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

[Anon999]

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.

Not if you are using the income method for a Retirement Extension.

[luckyman]

Not really a surprise here..this is what junta's do.

And if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about.

Ever since May 2014, I have been warning friends, Thai and farang alike, to be thoughtful about what to post or send via Facebook or Line.

Openly critisizing any foreign government of a country that is your place of stay, but not your real home is never a clever thing to do.

Remember we are guests here and nobody asked us to come here.

Be polite, be nice, pay your taxes and enjoy Thailand and all will be good.

[madpat]

As long as I can see the bank accounts,social media, clubs and hangouts of ALL Thai officials I have no problem at all. I am sure I have used clubs ,bars and other hangouts owned quietly by Officials.

Everybody understands the need for openness in light of terrorists attacks and money laundering but I feel that all the money that will/would be spent on this would be a lot more beneficial to the poor of Thailand rather than making jobs for the boys.

Allegedly they have already let in a good amount of terrorists who got here through unofficial means so surely this will not really help them that much just make official expat residents feel more picked upon and nobody wants to give any organisation all of their personal information.

This does seem like it targets resident foreigners only but once again the dramatic headline makes it as if all foreigners coming to Thailand will be asked for this information. So please TVF think before you print or you will scare even more people from coming to visit this beautiful country

[luckyman]

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.

Nice 1 ! Agreed 100 %

[madpat]

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.

Not if you are using the income method for a Retirement Extension.

You do not need 800,000 in the bank if you combine savings and any income i.e. pension together so as long as you can show this and your visa is in order there should be nop need for further personal information

[Acharn]

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.

I'm still waiting for two posts that say, "I had to fill this out at Immigration at ... and I think ..." So far we have the OP saying he saw a tweet that somebody working in media had filled this out and now we're up to over 150 posts, not one of which says they had to fill it out. I'll tell ya, Bernie Madoff would love to come here and offer investment advice.

[SunsetT]

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.

I dont bother to fill in the back of the Arrival card and no one yet has questioned that. Also for 'address in Thailand' I put the name of any hotel I know of without the address except for the city/muang whether or not I am going to stay there. Thats never been questioned either.

[Bigstef]

Well i think i close my tv account..........

[BradinAsia]

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

Face it. You'll always be a foreigner.

I've always enjoyed being a foreigner in Thailand. Certainly a more enjoyable than being a citizen in the USA.

+1

[lkv]

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.

I'm still waiting for two posts that say, "I had to fill this out at Immigration at ... and I think ..." So far we have the OP saying he saw a tweet that somebody working in media had filled this out and now we're up to over 150 posts, not one of which says they had to fill it out. I'll tell ya, Bernie Madoff would love to come here and offer investment advice.

There, start reading from here. We already have 2 confirmed reports, one from this member and another one, Beefslapper, that supplied the copy I attached at the beginning of this thread.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/909559-re-entry-permit-new-formrequirements/?p=10632187

[BlindMagician]

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

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

Hhmmm...it's a locked topic.

[lkv]

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

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

Hhmmm...it's a locked topic.

Yup, the last post on the locked thread explains why.

The discussion is continuing here.

[ubonjoe]

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

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

Hhmmm...it's a locked topic.

That does not stop you from reading it.

[Rorri]

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.

Didn't take much to get my wife to Australia, on landing she is entitled to medicare, can buy a car, a house, land, all in her name, can work, can travel freely, does not have to report to immigration/police or anyone, basically the only thing she can't do is apply for centrelink allowances (social security) or vote. Oh, and not having to suffer the racist 2 tire pricing.

[elgordo38]

If there is such a form which is questionable it is just a another form of intimidation. If it is not mandatory it is just another way to see whom blinks first. If you fill it out your a good little boy if you refuse they may think you have something to hide. It had to be our turn sooner or later to be intimidated.

[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.

Didn't take much to get my wife to Australia, on landing she is entitled to medicare, can buy a car, a house, land, all in her name, can work, can travel freely, does not have to report to immigration/police or anyone, basically the only thing she can't do is apply for centrelink allowances (social security) or vote. Oh, and not having to suffer the racist 2 tire pricing.

How much did it cost and how long did it take ?

I was more thinking the ease of which one can and go from Thailand by merely showing up at the border and getting stamped in for 30 days.

[ThailandNo1]

I do wonder if there are any plans to apply such a thing to local Thai's when renewing their ID cards or updating their house book etc etc.

[sambum]

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.

Well, if you are here on a marriage or retirement visa they will have already had access to the details of whatever account your supporting money is held in.

