Passport control at Bangkok ( confirmed report )

[Squeegee]

Doesn't seem overstay related to me.

I was pulled over in a taxi and asked for my passport back in the year you mentioned, OP, 2011. Was that about the new overstay rules too?

[marcofunny]

Doesn't seem overstay related to me.

I was pulled over in a taxi and asked for my passport back in the year you mentioned, OP, 2011. Was that about the new overstay rules too?

I just told the story to my Condominium manager and he confirmed to me that he a had serious visit from the cops last week urging him to report all suspicious looking foreigners and that a major crackdown is under way, as in the past some over-stayers were using the name of their gfs or friends to rent apartments,he told me that he had to suspend 3 rent contracts and asked some Chinese owners to stop subletting their condominiums on the internet(Airbnb etc..).

Edited March 20, 2016 by marcofunny

[sunnyjim5]

Doesn't seem overstay related to me.

I was pulled over in a taxi and asked for my passport back in the year you mentioned, OP, 2011. Was that about the new overstay rules too?

I just told the story to my Condominium manager and he confirmed to me that he a had serious visit from the cops last week urging him to report all suspicious looking foreigners and that a major crackdown is under way, as in the past some over-stayers were using the name of their gfs or friends to rent apartments,he told me that he had to suspend 3 rent contracts and asked some Chinese owners to stop subletting their condominiums on the internet(Airbnb etc..).

Was the Condo. manager able to explain what a "suspicious looking foreigner" actually looks like ?

[marcofunny]

Was the Condo. manager able to explain what a "suspicious looking foreigner" actually looks like ?

I don't want to be racist but as I said ( all ethnic people / people who are visibly running some indoor businesses (eg Koreans, Vietnamese), three guys left my building already and went else where.

Edited March 20, 2016 by marcofunny

[scorecard]

No offence OP but if your implying that pp checks are a new deal to do with overstay rules , your drawing a very long bow. Also by sound of it your pp was not even checked.

Everyone runs risk of pp check. No problem unless you have something to hide

this is how happened the first police officer spoke to me in English ( passport ) when I opened my briefcase the other officer asked me in (Thai), where I was going so I replied (in Thai) to my meeting around this area, then he nodded to the other officer, the last time I was controlled ever in Thailand was back in 2011.

You need to get a hobby. What has 2011 got to do with this? Say again: you need to get a hobby.

[lkv]

@Myran

No, people reporting passport checks all over town could not possibly be related to this overstay thing.

I mean I have been reading that they've trained them how to read a visa stamp (they did not know before), but it's an unconfirmed rumour.

I'm sure the reason they stopped me a few days ago and FredNL got to visit the beautiful Thonglo police station last night, that I am also familiar with, is totally unrelated.

Edited March 20, 2016 by lkv

[Lannig]

Speaking Thai with police often causes more problems than it solves

I beg to strongly disagree with this, based on 27 years of being in and out of Thailand.

Speaking Thai (almost) fluently saved me countless driving tickets (real or tea money) or at least made them cost me the Thai price (100B usually).

It also helped a lot when getting in some kind of trouble or when helping out a friend who was.

"Speaking Thai" is not enough though. Handling this like Thais do is a compulsory addition: don't get upset, don't lecture people, don't raise your voice, smile, be very patient and seize any occasion to move the conversation to some futile subject. I remember one pretty bad case of traffic violation I went through unharmed because at some point I was asked about the old Buddha amulet I had around my neck (a present) and I started explaining where it was coming from...

Edited March 20, 2016 by Lannig

[moe666]

What ever it takes in Thailand I was flagged out of a stop in CM because I live here and told him the area. He just says O you live here bye bye, looking for tourist

[Rhys]

money makers at it again

[Myran]

@Myran

No, people reporting passport checks all over town could not possibly be related to this overstay thing.

I mean I have been reading that they've trained them how to read a visa stamp (they did not know before), but it's an unconfirmed rumour.

I'm sure the reason they stopped me a few days ago and FredNL got to visit the beautiful Thonglo police station last night, that I am also familiar with, is totally unrelated.

I suggest you take a class in reading comprehension for first graders and learn where the quote button is. I clearly state that multiple people reporting checks would indeed hint at heightened checks. I have not seen any other reports and the opening post doesn't mention any, and thus responded that the thread starter's experience alone hardly suggests there's something special afoot.

Stop reading what you want to see and actually look at what is being written. Don't expect me to respond to your ramblings again.

[lkv]

@Myran

No, people reporting passport checks all over town could not possibly be related to this overstay thing.

I mean I have been reading that they've trained them how to read a visa stamp (they did not know before), but it's an unconfirmed rumour.

