Thailand visa: Missing MH370 ‘behind visa run crackdown’. Fingerprints next?

[ovenman]

Malaysia has the fingerprint machines as well. Malaysia immigrations is rather inconsistent in regards their use though.

[spacemand]

Give me a 1 year visa and I will show.

1) I have income from abroad only and can support myself.

2) Clean criminal record in Thailand and my home country.

3) Pretty much anything else, I got nothing to hide.

Just give me a chance to stay here.

What's stopping you getting a 1 year visa now ?

Single and under 50.

[tigergrl]

so.. have to ask it as no one else seems to have asked..

you've gotten your visa from an embassy outside thailand, ie.. not a person who came

in on a 30 day free exemption.. no more land/border crossings for these people either?

my friend is coming in June and we'd planned to make several trips to Laos and Burma,

we'd planned to just cross over, stay a few days.. cross back.. go to next destination..

no idea what to tell him now..

[stickylies]

the ministry of blah blah (aka the ministry of no plobrem) approves!

[Thaiisnotrequired]

BTW, I wonder if this is also already trickling into other immigration functions. Just last week, I went in for my 90 day. Usually the immigration officer glances at it, rips off the bottom part, and staples it in my passport. This time, she took it to a computer and spent four or five minutes looking something up, then went to a printout and checked through that. I had no idea why a process that usually takes about 30 seconds stretched out to almost 10 minutes. Maybe this is the reason?

Actually, things are getting very strict here full stop, especially for teachers. I you don't have a BEd, but simply a BA or BSc, or even an MA... wait for your next visa renewal... and I'm not joking. Fortunately, I don't work in education, but I know a lot of friends, of course, who do, and people are now getting work permits rejected left right and centre for no having an "Ed" after their name....... it's coming.. quickly.

However, if you are in the know.. ... it aint much to get a 1 year extensions of an Non-B... ;)// ...

[schondie]

Ah, one more pathetic excuse days after coming under fire being complete fools over this supposed crackdown. First it was to stop these pesky foreigners working over here without the proper (unobtainable) visas or work permits but now it's because of MH370. Bad excuse. Sorry, not bad but pathetic.

Keep moving those goalposts and then just send these regulations into the memory hole as usual when the usual suspects can't make their usual "cough, cough my throat is dry" donations.

[Boo]

I have removed a couple of posts sniping & insulting other posters.

Remember the rules. I will issues suspensions next time.

Thanks

Boo

[mancub]

And when it's shown that compelling potential Foreign criminals to get a visa doesn't actually result in a downturn in crime, will the Authorities then consider addressing the problem from another angle ? Stolen passports and forged documentation not being an occupation solely reserved for Foreigners !

[rotorbreeze]

First step. I think this country intends to keep squeezing and squeezing and squeezing until they force out most Westerners of whatever visa status. Both sides of the political debate want Westerners out. Anyone working here is seen as someone taking a Thai's money and job. And, as this policy shows, they can change the rules on a moment's notice. Retirement visa. Non-immigrant work visa? They could decide next week to kick everybody out of the country starting the next morning. And most Thais would probably celebrate.

Look at the tourism, the government has a good deal going with the Foreigner's marring Thais, support families with the forcing Western people out of Thailand will never happen..so many foreign investment, Thai's can not manage their own country..how would they ever create a law to decide to kick everyone out. Oh yes no government now...well enough just had to reply to this comment.

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[zydeco]

so.. have to ask it as no one else seems to have asked..

you've gotten your visa from an embassy outside thailand, ie.. not a person who came

in on a 30 day free exemption.. no more land/border crossings for these people either?

my friend is coming in June and we'd planned to make several trips to Laos and Burma,

we'd planned to just cross over, stay a few days.. cross back.. go to next destination..

no idea what to tell him now..

It seems to me that you won't be able to do it. Who knows what the real motivation is for this policy change. Is it justifiable? Of course it is, because it's Thailand's right to protect and regulate their borders however they like. Coming during a time of instability on the streets, however, it only adds to the image of "crackdown." People like you and your friend are not only victims of a policy change made with little or no warning, you now may be part of a wider informal network advising people that Thailand is becoming a No Go Zone. Just too many problems. Too much trouble to go to a place where you don't know if the government is legitimate or if mobs will surround your hotel with loudspeakers, etc. This is just bad for business.

Oops. Never mind. I read it as someone coming in a 30 day. You said a regular visa. I guess that means it depends on how many entries on the visa. Sorry. I misread your post.

