Third foreigner arrested in Phuket anti-overstay campaign

[webfact]

Third farang arrested in Phuket anti-overstay campaign
Tanyaluk Sakoot


Jasso with Immigration officials after his arrest this morning.

PHUKET: -- As part of a concentrated two-week drive to find and arrest foreigners overstaying in Phuket, Immigration Police this morning arrested another Briton for being in Thailand long after his permit to stay expired.

Immigration officials have been combing through records and identifying foreigners whose names appear in the computer as having arrived in Thailand but who do not appear as having left before the expiration of their permit to stay. Undercover officers are then going out and finding them.

This week a Canadian was arrested on Monday and a Briton on Tuesday.

Today it was the turn of another British citizen, Andrew Ross John Jasso, 33, found to have overstayed by three months in Thailand case.

Police did not have to go far to find him; he was arrested in front of the Phuket library at 9:30 am. The library is about 200 metres from the Phuket Immigration offices.

An Immigration officer told The Phuket News, “He had been working for a boatbuilding company in Chalong, but the owner closed the business and went back to Britain. Jasso stayed, living in a hotel in Phuket Town.

“This is not the first time he has overstayed. He was arrested before at Phuket International Airport for the same thing.

“We have handed him over to Phuket Town Police Station for more questioning.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/third-farang-arrested-in-phuket-anti-overstay-campaign-40681.php


-- Phuket News 2013-07-05

[PoorSucker]

Immigration officials have been combing through records and identifying foreigners whose names appear in the computer as having arrived in Thailand but who do not appear as having left before the expiration of their permit to stay.

Duh.

[bangkokheat]

why do these dills get themselves into the overstay scenario, got me beat

[mrtoad]

Not the brightest star in the sky

[LadyHeather]

“This is not the first time he has overstayed. He was arrested before at Phuket International Airport for the same thing.

Maybe its time to institute a three strikes rule

[manarak]

Not the brightest star in the sky

probably dangerous competition for some of the locals.

[hellodolly]

Three overstays in two weeks.

either there are very few over stays in Phuket or they were not trying hard to locate them.

I wonder if the bar codes have any thing to do with finding them,

for that matter I wonder what they are for in the first place.

[saanya]

My wife sorted out my overstay after her friend introduced us to a retired immigration officer.

If you want to excoriate me for overstay due to not leaving my wife's side as she lay in hospital near death, go ahead.

They'd just changed the visa rules and embassy staff in Laos that week and were claiming you needed proof of onward travel, no exceptions. We'd dumped all the cash on hospital bills.

Once the medical drama was over, I sorted my overstay.

The retired officer escorted me to the Nong Khai border police office (friendship bridge). It's on the far left-hand side before you exit.

I paid the 20K THB because of how long I had overstayed, and that was it.

I then went into Laos and got another visa ("O" based on parent of Thai-born child) & 2.5 months afterward extended it for a year following the normal rules.

You don't need anyone to escort you. You just have to make it there and pay up.

I chose to have her come with because with a familiar face, having a former superior there, they all seemed to carry on as normal and it reduced the drama to nothing.

The overstay aspect was all literally sorted in under 20 minutes.

Me and my family are fine now.

PM me if you need to.

[Nowhereman60]

They still look like family photo from mom's album. Everyone smile for the camera.

[thonglorjimmy]

Have to love the goons and their crass photoshoot.

[samuibruno]

these overstayers give us law abiding , tax paying farangs a bad name

out with the lot of you

[happysanook]

“This is not the first time he has overstayed. He was arrested before at Phuket International Airport for the same thing.

Maybe its time to institute a three strikes rule

Whatever. Go join the Thai farang police force, I think they are looking for applicants.

The guy overstayed by 3 months and they sent out undercover officers to find him? Like these numb nuts don't have anything better to do. Jesus. Scams operating everywhere you look in the stank island and they're worried about this? They should be downright ashamed to have their photo taken for this 'bust'.

[PoorSucker]

If you want to excoriate me for overstay due to not leaving my wife's side as she lay in hospital near death, go ahead.

They'd just changed the visa rules and embassy staff in Laos that week and were claiming you needed proof of onward travel, no exceptions. We'd dumped all the cash on hospital bills.

Once the medical drama was over, I sorted my overstay.

You are aware that you could have gotten a medical extension for taking care of your wife.

2.25 In the case of medical treatment or convalescence or to look after a patient:

Permission will be granted for a period of not more than 90 days at a time.

