Phuket Immigration Crackdown Announced

[george]

Phuket Immigration crackdown announced

Phuket Immigration Superintendent Chanatpol Yongbunjerd

speaks at this morning's press conference.

PHUKET CITY: Phuket Immigration this morning held a press conference to announce measures aimed at improving compliance with immigration law, including the requirement that owners of all hotels, guesthouses and rental homes report foreigners on their premises to immigration within 24 hours of arrival.

Phuket Immigration Superintendent Chanatpol Yongbunjerd told the press that the crackdown follows the recent arrest of three ethnic Rohingyas on charges of involvement in an international human smuggling ring.

The three men, two of whom were arrested in Songkhla’s Haad Yai district, are also suspected of having links to terrorist groups including Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).

The crackdown is also part of stepped-up security in the run-up to the 42nd Asean Foreign Ministers Meeting, scheduled to take place at Laguna Phuket from July 16 to 23, Col Chanatpol said.

Expected to attend that event are Foreign Ministers from all 10 Asean states as well as their counterparts from dialogue partners Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the European Union, the United States, China, India, South Korea and Russia.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to attend the meeting, during which the ministers are expected to try and hammer out a unified approach to the nuclear ambitions of pariah state North Korea – which successfully carried out a nuclear test in May.

Col Chanatpol used the press conference to ask for co-operation from hotel owners as well as employers of low-wage foreign laborers, who must report the details of all foreigners under their employ as soon as possible – or face fines.

Other security measures will include: more thorough screening of foreigners entering and leaving the country, especially those on watch lists or exhibiting suspicious behavior; increased co-operation with local police departments in monitoring residences with foreigners in domicile, especially those with suspicious behavior; increased security in popular tourism and nightlife entertainment areas; and better co-ordination and information exchange among police and related agencies.

Col Chanatpol also asked the public to report any problems or useful information to Phuket Immigration on 076-212108.

Phuket Immigration Inspector for Investigation Suparerk Pankosol, who also attended the meeting, told the press that homeowners who fail to inform Immigration of foreigners staying in their homes – either as guests or under rental agreements – face fines not exceeding 2,000 baht.

Owners of hotels, guesthouses and other commercial accommodation establishments who fail to report guests are subject to fines ranging from 2,000 baht to 10,000 baht, he said.

Phuket Immigration's webmaster, Bunta Lapet, told the media that such registration could be conducted quickly and easily on line by using the site’s “Phuket Immigration Enterprise” webpage.

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-06-23

[chiang mai]

This one ranks in the same league as the daytime cleaning of Bangla Road by men in white protection suits in order to prevent the spread of swine flu. Funny.

[Jimbob1]

Why not just tattoo a number on the arm's of all foreigners to keep track of them .... I can't believe this ....

[puyaidon]

Hotels in Pattaya have been reporting this info to the government. I used to check into my favorite hotel without a passport but about 2-3 years ago, passport required or at least a copy of the pertinent info regarding each guest. The hotel I stay at likes the concept of using the internet of reporting. Less hassle for them. No passport now, no room.

[dominique355]

An old friend of mine will be coming over and stay with us in our house for a few day. Do I have to report him to the Police?

And what kind of suspicious behavior should I report?

- Not chasing girls?

- Not drinking "lao"?

- Driving politely?

- Giving a big tip?

[Loptr]

An old friend of mine will be coming over and stay with us in our house for a few day. Do I have to report him to the Police?

And what kind of suspicious behavior should I report?

- Not chasing girls?

- Not drinking "lao"?

- Driving politely?

- Giving a big tip?

If he talks into his shoe and speaks in foreign tongues, that would be a clue...

[tinglish]

When do we get our yellow stars?

[easyride]

An old friend of mine will be coming over and stay with us in our house for a few day. Do I have to report him to the Police?

And what kind of suspicious behavior should I report?

- Not chasing girls?

- Not drinking "lao"?

- Driving politely?

- Giving a big tip?

Bloody hel_l, this is more than suspicious its akin to terrorism.

I'd not only camp outside immigration to be first in line I'd report it to Interpol.

Does Bin Laden know about this?

[glegolo]

An old friend of mine will be coming over and stay with us in our house for a few day. Do I have to report him to the Police?

And what kind of suspicious behavior should I report?

- Not chasing girls?

- Not drinking "lao"?

- Driving politely?

- Giving a big tip?

If he talks into his shoe and speaks in foreign tongues, that would be a clue...

-----------------------------------------------------------------

If Thailand has problems, and Thailand wishes to address them in certain ways.

