Fingerprint scans to debut at Thai Immigration to catch known criminals

[Gillyflower]

In January when I went on my visa run to Penang I was fingerprinted - the first time ever. Then I went on to have my bag searched It was on the Malaysian side.

[Ianatlarge]

Somehow I still don't feel more secure. Just how many criminals will be discovered? Maybe people boarding Malaysian planes with dud passports?

This is clearly an example of zenophobia in action. The Kingdom is drifting towards civil war, but harassing the group that keep the country running, labelling them all criminals, is supposed to make everyone feel better?

[Gillyflower]

When I went to Penang for the visa run in January I was fingerprinted at Padang Besar (train) by the Malaysians. The first time ever. Then my baggage was searched.

[mickjn]

I think the Commissioner is a nice looking man

[Thai at Heart]

Somehow I still don't feel more secure. Just how many criminals will be discovered? Maybe people boarding Malaysian planes with dud passports?

This is clearly an example of zenophobia in action. The Kingdom is drifting towards civil war, but harassing the group that keep the country running, labelling them all criminals, is supposed to make everyone feel better?

Well that is all a little melodramatic.

But considering they have Al Qaeda, Rohingya, Middle Easter, Iranian and Sri Lankan terrorists and undesirables floating freely in and out of the country for years on end, I quite fancy the idea that everyone getting on the plane is as described as in their passport.

[janpoo]

START FINGERPRINT BY YOUR OWN THAI CRIMINALS. HOW MANY YOU HAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YINGLUCK, THAKSIN AND ETC.

[phuketrichard]

Listen to this puppet..."other countries do it" or "it will benefit the whole country" It benefits big brother and wishing to gain more control and lock-down on people as a whole...You globalist-puppet. Who is pulling your strings to do this? Scum...turning Thailand into a military-state.

hey; go home an live in the mtn , get off the grid.

no one asked you to travel or for that matter get a passport.

[bangon04]

Interesting article from September 2006;

Thailand to Use Fingerprint Scanners at New Airport to Nab Criminals

http://www.securityinfowatch.com/news/10554738/thailand-to-use-fingerprint-scanners-at-new-airport-to-nab-criminals

Yes....

"Immigration Police Commissioner Lt. Gen. Suwat Suwatsisakul."

Where is he? ..obviously at a hugely lucrative inactive post somewhere.....

[White Tiger]

Is Thaksin Shinawatra's prints on file ...

I think you mean. "Are Thaksin Shinawatra's prints on file."

Sorry, I'm a picky old bugger but don't worry, I have even had to correct a couple of Prime Ministers on issues of singular and plural.

Shouldn't that read "...on the issue of singular and plural" ?

Edited May 15, 2014 by White Tiger

[bangon04]

They have been fingerprint scanning at Tokyo Narita Airport since 2007.

Doesn't really add that much time, but then again, Thailand isn't as efficient as Japan.

So it will probably add hours !

Nonsense. It takes but a few seconds. It takes less time than to take photographs, because more than half of the people have to be told to stand on the square, because they too stupid to read the signs. The thing that slows down ques are the STUPID people standing in them.

but of course they will keep taking the photos as well, because they have paid for those machines.

The stupid people are the ones who do not fill in or cannot even find the landing card, which they can lose between the plane seat and the immigration queue. And it is not only the Chinese.........

[Farma]

It seems to be the way the world is going now. I've had to provide fingerprints to work and enter middle eastern countries.

Air Asia also announced yesterday they would be checking passengers passports against the interpol database. http://www.news.com.au/world/breaking-news/airasia-to-do-interpol-checks/story-e6frfkui-1226916776961

As for comments on Thais being checked. Some Thai govt departments have been using combined iris and fingerprint scanning instead of time clocks for their staff for a few years now. The technology is there.

[carstenp]

START FINGERPRINT BY YOUR OWN THAI CRIMINALS. HOW MANY YOU HAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YINGLUCK, THAKSIN AND ETC.

What do you fear...

[shawn82]

Wonder what happens to people with dual/triple citizenship with many passports.

Will they match my fingerprints from my different passports?

And what is the consequences? (Its legal in my country to have dual passports)

I understand Thailands crackdown and wish my home country did the same.

At the same time: please make it more easy to stay ”legal” in Thailand.

I am to young to get retirement visa, but am to sick to never work again.

Visa runs/triple entry visas were the only way I could live in Thailand.

Thai have cracked down on Education visas. Much harder to get.

Thai have cracked down on dual/triple entry tourist visa. (you have to show tickets for each in/out + 3-6 month minimum stay outside Thailand before a new visa can be issued)

Visa runs are gone.

”but.... Its just to travel to a neighboring country and apply for a tourist visa"

We will see. Officially you can’t get tourist visa after tourist visa. You have to stay out a minimum time.

If Thailand follows its owns rules in this matter I just don’t see how for example me can stay in Thailand.

