Troubles with ex pats in Thailand

Post by **GT93** » March 28, 2016, 8:41 am

Trouble in paradise: Thailand and the expatriate experience: https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/03/expats-thailand/

"Thai authorities have become weary of foreigners or ‘farangs’, as evidenced in the tightening of entry and visa regulations over the last two years. Immigration is turning away people from the borders who they suspect are living and/or working in Thailand on short term visas. New regulations concerning persons who overstay their visas are coming into force, banning them from re-entering Thailand for between one and 10 years.

Thailand is no longer the haven for those who want to domicile themselves in the country like before.

For many the dream of living in Thailand has turned sour, where cultural and social problems have brought abrupt endings their Thai lifestyle."

Most of the article comes from a member of the Thai Immigration Police who wanted to remain anonymous. He in effect says there are too many shady or impoverished farang in Thailand. Hopefully this is less so in Udon and Nong Khai than Pattaya.

Post by **BobHelm** » March 28, 2016, 8:56 am

Yes, I have read it before GT.
It is a particularly poor piece of sensational journalism.
For example, it quotes..

An article in The Independent estimates that there are even 10,000 homeless expatriates living in Thailand.

The actual source article quoted says..

The Issarachon Foundation, a homeless organisation based in Bangkok, recently estimated that there could be as many as 200 foreigners living rough across Thailand,

Given that it (the source article) was a piece of 'puff' to support a Charitable Trust - who undoubtedly are seeking donations - & has absolutely no facts to back up its' claims of 200 or any other number, apart from 1 individual on Jomtien Beach.

I then decided that the rest of the article was probably more a piece of fiction than journalism..

Post by **waanjai** » March 28, 2016, 9:35 pm

Lots of exageration had to be expected in the media. As there is not much experience with the new legal situation.
As the new law is being enforced since 20 March 2016 - just since about one week.

Those that they want to "screen out (as) unwanted elements" which have not yet entered Thailand will surely think twice before they do it.

But those that were unable to pay the maximum fine of 20.000 and then leave Thailand until March 20 without being blacklisted won't have the choice of correcting their situation. They all will be beyond 90 days overstay

So it is a matter of having enough imagination to foresee what will happen next:
*requests for donations
*reports by embassies complaining they can't help
*if the blacklisted did not have the money to do the extensions or the border runs they won't have money for the return flights.

We will see what happens first. The commissioner does not like being told that he is fighting a non-problem.

Post by **jimjay** » March 28, 2016, 10:13 pm

GT93 wrote:Trouble in paradise: Thailand and the expatriate experience: https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/03/expats-thailand/

"Thai authorities have become weary of foreigners or ‘farangs’, as evidenced by blah blah blah......

Total garbage post.

Post by **FrazeeDK** » March 28, 2016, 10:31 pm

so the focus is the "Farang" who may be overstayers and living illegally in Thailand.. I say that's a drop in the bucket when you add the tens of thousands of Burmese, Cambodians, Lao, Chinese, Africans, Indians and other nationalities that comprise probably huge numbers of illegals.. Plus, the threat of being "blacklisted" and barred re-entry into Thailand certainly doesn't affect those who have stayed in the country illegally, never run afoul of the law, and don't attempt to leave.

Post by **waanjai** » March 28, 2016, 11:30 pm

FrazeeDK wrote:...the threat of being "blacklisted" and barred re-entry into Thailand certainly doesn't affect those who have stayed in the country illegally, never run afoul of the law, and don't attempt to leave.

That is correct.
They obviously did not do their 90 days reports.
May not do the shopping of Western food.
Don't own houses nor cars or motorcycles.

So I wonder what Thai Immigration was thinking off, when proposing the new rules.

Post by **Khun Paul** » March 29, 2016, 6:33 am

While I agree with the last post in general, I am sure I speak for many that over the years have got quite P***** off by those we know who are here illegally and seem to flout the law with impunity. I am not talking about those that circumnavigate the system by various means in order to obtain a visa to stay with their families brought on by lack of funds or a lessening income, but those who brag about their wealth and how they abuse the system. Now at least the Immigration is making it harder and harder for those people to stay and should they break the rules their stay will be curtailed almost immediately , in one case I heard of he was refused entry and his wife had to go to the border to give him his cards and clothing.
It will also deny entry and coupled with the other state agencies clamping down on paperwork means that even work is harder for these people. Computerisation has assisted in this upsurge of arresting those who are illegally staying but I do agree those that have lived here for years under the radar will continue to do so and I say to them best of luck as sympathy and compassion does not seem to be in the rule book of the RTP Immigration Division.

As for the original OP, a load of codswallop.

Post by **rick** » March 30, 2016, 10:24 am

Going by ThaiVisa, there are plenty of overstayers. For the last 2 months there has been at least one new post every day from someone wanting advice about their overstay - a few who have genuinely fallen through cracks in the system but most were blatant deliberate overstayers and some even hinted they were working illegally. The tougher penalties maybe somewhat severe, but understandable. The only issue i see is that those under 50 now have few options for a long stay (i.e. a year or more).

Post by **SJP17** » March 30, 2016, 12:40 pm

When I was in Pattaya last year I took a morning walk from the hotel to seven eleven and when I got there encountered an English guy in I would say in his fifties goin threw the bins outside, he had a small cone water drink and looked at me an said " could you see that threw the eye of a needle" Which I think is a reference to a religious saying about the rich entering the kingdom of god.

This guy looked like he had been sleeping rough for a long time, I never actually spoke to him n just got my things and walked back to the hotel, but when I got there I started thinking I should have talked to him to try and help the guy a bit, so I walked back but by the time I got there he was gone and I never seen him again over the next few days, I felt quite bad about it after.

Post by **wallylee** » March 30, 2016, 2:11 pm

Good on you SJP17..for wanting to help someone down on their luck.

I used to do volunteer work at a night shelter..( a place where homeless people can get a bed and some food)
Used to talk to the people we supported, some of their stories were fairly hard to comprehend sometimes..
What was obvious to others, the person could not see it.
We all lose our way sometimes in life..empathy without judgement..listening to someone can be enough at times..

Post by **Dixie Dean** » March 31, 2016, 1:38 am

It seems to me that the problem of Farang overstayers, visa runners & working illegally seems to have got worse since Thailand started attracting in Russians, East Europeans etc but that might just be a coincidence. However the Thai National Commander of Immigration did spotlight Russians, South Koreans & Vietnamese back in 2014.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/725 ... n-is-dead/