Pattaya Immigration to focus on 'overstayer's' and hotel registration offenses

[BaldPlumber]

I think this is a very good thing. Before I liked going to Pattaya from time to time, but of late I am turned off by the amount of crime there. Before you could avoid it but lately it seems to comes find you. Ceaning up all the riffraff will be a very welcome change.

I've lived here for a few years now and am yet to be a victim of crime.

What crime are you referring to and please let me know where this doesn't happen so I can move there immediately.

Edit: apologies, a bar girl filled her small bottle of mouthwash using my big one, the minty breathed thief.

Edited January 25, 2016 by BaldPlumber

[Mitkof Island]

They really need a large prison for the foreigners alone. Not including the wonderful sex pests.

Is there actually enough space in the Pattaya jail to house all these people? I could imaging that being in a jailhouse full of old sex pests would be quite a horrible experience. ;-)

[elgordo38]

Police Major General Chachuwan, Deputy Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau was welcomed by a formal parade of officers who work at the office in Jomtien. He was given a tour of the facility and made suggestions along the way of how to improve procedures, in-line with other Immigration offices around Thailand.

I wonder if he includes Chiang Mai immigration in that statement.

Lets face it we here in Chiang Mai are the Stiefkind of Thai immigration. We are guilty of something and therefore must be punished. This goes against Thai culture where older people are supposedly treated with respect. Maybe its the fact that its the home territory of the Shin clan. I just cannot believe with all the consulates here that there is not some kind of recognition/solution to the problem. Immigration in BKK is obviously turning a blind eye to our plight. Immigration had a much better system at the airport so why close it? The online queue system worked great and with some expansion would have helped us no close it. The 90 reporting system online was a disaster right out of the starting gate and as such well lets leave it and not fix it. The 90 mail reporting system our last leg of hope is about to collapse because of its popularity. They say they do not have enough staff to process the mail obvious answer hire more staff nope Bangkok will not approve it. Streamline the system charge more say 2500 bahts instead of 1900 and hire more staff. Nope cannot do that either. For a country that is big on saving face its exactly the opposite here. We constantly hear on TV of success stories in other parts of the country with immigration so why should it be different here??

[DPGumbypgh]

First I am on a retirement visa so i am not criticizing other in a less fortunate position but the cost of the elite visa would be almost the same as being legal i.e. returning to your home country and get a legal visa for your stay about twice per year. Thailand is trying to stop completely the visa run stayers and will make it harder and harder to stay here. How many Thais can do this in your home countries.

[Guest]

Did it ever cross your mind that there are thousands of foreign pieces of crap hiding here? It has nothing to do with being old greezers or whatever.Love the holier than thou arguement it never works.

As a person with the luxury of a Retirement Visa ... I really do wish you sarcastic holier than thou P*****ks would preface your smart arse comments with your age and visa type.

I am extremely sympathetic to those 40 year olds, who want to have an extended stay here in Thailand and the fact that it is near impossible to achieve without some "gaming the system."

I am talking about folks in the heart of the bell curve ... not criminals or those lucky enough to afford a Thailand Elite Card.

It is shocking to see so many Expats with their "F'em . throw them to the sharks" attitude

You sound like a bunch of sour old geezers who for no other reason that being a total P*******K enjoy the rarefied air of "Oh, but for the grace of God, go I"

You certainly do have a very long list of replies to this thread. Seems you have an ax to grind for sure ..

So, let me ask ...

How old are you and what is your Visa status?

Put up ... or shut up!

[marinediscoking]

From the people that I know who have overstayed and are currently overstaying, they are on very very limited monthly budgets, I would guess 15k or less a month. They keep a low profile here and don't bother anyone. Some have been let go after being picked up as immigration does not want pay for their plane ticket back home. Deportation takes a lot of time, paperwork and thai airways must be paid when the foreigner cannot pay or won't pay, meanwhile they have to take care of them while waiting to do this. Most prefer to live here rather than go back and face minor law suites against them or child support payments in their home countries.

