New immigration boss vows deep investigation of expats

[Kwasaki]

14 minutes ago, Chip Allen said:

These filthy terrorists from the USA and UK need to be identified and dealt with in the typical efficient Thai manner. A clear and present threat from the "Farang Empire of Death".  

Only the USA & UK.    

[NoshowJones]

4 hours ago, MichaelJohn said:

How about starting with the Airbnb tourists who live "illegally" in condo's and don't register their address with immigration.

 

Maybe I have got it wrong, but why prioritise people who probably have the correct visas, and are contributing to the economy?

Are there not more important things to worry about like tracking down illegal workers and employers who are supposed to be responsible for the Thai government tightening up of long stay tourist visas which is causing a lot of hassle for these people who want to stay long term and pay their way?

[Jingthing]

Could be yet another security theater thing but if I was getting extensions based on an income letter I would be prepared to prove that income to immigration directly. Just in case.

[NoshowJones]

4 hours ago, mikosan said:

When I applied for my original Non-Immigrant O-A visa in Australia I had to provide a police report.  Since then I've lived here, so they can check their own records to see if I'm good or bad.  I have no fears about them doing that whatsoever.

 

That would be too simple, and we all know that in Thailand nothing is ever simple when if could be made harder.

[NoshowJones]

4 hours ago, David Walden said:

All it needs for retirement visas is some consistency.  Just be able to prove you have Bt800,000 in a bank in Thailand or in your home country and access to your personal data from your home country or if for a tourist visa like in Malaysia where you front up to immigration look at the camera put your thumb on the spot place your passport on the machine and 30 seconds later you have a 3 months tourist visa don't even need to tell them your coming.  And "have a nice holiday from the officer."

 

You fool around for 2 months to get a Thai Tourist visa, you can only get them in your home country it can take up to 3 weeks, some Consuls have different rules and when you wish to extend it to 3 months in Thailand it can take a whole day of stuffing around.  Getting more passport photos 3 copies of everything spending up to 3 hours at immigration, traveling up to 100km ( yes each time)...and what do they tell you we need more tourists...what a joke. 

 

All this palava with different immigration offices and Thai embassies with different rules.  Even different consuls in the same country have different rules as is the case in Australia...what a wast of time for honest tourists who just want to spend money, love Thai people and want to help the Thai economy.  They really need to pull their finger out...TIT  

Very sensible post, I agree with every word.

Edited July 7, 2017 by possum1931

[The Deerhunter]

New broom promising to sweep clean.  We read this stuff every week.  Big laugh a few weeks ago was when the Pattaya Vice new broom planned a bunch of raids looking for under-age and non Thai hookers; and must have told someone where they were going.  Result: Doors locked, lights out.  Bet that left a sour vtaste for a few days.  Big loss of face.   The new Immigration boss definitely should stop the corruption that is  recently more apparent than previously i he new areaof appointment.  Hmmmmmmm!   I wonder what expat sector he is going to zero in on if he remembers in a week what he  just promised.

[NoshowJones]

4 hours ago, phitsanulokjohn said:

I can well understand the aggravation,but if as you say" you are a legal expat"then there's nothing to fear either.

Nothing to fear?? There are people dead because they were forced to do useless border runs in a minibus.

All they were trying to do was keep themselves legal.

[NoshowJones]

4 hours ago, Thai Ron said:

How so?

By making sure that foreigners are genuinely married and living with their wives?

By making sure "retirees" actually have the 65K monthly or 800K annual funds?

If deep investigation's gonna cause you a problem, you might as well go now because if your income can't meet the soft-touch criteria, frankly you're no use to Thailand anyway, mate.

Here we have another member of the "if you don't like it go home" brigade spouting the usual rubbish.

[Beachdude]

So will being a bridge player be a bad mark on your application? BTW- whatever happened to those arch criminals? 

[Kim1950]

I thought these visas were called, Non-Immigrant Visa Category “O-A” (long stay). They are not retirement visas. You might, as well, call them long term tourist visas for people over 50. You don't receive any special benefits. If you run low on money, become to ill, maybe don't mix well with someone, or make offerings, you must leave your country. The new security checks are even more troubling, does this mean police go around your community for characters references. What's your social habits, who are your friends, a yearly interrogation. 

 

I had planned on using the long stay Visa to travel the country and neighboring countries. They are not making this easy. Thailand is falling back on my list of places to travel. They are also getting bad press over their crowded and ill kept tourist sites Well'll see.

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, FredNL said:

So Pattaya will become a ghost town in the future as they will get rid of all foreign criminals.

Thai criminals don't like competition...

Are we talking about Farangs committing crimes in Pattaya or criminals from other countries just residing there.

All the crimes that are reported in Pattaya seem to be committed by Thais, ie Ladyboys on Beach Road, motorbike

bag snatchers, etc,etc.

[Foozool]

It would be a great idea if it is not today's word only. ?

[YetAnother]

5 hours ago, cyberfarang said:

And have no doubts if immigration get serious about investigating the activities of long stay westerners in Thailand, you`ll have plenty of company on your flight out.

i am clean ; i just bridle at the additional hassle; it seems clear over the years , using 4 immigration offices, that we are not wanted here

[Jingthing]

I thought these visas were called, Non-Immigrant Visa Category “O-A” (long stay). They are not retirement visas. You might, as well, call them long term tourist visas for people over 50. You don't receive any special benefits. If you run low on money, become to ill, maybe don't mix well with someone, or make offerings, you must leave your country. The new security checks are even more troubling, does this mean police go around your community for characters references. What's your social habits, who are your friends, a yearly interrogation. 

