Immigration officers told to increase screening of foreigners in Thailand

[jaideedave]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Foreigners in Thailand can expect increased scrutiny from the authorities in the wake of several high-profile criminal cases. Khaosod English reports that police have been issued new instructions to strictly enforce immigration laws.

 

Following two separate assault cases involving Swiss nationals, and the more recent case of two New Zealanders allegedly assaulting a Phuket police officer, the authorities are promising to ‘get tough’.

 

Roy Ingpairoj, deputy chief of the Royal Thai Police, has issued instructions to the Commissioner of Immigration calling for increased scrutiny of foreigners in Thailand. In particular, the authorities are targeting those who have entered the kingdom illegally and who have ulterior motives for being here.

 

Newly-issued instructions include…

• All foreigners entering and leaving the kingdom to be strictly screened. Enhanced screening will also apply to those seeking extensions of stay, visa stamps, and any change in visa status.

 

• All crimes committed by foreigners to be investigated and prosecuted, including violations of the Immigration Act, the Alien Employment Act, the Entertainment Places Act, illegal business operations, nominee arrangements where Thai nationals own shares or real estate on behalf of foreigners to avoid legal compliance.

 

Full story: PhuketGO 2024-03-19

 

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Meanwhile, The PM (stretch) is handing out Visa free options to anyone who is breathing.I know reciprocal Visas are the goal but the average personal income in LOS doesn't really allow for much globe trotting anyway.    

[ChipButty]

4 minutes ago, Hellfire said:

Was not here during Thaksin time. Is it true that the atmosphere was xenophobic in Thailand at those time?  What were the signs of it?

The best was his war on drugs, murder on the streets

Edited March 19 by ChipButty

[sambum]

Ridiculous! I am 78 years old and heve been living in Thailand for many years (nearly 20 in total - most of the time on a Retirement Extension, and the last 5 years on an extension based on marriage to a Thai national.)

 

My original application to change from a "Retirement Visa" to a "Marriage Visa" entailed having to submit 147 (ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY SEVEN!) photocopies of various documents!

 

About 3 years ago the new Chief of Immigration said that he was going to make it easier for retirees and expats to acquire their visas, and a week later promptly initiated some new requirements.

 

It really does appear that in spite of the money that we generate towards the GDP (We are here all year - every year - spending I would say, on average, about 500,000 per person) that the Government are treating us like "dirty, unwashed unwanted unwelcome farangs", and in their eyes the sooner we leave the better, as it will be a step forward in preventing criminals from setting up homes and businesses in Thailand!!!

[PremiumLane]

Millions come to visit, you are going to have some problems with some of them - it is hardly a crime wave involving tourists. Plus, there are laws in place to prosecute people if they do what they listed as being targeted. But of course, knee jerk reactions and the authorities <deleted>ting their panties again 

[borderhopper2005]

>the authorities are targeting those who have entered the kingdom illegally.

 

 

If they say they (start to)  target farangs in their concern of illegal entry, sounds totally meaningless.

 

They are highly unlikely to enter Thailand ILLEGALLY; they don't have to do it in the first place. They can afford to have proper passport and buy airline tickets to lawfully arrive here.

 

Illegal entrants are mostly about from Burma, Lao, Cambodia. Who got reasons to skip lawful entry(hesitate to pay the cost of passport and work permit; costly from their standard).

 

[sambum]

3 hours ago, Enoon said:

Illegal entries and "ulterior motives"

 

 A bit too late to start screening people after  they have entered illegally.......and pointless.   Just throw them out and ban them if you like.

 

Potentially every visitor may have an "ulterior motive".

 

How do you screen them........scapolomine/lie detector test, on entry, at the airport for VE visitors?

 

"All crimes committed by foreigners to be investigated and prosecuted, including violations of the Immigration Act, the Alien Employment Act, the Entertainment Places Act, illegal business operations, nominee arrangements where Thai nationals own shares or real estate on behalf of foreigners to avoid legal compliance."

 

Previous policy was to ignore crimes by foreigners?

 

It would be a better idea for Thailand to clean up its act and desist from being a magnet for crooks, scum and lowlife.

 

Have your leaders, authorities and state employees stop blatantly acting like crooks, scum and lowlife (in doing so passing on that example to the rest of the population) and you might get that "better class" of visitors that remain your eternal wet-dream.

 

It is your reality, not your absurd, hubristic, deluded self-image, that brings the worst possible types....don't blame the flies for swarming to the sewer.

 

 

 

 

Hear, hear! A very forthright post with a lot of true observations within!

 

I especially like :- "Previous policy was to ignore crimes by foreigners?"

