Thread: Over 9000 foreigners charged with illegal entry

Originally Posted by baconandeggs

Originally Posted by kingwilly

Originally Posted by BobR

Not at all stupid really.

Until your car gets stolen.

Originally Posted by BobR

Not really, the alternative is keeping it in my house, which is subject to being burglarized while I'm at work every day. (although that has not happened)

So put it into a filing cabinet or brief case with papers. Pretty certain house thieves normally steal TVs, jewelry and phones, not passports.

Put some decent locks on the house first.

Like that will really deter theives from robbing you.

Originally Posted by Happy As Larry

Originally Posted by Kurgen

I just carry my Thai DL's, that's enough surely?

Many do this and often it is enough but legally it is insufficient. Foreigners are supposed to carry their passport at all times. How that works when you are in your speedos at the beach I'm not sure.

I also believe that Thais must carry their ID card at all times as well

You only need to be able to retrieve your passport, if asked. My wife carries mine in her purse all the time and thinks it is safe, but we all know it is not. We all risk losing our passports, but new ones can be obtained at our embassys, if need be.

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

We all risk losing our passports, but new ones can be obtained at our embassys, if need be

You have to go to the police station to report it first..............

Originally Posted by rickschoppers

My wife carries mine in her purse

I can see Sergeant Somchai and colleagues getting a few laughs out of asking you what were you doing walking around with your wife's handbag

FWIW......

By James Martin

A police spokesman has said that foreigners in Thailand are not required to carry their passports with them at all times, according to reports.

The statement follows reports of tourists and expats in central Bangkok being extorted by police for not carrying passports.

Asian Correspondent ran a story on the ‘Bangkok shakedown’ last week, which was followed the next day by a notably similar story in the Sydney Morning Herald.

The Bangkok Post reported Tuesday that police were looking into the matter after the media attention.

Pol Lt Gen Prawut Thawornsiri was responding to an article published by The Sydney Morning Herald on Dec 12, which said a growing number of foreign tourists are being stopped, searched and harassed by Thai officials on busy Sukhumvit road.

The issue was also raised with Thailand tourism authorities by British Ambassador Mark Kent:

Met Tourism Minister this morning. Covered range of issues, including reports of stop and search in Bangkok

— Mark Kent (@KentBKK) December 11, 2014

On Wednesday, Thailand blog Sticky Boy Bangkok reported:

Pol Lt Gen Prawut Thawornsiri, spokesman for the Royal Thai Police, has said tourists DO NOT need to carry passports at all times. His comment came when he was responding to the recent tourist shakedown reports in various media outlets over the past month. He stated that if asked to show their passports, tourists can produce their documents at a later time if necessary.

That report was based on this story (in Thai) published on Manager Online. There have been conflicting reports over the need for foreigners to carry passports in recent months, and tourists and expats may be well advised to play it safe. Eminent Thailand travel blogger Richard Barrow had this advice Wednesday:

Senior Thai police officer says you don’t need to carry your passport with you, BUT you should have easy access to it if necessary #Thailand — Richard Barrow (@RichardBarrow) December 17, 2014

If you live in #Bangkok then a copy of your passport is good as an ID. However, if you go upcountry on a trip you should take the original. — Richard Barrow (@RichardBarrow) December 17, 2014

From our original report:

Over recent weeks there has been a sharp increase in reports of police harassment, intimidation and flat-out extortion in the Sukhumvit area, usually between Thong Lor and Asoke. While stories of the Bangkok police engaging in less than exemplary behavior are not new, and no official statistics for ‘on-the-spot fines’ exist, there does seem to be a policy of targeting foreign males in prime tourist areas at the moment, although due to their unofficial nature these reports remain unverifiable.

…

What are your rights if you are stopped? First, it is recommended to carry identification. A photocopy of your passport might do, but carrying the original is probably the wiser choice at the moment, especially around Sukhumvit. Even Thai citizens are legally required to carry some form of ID.

Thailand police: Foreigners not required to carry passports at all times | Asian Correspondent

9000 foreigners charged with illegal entry

So that accounts for the very sore bum

Thousands Arrested as Visa Overstay Bans go for PM’s Endorsement

BANGKOK — Harsher punishments introduced last year for foreigners who overstay their visas might be strengthened by the prime minister’s pen as immigration police announced more than 9,000 people were arrested during the past week.

Aiming to reduce illegal immigration by 80 percent, immigration officials have asked Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha to use his special power granted after the 2014 coup to reaffirm rules introduced last year banning foreigners from Thailand for one to 10 years, depending on the length of overstay.

“The current punishment for overstaying is a 500-baht fine, the maximum is a 20,000-baht fine and sending them back to their countries,” said Immigration chief, police Lt. Gen. Nathathorn Prousoontorn. “So the next day, they can just travel back here as we don’t have a blacklist system like other countries.”

The rules have already won approval from the Interior Minister and have been submitted to Prayuth to consider.

Authorities on Sunday also revealed they arrested 9,265 people suspected of being in the country illegally during a seven-day operation which ended Sunday. Police said they want to reduce the estimated 800,000 people in Thailand illegally by 80 percent.

Almost all – nearly 98 percent – of those arrested face charges under the 1979 Immigration Act, police said, with 18 others facing other criminal charges and 209 accused of other offenses.

Immigration, a matter of cyclical enforcement and periodic crackdowns, returned to urgency after the bombing of a popular tourist attraction in August killed 20 people. Most of the suspects identified in the ensuing investigation appeared to have entered the country illegally, possibly by paying cash bribes at border checkpoints.

In 2013, 70,175 foreigners were arrested for overstaying their visas.

The penalties announced Sunday are identical to regulations announced by the immigration bureau last year that have been in effect since Aug. 17, 2014.

Foreign nationals who remain in the country more than 90 days after their visa expires are to be banned for one year. Those who overstay for one year, three years or five years are forbidden from re-entering the country for three years, five years and 10 years respectively. If they don’t turn themselves in and are instead caught by police, those who have overstayed less than a year would be blacklisted for five years while those with over a year face a 10-year ban.

Police also announced they arrested six foreigners from four cases including two Russian fraud convicts sought by Interpol, two Cameroonians convicted of forging documents, a Korean man sought on a Korean warrant relating to onling gambling and a Burmese man convicted of using a faking the immigration stamp.

Thousands Arrested as Visa Overstay Bans go for PM?s Endorsement

Originally Posted by Hans Mann

Thailand blog Sticky Boy Bangkok reported

credible news source? 'nuff said.

Originally Posted by baconandeggs

Originally Posted by BobR

Originally Posted by kingwilly

Keeping an original passport in the boot of your car??? Bit stupid really

Not really, the alternative is keeping it in my house, which is subject to being burglarized while I'm at work every day. (although that has not happened)

Also, a serious traffic accident which would involve the police is the most likely situation in which I'd need to present a passport other than at the airport.

Not at all stupid really.

Yeah cars never get stolen.

It's not that important anyway; I can easily get a new one at the Embassy. I could put it in a plastic bag and shove it up my ass. Would that be safer than in the car or house?
You're as bad as Willie about arguing shite.

Besides when it comes down to it, Immigration has your status on their computers anyway.

Originally Posted by BobR

I can easily get a new one at the Embassy

Its not easy at all....

You have to go the police station to file a report, then take that to your embassy, then take it to immigration. Then back to your embassy to pick up your new passport

When your new passport comes you may well have to apply for your visa all over again

Then hopefully you don't get any backlash off the thief using your old passport to hire and steal cars, buy sim cards or board missing planes