I'm sure the reason they stopped me a few days ago and FredNL got to visit the beautiful Thonglo police station last night, that I am also familiar with, is totally unrelated.

I suggest you take a class in reading comprehension for first graders and learn where the quote button is. I clearly state that multiple people reporting checks would indeed hint at heightened checks. I have not seen any other reports and the opening post doesn't mention any, and thus responded that the thread starter's experience alone hardly suggests there's something special afoot.

Stop reading what you want to see and actually look at what is being written. Don't expect me to respond to your ramblings again.

I apologise for forgetting to mention the last post was sarcastic.

There were at least 3 or 4 reports on several threads, if you had the patience to read them, so we assume there have been way more checks particularly on tourists that don't have a Thai Visa account.

I have been checked as well.

I have been detained as well in the middle of the night at Asok in November last year by the same clowns that detained FredNL last night.

You believe whatever you want to believe but please don't waste my time and effort making me repeat myself.

Cheers.

[thaibreaker]

This is nothing new, and has nothing to do about new overstay rules.

The checking of farang passports at Latprao has been going on for years. I got busted excactly there in 2014, and spent 2 weeks at IDC. Two cars full of farangs were rounded up that day. They do this on a daily basis, was the answer when I asked the immigration officers, in 2014.

Edited March 20, 2016 by thaibreaker

[thaibreaker]

No offence OP but if your implying that pp checks are a new deal to do with overstay rules , your drawing a very long bow. Also by sound of it your pp was not even checked.

Everyone runs risk of pp check. No problem unless you have something to hide

this is how happened the first police officer spoke to me in English ( passport ) when I opened my briefcase the other officer asked me in (Thai), where I was going so I replied (in Thai) to my meeting around this area, then he nodded to the other officer, the last time I was controlled ever in Thailand was back in 2011.

What are in Lat prao was it?

I was busted outside the shopping mall there in november 2014.

[lkv]

This is nothing new, and has nothing to do about new overstay rules.

The checking of farang passports at Latprao has been going on for years. I got busted excactly there in 2014, and spent 2 weeks at IDC. Two cars full of farangs were rounded up that day. They do this on a daily basis, was the answer when I asked the immigration officers, in 2014.

You're right, they have been doing it for some time.

But particularly now, with the magic date of 20th of March, when the overstay bans come into effect, they started all of the sudden to "work harder".

They seem to stick to the same areas though, Ladprao that you've mentioned and lower Sukhumvit.

If they continue these stunts I'll just avoid lower Sukhumvit for a while I guess, although I am finding it a little ridiculous to be doing that since I'm in order.

[donnybay]

Good tip for the terrorists OP, learn Thai and get waved on, what would happen do you think if you could not speak a spattering of Thai?, what did you say to them? leave me alone I speak Thai?

[lkv]

Good tip for the terrorists OP, learn Thai and get waved on, what would happen do you think if you could not speak a spattering of Thai?, what did you say to them? leave me alone I speak Thai?

Correct. If they looked a bit shocked tell them it's "hi-so" nowadays to speak English, that's why you prefer not speaking Thai.

Edited March 20, 2016 by lkv

[chrisinth]

But they didn't check your passport??

the guy asked me first for the passport, but his colleague asked him to back off after he noticed my Thai level, I saw they were conducting serious checking on every vehicle for foreigners.

I'm not going to start a back forth. Your basically implying you got special treatment because of your expert Thai. In fact the opposite in normally the case. The reason I'm arking up is you have linked this to new overstay rules. This is a nonsense. Recently there have been extensive pp checks at pattaya and phuket.

If everyone that had a pp check reported link to new overstay rules then maybe you might have suport

Probably is my appearance, I was wearing a suit for my meeting , people wearing expensive clothes rarely get controlled

source : I used to be a security agent in an airport.

Well, I'd just like to say on record, every-time i got stopped at an airport, yourself or your colleagues got it wrong........................

If your training suggested that someone well dressed could not be a criminal, the books need to be reviewed.

[stoneyboy]

It seems from the OP if one can conduct ones self with a passable level of Thai language then it should be a breeze to avoid capture if your on overstay as they wave you on without checking your passport.

Surely anyone who's overstayed a while can explain where they are going in Thai.

[PomRakBKK]

Doesn't seem overstay related to me.

I was pulled over in a taxi and asked for my passport back in the year you mentioned, OP, 2011. Was that about the new overstay rules too?

I just told the story to my Condominium manager and he confirmed to me that he a had serious visit from the cops last week urging him to report all suspicious looking foreigners and that a major crackdown is under way, as in the past some over-stayers were using the name of their gfs or friends to rent apartments,he told me that he had to suspend 3 rent contracts and asked some Chinese owners to stop subletting their condominiums on the internet(Airbnb etc..).