It took forever to get that homeless German man who lived on Soi Diana send back.

So I don't see much coming of this press release.

[Briggsy]

Expect more TM28 and TM30 fines every time one's path happens to cross Pattaya immigration.

[indieke]

How do you want to "catch" overstayers if you are too busy annoying people who want to do it by the book? Put much work into this, does not make the money goes around. Much more gratifying to spend time with a farang business-owner, send people around to control everything is to standard, and when the man wants to stay around, declaring that there is something in their passport they not like to extend, that only can be solved to walk to the nearest Atm, and get off the maximum authorized amount, to do a donation to the local station.

Or waste time for extension of tourists, who's 1900 bht is not enough, need another passport picture up to THEIR standards and pay 400 bht extra for that in the shop next to the immigration. Oh yeah and don't use in Chiang Mai the pics you payed at Phuket immigration, because strange enough they are not the same size as the one's demanded there.

[Basil B]

Thailand: desperately afraid that someone will spend MONEY here.

More to the point those who make money...

[Nobb]

If these immigration police do there jobs on the order of there commander. Thailand will be much safer and get the tourist they need so badly! To long that no one cared about the law.

[Jim walker]

Its only right and proper they catch these evil mastermind criminals who overstay in Thailand they will be the ruination of Thailand yet far too many escaping proper justice and custody get these over stayers locked up and throw away the key, or a few thousand baht cash in hand to the arresting officer and as for the hotel owners who are late or just dont bother in registering these evil aliens I just shudder to think what should be done to them.

[Thaidream]

Overstay is a victim-less civil crime. There is no criminal intent. In the US there are millions of overstays or people who entered without documentation. the police do not go around asking them to show documents or even look for them. If they are stopped for anything else- then their status maybe checked. In Thailand, you can be walking down the street and the police will at time stop someone and ask for their Passport and Visa without any probable cause. It happens too often and irritates people to no end. They have the right to stop a person in Thailand supposedly, but it says to normal tourists we really do not trust you. There are criminals hiding here, but most have a valid passport and a legit visa. None of them will be caught in this latest exercise. The only people that will be caught are like one of the poster says- people with low incomes and not bothering anyone.If they really want to catch criminals- they need to check the Interpol list at Immigration or better yet work out agreements with various countries to tie their Embassy into the local criminal database and run a check prior to Visa issuance. Stopping people at random and looking for overstays is merely busy work to show the powers to be that the police are doing something.

[Basil B]

Could they not make it more simple to register?

I assume they only want a few bits of info: Name, Date of Birth, Nationality, ID Card or Passport Number, etc, of guests...

Many properties are in condos or administered communities/villages and many will be gated with security, it is in their interests for security reasons to know who is staying their, maybe if the government were to develop a simple piece of software that acted as a register and uploaded the details to a national computer database for use by condo and village communities where they could manage the registration for property lets and small guest houses.

[torpedo1970]

That is a high yield business plan....

Since they are not making any money on the Chinese, income sources are dried up....

[Basil B]

Overstay is a victim-less civil crime. There is no criminal intent. In the US there are millions of overstays or people who entered without documentation. the police do not go around asking them to show documents or even look for them. If they are stopped for anything else- then their status maybe checked. In Thailand, you can be walking down the street and the police will at time stop someone and ask for their Passport and Visa without any probable cause. It happens too often and irritates people to no end. They have the right to stop a person in Thailand supposedly, but it says to normal tourists we really do not trust you. There are criminals hiding here, but most have a valid passport and a legit visa. None of them will be caught in this latest exercise. The only people that will be caught are like one of the poster says- people with low incomes and not bothering anyone.If they really want to catch criminals- they need to check the Interpol list at Immigration or better yet work out agreements with various countries to tie their Embassy into the local criminal database and run a check prior to Visa issuance. Stopping people at random and looking for overstays is merely busy work to show the powers to be that the police are doing something.

