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

[Salerno]

10 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

I had indicated it in an earlier post and my comment to the other poster was just a post to indicate life is still good 15 years later.....looks like Salerno did not see it as such.

I did see it as such, I knew exactly what you where saying in response to the over the top post and agree with you. 

[Burma Bill]

2 hours ago, nigelforbes said:

And the cops can distinguish just by looking whether that person sat having a beer is a tourist or a Chinese triad gang member, 

Well, there is an obvious difference:

 

[nigelforbes]

16 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

Well, there is an obvious difference:

 

Well spotted Bill. The girl on the right is indeed a Chinese Triad gang member whereas the balding gentleman in the middle at the back is mafiosa, from Salerno. The big guy in the middle is the bar owner, he's from Ohio. The only tourist is the Hmong hill tribe girl, she's from Chiang Rai. The only one with a valid visa is the guy in the blue short whose wife works for immi.

Edited December 8, 2022 by nigelforbes

[ThailandRyan]

33 minutes ago, Salerno said:

I did see it as such, I knew exactly what you where saying in response to the over the top post and agree with you. 

Succinct is what you want to see....no personal input, just facts....got it...???? 

Edited December 8, 2022 by ThailandRyan

[Leaver]

 

I was in Tree Town a few nights ago and there was a squad of around 20 immigration officers on patrol, all dressed in black.  They were actively stopping people and speaking with them.  It's not a good look. 

[ThailandRyan]

30 minutes ago, Leaver said:

 

I was in Tree Town a few nights ago and there was a squad of around 20 immigration officers on patrol, all dressed in black.  They were actively stopping people and speaking with them.  It's not a good look. 

Why isn't it a good look?. To me it shows they care about the safety of tourists and long term stayers as well as Thais.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 12/7/2022 at 4:13 PM, ThailandRyan said:

Is that why you left Thailand and aren't returning?

I left because I can't get the pension in Thailand ( was living there on savings ), and after I got divorced I had to pay rent which meant I couldn't afford medical insurance.

[BritScot]

21 hours ago, nigelforbes said:

In over 20 years here I've never even come close to anything like that, not even remotely. I've never been asked for my passport by the police and I've never been anywhere that was raided. Folks don't seem to understand that as far as Thai people are concerned, the word passport is synonymous with ID, offering a drivers license or any other form of ID works just as well, except in banks.

It is not you that the point is about it is the effect on tourists who do not expect to be carted off for not carrying their passport. Yes I used to show my Thai driving licence but people on holiday don't have plus I think under the current context that won't wash! I have had my 40m drive and road our side my house full of police and immigration checking on me at 7.30AM in the morning and I was so angry and it contributed to the decision for us to leave.

[mikeymike100]

2 hours ago, Leaver said:

 

I was in Tree Town a few nights ago and there was a squad of around 20 immigration officers on patrol, all dressed in black.  They were actively stopping people and speaking with them.  It's not a good look. 

Yes, were the police armed? It seems they have a problem with folks overstaying and they are attempting to stop it, but are really going about it in the wrong way? Going around in gangs of 20, dressed in black is not the type of things the tourists want to see on vacation? Its like what they do in China?

 

[nigelforbes]

53 minutes ago, BritScot said:

It is not you that the point is about it is the effect on tourists who do not expect to be carted off for not carrying their passport. Yes I used to show my Thai driving licence but people on holiday don't have plus I think under the current context that won't wash! I have had my 40m drive and road our side my house full of police and immigration checking on me at 7.30AM in the morning and I was so angry and it contributed to the decision for us to leave.

What nonsense is this! Of course the  point is about me, just as it is about any other foreigner who visits or lives here. Those of us who choose to respond with personal experiences is what social network forums are all apart, otherwise all that's left is a bunch of people opinions and they are worth nothing. 

 

Show me the evidence that people are being unjustly carted off for not carrying their passport, this is media baiting nothing less. Anyone who gets carted off either offers no ID whatsoever and/or gave the officers reason to cart them off, it just doesn't happen apart from the odd rare incident. 

 

And I'm sorry that you had the experience that you did on your 40 meter driveway and I'd like to understand more but hey, the point is not about you and presumably you did have your passport to show them!

 

 

[BigStar]

1 hour ago, nigelforbes said:

Show me the evidence that people are being unjustly carted off for not carrying their passport, this is media baiting nothing less. Anyone who gets carted off either offers no ID whatsoever and/or gave the officers reason to cart them off, it just doesn't happen apart from the odd rare incident. 

Exactly. We're hearing the usual paranoia, imagined victimization, girly panic, pot stirring, misinformation, and exaggeration.

Edited December 8, 2022 by BigStar

[ThailandRyan]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I left because I can't get the pension in Thailand ( was living there on savings ), and after I got divorced I had to pay rent which meant I couldn't afford medical insurance.

Your from the US correct?  Is the pension from outside employment....my pension is deposited to mu US Bank which I then transfer as needed.

