ombudsman.go.th/new/

 

If this using agents are arrested, corruption will soon stop and the agents will go out of business. 

 

[nigelforbes]

23 minutes ago, riverhigh said:

Once again, please provide the link to the Thai law or immigration regulation backing up  your understanding of the requirement of foreigners reqiured to carry their passport. Until I see the regulation linked to a Thai govermnment website I will default to the law that you are required to show your proper National ID. Just because the immigration officers accepted copies, mobile photos, etc. of your passport on the tree town raids it does not mean they will do the same on future raids. In future raids they can fine you or lock you up in a cell at there discretion if you don't have your passport. If you can't show your passport it's up to the immigration officer how to apply the law. You have no  recourse. 

Two posts made below suppling proof, your move slick.

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, nigelforbes said:

If you've been following the press lately you'll have seen that the Chinese triads have been busy buying up Bangkok business during the covid lockdown, a time when I'm sure Immi. wasn't too busy. And several also bought Thai ID's so this is not a small problem. The fact that a few farangs get caught up in it all and many more express moral outrage, is just noise.

Nothing new, my wife is second generation Chinese.

 

Thailand has the largest overseas Chinese community in the world outside Greater China.^[25] 11 to 14 percent of Thailand's population are considered ethnic Chinese. The Thai linguist Theraphan Luangthongkum claims the share of those having at least partial Chinese ancestry allegedly at about 40 percent of the Thai population without any proof.^[3]

^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_Chinese}

[Neeranam]

11 minutes ago, Peterphuket said:

Let me think, you don't use a agent....

However I do, but I do not worry.

You are making it hard for the foreign people who meet the requirements. 

[easydoor]

I dun't understand people here, Everything what Thailand is doing is WRONG. I am Belgian. When I go out I need to have my ID card with me to identify myself. In Thailand you need your passport. 

90d raport: what is the problem? You can do it very easy and very well working now. I wonder what some people are complaining about .... Oh yes, thgey have to leave the bar and in the meantime they are not able to drink they beer. I only can give one advize: go somewhere else where it is better, but I have the feeling: it is no where better or good for those guys,  so STAY HOME and complain there.

[hansnl]

2 hours ago, ronster said:

How ?? 
Ensuring safety how ? 

The implication is quite clear and xenophobic if not racist.

[jacko45k]

38 minutes ago, Andrew65 said:

If you do it at Laksi (CW) in BKK it can take up to an hour, including waiting time, and include a few hours for getting there and back. For a few years I did it by mail, very quick & easy.

(I once did it at Jomtien and it took 15 minutes).

Online?

[Andrew65]

Just now, jacko45k said:

Online?

No, in person.

[4MyEgo]

I would have thought overstayers would contribute to the Thai economy, who would have thought that, nah, send them away, Thailand doesn't need the extra $ do they.

 

While their at it, can they get some cops on the roads to save lives, some 20,000 plus of them, even a 10% reduction would be better than going after overstayers in my opinion.

[jacko45k]

Just now, Andrew65 said:

No, in person.

No, why not simply do it online?

[LukKrueng]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

Got the tourists, now lets harass them so they never return

Those on overstay are no longer tourists.

[jacko45k]

Just now, 4MyEgo said:

I would have thought overstayers would contribute to the Thai economy, who would have thought that, nah, send them away, Thailand doesn't need the extra $ do they.

 

While their at it, can they get some cops on the roads to save lives, some 20,000 plus of them, even a 10% reduction would be better than going after overstayers in my opinion.

Who says they contribute...  one has to presume they have reason not to renew their stays? No they do not need the extra few hundred dollars some foreign waster brings to the country. 

Traffic issues are completely different police department.....