Thailand mulls ID wristbands, curfews for tourists

[animatic]

I thought all the minders were already taking time off from their bar jobs to go help the tourists with their needs?

[cloghead]

I suggest that they get ID numbers or barcodes tattooed on the wrists, and give us all a coloured armband based on our nationality. Perhaps put us in a barbed wire fenced off area for our own protection as well.

Those are suggestions worthy of serious consideration

But, why stop there?

I recommend a Buddha image branded (with a red-hot iron) onto every tourists forehead upon clearing immigration

Then, once the happy tourist returns to their country, they'll be reminded of their fabulous Thai vacation each time they look in the mirror...

[khunpa]

I strongly believe that the minister woke up this morning and had a great feeling to just stay home in bed.

Managed to create world news, with her crazy ideas.

[mataleo]

THAILAND CONSIDERS TRACKING TOURISTS WITH GPS AFTER BANNING ORWELL’S 1984 After arresting citizens for reading 1984 in public, Thai officials now want to track tourists like cattle

http://www.infowars.com/thailand-considers-tracking-tourists-with-gps-after-banning-orwells-1984/

[BlackJack]

why not just inject a NFT or a GPS chip in everyones arm

[Greg Nixon]

The ID devices would not have helped the murdered tourists but it may have helped the police. Muderers know nothing about curfews. Since the murderer has not been caught we can assume 1 of 2 things. The murder was premeditated or the police are incompetent. If the murder was premeditated then it would likely be a local Thai person but not necessarily from the island. Ferry or fisherman ?

[JDGRUEN]

If anyone has the capacity to do it ... please copy this whole topic thread and send copies to various officials in TAT, Immigration and other governmental departments and officials... I am quite serious ... someone has to sober them up...

[Artisi]

She must be a comedian !!!!!

If only she were, we could all have a good laugh, but unfortunately I think she is serious as does she.

[H1w4yR1da]

Now the only delay with the implementing is that settling on the wristband's colour...red, yellow, or whatever the current flavor is...

And reading the PM's earlier comments on the Koh Tao case, I'm wondering whether ugly girls will be given different color wristbands to their prettier sisters?

[Just1Voice]

Personally, I'm all for it. But don't stop with easily removed wrist bands. Go for the micro chips inserted under the skin. Mandatory Thai "buddies" to show you about. 5,000 thb fine if you are out past "tourist curfew". Implementing these practices will definitely KILL the Thai tourism industry, which is actually accountable for 16% of GNP when you figure in all the "fringe" employment connected to tourism. And that's a good thing. Being able to walk down the street and not see all the hoards of tourists clogging up the streets, riding motorbikes with zero experience, no drunken bar fights, far less "suicides" from balcony jumpers, and the economy going into the tank. Would make my retirement life here much better.

[PMZ]

What a ridiculous knee-jerk reaction this is, not much thinking went into this and the concept of electronic tracking devices is incredulous.

Catching the killer(s) would be a good start, followed by actually convicting them, regardless of their connections.

[mataleo]

THAILAND CONSIDERS TRACKING TOURISTS WITH GPS AFTER BANNING ORWELL’S 1984 After arresting citizens for reading 1984 in public, Thai officials now want to track tourists like cattle

http://www.infowars.com/thailand-considers-tracking-tourists-with-gps-after-banning-orwells-1984/

Its on Alex Jones Infowars heh

[tigermoth]

More idiotic ideas. Must be a suggestion of the military. Can kiss the tourist industry totally goodbye as if it isn't already stuffed up, according to the businesses that rely on it, not the TOT.

[padsterj]

obviously Thai's know very little about farang, as there are no farang from any of the tourists country's that would come here and be made to wear a wrist band or any other thing. They dont like been told what to do on there holidays and certainly dont like been treat like children on a school trip, if Thailand wants to kill off the tourist trade then go ahead with your idea,if they want to improve the trade catch the killers and maybe have more police on the streets in tourist areas.

[bushwacker]

Thinking outside of the box is great. Maybe we should put the person that thought of this idea into a box and file it away for maybe .... EVER!

Just saying ....

