Immigration Anutin Proposes New Immigration Department to Streamline Border Services

[webfact]

File photo courtesy of Naewna

 

Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, has championed a proposal for a specialised department dedicated to immigration matters. This move, revealed yesterday, aims to tackle the increasing complexity of cross-border activities involving Thai nationals and foreign visitors.

 

Anutin presented his comprehensive plan to the Immigration Commission's chairman, highlighting the need for a focused subcommittee to evaluate this ambitious scheme.

 

Central to Anutin’s proposal is the Interior Ministry's fundamental role in national security, public welfare, and safeguarding legal rights. The creation of an immigration department would streamline crucial services such as residency permits, work authorisations, citizenship applications, and civil registration.

 

Anutin believes leveraging the ministry's existing database could enhance immigration services and facilitate effective population mobility management.

 

This proposal aligns with the government’s broader directive for the Interior Ministry to spearhead the integration of population data with public service systems.

 

 

 

The integration is deemed a more economical approach compared to the development of entirely new systems. It's a strategic part of the government's ongoing mission to bolster public administration's efficiency and responsiveness.

 

The roots of this current proposal stem from steps taken on January 10, 2017, when the cabinet granted powers to the prime minister and interior minister to issue regulations under the Immigration Act.

 

This initiative has tasked the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC) with evaluating the formation of an immigration department. The cabinet has already shown initial support for these findings.

 

Anutin emphasised that collaborative talks between the OPDC and the Interior Ministry have provided deeper insights into the ministry’s existing capabilities and its vision for integrated border management.

 

These discussions play a crucial role in informing the potential establishment of this department, which could significantly alter Thailand’s handling of immigration in the future.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-05-01

 

 

[Gottfrid]

They should put this man as far away from immigration activities as possible.

[JoePai]

increasing complexity of cross-border activities involving Thai nationals and foreign visitors

 

So the answer to a simple job the immigration department should already be doing to to spend on yet another department    🤣

[fondue zoo]

1 hour ago, Gottfrid said:

They should put this man as far away from immigration activities as possible.

 

 

Does he still believe we don’t shower and have smelly undercarriages?

 

[Gottfrid]

29 minutes ago, fondue zoo said:

 

 

Does he still believe we don’t shower and have smelly undercarriages?

 

Oh, there is no unit of measure for what this guy believe. He´s probably in the flat earth movement.

[Watawattana]

I wonder which one of his mates has paid through the nose to be lined up for the top job in this new department?

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Anutin presented his comprehensive plan to the Immigration Commission's chairman, highlighting the need for a focused subcommittee to evaluate this ambitious scheme.

Lol

[topt]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

This initiative has tasked the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC) with evaluating the formation of an immigration department. The cabinet has already shown initial support for these findings.

Ok I'm confused. Which department does Immigration fall under at the moment - RTP?

 

What real difference does it make in practice if they are a separate department other than creating a lot more chiefs........? They still both come under the Interior Ministry.

[kiwikeith]

6 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

They should put this man as far away from immigration activities as possible.

 

6 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

They should put this man as far away from immigration activities as possible.

leave him to  concentrate on medical hooch

[Surasak]

4 hours ago, fondue zoo said:

 

 

Does he still believe we don’t shower and have smelly undercarriages?

 

Just what has he been doing in coming to that conclusion!?

[fulhamster]

1 hour ago, Watawattana said:

I wonder which one of his mates has paid through the nose to be lined up for the top job in this new department?

The one who is not supposed to be involved in politics and speaks through his daughter ?

[Gottfrid]

10 hours ago, kiwikeith said:

 

leave him to  concentrate on medical hooch

Ganja tribe man!

[lordgrinz]

Create more chaos in the immigration process, as if there wasn't enough already 🤬

[Will B Good]

Is that CHERRY BLOSSOM black shoe polish he's using?

[Yagoda]

Sounds like a good idea if I am reading it correctly. It seems like they are creating am Immigration Department within the Ministry of the Interior? If so it could be more efficient.

 

Its tough for me to comment in an educated fashion since, unlike you expert commentators above, I dont speak Thai and am not familiar with the intricacies of the Thai Ministry of the Interior so I wouldnt even be able to read a flow chart of the various responsibilities like you guys.

 

How are the Immigration matters assigned or controlled now? How will the reorganization plan affect day to day operations? 

 

You experts on the Thai government should know.

[Andycoops]

Just another layer of bureaucracy to add onto all the other bloated layers of bureaucracy and more sticky fingers to get their slice of the pie.

[BE88]

 

 

I want more power.

