Owners of rented houses, rooms ordered to report foreign occupants

[brewsterbudgen]

Their country, their rules, how hard is that to understand?

Their country, stupid, inane rules: easy to understand, along with why this country isn't going to amount to much in the long run. Come ASEAN: and the house of cards will come crumbling down.

If you think their rules are stupid and inane, try going with a Thai national to even get a visa to visit your home country.

I personally know Thais, Burmese and Laotians in my home region of California, who just showed up (legally or illegally, what does it really matter?) ....and were able to buy cars, start businesses, buy real estate. Just in California (about 1/20th of the US) there are literally millions of foreigners who are moving and grooving, making money, and doing everything else a Californian can do - with little care about legalities because US is quite easy-going about foreigners residing there, despite the rhetoric and rules from on-high.

Now look at how Thailand deals with farang. It's like night and day. Being a farang in Thailand is akin to being a black man in Apartheid S. Africa, except blacks in S.Africa could own land and start businesses without beating around the bush like quasi-criminals. Thailand's laws and attitudes toward farang are archaic and force farang to spend a lot of money and time trying to comply.

I've heard it all now. Being a farang in Thailand is like being black in Apartheid South Africa. I'd laugh if wasn't such a ridiculous and shameful comment!

[boomerangutang]

I personally know Thais, Burmese and Laotians in my home region of California, who just showed up (legally or illegally, what does it really matter?) ....and were able to buy cars, start businesses, buy real estate. Just in California (about 1/20th of the US) there are literally millions of foreigners who are moving and grooving, making money, and doing everything else a Californian can do - with little care about legalities because US is quite easy-going about foreigners residing there, despite the rhetoric and rules from on-high.

Now look at how Thailand deals with farang. It's like night and day. Being a farang in Thailand is akin to being a black man in Apartheid S. Africa, except blacks in S.Africa could own land and start businesses without beating around the bush like quasi-criminals. Thailand's laws and attitudes toward farang are archaic and force farang to spend a lot of money and time trying to comply.

I've heard it all now. Being a farang in Thailand is like being black in Apartheid South Africa. I'd laugh if wasn't such a ridiculous and shameful comment!

I said 'akin to'. Look up the word. And when you're done laughing, tell us how different it is being forced to carry ID and getting checked anytime was in S.Afica's apartheid, and currently for a white person with pointy nose and hairy arms in Thailand? I once got nearly accosted by 7 plainclothes Thai undercover cops in broad daylight, for being a farang who was not carrying a passport. One big guy grabbed my arm while I was bicycling by. Luckily for me, I knew how to break his grip in a second. It surprised him because he was martial arts trained, and he couldn't hold on to a guy (with all his strength) - who was half his weight. Did plainclothes police randomly grab black folks off the street for ID checks? I don't know for sure, but Thailand does. And they do urine checks in Bangkok, based on a person's skin color, as well as Bt.2000 fines for purportedly dropping a cig butt. Apartheid, Thai style.

[brewsterbudgen]

I personally know Thais, Burmese and Laotians in my home region of California, who just showed up (legally or illegally, what does it really matter?) ....and were able to buy cars, start businesses, buy real estate. Just in California (about 1/20th of the US) there are literally millions of foreigners who are moving and grooving, making money, and doing everything else a Californian can do - with little care about legalities because US is quite easy-going about foreigners residing there, despite the rhetoric and rules from on-high.

Now look at how Thailand deals with farang. It's like night and day. Being a farang in Thailand is akin to being a black man in Apartheid S. Africa, except blacks in S.Africa could own land and start businesses without beating around the bush like quasi-criminals. Thailand's laws and attitudes toward farang are archaic and force farang to spend a lot of money and time trying to comply.

I've heard it all now. Being a farang in Thailand is like being black in Apartheid South Africa. I'd laugh if wasn't such a ridiculous and shameful comment!

I said 'akin to'. Look up the word. And when you're done laughing, tell us how different it is being forced to carry ID and getting checked anytime was in S.Afica's apartheid, and currently for a white person with pointy nose and hairy arms in Thailand? I once got nearly accosted by 7 plainclothes Thai undercover cops in broad daylight, for being a farang who was not carrying a passport. One big guy grabbed my arm while I was bicycling by. Luckily for me, I knew how to break his grip in a second. It surprised him because he was martial arts trained, and he couldn't hold on to a guy (with all his strength) - who was half his weight. Did plainclothes police randomly grab black folks off the street for ID checks? I don't know for sure, but Thailand does. And they do urine checks in Bangkok, based on a person's skin color, as well as Bt.2000 fines for purportedly dropping a cig butt. Apartheid, Thai style.

Sorry but your comparison is ridiculous and insulting to the thousands of black people murdered under Apartheid.

[MiKT]

Actually this has been the law for some time. I remember some time ago, when I did my 90 day report, I received a note to give to my landlord that she was supposed to register me.

Same at hotels. Funny enough, if I stay at a 5 star hotel they never ask for my passport.

Maybe they will introduce a law that we are not allowed to live within 300 mtres of government buildings, religious buildings and education institutes.

Why not fit us all with a micro chip so we can be located at anytime?

How strange. Whenever I stay at a 5 star hotel - recently that would be in Thailand, Abu Dhabi, Osaka, HK, Singapore and KL they always ask for my passport. Some take a photocopy too.

I think the cheaper hotels always take a copy of my passport , but I guarantee that the five star hotels I stay at don't. The room is often booked in my wife's name and we are regulars (if that makes any difference).

Well the 5 star hotels (and a 3 star) hotel I recently stayed in in Malaysia did, as they always have in many other countries around the world, including HK and Singapore and even hotels in the UK and at least 80% of the many dozens of hotels/resorts/guest houses in Thailand we have stayed at over the years, it's nothing new; but getting stricter. Also I when you apply for a visa for the UK they ask for an address and they have in the past telephoned the house owner to confirm that the visa applicant was known. So its not just a Thai thing.

