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

[SOTIRIOS]

....so suddenly they own us completely.....

...while their ilk do as they very well please.....

[smedly]

I'd call this a massive over reaction from most posting on this topic

I will bet that this form is the product of an IO bored to tears who decided to come up with this genius idea in an attempt to impress his office and his seniors, it will have gone down like a lead balloon and all involved are just hoping it will disappear without anyone having to give the guy a quiet talking too or suggesting it might be time for him to retire

The whole thing is quite frankly nonesense and as stupid as it gets

[jeffandgop]

As IM obtains your bank info- limited to that bank data that supports the application & not ALL of your bank info you may additionally have- then there is not only no good reason to request it on another form YOU DON'T KNOW where this new form will be managed, stored, used, secured, etc. THE LESS one provides provides personal data the LESS opportunities there are for abuse, mis-use, etc

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.

Every year when I renew my extension I hand over my bank details. So far no one has plundered my accounts.

"Is this because the bloody farangs complained about the police shakedowns ..."

Farangs have been complaining about everything under the sun for a long time. It's a cultural, maybe genetic, thing for some of us.

[Dan5]

My guess is this is little more than a rumor. The source isn't exactly a major, authoritative news source. And there was a post about this last week and someone responded that this had been around quite a while, but they only asked of people who worked here in media type jobs. I go for my 90 day in a couple days. My guess is they won't ask for this.How many people going in for their 90 days are going to even have all this information with them?

[schondie]

All it'll take to sabotage this silly idea is lots of N/A s or wrong details. I know it probably states something about giving false info but they're not going to check your accounts while you wait I think.

If pulled up on it, claim "It was an honest mistake" as this seems to work for most Thais when caught lying.

[ljd1308]

I would imagine that they're trying to track down some TV posters to help them out with:-

Any crime scene where wild, unsubstantiated guesses might be helpful.

Running the country despite having no previous experience or knowledge.

Enabling the Thais to be better and more Thai like simply by following their advice.

That's my guess.

To be fair I don't think the current Thai authorities need any help with these, especially the first 2.

[soalbundy]

I don't do social networks unless one could say TV is a social network so i don't have any hangouts media wise as for the real world what hangouts could one possibly have in the sticks in Isan. I googled my name to make sure, i must be the most boring person on the net, nothing. So i could fill in those forms with 'no have',of course if that doesn't satisfy them i could always invent something. This will go nowhere and die a natural death. It would be interesting to know if foreign office staff at the embassies have to fill in these forms, if so i can imagine a storm of outrage coming from the western embassies

[Dan5]

Every day there must be 1000s of foreigners going in for their 90 day reports. If this is going on, Thai Visa should be flooded with posts about it happening to people. But as far as I know there is just one post and not this post, since this post is 3rd person, just saying there have been reports of it.

[ICECOOL]

In a previous life I had to give a lot more than that for my work anyway...

I guess in the end don't really care !

I am not planning any mischief and and I don't make stupid political statements online. If they wanted to look at me for some reason they have enough information now to get all what is in that document in a flash! I don't let strangers or anyone for that matter use my vehicle or internet or social sites ...so......

as long as they don't ask for the porn sites I visit but I do have my VPN

[transam]

Couple of months back I had home visits 3 times in a couple of days. They had paperwork, asked me questions, none on media though. The forms were new cos they didn't seem to know how to fill them in.

Whether their forms were anything to do with this I don't know but the guy said new directive from the boss...

[Don Mega]

I am informed that about 100,000 foreigners are living in Isaan alone , which must bring into Thailand about Bt400,000,000 every month

And yet in the "how much do you spend" threads they all claim to live a happy life on 10k per month

[soalbundy]

Couple of months back I had home visits 3 times in a couple of days. They had paperwork, asked me questions, none on media though. The forms were new cos they didn't seem to know how to fill them in.

Whether their forms were anything to do with this I don't know but the guy said new directive from the boss...

3 times in 2 days ! christ you must be on their radar, where was this ? i thought kap choeng was bad.

[Dan5]

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

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

I've been here for many years and have never been asked for any bank account information. And I'm not sure, but I think the same goes for email address.

[momtaz]

A such process will lead to spend more time at immigration offices,, create longer queues,

I hope the authorities will consider to tackle the matter by employ more officers, as well make this process available online,

I think that in this cyber world you should never trust to be far away and safe from tracking,

whether in Thailand or somewhere else, as long as you are connected, you are within the scope of the radar and easily to be located, should keep this in mind,

As long as you doing right things in your life, and no causing any harm to others or damages to the society, no one will have the right to come against you, isn't it? but keep your eyes well opened to protect yourself.

However, between this and that,, possessing some skills of "know-how" ... will help you to keep yourself in peace with less complications in life as much as possible!

[Nicolas32]

I think a Mr [email protected] will have a lot more accounts soon

I have 8 made up email accounts i like to remind anonymous even i don't use my real name

[hdkane]

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.

of course, you could just lie or be intentionally vague when completing the form...

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

The thin edge of a very large wedge methinks, it is amazing that most of the information is already on file, except that of personal information relating to emails and the like.

Sounds like a sledgehammer to crack a nut , their previous lax attitude has shown them up to be incompetent in recording and finding ne'er do wells, so in order to ensure it never happens again they play the game tell me or leave .

Sounds like the reports are true Human Rights and Personal freedoms are being lost because they know that the situation is going to get out of hand if they actually allowed free speech.

So collating all information guarantees that one part of the problem will remain silent.

