Brit and Singapore pensioners rounded up in Bangkok on long overstays "to protect Thailand and stop losses"

[Mr Meeseeks]

5 minutes ago, Doctor Tom said:

His IQ is probably lower than my Shih Tzu and he isn't very bright at all. 

He managed 11 years of overstay so he outwitted and out-thought the entire Thai Immigration Police during that time, and was only caught because someone grassed him up. 

[nigelforbes]

Just now, Mr Meeseeks said:

How do you know he wasn't fully insured?

 

Again, you are speculating based on prejudice. 

No, I am speculating based on stereotype, why would I be prejudice, I'm older than he is! And if he's fully insured and he pays his health insurance premium every year (mine is 148,000 baht so his must be similar I guess), did he just keep forgetting to extend his visa or was this some form of silent protest perhaps!

[Tropposurfer]

6 hours ago, Mickeymaus said:

There could be different reasons for his overstay. Perhaps a criminal hiding in Thailand? We don't know. Also these people need to finance their stay here. Perhaps not this old guy but others start to work illegally or commit crimes to get money. In any case these people don't care much about laws and regulations. No need to have them here. And for this old guy - there are other countries with warm weather. So there are still options left if he doesn't want to stay in the UK. And don't blame Thailand for their fate. These people are to blame. 

I have compassion for most wellllllll except for ... people who are pigeon toed, men with thick luxurious hair, anyone more than 20 years my junior, folks who play golf better than me ... oooohhhh but the list is too long to post today hahahahaha ????.

 

If ya overstay like this bloke then 'ya takes ya chances' as they say. Interesting to read from some posters what appears as a solid list of rationalisers, minimisers, deflectors, deniers, projectors, victims and others.

 

[scottiejohn]

22 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

If he is deported back to the UK, then he will be entitled to all his State OAP back increments and bonus payments that were frozen 11 years ago! (if he was entitled in the first place).

Why?

He will go onto the current rate based on his date of return.  There will not be any back payments AFAIN!

[ukrules]

5 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Now what are they going to do with a 76 year old man? Lock him up in the IDC until he dies?

Yes, of course.

[Baht Simpson]

If he'd been caught on a couple of years overstay at 76 I'd say treat him with kid gloves as he might be struggling. The problem is he started overstay at 65, so he must have been fully aware of what he was doing and was deliberately and knowingly breaking the law for 12 years.  65 is coincidentally the age that he would have been entitled to a U.K. State Pension, determined by his qualifying years so he probably had some cash.

 

There might be some extenuating circumstances but I don't see why he wouldn't get an extension which he easily qualified for.  There must be a reason why he wanted to stay under the radar.

Edited March 31, 2023 by Baht Simpson

[Pdavies99]

It's shameful really on Thailand....why can't they show some respect to the elderly and change to "Over 75 years of age, Visa renewal ....no charge!"

[nigelforbes]

4 minutes ago, Pdavies99 said:

It's shameful really on Thailand....why can't they show some respect to the elderly and change to "Over 75 years of age, Visa renewal ....no charge!"

Why? What does Thailand gain from doing that, apart from being seen to be taking care of older people, which they do in spades, just not foreign older people!

[brianthainess]

6 hours ago, Henryford said:

Surely the Thai immigration computer can spit out a list of names/addresses of those who have not extended their official stay. Why would it take 12 years to find him (based on a tip off).

But what would they do with the smart BMWs that cost a fortune and are useless?  

[Doctor Tom]

40 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

He managed 11 years of overstay so he outwitted and out-thought the entire Thai Immigration Police during that time, and was only caught because someone grassed him up. 

Hiding illegally in a City of 5 million, with little more than a brass penny to your name, is hardly Einstein level intelligence. They only didn't catch him because they weren't looking. Good on the citizens who reported him.  I would have done the same. 

[papa al]

6 hours ago, Chivas said:

The way to cut this down or even stop it altogether is to scrap the maximum daily fine limit

 

Make it the 500 Baht a day indefinately and when you're caught you stay banged up into immigration detention until the full whack is paid off.......no payment then you stay there on rice and water to the day you drop off your mortal coil

 

Over 2 Million Baht......if you cant pay then your children inherit the debt then your cousins and if all else fails the Mia Noi You are so wise.cops the lot

 

Thats the way to do it......

