Thai police visiting foreigners at home, asking for yet more personal info via new controversial form

[webfact]

Thai police visiting foreigners at home, asking for yet more personal info via new controversial form

 

CHIANG MAI:-- Thaivisa.com has received three reports that foreigners living in Chiang Mai are being visited at home by police and asked to disclose personal information such as their  monthly income, height, weight and even skin colour.

 

On Tuesday, three separate accounts were posted to the Thaivisa forum by members who claimed they were visited at their homes in Chiang Mai by a plain closed police officer and asked to complete the ‘Personal Information’ form from the ‘Transnational Crime Coordination Unit Region 5 (TCCU R5).

 

The form requests such information as name and address but also asks for monthly income, parents nationality and current address, name of husband or wife and the date of marriage, as well as the names and dates of birth of any children.

 

In a section titled ‘Personal Appearance’ the form also asks for details of height, weight, skin colour, hair colour and details of any scars.

 

 

A Thaivisa user by the name of Thakkar reported that the officer, who did formally identify himself, had a list of names which included passport numbers and addresses of foreigners in the area.

 

A follow up call to police confirmed that officers are “checking up on all foreigners in the area”.

 

Another Thaivisa member in Chiang Mai also confirmed that he had been visited by police and asked to complete the form. However, the police had the incorrect name and address records for him so he declined to the complete the form.

 

User jak2002003 wrote:

 

We had these at my home in Chiang Mai.  In my village and neighbouring ones.

 

Problem was the name on mine was not me.... and the address house number was wrong.  So I told them I did not want to fill it in.  The head man came to take it back the next day.. and told me he has been told that the government has told all the head men to get this information form any Farangs living in their village.

 

I found it too personal.... asking height, weight, eye and skin colour, and lots of family information.

 

That same day I had already filled in 3 of the weird forms at the Immigration office about the places I like to hang out at and all that other stuff..... filled out 3.. all the same.. and they wanted a photo on first one.  Kept telling them I filled on in already and also at my last 90 day.

 

What's going on?  Next will be having to report to the village head man AND immigration every 90 days?  And why do we have to fill the information 90 day forms out AND this new one AND this home delivered police one... ALL with the SAME information on them... EVERY TIME we go to do 90 day or visa renewal.  Seems crazy.

 

Thaivisa has been unable to confirm if the forms are official and if foreigners nationwide will also be asked to the complete form.

 

It is also unclear if there are any kind of penalties for not completing the form.

 

Earlier this year, Thailand’s Immigration Bureau introduced a ‘Foreign National Information Form’ which asked foreigners for provide a wide range of personal information including bank account numbers, social media accounts and even places they frequently visit.

 

First introduced in April, the form is now in the process of being rolled out nationwide and is already in use in a number of immigration offices in Thailand including Phuket, Samut Prakan, Chaengwattana and Pattaya.

 

Thailand’s Immigration Bureau is currently implementing its “Good Guys in Bad Guys Out” policy which has as seen a crackdown on foreigners overstaying their permission to stay in the Kingdom.

Thaivisa has contacted Region 5 police for clarification.

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2016-09-28

[PattayaBoy]

What a joke

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[jcisco]

Rather interesting the level of resources they are putting into policing issues that aren't well their policing issue.  Are they being pressured to do this or is it their way of scoring points with foreign governments to try get some action on the people they are looking to get back.

Vexing indeed.

[Renzo]

Just waiting to be advised where I need to report to collect my yellow star and to have my allocated number tattooed onto my inner arm. Land of Smiles? Really? 

[Alive]

"asks for details of height, weight, skin colour, hair colour and details of any scars. " They should pose nude for them.

[scotchonrocks]

Just because you are not interested in the government of the day, don't think that the government of the day are not interested in you.

 

Its called Big Brother 1984. George Orwell. How right he was. It's happening in various forms everywhere. The recent (screwed up) online census in Australia was backed up by an army of persistent personnel following up for completed documents. The questions were too pervasive and inquiring into personal info like wanting to know your religion.

 

i found and excuse "not to be home" on that cold August night and just rang up and they didn't bother me anymore.

 

But wait: the next move will be implants!   OMG, that makes this Thai move pale to insignificance doesn't it?

 

 

[waldroj]

In a recent development, the junta has ordered that all foreigners are to be rounded up, and the letter "F" placed on their foreheads to facilitate easy identification by authorities. 

[Chicog]

Being visited to disclose their skin colour?

Does that mean they have to take their Burkhas off?

[apalink_thailand]

Sounds like the work of that one woman at CM Immigration office that I have heard so much about.

[apalink_thailand]

Quote

#12. Name of husband of wife.  

 

???? 

[apalink_thailand]

Quote

#6. First entrance date and has been stayed until nowsday

 

OK, this one has me somewhat confused. Does nowsday come before or after thensday?

[MalandLee]

Love Thailand, been coming since 1967, several months a year since 1990 and now retired here. I am starting to feel UN-welcome here and I never felt that before.

[waldroj]

3 minutes ago, apalink_thailand said:

 

OK, this one has me somewhat confused. Does nowsday come before or after thensday?

 

Perhaps, it's Thailand's equivalent of the Doomsday Book (from the great survey of 11th century England)? 

[richard_smith237]

It seem to me as though this form is for 'body identification purposes'... 

 

Some bright spark in a position of decision making power has thought..."this would be a good idea" and then gone ahead with introducing the form... 

