Thai Immigration Bureau Intensifies Crackdown on Overstaying Foreigners

[madmitch]

1 hour ago, SuwadeeS said:

Always picking on foreigners.

Why not start an real important crack down on traffic offenders?

Stoneage morality.

Perhaps then Immigration Police would do a better job than the traffic cops but I don't think it's part of their brief.

 

 

[BritScot]

1 hour ago, Phuket Pete said:

Then stop wasting so much time by picking on the good guys who have been compliant for several years ! -  now making them produce hand drawn maps of where they live, photographs and video’s of them sat on their beds and insisting that the photocopies are the right way up and not sideways. I arrived at 10.30 last week and had to wait 4 hours to renew my Retirement Visa, despite 12 pages of faultless documentation. I watched while Agents walked straight into the office with bundles of passports which somehow required no supporting documentation, but no doubt came with a kickback. There is nothing more morally bankrupt than a corrupt Police Officer. I hope that ‘Big Joke’ has this lot on his clean up list next.

I remember those days when I got so angry after making immaculate colour copies that looked identical to the originals only to be told wrong way or told need this go get it and then told need something else  go and get it then told need something else.... 3 times..... The wife then took over dealing with them as I thew my Teddy out of the pram refusing to ever deal with them. Always saw agents handing over stacks of passports (they always got vip treatment). So glad we left. The "it's only 800,000baht" was the final straw.

[Doctor Tom]

6 hours ago, mikebell said:

more foreigners use agents.

well the sensible ones do 

[freedomnow]

Does this happen in Viet Nam etc....overstayer parades ?

 

[freedomnow]

8 minutes ago, BritScot said:

now making them produce hand drawn maps of where they live, photographs and video’s of them sat on their beds

Yeah, that whole thing is just degrading.

 

[Dart12]

is there a breakdown of nationalities that they rounded up?

[CM Dad]

1 hour ago, TigerandDog said:

the use of agents for visa extensions should be banned. This would get rid of quite a lot of the corruption that Immigration are involved in and also get those that DO NOT meet the requirements to stay long term out of the country.

I did all of my visa extensions for more than two decades.  I began using an agent even though I meet all of the requirements for my extensions when  my country's embassy and consulate refused Thai Immigration's insistence that they verify income with more than a notarized letter.  I was growing quite tired of the needless amount of paperwork that seemed to be increasing each year along with the 90-day and TM 30 reports.  I have several times the amount of money in a Thai bank account and more than the needed income, but I opened a separate bank account to use for my visa extensions only and deposited the required  funds.  I pay my very reliable agent, who is also a personal friend, 9,900 baht per year, which includes the 1,900 baht fee, and she handles all of my needed paperwork.  She also does all of my 90-day and TM30 reports.  All I have to do is sign my name innumerable times and spend less than thirty minutes once a year at the Thai Immigration office.  The entire process is well worth the price, time saved and aggravation of the whole process. Most of us who use agents DO meet the requirements to stay long term.  Using an agent is simply more convenient.

[Dart12]

55 minutes ago, Bert got kinky said:

Yeah, great idea.

Get Immigration to concentrate their efforts on traffic offences. 

 

Would you want your home country to become swamped with illegal over-stayers?

Would you expect the Immigration in your home country to do their job or side track to issuing parking tickets? 

 

Stoneage thinking?

 

Biden is bussing them in LOL

[Bert got kinky]

1 hour ago, TigerandDog said:

the use of agents for visa extensions should be banned. This would get rid of quite a lot of the corruption that Immigration are involved in and also get those that DO NOT meet the requirements to stay long term out of the country.

You do realise that this forum was started by a visa agent, don't you? 

[brewsterbudgen]

2 hours ago, SuwadeeS said:

Always picking on foreigners.

Why not start an real important crack down on traffic offenders?

Stoneage morality.

Why would the Immigration Bureau have anything to do with traffic offenders?

[sambum]

These actions also demonstrate the Bureau's commitment to ensuring public safety and maintaining national security."

 

I wonder how many of those overstayers that were apprehended actually did present a threat to "public safety and national security"? I would imagine very few if any!

 

 

 

[Doctor Tom]

1 hour ago, CM Dad said:

I did all of my visa extensions for more than two decades.  I began using an agent even though I meet all of the requirements for my extensions when  my country's embassy and consulate refused Thai Immigration's insistence that they verify income with more than a notarized letter.  I was growing quite tired of the needless amount of paperwork that seemed to be increasing each year along with the 90-day and TM 30 reports.  I have several times the amount of money in a Thai bank account and more than the needed income, but I opened a separate bank account to use for my visa extensions only and deposited the required  funds.  I pay my very reliable agent, who is also a personal friend, 9,900 baht per year, which includes the 1,900 baht fee, and she handles all of my needed paperwork.  She also does all of my 90-day and TM30 reports.  All I have to do is sign my name innumerable times and spend less than thirty minutes once a year at the Thai Immigration office.  The entire process is well worth the price, time saved and aggravation of the whole process. Most of us who use agents DO meet the requirements to stay long term.  Using an agent is simply more convenient.

I started using an agent at the same time and for the same reason.  That was some 5 years ago and it is worth every penny I pay them. Just got my latest annual extension last week. Effortless and more to the point, stress free. 

[Doctor Tom]

21 minutes ago, sambum said:

These actions also demonstrate the Bureau's commitment to ensuring public safety and maintaining national security."

 

I wonder how many of those overstayers that were apprehended actually did present a threat to "public safety and national security"? I would imagine very few if any!

 

 

 

Who cares, they broke the rules end of.  Its largely because of those idiots that the rest of us have to jump through so many immigration hoops, like 90 day reports and TM30s. 

