Immigration Reaffirms Warning to Foreigners Involved in Protests

[chiang mai]

If it is against the law, I'd like to know the exact statute. Bet there isn't such a law. It's contrived.

This aint Kansas, they don't need a statute, get the idea!

[JenksB]

I think despite the protestations of TV members if you visit most countries of the world on a non immigration visa and take part in a protest to overthrow the "legitimate government" you would be very likely, if caught, to be deported immediately with a no return stamp in your passport, The UK is probably one of the few who doesn't enforce the law as it worries too much about "Human Rights" of the individual and allows them to appeal and dissappear whilst on bail and even when illegals get caught they can get away because the UKBA is too busy trying to stop legitimate entry to worry about illegals!!

[belg]

why not a sign :: FARANG SHUT UP OR LEAVE

bearly tolerated here, just enough to come & spend our last dime and than its time to exit

[whybother]

Is it actually against the law?

what does the constitution say?

The constitution says that you have to obey the law. The laws are written in other documents.

[Halion]

You/we (westerners) represent less than 0.3% of the population, you get to live here, eat inexpensive food, pay almost no tax, enjoy a warm climate and have frequent sex with beautiful women, what do you want next, voting privileges! Quit whinging.

If it was not for the sacrifice of westerners this country would be a suburb of Tokyo and most probably be far better off than it is today.. or at least no worse.

[Morakot]

And the question what is "Hi-Park" still remains..

Word has it that this is a (mis)spelling of Hyde Park, which supposedly is slang for a place for venting opinions/ dissatisfaction, like Hyde Park in London with its Speakers' Corner.

According to this publication, a speaker's corner existed in the 1950s in Bangkok in a public place before it was banned. It was referred to by the English moniker "Hyde Park", which I guess Thais pronounced Hi-park. There was even something called a Hyde Park Movement Party at the time.

• Wilson, DA, "Thailand and Marxism" in Trager, Frank N (ed.). Marxism in Southeast Asia; A Study of Four Countries. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press, 1959. p. 97

Edited February 7, 2014 by Morakot

[ianf]

If you are prepared to risk deportation go ahead. Never had sympathy for protesters of any kind who disrupt peoples lives and business.

Never had any sympathy for people who exploit others, such as the Shins. Protest is an essential tool in any democracy. If there were no protests the world would be a much darker place.

Thailand, the same people as those making this emergency decree, allowed the likes of Robert Amsterdam (who doesn't even live here) to adorn the political red stages.

Double standards.

Yes, Always.

[Alwyn]

I have a friend from Australia who went and fought together with the karon tribes on the borders. That was a cause and though I wouldn't involve myself in others problems I have a lot of respect. People like George Orwell and Ernest Hemingway (John Steinbeck too?) fought in the Spanish Civil war. But they were fighting against fascism and for democracy - and it was a war. People who join protests where there have already been deaths - in a foreign country - against democracy, should rightly be expelled. First is it's a Thai issue, not a foreign issue and it's fighting democracy. Sorry, you deserve what you get. Want to fight for a good cause? Go help the Rohinga or Karon tribes

[JenksB]

I think despite the protestations of TV members if you visit most countries of the world on a non immigration visa and take part in a protest to overthrow the "legitimate government" you would be very likely, if caught, to be deported immediately with a no return stamp in your passport, The UK is probably one of the few who doesn't enforce the law as it worries too much about "Human Rights" of the individual and allows them to appeal and dissappear whilst on bail and even when illegals get caught they can get away because the UKBA is too busy trying to stop legitimate entry to worry about illegals!!

I think you will find that trying to overthrow any legitimate government is against the the law in any country of the world even if you "think" that what you are doing is right you are still breaking some law. even if you don't know what it is, after all said and done ignorance of any pertinent law cannot be used as a defence.

[JenksB]

If you are prepared to risk deportation go ahead. Never had sympathy for protesters of any kind who disrupt peoples lives and business.

Tea-party Political Science 101: Nobobdy has a right to their own opinion.

remember OPINIONS are just what you think is right, it doesnt make you right especially when you force your oinions on others!

