Got a visit from immigration yesterday.

[tstcman]

So I'm here on a single-entry Visa. I went to Laos last month and renewed it. Before this , a few weeks prior I got a new passport because I only had two pages left in my old one I want to be safe. So Yesterday immigration came to deport me because other branches of the government apparently didn't update the information showing that I got a new passport and a new Visa. So just heads up immigration is cracking down. For me everything turned out fine when they saw my both my new passport and my old passport and visas.

[stoneyboy]

You don't state which visa you are on.

Also how did they know where you were,for example if on a tourist visa you may have been traveling around the kingdom ?

[bkkcanuck8]

You don't state which visa you are on.

Also how did they know where you were,for example if on a tourist visa you may have been traveling around the kingdom ?

^Amazingly, it is rather easy to find most people if they really wanted to "clean up" people who are in an overstay position. Most people actually put there address on the last entry card / 90 reports as per requirements (probably because at that time they did not think they would be an illegal alien in the future).... even "tourists" that have been here longer than your average tourist.... With a photo, last address reported -- they would likely be able to track down at least 40% of the people that are illegal aliens any time they wanted..... Which means ... when immigration really wants to "clean up" the problem you will see lots of reports of people being detained.

[tstcman]

Single entry tourist visa. And the place you stay has to onform the immgration office that you are staying there

[KhunBENQ]

Just out of curiosity:

where/which region was that?

They would have an easy time to find me (the only western foreigner in the village cluster)

[stoneyboy]

Single entry tourist visa. And the place you stay has to onform the immgration office that you are staying there

So they may,but how quickly they do so could also be questionable.

Don't they have 24 hours by which time you could have already left.

What about staying with friends,people who don't report your presence,although trying to enforce this rule more now in 7 years of staying in Lom Sak Phetchabun my presence was never reported by my then girlfriend once and my entry card a Suvarnabhumi had the hotel address on it in Lat Krabang.

So the system is very flawed still in my opinion,obviously those residing on extensions of stay and doing 90 day reports are more likely to be found easier

Also which other branches of the government didn't update their information ?

Immigration will be fully aware of when you departed the country to go and obtain another visa will they not.

[bkkcanuck8]

Single entry tourist visa. And the place you stay has to onform the immgration office that you are staying there

^ Hotels (other than small hostel type) would probably keep the information up to date, but I would not be surprised if most people renting condos etc follow the notification laws as they are suppose to. The penalty for not doing it is small enough that any place renting to a westerner (at above Thai market rates for locals) would probably not want to risk losing their customers to immigration

[luke000]

The important thing is which visa was he on in his previous passport, thats the visa in which they tracked him down on

[stoneyboy]

The important thing is which visa was he on in his previous passport, thats the visa in which they tracked him down on

Tracked him down for what exactly ?

And he says he went to Laos and obtained a new visa on his new passport does he not ?

Very confusing I'm afraid.

[BritTim]

The important thing is which visa was he on in his previous passport, thats the visa in which they tracked him down on

Tracked him down for what exactly ?

And he says he went to Laos and obtained a new visa on his new passport does he not ?

Very confusing I'm afraid.

It is a little confusing. Maybe, on exit, the old entry stamp was transferred to his new passport, but the old and new passports were not linked. A consequence was that the immigration computer showed an entry using the old passport with no exit: hence an overstay. Guesswork, but not implausible.

[ThaiRich]

The important thing is which visa was he on in his previous passport, thats the visa in which they tracked him down on

Tracked him down for what exactly ?

And he says he went to Laos and obtained a new visa on his new passport does he not ?

Very confusing I'm afraid.

It is a little confusing. Maybe, on exit, the old entry stamp was transferred to his new passport, but the old and new passports were not linked. A consequence was that the immigration computer showed an entry using the old passport with no exit: hence an overstay. Guesswork, but not implausible.