[nomad127]

Give me a 1 year visa and I will show.

1) I have income from abroad only and can support myself.

2) Clean criminal record in Thailand and my home country.

3) Pretty much anything else, I got nothing to hide.

Just give me a chance to stay here.

What's stopping you getting a 1 year visa now ?

Single and under 50.

So am I and I got a 1 year visa. It's not that difficult, but it may require you to return to your country of record to obtain it.

[casindonet]

Just like everything & anything that is done by them will die of natural death after they feel the pinch in term of income getting less. Then is back to the same old thing.....

[Soutpeel]

Give me a 1 year visa and I will show.

1) I have income from abroad only and can support myself.

2) Clean criminal record in Thailand and my home country.

3) Pretty much anything else, I got nothing to hide.

Just give me a chance to stay here.

What's stopping you getting a 1 year visa now ?

Single and under 50.

Ed visa then...go and learn Thai

[marko kok prong]

well they have already blown off one foot,with the Navy threatning to arrest the reuters journalists,why not shoot the other one while they are at it.Meanwhile suthep and the mad monk hold the capitol to ransom,,there is no Pm, bombs in the south ,earthquakes in the north it's better than game of thrones.

[TechnikaIII]

One could suggest that they 'clamp down' on the theft of passports in Phuket, rather than tarring everyone with the same brush, but I suppose that would smack too much of hard work.

Crap. Taking finger prints, or images of both index fingers as done by the Malaysians at the border crossing on the way to Butterworth, is a simple and efficient procedure. And a lot less of a nuisance than taking of shoes at UK airports, etc. In a previous thread about the Russian girl who was stopped, so many posters were getting stuck into the Thais about "racism" etc. As it turns out she has been working at a diving center for ages, tax free and without a work permit. There is so much abuse of every regulation by farang freeloaders, that crackdowns are needed and need to be enforced, period.

[surangw]

yes, lock the barn doors after the horses ran away.

[GAZZPA]

It will be very interesting to see how it does effect tourism or people who are staying longer term by crossing back and forth.

I think that the Thai authorities are saying the right things, they need to control people coming in and out, working illegally and abusing the system. But like so many things in Thailand they are going the wrong way about tackling the problem.

It is already a pain to get a non immigrant visa and work permit so the checks are in place i think. From what I can see the main problem is corruption,,

I was in the immigration office just before the year end getting my new visa after getting my work permit was approved for another year. it was right before new year (western new year) and while sitting there I saw literally dozens of hampers, gifts and "envelopes" being delivered directly to the officers on the immigration desks.

They were stockpiling the stuff in an office just next to the waiting room, the door was open and it was full, completely full of boxes, hampers, drink etc,,

You have to ask why. I know in the UK you speak to a faceless individual behind a glass screen who quite simply follows procedure to the nth degree. No favors, no "I will see what I can do",, just the procedures.

in my old line of work gifts of this magnitude would never be allowed as it would be seen as inappropriate.

So, my point is.. Whilst there are people who are willing to bend the rules or even potentially break the law and get you what you need by greasing their palm, all the crackdowns in the world are never going to close the loopholes and minimize the risk of criminals getting in and out.

I am willing to bet that there will still be illegal visa run companies going strong in the next couple of months,, someone will take the money,, this is Thailand after all.

[techboy]

So as with every crack down it will blow over in a matter of days

Yeah so what. It is not a crackdown on anything "bad" anyway.

[Cnxforever]

Border fingerprinting ? I dont think so somehow

why not the American's do it...the equipment to do this is not expensive/electronic and info just goes into the immigration data base they are already using, you already have your photo taken coming into Swampy, so implementation of this is not so difficult

Doesn't Cambodia already do this as well?

So does Malaysia - the two guys still got on the MH370 flight!

A finger print reader with nothing to compare to is useless!

[OnTheRun]

Malaysia has the fingerprint machines as well. Malaysia immigrations is rather inconsistent in regards their use though.

I've been working in Malaysia for the past 2 years. I got fingerprinted on my first entry then nothing after that. I've been fingerprinted on both my entries since MH370.

I've been entering Malaysia on 90 day entry non employment visas for all of my entries, I don't like doing this but it is down to the total incompetence of our Malaysian agents. Unfortunately if I don't work I don't get paid.

