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

[jko]

4 hours ago, MalandLee said:

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.

 

I share your history and sentiments exactly, except that I first visited in 1966. Now, after decades of happily working, living and finally retiring in the Kingdom, I slowly begin to feel uneasy here.

 

Although I cannot blame the authorities for trying to control the increasing number of foreigners involved in illegal activities, their clumsy heavy-handed manner is upsetting to all of us who for years, have contributed to the growth and the economy of our chosen home. 

 

Where this will lead is uncertain, but I for one, will now be seriously considering alternatives, and a possible plan B to relocate elsewhere. I do not want to live in a country with the feeling of being under constant surveillance just because I am a foreigner. Other long term residents may feel the same.

Coupled with the recent slew of negative publicity for the Kingdom, this latest development will do little for the country's already dented image. 

 

Let's hope common sense will prevail.

[alofthailand]

Just now, Thunderbirds20 said:

This is going too far, ..... I ... like many farang are choosing to relocate because of this prejudicial treatment we are receiving, while Russians and Chinese are being begged to come. They do not like Thai culture, customs, food, language or even the people, they come because this is the easiest country for them to visit.

 

Thailand will eventually see what a huge mistake that is being made. Farang respect Thai culture and customs, eat Thai food and attempt to learn the language. Go to any village in Isaan and you will find a farang, supporting a Thai family. You will never find a Russian or Chinaman doing that. They only go to tourist places, mainly the beaches and are taking over those areas.

 

I was here 11 years and fully intended to stay forever, but I am out of here next week ... never to return!

Where are you going? BTW - Russians are ' farang' .

[Jools]

Cambodia beckons.....easy visa.....no hassles.....no 90 day reports and NO bovine excrement.  Watch as Thailand pushes thousands of expats into a neighboring country. They are simply unwilling to do ANYTHING except KILL the goose that is laying their golden eggs. The stultifying, gross stupidity of these monkeys defies all understanding.

[sahibji]

12 minutes ago, eggers said:

Recently did 90 day report (Chaeng Wattana)& asked to complete the form.

Only gave minimal info as Immi (name, present address, emergency contact).

The form shown in article is different to form completed, that asked where you go, Bank details, contactsThailand & O/S. 

There was no problem with submission of minimal info. 

The differences in the form, illustrates how the whole Immi processes lack consistency of interpretations & down to basic forms.

No wonder foreigners get confused & bad info/ advice.

this will provide more avenues ........

[sahibji]

15 minutes ago, rebelplatoon said:

Ausweiss bitte! The fascist gestapo has arrived. Welcome to Thailand. Wonder if the Chinese nationals living in Thailand get this visit or just the Caucasians...

all should be asked to fill it.

[Thaidream]

They don't care whether everyone leaves until it happens. It's just like everything else in Thailand- short term thinking with ho regard to any future events.  It will never change. It's part of the psyche. I don't even care anymore. I just fill out the forms in the way I want to and they file it away. 

[sahibji]

40 minutes ago, Thunderbirds20 said:

This is going too far, ..... I ... like many farang are choosing to relocate because of this prejudicial treatment we are receiving, while Russians and Chinese are being begged to come. They do not like Thai culture, customs, food, language or even the people, they come because this is the easiest country for them to visit.

 

Thailand will eventually see what a huge mistake that is being made. Farang respect Thai culture and customs, eat Thai food and attempt to learn the language. Go to any village in Isaan and you will find a farang, supporting a Thai family. You will never find a Russian or Chinaman doing that. They only go to tourist places, mainly the beaches and are taking over those areas.

 

I was here 11 years and fully intended to stay forever, but I am out of here next week ... never to return!

you all have been visiting the country for a long time now and have rooted, so to say ( up course you are re rooting).the chinese and the russians are the newer wave of visitors. they will take some period of time to' settle down'.

[Lupatria]

5 hours ago, Renzo said:

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? 

The terms "Stasi" and "Blockwart" comes to mind.

Interestingly the form at Immigration in BKK had much less questions when I went there last week. No questions about hangouts, bank accounts, parents names etc. anymore. Btw what  the heck are they getting out of the names of the parents of a 60 something year old applicant? Next, will they ask for pictures of their gravestones?

[laislica]

12 minutes ago, Steelhammer said:

I've just found a link to download the form:

 

http://donslifeinthailand.com/files/Immigration_Foreign_National_Information.pdf

 

Interesting that the form expects a single surname.

Then the Spanish, who usually have two surnames may have trouble to find the space to enter them......

 

IMHO, this initiative is simply a manifestation of Thai jealousy!

Generally, Thai incomes are much smaller than that of the Farang.

Farang are generally forced to save money as pensions throughout their working lives, Thais are not.

I only stay in Thailand with my Thai wife for about 5 months per year, the rest in Spain.

If this BS wears me down I shall vote with my feet.

My wife can travel alone to visit her family for a month or so and maybe her son can visit us in Spain sometimes.

The cost of living between the places we live is very similar, Thailand is no longer a cheap destination.

The BS rules to allow me to stay in Thailand for more than 30 days are stupid.

Sure my wife and I had many hoops to jump through to get her a Spanish residents ID, but having done that, nothing more to do until a routine renewal every 5 years.

We arrive in Spain and she shows her Thai PP and Spanish ID and that's it.

The PP is not even stamped in Spain.

Thailand do the stamping on entry and departure.

BTW, my wife owns property in Spain!

All rather a tad unbalanced methinks!

