Busted! Thai immigration arrest Chinese "tourists" who opened restaurant in Bangkok without work permits

[webfact]

Picture: Siam Rath

 

Action by the Thai authorities against foreigners illegally working in Thailand has begun in earnest.

 

ASEAN NOW reported that this would be the case on Saturday after Labour Minister Suchart Chomklin demanded action and ordered the Department of Employment to investigate.

 

Siam Rath reported that three Chinese tourists were arrested in the Thai capital for working at a restaurant they owned. 

 

Picture: Siam Rath

 

In this case it was Immigration Region 1 under the command of Pol Col Rapheephat Utsaha who raided the restaurant after a tip from an informant.

 

Deputies went to the Chao San Ocha restaurant on Rama 9 in the Bangkapi area.

 

Yang, 35, was doing the accounts when the IB arrived while Chin, 38, and Chern, 31, were cooking in the kitchen.

 

Picture: Siam Rath

 

None had passports with them, just copies and a check on the IB's mobile data unit revealed they had come into Thailand on tourist visas and were working illegally.

 

They were all charged with not having work permits.

 

Picture: Siam Rath

 

Though the penalty for this is just a fine, they will all have their visas rescinded and be blacklisted from entering Thailand and deported. 

 

Rapheephat mentioned RTP chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittipraphat's desire to prevent damage to Thailand caused by people working illegally and not paying tax. 

 

Picture: Siam Rath

 

The public were urged to report infractions by going to the IB's office in Pak Kret, Nonthaburi or simply by calling 1178.

 

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[JoePai]

At least the kitchen looks clean

[phetphet]

16 minutes ago, JoePai said:

At least the kitchen looks clean

Yes. Looks like they spent quite a bit on that place. Both out front and in  the kitchen.

[2baht]

40 minutes ago, webfact said:

Chin, 38, and Chern, 31, were cooking in the kitchen.

I want 2x 32's and a 54 to take away please!

[ikke1959]

no work permits/?? How come.. Thai people can cook too so no work permit given as it is a job Thai people can do...I never will understand the logic in this country... everything goes against everything...

[Kwaibill]

1 hour ago, ikke1959 said:

no work permits/?? How come.. Thai people can cook too so no work permit given as it is a job Thai people can do...I never will understand the logic in this country... everything goes against everything...

It happens to be true. Doesn’t matter that work permits might not be given, they haven’t got them. It is a quick and easy deportation reason.

[HuskerDo2]

40 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

no work permits/?? How come.. Thai people can cook too so no work permit given as it is a job Thai people can do...I never will understand the logic in this country... everything goes against everything...

"I never will understand the logic in this country"....... that's because there is no logic. How can a person understand something that doesn't exist.

[Peabody]

What happens to the restaurant now? Do they just lock the doors as is? The place looks spotless and expensive.

[PMinThailand]

Crackdown is the preferred occupation of Thai authorities!

[JonnyF]

4 hours ago, phetphet said:

Yes. Looks like they spent quite a bit on that place. Both out front and in  the kitchen.

Certainly does. Looks like a nice operation.

 

[Searat7]

I was riding through South Pattaya on Second Road the other night and I counted 9 Indian restaurants within a fairly small area. Surely these places are not run and staffed by Thai people.

[swm59nj]

This issue is not exclusively to Thailand.  Many countries you have to have some type of work permit to be employed as a foreigner.  Unfortunately some people break the rules. I wonder how many western expats actually work illegally in Thailand or other countries. 
People seem to have an issue when there is some sort of crackdown.  Like they moved here with the mentality there are no rules. And they can get away with things. 

[Sydebolle]

OK, work permit is work permit but the sheer appearance of the kitchen is clearly proof enough, that Thailand could use thousands of such Chinese cooks. I've never ever seen any kitchen in this country anywhere close to being clean as the pictoral proof above, that Chinese also have clean persons. 

Thai kitchens, run by Thais, usually are dungeons of dirt, sticky oil and food waste lying everywhere; the jackpot is a cat roaming the kitchen for rats or mice. 