It is not a victimless crime...

In many cases it is theft of services and tax invasion by often people who are avoiding the authorities in their own country and making money in Thailand without paying tax.

The victims are those who pay tax, they have to pay more to subsidise the free loaders...

Edited January 25, 2016 by Basil B

[Mitkof Island]

I am asking a legit question. Under 50 married. Anymore personal information you would like ? The only ax i have to grind are foreigners staying here without valid visas. How many countries allow this? Answer: ZERO! How old are You? What type of visa do you have? What is your monthly income? Where did you meet your Thai girlfriend? What country are you from? What planet are you from?

Did it ever cross your mind that there are thousands of foreign pieces of crap hiding here? It has nothing to do with being old greezers or whatever.Love the holier than thou arguement it never works.

As a person with the luxury of a Retirement Visa ... I really do wish you sarcastic holier than thou P*****ks would preface your smart arse comments with your age and visa type.

I am extremely sympathetic to those 40 year olds, who want to have an extended stay here in Thailand and the fact that it is near impossible to achieve without some "gaming the system."

I am talking about folks in the heart of the bell curve ... not criminals or those lucky enough to afford a Thailand Elite Card.

It is shocking to see so many Expats with their "F'em . throw them to the sharks" attitude

You sound like a bunch of sour old geezers who for no other reason that being a total P*******K enjoy the rarefied air of "Oh, but for the grace of God, go I"

You certainly do have a very long list of replies to this thread. Seems you have an ax to grind for sure ..

So, let me ask ...

How old are you and what is your Visa status?

Put up ... or shut up!

[Mitkof Island]

I think they are called criminals. And there are thousands of them here. Hint: It is a crime !

Overstay is a victim-less civil crime. There is no criminal intent. In the US there are millions of overstays or people who entered without documentation. the police do not go around asking them to show documents or even look for them. If they are stopped for anything else- then their status maybe checked. In Thailand, you can be walking down the street and the police will at time stop someone and ask for their Passport and Visa without any probable cause. It happens too often and irritates people to no end. They have the right to stop a person in Thailand supposedly, but it says to normal tourists we really do not trust you. There are criminals hiding here, but most have a valid passport and a legit visa. None of them will be caught in this latest exercise. The only people that will be caught are like one of the poster says- people with low incomes and not bothering anyone.If they really want to catch criminals- they need to check the Interpol list at Immigration or better yet work out agreements with various countries to tie their Embassy into the local criminal database and run a check prior to Visa issuance. Stopping people at random and looking for overstays is merely busy work to show the powers to be that the police are doing something.

It is not a victimless crime...

In many cases it is theft of services and tax invasion by often people who are avoiding the authorities in their own country and making money in Thailand without paying tax.

The victims are those who pay tax, they have to pay more to subsidise the free loaders...

[Don Mega]

From the people that I know who have overstayed and are currently overstaying, they are on very very limited monthly budgets, I would guess 15k or less a month. They keep a low profile here and don't bother anyone. Some have been let go after being picked up as immigration does not want pay for their plane ticket back home. Deportation takes a lot of time, paperwork and thai airways must be paid when the foreigner cannot pay or won't pay, meanwhile they have to take care of them while waiting to do this. Most prefer to live here rather than go back and face minor law suites against them or child support payments in their home countries.

It took forever to get that homeless German man who lived on Soi Diana send back.

So I don't see much coming of this press release.

Since when does immigration pay for air tickets to deport someone ?

I always thought you paid your own if you did not have the money you rotted in the immigration detention centre until you .

[fredob43]

There not only checking on peeps in Patts. I arrived home today and within 5 Mins: there was a 3 pip copper at the gate wanting to take yet another photo and check Passport. 2nd time in 3 months.

Reason given, checking on all non Thais. Just in case their not where they are supposed to be.

N/B I live 500km up from Patts.