[MiKT]

I personally know Thais, Burmese and Laotians in my home region of California, who just showed up (legally or illegally, what does it really matter?) ....and were able to buy cars, start businesses, buy real estate. Just in California (about 1/20th of the US) there are literally millions of foreigners who are moving and grooving, making money, and doing everything else a Californian can do - with little care about legalities because US is quite easy-going about foreigners residing there, despite the rhetoric and rules from on-high.

Now look at how Thailand deals with farang. It's like night and day. Being a farang in Thailand is akin to being a black man in Apartheid S. Africa, except blacks in S.Africa could own land and start businesses without beating around the bush like quasi-criminals. Thailand's laws and attitudes toward farang are archaic and force farang to spend a lot of money and time trying to comply.

I've heard it all now. Being a farang in Thailand is like being black in Apartheid South Africa. I'd laugh if wasn't such a ridiculous and shameful comment!

I said 'akin to'. Look up the word. And when you're done laughing, tell us how different it is being forced to carry ID and getting checked anytime was in S.Afica's apartheid, and currently for a white person with pointy nose and hairy arms in Thailand? I once got nearly accosted by 7 plainclothes Thai undercover cops in broad daylight, for being a farang who was not carrying a passport. One big guy grabbed my arm while I was bicycling by. Luckily for me, I knew how to break his grip in a second. It surprised him because he was martial arts trained, and he couldn't hold on to a guy (with all his strength) - who was half his weight. Did plainclothes police randomly grab black folks off the street for ID checks? I don't know for sure, but Thailand does. And they do urine checks in Bangkok, based on a person's skin color, as well as Bt.2000 fines for purportedly dropping a cig butt. Apartheid, Thai style.

I really dont think you could have been in SA duri g the apartheid years or you would not post such s..t. I dont recall seeing Thai only beaches in Pattaya. Especially seeing whites only beaches with shark nets and blacks and asians beaches with no nets made me very angry and that is only a tiny, tiny, very insignificant fraction of the indignities coloured people had to live under. Maybe being such a fantastic anti-martial arts expert gives you a horribly frightening mien that causes the cops (probably very sagely) to continuously pick on you. Have you considered a face transplant. Maybe a black or brown one would give you a different perspective of Thailand. PS take a tip. Give up smoking and you wont have any problems with discarded buts.

[MiKT]

I sleep in my car.

But if you take in any foreign guests please remember to register them. Forms are available on-line.

[stevemac]

I really don't know why everyone is up in arms about this. It is standard practice in so many countries. As for 5 star hotels not requesting passports. Every hotel I have ever stayed at in Thailand has taken corpus of my passport and her id. No big deal really!

[stevemac]

Copies

[vagaboberalis]

Hey,don't joke. They might.

Sent from my SM-C105 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Kitsune]

I really don't know why everyone is up in arms about this. It is standard practice in so many countries. As for 5 star hotels not requesting passports. Every hotel I have ever stayed at in Thailand has taken corpus of my passport and her id. No big deal really!

People are not outraged by hotels practices,everyone knows about that.

The problem is families; One guy reported having been fined for living with his wife for 8 years in their house, because she -his wife- did not reported him to immigration.

And people living here long term and ALREADY reporting every 90 days to declare their address

[Tomtomtom69]

I personally know Thais, Burmese and Laotians in my home region of California, who just showed up (legally or illegally, what does it really matter?) ....and were able to buy cars, start businesses, buy real estate. Just in California (about 1/20th of the US) there are literally millions of foreigners who are moving and grooving, making money, and doing everything else a Californian can do - with little care about legalities because US is quite easy-going about foreigners residing there, despite the rhetoric and rules from on-high.

Now look at how Thailand deals with farang. It's like night and day. Being a farang in Thailand is akin to being a black man in Apartheid S. Africa, except blacks in S.Africa could own land and start businesses without beating around the bush like quasi-criminals. Thailand's laws and attitudes toward farang are archaic and force farang to spend a lot of money and time trying to comply.

I've heard it all now. Being a farang in Thailand is like being black in Apartheid South Africa. I'd laugh if wasn't such a ridiculous and shameful comment!

I said 'akin to'. Look up the word. And when you're done laughing, tell us how different it is being forced to carry ID and getting checked anytime was in S.Afica's apartheid, and currently for a white person with pointy nose and hairy arms in Thailand? I once got nearly accosted by 7 plainclothes Thai undercover cops in broad daylight, for being a farang who was not carrying a passport. One big guy grabbed my arm while I was bicycling by. Luckily for me, I knew how to break his grip in a second. It surprised him because he was martial arts trained, and he couldn't hold on to a guy (with all his strength) - who was half his weight. Did plainclothes police randomly grab black folks off the street for ID checks? I don't know for sure, but Thailand does. And they do urine checks in Bangkok, based on a person's skin color, as well as Bt.2000 fines for purportedly dropping a cig butt. Apartheid, Thai style.

Last year there was a big controversy about Thai police raiding black African's apartments and searching them on the streets near Nana; many were rounded up and brought to the police station. Their crime? Being black, apparently.

But of course Thais weren't in the least bit concerned. It was fellow blacks and many whites who were outraged.

I'm sure all of this still goes on though and that wasn't a one off incident.

[Tomtomtom69]

I really don't know why everyone is up in arms about this. It is standard practice in so many countries. As for 5 star hotels not requesting passports. Every hotel I have ever stayed at in Thailand has taken corpus of my passport and her id. No big deal really!

People are not outraged by hotels practices,everyone knows about that.

The problem is families; One guy reported having been fined for living with his wife for 8 years in their house, because she -his wife- did not reported him to immigration.

And people living here long term and ALREADY reporting every 90 days to declare their address

How did immigration find out he was living there and didn't report?