[BananaStrong]

4 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

no work permits/?? How come.. Thai people can cook too so no work permit given as it is a job Thai people can do...I never will understand the logic in this country... everything goes against everything...

Which is why we live here!!!         Everything against everything…….  This is the way.

[sammieuk1]

Chin the Chinese cook my spare ribs are now aching ???? 

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Siam Rath reported that three Chinese tourists were arrested in the Thai capital for working at a restaurant they owned. 

Heinous crime.. 

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, JoePai said:

At least the kitchen looks clean

At least they have a kitchen... not a gas burner in the back yard.

[transam]

1 hour ago, Peabody said:

What happens to the restaurant now? Do they just lock the doors as is? The place looks spotless and expensive.

The owner will get a nice rent premium from the next renters.... 

[itsallmine68]

4 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

no work permits/?? How come.. Thai people can cook too so no work permit given as it is a job Thai people can do...I never will understand the logic in this country... everything goes against everything...

We are guests in their country and therefore must abide by their rules. Nothing to understand as that is the way

[ChaiyaTH]

9 minutes ago, itsallmine68 said:

We are guests in their country and therefore must abide by their rules. Nothing to understand as that is the way

Let's see how long those rules would last if it meant no more dollars.

[MarcusL]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Rapheephat mentioned RTP chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittipraphat's desire to prevent damage to Thailand caused by people working illegally and not paying tax. 

Is it not paying tax, or taking job's only Thai people can do?

 

[bangon04]

"Rapheephat mentioned RTP chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittipraphat's desire to prevent damage to Thailand"

 

you must feel a little pity for the RTP Chief - such a difficult job to be heard above all the laughter.......

[transam]

2 minutes ago, MarcusL said:

Is it not paying tax, or taking job's only Thai people can do?

 

I would have thought both. 

[SuperSilverHaze]

Chinese, Indians and assorted gypsy's never go home.

[transam]

3 minutes ago, SuperSilverHaze said:

Chinese, Indians and assorted gypsy's never go home.

How informative............

[Callmeishmael]

1 hour ago, Sydebolle said:

OK, work permit is work permit but the sheer appearance of the kitchen is clearly proof enough, that Thailand could use thousands of such Chinese cooks. I've never ever seen any kitchen in this country anywhere close to being clean as the pictoral proof above, that Chinese also have clean persons. 

Thai kitchens, run by Thais, usually are dungeons of dirt, sticky oil and food waste lying everywhere; the jackpot is a cat roaming the kitchen for rats or mice. 

On the other hand, would you rather have the cat or the rats?  ????

[bkk6060]

Seems over the past several weeks there have been nunmerous Chinese criminals identified.

A little concerning as they really have not started to come in significant numbers, which should occur next month.  Should be interesting to see how many more of this element lands here and what crimes they may be involved in.

[bradiston]

2 hours ago, Searat7 said:

I was riding through South Pattaya on Second Road the other night and I counted 9 Indian restaurants within a fairly small area. Surely these places are not run and staffed by Thai people.

My experience of eating there (I became a huge fan of Thalis, for 120 THB basmati rice, (fluffy and could be eaten on its own, for the flavour alone), poppadom, chapattis, dal, a curry, raita, chutney) and got to know 1 or 2 proprietors. I think both had Thai wives and had been there for many years. They were extremely gentle, kind people, easy to talk to and very friendly. I guess there's a way of doing these things that the Chinese haven't quite worked out yet.

[GarryP]

Wonder if the landlord will return the deposit? 

[BusyB]

It's not just about the tax or protected professions.

 

What's the redress if someone dies of salmonella they've been fed in places where people are working illegally? Especially when the illegals apparently   o w n  the damn place.

 

No insurance, no accessible funds to compensate with, and a dead breadwinner with the family homeless. Illegal working is plague that only benefits the criminals who traffic these people. And that seems to include some people in uniform funnily enough.