[Carrerakiss]

so.. have to ask it as no one else seems to have asked..

you've gotten your visa from an embassy outside thailand, ie.. not a person who came

in on a 30 day free exemption.. no more land/border crossings for these people either?

my friend is coming in June and we'd planned to make several trips to Laos and Burma,

we'd planned to just cross over, stay a few days.. cross back.. go to next destination..

no idea what to tell him now..

Maybe a few touristy type documents like a return plane ticket, hotel bookings etc, may help to prove he is a real tourist and not a visa runner. But in the wake of a crackdown, a lot of genuine tourists may suffer until the enthusiasm for it fades.

We'll see

[Soutpeel]

It will be very interesting to see how it does effect tourism or people who are staying longer term by crossing back and forth.

Its not really going to affect legitimate tourists at all to any great degree, the biggest impact will be on people staying long term living in Thailand claiming "residency" and not having the correct visa's for what ever reason they are living in Thailand

[schondie]

Malaysia has the fingerprint machines as well. Malaysia immigrations is rather inconsistent in regards their use though.

I've noticed this too. A few Immigration officers want the thumb prints but the vast majority don't care.

It's nothing to do with information stored on the RFID chip on the UK passports though as I made my chip inoperable back in 2009 as the UK government lied to me about "It's only readable in a two metre radius".

I disabled the chip with a ball pen hammer and when I landed at Swampy, Immigration informed me that the RFID chip had a problem and I should replace my passport. It never happened.

[bangarang]

'“The main reason is the lost Malaysian Airlines flight MH370.” Two people on that flight were carrying passports reported lost or stolen in Phuket."

...and they were stolen by Thai people most-likely in the rental industry. Why not crack down on most of the crime happening within its own borders already instead of blaming foreigners for all the problems? Not all foreigners are good, but I highly doubt we are threat. Im sure foreigners dont add up to be more than the cause of 5% of related crime on the island.

[bobl]

Give me a 1 year visa and I will show.

1) I have income from abroad only and can support myself.

2) Clean criminal record in Thailand and my home country.

3) Pretty much anything else, I got nothing to hide.

Just give me a chance to stay here.

What's stopping you getting a 1 year visa now ?

Single and under 50.

Ed visa then...go and learn Thai

I'd rather pay 20,000 for a 1 yr multi entry visa than take any part in that sham - with apologies to the 1 in 100 who actually attend and learn Thai.

[carstenp]

Give me a 1 year visa and I will show.

1) I have income from abroad only and can support myself.

2) Clean criminal record in Thailand and my home country.

3) Pretty much anything else, I got nothing to hide.

Just give me a chance to stay here.

What's stopping you getting a 1 year visa now ?

Properly same as me below 50 no way to get a 1 year visa down here

[ovenman]

Malaysia has the fingerprint machines as well. Malaysia immigrations is rather inconsistent in regards their use though.

I've been working in Malaysia for the past 2 years. I got fingerprinted on my first entry then nothing after that. I've been fingerprinted on both my entries since MH370.

I've been entering Malaysia on 90 day entry non employment visas for all of my entries, I don't like doing this but it is down to the total incompetence of our Malaysian agents. Unfortunately if I don't work I don't get paid.

I just was on a trip that took in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, using Kuala Lumpur as a transit hub. I passed thru Malaysia immigrations six times over the course of the trip (three times inbound, three times outbound). I was fingerprinted twice.

[samjaidee]

Border fingerprinting ? I dont think so somehow

why not the American's do it...the equipment to do this is not expensive/electronic and info just goes into the immigration data base they are already using, you already have your photo taken coming into Swampy, so implementation of this is not so difficult

Doesn't Cambodia already do this as well?

Yes Cambodia does finger printing in the capital at the airport.

...and at land borders between Vietnam and Cambodia. I can'y comment on land borders between Thailand and Cambodia but I assume the Cambodians also have fingerprint scanners there also.

[Trouble]

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Border fingerprinting ? I dont think so somehow alt=cheesy.gif width=32 height=20>

why not the American's do it...the equipment to do this is not expensive/electronic and info just goes into the immigration data base they are already using, you already have your photo taken coming into Swampy, so implementation of this is not so difficult

Just visited Colombia and Panama last month and fingerprinted in one or the other country. Colombia as I recall. It will happen more and more as time passes. Not so far out to expect Thailand to do it. As said the technology there.

[Tomtomtom69]

Border fingerprinting ? I dont think so somehow

Why not? The Cambodians are doing it and have been for a few years now. Not difficult to implement and if they need help, they just need to go to Poipet or Koh Kong and ask the Khmers.