Not necessarily if your your "Proof of Income" is via a letter provided by your Embassy.

[buddhalady]

Not really a surprise here..this is what junta's do.

And if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about.

Ever since May 2014, I have been warning friends, Thai and farang alike, to be thoughtful about what to post or send via Facebook or Line.

Openly critisizing any foreign government of a country that is your place of stay, but not your real home is never a clever thing to do.

Remember we are guests here and nobody asked us to come here.

Be polite, be nice, pay your taxes and enjoy Thailand and all will be good.

Oh, deary, deary. deary me - yet another one who perhaps needs reminding about the dictionary definition of the word 'guest'...........

[eero]

How soon I have to make new visa to new passport. Old passport visa untill 05.08.2016.

Best regards

Eero Chaiyaphum

[sambum]

Actually, I don't mind so much. Many people forget that we are guests in this beautiful country! Try to get a Visa in The Netherlands, while being a Thai! Virtually impossible! My son tried iths for his (American!), wife. No sir cannot do! Now he's living since four years happily in The United States with his wife.. I'm sure there are many country's whom are far more difficult than Thailand! I don't mind giving my bank account, heck, they might even decide to put money on it!

As for the bitching towards all that is Thai: Simple, don't do that! You are a guest, behave like a guest! if you don't like it, go back to where you came from! Nobody is forcing you to stay in Thailand... As far as I'm concerned Thailand is my new home country and I intend to stay here until my dying day. I love Thailand!! Came here in 2007 and hope to stay here for many years to come.....

" if you don't like it, go back to where you came from! " Yawn - again!

[silent]

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

Face it. You'll always be a foreigner.

I've always enjoyed being a foreigner in Thailand. Certainly a more enjoyable than being a citizen in the USA.

Don't limit it to the USA.

[glassdude007]

I see no problem with this form....

If i ever have to fill this out I will just lie my ass off.....

Ok most info they have already during the visa application process...

The rest will just be crap off the top of my head they will never trace or track down....

Thailand sooo fun to live here...LOL

[BlindMagician]

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

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

Hhmmm...it's a locked topic.

Yup, the last post on the locked thread explains why.

The discussion is continuing here.

The last post does not explain why.

[BlindMagician]

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

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

Hhmmm...it's a locked topic.

That does not stop you from reading it.

Correct, thanks for the tip.

[GAZZPA]

I have no problem with this new procedure.

Most of us are guests here and should be respectful, cooperative and understanding.

Many of the comments made on social media actually hurt the image of Thailand and those wrongdoers should be punished by not being allowed to extend visas.

What do posters expect when they bash the Police, Immigration, Thai Citizens and more? I find many of the negative comments disgusting and immature.

I'm thrilled that Thailand is protecting its sovereignty.

Of course Thailand is concerned about their guest's funds in the banks. People who have little to no funds are a liability for the country when it comes to public hospital medical expenses, incarceration expenses, crime concerns, etc.

Remain calm, and just enjoy the country for as long as you can.

I can assure you that most countries are much worse now.!

You need to think very carefully what level of privacy you are prepared to give away. This information in the wrong hands or in the hands of an unaccountable official could be very dangerous.

Privacy is important and we should all fight to preserve it. That does not mean you are not complying with immigration law and rules but there must be a line where you can say no.

Its all sounds very nice and fluffy what you are saying but it isn't.

[SamuiAxe]

Actually, I don't mind so much. Many people forget that we are guests in this beautiful country! Try to get a Visa in The Netherlands, while being a Thai! Virtually impossible! My son tried iths for his (American!), wife. No sir cannot do! Now he's living since four years happily in The United States with his wife.. I'm sure there are many country's whom are far more difficult than Thailand! I don't mind giving my bank account, heck, they might even decide to put money on it!

As for the bitching towards all that is Thai: Simple, don't do that! You are a guest, behave like a guest! if you don't like it, go back to where you came from! Nobody is forcing you to stay in Thailand... As far as I'm concerned Thailand is my new home country and I intend to stay here until my dying day. I love Thailand!! Came here in 2007 and hope to stay here for many years to come.....

I really dislike this argument that we're guests therefore we should accept anything. You said it yourself, Thailand is your new home country? How can you be a guest in your own home? See the contradiction?

Yes, I was a guest at first when I arrived. But since then I've integrated in thai society. I'm paying taxes, I'm contributing the the country's prosperity by bringing business and knowledge here. My family is Thai, my children are Thai. I'm not a guest. Whether you like it or not, I'm an inhabitant in this country.