[4MyEgo]

5 hours ago, PattayaBoy said:

What a joke

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
 

 

Their country, their rules, no choice I'm afraid

[sahibji]

5 hours ago, waldroj said:

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. 

ha ha ha. amusing

[tcris52]

Glad to see they're devoting their time to the major criminal element in Thailand. None of this nonsense about trying to find and prosecute the Red Bull heir for killing two kids!

[thurien]

5 hours ago, clifric said:

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

 

 

wrong! first question would be "whose wife?"

[4MyEgo]

5 hours ago, scotchonrocks said:

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?

 

 

 

I prefer it here any day rather than Australia, there is a clear difference, the 90 day thing and more paperwork doesn't bother me, will have some scotch ready for them when arrive, if that keeps me here longer, sel-a-vee

[sahibji]

5 hours ago, apalink_thailand said:

 

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

bravo apalink-thailand. we need an interpreter here.

[arithai12]

What they should be really checking in the farang homes is the freezer.

[bkkcanuck8]

24 minutes ago, eggers said:

Recently did 90 day report (Chaeng Wattana)& asked to complete the form.

Only gave minimal info as Immi (name, present address, emergency contact).

The form shown in article is different to form completed, that asked where you go, Bank details, contactsThailand & O/S. 

There was no problem with submission of minimal info. 

The differences in the form, illustrates how the whole Immi processes lack consistency of interpretations & down to basic forms.

No wonder foreigners get confused & bad info/ advice.

I got the for when I extended my tourist visa September 5th, and I started filling in some details on the phone but of course I would have had to look up information such as phone numbers etc.  Anyways, the passport came back quickly -- to quickly -- so I did not have time to finish it and they just took the form without worrying about if I had actually filled in the information.  I get the feeling that the staff were just going through the motions with regards to the form.

[Thailand]

5 hours ago, Fookhaht said:

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. 

This IS a new form.

[sahibji]

4 hours ago, apalink_thailand said:

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.

fake problem is everywhere including  passports.

[thurien]

11 minutes ago, Lupatria said:

what  the heck are they getting out of the names of the parents of a 60 something year old applicant?

 

maybe sb.'s father's name was Mahawithayalesi whereas the applicant himself is a British citizen named Jonathan  Darkbrowne ... or else...

Edited September 28, 2016 by thurien

[georgemandm]

5 hours ago, PaulBraveheart said:

Get ready for your RFID chip.

 

 

 

 

There are people on here having a go at me all the  time because I love Australia and not like Australia being put down and those people know who they are and you people call Australia  I nanny state .

look now who is the nanny state .

[Golden Triangle]

And that Ladies & Gentlemen is one reason I have NOT purchased a property in LoS,  it seems to me that they are beginning to tighten up on long term visitors/stayers in the Kingdom.

 

I have nothing to fear, my 5 retirement visas have all been above board and totally legal, no agents involved, and my next one will be Kosher and above board. But if the powers that be want to make life difficult I can up sticks and move at a moments notice, not so easy for you guys who have made a life here with wives & children and bought land, built houses and or fish farms, pig farms, rubber plantations etc etc and I truly feel sorry for anyone that could (Theoretically) lose everything just because of the whim of some over pompous immigration official, remember, just because you meet the criteria doesn't mean that they have to give you a visa.

 

I am happy here, I have a good lifestyle and enjoy my life, but if they come a knocking and start harassing innocent people then maybe I might have to think again.

 

I did my 90 day reporting last week, no problem, the extra form ?? chucked onto the pile with the rest, looking forward to a visit from them, I will offer tea or coffee or maybe a beer or G n T who knows 

 

  

[Suradit69]

Quote

 a plain closed police officer

 

What is a closed police officer?

[georgemandm]

5 hours ago, scotchonrocks said:

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?

 

 

it's Not about a census is it , not the same thing is it .

It's about reporting for you to be  able to stay in thailand.

love the cold in August.

Thailand needs to look at it self the way it  treats  expats , because the way it is going lots could  leave , then lets see how they go with all that money gone out of thailand and it is not a little  bit of money.

[LawrenceN]

The local cop was here a couple of days ago. He was local, assigned to our village, not Immigration Police. 

 

The form is no more intrusive than what I told the US Consulate when I registered. Immigration gets my income info every year when I extend. Why should I care if the authorities ask again? They were polite, friendly even, and I offered to translate for anyone whose wife can't do it, or who lives alone.

 

I think using the word "controversial" in the headline was provocative and misleading.

 

Personally, I don't mind the cops next door knowing whom to contact when they find my cold corpse.

[chilli42]

I have been living here since 1990 on a work permit and then a PR.  I have never held to the delusion that farang of any color are welcome here.  Sure your money is welcome but not you and your odd ideas.  I honestly don't see this information collecting changing my life in any meaningful way.  In my view they can have at it.  If things get sufficiently intolerable here then I pick up and move somewhere else.  I am not sure what all the drama is about.  

[impulse]

I get a kick out of the Chiang Mai guys who ridiculed the BKK expats who objected to police stops (with peeing in a cup) on Sukhumvit. 

 

I believe their expression was:  "If you have nothing to hide, bend over and take it like a man".  I'm paraphrasing and may have gotten the wording off a little bit.

 

Interesting the change in tune when it hits closer to home.

[SheungWan]

6 hours ago, Renzo said:

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? 

 

Read a little history before posting such a silly contribution.

[kiwikeith]

6 hours ago, PattayaBoy said:

What a joke

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
 

I think they should be taking these forms around Bangkok, that's where the action is.

[puipuitom]

Happy I left Thailand a few years ago, and could take all my money and business with me.

Thailand, see you in a next life ( maybe )  lah gogne, popgan chat na.