[Tomtomtom69]

I personally know Thais, Burmese and Laotians in my home region of California, who just showed up (legally or illegally, what does it really matter?) ....and were able to buy cars, start businesses, buy real estate. Just in California (about 1/20th of the US) there are literally millions of foreigners who are moving and grooving, making money, and doing everything else a Californian can do - with little care about legalities because US is quite easy-going about foreigners residing there, despite the rhetoric and rules from on-high.

Now look at how Thailand deals with farang. It's like night and day. Being a farang in Thailand is akin to being a black man in Apartheid S. Africa, except blacks in S.Africa could own land and start businesses without beating around the bush like quasi-criminals. Thailand's laws and attitudes toward farang are archaic and force farang to spend a lot of money and time trying to comply.

I've heard it all now. Being a farang in Thailand is like being black in Apartheid South Africa. I'd laugh if wasn't such a ridiculous and shameful comment!

I said 'akin to'. Look up the word. And when you're done laughing, tell us how different it is being forced to carry ID and getting checked anytime was in S.Afica's apartheid, and currently for a white person with pointy nose and hairy arms in Thailand? I once got nearly accosted by 7 plainclothes Thai undercover cops in broad daylight, for being a farang who was not carrying a passport. One big guy grabbed my arm while I was bicycling by. Luckily for me, I knew how to break his grip in a second. It surprised him because he was martial arts trained, and he couldn't hold on to a guy (with all his strength) - who was half his weight. Did plainclothes police randomly grab black folks off the street for ID checks? I don't know for sure, but Thailand does. And they do urine checks in Bangkok, based on a person's skin color, as well as Bt.2000 fines for purportedly dropping a cig butt. Apartheid, Thai style.

I really dont think you could have been in SA duri g the apartheid years or you would not post such s..t. I dont recall seeing Thai only beaches in Pattaya. Especially seeing whites only beaches with shark nets and blacks and asians beaches with no nets made me very angry and that is only a tiny, tiny, very insignificant fraction of the indignities coloured people had to live under. Maybe being such a fantastic anti-martial arts expert gives you a horribly frightening mien that causes the cops (probably very sagely) to continuously pick on you. Have you considered a face transplant. Maybe a black or brown one would give you a different perspective of Thailand. PS take a tip. Give up smoking and you wont have any problems with discarded buts.

His example might have been a bit extreme, but like many stories or anecdotes there is some truth to what he says.

I think you also have a very one sided view of racism. Sure, there may not be any "Thai only" beaches. BUT there are, at least unofficially "Thai only" clubs and bars!! Or at least, "Japanese only" bars and clubs, not just in Tokyo, but right here in Thailand (Bangkok). Now that's RACIST. In a sense, also racist towards the locals too as only locals who are employed by the bars in question can even enter.

Then there are the stories of black and African people getting rejected from other bars and clubs in Bangkok, including one near Prathunam. Asian and white people can enter, but not Indians or blacks. Many stories about this online. That too, is racism my friend.

Then, like I said in my previous reply there are the stories of blacks being rounded up and taken in for questioning in Nana, which caused a huge controversy amongst white and black people when it happened last year. And I'm sure we haven't heard the last of those stories. There's also the plain clothes officers rounding up westerners and asking them to produce ID or on the spot urine tests near Asoke (like in the example made above). Admittedly, officers also ask Thais and other Asians for urine tests (which they probably presume to be Thai too as most Thais don't have a concept of there being Asian tourists in their midst, they think all foreigners are "farang") but some people have made the observation that it appears to them that only westerners and people of African origin (of which there are few of course) being taken aside. So in a sense they accuse the police of racial profiling.

Then there are stories of how the U-tapao military base doesn't allow foreigners in (not sure if that's true but a couple of members here have mentioned it) - and of course how do they determine you are a foreigner? They look at the color of your skin. Racism again. I wonder how Mr. Heinecke, a naturalized Thai citizen would feel if he encountered this situation - he is Thai and only Thai, yet of course he would be seen as being a foreigner by those who don't know who he is because he's white and not Asian.

Dual pricing. Practiced by many national parks, some museums, zoos, temples and various even privately owned tourist attractions. Foreigners, particularly "visible" foreigners will almost always be asked to pay more. Sometimes they can get away with paying the "local" rate by showing a Thai driver's licence, speaking Thai, arriving with a Thai national, showing a work permit, long term visa etc. but the onus is on that "foreign looking" individual to "prove" their credentials by showing these documents - however, their Vietnamese or Cambodian friend only has to look Asian to get in at the local price. Again, racist. Imagine the outcry if that happened in the USA or Australia. The courts would be forced to award damages in the millions to bereaved individuals who were discriminated in this way. In Thailand, it's considered "normal" to assume a white guy or black guy has money.

Get your head out of the sand. Just because you aren't being attacked for being a foreigner doesn't mean there's no racism here. There are a lot of very obvious, and many more subtle forms of racism in Thailand. White people are affected in one way, blacks and Indians in another, arguably worse way. Migrant labourers from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are affected too, but they have one advantage over us when they want to go to a tourist attraction that practices dual pricing as I have indicated above.

Apartheid it may not quite be, but there is certainly an underlying torrent of hostility towards foreigners here. The Thais may never say it to your face, but the sour facial expressions and mediocre treatment one gets used to here is evidence of that.

[Kitsune]

I really don't know why everyone is up in arms about this. It is standard practice in so many countries. As for 5 star hotels not requesting passports. Every hotel I have ever stayed at in Thailand has taken corpus of my passport and her id. No big deal really!

People are not outraged by hotels practices,everyone knows about that.

The problem is families; One guy reported having been fined for living with his wife for 8 years in their house, because she -his wife- did not reported him to immigration.

And people living here long term and ALREADY reporting every 90 days to declare their address

How did immigration find out he was living there and didn't report?