 

IMO: This is just a little ignorantly naive, its slightly invasive... however, when considering the bigger picture there really isn't much of an issue with providing the information in the form (with the exception of Salary).

 

What concerns me more is that this form is even necessary at all... IF it is for 'body identification purposes' it alarms me that foreigners are coming to an untoward end in such numbers that forms such as this are considered necessary. 

 

 

 

[Fookhaht]

34 minutes ago, jcisco said:

Rather interesting the level of resources they are putting into policing issues that aren't well their policing issue. . . . 

Vexing indeed.

You are aware that immigration simply is a division of the Royal Thai Police, aren't you?  

[tonray]

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

It seem to me as though this form is for 'body identification purposes'... 

 

Some bright spark in a position of decision making power has thought..."this would be a good idea" and then gone ahead with introducing the form... 

 

IMO: This is just a little ignorantly naive, its slightly invasive... however, when considering the bigger picture there really isn't much of an issue with providing the information in the form (with the exception of Salary).

 

What concerns me more is that this form is even necessary at all... IF it is for 'body identification purposes' it alarms me that foreigners are coming to an untoward end in such numbers that forms such as this are considered necessary. 

 

 

 

couldn't we all just wear toe tags should we end up in someone's freezer in Sukhumwit ?

[Fookhaht]

There is already a ton of cyber-ink spilled on the Thai Visa forum since I broke the news on the forum about this form six months ago  (I still chuckle at UbonJoe's post:  "Looks like nonsense to me. There is no new form.").  Ah yes, some are still in denial.  

However, on several threads at TV, I picked up a lot of good suggestions on how to tactfully fill in the form, satisfying both my need for privacy and immigration's need to have the form submitted.  I did so, just last week for the first time, and the officer processing me hardly glanced at it before chucking it in my file.  

A lot of helpful information here.   I would suggest to read up, and fly over this little hurdle without ruffling your feathers. 

Edited September 28, 2016 by Fookhaht

[apalink_thailand]

2 minutes ago, tonray said:

couldn't we all just wear toe tags should we end up in someone's freezer in Sukhumwit ?

 

Well, given that most of the TV gang wear flip-flops most of the time, your solution could be a safety concern.

[clifric]

So the answer to the question HUSBAND OF WIFE is me, eh?

[Oceanbat]

These guys are just dumb. Surely the answer to all of this is when you are issued with a legitimate visa to have your fingerprints taken and get issued a "gaijun card" with address, visa status, fingerprint etc on it. Then there wouldn't need to be this malarkey of carrying passports or endlessly filling out paper forms with exactly the same information on it over and over.

OB

[Fookhaht]

9 minutes ago, clifric said:

So the answer to the question HUSBAND OF WIFE is me, eh?

When you fill out the form, have her give you the list of "sami-nawys" as well, just to be safe.  

Edited September 28, 2016 by Fookhaht

[daveAustin]

They'll have us in the ghetto next! 

'Good Guys in Bad Guys Out', my arse. Don't be lazy in letting the bad uns in in the first place and stop hassling the good!

Anyone still championing the events of May 2014?

[Fookhaht]

9 minutes ago, Oceanbat said:

.... Then there wouldn't need to be this malarkey of carrying passports or endlessly filling out paper forms with exactly the same information on it over and over.

OB

Digitize your forms and just change the date.  Takes about 2 minutes, including the printing.  

 

If one can handle posting on a forum, one could handle that little bit of high-tech, can't we?   

Edited September 28, 2016 by Fookhaht

[StefanBBK]

One would think that all could be easily recorded once and that's it. Obviously the database is not maintained well. 

I have no issue with any information given to the authorities, except income maybe. 

Luckily I am not subject to 90 day reporting, as My work requires me to leave country regularly. But most of the info is actually given when applying for visa anyway.

[PaulBraveheart]

Get ready for your RFID chip.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 28, 2016 by PaulBraveheart

[Oceanbat]

Digitize your forms and just change the date.  Takes about 2 minutes, including the printing.  
 
If one can handle posting on a forum, one could handle that little bit of high-tech, couldn't they?   

Or they could just issue an ID card like every other country with a somewhat functioning and competent bureaucracy, couldn't they?

OB


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[apalink_thailand]

10 minutes ago, Oceanbat said:

These guys are just dumb. Surely the answer to all of this is when you are issued with a legitimate visa to have your fingerprints taken and get issued a "gaijun card" with address, visa status, fingerprint etc on it. Then there wouldn't need to be this malarkey of carrying passports or endlessly filling out paper forms with exactly the same information on it over and over.

OB

Great idea. Simple. This is the easy solution and I would have no issues with this plan. The only caveat is that the authorities would be worried about fake cards being made.

Edited September 28, 2016 by apalink_thailand

[Fookhaht]

2 minutes ago, Oceanbat said:

 

Or they could just issue an ID card like every other country with a somewhat functioning and competent bureaucracy, couldn't they?

OB


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

 

Ah.  ID cards. Thailand's a step ahead of you already.  Get your Thailand ID card for foreigners in just 16 easy steps . . .

http://www.isaanlawyers.com/pink-thai-id-card-foreigners-thailand/
 

[Familyonthemove]

Are we all Transnational Criminals now?  That sounds quite cool.  Think I'll use that as my profession on the visa forms.

[roobaa01]

gdaya folks,

 

inn my opion we can expect a deep rooted weeding out, aiming at :

 

1. illegal marriages

2. tax fraud

3.illegal work

4. money launderiing

5. harmonising thai government agenccy computer linkage

 

wbr roobaa01