Thailand not a haven for foreign criminals

[Eli1]

I think the biggest criminals are the Thais them selves without  a doubt.

I'm sure the foreign criminals would not exist with out them just ask the Thai Police and government officials :-)

[timmyp]

Last year using information I found on TVF, Google and Bing I cobbled together an estimate ('guestimate') of the number of Westerner foreigners who live in Thailand.  The number I came up with was around 550,000.  Add to that another 100,000 to 150,000 'other'  (Asian, African, assorted islanders, etc.) and my 'guestimate' comes to 650,000 to 750,000 foreigners who are living permanently or semi-permanently in Thailand.  

 

I can promise you that the number of Asians (non-Thais) living in Thailand are far beyond the number of western foreigners even without doing an estimate or guesstimate. You just don't see them cuz they aren't as visible and you don't mix with them.

Edited July 31, 2014 by timmyp

[smedly]

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 So, we kicked out all the backpackers. Got rid of the tourist visa runners. The Chinese that we so lovingly courted didn't come as expected, and spent nothing when they did come. High end farang tourists still prefer Europe and the Carribean. Let's face it, what a cock-up.

 

 I suggest Thailand takes whatever tourists that still wash up here, and be very grateful for them. Whether they be foreign criminals or not. The luxury of choosing classes of visitor have long gone, blown by years of incompetence at TAT and immigration, and xenophobic govt policy at large.

 

 

Don't forget the 2 years in prison for not carrying your Picture ID or Passport that new tourists may not know about. Or reporting to immigration within 24-hours. I still Love Thailand but they sure haven't been very Tourist Friendly lately.

 

What comes next? That should be obvious! A crack down on all those people who bought property Illegally by setting up a fake company first. Once they begin to enforce that this should send property prices into a real tail spin with every scared rabbit trying to bail out. Also set up an exodus for these people leaving. Surely, if you broke some law you won't be allowed to stay. Also maybe an investigation as to where the Thai Wife got all this money to buy her own house.

 

Interesting to see what comes next. Like waiting for the next shoe to fall. That might determine if I stay or leave. But at least I won't be leaving behind a condo or house as I never did feel secure in Property Ownership here.   .

 

 

what 2 years in prison ?

 

I have not read any official statement either saying this or meaning the same for not carrying your passport, perhaps you can quote your source

 

If you had taken the time to read the OP and other posts on this thread explaining the details you would not have made such a stupid remark

 

Production and carrying are two very very different things

 

Keep the feet for dancing

[callaway]

Foreign criminals? They should be kicked out as they are not allowed to take jobs that Thais can do 

[JDGRUEN]

Surely the place to catch the foreign criminals is at passport control when they come in ?. I can't imagine for one minute a cop at a checkpoint will recognise one. So that leaves overstayers. Overstayers will leave their passport at home and risk the 2,000 baht fine. So that leaves nobody ???. In summary, the effect of the policy will be to collect 2,000 baht from every farang who decides to leave his passport safe in his house instead of loose in his flimsy hot-weather clothing. The opportunities for theft will skyrocket if every drunk in a bar has his floating around. Not to mention losing the visa slip which hangs out the edges of the passport. So I wonder how they think this policy will improve things ?.

 

A copy of the passport including the exit date would be a much better alternative. However I have noticed over the years that Thais have a very peculiar logic.

 

 

 

I have always carried my passport when traveling around Thailand which has been pretty extensive for being here only about seven months... And it always makes me uncomfortable - constantly checking my patch pocket with Velcro or button flap which I think is the best place to keep it (for how I do things)... I have been leaving it in the resort room locked up after arriving here in Ao Nang because I knew I would be staying several months.  But today - much as I hate to wear things around my neck I went down to the tourist beachfront and found a shop carrying the water proof plastic pouch.  It has double zip lock and a button down flap - plus an adjustable sturdy neck string... I wore it back to the resort room on my long exercise walk ... works great - but I still hate it... I have to practice making a routine of where to secure it when I get back to the resort room... to make sure I don't get careless.  To some who are more casual about such things this may sound a bit OCD... But my passport is less than two years old - already showing some wear and tear - and I just do not want the hassle of losing it or getting it destroyed by water or worn down by my exercise walking sweat... What a pain - but I'll do it ... Thanks Thai immigration for adding to the relaxed nature of my long stay in Thailand ... thanks much guys ... Khob Khun mak... :)

[John1thru10]

I'm still waiting to see that big article about the plan to improve education for the poor, and the plan to address the crushing class system which keeps millions of Thais in poverty over generations.  I'm sure that's the next thing coming, right?  Because, we know they would never just blame a country's problems on foreigners instead, right?

Edited July 31, 2014 by John1thru10

[Tonto21]

"A Milan court wanted him for fraud, acceptance of stolen objects, impersonation, selling pirated goods and copyright violation"

 

I will have to be careful.........I do a mean Mick Jagger!

 

The really are cracking down.

 

 

[surfinglife]

 

 So, we kicked out all the backpackers. Got rid of the tourist visa runners. The Chinese that we so lovingly courted didn't come as expected, and spent nothing when they did come. High end farang tourists still prefer Europe and the Carribean. Let's face it, what a cock-up.
 
 I suggest Thailand takes whatever tourists that still wash up here, and be very grateful for them. Whether they be foreign criminals or not. The luxury of choosing classes of visitor have long gone, blown by years of incompetence at TAT and immigration, and xenophobic govt policy at large.
 

???? Are you on drugs mate? Or are you one of the crims? Crimnals are not tourists, they are usually very dangerous people and I don't like having dangerous people around. The only thing wrong is that this scum somehow elude capture for a long time
 

 Did you even read the opening post? One of the lads they arrested to great fanfare had sold copyrighted goods, another was a pot farmer, living in Samui with his wife and children. Dangerous criminals? Give it a break.
 
 If foreigners break the law in Thailand it is a different matter entirely, but people wanted in far away lands for minor crimes is not Thailand's concern.

I used the word "usually". I don't care about the pot growers but seeing many blokes in Pattaya bars who could pretty much wear "Wanted for armed robbery" signs around their necks makes me think that there are less pot growers and more really nasty people in the "wanted criminal" category in my town quietly sipping Singhas while they should be breaking big stones into little stones in much less hospitable surroundings.

[NeilSA1]

No doubt people on the run are on Thaivisa checkin the news. Most of the interpol guys based in Thailand spend more time in bars than looking for criminals.

 

[NeilSA1]

 

No doubt people on the run are on Thaivisa checkin the news. Most of the interpol guys based in Thailand spend more time in bars than looking for criminals.

 

 

Obviously working undercover.                                         

[thhMan]

or tourists