Thai Immigration Asks Foreigners for Bank Accounts, Social Media, Hangouts

[webfact]

Thai Immigration Asks Foreigners for Bank Accounts, Social Media, Hangouts
By Todd Ruiz and Sasiwan Mokkhasen


Part of a three-page Immigration Bureau form seeking personal information from foreign nationals residing in the kingdom.

BANGKOK — Foreign nationals residing in Thailand are being asked to disclose personal information to the government, including their bank details and where they hang out online and offline.

Internal documents obtained earlier this month by Khaosod English showed the Immigration Bureau would ask foreigners for personal details about places they frequent in the virtual and real worlds, additional information to be filed before they can extend their visas or complete the routine 90-day reports required to reside legally in the kingdom.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1460977949&typecate=06&section=

-- Khaosod English 2016-04-19

[SoFarAndNear]

Welcome to North Korea....

Junta bashers should really think twice what they write online... especially on TV and Facebook..... I predict 1-2 years and we will get the first confirmed blacklist because of improper online expression about Thailand....

[lkv]

Attention, Attention.

Aliens,

It is important that we have your full cooperation here, this is a matter of national security.

Please remain calm.

Due to the upcoming ASEAN integration, your Facebook profile is an important issue for us. Also provide us with your ThaiVisa username, since we are having problems identifying certain individuals making fun of us all day long, since the servers are outside of Thailand.

Your full cooperation is appreciated and it will result in more peace, security and stability in our beloved nation.

[Thian]

They better ask straight for the TV nickname.

[KMartinHandyman]

If true it's time to put a short trade on thaivisa membership and post counts [emoji410]

[JLCrab]

Well the linked article says the the information requested is not mandatory but the definition of a suspicious character might now be one who declined to provide such information not mandatory or otherwise.

[wobalt]

Absolute BS for the intended purpose to track down terrorists and criminals. National security??What about Thai criminals which frequently disappeared in the past?? The only purpose I see is to sample information, which otherwise would be difficult and costly to access. But as it is not mandatory to fill in...in more than 30 years here I never gave them any information regarding my bank details.

[wobalt]

Well the linked article says the the information requested is not mandatory but the definition of a suspicious character might now be one who declined to provide such information not mandatory or otherwise.

All aliens are suspicious per se....

[lkv]

This is the whole document, courtesy of @Beefslapper on the previous thread. Hope he won't mind me reattaching it here.

[Don Mega]

so I guess the online 90 day reporting will be updated accordingly.

[ukrules]

They can go <deleted> themselves for most of this.

[Thechook]

This is the whole document, courtesy of @Beefslapper on the previous thread. Hope he won't mind me reattaching it here.

A little concerned about handing over all my bank account details to thais. Is this because the bloody farangs complained about the police shakedowns that went viral and made the international news? Now they can just help themselves.

[lkv]

People that just tuned in can find our previous discussion here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/909559-re-entry-permit-new-formrequirements/

[smedly]

most of this information they already have, bank - email - address etc

as for the hobby social and social media stuff - well they can ask

[jerico2017]

whaahaha Just put your seat belts on TV members. Its just the start. What is your home country doing about this? ITS PATHETIC. Thailand must receive reciprocal treatment and then some.

[Don Mega]

whaahaha Just put your seat belts on TV members. Its just the start. What is your home country doing about this? ITS PATHETIC. Thailand must receive reciprocal treatment and then some.

tit for tat reciprocal treatment. dont be so pathetic.

Thailand is one of the easiest countries to come and go from and you can be sure a lot of countries do not allow the same freedoms for Thai's or any other nationality to easily come and go.

[DaveBKK]

Btw, not to seem like a tin-foil hatter or anything.... but the connections here on Thaivisa don't use any kind of encryption. It'd be fairly trivial to match usernames and what people are posting back to their internet connection / ISP account.... and thus your address.... etc.

Just something to consider in your future postings.

[yellowboat]

Silly and invasive to the point to being embarrassing.

[Dibbler]

Is it a legal requirement to respond to the questionnaire? I think the senate would need to change the Immigration Law to force individuals to provide the information but if that happened such a regulation would likely violate privacy laws. Better get a legal interpretation of this before drawing any conclusions.

[ronwparker]

what about people like me who have a marriage visa and have been in Thailand 14 years?

[jucel]

They probably think they can make loads of money compiling databases and selling the info to dubious companies.

Expect more phone calls and door to door salesmen, selling adjustable beds & stairlifts!

[Crossy]

A work colleague has just informed me that the One-Stop shop are turning down 90 day reports if the applicant declines to fill in the form

[Tatsujin]

From Peray Stephane:

The new immigration form that ask you yours bank account number , your motorbike number plate , your favorite hangout places is actually the idea of Khun Chatchawan Wachirapaneekhun. He came up with this idea by himself specifically for one-stop service in Chamchuri square and this form is not asked in other immigration places like ChaengWattana . This form is not mandatory and you don't need to fill up everything , you fill up whatever you want . But again this form is the invention of one particular overzealous immigration officer - not the head of Thai immigration and definitely not the Thai Junta

[krystian]

I got mine in Thai,, where can I Download the english version?

[Pimay1]

what about people like me who have a marriage visa and have been in Thailand 14 years?

I expect it applies to you as well as all foreigners as there are no exceptions mentioned. On the surface it seems quite invasive but I supposed it is something we will have to live with if we stay in country. The puyai ban already comes by every year to get my passport number and address. The police came by a few weeks ago to get the same plus a copy of my passport, visa and entry form.

[Time Traveller]

Well you stood by and cheered when the overstay ban came into effect, what did you expect they were going to do next? Give out rewards to you for being the good farang or something ? Hahaha, "expats" in Thailand proved themselves again to be amongst the stupidest of the stupid.

Ps. Don't forget to give them your PIN numbers as well!

[arrowsdawdle]

Silly and invasive to the point to being embarrassing.

How is it invasive of them if you volunteer information? That anybody is naive or stupid enough to answer any question on those forms, including proposed address in Thailand, is what is really embarrassing. If you are on a tourist visa put down a hotel.

[Srikcir]

most of this information they already have, bank - email - address etc

as for the hobby social and social media stuff - well they can ask

Nowhere on the form does it say that any information is voluntary.

They can ask, you can refuse and they can deny visa/extension?

[Fookhaht]

Is it a legal requirement to respond to the questionnaire? I think the senate would need to change the Immigration Law to force individuals to provide the information but if that happened such a regulation would likely violate privacy laws. Better get a legal interpretation of this before drawing any conclusions.

[Crossy]

Anyone been asked to fill this anywhere other than the One-Stop?