Thai Immigration Boss Vows New Crackdown On Foreign Criminals In Thailand

[earlbrownuk]

I doubt 80% of farangs are on the run from the law in their home countries.

To say that 80pc of expats are on the run is sheer nonsense. I know many expats here in Chiang Mai of all nationalities - and they are, without exception, good honourable people who dserve their piece of peace her in Thailand. People write such poppycock sometimes!

trust me, you will never find out that your new best friend in Thailand is a murderer, or a thief. Most criminals don't advertise themselves.

Like a saying you will never find out what happens behind closed curtains. Even people you think maybe dodgy but not, they could even be a straight individual.

Problem is with this forum, is that people dog to many people, as if its an hatred game, and they should be happy because they are in the land of smiles.

If you don't like living ere, then stop dogging other people and leave yourself, its obviously thailand is no good for you.

[markinoc]

With all due respect (or not) to board members, if this policy was strictly enforced, for 80% of all male foreigners living or visiting in the Kingdom, it would be Hasta-la-bye-bye...but of course, its not going to happen..

Really? What about this new policy would target your typical visitor? It specifically mentions going after those with Thai warrants out on them and working with police in other countries to help locate and detail those that are hiding out in Thailand from warrants back home.

I doubt 80% of farangs are on the run from the law in their home countries.

To say that 80pc of expats are on the run is sheer nonsense. I know many expats here in Chiang Mai of all nationalities - and they are, without exception, good honourable people who dserve their piece of peace her in Thailand. People write such poppycock sometimes!

Yes, so true. I also know many expats in Chiang Mai, and the majority are just retirees, missionaries and University teachers. Not a lot of hooligans or fugitives. Sanook

[Tanaka]

OMG am I safe? I once crossed a red light.

Was it in Patpong area?

[moskito]

hmmmm, what I or THEY care about someone who robbed a bank or dealed with drugs some twenty years ago?

Is it not better to go for the real and actual threads. Foreigners from Russia for example which own bars with russian ho_okers maybe? ....just a thought.

I saw a movie last week where a lot of farang girls in a Pattaya Go Go bar were dancing in the first floor....always thought farang are not allowed to do the same jobs Thais can do? or what happend with the russians working here in restaurants as waitresses or cooks.....or is some Thai taking a good share here?

Nothing against Russians, it seems they just know how to cheat the system

[mythBuster]

How to get rid of criminals that are not known/have not been caught... well you cant really can you?

How about all the Thai criminal. When will they do some crackdown too

Good point. The system is a bit flawed in Thailand however. That is why they keep people who have served many years in prison in a police cell for a few weeks after their sentences already have been served, in order to check if there are more outstanding warrants in other provinces. You would have expected that they do such when someone is kept behind bars.

The entire judicial system is screwed. As you have seen ministers tell the court to release foreigners (Gun-runners) but Thais alike. There are more than 50,000 arrest warrants outstanding and counting. Fact is that the people who have an warrant against them often do not even know so.

But they know of course what the verdict Friday will be, [snipped]

[dmax]

i wouldnt hold my breath

[mythBuster]

hmmmm, what I or THEY care about someone who robbed a bank or dealed with drugs some twenty years ago?

Is it not better to go for the real and actual threads. Foreigners from Russia for example which own bars with russian ho_okers maybe? ....just a thought.

I saw a movie last week where a lot of farang girls in a Pattaya Go Go bar were dancing in the first floor....always thought farang are not allowed to do the same jobs Thais can do? or what happend with the russians working here in restaurants as waitresses or cooks.....or is some Thai taking a good share here?

Nothing against Russians, it seems they just know how to cheat the system

Actually entertainers from foreign countries do get work permits. only certain professions are excepted. The word "prostitute" does not appear on a work permit. That profession is forbidden in thailand.

[notime]

I think it may be easier just to "crack-down" and remove ALL foreigners from Thailand. At least they are easy to indentify. As many Thai people know only too well, all foreigners are either suspected criminals or exibit behaviour so alien to them that it borders on criminality. Plus .. they (farang) have "too much money" that also doesn't fit quite well with the local, hard-working, low-paid, polite and respectful people

Hmm .. on the second thought some foreigners may actually leave with some of their money still attached to them so seeing IT go will be a bit SAD.

[mythBuster]

With all due respect (or not) to board members, if this policy was strictly enforced, for 80% of all male foreigners living or visiting in the Kingdom, it would be Hasta-la-bye-bye...but of course, its not going to happen..

Really? What about this new policy would target your typical visitor? It specifically mentions going after those with Thai warrants out on them and working with police in other countries to help locate and detail those that are hiding out in Thailand from warrants back home.

I doubt 80% of farangs are on the run from the law in their home countries.