[Kalasin Jo]

On 12/7/2022 at 6:29 AM, Bim Smith said:

The only reason that they make people do border hops is it keeps the tourist numbers inflated. I just did one as my 5 year visa wasn't convertible inside the country so had to go back to the UK and apply at the embassy in London. 

Wow! Some border hop that!

[Barnet1900]

10 hours ago, nigelforbes said:

And the cops can distinguish just by looking whether that person sat having a beer is a tourist or a Chinese triad gang member, really? Is that an extension of the SMART car technology that I've been reading about, it's something, isn't it!

Triads?? Why do you keep talking Triads? The story is about visa overstay in Pattaya not Triad crime.

 

Read the story...police said they would listen if people handed themselves in. Does that sound like your version of a Triad?

 

My point is that they target westerners not other tourists. If the Chinese tourists were here I am certain they'd be left alone 

 

Your Triads are nothing to do with this. They are not reporting on targetted Triad members, like the previous stories you are referring to. Go and have another go.

[nigelforbes]

17 minutes ago, Barnet1900 said:

Triads?? Why do you keep talking Triads? The story is about visa overstay in Pattaya not Triad crime.

 

Read the story...police said they would listen if people handed themselves in. Does that sound like your version of a Triad?

 

My point is that they target westerners not other tourists. If the Chinese tourists were here I am certain they'd be left alone 

 

Your Triads are nothing to do with this. They are not reporting on targetted Triad members, like the previous stories you are referring to. Go and have another go.

Where is your proof the Immi police are targeting westerners, who says they are?

 

Re. Triads: read the Bangkok Post front page NOW and try to join up the dots. Whilst reading that front page, also read the column that talks about former  Immi top brass who are alleged to have taken money to approve at least 3,325 Chinese visa's.

Edited December 8, 2022 by nigelforbes

[thaibeachlovers]

16 hours ago, BritScot said:

It is not you that the point is about it is the effect on tourists who do not expect to be carted off for not carrying their passport. Yes I used to show my Thai driving licence but people on holiday don't have plus I think under the current context that won't wash! I have had my 40m drive and road our side my house full of police and immigration checking on me at 7.30AM in the morning and I was so angry and it contributed to the decision for us to leave.

So, despite the cops not ( apparently ) arresting you, you decided to leave LOS, in part because of one incident. I could understand if it was a regular occurrence, but I doubt that.

I knew a Brit that left because he owned a restaurant and he was constantly extorted for "fees" by the cops, but those that don't own a business probably don't get hassled for such. I certainly never was.

 

Every farang in LOS should know the rules, and by continuing to live in LOS accept those rules, willingly or not.

If tourists consider carrying a passport an unacceptable inconvenience they will just go elsewhere. Up to them.

 

[thaibeachlovers]

14 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Your from the US correct?  Is the pension from outside employment....my pension is deposited to mu US Bank which I then transfer as needed.

No I'm not American. Never even been there.

My pension is from the taxpayer, and the rule applicable to me says I can't get pension outside my country if I stay away longer than 26 weeks. That worked for me as long as I was married, but costs too much if I have to pay for hotel. Being old, travel insurance costs too much to be affordable, when taking into account cost of flights and all the other expenses, and I'd never travel without it.

Actually I could afford it if I didn't have to pay to stay here for the rest of the year- but obviously that's a non starter.

[thaibeachlovers]

16 hours ago, mikeymike100 said:

Yes, were the police armed? It seems they have a problem with folks overstaying and they are attempting to stop it, but are really going about it in the wrong way? Going around in gangs of 20, dressed in black is not the type of things the tourists want to see on vacation? Its like what they do in China?

 

In all my years in LOS I never considered that immigration were concerned about what tourists want to see. I doubt they give a monkey's about what tourists want.

Luckily my interactions with immigration were minimal.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 12/8/2022 at 1:28 AM, BangkokReady said:

It has nothing to do with us and everything to do with Thais.

I do wish that farangs would realise that Thai officialdom doesn't care much about what farangs think or want.

Seems some think that because they contribute a few thousand baht to the economy they deserve special treatment. Time to wake up and smell the coffee.

 

I very much doubt that the most important thing on a Thai official's mind is how to make life easier for a few thousand long stay farangs.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 12/8/2022 at 2:12 AM, kennw said:

Sorry to say this but it seems to me that you would not be a person that one could have an intelligent discussion or debate with. This forum is one of those venues that provides opportunity for comments, and many have sensible contributions, unfortunately your is not.

You don't like the truth? Farangs have been moaning about immigration for as long as I've been on this forum ( and on TVF ), and it's not going to change, IMO.

 

While I hated having to go to immigration, I accepted that they make the rules and I had to abide by them.

[nigelforbes]

A few people here simply don't get that the story is just not about them or their countrymen. Western tourists and expats are in a serious minority in Thailand when compared to other nationalities such as the Chinese who are in the millions (even though China is still officially closed).