[chrissables]

I think this is a very good thing. Before I liked going to Pattaya from time to time, but of late I am turned off by the amount of crime there. Before you could avoid it but lately it seems to comes find you. Ceaning up all the riffraff will be a very welcome change.

Focus on registration offenses / overstaying will not improve the crime situation in Pattaya at all. What would is getting access to visa-waiver outstanding warrants, fingerprint database, passport verification so that once someone books a ticket the information is available for immigration on entry etc. I am not sure how much is available, but I know the US has agreements with Canada for access to fingerprint databases.... and I would think wants & warrants type access would be a non-issue with privacy concerns. You want to filter out who comes in so that there is less of a problem.

Institute immigration procedures so that gang/ motorcycle gang affiliation (with or without conviction) will make you persona-non-grata.

Blanketing the problem areas with regular foot patrols and having zero tolerance towards anything that may harm the tourism industry - i.e. jet ski scammers have their property confiscated and banned, etc.

The vast majority of overstayers or registration offenses are just that administration offenses. It is akin to attacking a problem of finding a pin by looking through a haystack.... you will never find anything important that way. Intelligence and non-corrupt enforcement are the only sane approach to the situation.

Finding overstayers and deporting them should be more of a result of regular police work where if you find one you deport them -- but not the focus of the cleanup.

"Institute immigration procedures so that gang/ motorcycle gang affiliation (with or without conviction) will make you persona-non-grata. "

Are you for real?

What kind of warped mind would even think of banning non convicted people?

Why is it America wants to police the world?

How would you feel if you were banned for doing nothing wrong?

Your statement is just ridiculous ramblings of a retard who dreams of power. Become a traffic warden, you may enjoy it. No brain required.

Immigration is a discriminatory process - the country can allow in who it wants and who it does not. Affiliation with criminal or near criminal organizations is a valid reason to not allow people to enter. There is no "right" to enter the country. Don't have enough money (potentially coming for work) you cannot get in, you answer the questions suspiciously, you cannot get in... you have potential ties to terrorist organizations you cannot come in, you have connections to criminal organizations - you are not wanted, you are on the sex offenders registry (regardless of of conviction) - you cannot enter.

The border is not there as a welcoming line - it is there to discriminate on who they want and who they will allow to enter.

Hi, i am fully aware and agree. But that is in regard to the THAI immigration powers.

People from around the world who have no power, authority or knowledge should remain quiet.

I don't wish to live here under American laws. I am happy to follow the Thai laws.

[Woody1]

Overstay is a victim-less civil crime. There is no criminal intent. In the US there are millions of overstays or people who entered without documentation. the police do not go around asking them to show documents or even look for them. If they are stopped for anything else- then their status maybe checked. In Thailand, you can be walking down the street and the police will at time stop someone and ask for their Passport and Visa without any probable cause. It happens too often and irritates people to no end. They have the right to stop a person in Thailand supposedly, but it says to normal tourists we really do not trust you. There are criminals hiding here, but most have a valid passport and a legit visa. None of them will be caught in this latest exercise. The only people that will be caught are like one of the poster says- people with low incomes and not bothering anyone.If they really want to catch criminals- they need to check the Interpol list at Immigration or better yet work out agreements with various countries to tie their Embassy into the local criminal database and run a check prior to Visa issuance. Stopping people at random and looking for overstays is merely busy work to show the powers to be that the police are doing something.

It is not a victimless crime...

In many cases it is theft of services and tax invasion by often people who are avoiding the authorities in their own country and making money in Thailand without paying tax.

The victims are those who pay tax, they have to pay more to subsidise the free loaders...

Can't wait to see governments lower taxes as all these so called criminals are caught!

Now, do you see how ridiculous your comments are?