Do a search in the visa section,but i think the guy was at immigration office for an extension.

They must have linked his files

[ronwparker]

This is paranoia-only in Thailand or perhaps North Korea do you see such insecurity!

[lostoday]

This is paranoia-only in Thailand or perhaps North Korea do you see such insecurity!

Fear mongering increases agency usage. There is normally a reason for everything.

[MiKT]

I personally know Thais, Burmese and Laotians in my home region of California, who just showed up (legally or illegally, what does it really matter?) ....and were able to buy cars, start businesses, buy real estate. Just in California (about 1/20th of the US) there are literally millions of foreigners who are moving and grooving, making money, and doing everything else a Californian can do - with little care about legalities because US is quite easy-going about foreigners residing there, despite the rhetoric and rules from on-high.

Now look at how Thailand deals with farang. It's like night and day. Being a farang in Thailand is akin to being a black man in Apartheid S. Africa, except blacks in S.Africa could own land and start businesses without beating around the bush like quasi-criminals. Thailand's laws and attitudes toward farang are archaic and force farang to spend a lot of money and time trying to comply.

I've heard it all now. Being a farang in Thailand is like being black in Apartheid South Africa. I'd laugh if wasn't such a ridiculous and shameful comment!

I said 'akin to'. Look up the word. And when you're done laughing, tell us how different it is being forced to carry ID and getting checked anytime was in S.Afica's apartheid, and currently for a white person with pointy nose and hairy arms in Thailand? I once got nearly accosted by 7 plainclothes Thai undercover cops in broad daylight, for being a farang who was not carrying a passport. One big guy grabbed my arm while I was bicycling by. Luckily for me, I knew how to break his grip in a second. It surprised him because he was martial arts trained, and he couldn't hold on to a guy (with all his strength) - who was half his weight. Did plainclothes police randomly grab black folks off the street for ID checks? I don't know for sure, but Thailand does. And they do urine checks in Bangkok, based on a person's skin color, as well as Bt.2000 fines for purportedly dropping a cig butt. Apartheid, Thai style.

I really dont think you could have been in SA duri g the apartheid years or you would not post such s..t. I dont recall seeing Thai only beaches in Pattaya. Especially seeing whites only beaches with shark nets and blacks and asians beaches with no nets made me very angry and that is only a tiny, tiny, very insignificant fraction of the indignities coloured people had to live under. Maybe being such a fantastic anti-martial arts expert gives you a horribly frightening mien that causes the cops (probably very sagely) to continuously pick on you. Have you considered a face transplant. Maybe a black or brown one would give you a different perspective of Thailand. PS take a tip. Give up smoking and you wont have any problems with discarded buts.

His example might have been a bit extreme, but like many stories or anecdotes there is some truth to what he says.

I think you also have a very one sided view of racism. Sure, there may not be any "Thai only" beaches. BUT there are, at least unofficially "Thai only" clubs and bars!! Or at least, "Japanese only" bars and clubs, not just in Tokyo, but right here in Thailand (Bangkok). Now that's RACIST. In a sense, also racist towards the locals too as only locals who are employed by the bars in question can even enter.

Then there are the stories of black and African people getting rejected from other bars and clubs in Bangkok, including one near Prathunam. Asian and white people can enter, but not Indians or blacks. Many stories about this online. That too, is racism my friend.

Then, like I said in my previous reply there are the stories of blacks being rounded up and taken in for questioning in Nana, which caused a huge controversy amongst white and black people when it happened last year. And I'm sure we haven't heard the last of those stories. There's also the plain clothes officers rounding up westerners and asking them to produce ID or on the spot urine tests near Asoke (like in the example made above). Admittedly, officers also ask Thais and other Asians for urine tests (which they probably presume to be Thai too as most Thais don't have a concept of there being Asian tourists in their midst, they think all foreigners are "farang") but some people have made the observation that it appears to them that only westerners and people of African origin (of which there are few of course) being taken aside. So in a sense they accuse the police of racial profiling.

Then there are stories of how the U-tapao military base doesn't allow foreigners in (not sure if that's true but a couple of members here have mentioned it) - and of course how do they determine you are a foreigner? They look at the color of your skin. Racism again. I wonder how Mr. Heinecke, a naturalized Thai citizen would feel if he encountered this situation - he is Thai and only Thai, yet of course he would be seen as being a foreigner by those who don't know who he is because he's white and not Asian.

Dual pricing. Practiced by many national parks, some museums, zoos, temples and various even privately owned tourist attractions. Foreigners, particularly "visible" foreigners will almost always be asked to pay more. Sometimes they can get away with paying the "local" rate by showing a Thai driver's licence, speaking Thai, arriving with a Thai national, showing a work permit, long term visa etc. but the onus is on that "foreign looking" individual to "prove" their credentials by showing these documents - however, their Vietnamese or Cambodian friend only has to look Asian to get in at the local price. Again, racist. Imagine the outcry if that happened in the USA or Australia. The courts would be forced to award damages in the millions to bereaved individuals who were discriminated in this way. In Thailand, it's considered "normal" to assume a white guy or black guy has money.

Get your head out of the sand. Just because you aren't being attacked for being a foreigner doesn't mean there's no racism here. There are a lot of very obvious, and many more subtle forms of racism in Thailand. White people are affected in one way, blacks and Indians in another, arguably worse way. Migrant labourers from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are affected too, but they have one advantage over us when they want to go to a tourist attraction that practices dual pricing as I have indicated above.

