New immigration boss vows deep investigation of expats

[ThaiWai]

2 hours ago, klauskunkel said:

He is a newly appointed immigration chief. He has to make a public statement - it's tradition. 

Remember when the Phuket boss made his statement.  "If any foreigners are charged for proof or address, report that corrupt officer directly to me...but I highly doubt any of the officers here do that."

[buick]

a friend of mine (yes, really a friend, not me), works with a visa agent in bangkok.  all their 'work' is done through chonburi immigration.  i wonder if his income will suffer from this new policy.  i doubt it!

[lucjoker]

On the car parking of immigration , a flyer on each car ,it said....

long term visa's : 12 000 bht ,no need money in the bank , waiting 1 day.

So ,100% fraud........you dont need the 800 000 in the bank BS no more.

costs 12 000 bht  though.

Everything done with official stamps

[buick]

maybe the new boss will not be allowed in the parking lot

[mark01]

All piss and wind, then down to business and a down payment on a nice new luxury car !

[Golden Triangle]

I generally take all these statements from new incumbents to the post (whatever post it may be) with a pinch of salt, as time goes by it will be interesting to get reports back from those that have renewed their Marriage - Retirement visas, that will be the proof of the pudding as to his intentions in the future. 

[aright]

4 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

New long tern visa application to determine of you the Falang are  considered a dangerous person: if yes comment below the question.

 

1. Have you ever shot or intend to shoot anyone:  Yes/No 

 

2. Have you ever stabbed another person in anger or do you intent to do so: Yes/No  

 

3. Have you ever used a baseball bat to hit a car window in anger for being cut off or hit by another car: Yes/No

 

4. Have you ever beat someone unconscious with a gang and kept kicking the unconscious person in the head, or intent to: Yes/No

 

5. Have you ever ripped a gold chain of another person/s neck while being a passenger on a motorbike: Yes/No,  

 

6. Have you ever killed someone while driving a vehicle and being under the influence of alcohol or drugs: Yes/No

 

When you have completed these answers, see the immigration office and hand him this paper, attach money to it to receive paper 2 which have more questions for you, so that we can determine if you will place any danger upon our calm and smiley society.

I think this can be simplified by asking just one question..........

 

Are you in or going to Thailand for the purposes of sex or crime? :   Yes/No

[eddysmit]

4 hours ago, animatic said:

New guy in the chair MUST say something big and show his strength. Yada yada yada.

 

Appearances are everything, and makes a good excuse for busywork.

And of course teamoney for the rank and file.... One of the few fluid things in life that flows up hill not down

 

Yes, the same,same when a new one arrives, upsets all the staff and make them a bit unfriendly for a few months until it settles down, what was it called "A new brush always sweeps clean".

[free123]

4 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

He added that illegal immigrants and international criminals will also be a priority.

 

This looks to be nothing more than a reafirmation of existing policy.  International criminals are already given priority, as long as they can pay, e.g. the boiler room gangs that have been allowed to operate out of Pattaya and occasionally murder each other in turf wars.  Tony Kenway was allowed to operate a criminal enterprise employing a number of boiler room boys in Pattaya for many years without so much as a work permit for the lot of them.  He didn't even bother to register a company.  I would guess that is par for the course for well heeled criminals willing to pay.  

 

Perhaps the policy will actually be stated as  good crims in, bad crims out.     

 

* Definitions: good crims = those who pay generously; bad crims = those who pay very little or not at all.  

 

 

thailand : heavy criminals welcome if they pay big to police and / or army...= nations first policy....

criminals who dont pay expose to

media and lie to media we like good in bad out and it works super well....

all the o thers ( pensioners etc...) <deleted> them around as much as u can invent a thousand rules a day make em jump like puppys...as u know we gotto check if u are the good ones ..gimme ur social media hand over ur phone and dont play bingo ...

 

anyway in thailand ppl. w. money ( crime family's local style ) are beyond the law....the rest live in slums and dont know anything

[phantomfiddler]

The pot calleth the kettle black !

[Moti24]

"He added that illegal immigrants and international criminals will also be a priority.

Songprode is said to be a laid-back person with a friendly personality. His policy will be to provide services and welcome visitors with open arms as if they were family, staffers said."

 

Who needs enemies with family like him!

[hdkane]

4 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.

the third possibility is that it is a tactic to make problems for ALL expats and open the door to even more corruption and bribery...example...I had a friend here who was denied 3 times on his visa based on marriage...he had resided in Thailand for 14 years, and had 2 children...eventually, he took the hint and just paid a bribe to the officer...problem solved.

[Bill Miller]

2 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Having just gone through the whole thread and reread the article, I am a little surprised no one has picked up on the fact that while the overwhelming majority of long term visa holders are above board in the first instance, that he is not apparently concerned about, or certainly not mentioning the thousands of people out there on visa overstays.

It strikes me that if he really wants the no good sort out of the country, tracking down those people would be far more beneficial.