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, blazes said:

 

So you never drive at 31mph in a 30 mph zone limit?

and always wear underpants.😄

[it is what it is]

 

you've got to ask the question; would these increased screening measures have identified and prevented the entry of the swiss guy and the two new zealand guys? and if so, how? if the answer is no then are the screening measures for for purpose?

 

 

[wombat]

Yawn...slow season is upon us...immi crackdown.

[xeniv23]

4 hours ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

Stern look!!

At Phuket Immigration the IOs just shout louder.  

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

 

 

And how does that help weed out the bad apples? 

 

It doesn't, it just inconveniences a great deal of pensioners who have done nothing wrong but are nearing the minimum limits to stay.

 

The real ones involved in organised crime wouldn't care if it was increased tenfold.

 

Crooks don't follow the rules or the law.

I have never followed all the rules of the law and I'm not a crook. Just because something is law does not always make it right.

[Scouse123]

1 minute ago, NoshowJones said:

I have never followed all the rules of the law and I'm not a crook. Just because something is law does not always make it right.

 

You are being pedantic as I think you know very well what I am getting at.,

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

 

No, it won't, it will lead to unnecessary hardship on the wrong people.

 

I can afford to pay plenty more for an annual extension of stay, but why should I and what benefit is it?

 

I resent the present rules where you have to permanently leave 400K always in the bank and for five months at least, 800K in the bank.

 

It's daft, I have had separate health insurance for many years, those on the 65K method don't have to do this, so why should I?

 

And no, I don't want the faff and bother of proving the 65K a month method along with proof and paperwork continuously, nor do I want an illegal agent.

Can you name any of these illegal agents?

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, NoshowJones said:

3 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

 

 

And how does that help weed out the bad apples? 

 

It doesn't, it just inconveniences a great deal of pensioners who have done nothing wrong but are nearing the minimum limits to stay.

 

The real ones involved in organised crime wouldn't care if it was increased tenfold.

 

Crooks don't follow the rules or the law.

I have never followed all the rules of the law and I'm not a crook. Just because something is law does not always make it right.

 

 

Agreed... there are some laws that are silly and everyone breaks those laws... (i.e. buying booze between 2-5pm... crossing the white line on the road in some areas etc).

 

Then there are other's which we do not cross which would make us 'crooks' if we were to cross them. 

 

 

BUT... in the example of Immigration officers told to increase screening...  there is no way they can do that to any degree which would identify 'dodgy foreginers'... 

 

... Some the 'bad foreigner' examples we are reading of recently are issues some 'good foreigners' can inadvertently get caught up in. 

 

 

I can see situations whereby I am left with little choice but to cross a line..  Its fortunate that those situations have not escalated in the manner they could.... 

 

 

A few years ago...  A guy punched a waitress in the face, I was standing right next to them. 

Before I knew it, the guy was on the floor and I was holding him down, waiting for bouncers to come who then took over and took the guy away. 

This could have easily gone the other way... and been reported as "Western assaults Thai guy"...  it just depends, if the story is going to hit social media and go viral, it often depends who gets the story out there first as people are too lazy to read thoroughly and pick up on headlines and key worlds rather than critically evaluate what is being written and more specifically miss what is being missed out.

 

 

 

 

 

[Toby1947]

Here we go again. How about this for a suggestion shut the whole country down to foreigners, that will relieve your paranoia and 99% of the rest of the world wouldn't give a toss anyway 

[Toby1947]

4 hours ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

coming soon  money in the bank  for visas quadrupled!!

Not many stupid enough to follow that route for a visa anyway 

[richard_smith237]

5 minutes ago, NoshowJones said:

Can you name any of these illegal agents?

 

'Come on Noshow...  There have been numerous reports over the years of 'agents' with direct line to immigration whereby 'certain requirements' can be overlooked....  for a fee.... 

 

This has been going on for years, its been reported on here, in social media and in Thai media....      

 

Thus: the question you ask... 'can you name names'... is being a little bit pedantic...   Its like some telling you that some drivers in Thailand jump red lights and cause accidents, and then you ask who and want names...   that weakens whatever point you are trying to make. 

 

 

 

So.. the question here is: Are those 'agents still going to be operating' or charing more etc... 

 

Where and how is this additional screening going to take form ?

 

IMO - it won't...  it'll give immigration offers an excuse to reject some borderline cases, but everything else for most of us will remain the same, IMO. 

 

 

 

 

[JohnAllan]

3 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Good luck to all the "I own a home here" folks. 

Foreign nationals CAN own shares ... they just can't own the majority in a company!