I was finally going to move to Thailand in june 2014 and they changed their rules

[jpinx]

Wonder what happens to people with dual/triple citizenship with many passports.

Will they match my fingerprints from my different passports?

And what is the consequences? (Its legal in my country to have dual passports)

I understand Thailands crackdown and wish my home country did the same.

At the same time: please make it more easy to stay ”legal” in Thailand.

I am to young to get retirement visa, but am to sick to never work again.

Visa runs/triple entry visas were the only way I could live in Thailand.

Thai have cracked down on Education visas. Much harder to get.

Thai have cracked down on dual/triple entry tourist visa. (you have to show tickets for each in/out + 3-6 month minimum stay outside Thailand before a new visa can be issued)

Visa runs are gone.

”but.... Its just to travel to a neighboring country and apply for a tourist visa"

We will see. Officially you can’t get tourist visa after tourist visa. You have to stay out a minimum time.

If Thailand follows its owns rules in this matter I just don’t see how for example me can stay in Thailand.

I was finally going to move to Thailand in june 2014 and they changed their rules

On what basis were you going to live in Thailand? Work, MArriage, retirement ?

[moe666]

The same folks here complaining about steps to keep the bad boys out are usually the same lot complaining about the bad boys when they do nothing. Folks make up your minds what you want.

[moe666]

Wonder what happens to people with dual/triple citizenship with many passports.

Will they match my fingerprints from my different passports?

And what is the consequences? (Its legal in my country to have dual passports)

I understand Thailands crackdown and wish my home country did the same.

At the same time: please make it more easy to stay ”legal” in Thailand.

I am to young to get retirement visa, but am to sick to never work again.

Visa runs/triple entry visas were the only way I could live in Thailand.

Thai have cracked down on Education visas. Much harder to get.

Thai have cracked down on dual/triple entry tourist visa. (you have to show tickets for each in/out + 3-6 month minimum stay outside Thailand before a new visa can be issued)

Visa runs are gone.

”but.... Its just to travel to a neighboring country and apply for a tourist visa"

We will see. Officially you can’t get tourist visa after tourist visa. You have to stay out a minimum time.

If Thailand follows its owns rules in this matter I just don’t see how for example me can stay in Thailand.

I was finally going to move to Thailand in june 2014 and they changed their rules

On what basis were you going to live in Thailand? Work, MArriage, retirement ?

he was just another guy gaming the system, no real good reason other than I want to live in Thailand

[SoFarAndNear]

Oh boy. Seriously a fingerprint database of every foreigner who is entering thailand... I already predict a big leak online with many million peoples fingerprint connected to names and passport ID online in the next years.

If they really want to catch criminals with this I am agreeing partly but if this is about to pick out decent people who just want to live in Thailand but doesn't have the money for a yearly visa but have enough to live here and even support a spouse or a family... I feel bad for these people then and these families.

Seriously...how many billions (yes I talk about billions) of baht are brought to this country yearly of foreigners who can't effort a real visa?!

[Interman]

Anyone who truly wants to beat finger printers, just as real criminals want to, can do it. Simply google it. This is a cash grab and thought c

[ravip]

With such numbers of honest experts around, should not Thailand be governed by these TVF experts?

As per their posts, seems there isnt a single Thai who knows what he/she is doing in Thailand.

[ILOOKFORWORK]

Yeah..and good luck getting the budget approved. The acting government has not approved any budgets since early December when Yingluck's government was demoted to caretaker.

[BudRight]

Where may I go to be fingerprinted ? Glad to see this and thing they should use Facial or Eye Scanners. Whatever it takes to keep or maker Thailand a harder place from Drugs, Human Trafficing and Terrorist to transit. Only problem is they have no data base for Kenya, Nigeria maybe even Malaysia.

I think you get the idea, Jerry

Why do you wish to be fingerprinted? It would only help if you are a terrorist.

Edit: Maybe not even then. 5% of people naturally do not have machine readable fingerprints.

There is also the issue that many, many people actually have similar fingerprints.

Finally, the commissioner clearly does not care about diseases on the machines, or about people getting those diseases.

Edited May 15, 2014 by BudRight

[SoFarAndNear]

Wonder what happens to people with dual/triple citizenship with many passports.

Will they match my fingerprints from my different passports?

And what is the consequences? (Its legal in my country to have dual passports)

I understand Thailands crackdown and wish my home country did the same.

At the same time: please make it more easy to stay ”legal” in Thailand.

I am to young to get retirement visa, but am to sick to never work again.

Visa runs/triple entry visas were the only way I could live in Thailand.

Thai have cracked down on Education visas. Much harder to get.

Thai have cracked down on dual/triple entry tourist visa. (you have to show tickets for each in/out + 3-6 month minimum stay outside Thailand before a new visa can be issued)

Visa runs are gone.

”but.... Its just to travel to a neighboring country and apply for a tourist visa"

We will see. Officially you can’t get tourist visa after tourist visa. You have to stay out a minimum time.