The first step in addressing a problem is to identify if there is in fact a problem. Are there  significant numbers of foreigners applying for long stay visas who are a threat to Thai laws and culture?
I suspect the answer is a resounding "NO!"
As stated above ^^^ the overstay scofflaws seem to be the problem, but it is easier to announce more stringent requirements for the folk who comply, since they after all come into the office of their own volition.
How many reports of the arrest of foreign criminals also mention that they are on several years overstay? Many many.
It is not the immigration irregulars who become criminals, but rather criminals who become immigration problems.
Thailand is not unique in getting the cart before the horse, but it is a pain in my personal tuckus.

[louse1953]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I would answer, but I don't want to put in the file of those saying something about Thailand that would not be approved of when the "deep investigation" includes handing over our forum password and username.

Why did you do that,cos a form asked you too.Dear me,brainwashed to the max.

[Jingthing]

Better iron my pants this time ... 

Wai ask wai? 

[darren84310]

Great if he gets rid of the mafia types but if he makes life even more difficult for law abiding expats who help to support the economy and are crucial for so many Thais' livelihoods then those people might well decide to leave as it's already a nightmare for many keeping up with the visa requirements.

[Jingthing]

22 minutes ago, aright said:

I think this can be simplified by asking just one question..........

 

Are you in or going to Thailand for the purposes of sex or crime? :   Yes/No

It's a great screening idea.

 

Anyone that freely answers Yes to either of those deported for being mentally defective.

 

Next ... 

[masuk]

5 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?....

...

How can you possibly "Insure"  people with a long term visa....

[louse1953]

2 hours ago, Psimbo said:

I think you will find its an awful lot more than that.

Thats what the plebes pay

[moe666]

This guy just did his job he has all of the old farts on Thai visa jumping over themselves to claim the most paper work and who has paid the most bribes. Calm down boys just a new kid in town trying to put his stamp on things

[malibukid]

it's about time, FBI, Interpole ect. whatever it takes

Edited July 7, 2017 by malibukid

[tandor]

5 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?....

...

...yes..investigate the long stay visa applicants/holders..to see if they are safe to 'have' in Thailand...our personal safety is the responsibility of the uniformed police..haha,

Edited July 7, 2017 by tandor

[tandor]

17 minutes ago, masuk said:

How can you possibly "Insure"  people with a long term visa....

..i think he meant 'ensure'.

[ukrules]

15 minutes ago, malibukid said:

it's about time, FBI, Interpole ect. whatever it takes

Do you really think the FBI / Interpol want to sully their reputation this much to help Thailand maintain it's 'bash the foreigner' stance ?

 

 

[Kim1950]

In the US we simply allow thousands of people to enter our country as undocumented people than after a period time they become expats. Sounds like a better policy.

[observer90210]

The honest expats who have the choice, will wind up and leave [and so will their money], as they will get fed up of all this farang hassling by the authorities....

[garbolino]

5 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.

i have been to the Scilly Isles will I have to get report from Hugh Town police ???

[sambum]

"Songprode told his new staff he intends to dedicate his work and commitments toward the security of visitors to Pattaya and the surrounding areas."

 

So who to look at and investigate in terms of those posing a risk to the visitors to Pattaya?

 

Old age pensioners, and those people who have been here for years without causing trouble of any kind!!!

 

Got to get your (easiest) priorities right, I suppose. So we can now look forward to more red tape at Immigration for annual extensions in addition to:-  Google maps of one's house (Not clear enough? - 100 baht for them to do a copy)  accompanied by a hand drawn map of the same, photocopies of one's passport (right way up or 100 baht for a new copy) medical certificate including blood tests and X Rays, plus all the OFFICIAL documentation required.

I suppose the next thing will be a letter from one's primary school teacher attesting to one's good character!!!

[observer90210]

11 minutes ago, Kim1950 said:

In the US we simply allow thousands of people to enter our country as undocumented people than after a period time they become expats. Sounds like a better policy.

You are very true!!.....the real americain born folks  [who are now parked in those lovely national parks turned into reserves]...did mention that this has been going on for years...

 

In fact it all started with a bunch of illegal, undocumented people who came on a boat called the Mayflower, that accosted in the USA long ago....terrible I agree!

Edited July 7, 2017 by observer90210

[Bill Miller]

3 hours ago, Pattaya46 said:

 

What are you talking about?

Except the semi-official price for the "free" Attestation of Residence,

it's many years that I didn't heard of any bribe at Chonburi Immigration Office ...

Just last week an IO officer at Chonburi offered to make some problems go away for only 16,000 baht.
I am sure that the problems which suddenly appeared have some "legal" basis, but equally certain that they are not encountered by all.
Still awaiting commentary or advice on some of them, although I have already solved my particular troubles by taking a little trip to the mighty Mekong.
The Savannakhet Thai Royal Consulate had no problem with my application or documents.