Thailand A Haven For Farang And Other Assorted Foreign Criminals.

[sassienie]

Thailand has become a haven for Farang and other assorted foreign criminals.

This is because of lax Immigration laws that will not amend it’s no questions asked let anyone in policies.

Slap a ban on visa runs and introduce tougher non-Immigrant visa regulations, plus impose all visa applicants to produce evidence of what is or what is not on criminal file about them.

[ratcatcher]

Thailand has become a haven for Farang and other assorted foreign criminals.

This is because of lax Immigration laws that will not amend it’s no questions asked let anyone in policies.

Slap a ban on visa runs and introduce tougher non-Immigrant visa regulations, plus impose all visa applicants to produce evidence of what is or what is not on criminal file about them.

At the present moment one could say the same about the United Kingdom.

[poshthai]

What proof have you got for this wild statement.

No doubt there will be criminals hiding here the same as costa del sol but to say its a haven is a little bit of a drama queen.Visa runs are the best way to be checked regular as the immigration have a lot more info now on computer with the uk and europe police.No questions asked is wrong too,there are plenty of checks to be done before a visa is issued.

So i do not agree with you unless you can prove this sweeping statement.

[Who, me ?]

what a load of craps !

[geriatrickid]

The issue isn't visa runs, it's one of screening and information sharing. The Dutch police just arrested a major Mafia figure wanted in Canada. He was trying to get from Panama to Rome on a fake Israeli passport. Had he tried Thailand, he probably would have gotten in because of the crappy system in place.

There is a certain someone just released from a Vietnamese prison. He tried to go all over Asia. Fortunately he was denied entry. However, the most logical solution would have been the UK revoking his passport. The UK didn't and the farce could have been

avoided.

The issue isn't visas, its the way it's managed and the failure of the home countries to suspend travel rights to people that should not be traveling.

[imaneggspurt]

I would say that may be true of a few years ago but not now,a lot has changed in thailand ,the world is becoming smaller by the day and its no easier to hide here than anywhere else in my opinion, unless you want to run a rice plantation in issan

[grantbkk]

I hope the OP is just trying to stimulate conversation.

Thailand at present has enough immigration rules and laws. The trouble is that they are not enforced uniformly. The criminal element in let's say Pattaya for example is probably doing payoffs to avoid those pesky problems with the police and immigration. Another problem is that many of the rules are convoluted and are subject to interpretation. We are guests in a foreign country but it is not fully developed by any stretch of the imagination. Every year I go to immigration in Bangkok and witness all kinds of unusual behavior by the applicants. From the Arab screaming that he is a very important man to the American and his Thai wife crying because he doesn't qualify to remain in the country.

The police and immigration do sweeps of neighborhoods from time to time in areas that have obvious problems. They deport busloads of folks from Sukhumvit Soi 3/1 every time they do a sweep. The place is overrun with forgers, drug traffickers, overstayers and money launderers and everyone knows it. If resources were allocated to obvious problem areas and problem groups the number of crimes committed by foreigners would be reduced as will as the income of the corrupt officials.

[Kerryd]

Not to mention that some (many ?) of those criminals don't do visa runs (and it seems that when eventually caught, have expired passports as well).

Perhaps the home countries should try to do more to prevent these people from leaving in the first place. After all, at some point on their journey to Thailand, they have to show their passport/ID before getting on the plane from wherever. Why aren't they picked up in Euroland/USA/Oz before getting out ?

[mrtoad]

Thailand has become a haven for Farang and other assorted foreign criminals.

This is because of lax Immigration laws that will not amend it’s no questions asked let anyone in policies.

Slap a ban on visa runs and introduce tougher non-Immigrant visa regulations, plus impose all visa applicants to produce evidence of what is or what is not on criminal file about them.

Oh the irony.

So what is the Toxin family then? Fine law abiding citizens? I'd say that the UK pretty much lets anyone in as well.

Thailand may have been lax in the past, but it's clearly become more stringent in recent times. The recent GG case is a good example of immigration taking a stand against certain types of people.

I'd be interested to know your nationality, as this may shed some light on your rather blinkered views.

[GuestHouse]

Steady on... Clamping down on Visa runs.... You'll not get much support for that.

[girlx]

ha... like visa regulations aren't ridiculous enough here. eliminating the sex for sale scene would probably help a lot, but that is never going to happen.

there are plenty of nice farangs here.

[Bangyai]

The OP's comments remind me of a favourite saying of an old colleage of mine who used to turn up for work bleary eyed every morning, cast his eye slowly over the rest of us, sniff then say :

" You're all bastards except me ! "

He was a really nice bloke though ?

[ilyushin]

Why not just open up new immigration offices around the country to issue extensions to qualified tourist and non-immigrants and stop the border runs?

[fuzedcon]

Thailand has become a haven for Farang and other assorted foreign criminals.

Not really, it was much worse before.

The good old days... when Sobraj was around, and Soi Ngam Dupli was actually still fun, and not paradise for aged sextourists on the cheap...

Thailand was a lot more fun, once, before the post crises invasion of the international citizenry.

[Bangyai]

Thailand has become a haven for Farang and other assorted foreign criminals.

Not really, it was much worse before.

The good old days... when Sobraj was around, and Soi Ngam Dupli was actually still fun, and not paradise for aged sextourists on the cheap...

Thailand was a lot more fun, once, before the post crises invasion of the international citizenry.

Agreed. Soi Ngam du Plee and the Blue Fox and that one story Mexican restaurant were great places to meet real characters before mass tourism came along.

[libya 115]

I think that the time will come one day, when ordinary (By that I mean unmarried or non-retired) tourists and long stayers will only be allowed to remain in the Kingdom for six months out of twelve.

[taxexile]

Blue Fox

those really were the days !

[poshthai]

ha... like visa regulations aren't ridiculous enough here. eliminating the sex for sale scene would probably help a lot, but that is never going to happen.

there are plenty of nice farangs here.

thank you for those kind words girlx,not many of us left lol.

[poshthai]

One of the earlier posts stated that some farangs could qualify for v.i.p visas,and one of the criteria was to be a super grass,now that would get rid of the undesireable farangs.

[Pierrot]

People have a hard time understanding tough deportation laws protect honest travelers.

Take the example of Europe or the USA. You, an honest citizen, want to apply for a visa. Embassy employees make you feel like a criminal. On the other hand, a foreign criminal in those countries is protected from deportation by an army of bleeding hearts liberals.

Basically, because they can't deport criminal, they treat every honest visitor like a potential criminal. How does that make sense ?

[jimjam23]

Thailand has become a haven for Farang and other assorted foreign criminals.

This is because of lax Immigration laws that will not amend it's no questions asked let anyone in policies.

Slap a ban on visa runs and introduce tougher non-Immigrant visa regulations, plus impose all visa applicants to produce evidence of what is or what is not on criminal file about them.

I don't think Gary Glitter will agree with you here.

Edited August 22, 2008 by jimjam23

[lifeisrandom]

plenty of criminals happen to have money. it seems more like your goal is to get rid of the poor farang tattooed tank top brigade.

[poshthai]

never seen a farang in a tanktop lol.

[Jingthing]

Why not? Because the current visa rules have already thrown out the baby with the bathwater. You are suggesting throwing out the bath, the bathroom, and the house, as well.

[Pierrot]

I think that the time will come one day, when ordinary (By that I mean unmarried or non-retired) tourists and long stayers will only be allowed to remain in the Kingdom for six months out of twelve.

A nightmare !

Unless you have a booking in evason (http://www.sixsenses.com/Evason-Phuket/ ) or any other five stars spa, 2 weeks should be a maximum !