(1) Confirmation and request has been made by a physician responsible for the treatment. The Physician must describe the details of treatment and advised that the illness is a barrier for travelling.

(2) In the case of looking after a patient, confirmation and request has been made by the physician responsible for the treatment or by an embassy or consulate.

(3) Patient Carer, except parents, spouse, children, adopted children or children of spouse, shall be granted no more than 1 extra person.

[KuhnPaen]

Another major criminal arrest. Amazing.

Sorry, but I live in Southern California and they catch hundreds of Mexican illegals per day. This would hardly be newsworthy.

Obviously they are just trying to scare people into not overstaying.

Can't see why they would parade a farang before the cameras like this as though they just busted a major narcotics ring

[tragickingdom]

Look at those 4 officials behind him on the picture. There pledged rice price can still be increased by 50%. Simply sack 75% of the immigration and police department to free up funds. Very little to do in Phuket as it seems.

Come on overstayers time to pick up your stuff and stay a few weeks somewhere where you are still allowed to spend your money. Maybe Bangkok is a good place to get a new passport and get legal again.

[happysanook]

Another major criminal arrest. Amazing.

Sorry, but I live in Southern California and they catch hundreds of Mexican illegals per day. This would hardly be newsworthy.

Obviously they are just trying to scare people into not overstaying.

Can't see why they would parade a farang before the cameras like this as though they just busted a major narcotics ring

Let's not forget about the thousands upon thousands of Thai staying in the West illegally.

[tragickingdom]

Another major criminal arrest. Amazing.

Sorry, but I live in Southern California and they catch hundreds of Mexican illegals per day. This would hardly be newsworthy.

Obviously they are just trying to scare people into not overstaying.

Can't see why they would parade a farang before the cameras like this as though they just busted a major narcotics ring

True, the only things these non functioning government workers make is that they are for hire by the local Mafia. Yesterday they arrested tour guides, the day before Russians and today overstayers. They seem to have one thing in common. They are working.

[Chao Lao Beach]

So this is only for 2 weeks eh. Then back to normal, blind eye to over stays.

It really is not hard to tick all the boxes and be legal.

[KarenBravo]

Just another example of Thai officialdom "rearranging deck-chairs on the Titanic".

[MegaRanter]

I missed the birth of my son because I did nt want to overstay for a single day. Long story, would neve happen again though.

[craigt3365]

Can't get enough evidence to convict a killer, but can successfully track down foreigners with a few months overstay. Unreal.

[firestar]

The BIB didn't call a press conference, if there is a picture it's because the Phuket News photog wanted one.

Blame Phuket News and TV for making a mountain out of a molehill.

[RogueLeader]

Another major criminal arrest. Amazing.

Sorry, but I live in Southern California and they catch hundreds of Mexican illegals per day. This would hardly be newsworthy.

Obviously they are just trying to scare people into not overstaying.

Can't see why they would parade a farang before the cameras like this as though they just busted a major narcotics ring

Let's not forget about the thousands upon thousands of Thai staying in the West illegally.

Source?

[happysanook]

Can't get enough evidence to convict a killer, but can successfully track down foreigners with a few months overstay. Unreal.

Murderers caught on tape killing someone and allowed to go free because it was a buddhist holiday and he needed to visit the temple.

[happysanook]

Another major criminal arrest. Amazing.

Sorry, but I live in Southern California and they catch hundreds of Mexican illegals per day. This would hardly be newsworthy.

Obviously they are just trying to scare people into not overstaying.

Can't see why they would parade a farang before the cameras like this as though they just busted a major narcotics ring

Let's not forget about the thousands upon thousands of Thai staying in the West illegally.

Source?

LOL... You're joking right?

[Just1Voice]

I can think of a litany of things that would be 100 times more important for the police to be doing instead of this "grandstanding b.s.".

[firestar]

I can think of a litany of things that would be 100 times more important for the police to be doing instead of this "grandstanding b.s.".

Yep but they wouldn't be doing them anyway so better they take care of a few overstays rather than do nothing at all.

[sbk]

Or perhaps the point is that this is now the third overstayer that has been arrested. Perhaps the days of it is "no big deal" are coming to an end. Or maybe not but something to bear in mind is all.

[stevenl]

I can think of a litany of things that would be 100 times more important for the police to be doing instead of this "grandstanding b.s.".

Maybe. On the other hand, there is a recent thread on TV about immigration, that they should do something about the illegals. So to some this is important.

[KarenBravo]

Revenge for the French family making the Immigration Department lose face severely.