[Gknrd]

Really if you wanted to stay in Thailand for a few years without leaving. Probably would be better off just going on overstay. No more hassles and easy living until they caught you or you wanted to leave. Then just pay up and go to another country.  

[sambum]

1 minute ago, Doctor Tom said:

Who cares, they broke the rules end of.  Its largely because of those idiots that the rest of us have to jump through so many immigration hoops, like 90 day reports and TM30s. 

Yes, I agree they broke the rules, but how many people do you see everyday breaking the rules with impunity by not wearing a crash helmet while driving a motor bike?

 

The point I was making is that surely there are bigger fish that the IB should be concentrating their efforts on?

 

Re the 90 day reports and TM 30's I couldn't agree more! Somebody made a point the other day that Thailand is the only place he knows where you have to report to Imm every 90 days to let them know that nothing has changed since your previous visit. In other countries you have to let them know when something HAS changed!

And I suspect that the "real criminals" are unlikely to be reporting their presence every 90 days anyway - they will have found the right direction to channel their "tea money"! 

[Doctor Tom]

1 minute ago, sambum said:

Re the 90 day reports and TM 30's I couldn't agree more! Somebody made a point the other day that Thailand is the only place he knows where you have to report to Imm every 90 days to let them know that nothing has changed since your previous visit.

Although I get irritated a bit by it, although not so much now the online system is working well, I actually wish the UK had the same system .  It seems to me to be quite sensible to know where the aliens living in your country actually are. The UK make little to no effort to track their migrants, a good few of whom are reported to be involved in organised criminal activity.  

[connda]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

From May 4 to May 13, the IB apprehended a total of 1,272 overstaying foreigners. This number marks a remarkable increase of 62.03% in comparison to previous data.

They're making the assumption that they are catching most of them as opposed to only catching, say, 10% of them. 
Well, pats on the backs all around, photo ops of serious looking IOs, pictures of foreigners with their faces blurred looking dejected and pointing at their passports, official requests for more BMWs, and file the story for a few weeks as this can be rolled out every six weeks or so to fill empty copy space in the Thai news rooms.

 

[Shocked farang]

The dream is over, my overstaying friends. Yes, Thailand used to be easy to stay indefinitely, you just had to do a Visa run every now and then. No longer. You need to update your mental model about this country, if you really love it, is willing to put up with being forever a foreigner, then go for the legal channels, stop this stupid hack of overstaying tourist Visas. Get real! 

In my decades of visits to the Kingdom I have never overstayed even one single day. 

[quake]

The only true crackdown that is needed .

Is one on there own,  Corrupt, pedantic, incompetent, officers.

I'm sure it will be fine in 100 years time. 

 

I expect it to get worse here for us.

When the new kids on the block, start to run the country. 

Happy immigration, Not

 

 

 

Edited May 20, 2023 by quake

[quake]

3 minutes ago, Shocked farang said:

The dream is over, my overstaying friends. Yes, Thailand used to be easy to stay indefinitely, you just had to do a Visa run every now and then. No longer. You need to update your mental model about this country, if you really love it, is willing to put up with being forever a foreigner, then go for the legal channels, stop this stupid hack of overstaying tourist Visas. Get real! 

In my decades of visits to the Kingdom I have never overstayed even one single day. 

So you don't live here then.  Yawn 

[swm59nj]

A large part of the problem is the foreigners themselves.  Many , not all, come to Thailand looking for a free ride. They think they can do whatever they want. Then whine when things go sour. 
That’s how things go when you are in a county not your own. You are an outsider, a guest. .  The country has no obligation to do anything for you. Whether the country might be corrupt, good, or bad. 

 

[RichardColeman]

Do not agree with overstay - but sheesh life ban for 180 day overstay ? You seem to making overstay ban the same as murder, robbery and being a member of the mafia !

 

A 5 year ban would be ok for 180 day overstay - after all, in that 180 days they have been contributing to the Thai economy and 5 years is a long time to miss your boo !

[Mr Dome]

Still, overstayers spend money and most of them aren't an immediate danger to anyone.

 

So, apart from making themselves look good there isn't a big advantage to Thai society here, I dare say.

 

That being said, you shouldn't overstay.

[Pink Mist]

Off topic posts have been removed.  This OP is not about the US, or the UK, nor is it about bad drivers on the Thai roads.

[Caldera]

The metrics they use in the article are pretty much meaningless.

 

Has the overall population of overstayers decreased or increased?

 

How many overstayers are caught in country vs. those that pay on their way out when they choose to leave voluntarily?

[BangkokReady]

7 hours ago, cjinchiangrai said:

Any other ideas?

Coloured badges to be worn on your lapel?

[BangkokReady]

2 hours ago, swm59nj said:

A large part of the problem is the foreigners themselves.  Many , not all, come to Thailand looking for a free ride.

Who comes to Thailand thinking they're going to get a free ride, and how do they think they will get one?

 

2 hours ago, swm59nj said:

That’s how things go when you are in a county not your own. You are an outsider, a guest. .  The country has no obligation to do anything for you. Whether the country might be corrupt, good, or bad. 

Most countries have obligations to do some certain things for foreigners, Thailand is one of them.

[JoseThailand]

6 hours ago, freedomnow said:

Does this happen in Viet Nam etc....overstayer parades ?

 

Who wanna stay in <deleted>ty Viet Nam?

[JoseThailand]

3 hours ago, Shocked farang said:

s. Yes, Thailand used to be easy to stay indefinitely, you just had to do a Visa run every now and then.

It's still pretty easy to do agency-assisted border runs

[JoseThailand]

3 hours ago, swm59nj said:

That’s how things go when you are in a county not your own. You are an outsider, a guest. .  The country has no obligation to do anything for you. Whether the country might be corrupt, good, or bad. 

In my "own" country I feel exactly the same, even worse