Apartheid it may not quite be, but there is certainly an underlying torrent of hostility towards foreigners here. The Thais may never say it to your face, but the sour facial expressions and mediocre treatment one gets used to here is evidence of that.

well since my previous reply to your post seems to have disappeared without trace like a missing meteorite I had presumably be a little more circumspect in this post, so I wont start off by calling you an idiot. But how on earth did a simple notice about house owners reporting foreign guest which has, as the very first poster pointed out, been the law for a long time and is in force in many countries, descend into a diatribe against Thailand that totally nonsensically equates it to Apartheid South Africa? I will therefore restrict myself to debunking some of the anti-Thai myths you have attempted to perpetuate. 1. all countries have private clubs and if some Japanese want to keep themselves to themselves it can hardly be a slur on Thailand. But in any event if you know the right people you can get in anywhere. 2 Total rubbish about U-tapao I have been many times and despite my best efforts I still look white. 3.Yes there is racism here, but far, far less than you get, lets just say for instance, in Japan or maybe Korea. 4. No I am getting bored. Only left to say if you get a torent of hostility towards you in Thailand maybe you should consider some drastic attitude adjustments, but I suppose based your post that would be a touch optimistic. and..Lastly, I wouldn't need a GPS to know where your head is.

[MiKT]

I personally know Thais, Burmese and Laotians in my home region of California, who just showed up (legally or illegally, what does it really matter?) ....and were able to buy cars, start businesses, buy real estate. Just in California (about 1/20th of the US) there are literally millions of foreigners who are moving and grooving, making money, and doing everything else a Californian can do - with little care about legalities because US is quite easy-going about foreigners residing there, despite the rhetoric and rules from on-high.

Now look at how Thailand deals with farang. It's like night and day. Being a farang in Thailand is akin to being a black man in Apartheid S. Africa, except blacks in S.Africa could own land and start businesses without beating around the bush like quasi-criminals. Thailand's laws and attitudes toward farang are archaic and force farang to spend a lot of money and time trying to comply.

I've heard it all now. Being a farang in Thailand is like being black in Apartheid South Africa. I'd laugh if wasn't such a ridiculous and shameful comment!

I said 'akin to'. Look up the word. And when you're done laughing, tell us how different it is being forced to carry ID and getting checked anytime was in S.Afica's apartheid, and currently for a white person with pointy nose and hairy arms in Thailand? I once got nearly accosted by 7 plainclothes Thai undercover cops in broad daylight, for being a farang who was not carrying a passport. One big guy grabbed my arm while I was bicycling by. Luckily for me, I knew how to break his grip in a second. It surprised him because he was martial arts trained, and he couldn't hold on to a guy (with all his strength) - who was half his weight. Did plainclothes police randomly grab black folks off the street for ID checks? I don't know for sure, but Thailand does. And they do urine checks in Bangkok, based on a person's skin color, as well as Bt.2000 fines for purportedly dropping a cig butt. Apartheid, Thai style.

I really dont think you could have been in SA duri g the apartheid years or you would not post such s..t. I dont recall seeing Thai only beaches in Pattaya. Especially seeing whites only beaches with shark nets and blacks and asians beaches with no nets made me very angry and that is only a tiny, tiny, very insignificant fraction of the indignities coloured people had to live under. Maybe being such a fantastic anti-martial arts expert gives you a horribly frightening mien that causes the cops (probably very sagely) to continuously pick on you. Have you considered a face transplant. Maybe a black or brown one would give you a different perspective of Thailand. PS take a tip. Give up smoking and you wont have any problems with discarded buts.

His example might have been a bit extreme, but like many stories or anecdotes there is some truth to what he says.

I think you also have a very one sided view of racism. Sure, there may not be any "Thai only" beaches. BUT there are, at least unofficially "Thai only" clubs and bars!! Or at least, "Japanese only" bars and clubs, not just in Tokyo, but right here in Thailand (Bangkok). Now that's RACIST. In a sense, also racist towards the locals too as only locals who are employed by the bars in question can even enter.

Then there are the stories of black and African people getting rejected from other bars and clubs in Bangkok, including one near Prathunam. Asian and white people can enter, but not Indians or blacks. Many stories about this online. That too, is racism my friend.

Then, like I said in my previous reply there are the stories of blacks being rounded up and taken in for questioning in Nana, which caused a huge controversy amongst white and black people when it happened last year. And I'm sure we haven't heard the last of those stories. There's also the plain clothes officers rounding up westerners and asking them to produce ID or on the spot urine tests near Asoke (like in the example made above). Admittedly, officers also ask Thais and other Asians for urine tests (which they probably presume to be Thai too as most Thais don't have a concept of there being Asian tourists in their midst, they think all foreigners are "farang") but some people have made the observation that it appears to them that only westerners and people of African origin (of which there are few of course) being taken aside. So in a sense they accuse the police of racial profiling.

Then there are stories of how the U-tapao military base doesn't allow foreigners in (not sure if that's true but a couple of members here have mentioned it) - and of course how do they determine you are a foreigner? They look at the color of your skin. Racism again. I wonder how Mr. Heinecke, a naturalized Thai citizen would feel if he encountered this situation - he is Thai and only Thai, yet of course he would be seen as being a foreigner by those who don't know who he is because he's white and not Asian.

Dual pricing. Practiced by many national parks, some museums, zoos, temples and various even privately owned tourist attractions. Foreigners, particularly "visible" foreigners will almost always be asked to pay more. Sometimes they can get away with paying the "local" rate by showing a Thai driver's licence, speaking Thai, arriving with a Thai national, showing a work permit, long term visa etc. but the onus is on that "foreign looking" individual to "prove" their credentials by showing these documents - however, their Vietnamese or Cambodian friend only has to look Asian to get in at the local price. Again, racist. Imagine the outcry if that happened in the USA or Australia. The courts would be forced to award damages in the millions to bereaved individuals who were discriminated in this way. In Thailand, it's considered "normal" to assume a white guy or black guy has money.

Get your head out of the sand. Just because you aren't being attacked for being a foreigner doesn't mean there's no racism here. There are a lot of very obvious, and many more subtle forms of racism in Thailand. White people are affected in one way, blacks and Indians in another, arguably worse way. Migrant labourers from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are affected too, but they have one advantage over us when they want to go to a tourist attraction that practices dual pricing as I have indicated above.