 

I had planned on using the long stay Visa to travel the country and neighboring countries. They are not making this easy. Thailand is falling back on my list of places to travel. They are also getting bad press over their crowded and ill kept tourist sites Well'll see.

Never had an OA and have been here for years on retirement extensions.

 

But you're correct to be concerned. Residence security is not part of the offer.

 

People need to know that going in. But knowing it and feeling it from experience is not the same.

 

[janclaes47]

5 hours ago, Pattaya46 said:

Of course it is, but I really doubt that it's a "service" available at Jomtien Immigration Office...

 

Yes it is available at Jomtien, I'm sure I've seen posts about it on this forum already.

 

However I never needed the service, I can point out the immigration officer who handles this service in Jomtien, and even name the foreigner she's married to.

[Tofer]

I just got through not even half the posts and it occurred to me that, presumably someone in the Thai government is monitoring TV for feed back of farang opinion, yet nothing ever changes

 

A vast majority of farang living in Thailand are of independent means and a considerable number of those contribute considerably financially to this society and it's citizens wellbeing. Yet this still seems to count for nothing.....

 

One of the Philippines biggest foreign currency earners is their citizens repatriation of overseas earnings which in my experience is a fraction of what farang bring into this country per capita.

[whaleboneman]

6 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Better hire a hell of a lot more staff if they want to get hard on checking people out more. Visa agent I use has a stack of foreign passports literally touching the ceiling, and if they give up rubber stamping the agents and scrutinizing them all those long term stay application better go in 11 months early. 

very tiny office I'm guessing.

[The Teacher]

Immigration is at snail pace now, how this will improve things, most likely bigger paper hand shakes will fix the problem. After all grease the palm on their hand remember !!!!!!!!!!!!

[smotherb]

9 hours ago, ezzra said:

I'm not sure what to make out of this statements....

Such a vague statement, it really could mean anything by saying ' to insure

people with a long term visa are safe in this country, followed by ' we

will deeply investigate all those who wish to have long term visa '

so what were they doing so far? not investigation those who wanted

long terms visa?....

...

Not sure?  How about trying to rid out the low-lifes?

[smotherb]

9 hours ago, darksidedog said:

I am interested to know how this is going to work. As an applicant will you be required to provide police reports from every country you have ever been in, to show you are not a criminal? I don't see that they have the resources to be able to conduct such international checks on every foreigner here.

So it is either just bullshit to make wrongdoers think twice about applying for visas here, or it is just bullshit to make Thai people think he is actually working. Either way, to me it still sounds like bullshit.

Gee, it seems you naysayers must have something to hide--police checks can be done with more credulity in an attempt to sort out the scumbags.

[just.a.thought]

Does that mean you no longer will demand bribes?

[sawadeeken]

He needs to clean house in Jomtien and get rid of thos who will do your job for 10.000 or 20,000 that thru normal channels can't be done............. Probably could be done but difficult............

It cost me...... and some of my friends.............

[sawadeeken]

1 minute ago, just.a.thought said:

Does that mean you no longer will demand bribes?

5555555........ HaHaHaHaHaHa.......... TIT.............

[bristolgeoff]

new man in charge new visa rules again for the farang or expats.everyone know he will change something to make it harder

[sweatalot]

probably just more harrassing the good guys and not changing anything regarding the bad guys

[kangaloowest]

10 hours ago, ezzra said:

I'm not sure what to make out of this statements....

Such a vague statement, it really could mean anything by saying ' to insure

people with a long term visa are safe in this country, followed by ' we

will deeply investigate all those who wish to have long term visa '

so what were they doing so far? not investigation those who wanted

long terms visa?....

...

2

 

 

"Part of that will be ensuring that those on long-term visas are safe to have in the country." 

 

"Safe to have in this country" - is a much different meaning than -  " Safe in this country"

 

[sandrabbit]

I will say something positive about the immigration police, they have done a fantastic job of clearing out the deadwood at Rayong immigration and getting out within 1 hour for marriage extension with the interview was brilliant, almost as good as doing a retirement extension. Maybe Chonburi will get the same experience but Rayong seems 'clean' now which might not work in some peoples favour. I read the horror stories on this site of CM and I think I would move province if so many of those things posted are true.

[Jingthing]

 
 
"Part of that will be ensuring that those on long-term visas are safe to have in the country." 
 
"Safe to have in this country" - is a much different meaning than -  " Safe in this country"
 

Yes agree. Not vague in the slightest.

[eeyang wah]

I have three questions:

1. Why?

2. Why?

3. Why?

In a country with absolutely zero way for foreigners to sponge off the system, why stop anyone coming here and putting more money into the economy?

[KittenKong]

17 minutes ago, eeyang wah said:

I have three questions:

1. Why?

2. Why?

3. Why?

In a country with absolutely zero way for foreigners to sponge off the system, why stop anyone coming here and putting more money into the economy?

 

1. Because many farangs here are crooks.

2. Because many farangs here are crooks.

3. Because many farangs here are crooks.

 

I would like to see them leave. Closely followed by the Thai crooks.

 

Then Thailand would be really nice.