Thai Immigration Cracks Down On Hotels

[spectre324]

What a feel good story this is, the bib, worried about tracing travelers, good work boys

.How about doing some tracing in Dubai?

you forgot to read the part about "COLLECTING TAXES!"

[guava]

There's a lot of knockers on here - and they are probably partly or even mostly right when they claim this is ( a ) financially motivated, and ( b ) never going to be 100% effective, etc etc. I imagine some of them are also the first with the drama and finger-pointing whenever it re-occurs to them that Thailand is a popular holiday destination, transit country, a long-term refuge, and in some cases a base of operations for a scary number of seriously undesirable types - terrorists, white-collar criminals, common criminals, paedophiles, etc. etc. If even most of the accommodation providers in this country do the right thing most of the time, it makes life much harder for these people - many of them rely on the fact that things are a bit lax here rather than any great expertise in staying off the grid. Even knowing where someone was after they've gone is far from invaluable information. It's likely many people have been caught (or found) over the years due to the requirement here, like in most other places, that guests provide valid identification when they check in. Then there's the possibility some of these places (the likes of which they may be targeting) sometimes burnt to the ground. Or get wiped out by a tsunami, cyclone, tornado, mudslide or whatever. Shit happens. Other people go missing all the time here, and being able to find out where they last were (or are maybe even currently registered).... And cracking down on venues not reporting guests - even if it was just for revenue collecting - not sure why people really object to that. As for using the amount of paperwork involved as some sort of reason why this can't be done - seriously? Have you ever bought a beer in this country?

Edited February 27, 2013 by guava

[Chao Lao Beach]

Is this for all hotels, even the sleazy ones that rent the rooms by the hour

[sbk]

Koh Phangan had a big crackdown on this quite a long time ago. The first one about 6 or 7 years ago I guess? (hard to remember) and we were given a link to a website to register our guests every day.

Then last year they came around and forced the local Or Bor Dor to finally start processing business licenses for resorts and bungalows. We applied for our business license ten years ago, the local Or Bor Dor lost it, we reapplied, they lost it again. Finally after Bangkok cracked the whip, we got it last year.

So yes, we register our guests and have done for years as well as paid taxes. Sounds like a crackdown on small places that are ignoring the laws. Pretty sure most big resorts and legitimate hotels have been registering their guests all along as well as paying taxes.

[coma]

I think it is about time they cracked down on guest registration. Thailand is abuzz with all sorts of 'dark' characters from abroad including foriegn terrorists. If it helps to prevent crime or a terrorist act or helps in a investigation after the fact then it gets the thumbs up from me.

[Fookhaht]

What a feel good story this is, the bib, worried about tracing travelers, good work boys

.How about doing some tracing in Dubai?

How about simply sending back my receipts for the 90-day report???

[slapout]

Koh Phangan had a big crackdown on this quite a long time ago. The first one about 6 or 7 years ago I guess? (hard to remember) and we were given a link to a website to register our guests every day.

Then last year they came around and forced the local Or Bor Dor to finally start processing business licenses for resorts and bungalows. We applied for our business license ten years ago, the local Or Bor Dor lost it, we reapplied, they lost it again. Finally after Bangkok cracked the whip, we got it last year.

So yes, we register our guests and have done for years as well as paid taxes. Sounds like a crackdown on small places that are ignoring the laws. Pretty sure most big resorts and legitimate hotels have been registering their guests all along as well as paying taxes.

As you are pretty sure in you beliefs, on registering and tax paying, I am somewhat reluctent to place my money on your assumption. Not wanting to be argumentive, but just speaking from past observation and personal knowledge.

[Cuban]

Do "they" really collate the hotel data gathered from the TM.6 forms completed by tourists on arrival?

It might act as a cross check for the expected hotel tax returns?

[Ricardo]

Although I'm a farang I'm legally here, and the Immigration are already notified every 90 days, of my main home address. So they do already know where I, and hundreds of thousands of others like me, are. Should they ever need to locate me in an emergency.

But if I happen to pop up to Pai or Mae Salong, for a few nights away, the guesthouse is expected to report my presence again, and pay some extra taxes, even though I'm not an overseas-tourist at all ? Never happen ... they think too mut.

But anyway how many GHs & condos will, for an appropriate 'Chinese New Year cultural-gift', be informed that they don't need to report us, after all ? And isn't that perhaps the real reason for this crackdown ?

[unanimosity]

is it the hotels not reporting or the authorities with out the resources to process the paperwork? After listening to the interview with the head of Chiang Mai immigration I would guess the latter.

...Or is it the tax being collected but not flowing up?

[Buchholz]

I think if I have a responsibility to go to immigration to keep my status in Thailand legal, go to the DMV in order to drive legally, and a host of other things required by Thai law in order to not break the law, then I think it is not much to ask hotel owners to do their part in keeping society running smoothly. There is a reason, other than making money, that laws are made. If we lived in a world without laws then society would be in chaos. Thailand, like every other country is not perfect but I'm glad to see they are looking ways to keep others, besides myself, in check.