Apartheid it may not quite be, but there is certainly an underlying torrent of hostility towards foreigners here. The Thais may never say it to your face, but the sour facial expressions and mediocre treatment one gets used to here is evidence of that.

well since my previous reply to your post seems to have disappeared without trace like a missing meteorite I had presumably be a little more circumspect in this post, so I wont start off by calling you an idiot. But how on earth did a simple notice about house owners reporting foreign guest which has, as the very first poster pointed out, been the law for a long time and is in force in many countries, descend into a diatribe against Thailand that totally nonsensically equates it to Apartheid South Africa? I will therefore restrict myself to debunking some of the anti-Thai myths you have attempted to perpetuate. 1. all countries have private clubs and if some Japanese want to keep themselves to themselves it can hardly be a slur on Thailand. But in any event if you know the right people you can get in anywhere. 2 Total rubbish about U-tapao I have been many times and despite my best efforts I still look white. 3.Yes there is racism here, but far, far less than you get, lets just say for instance, in Japan or maybe Korea. I have never been spat at in Thailand which I was in Korea when mistaken for an American. 4. No I am getting bored. Only left to say if you get a torent of hostility towards you in Thailand maybe you should consider some drastic attitude adjustments, but I suppose based your post that would be a touch optimistic. and..Lastly, I wouldn't need a GPS to know where your head is. Edited September 8, 2015 by MiKT

[Tomtomtom69]

I personally know Thais, Burmese and Laotians in my home region of California, who just showed up (legally or illegally, what does it really matter?) ....and were able to buy cars, start businesses, buy real estate. Just in California (about 1/20th of the US) there are literally millions of foreigners who are moving and grooving, making money, and doing everything else a Californian can do - with little care about legalities because US is quite easy-going about foreigners residing there, despite the rhetoric and rules from on-high.

Now look at how Thailand deals with farang. It's like night and day. Being a farang in Thailand is akin to being a black man in Apartheid S. Africa, except blacks in S.Africa could own land and start businesses without beating around the bush like quasi-criminals. Thailand's laws and attitudes toward farang are archaic and force farang to spend a lot of money and time trying to comply.

I've heard it all now. Being a farang in Thailand is like being black in Apartheid South Africa. I'd laugh if wasn't such a ridiculous and shameful comment!

I said 'akin to'. Look up the word. And when you're done laughing, tell us how different it is being forced to carry ID and getting checked anytime was in S.Afica's apartheid, and currently for a white person with pointy nose and hairy arms in Thailand? I once got nearly accosted by 7 plainclothes Thai undercover cops in broad daylight, for being a farang who was not carrying a passport. One big guy grabbed my arm while I was bicycling by. Luckily for me, I knew how to break his grip in a second. It surprised him because he was martial arts trained, and he couldn't hold on to a guy (with all his strength) - who was half his weight. Did plainclothes police randomly grab black folks off the street for ID checks? I don't know for sure, but Thailand does. And they do urine checks in Bangkok, based on a person's skin color, as well as Bt.2000 fines for purportedly dropping a cig butt. Apartheid, Thai style.

I really dont think you could have been in SA duri g the apartheid years or you would not post such s..t. I dont recall seeing Thai only beaches in Pattaya. Especially seeing whites only beaches with shark nets and blacks and asians beaches with no nets made me very angry and that is only a tiny, tiny, very insignificant fraction of the indignities coloured people had to live under. Maybe being such a fantastic anti-martial arts expert gives you a horribly frightening mien that causes the cops (probably very sagely) to continuously pick on you. Have you considered a face transplant. Maybe a black or brown one would give you a different perspective of Thailand. PS take a tip. Give up smoking and you wont have any problems with discarded buts.

His example might have been a bit extreme, but like many stories or anecdotes there is some truth to what he says.

I think you also have a very one sided view of racism. Sure, there may not be any "Thai only" beaches. BUT there are, at least unofficially "Thai only" clubs and bars!! Or at least, "Japanese only" bars and clubs, not just in Tokyo, but right here in Thailand (Bangkok). Now that's RACIST. In a sense, also racist towards the locals too as only locals who are employed by the bars in question can even enter.

Then there are the stories of black and African people getting rejected from other bars and clubs in Bangkok, including one near Prathunam. Asian and white people can enter, but not Indians or blacks. Many stories about this online. That too, is racism my friend.

Then, like I said in my previous reply there are the stories of blacks being rounded up and taken in for questioning in Nana, which caused a huge controversy amongst white and black people when it happened last year. And I'm sure we haven't heard the last of those stories. There's also the plain clothes officers rounding up westerners and asking them to produce ID or on the spot urine tests near Asoke (like in the example made above). Admittedly, officers also ask Thais and other Asians for urine tests (which they probably presume to be Thai too as most Thais don't have a concept of there being Asian tourists in their midst, they think all foreigners are "farang") but some people have made the observation that it appears to them that only westerners and people of African origin (of which there are few of course) being taken aside. So in a sense they accuse the police of racial profiling.

Then there are stories of how the U-tapao military base doesn't allow foreigners in (not sure if that's true but a couple of members here have mentioned it) - and of course how do they determine you are a foreigner? They look at the color of your skin. Racism again. I wonder how Mr. Heinecke, a naturalized Thai citizen would feel if he encountered this situation - he is Thai and only Thai, yet of course he would be seen as being a foreigner by those who don't know who he is because he's white and not Asian.