[kiwikeith]

6 hours ago, Yagoda said:

Sounds like a good idea if I am reading it correctly. It seems like they are creating am Immigration Department within the Ministry of the Interior? If so it could be more efficient.

 

Its tough for me to comment in an educated fashion since, unlike you expert commentators above, I dont speak Thai and am not familiar with the intricacies of the Thai Ministry of the Interior so I wouldnt even be able to read a flow chart of the various responsibilities like you guys.

 

How are the Immigration matters assigned or controlled now? How will the reorganization plan affect day to day operations? 

 

You experts on the Thai government should know.

The govt does not know so dont expect anyone on this  forum to know as it will be a long time coming with major loopholes to sort

[ChaiyaTH]

You can bet your ass that taxes are becoming real soon if this happens.

[Yagoda]

34 minutes ago, kiwikeith said:

The govt does not know so dont expect anyone on this  forum to know as it will be a long time coming with major loopholes to sort

Oh? Nothing in writing? The "Comprehensive Plan" was giiven orally? Who has read the plan and can answer some basic questions I have about it?

[Stocky]

7 hours ago, Yagoda said:

Sounds like a good idea if I am reading it correctly. It seems like they are creating am Immigration Department within the Ministry of the Interior? If so it could be more efficient.

 

Its tough for me to comment in an educated fashion since, unlike you expert commentators above, I dont speak Thai and am not familiar with the intricacies of the Thai Ministry of the Interior so I wouldnt even be able to read a flow chart of the various responsibilities like you guys.

 

How are the Immigration matters assigned or controlled now? How will the reorganization plan affect day to day operations? 

 

You experts on the Thai government should know.

If done properly it probably is a good idea.

Currently the Immigration Bureau is one of the many arms of the Royal Thai Police, and reports to the Office of The Prime Minister, not to the Minister of The Interior which would be more usual and logical set up. However, given the current incumbent is one Anutin Charnvirakul, this could simply be empire building rather streamlining of government. 

[Yagoda]

2 minutes ago, Stocky said:

If done properly it probably is a good idea.

Currently the Immigration Bureau is one of the many arms of the Royal Thai Police, and reports to the Office of The Prime Minister, not to the Minister of The Interior which would be more usual and logical set up. However, given the current incumbent is one Anutin Charnvirakul, this could simply be empire building rather streamlining of government. 

Got it. So its not the policy thats bad, its the fact that non Thai folks hate Anutin

[Stocky]

1 minute ago, Yagoda said:

Got it. So its not the policy thats bad, its the fact that non Thai folks hate Anutin

Anutin is well remembered for his rant about foreigners not wearing masks during the pandemic, I have no idea if he genuinely dislikes foreigners but he carries that tag. Importantly Anutin is rich, the family owns Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction to which he is the heir, and he's ambitious, he wants to be prime minister. 

[Yagoda]

5 minutes ago, Stocky said:

Anutin is well remembered for his rant about foreigners not wearing masks during the pandemic, I have no idea if he genuinely dislikes foreigners but he carries that tag. Importantly Anutin is rich, the family owns Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction to which he is the heir, and he's ambitious, he wants to be prime minister. 

I guess the point I am trying to make then is that we have folks just ranting over something they know nothing about just because they like to bash Thailand or Anutin.

 

He is the weed dude too, right?

[HuaHinNew]

Re: Anutin believes leveraging the ministry's existing database could enhance immigration services and facilitate effective population mobility management.

 

Well, lots of mother-hood and apple-pie talk about COU LD enhance immigration services, how about first fixing the current lack of integration services between all the various RTP visa and reporting systems and Immigration arrival  / departure systems.

 

That would go a long way to elevating all the current disconnects between these disparate systems, and would make life so much easier for both Immigration officers and foreigners.

 

Get that all interoperability and functionality working first, then you can build out your new Immigration organization and provide additional integration with other government database systems.

[Yagoda]

2 minutes ago, HuaHinNew said:

current lack of integration services between all the various RTP visa and reporting systems and Immigration arrival  / departure systems.

How is it not integrated? 

[Stocky]

1 hour ago, Yagoda said:

He is the weed dude too, right?

 

Indeed, he's Mr Ganja

[Yagoda]

4 minutes ago, Stocky said:

 

Indeed, he's Mr Ganja

Good man! All stoners love him! He can do no wrong!

 

I pay $2 a gram for prime Thai bud here in Siem Reap. Thanks Mr. A.  Play with immigration all you want I have a yearly visa in Cambodia and come and go into Thailand as I please, that wont change.

[faraday]

A new department with a new budget...

😁

 

What would I know though, being a dirty falang...🤣

[scorecard]

23 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Lol

First committee, in six months another committee then forgotten...