Tourist police checking farangs today in Hua Hin

[HerbalEd]

Tell them nothing,take them nowhere.Use the form to wipe your arse.

Is that what you'd do if the police asked you to do the same? Or are you just talking arm-chair bravery?

[Langeman]

that kind of folklore police would get two words from me :: <deleted> OFF

they have no legal power anyway

scammers getiing your info to do a nice identity theft

I thought Tourist Police was a regular polie force with a narrowed down portfolio. They have the same authority as most other poilice.

You may be thinking of Tourist Police Volunteers.

Touristpolice are not more then you end me, the dont work elone liket that.

Newer give them same info.Ask for leg. end cool 1155 touristpolice for info.

[ableguy]

We just moved to Korat from HH, lived there six years and this happened to me twice, I simply told them to leave in short jerky movements, I said you want info on me its all in the immigration files. They tried to say we want it the info in case you ever need help, my reply was if I ever need help the last people I would call in the world would be the police.

They left and never came back, other farangs in my Soi told them the same. The Thai police never ever want to offer. Help to farangs, we are viewed as a potential source of income. Keep them at arms length , bloody long arms at that.

[roly]

I believe I already said that the two officers that came later in the day looked like regular police in black uniforms. The lady that came earlier in the day was in normal clothes I.e no uniform. They knocked on all the doors, but in my street it's mostly farangs + Thai wives in 6 out of 7 houses down my end. No credit card details were given (obviously). The neighbour says she knows the female 'officer' who stayed in the street more than an hour talking to some neighbours about the forms and with my Thai neighbour who as I said seems to know her. As I've nothing to hide I didn't mind filling in the form, it would just be nice to know why. I will ask some police I know next time I bump into them (not that I'm in the habit of bumping into police lol)

[PythonHouse]

I live in HH (way out rural area) and had the police come with the same thing yesterday. Local police officer in police pick-up. I didnt have a copy of my passport so he said to come to the local station with one today. He also had a few copies of other farangs passports and asked me if I knew them (No!)

[ste860]

this sort of thing happens every year the immigration give them a list or farangs and they simply make sure it all up to date , incase your ever in any accident or trouble ,its not a scam or anything and nothing to worry about ,

why do people get so paranoid

Edited May 19, 2015 by ste860

[technologybytes]

The real Tourist Police are usually very good (I am NOT talking about the farang volunteers, they are in my opinion despicable scum) they are ALWAYS Thai nationals.

Tourist police speak english and often are very helpful for forigners in all sorts of situations, but I believe that they have very different duties to regular police.

I used to have a neighbour that was a Tourist Police officer, he was very nice and I felt he was honest and sincere in his work. I never saw them in unmarked cars, they usually drive very clearly marked cars.

Edited May 19, 2015 by technologybytes

[pinkpanther99]

I've read several reports this morning on various Hua Hin facebook groups about immigration visiting farangs in the past couple of days and taking photos of them and their passports.

I have absolutely nothing to hide as all my documentation is in order etc but am I the only one who feels a little uneasy about this?

Doesn't immigration already have all this info from when we go and do our 90 days?

What's with the home visits? Maybe they are looking for people working at home on the quiet?

I know they recently changed the big boss in HH immigration, maybe this is their way of trying to stamp their authority?

[pinkpanther99]

this sort of thing happens every year the immigration give them a list or farangs and they simply make sure it all up to date , incase your ever in any accident or trouble ,its not a scam or anything and nothing to worry about ,

why do people get so paranoid

Yes maybe you're right.

Maybe they just pick a sample of names at random and perform checks on people.

I've not lived in HH all that long so I don't know if they do this kind of thing annually anyway.

[micmichd]

you're not the only one with this contagious mental disease called paranoia (Angst)

[sirocco]

hello,

it's been almost 6 years I am HUA HIN, and no font is passed in my house.

Well, I have a good head, I'm polite st I smile all the time.

The Thais are very fond smiles

[Suradit69]

lthat kind of folklore police would get two words from me :: <deleted> OFF

they have no legal power anyway

scammers getiing your info to do a nice identity theft

"they have no legal power anyway"

Are you confusing the Tourist Police with police volunteers?

Tourist Police Division is agency affiliated with Central Investigation Bureau and Royal Thai Police working under supervision of Ministry of Tourism and Sport. Responsible in crime prevention and suppression , investigating and arresting concerning about the tourist and international crimes in case that may cause impact on tourism industry , help facilitating and providing safety of life and belonging for the tourists and working together with or giving support to other related agencies or those being assigned to.

Also the English term "Tourist" doesn't mean you have to be a certified foreign tourist to use them. Most of us, even those on annual extensions are here based on our application to extend our "temporary stay" in the kingdom. The Tourist Police can even be contacted by Thai nationals.

As reported in this Pattaya News Paper, the Tourist Police are quite able to make arrests.

Tourist police ordered to crack down on drug use by tourist-boat operators have arrested a Banglamung man suspected them methamphetamines.

Tourist Police commander Col. Arun Promphan said the arrest was prompted by a mandate from Central Investigation Bureau commander Lt. Gen. Pongpat Chayaphant to improve the safety of Pattaya marine transport sector by ridding it of drugs.

http://www.pattayamail.com/1035/news10.shtml

Edited May 20, 2015 by Suradit69

[soalbundy]

Your making to much out of nothing.

