Immigration Blacklist

[jamesthefirst]

Hi,

I have a friend who was deported and blacklisted from Thailand exactly nine years ago for working illegally. He changed his name by deedpoll in the UK, changed his passport and has been living in Thailand since, having entered and exited the country with no problems to this day.

However, his friend who was deported along with him who also changed his name has now recently been found out by Immigration when he went to renew his work visa. Somehow they were able to link his old and new name together. His old and new name were actually very similar but now naturally my (and his) other friend is paranoid as hel_l that he'll be rumbled the next time he leaves the country on a visa run.

Is anyone aware of Thai Immigration having new technology that is able to make this connection with changed names? Would it have something to do with perhaps the chip in the passport that UK passports now have, or indeed would it be related to the new photgrahic id technology, where when our pictures are taken when we enter and exit the country and they could have linked him up by that way?

Any feedback that I could pass onto him would be appreciated.

Cheers in advance.

Edited October 11, 2010 by jamesthefirst

[lopburi3]

I believe a new computer system has become operational and that there is access to US and other data base information now that was not previously available. Expect the whole focus of immigration in the last year or so with the establishment of local office in every province is a part of this process and those that are in hiding will find it much more of a problem than previously.

But this is just my opinion from what I have seen posted on the forum. And I have been known to be wrong about many things.

[Lumumba]

I believe a new computer system has become operational and that there is access to US and other data base information now that was not previously available. Expect the whole focus of immigration in the last year or so with the establishment of local office in every province is a part of this process and those that are in hiding will find it much more of a problem than previously.

But this is just my opinion from what I have seen posted on the forum. And I have been known to be wrong about many things.

I doubt the new computer system theory, chances are that someone told on him.

being that the OP and some other friends know of their blacklist status. he might have been shagging a much more brighter broad than many of his friends on no list.

[Nawtier]

They have not found me yet..

[Mario2008]

Immigration now has a bigger focus on people who are not wanted here, and a better cooperation with police agencies in several countries to track people who are wanted in several countries. Suspect that also includes other information, such as sex-offenders, football hooligans, and other categories of people who are on a watch list.

[IMA_FARANG]

Well, it's good or bad news for your friend...depending on how you look at it. There's no new technology...same computers and photo I.D. system as before. It's just that now the Thai immigration and police are starting to get some co-ordination and are joining their use of those photos they take on arrival with old criminal and immigration records. It was being done by people manually, but now they are experimenting with face recognition technology and computers to do the match-ups. Much faster by computers. Also immigration (handling overstay and such cases) and Thai police (handling criminal cases) are actually talking to each other and comparing records.

Since this is still Thailand, we shall just have to see. But there are some smart young computer literate Thais now that are coming into the immigration....and they know how to use those computerised entrance photos in the facial recognition system to check back records and look for match-ups. Also the Thais are finally getting into joining resources and co-operating with neighboring countries.

But then again, this is still Thailand...not Singapore.

[lopburi3]

4 Aug 2010

SAFE HAVEN

Police get tough on Pattaya's criminal migrants

By Story and Photo : Deutsche Presse Agentur

Pattaya - The days when foreign paedophiles and criminals could retire in peace in Pattaya - a Thai beach resort infamous for its prostitution and sleazy nightlife - are numbered, at least according to immigration police.

On Thursday, Pattaya's Immigration Office will officially launch the country's first Transnational Crime Data Centre, equipped with a staff of 12 and a 6-million-baht (184,615-dollar) computer system dedicated to tracking down nefarious expats.

"Pattaya may have been a heaven for foreign criminals in the past, but now we have the technology to spoil their paradise," said Police Colonel Athiwit Kamolrat, Chonburi Immigration Police Superintendent.

The centre, plastered with photos of alleged criminals wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Interpol, Bangkok-based embassies and Thai authorities, sits above Pattaya's Immigration Office, a busy place visited by hundreds of expatriates a day.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/08/04/national/Police-get-tough-on-Pattayas-criminal-migrants-30135207.html

[HerbalEd]

Rapidly emerging face-recognition technology is changing immigration and law-enforcement practices very rapidly ... and the world as we know it. With this technology a computer can rapidly search millions of photos in search of one person. Already police have digitally scanned the tens-of-thousands of spectators at sporting events in search of fugitives, suspects, hooligans, etc. Also, soon you'll be able to face-search on the internet. A lot of foolish people's compromising photos and videos on the net will be easily found by their family an children. "Mommy!?! is this you????"

[Mobi]

I doubt the new computer system theory, chances are that someone told on him.

being that the OP and some other friends know of their blacklist status. he might have been shagging a much more brighter broad than many of his friends on no list.

I have come across a number of farangs here who love to tell their secrets when they have had a few bevies.

I know of at least two who have admitted that they are bigamists, another who is on the run from the British police, and another guy who goes around the bars trying drum up business as a taxi driver. He has even posted fliers in bars with his name and phone number on them.

