Thai Immigration Bureau Intensifies Crackdown on Overstaying Foreigners

[Camillof]

On 5/20/2023 at 7:31 AM, webfact said:

It has embarked on a rigorous public information campaign

So rigorous, that until now I haven't heard of it at all. All I would ask is to see No tips signs displayed in their offices again, as it happened during 2019 under Big Joke's reign.

[Camillof]

On 5/20/2023 at 7:31 AM, webfact said:

the Bureau plans to continue its robust enforcement efforts

Never as robust as their self-congratulatory efforts anyway.

[jacko45k]

21 hours ago, TigerandDog said:

Also by using an agent you are condoning the corruption that is involved, whether you meet the requirements or not.

I believe that is a stretch..... as much as using a copier condones destroying the rain forests. The facilities cannot support the numbers. 

[Bday Prang]

On 5/22/2023 at 6:53 AM, jacko45k said:

I have not heard of people having  apprehension issues at the airport, presuming they can pay their overstay fine of 500/day up to 20,000. These announcements are put out to scare people off and do their job for them. 

If it was really meant to scare  potential overstayers into compliance  there would be more efficient ways of reaching their intended targets than publishing in Thai language newspapers    This was never intended to be a warning to foreigners 

[Neeranam]

On 5/20/2023 at 3:16 PM, CM Dad said:

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. 

 Because your country's Embassy refused to listen to Thai immigration's request does NOT give you the right to break the law.  

 

[jacko45k]

16 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

If it was really meant to scare  potential overstayers into compliance  there would be more efficient ways of reaching their intended targets than publishing in Thai language newspapers    This was never intended to be a warning to foreigners 

Well it certainly was not a warning for Thais!

[Neeranam]

20 hours ago, brianthainess said:

I just heard one of the Russians injured in that boat 'accident', when immigration went to the hospital to help victims with visas was on overstay, but all has been "FIXED" now.

This is so wrong that a criminal offence can be fixed. 

Hopefully with a new government, corruption can be done away with and all visa agents put in jail, where they belong, and all foreigners who use them are kicked out the kingdom. Many don't realize the seriousness of bribing police officers and that they could be kicked out with a change of leader. 

[Neeranam]

On 5/21/2023 at 12:59 PM, StayinThailand2much said:

Some people have savings, or are digital nomads. Most probably only a tiny minority turn to crime or prosti******.

 

But this is, of course, no reason to overstay and just 'ignore' immigration laws.

Prostitution? 

 

 

[jacko45k]

4 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

This is so wrong that a criminal offence can be fixed. 

Hopefully with a new government, corruption can be done away with and all visa agents put in jail, where they belong, and all foreigners who use them are kicked out the kingdom. Many don't realize the seriousness of bribing police officers and that they could be kicked out with a change of leader. 

My oh my, quite the dreamer......

[Neeranam]

On 5/21/2023 at 2:55 PM, Gknrd said:

Thailand's immigration problems are a joke. You should see my countries Immigration problems. The poor immigrants are the norm in Thailand and elsewhere.  

That being said last time I saw a post here it was mostly Cambodian's and migrant workers that the Thai employers most likely turned in so they could stiff them on the wages.

Ironically, the illegal visa agent users here are the ones who complain about illegal immigrants in their countries.

I've written to my local MP to investigate the immigration police who are bribed by foreigners through visa agents.

 

 

 

[Neeranam]

On 5/22/2023 at 6:03 AM, Skipalongcassidy said:

Morality is NOT allowed to be defined by a culture... morality is finite and if a culture disregards it that culture is morally corrupt.

This is totally false, check the definition of 'morality'

[Skipalongcassidy]

There is no cultural definition... it is always right and good conduct... it may be incrementally applied by cultures but is always virtuous conduct.

[brewsterbudgen]

It was a reply to a comment that used the ECHR as a comparison with Thai immigration policies.  Admittedly, the point I was replying to was tangential to the thread but was allowed by the Moderators, so I felt I had to put the poster straight.

[Pink Mist]

A entire conversation of off topic, grammar police, baiting and bickering posts have been removed. A post with an unfunctioning link has also been removed.