Dual pricing. Practiced by many national parks, some museums, zoos, temples and various even privately owned tourist attractions. Foreigners, particularly "visible" foreigners will almost always be asked to pay more. Sometimes they can get away with paying the "local" rate by showing a Thai driver's licence, speaking Thai, arriving with a Thai national, showing a work permit, long term visa etc. but the onus is on that "foreign looking" individual to "prove" their credentials by showing these documents - however, their Vietnamese or Cambodian friend only has to look Asian to get in at the local price. Again, racist. Imagine the outcry if that happened in the USA or Australia. The courts would be forced to award damages in the millions to bereaved individuals who were discriminated in this way. In Thailand, it's considered "normal" to assume a white guy or black guy has money.

Get your head out of the sand. Just because you aren't being attacked for being a foreigner doesn't mean there's no racism here. There are a lot of very obvious, and many more subtle forms of racism in Thailand. White people are affected in one way, blacks and Indians in another, arguably worse way. Migrant labourers from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are affected too, but they have one advantage over us when they want to go to a tourist attraction that practices dual pricing as I have indicated above.

Apartheid it may not quite be, but there is certainly an underlying torrent of hostility towards foreigners here. The Thais may never say it to your face, but the sour facial expressions and mediocre treatment one gets used to here is evidence of that.

well since my previous reply to your post seems to have disappeared without trace like a missing meteorite I had presumably be a little more circumspect in this post, so I wont start off by calling you an idiot. But how on earth did a simple notice about house owners reporting foreign guest which has, as the very first poster pointed out, been the law for a long time and is in force in many countries, descend into a diatribe against Thailand that totally nonsensically equates it to Apartheid South Africa? I will therefore restrict myself to debunking some of the anti-Thai myths you have attempted to perpetuate. 1. all countries have private clubs and if some Japanese want to keep themselves to themselves it can hardly be a slur on Thailand. But in any event if you know the right people you can get in anywhere. 2 Total rubbish about U-tapao I have been many times and despite my best efforts I still look white. 3.Yes there is racism here, but far, far less than you get, lets just say for instance, in Japan or maybe Korea. 4. No I am getting bored. Only left to say if you get a torent of hostility towards you in Thailand maybe you should consider some drastic attitude adjustments, but I suppose based your post that would be a touch optimistic. and..Lastly, I wouldn't need a GPS to know where your head is.

I think you need a GPS to figure out how to properly reply to someone's comment. Your reply is all mixed up with mine.

Yes it's racism if you are refused entrance to a club for looking different.

Have you ever heard of Asian only or white only clubs in the USA or Europe? If they exist, then they would be considered racist too. What makes you think it's different just because the clubs in question are located in Thailand or Japan? When there used to be foreigners only clubs in colonial subjects of Britain such as Burma and British India, that was also an example of racism. But they were no different to the Japanese only clubs now. They are not "gentlemen only" clubs; if the Japanese want to exclude foreigners they are racist. Look up the definition of racism, you might actually learn something.

Besides, I would never ever want to set foot in a club that at first glance, wanted to refuse me entry based on me not being Japanese or not being Asian, or whatever other criteria is being used.

As I've also said, there are plenty of clubs in Bangkok that refuse entry to black people and Indians. Look it up.

Now take your rose colored glasses off and get your head out of the sand.

Maybe learn a bit of Thai so you can understand that what the Thais are saying about you is not actually positive. It might also help you to understand the country a bit better.

Maybe there is more racism in Japan and Korea, maybe. But these countries are also a lot more developed and last I checked, they don't practice dual pricing, there is virtually no corruption and while it's hard to become a citizen, they are happy to allow foreigners to stay as long as they respect their rules.

[speedtripler]

Their country, their rules, how hard is that to understand?

It is pretty hard. In the OP they didn't say where to report, when to report or what form to use or what would happen if you did not.

They're is a fine of 10,000thb I believe if you have an unreported foreigner in your premises, maybe more now, i remember that was the price about 6 years ago

[lostoday]

Their country, their rules, how hard is that to understand?

It is pretty hard. In the OP they didn't say where to report, when to report or what form to use or what would happen if you did not.

They're is a fine of 10,000thb I believe if you have an unreported foreigner in your premises, maybe more now, i remember that was the price about 6 years ago

And why do you know what it was 6 years ago? Did you pay a fine?

[speedtripler]

Their country, their rules, how hard is that to understand?

It is pretty hard. In the OP they didn't say where to report, when to report or what form to use or what would happen if you did not.

They're is a fine of 10,000thb I believe if you have an unreported foreigner in your premises, maybe more now, i remember that was the price about 6 years ago

And why do you know what it was 6 years ago? Did you pay a fine?

I remember there was a "crackdown" on this issue years ago when immigration police visited every guesthouse and hotel in the Khao San Rd area to ask for a daily list of guest names and passports numbers...

I don't know if they still come around daily, but they were doing it back then

Maybe they forgot to enforce it for a few years and just starting again now? Such is the way with crackdowns in thailand....

[I knew this would happen]

I really don't know why everyone is up in arms about this. It is standard practice in so many countries. As for 5 star hotels not requesting passports. Every hotel I have ever stayed at in Thailand has taken corpus of my passport and her id. No big deal really!

People are not outraged by hotels practices,everyone knows about that.

The problem is families; One guy reported having been fined for living with his wife for 8 years in their house, because she -his wife- did not reported him to immigration.

And people living here long term and ALREADY reporting every 90 days to declare their address

-Arrival card

-90 day report

-annual visa extension with the same old boring stuff

-report your new location after you´re more than 24hrs in another province

-report yourself living in your own house with your wife who is a Thai citizen

Madness!

These people are full of **** and should be treated like **** all over the world too.

[speedtripler]

I really don't know why everyone is up in arms about this. It is standard practice in so many countries. As for 5 star hotels not requesting passports. Every hotel I have ever stayed at in Thailand has taken corpus of my passport and her id. No big deal really!

People are not outraged by hotels practices,everyone knows about that.

The problem is families; One guy reported having been fined for living with his wife for 8 years in their house, because she -his wife- did not reported him to immigration.