About three years ago a friendly policeman turned up at my house in my village in Isaan and asked me to fill in a form with the same questions, my wife knew him by name and asked why, he said it was to be used in case of any emergency so that the embassy could be informed and also so that the police,not just the immigration, knew about the foreigners living in their area, i suspect a bit of 'one-upmanship', local police against the immigration police, spraying their scent to mark their territory so to speak.

[wowfactor10]

Why only targeting farangs?

How about the whereabouts of the local

[Lee4Life]

you're not the only one with this contagious mental disease called paranoia (Angst)

You have a pretty loose definition of paranoia

[balo]

Remind me not to move to HH or CM . Never had anything like that here in Pattaya. I would never give anyone my passport knocking on my door, not even if they were real cops.

[micmichd]

Why only targeting farangs?

How about the whereabouts of the local

The locals carry digital footprints with their mobiles.

[micmichd]

balo, bet you would.

They were here in Pattaya, too, identified themselves, so I let them check my passport and told them my telephone number.

They asked me for my nickname on social media, I refused to tell them. But of course they are technically able to search data through multiple databases, the algorithm is actually rather trivial. Actually

[connda]

Is this one of the streets full of bars ? A tourist area ?

I'm registered at immigration already and I'm pretty sure I won't be filling out any other forms until my extension.

I register every year with my Thai wife in tow. If handed a bunch of paperwork like that, I'd probably refuse. Show me the law that needs to be met. The first thing that would come to my mind if someone approached me claiming to be from immigration and demands personal information in: Scam! "Danger, danger Will Robinson!"

[HooHaa]

"Tourist police in an unmarked car .. " sounds a bit sus to me.

Maybe some criminal types targetting farangs.

yes an unmarked pickup maybe.

[pbonline]

Will never let any police or any one I didn't invite come into my house without a warrant.
If the police come here and want to see my passport I will show them but not inside my house.

And no pictures taken of me.

They don´t have any legal rights to do this so we should all refuse, this is nothing but harassment.

Edited May 20, 2015 by pbonline

[wabothai]

scammers for sure. Be careful to give out any info. It's easy to get hold of a uniform.

They will hope you will invite them inside to sit at the table to fill out the phony form. In the meantime they check out what's in the house?

You trust police?

[micmichd]

They didn't come inside here, and they identified themselves as police. They didn't ask for a key or something like that.

It was very fast, and of course I could have made it a day-filling story. Why should I? There's nicer ways to spend a day in Pattaya.

Edited May 20, 2015 by micmichd

[dsbs1945]

My advice is to go directly to Immigration and file a complaint. Ask them who authorised such an inquiry.

You could even use an Immigration Lawyer, but that would cost a little money.

You are quite within your rights to know exactly what is going on, and why ????.

Rgds,

Dan.

[Cent]

I've read several reports this morning on various Hua Hin facebook groups about immigration visiting farangs in the past couple of days and taking photos of them and their passports.

I have absolutely nothing to hide as all my documentation is in order etc but am I the only one who feels a little uneasy about this?

Doesn't immigration already have all this info from when we go and do our 90 days?

What's with the home visits? Maybe they are looking for people working at home on the quiet?

I know they recently changed the big boss in HH immigration, maybe this is their way of trying to stamp their authority?

"Doesn't immigration already have all this info from when we go and do our 90 days?

What's with the home visits?"

I would think it was to verify that the address you've given on your visa 90 report is the actual one you are living in, and to see you there in that address. It also might be they use Tourist Police as it might be more cost effective, and a good chance for these fellows to use and practice their English (and give them something to do as well). :-)

Edited May 21, 2015 by Cent

[Mousehound]

Official Thai Tourist Police are just that - officials. They do have powers. If they fail to identify themselves then they are not police. If they do so, but you are concerned, ask for their name and number and make a show of calling the police and checking if they are genuine. If they are not they will most likely take off. Failing to give a correct name and address to police when requested is a crime in many countries (not sure about Thailand, but do you want to take the risk and possibly endanger your visa status?).

[pcliff069]

Will never let any police or any one I didn't invite come into my house without a warrant.

If the police come here and want to see my passport I will show them but not inside my house.

And no pictures taken of me.

They don´t have any legal rights to do this so we should all refuse, this is nothing but harassment.

I'd be fairly certain that martial law trumps any need for a warrant.

[pbonline]

Will never let any police or any one I didn't invite come into my house without a warrant.

If the police come here and want to see my passport I will show them but not inside my house.

And no pictures taken of me.

They don´t have any legal rights to do this so we should all refuse, this is nothing but harassment.

I'd be fairly certain that martial law trumps any need for a warrant.

Maybe so but the martial law is lifted ...

[ukrules]

Wow, so it turns out these 'tourist police' are a rogue gang operating in the area and not tourist police.

Those who happily handed over their details can learn from this.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/832613-expats-warned-about-people-posing-as-tourist-police-in-hua-hin-and-neighbouring-provinces/?utm_source=newsletter-20150613-1537&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

[roly]

In my case, the plain clothes officer who came in the morning was a friend apparently of my Thai + farang neighbours, so I don't believe in my case it was a scam. Why would the neighbour and farang husband (who was away in England at the time) let some scammers visit the people in the street. She said they were tourist police, so I guess if she knew one of them, then they were. Though I don't really talk to the neighbour much and her English isn't that great so I've not really had a chance to ask her all about it again, I should do.

But anyway yeah in future I'll just tell any police (real or otherwise) that I'll fill in any forms etc down at the station, or just pretend not to be at home :-)