 

The OP is;

Thai Immigration Bureau Intensifies Crackdown on Overstaying Foreigners

[Bday Prang]

9 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Well it certainly was not a warning for Thais!

It was not a warning for anybody  

[NextG]

9 hours ago, Neeranam said:

 Because your country's Embassy refused to listen to Thai immigration's request does NOT give you the right to break the law.  

 

It also doesn’t give you the right to lecture him either. Happily you are free to make that choice for yourself. Hopefully you won’t make any enemies along the way. What if your letter falls into the wrong hands?

 

[Bundooman]

On 5/20/2023 at 2:06 PM, AAArdvark said:

I would have guessed there was a large contingent of draft dodgers. 

Yes, I too was looking to see how many Russians had been caught on overstay. 

Particularly after the very damning report from Phuket on drunkenness, theft, illegal jobs, traffic accidents, fighting with Ukrainians, locals and  then running out of money.

Thailand has truly given itself a headache - plus the usual overstayers......

[NextG]

9 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Ironically, the illegal visa agent users here are the ones who complain about illegal immigrants in their countries.

I've written to my local MP to investigate the immigration police who are bribed by foreigners through visa agents.

 

 

 

My oh my…and do you imagine that once they get rid of all of those poor people who can only scrape together 64k per month, that they will relax the regulations for you and other law abiding citizens who have enough cash?

It really sounds as if you are on a crusade for no other reason that your own ‘self righteousness’. Correct me if I am wrong. 

 

[Bday Prang]

                  All these holier than thou types  whinging on about corruption  made a very peculiar choice when they decided to live here .

                 You all knew what it was like before you made the move, did you really think you would be able to change things ?  Or are you just happy moaning and virtue signalling ?

                 Please give it a rest. Never forget all your problems could be solved with a one way ticket out of here

[Bday Prang]

2 minutes ago, NextG said:

My oh my…and do you imagine that once they get rid of all of those poor people who can only scrape together 64k per month, that they will relax the regulations for you and other law abiding citizens who have enough cash?

It really sounds as if you are on a crusade for no other reason that your own ‘self righteousness’. Correct me if I am wrong. 

 

           You are not wrong, there are far too many sanctimonious  types on here  it is really quite bizarre. If its not overstayers its corruption or road safety  or prostitution or education or  soi dogs  and more recently cannabis the list is endless

            I can never understand those who wish to turn this place into a carbon copy of the miserable place they came from, 

            Stop moaning or go home is the best advice I could give them, if anybody has any better options for them let's hear it  so we can put them out of their misery

[Bday Prang]

On 5/22/2023 at 9:11 AM, TigerandDog said:

"Most of us who use agents DO meet the requirements to stay long term.".  I cannot agree with that statement. MOST that use an agent do NOT meet the requirements. Also by using an agent you are condoning the corruption that is involved, whether you meet the requirements or not.

I don't use agents but I fully condone corruption,  that's why i came here,  and I'm very happy here. Looks like I made the right decision.

Furthermore I couldn't care less what other people do

[Neeranam]

26 minutes ago, NextG said:

My oh my…and do you imagine that once they get rid of all of those poor people who can only scrape together 64k per month, that they will relax the regulations for you and other law abiding citizens who have enough cash?

It really sounds as if you are on a crusade for no other reason that your own ‘self righteousness’. Correct me if I am wrong. 

 

You are wrong. I hate to see 'agents' and 'police' making an absolute fortune off foreigners. I don't need a visa, as I am Thai. I used to see Khon Kaen Immigration officers regularly buying gold at Big C along from their station. If you saw such police in your country profiting under the table from helping illegal aliens, would you report it? Please be honest.

If someone  earns 64k a month, they can keep 800k in a bank for a few months a year, this is very little compared to other countries' immigration requirements. If I want to retire to the USA, I have to INVEST 17 million baht! 

 

[Neeranam]

13 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

I don't use agents but I fully condone corruption,  that's why i came here,  and I'm very happy here. Looks like I made the right decision.

Furthermore I couldn't care less what other people do

What type of corruption do you partake in? The reason you came to live here? 

[Bday Prang]

15 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

What type of corruption do you partake in? The reason you came to live here? 