I think it is fair to let them.

All countries that I know of, is trying to keep track of

their foreigners..

Glegolo

[hansnl]

Here we go again.

Another one for chasing tourists away.

In the same league as raising prices to get the same income.

If the tourists stay away, for whatever reason, you make it more difficult for the remaining visitors.

[russianrobert]

Why not just tattoo a number on the arm's of all foreigners to keep track of them .... I can't believe this ....

Don't the Thais have the right to ensure those who come into and stay in the country are ligitimate? Many countries in the world have registration systems to provide information on who is living where and for how long. What's the problem?

It's no hardship for the foreigner, it's the guesthouse or hotel that has to provide the info and like i say many other countries do the same.

With the security situation in Thailand and the world the way it is ithink it's well over due!

[ubonjoe]

An old friend of mine will be coming over and stay with us in our house for a few day. Do I have to report him to the Police?

And what kind of suspicious behavior should I report?

- Not chasing girls?

- Not drinking "lao"?

- Driving politely?

- Giving a big tip?

I think everybody knows what kind of suspicious behavior to report.

You can register your guest by submitting this form to immigration if you want to or are worried about it.

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/download/pdf/tm30.pdf

[sunholidaysun1]

If there is a huge influx of tourists to Phuket then I think the police will be caught with their pants down , like the rest of us . HAHAHAAHAHa

[ubonjoe]

As said the reporting of foreigners is nothing new. It has been a requirement for many years.

This is merely a notice to business owners that they are craking down on them. And nothing more.

[grahamhc]

Why not just tattoo a number on the arm's of all foreigners to keep track of them .... I can't believe this ....

Better still, implant an RFID chip in us, just like those in the UK passports, so you can be idenitified by stategically placed readers within range.

Then all you have to do is walk in and out of immigration and let the computer fill in your 90 day report Would save a lot of time!

[vzk]

PHUKET CITY: Phuket Immigration this morning held a press conference to announce measures aimed at improving compliance with immigration law, including the requirement that owners of all hotels, guesthouses and rental homes report foreigners on their premises to immigration within 24 hours of arrival.

If I remember correctly, this is common practice across the western world.

In the US I had to show my passport at every hotel I checked in, as in France, Suisee, Austria ...

Even if I don't know what the data is used for, I'm used to goverments/states tracking me via my passport for a long time.

And, if we assume that someone might abuse our data, shouldn't one be more concerned what the better equipped countries do with it ('cause they might be able to inflict more damage and due to the complexity/amount of data, the risk of failure is bigger)?

my 2 cents,

Volker

Edited June 23, 2009 by vzk

[jaapfries]

Why not just tattoo a number on the arm's of all foreigners to keep track of them .... I can't believe this ....

Don't the Thais have the right to ensure those who come into and stay in the country are ligitimate? Many countries in the world have registration systems to provide information on who is living where and for how long. What's the problem?

It's no hardship for the foreigner, it's the guesthouse or hotel that has to provide the info and like i say many other countries do the same.

With the security situation in Thailand and the world the way it is ithink it's well over due!

================================================================================

=======================

HEY MISTER PANIC-PERSON (and you're obviously not the only oe on this litle forum !) : Why don;t you slow down and relize a few things:

1. We ARE all guests in this brilliant country

2. Last time in Pattaya, no measures (security) to speak of, were taken and look what happened there

3. Whenever you write your comments; PRETEND hat some Thai people are reading this forum too . . . . .

"Yellow-Stars" and "Tatoo'd Numbers-on-arms", what a bunch of super rude and extremely infantile suggestions; certainly show the level of thought some of these people are (only) capable of.

Just because a web-site forum is a "printed" media, doesn't mean that you can just write anything (like the super-insults which appeared here), only morons of epic proportions do this; I just bet your mouths aren't half as big, when it comes to person-to-person communications.

Let's all behave ourselves.

BTW; this system of ospitality Industry reporting excists in many other civilized countries; maybe check out your own country, before criticizing the one you have chosen to live in ?

[sunholidaysun1]

Volker is your motorbike still for sale ?

[hazz]

If you read the reporting form it could be interpreted as needing to be filled in each time we arrive at home. So if we all gave them what they are asking for, they should be happy and busy with all that paper.

[cblunt]

Don't the Thais have the right to ensure those who come into and stay in the country are ligitimate? Many countries in the world have registration systems to provide information on who is living where and for how long. What's the problem?

It's no hardship for the foreigner, it's the guesthouse or hotel that has to provide the info and like i say many other countries do the same.