To say that 80pc of expats are on the run is sheer nonsense. I know many expats here in Chiang Mai of all nationalities - and they are, without exception, good honourable people who dserve their piece of peace her in Thailand. People write such poppycock sometimes!

Yes, so true. I also know many expats in Chiang Mai, and the majority are just retirees, missionaries and University teachers. Not a lot of hooligans or fugitives. Sanook

it would make good commons sense though to round up missionaries. They show objectionable behavior, all the time. By the way lots of people seem to have retired on a very early age. But never mind it is a new chief, I have told it before, he will go to sleep after three months. The kickbacks are irresistible.

[mrtoad]

Think the two high profile threads about the bogus SWAT operative and the Belgian biker may have some relation to this.

Ive always suspected Kanchanburi to be a good place for Australian futugitives

Don't you mean nationals?

[hanssna]

.... criminals staying in thailand because of the easy visa rules ??? haha, must be confused with another country!

[rayw]

Well good riddance IF they clear out all the criminal undesirables here it should make life better for what I believe is the majority of honest expats here. So good news I feel for most of us.

[Rainmon]

With all due respect (or not) to board members, if this policy was strictly enforced, for 80% of all male foreigners living or visiting in the Kingdom, it would be Hasta-la-bye-bye...but of course, its not going to happen..

Get Real! give me a break with this 80% figure, that is no way accurate... Please!

[chicowoodduck]

With all due respect (or not) to board members, if this policy was strictly enforced, for 80% of all male foreigners living or visiting in the Kingdom, it would be Hasta-la-bye-bye...but of course, its not going to happen..

Are you saying 80 per cent of the expats living here in Pattaya are criminals? Must mean 8 of my 10 friends are "jail birds!" IMO you best check your statistical facts or source, you might be off the beam a bit?

[Mario2008]

Sorry, for legal reasons you cannot quote or link to the Bangkok Post. 1 post deleted for this and one post edited.

[manarak]

My wife got locked up in Bangkok this week for not having her ID on her.

Idiocy, they wouldn't walk with her the 2 blocks to friends house to get it.

And terrified the poor lady for hours, just because she stepped out to 7/11 without her purse.

So I guess I will carry mine more often...

Interesting quote from the article referenced earlier...

But there were be no let up on the requirement for all foreigners to carry their passport with them all times, he (Bureau commissioner Wuthi Liptapallop) said. "This is for identification purposes. It is a law. Every Thai national must carry their ID card with them at all times, so why should foreigners be exempt? To carry a copy is not acceptable because it is impossible to see whether it is counterfeit or altered. Carrying a passport is not something we thought up in Thailand, but a normal regulation in many countries. I have been to many countries and carried my passport with me all the time."

I guess we are warned, then?

A copy certified by the local police station could work - maybe.

Make a copy of you passport and the visa stamp, go with both to your police station and ask them to stamp/sign the copy as being an exact copy.

[hammered]

Expats too often like the mystique of being an expat and the idea of running into a gun runner, ex special forces, killer, robber or knowing police general or talking to a mafia dude or knowing the price of a gunman or having known someone who ran a girl into Japan or whatever level of exctiement is part of that mystique. Truth is most expats in Thailand are just normal people with normal backgrounds mixing in normal circles albeit with quite a lot of BSers thrown in. But the mundane just aint excting compared to the mystique so the mystique continues.

Hope the real bad dudes get thrown out and the BSers just get left telling their stories on their bar stools.

The truth usually aint very exciting

Did someone really make the ludicrous claim that 80% of expats are wanted for something ?

[brianw]

These crackdowns have been going on for many years and nothing will ever change. If I was in charge I would give every falang 3 months to get out of the country and then have aa 3 month falang free country and any one wanting to come back to thailand would have to re apply at their own country thai embassy with proof of their commitment to wanting to stay permanently in thailand. It would also allow world wide police forces to apprehend wanted criminals. (if any one is found still in the country in the 3 month free period they would have to a very good excuse for being there i.e ligitermet work permits

[julemanden]

Let's hope it's not just one more "crackdown" which will go nowhere. This one is needed.

In recent weeks the BIB raided a town house a few doors from us and arrested a guy who it turns out was a Korean mafia guy on the run from the police. He has since been turned over to the Korean police.

About 2 months ago the BIB arrived in force late one night and dragged off 3 black African guys who were living in an apartment block in the same complex as our town house. They had been in possession of and distributing fake $US banknotes.

Maybe it's time for you to find a new place to live

[dude007]

why did they have to wait until the new chief arrives??? What did the former one do? Secure a safe haven for them?

This looks another bla bla story... wait and see. The Ministry of crackdowns is actually very busy in implementing its crackdown program and soon, blue skies will appear again over this heavenly country where every pale-face (african translation for farang) will be clean with no criminal records at all, spending money like crazy and taking care of the farang hungry ladies of the north and nort east... The picture shows the real truth of those behind it...

