Crime Immigration Ramps Up Airport Security to Block ‘Grey Business’ Foreigners

[Cabradelmar]

On 6/8/2025 at 7:23 AM, Georgealbert said:

call centre scams, online gambling or money laundering

Only in Thailand are they activities call "grey businesses" 😂 

[Humpy]

Oh dear

[madmitch]

They've recently introduced an ETA. Isn't this process supposed to screen for undesirables? 

[Hakuna Matata]

On 6/8/2025 at 9:40 AM, Briggsy said:

This is probably primarily aimed at the Chinese, but also Indians and Africans. 

 

 

[Hakuna Matata]

21 minutes ago, madmitch said:

They've recently introduced an ETA. Isn't this process supposed to screen for undesirables? 

 

Citizens of high risk countries should obtain a proper entry visa in their home country prior to entering Thailand. Singapore is a good example of strict visa policy.

 

https://www.ica.gov.sg/enter-transit-depart/entering-singapore/visa_requirements

 

If your travel document is issued by one of the countries/ places listed below, you will require a valid visa to enter Singapore.

Afghanistan
Algeria
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Belarus
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Egypt
Georgia
India
Iran
Iraq
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kosovo
Kyrgyzstan
Lebanon
Libya
Mali
Moldova
Morocco
Nigeria
Pakistan
Russia
Somalia
South Sudan
Sudan
Syria
Tajikistan
Tunisia
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
Uzbekistan
Yemen

 

You will also need a visa if you are travelling on:

• A Refugee travel document. This travel document is subject to assessment of recognition for entry into Singapore
• An Alien's passport. This travel document is subject to assessment of recognition for entry into Singapore
• A Palestinian Authority passport
• A temporary passport issued by the United Arab Emirates
• A Document of Identity issued by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
• A Travel Permit issued by Macao Special Administrative Region
• A PRC Travel Document

 

I would add some more countries to the list above, specific to Thailand: Lithuania, Poland, Romania, South Korea, Vietnam (prostitutes), Ghana, Albania, China, Colombia, etc.

[watchcat]

On 6/8/2025 at 1:23 AM, Georgealbert said:

In particular, officials are watching for individuals engaged in call centre scams, online gambling or money laundering, many of whom allegedly operate illegal businesses in neighbouring countries and use Thailand as a base or transit hub. With land routes now closely monitored, such individuals may shift to air travel in an attempt to circumvent the new restrictions.

 

Chinese individuals in other words.

[digger70]

On 6/8/2025 at 7:57 AM, blaze master said:

Imagine if they stepped up to solve the brown envelope  business. 

They can try but can / will ,never stop that.

[Upnotover]

34 minutes ago, madmitch said:

They've recently introduced an ETA. Isn't this process supposed to screen for undesirables? 

No they haven't.  They have re-introduced an arrival card.

[Patong2021]

2 hours ago, Itsreasonable said:

Visa runs are necessary from time to time because changes to visa type force you to leave the country. Is the idea return to home country and apply gonna get expensive and fast. Less and less long term expats another economic hit for the country!

Not really. If the expat can not afford a return to the home country, then they were not a particularly high value non resident to begin with.

[Aussie999]

Do these people enter with a label on their forehead announcing they need to be watched,checked etc otherwise I don't understand what this article is about.

[Aussie999]

9 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

 

Many of them are known to the authorities. There may be insufficient evidence to obtain a conviction but they can be blocked from entering. Examples are people who are named in investigations or who have been detained previously.

Can you backup your comment,re: many are known to authorities, or are you assuming too much

[Aussie999]

45 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

Not really. If the expat can not afford a return to the home country, then they were not a particularly high value non resident to begin with.

Irrational

[Briggsy]

6 minutes ago, Aussie999 said:

Do these people enter with a label on their forehead announcing they need to be watched,checked etc otherwise I don't understand what this article is about.

I suspect this is an exercise seen in top-down countries like Thailand. 

 

The minister is unhappy. He is getting grief regarding lost tax revenue, blatant breach of immigration law regarding foreigners operating businesses, etc. We are not talking about painting your house but rather firms with serious turnover. This is for the most part the realm of the Chinese. Hence why scam centres were mentioned.

 

The minister goes to his civil service, in this case, the Immigration Bureau, and says, "Do something about it."

 

The Immigration Bureau issues a press release saying all the right things but also spots a great opportunity to make some undeclared, unreceipted cash on the side. 

 

Et voila, everybody is happy. 

 

Do you recall when Certificates of Residence were brought back/brought in? It was the same. They were brought back/brought in to supposedly crack down on foreign criminals and terrorists. What a money spinner they have turned out to be! 300 Baht per certificate. Jomtien 150? certificates / day = 45,000 Baht / day unreceipted. 😀

[paul1804]

Like many on this forum I have very little confidence with the Thai immigration system, its too hit & miss and people are let in that are known felons whilst others with no blemishes against their name are rejected. Immigration shares intelligence with many other countries and most of this information is in their computer system, they just need to get off their backsides and do what they are paid to do. 

