Thailand Attracts Fugitives From America

[zorro1]

If they had any brains, they would go to a country with no extradition treaty.

you want to live in India? 40 years hard labour and no suit salesmen seems the logical choice

[mellow1]

Are people who draw social service benefits from their home country, and can only receive these benefits legally within the EU, but are living here in Thailand, are they criminals? Will they be considered fugitives once found out? Does the term criminal apply only to certain crimes?

Why are you so interested in people drawing social service benefits illegally, mellow1? Is there something you would like to share with us?

Share what? All I'm wondering is if these people who are committing fraud, are ever discovered here, do to a database upgrade, or countries like Britain, where to coordinate their checks and see passport use. These people would then be considered criminals. They would also have to pay their respective countries the funds they collected. Would they also be prosecuted here in Thailand for using the country as a base for this activity? It doesn't affect me personally, the US has no such restrictions on me.

Of course this article could only be so much bullshit, after all it wouldn't look good for the US to do a sting operation in Thailand, while the BIB are at the station playing video games, or worse. There is certainly very little done about criminal activity here, so I guess diverting attention to a few foreigner is a good tactic.

But all of that doesn't answer the questions which you replied to, maybe you could share your opinion on these questions?

[koheesti]

Thailand attracts fugitives from U.S.

Lax law enforcement, easy hospitality lure many, who blend in easily with expatriates

Americans like Hoke can blend in easily in Thailand, where more than 7,000 U.S. expatriates legally reside and work.

And last year, more than 700,000 American tourists visited Thailand.

- Cox News Service (USA)

The article is written in America for Americans that's why they don't go into details of all the fugitives from other countries. IMO they should have added a paragraph in there somewhere stating that fugitives from all over the world are attracted to Thailand no just Americans.

Thailand should be able to keep some of these fugitives out in the first place (if they fill out an application for a visa) BUT it says a little something about the Thai officials that these fugitives were eventually caught. How many reports come out of foreign fugitives being caught in Malaysia? Indonesia? Cambodia? etc.

[JetsetBkk]

Are people who draw social service benefits from their home country, and can only receive these benefits legally within the EU, but are living here in Thailand, are they criminals? Will they be considered fugitives once found out? Does the term criminal apply only to certain crimes?

Why are you so interested in people drawing social service benefits illegally, mellow1? Is there something you would like to share with us?

Share what? All I'm wondering is if these people who are committing fraud, are ever discovered here, do to a database upgrade, or countries like Britain, where to coordinate their checks and see passport use. These people would then be considered criminals. They would also have to pay their respective countries the funds they collected. Would they also be prosecuted here in Thailand for using the country as a base for this activity? It doesn't affect me personally, the US has no such restrictions on me.

Of course this article could only be so much bullshit, after all it wouldn't look good for the US to do a sting operation in Thailand, while the BIB are at the station playing video games, or worse. There is certainly very little done about criminal activity here, so I guess diverting attention to a few foreigner is a good tactic.

But all of that doesn't answer the questions which you replied to, maybe you could share your opinion on these questions?

Sorry mellow1, I was just trying to bring some humour into the proceedings! It sounded as if you were asking about social services fraudsters to help with your own situation

OK, so here's my opinion: if it is a crime to live in a country on benefits then certainly the people who are doing it are criminals. If it wasn't a crime when they came here, and the law was subsequently changed to make it a crime - with no "grandfathering" (exemption from the law) - then 'tough luck', they are still criminals.

The term "fugitive" tends to imply "flight from the law" - so the people who are criminals because they are in another country illegally receiving benefits don't really fit into the "fugitive" group, because they are criminals only because they are living in another country - they didn't flee here to evade the law as they hadn't done anything wrong until they left their home country. Complicated, isn't it?

[jackspratt]

The problems lay with the Thai immigration system.

Those of us on non-immigrant visas are still only glorified tourists. Only those applying for permanent residence or Thai citizenship are asked to provide a police statement from their home country, to say whether or not they have a criminal record.

Incorrect.

Generally, applicants for Non O-A visas must produce a police clearance from their home country.