[Lancelot]

Well, as many TV posters continually remind us, at least we are free here

[Tchooptip]

Shows that you have no rights as a foreigner in Thailand, no matter how long you have lived here.

Why should we have rights? You have hit the nail on the head, we are foreigners

I wish the UK government would take this stance with foreigners instead of changing everything to suit them and stuff the rest of the population

Yes but be "reassured" it is not limited to UK, Germany France Belgium Holland Sweden... even worst

[newcomer71]

I walk out my front door and join the protests every day. Will I get deported?

Well, hopefully you won't go on the stage I guess nothing will happen.

2 deported in 2010. 1 Aussie showed many time on stage 1 Briton speaking nonsense about burning Central World

2014 - 1 Indian showed many time on stage.

This are precedents, to all of you out there, avoid stupid actions. Just walking among the protesters should not put you in danger to be deported.

I must walk through protests everyday (almost deserted during the day), working in Silom.

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Every day, we see Yingluck's government departing from democratic principles and devolving into a tyranny. I am particularly concerned about her use of police orders and the SOE to deprive Thai residents of their basic political rights, that is, to support an opposition movement. Attending protest sites, making speeches, and donating money are not acts of insurrection, but rather exercise of political freedoms, whether the person is a Thai citizen or a foreigner. The basic human rights violations which are now being institutionalized in her government, will make the alleged 2010 human rights violations appear trivial.

Edited February 7, 2014 by zaphodbeeblebrox

[theslime]

If you are prepared to risk deportation go ahead. Never had sympathy for protesters of any kind who disrupt peoples lives and business.

You come from a land of milk and honey, where all is given and there is no reason to protest. I dont have Sympathy for people who have no Sympathy.

That is nonsense. Poor Thais have it better than people living in poverty in the US. At least they don't risk being shot while walking to school.

Just read an article today in my home paper about a 15 year old boy who was shot 3 times in the head and torso with a shotgun after answering "what?" when two gangbangers pulled up and shouted a gang slogan at him.

Terrible news , The cities are hard, and for sure more Violent, then when I was a Kid. What to do. In our Village the needy are fed, given menial work for cash, all share Food/ Herbs/ Lao Kao. So if TexasRanger really comes from Texas, get out there and protest about gun rights and sentencing, and to be heard ,you have get in Folks Faces, especially the Gun bit and Texas.

[atyclb]

welcome to our country, you are welcome to spend all your money, use it to build up a business, live here for the rest of your life, marry a thai person but you are not allowed to have an opinion different from ours.

Great minds at work!

Do you have a problem with that?

Publicizing foreigners risk deportation probably gets them more negative reactions than positive. As if removing foreigners will remove blame for the problems. Reminds me of "I see an airplane and I want to paint it black"

[merlen10002]

You/we (westerners) represent less than 0.3% of the population, you get to live here, eat inexpensive food, pay almost no tax, enjoy a warm climate and have frequent sex with beautiful women, what do you want next, voting privileges! Quit whinging.

You really have no bloody idea, do you ? The amount of tax I pay monthly is far in excess of the average Thai annual salary.

I would like to have a business and pay a lot of tax, that business would be very successful and make a lot of money, should be happy not complain, very easy to pay more tax than most Thais as most don't pay tax.

[Braddockrd]

If you are prepared to risk deportation go ahead. Never had sympathy for protesters of any kind who disrupt peoples lives and business.

You should go back to your country where the rule of democracy prevails and everyone lives behind a white picket fence. Never had sympathy for those who come to live in a foreign country and complain about the way locals manage their own affairs

[TexasRanger]

If you are prepared to risk deportation go ahead. Never had sympathy for protesters of any kind who disrupt peoples lives and business.

You should go back to your country where the rule of democracy prevails and everyone lives behind a white picket fence. Never had sympathy for those who come to live in a foreign country and complain about the way locals manage their own affairs

Are you that naive? White picket fence. Lol

[Braddockrd]

You/we (westerners) represent less than 0.3% of the population, you get to live here, eat inexpensive food, pay almost no tax, enjoy a warm climate and have frequent sex with beautiful women, what do you want next, voting privileges! Quit whinging.