 

I realize this is a blow to your pride and vanity but nobody is too interested in you, apart from the occasional farang hack who stumbles across a story involving a Westerner on overstay, which he thinks will make good journalistic bait in the English media here. Your spending power is not important either. The 800K you need for your visa may be important to you but that's the only person that it is. Your big spending antics for a few weeks each year don't excite anyone either, if you want to see big spending tourists behave, understand the way many Asians behave, they'll make you feel proper poor! Ah yes, but as an expat I spend 50/70k every month which is far more than the average Thai makes on 15k/24k. Indeed, except there's 38 million Thai's in the workforce and fewer than 150k retired expats.

 

Get over yourselves.

Edited December 8, 2022 by nigelforbes

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I do wish that farangs would realise that Thai officialdom doesn't care much about what farangs think or want.

I too often wish tourists and farangs did not think life in Thailand revolved around them! Those idiotic claims of bringing money into the country by drinking cheap beer in tatty bars and having the odd 200 baht barfine!

[Leaver]

On 12/8/2022 at 2:59 AM, ThailandRyan said:

Why isn't it a good look?. To me it shows they care about the safety of tourists and long term stayers as well as Thais.

 

I watched them stop a few people.  There were a couple of guys that were detained for around 15 minutes. 

 

Would you be happy having a 15 minute interaction with authorities during a night out on your overseas holiday?

 

Many tourists are from countries where police are feared.  The psychological impact on those tourists would be greater then on western tourists. 

 

As for safety, they were immigration officers, not police.  So if some yabba taking, farang hating security guards started beating up a tourist in a bar, I doubt immigration officers would step in. 

 

Edited December 9, 2022 by Leaver

[nigelforbes]

I used to cross the Mexican border several times a month and often I would get the third degree, always on the US side mind you. I never had a problem with it, why would I, I hadn't done anything wrong. It's like getting pulled at Customs on the way back home, go for it lads, do your job I say.

[PremiumLane]

On 12/8/2022 at 9:27 AM, Leaver said:

 

I was in Tree Town a few nights ago and there was a squad of around 20 immigration officers on patrol, all dressed in black.  They were actively stopping people and speaking with them.  It's not a good look. 

Had this in Kanachanaburi a few years ago. They were roaming around the bridge area, one of the main tourist spots, and surrounding tourists and demanding to see their papers. They did it to us, I was with a friend from the UK, after she basically said "What the hell was that bs?" 

 

It really is not a good look. They played the good cop / bad cop routine, with some of them being friendly while some were aggressive in their questions. When I showed them my stamps on my phone, one started questioning me about which counter I have to go to get the extension. Plus, all decked out in military style garb. 

[Leaver]

23 hours ago, mikeymike100 said:

Yes, were the police armed? It seems they have a problem with folks overstaying and they are attempting to stop it, but are really going about it in the wrong way? Going around in gangs of 20, dressed in black is not the type of things the tourists want to see on vacation? Its like what they do in China?

 

 

I agree, and it's not a serious attempt at detecting overstayers.  It's part of a bigger agenda that involves police also. 

 

If they were serious about catching overstayers, one of the simplest ways would be to track their mobile phone. 

[ThailandRyan]

39 minutes ago, Leaver said:

 

I watched them stop a few people.  There were a couple of guys that were detained for around 15 minutes. 

 

Would you be happy having a 15 minute interaction with authorities during a night out on your overseas holiday?

 

Many tourists are from countries where police are feared.  The psychological impact on those tourists would be greater then on western tourists. 

 

As for safety, they were immigration officers, not police.  So if some yabba taking, farang hating security guards started beating up a tourist in a bar, I doubt immigration officers would step in. 

 

No problem getting stopped on the holiday, and I would enjoy the interaction to see exactly how they were protecting myself and other tourists.  I guess you just want reactive law enforcement where they only respond after some feces has happened, like you getting scammed, or your information used by someone else because you lost your passport or ID.  Yet another one who only complains when they are not doing there jobs.....Immigration officers are out there looking for folks who are causing problems or could potentially be in violation of the rules......sure is a pitiful world when immigration officers, who by the way are law enforcement in their own respect, get treated like you are treating them, with disrespect.

Edited December 9, 2022 by ThailandRyan

[jacko45k]

13 minutes ago, PremiumLane said:

Had this in Kanachanaburi a few years ago.

It is possible they were after someone rumored to be trying to get over the border. Like the killers in Pattaya of a guy in the Porsche Cayenne....

[mikeymike100]

4 minutes ago, Leaver said:

 

I agree, and it's not a serious attempt at detecting overstayers.  It's part of a bigger agenda that involves police also. 

 

If they were serious about catching overstayers, one of the simplest ways would be to track their mobile phone. 

Quite right, plus the immigration database has everyone details and they could easily see who has overstayed and those people living in Thailand would have had to provide an address TM30?

[PremiumLane]

3 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

It is possible they were after someone rumored to be trying to get over the border. Like the killers in Pattaya of a guy in the Porsche Cayenne....

Nope, they had a hard-on for overstayers at that time