It is also quite disturbing how many farangs will joyfully rat on someone who is not 100% legal, often because of some perceived 'slight' at a bar.

You put my first point with my second and I would reckon that is the most likely reason the guy got caught.

Of course it is conceivable that some whiz kids in immigration got their act together, but far more likely to be a careless word in a bar, IMHO...

[Tod Daniels]

I doubt the new computer system theory, chances are that someone told on him.

being that the OP and some other friends know of their blacklist status. he might have been shagging a much more brighter broad than many of his friends on no list.

I have come across a number of farangs here who love to tell their secrets when they have had a few bevies.

<SNIP>

Of course it is conceivable that some whiz kids in immigration got their act together, but far more likely to be a careless word in a bar, IMHO...

I must wholeheartedly concur that is FAR more likely he was ratted out by a "friend" or co-worker after imbibing a few too many. Don’t forget the old WWII adage; “Loose lips, sink ships!”, as it totally has relevance here too. I've only been here a while, yet the things I've overheard people say when they were drunk has been, well it’s been mind-wobbling .

I sincerely doubt it was thru any great cooperation between either the different thai government agencies (because they fight like cats & dogs over info sharing, although in their defense they are getting better) or by an accommodating first world country who happens to share their intel with thailand. As far as facial recognition, mmmm, maybe someday, but not today I'm afraid. Although as cheap as that type of software has become I am sure it’s on the horizon. ..

FWIW, thailand is building one hellova data base at Immigrations, both when you enter the country and when you apply for an extension of stay, (as well accruing a pretty impressive collection of index fingerprints too)..

[Soutpeel]

I must wholeheartedly concur that is FAR more likely he was ratted out by a "friend" or co-worker after imbibing a few too many. Don't forget the old WWII adage; "Loose lips, sink ships!", as it totally has relevance here too. I've only been here a while, yet the things I've overheard people say when they were drunk has been, well it's been mind-wobbling .

Yeap the most likely reason the guy got sprung.

For the OP....Even changing your name by deed poll and getting a new British PP....the connection between new and old "identities" is still there if someone cares to look for it, as you know yourself the UK they are fixated with holding databases on people and you would be very naive to think changing your name in the UK and getting a PP in that name "wipes the slate clean"......it doesn't, you also have to bear in mind that your date of birth is one of key info that is checked in a data base, and you cant change that by deed poll..!!!!

My guess your buddy was grassed up that previously he had been blacklisted and it would take much effort from Thai immigration to establish this with UK authorities that the name had been changed and its the same person under another PP.

[britmaveric]

^changing your name only creates another alias. Fact remains - everything is linked.

[Guest]

Change of name does not change the date of birth, a match could have popped up that way.Immigration are rapidly becoming more sophisticated.

[mogy]

Investigated with someone working in immigration and they said that now that they have started taking pictures at Bangkok airport they are able to identify people. He says if you've been put on the list the chances are you'll be nailed at some stage. The face recognition technology is in use and is working he says. Using any other airport other than Subharnabhumi is another option (no camera's) until the time limit on the list runs out (10 years??). I recall the time limit is 10 years. Can anyone confirm ?

[Soutpeel]

Investigated with someone working in immigration and they said that now that they have started taking pictures at Bangkok airport they are able to identify people. He says if you've been put on the list the chances are you'll be nailed at some stage. The face recognition technology is in use and is working he says. Using any other airport other than Subharnabhumi is another option (no camera's) until the time limit on the list runs out (10 years??). I recall the time limit is 10 years. Can anyone confirm ?

Why would there be a 10 year time limit on "the list" ?

Facial recognition technology works only to a degree, its is not the only piece of data used to identify an indivdual, PP number/ date of birth/ Nationality are others.

Just using facial recognition only will get high number of false positives, but the false positives are eliminated by checking other data....eg above

[LivinLOS]

I must wholeheartedly concur that is FAR more likely he was ratted out by a "friend" or co-worker after imbibing a few too many. Don't forget the old WWII adage; "Loose lips, sink ships!", as it totally has relevance here too. I've only been here a while, yet the things I've overheard people say when they were drunk has been, well it's been mind-wobbling .

Yeap the most likely reason the guy got sprung.

For the OP....Even changing your name by deed poll and getting a new British PP....the connection between new and old "identities" is still there if someone cares to look for it, as you know yourself the UK they are fixated with holding databases on people and you would be very naive to think changing your name in the UK and getting a PP in that name "wipes the slate clean"......it doesn't, you also have to bear in mind that your date of birth is one of key info that is checked in a data base, and you cant change that by deed poll..!!!!

My guess your buddy was grassed up that previously he had been blacklisted and it would take much effort from Thai immigration to establish this with UK authorities that the name had been changed and its the same person under another PP.

But the point is it changes it in the UK, where there is a trace through the births deaths and marriages side (and passport control) but Thailand doesnt have access to that.

I have lived my time in thailand under 2 different names.

[mogy]

Why would there be a 10 year time limit on "the list" ?

- Because it's in the nature of Thai hearts to forgive.......