If Thailand follows its owns rules in this matter I just don’t see how for example me can stay in Thailand.

I was finally going to move to Thailand in june 2014 and they changed their rules

On what basis were you going to live in Thailand? Work, MArriage, retirement ?

If Thailand want to modernize their immigration law and want to track everything then they should also modernize and make it possible for people with a Thai wife (or husband) or thai child to live and work in this country.

The current immigration law is only about milking foreigners. Foreigners with much money can get a life here without to integrate in this country, language and culture... foreigners without much money can only do the visa/run stuff.

I remember on these visa/run trips years ago. There were a lot guys who could speak really good thai language and talking nice about this country and really love it here. Telling me about wife and kids here. Then on the other hand I know some 70 year old fellas who are living here for more then a decade with retirement visa, do nothing then complaining about everything (espacially about thai people) and can't even order fried rice in thai language.

[SoFarAndNear]

Anyone who truly wants to beat finger printers, just as real criminals want to, can do it. Simply google it. This is a cash grab and thought c

Maybe the budget will be approved if they change the new rule that now if you want a "re-new" a tourist visa you have to pay "more" money. I mean officially. 1st tourist visa 1900thb, 2nd 3800thb, 3nd 5700thb...

[lostinisaan]

Sent via Chinese fridge tablet

Edited May 15, 2014 by lostinisaan

[lostinisaan]

Where may I go to be fingerprinted ? Glad to see this and thing they should use Facial or Eye Scanners. Whatever it takes to keep or maker Thailand a harder place from Drugs, Human Trafficing and Terrorist to transit. Only problem is they have no data base for Kenya, Nigeria maybe even Malaysia.

I think you get the idea, Jerry

Why do you wish to be fingerprinted? It would only help if you are a terrorist.

Edit: Maybe not even then. 5% of people naturally do not have machine readable fingerprints.

There is also the issue that many, many people actually have similar fingerprints.

Finally, the commissioner clearly does not care about diseases on the machines, or about people getting those diseases.

There is also the issue that many, many people actually have similar fingerprints.

​ Similar doesn't mean identical, right?

Edit: Maybe not even then. 5% of people naturally do not have machine readable fingerprints.

Easy to fix, when you play deaf and sell key holders to innocent bar stool guys..

[sandyf]

Do they fingerprint in Malaysia? All arrivals?

I don't remember that.

Nope ... when through the LCCC at KL 2 weeks ago.

I went by train a couple of weeks ago and they fingerprinted everyone.. When I flew into KL last year I was not fingerprinted but my wife was.

They also fingerprint into Heathrow for non EU passports.

Fingerprinting is part of the Schengen visa process and will probably be for all visas in due course

Edited May 15, 2014 by sandyf

[Chicog]

They already have fingerprint scanners in the Amphur offices. They are checked against the ID cards. When my wife got a new ID card, her fingerprints were taken and when she had finished, they were double checked on the scanners at the desks.

Also, she was required to give her fingerprints for her UK visas. There are scanners at Heathrow, presumably to check her identity, but when we travelled through together, the IO was asking her quite a few questions that appeared to be ID related (what's your name, where were you born, what's your DOB etc.etc.) at no point was she asked to have her fingerprints scanned. I did ask, if you want to check she's the same person who applied for the visa, why don't you scan her fingerprints? After all, she did have to queue up for two and a half hours at the VFS visa centre to have them recorded.

Blank stare from the IO. Long queues got longer as the technology they insist on having wasn't used.

So far, a total of three entries to the UK and she has yet to be asked for a fingerprint check.

Off topic, but iris scanning seemed to die a quiet death in the UK.

The equipment rarely worked.

Interesting that. It worked flawlessly for me every time, including when my eyes were somewhat distorted due to vigorous use of the complimentary beverages

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[BudRight]

God knows what the real tourism figures will be after they finish their crackdown. Every single tourist?

Damn that will take a while to process. Standing behind a queue of Chinese arrivals is going to be even more joyous.

You people have had it too spoiled here.

You people complain too much about the type of quality "tourist" that enter here and yet when the gov tries to do something about it, you complain.

Now it's time to join the rest of the world.

Like the article says, they do it in Japan and it works and no, does not take that much longer to get through the line.

People complain about jet-ski scammers, not oversexed Swedish backpackers.

[BudRight]

> Similar doesn't mean identical, right?

Oh my god, to similar for even a computer to tell apart. Just look it up please.

[bmiller1985]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Do they fingerprint in Malaysia? All arrivals?

I don't remember that.

Nope ... when through the LCCC at KL 2 weeks ago.

That's what I thought.

So basically no one fingerprints this many people in the region. 24mn tourist visitors.


Good luck.

I just arrived in KL a few hours ago through KLIA2, both my girlfriend and I were fingerprinted in separate lines. Looks like all foreigners were. To be honest I don't like the idea, however, on the other hand I was so anxious to get through the line I just didn't care all that much.

Edited May 15, 2014 by bmiller1985