Several times I have gone to Division 1 at the government complex to have extensions of stay and/or permit to stay stamps transferred. It's all done by hand. They have never done anything with a computer (**link 2 passports together). Either that or he was reported by the hotel or wherever he was staying at if he didn't update them with his new visa and permit to stay. I"m gonna go ahead and guess that he was reported as someone didn't know that he went out and got a new visa.

[ubonjoe]

The important thing is which visa was he on in his previous passport, thats the visa in which they tracked him down on

Tracked him down for what exactly ?

And he says he went to Laos and obtained a new visa on his new passport does he not ?

Very confusing I'm afraid.

It is a little confusing. Maybe, on exit, the old entry stamp was transferred to his new passport, but the old and new passports were not linked. A consequence was that the immigration computer showed an entry using the old passport with no exit: hence an overstay. Guesswork, but not implausible.

I think that is more or less what happened. Immigration did not clear his last entry using his old passport when he left to get a new visa. They just stamped him out in the new passport.

I would be interested to know where he is located.

[ubonjoe]

Some off topic and inflammatory posts and replies ot them have been removed.

[SunsetT]

Single entry tourist visa. And the place you stay has to onform the immgration office that you are staying there

I think most longer term tourists like me just put the name of the !st hotel they will be, or might be, staying at when they arrive.

[gandalf12]

If you want to find someone it isn't as difficult as you may think. I tracked a person from South Africa to the UK and it was scarily easy

[Dan5]

Come on, Chicken Little. The sky isn't falling. One incident likely doesn't mean anything beyond the incident itself.

[bkkcanuck8]

I don't view it as the sky is falling, if Thai immigration decides that they want to remove people because they are considered illegal aliens then it is there law to enforce... and people will have to adjust to the change in enforcement. Of course if some enterprising individuals at Thai immigration were enterprising enough they could take the list and turn it into a nice little "business". Having no legal status leaves you in a very vulnerable position.

[Linden]

The thai immigration told me the system cannot physically link 2 passports to the same person ..thats why my newest passport..(Yes like many overseas workers I have had 2 valid uk passports for 20 years)

With only 2 pages used was stamped in red thai stamp NOT VALID IN THAILAND The kind man also stamped my half full passport with another red stamp stating TtHIS PASSPORT REPLACES MY OTHER PASSPORT NUMBER *****

Yes I caused a fuss at border and in Immigration. The computer cannot link 2 passports to the same name..Other countries swipe my passport and have link to my second one...

Hard to understand as 12 years past my Thai wife had 2 passports both valid it gave us great fun at the airport..

A valid reason for 2 passports is simple in some countries your passport must go to the country for a work permit/visa.. As a cook on a boat I told them she required her passport would go by post to Indonesia for work permission it was BS..

She would require a 2nd passport to travel All tax paid by my business balace sheets my business documents and 5 visits to Cheang Watana BKK ....There you go 2 valid thai passports.(they issue 2 but dont recognise my 2 passports)

Thai logic. At a mental age of 14 you cant tell a Government Official anything new as at 14 year old they know it all.

[thaibreaker]

Can the OP please clarify what location in Thailand this occured?

This is probably not something they do everywhere.

[bogozy]

At Thailand no secret at all. All peoples are speaking, about what they have been seen, and all informations, and news are encircled on a very fast way. So if the police or immigration officers are seeking somebody, they can have within 24 hours.

[Linden]

My problem with the stamps was the crossing near Satun The Gentleman there also showed me how easy using the TM number it was to get my photo on the screen when I came into the country which is the same person in both my passports

In theory for proof of your visa status they only need to check you TM. Number on departure arrival card .

The immigration officers iphone will soon have access to the software soon no need to carry a passport.

[onthemoon]

There is a sign at immigration stating that you have to fill in a valid phone number. If that is a mobile phone, it can easily be tracked.

[tstcman]

I know this is an old topic but just read Ubonjoes request and I live in Chiang Mai and at the time I was located less than a mile from the airport immigrant office in Chiang Mai.