You compare the difficulty of obtaining visas.... well maybe for a tourism visit it's more difficult, but believe me, if you're a Thai and you got a job in Europe or simply are married with a european citizen, the situation is completely reversed and the Thai immigration rules are extremely restrictive. If I still lived in Europe, my wife would already have been granted permanent residency just by being married to me and residing in the country for a couple years. Anyway, she will soon be granted my nationality almost automatically. As for me, If I wanted a similar residency permit I'd have to fork out 200,000THB and still would need to get a work permit every year. As for getting the Thai Nationality, it's borderline impossible.

I love it here. This is why I didn't leave. But this won't stop me pointing out anything that I find stupid, the same way I point out anything that's stupid in my birth country. This is my home. I'm not a guest.

Disliking an argument doesn't mean it's a false argument

So, you are married I assume, with children etcetera, etcetera.. But are you a Thai? Do you have the Thai nationality?

No? Well, sorry to burst you bubble, but in that case you are still 'merely' a guest.. Your official status would be 'Alien'

I too have a Thai family that I 'adopted' through my long-time Thai girlfriend, I speak somewhat Thai, I try to integrate in the Thai culture as good as I can, I have Thai friends. My girlfriends children call me Dad or Poo.. But I'm still a guest, if for whatever reason my Visa will not be extended than I can not stay in Thailand.. And neither can you! As long as you need a Visa, you are a guest, no matter how well integrated in the Thai society you might be... No Thai nationality, still need to apply for Visa's? Then you are a guest! Undoubtedly a very well integrated guest, but still.....

I do understand where your feelings stem from, I too don't feel a guest after living here for 7 years, but that doesn't mean that I am officially not a guest or alien!

Last February I went back to Holland for a month, I felt awkward, it's not my country any more, Thailand is.... I was overjoyed to be on a plane back home, to Samui....

[SamuiAxe]

Actually, I don't mind so much. Many people forget that we are guests in this beautiful country! Try to get a Visa in The Netherlands, while being a Thai! Virtually impossible! My son tried iths for his (American!), wife. No sir cannot do! Now he's living since four years happily in The United States with his wife.. I'm sure there are many country's whom are far more difficult than Thailand! I don't mind giving my bank account, heck, they might even decide to put money on it!

As for the bitching towards all that is Thai: Simple, don't do that! You are a guest, behave like a guest! if you don't like it, go back to where you came from! Nobody is forcing you to stay in Thailand... As far as I'm concerned Thailand is my new home country and I intend to stay here until my dying day. I love Thailand!! Came here in 2007 and hope to stay here for many years to come.....

" if you don't like it, go back to where you came from! " Yawn - again!

Then don't read it! As if your comment is breaking records!

[SamuiAxe]

Actually, I don't mind so much. Many people forget that we are guests in this beautiful country! Try to get a Visa in The Netherlands, while being a Thai! Virtually impossible! My son tried iths for his (American!), wife. No sir cannot do! Now he's living since four years happily in The United States with his wife.. I'm sure there are many country's whom are far more difficult than Thailand! I don't mind giving my bank account, heck, they might even decide to put money on it!

As for the bitching towards all that is Thai: Simple, don't do that! You are a guest, behave like a guest! if you don't like it, go back to where you came from! Nobody is forcing you to stay in Thailand... As far as I'm concerned Thailand is my new home country and I intend to stay here until my dying day. I love Thailand!! Came here in 2007 and hope to stay here for many years to come.....

OK - I've been wanting to do this for years... Chambers Online Dictionary - please see below:-

guest noun 1 someone who receives hospitality in the home of, or at the expense of, another. 2 someone who stays at a hotel, boarding-house, etc. 3 a person specially invited to take part • guest star • guest speaker. verb (guested, guesting) intrans to appear as a guest, eg on a television show.

ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon gest.

Should you want a fuller description of the true meaning of this noun - go buy yourself the dictionary. If English isn't your native language, not my problem, it's the language you used to post.

You are right, of course you are right. I'm happy that i gave you the opportunity to let it go after holding it back for so many years

So, let's change 'guest' into 'alien'.. After all, that is the legal status that foreigners have when in another country.. And you are correct sir, my native tongue is Dutch, would you like to discuss further in Dutch? Probably my English is much better than your Dutch.. But it's easy to nitpick, isn't it? Thank you for your very valuable input

[phuketrichard]

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.

I dont bother to fill in the back of the Arrival card and no one yet has questioned that. Also for 'address in Thailand' I put the name of any hotel I know of without the address except for the city/muang whether or not I am going to stay there. Thats never been questioned either.

I have never filled in the back of the card ever.

hotel name; Phuket, thailand