The bar has now been raised. Who can possibly come up with a dumber idea. This is even better than the massing of boats to run their motors to help move the flood water faster ....

[thaibeachlovers]

27 pages in one day- is this a record?

As for the OP

[paddyjenkins]

All female foreigners should be forced to wear a chastity belt, for their safety. The immigration staff would fit each arrival at the same time as they lock the wrist tag on.

[mataleo]

Let's hope it's gonna be an iWatch ...

[petercool]

a post with just quotes removed along with a derogatory one

[Expat1]

Normally the people on TV are not overly intuitive but, I must admit this has been quite amusing to read these comments. I am still laughing at a number of them. Well, for you FNGs what you have here is a normal Asian knee jerk over reaction to major face loss. Nothing will come of it. It would be fun to watch them try and implement it though if for no other reason to just see a new tourist's reaction to being forced to wear a device and numbered. Precious moments.

[Chicog]

THAILAND CONSIDERS TRACKING TOURISTS WITH GPS AFTER BANNING ORWELL’S 1984 After arresting citizens for reading 1984 in public, Thai officials now want to track tourists like cattle

http://www.infowars.com/thailand-considers-tracking-tourists-with-gps-after-banning-orwells-1984/

Its on Alex Jones Infowars heh

Yes, well in that case Obama must be involved somehow.

Edited October 1, 2014 by Chicog

[BSJ]

Has anyone lodged an application for the intellectual property yet? No, I am not kidding. The folks down at the patent office like a good laugh too!

[nakhonandy]

Unbelievable, welcome to Thailand.

Please wear your tracking device at all times.

[In Search of Space]

Has anyone lodged an application for the intellectual property yet? No, I am not kidding. The folks down at the patent office like a good laugh too!

Is it part of the TGAU project ?, in which case copyright is well protected

[Kru Baa]

This is a typical Thai response to a problem. They can't get their own people to follow any regular rules of society, so they will try to enforce more rules on the foreigner.

[Baerboxer]

Phuket Wan (which we're not allowed to quote here) has a report titled "Minister Earns Slap on the Wrist for ID Idea for Tourists".

It doesn't say who gave the "slap", but it looks more like an editorial comment.

Has anyone seen any other report besides a copy of the Reuters article?

On the BBC World News yesterday. Not much comment, short mention, but their report highlighted that actions such as this show how unsafe Thailand is.

That's the message - Thailand is unsafe and dangerous, not applause for these wonderful innovative solutions.

[boomerangutang]

A farang gets in a shoving match with a Thai in a bar. Within minutes, it's 7 Thai guys vs one farang, and some of the Thais have wooden sticks and metal pipes. As they're walking away from the bloodied and dazed farang, one of the Thai tough guys says to their leader, "should we cut off the ID bracelet and chuck it?" Leader says, "No, that would be breaking the law."

[boomerangutang]

Fat Boy Kim is taking notes, "hmmmm, good idea. Put ID stamps on every visitor. We'll go one better and have day-glo orange hats which spike up 1 foot over each visitors' head. With a big ID# on each. If they take off the hats, an alarm rings and they're trotted off to prison. Thanks Thailand."

[boomerangutang]

How about also having information about how much money they are carrying?

That's already been happening for 10 years, thanks to the Thai Immigration Dept. I crap you not. I don't know about other border crossings, but at Mai Sai/Tachilek crossing there's been a standing requirement that ALL farang coming in to Thailand must show either 10,000 or 20,000 baht. Here's how it translates to the Burmese: Every farang they see walking around, has got up to Bt.20,000 cash on their person. Thankfully, the Burmese (at Tachilek, anyway) are not thieves, as I've never heard of a tourist getting held or accosted up there in 35 years that I've been going across that border. Wish I could say the same about Thailand, but I can't.

Also thankfully, the Thai Imm officials at that crossing don't enforce that ridiculous policy which was handed down from their superiors in Bahngkok.

[chongtak]

How about enforcing the laws that are already there and teach everyone to respect the rule of law. This should include those who are expected to enforce same said laws.

I totally agree, but we all know that it will never happen in the land of smile.