With the security situation in Thailand and the world the way it is ithink it's well over due!

As far as the issue of security is concerned, this policy would make more sense if hotels/guesthouses were required to report all guests staying with them, including Thai nationals. Why would someone be considered a possible security threat for no other reason than them being a "foreigner"? Are hotels required to routinely record and report details of their Thai guest's identity cards when they check in?

Chris

[Farfetched]

Here I am just sitting down to eat and I check my Email to find that Thaivisa has again provided me with an ample supply of "whine" to go along with my dinner. Most hotels and guest houses have been doing this for years. It is nothing new, other than enforcing teh law.

[asiawatcher]

Surely all information like this is beneficial to what could turn into a problem. At this point of planning stages, even is this is a waring press release it will send a message - I am for it! People with nothing to hide should not have a problem - inference otherwise in narrow minded - and yellow stars? Give me a break....

[coalminer]

I don't see what the hassle here is all about.

In my home country it is REQUIREMENT to declare the arrival of foreigner within 48 hours.

A few years ago, when I took my wife to visit my home country, I failed to report her to the local authorities as she had a Visa and I taught that having a Visa and an Entry stamp would be sufficient (we stayed at my brothers house).

Two days later, we had a "visit" from the local Police and they said that they had the right to deport my wife immediatly and jail my brother for not declaring that he had an undeclared foreigner in his home!!!!!

Go figure!!!!!!!!!!!!

And that was not an "third world country".

If the Immigration crackdown is meant to make Thailand safer and follow the International standards, then they should go for it.

[LivinLOS]

-----------------------------------------------------------------

If Thailand has problems, and Thailand wishes to address them in certain ways.

I think it is fair to let them.

All countries that I know of, is trying to keep track of

their foreigners..

Glegolo

Really ?? name any modern / first world country that has to report foriegners details checking into a hotel ??

[monkfish]

The question, is Thailand capable of protecting World leaders against terrorism at such a venue?

Even though a woman in a RED shirt was able to open the door to the PM's car

[sunholidaysun1]

If the 2 foreigners taking a holiday in Phuket this year both stay at the same hotel then the police wont have a problem , they will know who and where they are !!

[LivinLOS]

Phuket Immigration's webmaster, Bunta Lapet, told the media that such registration could be conducted quickly and easily on line by using the site’s “Phuket Immigration Enterprise” webpage.

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-06-23

Searching google comes up with a link.. With no URL only a IP address.. That doesnt work !!

http://61.19.77.130/webpie/en/notify/login.aspx

So looks about par for the course of Thai online efficiency..

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi.

While this has certainly been in place for quite some time (i've had to hand my passport to the landlady a few times for her to make a current photocopy to submit to police/immigration) and i have never had a problem complying with this rule i am beginning to wonder why all of those so-called "crackdowns" are somehow aimed at foreigners these days..??

Don't they have something internal to "crack down" on, for example police corruption, littering (by THAIS!!) or soi dogs..??

Strange law enforcement here, really.

Best regards.....

Thanh

[taxin]

An old friend of mine will be coming over and stay with us in our house for a few day. Do I have to report him to the Police?

And what kind of suspicious behavior should I report?

- Not chasing girls?

- Not drinking "lao"?

- Driving politely?

- Giving a big tip?

If he talks into his shoe and speaks in foreign tongues, that would be a clue...

"Owners of hotels, guesthouses and other commercial accommodation establishments who fail to report guests are subject to fines ranging from 2,000 baht to 10,000 baht, he said."

I bet the Thai owned hotels will have great fun with this one. Similar scenario to the Thai bar owner reporting the farang bar owner to immigration for "working", just because his bar is more popular. Now you will get the same with guesthouses with the farang being reported for having guests who have not been reported to the immigration.

I feel this will be a lot of reporting and huge amount of work for the immigration, they will surely lose interest in this one very quickly.

If it does catch on it will be purely for the purpose of money (fines) and nothing else. Arrivals are down, so the immigration need to think up some other ways to get some money in the kitty !

As for the immigration looking out for foreigners behaving suspiciously, will this include the timeshare touts and Nepalese tailors ? I bet it wont !!

[AndyCanfield]

Two big questions:

[1] Does this apply only to the Phuket region, or to all of Thailand? I am in Isan.

[2] I have rented a home for many years. Does my landlady have to report me to the Immigration Police? How often? I would gladly do it for her if possible.

One silly question:

I don't mind at all showing my passport to get a hotel room. But if a farang sleeps over at my house one night, do I have to report him to immigration?