[dogfish180]

What exactly is "enhanced screening"? 🤷‍♂️

[Bigz]

Clearly the government hasn't delivered on the election promises so now have to spice things up with a good old nationalist crap just like in Russia, Hungary, Cambodia, China or North Korea. 

[Gknrd]

You retiree's think it is bad now? Things will get absoulty nightmarish. With no leadership and no direction and saying this to immigration lets each individual and individual office go it's on direction. It is already like this and with this can and will go into a very bad direction for the law abiding and good retiree's. Bribes will be out of control. Unreal, putting the fate of a retiree in the hands of a money hungry immigration office or officer. 

What a great idea.. every Thai immigration officer will be driving a Benz in a few years.

Edited March 19 by Gknrd

[owl sees all]

1 hour ago, NoshowJones said:

I have never followed all the rules of the law and I'm not a crook. Just because something is law does not always make it right.

Poor, poor farang.

 

It's about time some farang started to be a bit more assertive. Get into that Imm Office and sort out your status. Give them what for. Thump the table a few times. Point yer finger. Throw a few choice words about. Take off yer tie and wave it around yer head; in an anti-clockwise direction. Stamp yer feet. Kick the flower pot. Take a football in with you and continually bounce it while you rant. If anyone is listening tell them that they wouldn't have a job if the farang were not in Thailand.

 

Soon sorted. 

[Elkski]

5 hours ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

coming soon  money in the bank  for visas quadrupled!!

Non refundable if you get blacklisted

[MartinBangkok]

Xenophobic and brainwashed Thais awash. This country has steadily grown less appealing for Farangs the last 15 years.

I can understand the Thais a bit. It must be extremely frustrating to see and witness the Farangs who live here, most with a good and secure economy far outreaching most Thais. Not to mention seeing a Thai girl/woman wiht a Farang.

 

Jealousy, brainwashed attitude (we have never been colonized!! :-0) towards westernes combined, makes you wonder if Thailand really is an attractive place to live as an expat.

[sirineou]

5 minutes ago, MartinBangkok said:

Xenophobic and brainwashed Thais awash.

not different than back home, 

You see what's going on in the States.

The vast majority of expats are good people, but there are a bunch of bad players who are giving us all a bad name,. You see it in the news every day.

what do you think would happen, if every day there were news of foreigners acting like A-holes? 

Same same. 

IMO immigration clamping down might be a good thing for all of us,. 

[Thingamabob]

6 hours ago, DaLa said:

Although the extra scrutiny could affect me as a retired and hopefully permanent fixture here, I welcome this. I left the UK partly because of the *hit hole it was deteriorating  into; behave in Thailand and you can have a great life.

Well said. 

[couchpotato]

38 minutes ago, owl sees all said:

Poor, poor farang.

 

It's about time some farang started to be a bit more assertive. Get into that Imm Office and sort out your status. Give them what for. Thump the table a few times. Point yer finger. Throw a few choice words about. Take off yer tie and wave it around yer head; in an anti-clockwise direction. Stamp yer feet. Kick the flower pot. Take a football in with you and continually bounce it while you rant. If anyone is listening tell them that they wouldn't have a job if the farang were not in Thailand.

 

Soon sorted. 

Few too many beers this afternoon!

[Scouse123]

2 hours ago, NoshowJones said:

Can you name any of these illegal agents?

 

Agents who are in the widespread practice of obtaining extensions from different provinces for people who do not have the necessary funds in the bank.

 

There are plenty in the likes of Bangkok and Pattaya, who work hand in glove with immigration, however, I think you know this already, and have nothing better to do with your time, except stalk on here acting or being obtuse.

[Taboo2]

49 minutes ago, sirineou said:

not different than back home, 

You see what's going on in the States.

The vast majority of expats are good people, but there are a bunch of bad players who are giving us all a bad name,. You see it in the news every day.

what do you think would happen, if every day there were news of foreigners acting like A-holes? 

Same same. 

IMO immigration clamping down might be a good thing for all of us,. 

What is going on in the States?  WE have illegal people invading the country...not legal tourists.  We have  no issues with tourists...we have issues with people taking services away from veterans and American citizens to support one political party.  Try living in America before throwing stones.  The Thais are fed up with folks who come here uninvited and then think they can beat up cops and their citizens!

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

Same old story of Thailand, left hand does not know what the right hand is doing. Give free visas out to tourists and tell immigration to cut the queues at airports. Then catch a few bad guys and expect immigration to scrutinize all foreigners arriving very carefully. Why doesn't anyone engage their brains before speaking in this country?