[Rimmer]

Some troll and inflammatory name calling posts have been removed, also quoted replies

[Thaidream]

I am not advocating overstay or even asking they not be picked up when found. I am stating and will hold to it- that this is a civil situation and not criminal unlike a robbery, rape, or murder or anything that violates another person. Whether they pay taxes or not is a civil matter and I doubt they would owe any since they are low income. The majority of people on overstay simply do not have the money to get legal. Based on this, there is no reason for any police force anywhere to spend its valuable resources tracking these people down. They pose no threat to life or liberty. The police should be focused-on real crimes and real criminals not wasting time on those who are unfortunate. You , who are so eager to see these unfortunate people jailed and then expelled might want to show some sympathy to your fellow human being. If an Embassy really wanted to help their citizens, they would reach out and offer a solution rather than sit back and wait until their citizens are either dead or jailed.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Thaidream

[Jools]

Perfect example of "siege mentality" in Thailand. The ever-present "evil foreigner" who takes JOBS away from hard-working Thais. The reality is that few Thais are qualified to do the very few jobs that are available to the "evil foreigner". This is a mindset that extends back several hundred years. It's amazing to see the raw envy and hatred that I encounter when it comes to light that I have a higher income than a Thai doctor from the three checks I receive as a retiree. There seems to be an attitude that somehow I am "getting away with something", since I don't actually WORK for a living. It's curious that Thais don't turn this attitude towards their own elite, who treat them like serfs and are nowhere nearly as friendly as the average farang.

Overstay is a victim-less civil crime. There is no criminal intent. In the US there are millions of overstays or people who entered without documentation. the police do not go around asking them to show documents or even look for them. If they are stopped for anything else- then their status maybe checked. In Thailand, you can be walking down the street and the police will at time stop someone and ask for their Passport and Visa without any probable cause. It happens too often and irritates people to no end. They have the right to stop a person in Thailand supposedly, but it says to normal tourists we really do not trust you. There are criminals hiding here, but most have a valid passport and a legit visa. None of them will be caught in this latest exercise. The only people that will be caught are like one of the poster says- people with low incomes and not bothering anyone.If they really want to catch criminals- they need to check the Interpol list at Immigration or better yet work out agreements with various countries to tie their Embassy into the local criminal database and run a check prior to Visa issuance. Stopping people at random and looking for overstays is merely busy work to show the powers to be that the police are doing something.

[jobsworth]

SunnyJim5. I see, so it is only the well off who should be allowed to retire to Thailand.

There are plenty of working class people from Western countries who would be an asset to Thailand.

It is cheap for them to live here, and there are many other positives, they can offer a lot to Thailands economy.

working class people from Western countries are well off.

or is it that they cease to be working class when they become well off.

up the workers.

[marinediscoking]

From the people that I know who have overstayed and are currently overstaying, they are on very very limited monthly budgets, I would guess 15k or less a month. They keep a low profile here and don't bother anyone. Some have been let go after being picked up as immigration does not want pay for their plane ticket back home. Deportation takes a lot of time, paperwork and thai airways must be paid when the foreigner cannot pay or won't pay, meanwhile they have to take care of them while waiting to do this. Most prefer to live here rather than go back and face minor law suites against them or child support payments in their home countries.

It took forever to get that homeless German man who lived on Soi Diana send back.

So I don't see much coming of this press release.

Since when does immigration pay for air tickets to deport someone ?

I always thought you paid your own if you did not have the money you rotted in the immigration detention centre until you .

I thought the same too until I had a friend go through it and told them he had no money to pay for it. Immigration uses thai airways to deport and there was some problem with the them reimbursing TA. If you choose to pay for your ticket they cannot make you go back to your home country so you can choose where you want to go.

[Mitkof Island]

Pose no threat to life or liberty ? There are numerous foreign criminals hiding in Thailand. Should they be allowed to hide here also ? Do not have the money to get legal ? So they are deadbeats. So all deadbeats in the world should be able to enter any country they wish? The majority of foreigners that get themselves into trouble here are their own worst enemies . It is not the responsibility for every Embassy to come to the aid of every foreigner that arrives here with little or no research. Or serious lack of common sense or brains. Perhaps the Embassies should give out a handbook to every foreigner arriving here titiled. A Foreigners Idiot Guide To Staying Out Of Trouble In Thailand. or better yet Are You Smart Enough To Avoid Bar Girl Scams ?