.

On the subject of personal individual responsibility, it's worth noting that in addition to the aforementioned hotels, etc. using TM.30's, the individual has the TM.28 to comply with.

Form for Aliens to Notify Their Change of Address or Their Stay in the Province over 24 Hours (TM.28)

Wonder when the "crackdown" for that one is coming.

.

[Pacificperson]

If they are so concerned about where we are while in Thailand, they could attach a radio beacon ankle bracelet upon entry and remove it upon exit.

[FalangBaa]

By Coconuts Bangkok

A slew of unregistered tourists on Khaosan Road.

.

Is that the proper collective noun for tourists?

I thought it was either a gaggle or a herd.

.

In Pattaya it's known as a 'rash'

Oh, really? I think you forgot the initial "t" on that, or actually I have heard that the accurate collective noun for tourists in Pattaya is a "gulag".

[jamhar]

So why is this news for the general public?

[dcsw53]

Excellent news !

Farang families will get the bad news quicker and the pointless compiling of forms and ledgers will keep otherwise jobless clerks in gainful employment.

Win win !

[Jawnie]

Use of the word "crackdown" is code for "media PR campaign under way courtesy of the police." Nothing to see here, move along......

[Carioca]

What a feel good story this is, the bib, worried about tracing travelers, good work boys

.

Actually, Immigration Dept.'s Police Major-General Kritsada stressed the recent crackdown was to enable tracking of dubious characters impersonating legitimate tourists as well as finding those that have committed crimes in Thailand and who are trying to escape from police.

.

Well, though not very humorous, yours is the only comment that seems to make any sense. I sincerely feel a bit more comfort about this. Maybe it will keep the more dubious elements out of my hotel, present company excluded of course.

[yoslim]

So one check at border immigration is not enough, all those criminals don't go through borders ? what a joke

[chainarong]

I should think that this is a more of check check who have we here in Thailand than anything else, unfortunately the ones these people are interested in don't use hotels, this is a mammoth task , very hard to control, without implementing draconian police state policies , which would frighten most people away.

[wilcopops]

I guess a corrupt police force could use this to extort money from hoteliers?

[Suradit69]

Travellers' welfare - my butt. The real concern is tax dodging, and at the rate the country is being plundered at the moment, it needs all it can get.

Sort of like the increase in visa rates in the UK implemented to ensure" the UK Border Agency continues to provide a world class service" and because collecting more money "will ensure that the UK continues to welcome the brightest and the best " ... speaking of countries whose economies are going down the drain and whose nationalistic BS production remains at fever-pitch.

Edited February 27, 2013 by Suradit69

[Tafia]

Why are you all so concerned and critical of this law?

Its their country their law. Its aimed at hotels not individual tourists, long stayer or visitor.

Seems so many get stressed over nothing. Its easy living here, Accept & Adjust!!

[Para]

With an estimate 23M tourists coming here in 2013 I don't see how a first world country could manage the amount of data generated by hotels having to daily report let alone Thailand with its anal demands for untold copies of all forms.

As for the excuse its to make sure they can track us in emergencies what a load of BS its is as always about the money.......

[Bellweather]

What a feel good story this is, the bib, worried about tracing travelers, good work boys

.

Actually, Immigration Dept.'s Police Major-General Kritsada stressed the recent crackdown was to enable tracking of dubious characters impersonating legitimate tourists as well as finding those that have committed crimes in Thailand and who are trying to escape from police.

.

Another misleading headline using the highly charge word " crackdown " but in the body of the story it says the police " voices (sic ) concern ", " working with " and " insisting on ", big difference. Personally I shudder when i see the word " crackdown ' as it usuallyonly means yet another excuse for various branches of officialdom to extort money

[Time Traveller]

Police State. Report the whereabouts of those evil foreigners if you see them. Are there any other countries that do this besides North Korea?

[Buchholz]

Sounds like a crackdown on small places that are ignoring the laws. Pretty sure most big resorts and legitimate hotels have been registering their guests all along as well as paying taxes.

Bangkok Immigration boss identified the problem of non-compliance with reporting as across the board from lowly guesthouses to five star hotels.

He promised to crackdown on all offending establishments in an even-handed manner.

.

[animatic]

Someone is not getting their cut.

[NoshowJones]

is it the hotels not reporting or the authorities with out the resources to process the paperwork? After listening to the interview with the head of Chiang Mai immigration I would guess the latter.

To Thai staff working in Immigration etc, the attraction to paperwork is similar to the attraction of flies to a shit.

[Buchholz]

So why is this news for the general public?

Perhaps it's just to lead-in to the eventual news that tourists will ultimately be made responsible, and held accountable, for ensuring the hotels they stay at comply with the law.

.

Edited February 27, 2013 by Buchholz

[bigbamboo]

Processing this much paper its basically impossible.

Have you ever been to a Thai Immigration Office.....?