You almost got it right but they are smarter than you think. The rules have been added over many years and not just by this government. Let you think it easy to circumvent their rules and believe you me they have a record on every foreigners in and out. Now with that list they enforce the rules while foriegners cry foul. Many people always talking incompetence but the butt of the joke was always on those foreigners. Easy to cattch those who think you are stupid... Edited April 19, 2016 by Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere

[razer]

Well ... if other ASEAN countries are doing this I will go along with it .... BUT they aren't doing this.

Other governments should start a tit-for-tat (same-same) requirements for Thai residents in their country. Then and only then, will we see any change.

Can you imagine the Thai elite having to do a 90 day report when they are living in their Palm Beach house? HaHa

[jerico2017]

I used to wonder if the guy speaking like a professor at news time has "gone commando" - wearing whitey tidy or something else. Used to crack me up for a while. (commando = not wearing underwear)

Try it next time its news time around 6ish, and a guy starts talking for 20+ minutes. Makes for a good laugh.

By the way- Imm. corruption is linked to the bombings that happened, so instead of discipline, you now get more corruption! Just wait another year when your internet gets shut down. That is great for some people.

Remember when Google got into trouble for not bending over? Just think about the design of the roads and electricity. Everything in Thailand has a single on/off switch. why

[KhunBENQ]

So far the Khao Sod report contains no more information than was discussed in the closed thread:

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

So far there are no reports that this madness has spread out nationwide.

If so:

Full address and details of at least one bank account and mobile number are known to immigration ever since.

For all the rest innovative ideas are needed.

My vehicle is registered to my name anyway. So again nothing extra for me.

Overseas address? I have none. They will get "one". Just thinking about which Soi, Tambon etc. in Germany.

Community leader overseas?? Ms. Merkel chancellor?

Parents? Peter Paul and Mary. All dead.

Social media? Whats that?

Bars, clubs, restaurants? Somchais noodle stall and Nataporns barber shop.

Does anybody believe that the information except the known basics can be verified and used in any kind?

Do you believe they will fill all that data into an electronic database?

Do you believe thousand of experts will sit and track down these data?

It's not China (yet).

To me it's mainly another heap of waste paper. Killing many innocent trees.

These answering options for "overseas" information show the intellectual horizon of the author.

I am not too afraid.

Edited April 19, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[KhunBENQ]

3) yes

5) no (lying)

6) no

[pookiki]

I first heard of this form several weeks ago from a friend who resides in the Kingdom on a work permit. He was told that providing the information was voluntary.

As for requiring the form for 90 reports for those of use on retirement visas or extension of stays, does this mean that online reporting is no longer permitted?

After reading all the posts, I'm still very confused as to whom this alleged new requirement applies.

[Don Mega]

I first heard of this form several weeks ago from a friend who resides in the Kingdom on a work permit. He was told that providing the information was voluntary.

As for requiring the form for 90 reports for those of use on retirement visas or extension of stays, does this mean that online reporting is no longer permitted?

After reading all the posts, I'm still very confused as to whom this alleged new requirement applies.

Got an email from HR here about an hour ago.

Apparently this form has to be completed and submitted with every 90 day report, including a photo.

Not sure how the online 90 day reporting will go with the photo requirement.

[Nicolas32]

One thing is for sure.... the visa run business needs revived. Some people can always do a border run every 90 days to avoid the in person 90 day report.

Call it The Social Media Border Run

I thinks these broad runs is a thing of the past now when you could fly out of Thailand a lot cheaper if your close to a major Airport ..Hint the reason number are very high these days in Thailand but anyway am not in Thailand and don't expect to be there any time soon ..

[Zodiac]

Just my opinion: this new form seems to be the "brain child" of one over zealous (rogue) official with too much time on his hands. The fact they are saying it is "not mandatory" suggests to me it is not authorised by Thai law. Take a look at the Thai Immigration web site and no mention of it there.

So no one is obliged to complete the form.

If anyone feels any application might be prejudiced by not filling in the form then rather than have a confrontation, fill in the form and write the letters U.P at the end of it with your signature or initials.

UP = Under Protest.

Any intrusive questions should have a line crossed thru them with the words "not applicable".

I would never suggest writing any lie on the form, but often people make genuine mistakes when filling in forms.....

Edited April 19, 2016 by Zodiac

[BlindMagician]

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.

If worried about that, enter minimal info, and info they are likely to already access.

[rickagain]

wobalt: I have lived here 25 years and in order to renew a retirement visa you have to provide a letter from the bank stating you have at least 800,000 baht in the bank ...a photo copy of your bank book showing the same thing and last 3 months transactions.

[pookiki]

I first heard of this form several weeks ago from a friend who resides in the Kingdom on a work permit. He was told that providing the information was voluntary.

As for requiring the form for 90 reports for those of use on retirement visas or extension of stays, does this mean that online reporting is no longer permitted?

After reading all the posts, I'm still very confused as to whom this alleged new requirement applies.

Got an email from HR here about an hour ago.

Apparently this form has to be completed and submitted with every 90 day report, including a photo.

Not sure how the online 90 day reporting will go with the photo requirement.

Are you in Thailand on a work permit?

[cumgranosalum]

I think thy haven't anticipated the ways some "more creative" people will fill out these forms....it could result in so much extra paperwork they will get snowed under?

[popsie]

I have just renewed my extension at One Stop on 11 April. The only new form that I signed was one stating that I understood the new overstay conditions.