I am not advocating overstay or even asking they not be picked up when found. I am stating and will hold to it- that this is a civil situation and not criminal unlike a robbery, rape, or murder or anything that violates another person. Whether they pay taxes or not is a civil matter and I doubt they would owe any since they are low income. The majority of people on overstay simply do not have the money to get legal. Based on this, there is no reason for any police force anywhere to spend its valuable resources tracking these people down. They pose no threat to life or liberty. The police should be focused-on real crimes and real criminals not wasting time on those who are unfortunate. You , who are so eager to see these unfortunate people jailed and then expelled might want to show some sympathy to your fellow human being. If an Embassy really wanted to help their citizens, they would reach out and offer a solution rather than sit back and wait until their citizens are either dead or jailed.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Mitkof Island

[Guest]

I am asking a legit question. Under 50 married. Anymore personal information you would like ? The only ax i have to grind are foreigners staying here without valid visas. How many countries allow this? Answer: ZERO! How old are You? What type of visa do you have? What is your monthly income? Where did you meet your Thai girlfriend? What country are you from? What planet are you from?

Did it ever cross your mind that there are thousands of foreign pieces of crap hiding here? It has nothing to do with being old greezers or whatever.Love the holier than thou arguement it never works.

As a person with the luxury of a Retirement Visa ... I really do wish you sarcastic holier than thou P*****ks would preface your smart arse comments with your age and visa type.

I am extremely sympathetic to those 40 year olds, who want to have an extended stay here in Thailand and the fact that it is near impossible to achieve without some "gaming the system."

I am talking about folks in the heart of the bell curve ... not criminals or those lucky enough to afford a Thailand Elite Card.

It is shocking to see so many Expats with their "F'em . throw them to the sharks" attitude

You sound like a bunch of sour old geezers who for no other reason that being a total P*******K enjoy the rarefied air of "Oh, but for the grace of God, go I"

You certainly do have a very long list of replies to this thread. Seems you have an ax to grind for sure ..

So, let me ask ...

How old are you and what is your Visa status?

Put up ... or shut up!

Ahhhh ... I see.

You are under 50 and married ... so have few real worries about your long term visa situation.

I think most reasonable people who read through this entire thread, and saw page after page of your rants ... would agree that your response ... and concerns as a non Thai ... are far out of proportion with the situation here.

You see, it was Thailand who created a very lax system of "Stay as long as you like, and pay 20,000 on the way out" .. for a very long time.

Now that the tide has changed, many are stuck with the sense that this really is their home. They have comfortable lives, speak the language, have friends and love the Kingdom.

They are suddenly stuck between a rock and a hard place ...

Really, they have enough to worry about without some Tea Bagger with his rubbing salt in the wound.

Although I doubt you have one ... go back to your life, and leave your two cent's worth on the counter .. no one wants to to read your poison on every page.

Karma is a beee-ach my friend ... your day will come, and i can not WAIT to read your whining rants then.

[sanukjim]

Nope, retired here but fully cognizant that overstayers present no problem except to the exaggerated pride of Thainess. "We are Thailand, we are just like REAL countries....we have LAWS." DUH!!!

Thailand: desperately afraid that someone will spend MONEY here.

Thinking this way Joots

you are talking like you are one of these over stayers or one whom does not qualify as a long time stayer using the "quasi legal visa help company s" and in fear that the laws will finally catch up to you sending you home.If so I hope that they do.

So ,You like "NO LAWS" ?

[Yahooka]

I think this is a very good thing. Before I liked going to Pattaya from time to time, but of late I am turned off by the amount of crime there. Before you could avoid it but lately it seems to comes find you. Ceaning up all the riffraff will be a very welcome change.

I don`t think that overstayers are responsible for "the amount of chrime there".