Phuket Immigration swoop nets Nigerian, Cambodians, Indians and a Syrian

[NamKangMan]

Begging is illegal in Thailand for Thais as well as other nationalities.

What's the difference between "begging" and asking for a donation?

[somchaismith]

I Don't blame them for arresting the guys who have over stayed thier visas, as they are here illegally. ( where ever they come from ). They should do this more offen, as the ammount of foreigners here illegally is amazing.

Can we have please have a link to figures on this?

[fabphil]

I wanna know how the nigerian had visa to stay 15 months ...???

[Loles]

This net handling was a bit racist.

Where are the EU, AU, NZ, RUS, USA, etc.. criminals with their big tattoos and steroids bicepses ????

I see them day by day, this means I'm alone with this.

May be the "brave" officer team was scared to visit the gyms of PKT?

This very hard officer team only wanted to make a rapid show-business and picked up these luckless vendors from the street, and if they are not lazy as they, could pick more 2 - 300 also, but these helpless guys were enough for the next "show for nothing" game.

Edited June 7, 2014 by Loles

[MMarlow]

nigerians? i see one.

so they've arrested some taylors / suit salesmen, some street vendors,

and im sure that's my favorite kebab cart guy? the big guy near the end...

cant get bigger fish than these through some basic intel..?

great dragnet / swoopnet" operation boys lol...but do be careful not to net any dolfins pleez.

"nigerians? i see one."

Well done, that's because th report stated that there was only one.

Maybe the bigger fish have valid visas.

[MMarlow]

Counted 9 heads

Try again, the others aren't exactly hiding.

[MMarlow]

i would take another step,i would like to see a ''stop and frisk','police on thais and foriengers...call it ''profileing'' call it racism,call it what you want..it works..

Usually, the "stop and frisk" results in your wallet being handed back to you, empty.

You could call it "profiling" or "racism" but many times it's simply called, "robbery."

"Usually, the "stop and frisk" results in your wallet being handed back to you, empty."

Your nonsense really is never ending.

[Rimbuman]

Carrying your passport at all times seems an invitation for passport snatchers. They can profile a person by height looks etc. knowing he has his passport in his pocket. I value my passport so much that I will leave it at home but carry a laminated copy, copy of all pages on my smart phone, Drivers licenses, club membership cards, bank cards, my hotel managers business card. What more do they need to at least give a bloke time to get his passport without being rude and detaining him? After all, a passport is made for identification at the borders not to identify oneself at a 7/11 or on the beach.

I never carry my passport, always have my driving license.

[John1thru10]

Carrying your passport at all times seems an invitation for passport snatchers. They can profile a person by height looks etc. knowing he has his passport in his pocket. I value my passport so much that I will leave it at home but carry a laminated copy, copy of all pages on my smart phone, Drivers licenses, club membership cards, bank cards, my hotel managers business card. What more do they need to at least give a bloke time to get his passport without being rude and detaining him? After all, a passport is made for identification at the borders not to identify oneself at a 7/11 or on the beach.

I never carry my passport, always have my driving license.

I agree, I desperately need my passport in one safe location at all times, 24/7 until the moment I know for certain it will be required. I know it's the law to have it on one at all times in many places, but I just won't. If I can lose a new ipad mini in poland last month, then I can lose a passport, too.

[John1thru10]

nice sample of people who does not give a crack for the crackdown on border runs ... they just stay and work illegally until caught... how many more in this situation ? maybe all tourists should be RFID CHIPPED at arrival, so they can easely be radio tested on walking street and others ...

Yeah, that sounds great. I'd really like to be monitored at all times electronically by every government in the world.

[Jonmarleesco]

A pity they don't first address the homegrown variety. Particularly where kids are being used.

[Jonmarleesco]

So, begging illegally, I didn't realize you had to have a work permit to beg. Maybe the Thai police should print a list of "legal" beggars so we won't get in any trouble giving money to an illegal beggar..

Well, seems pretty obvious to me. It's ok for Thais to beg... this country is their home by birth. But why are foreigners coming here to beg?? If you can't afford to stay here under your own steam, you shouldn't be here in the first place. Thailand is sovereign nation, not a charitable organisation. Also consider the fact the people have a 'charity ceiling'... they give so much money to a beggar (if they give any at all), that makes them feel good, and they don't give more money to the next 20 beggars they encounter that day. It's a zero-sum game: what one beggar gets is 'lost' to another. So if Mr Singh in Phuket benefits from some passerby's generosity, another hard-up Thai person (who could never afford to go to another country) is losing out...

Short answer: if you are inclined to give money to beggars, don't give it to foreigners (though, of course, it may not always be easy to tell, but a Nigerian, Indian, or Russian accent would be a clue)

'Thailand is sovereign nation, not a charitable organisation.'

You think so? Given the number of Thai beggars on the streets, the number of kids that roam the streets, the number of kids sold by their parents - I'm not quoting actual figures - the number of disabled left to their own earning devices ... and the charitable organisations, domestic and international, that look to support these people because successive governments don't. A charitable organisation, Thailand isn't; a beneficiary of others' charity, Thailand is.

[ableguy]

The dramatic headline indicates they were all beggars, what a crock.

[ableguy]

Begging is illegal in Thailand for Thais as well as other nationalities.

What's the difference between "begging" and asking for a donation?

The police ask for a donation, they do not give you a choice as beggars do.