[antony77]

Good golly. That's going to put a dent in the bar revenues of Pattaya and Phuket. Looks like there's going to be a stream of refugees heading for the seedier parts of Cambodia if they actually do what they say they will do.

It will considerably reduce Pattayas farang population

[fishhooks]

The Pattaya Times attended a special conference in Pattaya where Thailand Immigration Bureau Commissioner Lt. General Wuthi Liptapallop agreed Thailand is known worldwide as a safe haven for criminals because of its relatively easy-going visa policies.

********************************************************************

Yes sir.................."relatively easy-going visa policies which are making life easier for criminals"

BUT

For those of us that are genuinely here with a genuine interest in Thailand and the Thai people and in many cases supporting Thai families, obstacles day by day in the form of complications and differing policies between Immigration branches when we try to navigate our way through the minefield of staying here legitimately.

Of course also Thai Visa with just a "few" members, seemingly not in any way allowed to have a voice come representative to ever be able to sit down with anyone from immigration and have a few words here and there!

[ericthai]

With all due respect (or not) to board members, if this policy was strictly enforced, for 80% of all male foreigners living or visiting in the Kingdom, it would be Hasta-la-bye-bye...but of course, its not going to happen..

How can you say this? You really believe 80% of the male foreigners coming to Thailand are wanted by the police some where? Do you think before you make such a comment?

I know myself I'm not wanted anywhere and I'm sure the 20+ expats that I have been friends with here in Thailand for over 10 years and all have been living here all this time working legally are not wanted anywhere. So can you tell me where do you get this 80% figure from? just make things up out as we go along I guess.

If you read the article it says they have about 2000 with warrants from outside of Thailand and about 1000 from warrants inside Thailand, so if you are correct then that means there is only about 4000 males foreigners in Thailand. Get real!!!

Edited February 21, 2010 by ericthai

[SeanMoran]

With all due respect (or not) to board members, if this policy was strictly enforced, for 80% of all male foreigners living or visiting in the Kingdom, it would be Hasta-la-bye-bye...but of course, its not going to happen..

How can you say this? You really believe 80% of the male foreigners coming to Thailand are wanted by the police some where? Do you think before you make such a comment?

I know myself I'm not wanted anywhere and I'm sure the 20+ expats that I have been friends with here in Thailand for over 10 years and all have been living here all this time working legally are not wanted anywhere. So can you tell me where do you get this 80% figure from? just make things up out as we go along I guess.

I don't carry my passport with my in my jeans pocket when I visit the 711, but just a photocopy of those important two pages in my wallet. By the same token I dont waltz around with 50 grand in my wallet either, because I don't want to get robbed, and the authorities probably wouldn't like that either, for it's not very civilised publicity.

It's good to know that the constabulary here are decent to an honest man, and that any ID I'm required to show can be shown as legitimately as I can carry it without ruining that passport which is too fragile and valuable to carry with me everywhere I go. I hope that this doesn't suddenly turn me into one of the 80% of baddies. I just want to protect my passport from getting destroyed. It's almost five years old already, and slightly dog-eared from all the use it gets put through when I move hotels, so let's not wreck a good thing. It's not even mine to wreck, but the property of the Australian government.

[ericthai]

Dudes,

times are changing here in the land of smiles,

i have been here 6 years, the mood is different, without being paranoid i sense the change in attitude towards farangs,

but for today it`s cold beers as per,

will worry about it in Thai time,

nothing is changing for the common expat. I have been living here for 10 years been coming here for 15 years. there have been changes and crackdowns but every change or crackdown has been to stop illegal employment and working towards getting rid of criminal elements, for the regular "joe" nothing to worry about.

[ableguy]

OMG am I safe? I once crossed a red light.

You and twenty million Thais, dont worry..

[Bagwan]

These crackdowns have been going on for many years and nothing will ever change. If I was in charge I would give every falang 3 months to get out of the country and then have aa 3 month falang free country and any one wanting to come back to thailand would have to re apply at their own country thai embassy with proof of their commitment to wanting to stay permanently in thailand. It would also allow world wide police forces to apprehend wanted criminals. (if any one is found still in the country in the 3 month free period they would have to a very good excuse for being there i.e ligitermet work permits

Your post is proof positive why you will NEVER be in charge. Not being a Thai National doesn't help either.

If some crazy Thai Government Minister implemented such a law as you suggest, I hope that an even more crazier UK Home Secretary would order all Thais out of the UK within 48 hours.

[scania]

Good thing..

[gbswales]

We should start a new forum of english words and phrases used by thais along with their true meaning -

"Crackdown" = there is a big problem that I will do nothing about!

"It's Up to you" = do whatever you like as long as it is exactly what I want

any more????

[gosompoi]

Nice a new crackdown! Sad to see the new immigration boss starts his new job with the focus that foreigners here are a big criminal problem.