Just to get an idea but whats the name of the condo? Some newer / older building? What price range?

[Enoon]

The "news" seems to be:

"Thai police fail to carry out proper passport check".

Doesn't really sound like a "crackdown".

(BTW, I had my passport checked twice in the years between 2011 and 2014, but I didn't post it)

Edited March 21, 2016 by Enoon

[Suradit69]

Be patient with them, they are still working on their skills.

You really can't expect them to process that if you speak Thai, you've been in Thailand for long, right?

My "chat" a few days ago:

They: Where you go? ( suspicious look)

Me: (same sort of look) Gym

They: Oooh, gym.

Do not forget jobs over here are being purchased, not gained through education.

Quite often police and security officers can make a quick judgment based on the reactions of the person they are questioning.

"Do not forget jobs over here are being purchased, not gained through education."

And some people use any opportunity to stick in a little childish Thai bashing. The airport security checks at most Farang airports are done by minimum wage employees who haven't the education or experience to work at a fast food restaurant.

US airport screenings fail to detect mock weapons in 95% of tests

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/02/us-airport-security-raised-after-fake-weapons-missed-by-screenings

[cyberfarang]

But they didn't check your passport??

the guy asked me first for the passport, but his colleague asked him to back off after he noticed my Thai level, I saw they were conducting serious checking on every vehicle for foreigners.

Surely a long-term overstayer could be expected to have a good level of Thai? Pretty poor effort on their part if that's what they were really about.

Police always have the correct sixth sense, I m just not their target !!!, I know two close friends who got busted.

That`s right, we all know that terrorists and over stayers can`t speak Thai.

[toolpush]

But they didn't check your passport??

the guy asked me first for the passport, but his colleague asked him to back off after he noticed my Thai level, I saw they were conducting serious checking on every vehicle for foreigners.

I'm not going to start a back forth. Your basically implying you got special treatment because of your expert Thai. In fact the opposite in normally the case. The reason I'm arking up is you have linked this to new overstay rules. This is a nonsense. Recently there have been extensive pp checks at pattaya and phuket.

If everyone that had a pp check reported link to new overstay rules then maybe you might have suport

Probably is my appearance, I was wearing a suit for my meeting , people wearing expensive clothes rarely get controlled

source : I used to be a security agent in an airport.

Controlled?????

[bangkapi]

But if you spoke Thai clearly, isn't that an indication that if you were overstaying, it would be a very long overstay?

I'm thinking it's a possible shakedown opportunity of only newbies who could not speak Thai and didn't have their passport with them.

[HooHaa]

Sounds like the opposite of taking overstay serious..

Speaking Thai and wearing a suit hardly seems like a legitimate reason to not check your passport, if that was the reason for the check point.

maybe it was a cheap suit?

anyways, im still wondering how this report got confirmed.

is there a new authority no one mentioned to me?

[bangon04]

Doesn't seem overstay related to me.

I was pulled over in a taxi and asked for my passport back in the year you mentioned, OP, 2011. Was that about the new overstay rules too?

I just told the story to my Condominium manager and he confirmed to me that he a had serious visit from the cops last week urging him to report all suspicious looking foreigners and that a major crackdown is under way, as in the past some over-stayers were using the name of their gfs or friends to rent apartments,he told me that he had to suspend 3 rent contracts and asked some Chinese owners to stop subletting their condominiums on the internet(Airbnb etc..).

Was the Condo. manager able to explain what a "suspicious looking foreigner" actually looks like ?

Well it seems pretty clear it cannot be anyone who has bothered to learn Thai conversational skills. The RTP has divined that such people are logically incapable of overstay.

[tomross46]

Thank you for the information. It is good to see that the police are doing their jobs.

[Thaidream]

A complete waste of police manpower. their sole intent is to find a way to make some money. A person who is well dressed and reaches immediately for their passport is let go but that person is of no use to the police. there is nothing to extort. I was asked once on Sukhumvit to allow the police to search my pockets. i refused. I informed them we should go the police station immediately and I would submit to a search in front of witnesses and a lawyer. They immediately waived me on.

[MiKT]

Be patient with them, they are still working on their skills.

You really can't expect them to process that if you speak Thai, you've been in Thailand for long, right?

My "chat" a few days ago:

They: Where you go? ( suspicious look)

Me: (same sort of look) Gym

They: Oooh, gym.

Do not forget jobs over here are being purchased, not gained through education.

Well, there you have it, we all know how much they love to Oooh in the gym.

They probably though you looked worn out and did not want to bother you.

[MRH1959]

Did they check the driver's id?

Good on them for trying to fix a problem, but come on Thailand, do it right.