The many known scam centres of Myanmar that most likely still exist is full of Chinese & Thais and whilst many have been repatriated many have not. Thailand has access to these known peoples names along with other known felons from neighbouring countries yet due to their corrupt and imorral practices and looking the other way when its financially beneficial is part of the problem.  

[chilli42]

I don’t get it. Were they not already doing this? Is this something new? If they were already doing this what are they going to do differently to make sure they are more effective. What triggered them to step up enforcement? Makes no sense

[Briggsy]

30 minutes ago, chilli42 said:

I don’t get it. Were they not already doing this? Is this something new? If they were already doing this what are they going to do differently to make sure they are more effective. What triggered them to step up enforcement? Makes no sense

Top-down reactive management.

 

For example, yesterday there was a story about several students at Chiang Mai University from wealthy families losing a cumulative amount of millions of baht.

 

Somewhere somebody senior at Immigration has been ordered to do something by someone senior at the Interior Ministry. So, we get a press release.

 

On this note, organised international crime is very hard to combat. It requires at the very least cross-ministry co-operation with dedicated teams to combat it. So, it would need to be approved and organised at very high levels.

[Woke to Sounds]

1 hour ago, paul1804 said:

The many known scam centres of Myanmar that most likely still exist is full of Chinese & Thais and whilst many have been repatriated many have not.

 

All eyes on Chinese and Thais in the scam call centre bizness these daze.

 

As a North American I could really step into my destiny here, rack up some good numbers in this schnizzit.

[PETERTHEEATER]

5 hours ago, hotchilli said:

And how exactly do they know what tourists entering Thailand intentions are?

Single men with glazed eyes, tongue hanging out and one hand down the front of their pants might be a clue.😅

[Pompeygeezer]

So, Just another excuse to stop someone coming in because an IO is having a bad day or they have to fill some quota.

[Showtime]

They should have been doing this all along.  It is their duty and their job.

[Patong2021]

9 hours ago, Aussie999 said:

Can you backup your comment,re: many are known to authorities, or are you assuming too much

 

Thai Immigration has access to the RTP data base and can see who is under a request to detain, or is named in an investigation  or has a Thai criminal proceeding record. Why do you think the biometric information is taken and the passport scanned? It is not for show.

 

9 hours ago, Aussie999 said:

Irrational

 

You made the claim that  some individuals would be forced to return to their home countries to obtain visa and lamented that it would be an "economic hit" for Thailand. The group you refer to  are not a major income source for Thailand.  I replied that if a person you refer to was unable to afford the trip home, then it was unlikely that person was contributing much to the economy of Thailand. A motivated person will not be too discouraged by the need to  follow standard immigration procedure common to most countries. The expat personnel at  Toyota, Ford, Deloitte, Mitsubishi,  LG, Samsung,Baker & McKenzie, GAIC, BYD etc. will not have the problem you refer to.  Nor will the people who are on marriage visas or have established legitimate businesses. These are the people who are the people who, as a group do have a financial impact.  You have over estimated the importance of the independent IT contract worker, or person on an "education" visa to study Muay Thai or Thai language, or individual long term visitor.

[Aussie999]

13 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

 

Thai Immigration has access to the RTP data base and can see who is under a request to detain, or is named in an investigation  or has a Thai criminal proceeding record. Why do you think the biometric information is taken and the passport scanned? It is not for show.

 

 

You made the claim that  some individuals would be forced to return to their home countries to obtain visa and lamented that it would be an "economic hit" for Thailand. The group you refer to  are not a major income source for Thailand.  I replied that if a person you refer to was unable to afford the trip home, then it was unlikely that person was contributing much to the economy of Thailand. A motivated person will not be too discouraged by the need to  follow standard immigration procedure common to most countries. The expat personnel at  Toyota, Ford, Deloitte, Mitsubishi,  LG, Samsung,Baker & McKenzie, GAIC, BYD etc. will not have the problem you refer to.  Nor will the people who are on marriage visas or have established legitimate businesses. These are the people who are the people who, as a group do have a financial impact.  You have over estimated the importance of the independent IT contract worker, or person on an "education" visa to study Muay Thai or Thai language, or individual long term visitor.

Immigration only has access to those on its database, this is a minority of tourists etc

As for the second part of you comment, completely irrelevant and irrational.

[black tabby12345]

How do they process arrival passengers? Do they still Check alien s' passports? Or

they now simply sight their digital arrival card image on their phone/printout?

Remark from anyone who recently arrived here sought.

[ThailandRyan]

On 6/7/2025 at 5:57 PM, blaze master said:

Imagine if they stepped up to solve the brown envelope  business. 

Looking at the front row in the picture for the article a lack of envelopes would mean some very hungry cops....a forced diet.