The first rule of corruption ... is never talk about corruption

Actually other than a little tea money for minor "alleged" traffic offences I don't generally partake.  But I like the fact that the option exists should I ever need it

I also think that reporting police or anybody else  for taking bribes  could bring a whole lot more problems to a whistleblower . I would not go down that road

[Neeranam]

3 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

The first rule of corruption ... is never talk about corruption

Actually other than a little tea money for minor "alleged" traffic offences I don't generally partake.  But I like the fact that the option exists should I ever need it

What about when someone else uses corruption against you and gets off Scot free, like the Red Bull guy? I bet you won't be for corruption then,

 

[Bday Prang]

41 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

What about when someone else uses corruption against you and gets off Scot free, like the Red Bull guy? I bet you won't be for corruption then,

 

             I get where you are coming from. Although not the best example   the red bull guy (or his family) are reputed to have paid somewhere in the region of 3 million baht to the family of the policeman he killed. How much would they have received if he had been run over by a poor farmer who may only have had "por ror bor" insurance ( or no insurance) 

            Ok had that been the case the poor farmer would no doubt have received some jail time but would that have put food on the table or paid for their kids education etc  if I was the dead policeman looking down from above  I think I would be more concerned about my family's financial well being, rather than exacting earthly revenge in the form of a few years jail time on the perpetrator of my death.

            Somebody using corruption against me  in a different way , is  as you say,  a possibility, but on the balance of probability I'm quite happy to be here as opposed to the "totally incorrupt" UK

 

[vinci]

all these people talk about corruption and how bad it is, take a good look at your country before you judge  

[Sigma6]

14 minutes ago, vinci said:

all these people talk about corruption and how bad it is, take a good look at your country before you judge  

So if there's corruption somewhere else, you cant talk about corruption in Thailand?

There may be corruption in my home country, but I can tell you it's orders of magnitude less than in Thailand.

Let me guess "If you dont like it, go home!!" ????‍♂️

????????

[Bday Prang]

1 hour ago, Sigma6 said:

So if there's corruption somewhere else, you cant talk about corruption in Thailand?

There may be corruption in my home country, but I can tell you it's orders of magnitude less than in Thailand.

Let me guess "If you dont like it, go home!!" ????‍♂️

????????

                   How could you possibly "know" the magnitude of corruption in your home country?,    From mainstream media ? Or did you make a request under the freedom of information act ?  Or are there figures published regularly in newspapers  ?    You have absolutely no idea ,  You only hear about the ones that get caught. There will plenty of corruption occurring  even as we speak, but the people involved don't generally boast about it on social media or anywhere else.  

                   The only difference between here and the UK ,  the rest of Europe, USA etc is  that its so  ingrained here that they just don't feel the same  need to hide it. That, coupled with the fact that here, it is still present at every level in society, means we also get exposed to it personally a lot more,  whereas in "civilised" countries it is now somewhat restricted only allowed to be practised by those  at the highest level, and most of us rarely experienced it personally there  or could even afford it

                     Offer a cop in the UK £500 you've got a problem. Offer the Prime minister a "loan" for £800,000 and you've just become the best man for a very privileged job

                    It will never be stopped, anywhere, its human nature, a trait of the species, and as long as you live here you will come into contact with it a lot more than back home

                   

                     If it really really  got to some highly principled  people, and no doubt it has, they would move on, and I don't doubt that some already have  Those are the only people who can stand tall on this and virtue signal.

                     Those of us  that are left have all come to the conclusion, consciously or otherwise,  that  it Pi$$es us  off a bit less than whatever it was that caused us to relocate and move here in the first place. 

                      So we have all chosen to live with it , In that way alone we are all condoning it, funding it, enabling it.   There's no point in anybody trying to virtue signal its just hypocritical

                     The only truly  morally correct action would be to leave, and as we haven't, we are all basically immoral.

                     Is anybody really going to say that faced with a DUI conviction for example or possible deportation or imprisonment  for any reason.  that they would  rather face the full consequences of justice .  than pay some money for it to all go away.  For those thinking about claiming they would  , don't bother, I won't believe you, and neither will anybody else

 

 

[jacko45k]

12 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

It was not a warning for anybody  

Of course it was, take your head out of that sand.