 

Next....????

You are so wise,

& practical-minded too.

[transam]

14 minutes ago, Doctor Tom said:

Hiding illegally in a City of 5 million, with little more than a brass penny to your name, is hardly Einstein level intelligence. They only didn't catch him because they weren't looking. Good on the citizens who reported him.  I would have done the same. 

We have a grass in our camp...????

 

Let's be careful on here.....

[foreverlomsak]

1 hour ago, Red Forever said:

Good point but just because he has no valid passport doesn't mean he hasn't British citizenship.

Like the heaps of non-British being caught by Immigration on overstay or working without permission in the UK, if they cannot find a passport for them, they cannot be returned to home countries, told they must report to the local police once a week or whatever, so are released and sent on their way.

[alien365]

1 hour ago, nigelforbes said:

Hmm, but if the equivalent no visa/overstayer was arrested for the same offense in posters home country, how supportive would everyone be then, methinks, not much at all!

If he was spending his own money and not taking jobs from others I think they'd be the same. 

[spidermike007]

2 hours ago, sambum said:

"............ to stop Thais and foreigners causing trouble in Thailand, maintain the safety of the public and stop losses to the country."

1 "To stop Thais and foreigners causing trouble in Thailand." I see no Thais being arrested for overstay, and I doubt very much whether a 76 year old British pensioner will be causing much trouble!

2 "Maintain the safety of the public" I fail to see what pensioners on overstay has to do with the safety of the public, but no doubt someone in Government can explain it!

3. "Stop losses to the country" Apart from visa revenues of probably 1900 baht per year, what losses? As previously mentioned, I would imagine that the Brit pensioner will be spending  app 40,000 baht annually.

 

Yet more mumbling rhetoric from the Department whose main purpose in life seems to be catching  people on overstay - not what I would call "real" criminals! 

Precisely. By going after foreigners who are causing no problems for anyone, they can say they are actually doing something productive. A very rare occurance for both the RTP or the sadsack immigration dept. Much blather over nothing. 

[spidermike007]

6 hours ago, Longwood50 said:

You would never make it in the USA.  The sentiment there is that somehow the USA is to blame for having any sort of laws governing who is allowed to enter.  

Someone has been listening to a few too many podcasts. You may want to at least vet them a bit. There is an awful lot of nonsense out there on the world wide web these days. 

[Burma Bill]

1 hour ago, scottiejohn said:

Why?

He will go onto the current rate based on his date of return.

Thank you - you are correct. I was misinformed so I checked with the UK Government website. My apologies.

[scottiejohn]

2 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

Thank you - you are correct. I was misinformed so I checked with the UK Government website. My apologies.

Well done sir!

Not many on AN admit they got it wrong!

 

[Doctor Tom]

39 minutes ago, transam said:

We have a grass in our camp...????

 

Let's be careful on here.....

I would not break any Forum's confidentiality.  Members have a right to anonymity and free speech on here. 

[Adumbration]

I have had 800K locked up in a Thai bank for a decade earning zero interest.

 

If the money was invested in a conservative mutual fund earning 7% for the same amount of time I would now have just shy of 1.6M.  Or double my original 800K.

 

10 years of immigration renewal fees 19k

10 years of travel to immigration 10K

10 years of time wasted doing 90 day reports (lost day four time a year prior to online) 50K

 

So on my estimates the old Brit is in the green for at least a million baht.  Well done Sir.  Enjoy your one room bedsit in Grimsby.

[billd766]

2 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

So what, they broke the Law, no sympathy whatsoever.  Its the actions of idiots like this that mean the rest of us have to put up with 90 day reports, entry permits and only 12 month extensions.  Throw them all out, so well done immigration. 

What a nice kind hearted comment you made.

 

I take it that you are a perfect person to live in Thailand.

 

You would never break any law nor go even faster than 1 kph over the speed limit, never do ANYTHING against ANY Thai law.