And people living here long term and ALREADY reporting every 90 days to declare their address

-Arrival card

-90 day report

-annual visa extension with the same old boring stuff

-report your new location after you´re more than 24hrs in another province

-report yourself living in your own house with your wife who is a Thai citizen

Madness!

These people are full of **** and should be treated like **** all over the world too.

I walked into a hotel last Saturday about lunchtime in hua hin

They DID ask me for my passport but i didn't have it with me so I told them I forgot it

I got to stay there anyway without even having to show Id, that's the thing, all the rules in the world are useless unless someone is going to enforce them... Consistently

[I knew this would happen]

I really don't know why everyone is up in arms about this. It is standard practice in so many countries. As for 5 star hotels not requesting passports. Every hotel I have ever stayed at in Thailand has taken corpus of my passport and her id. No big deal really!

People are not outraged by hotels practices,everyone knows about that.

The problem is families; One guy reported having been fined for living with his wife for 8 years in their house, because she -his wife- did not reported him to immigration.

And people living here long term and ALREADY reporting every 90 days to declare their address

-Arrival card

-90 day report

-annual visa extension with the same old boring stuff

-report your new location after you´re more than 24hrs in another province

-report yourself living in your own house with your wife who is a Thai citizen

Madness!

These people are full of **** and should be treated like **** all over the world too.

I walked into a hotel last Saturday about lunchtime in hua hin

They DID ask me for my passport but i didn't have it with me so I told them I forgot it

I got to stay there anyway without even having to show Id, that's the thing, all the rules in the world are useless unless someone is going to enforce them... Consistently

That´s the only good thing, usually they forget about most rules that actually exist or are flexible with them. The problem is that you never know if it will always be like this. Just looking at the written facts is a real downer though.

[lostoday]

It is pretty hard. In the OP they didn't say where to report, when to report or what form to use or what would happen if you did not.

They're is a fine of 10,000thb I believe if you have an unreported foreigner in your premises, maybe more now, i remember that was the price about 6 years ago

And why do you know what it was 6 years ago? Did you pay a fine?

I remember there was a "crackdown" on this issue years ago when immigration police visited every guesthouse and hotel in the Khao San Rd area to ask for a daily list of guest names and passports numbers...

I don't know if they still come around daily, but they were doing it back then

Maybe they forgot to enforce it for a few years and just starting again now? Such is the way with crackdowns in thailand....

Did you know anyone who paid a fine?

[speedtripler]

It is pretty hard. In the OP they didn't say where to report, when to report or what form to use or what would happen if you did not. They're is a fine of 10,000thb I believe if you have an unreported foreigner in your premises, maybe more now, i remember that was the price about 6 years ago

And why do you know what it was 6 years ago? Did you pay a fine?

I remember there was a "crackdown" on this issue years ago when immigration police visited every guesthouse and hotel in the Khao San Rd area to ask for a daily list of guest names and passports numbers...

I don't know if they still come around daily, but they were doing it back then

Maybe they forgot to enforce it for a few years and just starting again now? Such is the way with crackdowns in thailand....

Did you know anyone who paid a fine?

No, but I'm sure if 10k is the official fine, it could be haggled down like every other fine

[lostoday]

I remember there was a "crackdown" on this issue years ago when immigration police visited every guesthouse and hotel in the Khao San Rd area to ask for a daily list of guest names and passports numbers...

I don't know if they still come around daily, but they were doing it back then

Maybe they forgot to enforce it for a few years and just starting again now? Such is the way with crackdowns in thailand....

Did you know anyone who paid a fine?

No, but I'm sure if 10k is the official fine, it could be haggled down like every other fine

In ten years of living all over Thailand I have never met or heard of anyone being fined even one baht for not filing a TM 30 form. Only on Thai Visa does the topic get any mileage. I think the official fine is closer to 200 baht though or it was the last time I heard an official talking about it.

[petedk]

I don't mind giving my name and address to hotels as I have nothing to hide, but as I said in a previous posting I would have thought that with the registering we do that it shouldn't be necessary.

On a little side note: Recently I was talking to an auditor at one of the 5 companies and she told me that recently she went to a meeting in an office building and as usual handed in her ID card in exchange for a visitor's entrance ID. After the meeting she handed in the visitors card and received her ID card, but it wasn't hers, it was someone elses. She spent 45 minutes arguing with security and eventually the manager came. She demanded that they went to the police station and made a police report.

At first I thought that that was too much but when she told me that it was company policy because of all the fraud that could be committed with her ID card I realised she was right. She also said that EVERYTIME I make a copy of my passport I should put a couple of lines through it and write what the copy was to be used for. I must admit I have never done that.

I guess I trust the hotels, but I know of 5 or 6 people that have had their credit card copied, mobiles stolen, money stolen and all at expensive hotles.

Do you get to write on the photocopies that hotels take of your passports?

[brewsterbudgen]

I don't mind giving my name and address to hotels as I have nothing to hide, but as I said in a previous posting I would have thought that with the registering we do that it shouldn't be necessary.

On a little side note: Recently I was talking to an auditor at one of the 5 companies and she told me that recently she went to a meeting in an office building and as usual handed in her ID card in exchange for a visitor's entrance ID. After the meeting she handed in the visitors card and received her ID card, but it wasn't hers, it was someone elses. She spent 45 minutes arguing with security and eventually the manager came. She demanded that they went to the police station and made a police report.

At first I thought that that was too much but when she told me that it was company policy because of all the fraud that could be committed with her ID card I realised she was right. She also said that EVERYTIME I make a copy of my passport I should put a couple of lines through it and write what the copy was to be used for. I must admit I have never done that.

I guess I trust the hotels, but I know of 5 or 6 people that have had their credit card copied, mobiles stolen, money stolen and all at expensive hotles.

Do you get to write on the photocopies that hotels take of your passports?

All you have to do is register. It's the hotel's responsibility to advise immigration.