Quit that patriotic primitive rant, will you? Thank the foreigners for helping develop your miserable country and thank the foreigners got allowing your compatriots to work in their countries and send money back home so that their families can drink beer and bang the rest of the women in the village

[benden25]

welcome to our country, you are welcome to spend all your money, use it to build up a business, live here for the rest of your life, marry a thai person but you are not allowed to have an opinion different from ours.

So your mad because Thailand won't let you commit an act deemed illegal by the government? Whether you agree with it or not it is an illegal activity. What would happen in your own country if a foreign visitor (whether they are tourist, studying, working or even married to a citizen) violated the law? In most countries they would be deported or serve time in jail along with massive fines.

[Braddockrd]

If you are prepared to risk deportation go ahead. Never had sympathy for protesters of any kind who disrupt peoples lives and business.

You should go back to your country where the rule of democracy prevails and everyone lives behind a white picket fence. Never had sympathy for those who come to live in a foreign country and complain about the way locals manage their own affairs

Are you that naive? White picket fence. Lol

I guess you should be protesting too then,...

[alphaflight]

You may not know it yet; but being deported from Thailand might end up being the best thing the government ever did for you.....

[GAZZPA]

If you are prepared to risk deportation go ahead. Never had sympathy for protesters of any kind who disrupt peoples lives and business.

Even if peaceful? Sometimes protests are necessary to send a message to the people in charge, they do after all work for the people. If things are not right and the people are not happy they have a right to protest, if the outcome benefits everyone then some disruption to daily life is a small price to pay.

What would you do to send a message in the middle of a political term? Would you sit and do nothing and let unfair and in this case potentially illegal things continue to happen? I am not sure I agree with what is happening in Thailand withe protesters but that's irrelevant really because they believe they have a cause.

I personally think that sitting on your backside and doing nothing is cowardly.

[Braddockrd]

You/we (westerners) represent less than 0.3% of the population, you get to live here, eat inexpensive food, pay almost no tax, enjoy a warm climate and have frequent sex with beautiful women, what do you want next, voting privileges! Quit whinging.

You really have no bloody idea, do you ? The amount of tax I pay monthly is far in excess of the average Thai annual salary.

I would like to have a business and pay a lot of tax, that business would be very successful and make a lot of money, should be happy not complain, very easy to pay more tax than most Thais as most don't pay tax.

70% of Thais pay no tax. Only 5% reach the top marginal tax rate. Scary statistics. Expats should be paying a lot of tax, except for those who spend a lot of time abroad or those who have dual contracts with overseas companies and defraud the system

[Braddockrd]

welcome to our country, you are welcome to spend all your money, use it to build up a business, live here for the rest of your life, marry a thai person but you are not allowed to have an opinion different from ours.

So your mad because Thailand won't let you commit an act deemed illegal by the government? Whether you agree with it or not it is an illegal activity. What would happen in your own country if a foreign visitor (whether they are tourist, studying, working or even married to a citizen) violated the law? In most countries they would be deported or serve time in jail along with massive fines.

Speeding is illegal too

[benny1616]

they should kick out all farangs supporting this terrorists and anti democratic yellows over night. some of this farangs are kicked out allready in phuket. they have worked for english newspaper and tv in phuket and have supported the yellows.. this decision from yinglucks goverment made me very happy *____*

[Braddockrd]

they should kick out all farangs supporting this terrorists and anti democratic yellows over night. some of this farangs are kicked out allready in phuket. they have worked for english newspaper and tv in phuket and have supported the yellows.. this decision from yinglucks goverment made me very happy *____*

That's because you are deeply confused

[Ulic]

Shows that you have no rights as a foreigner in Thailand, no matter how long you have lived here.

Not entirely true. He could have become naturalized, taken Thai citizenship and gained the right to

vote and protest but he chose not to for whatever reason. I know of no other country in the world

that gives even legally landed immigrants 100% the same rights as citizens.

[chiang mai]

70% of Thais pay no tax. Only 5% reach the top marginal tax rate. Scary statistics. Expats should be paying a lot of tax, except for those who spend a lot of time abroad or those who have dual contracts with overseas companies and defraud the system

Forgive me but, only 2% of Thai people pay tax via the tax return system, otherwise you are correct.