 

Best you hope to continue your life like that, never put a foot out of place or do anything wrong in your life here.

 

Because if you do, then somebody will dob you in for sure.

 

And one day they will come for you, as there will be nobody else left to come for.

 

2 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

His IQ is probably lower than my Shih Tzu and he isn't very bright at all. 

But your dogs IQ is probably higher than yours, and it most probably has more sympathy too.

[billd766]

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

Yes, of course.

At whose cost?

 

1 hour ago, nigelforbes said:

Wrong post. Sorry

 

 

 

[itsari]

10 hours ago, nigelforbes said:

Presumably (potential future) medical costs that he likely can't afford.

Having a visa does not prevent the potential future you mentioned 

[scottiejohn]

12 minutes ago, billd766 said:

But your dogs IQ is probably higher than yours, and it most probably has more sympathy too.

The dog certainly gets my sympathy having such an owner as it presently has!

[billd766]

1 hour ago, nigelforbes said:

Why? What does Thailand gain from doing that, apart from being seen to be taking care of older people, which they do in spades, just not foreign older people!

How are they taking care of older Thais?

 

From age 60 to 69 the state pension is currently 600 thb per month and it rises by 100 thb every DECADE, so that if a Thai reaches the age of 100 they get a massive 1,000 thb per month to live on.

 

Most elderly Thais, certainly of this generation are normally looked after by their family or if they have no relatives left alive. they are simply abandoned unless the rural village keeps an eye on them.

 

Could YOU live on 600 thb per month whilst feeding yourself and paying your electricity bills?

 

If they scrapped the income requirements for foreign elders, more would come to live in Thailand, generating more forex income for the country. They would spend more money in Thailand locally generating even more income which would be good for Thailand.

 

The Thai government could offer a relatively low cost insurance for hospital bills for foreigners which in turn would generate even more income for the country.

[nigelforbes]

6 minutes ago, itsari said:

Having a visa does not prevent the potential future you mentioned 

True. But which would you rather be, without visa and worrying about when you might get caught, penalties and all, and, without health insurance and all that entails, or, just the latter. Neither one is good but one is slightly better than the other. I mean, if you're going to stay here, at least enjoy the place rather than being scared to death every time a cop walks by.

[nigelforbes]

1 minute ago, billd766 said:

How are they taking care of older Thais?

 

From age 60 to 69 the state pension is currently 600 thb per month and it rises by 100 thb every DECADE, so that if a Thai reaches the age of 100 they get a massive 1,000 thb per month to live on.

 

Most elderly Thais, certainly of this generation are normally looked after by their family or if they have no relatives left alive. they are simply abandoned unless the rural village keeps an eye on them.

 

Could YOU live on 600 thb per month whilst feeding yourself and paying your electricity bills?

 

If they scrapped the income requirements for foreign elders, more would come to live in Thailand, generating more forex income for the country. They would spend more money in Thailand locally generating even more income which would be good for Thailand.

 

The Thai government could offer a relatively low cost insurance for hospital bills for foreigners which in turn would generate even more income for the country.

Bill I agree, I meant from the standpoint of respect rather than financially.

[digbeth]

has there been any case where some old codger was admitted to thai hospital, start wracking up cost and left to die without relatives and the hospital were able to recoup their loss by going after the 800,000 in the bank? 

 

 

 

 

[itsari]

1 minute ago, nigelforbes said:

True. But which would you rather be, without visa and worrying about when you might get caught, penalties and all, and, without health insurance and all that entails, or, just the latter. Neither one is good but one is slightly better than the other. I mean, if you're going to stay here, at least enjoy the place rather than being scared to death every time a cop walks by.

Not a situation I would put myself in . 

Thousands do .

I have heard of people paying to fix the overstay .

[billd766]

2 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

Hiding illegally in a City of 5 million, with little more than a brass penny to your name, is hardly Einstein level intelligence. They only didn't catch him because they weren't looking. Good on the citizens who reported him.  I would have done the same. 

Let he who is without any sin, cast the first stone.

 

Personally I would use my Nelson eye to my telescope and my selectively deaf ear.