Crackdown on "Non-Ed" visas - don't turn up for class more than three times and face expulsion

[webfact]

Crackdown on "Non-Ed" visas - don't turn up for class more than three times and face expulsion

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Crime buster Big Joke has turned his attention to foreigners abusing study or "non-ed" visas.

 

Pol Maj Gen Surachet Hakpal, announcing a swathe of arrests, said that immigration is working closely with educational establishments.

 

They are rooting out foreigners staying on study visas and then committing crime in Thailand.

 

Surachet said that a cap on non-attendance at classes is being made at three times. If an absence from a course is not explained then that person will lose their student status and face expulsion from Thailand.

 

So far in March four people fell into that category, reported Thai Rath.

 

In the latest crackdown - X-Ray Outlaw Foreigner #5 - Surachet said a joint operation with 191 special branch, immigration, Phayathai police station in Bangkok and several other agencies had resulted in arrests at 108 locations.

 

Forty nine of these were educational establishments and 59 private homes.

 

Surachet - known as Big Joke in the Thai media - has been the front man for a series of crime busts and was in Dubai earlier in the week arresting call center gangs in cooperation with the UAE police.

 

He said 123 arrests were made in the latest sweep that involved foreigners committing crime related to credit cards, romance scams, fake cards, fake diamonds and drugs.

 

Seventeen people were arrested on overstay comprised of 9 Indians, 2 Pakistanis, 2 Cambodians and one each from Myanmar, China, Kenya and Egypt.

 

Yoo Guang,48, a Chinese national, had been staying illegally in Chiang Rai for 12 years. Also named were Chonburi residents Komon Dheep, 24, (3 years overstay) and Mandeep Singh, 27 (2 years). Virenda Vadev, 35, was on two years overstay in Bangkok. The last three mentioned were all Indian nationals.

 

A total of 91 arrests were made yesterday for illegal entry comprising 62 people from Myanmar, 14 Laotians, 4 Cambodians, 3 Vietnamese, 3 Indian, 3 Pakistanis and one each from Belgium and Australia.

 

Fifteen others were arrested - 5 Vietnamese, 3 from Myanmar, 2 Indians, 2 British, 2 Thai and 1 French.

 

In the five sweeps to date there have been 490 arrests.

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-03-23

[Cadbury]

Far from being a "big joke" it seems he is at least one Thai policeman doing his job. Pity the other 229,999 can't manage likewise. 

Someone high up will soon wake up he needs putting back in his box as he will bring shame and embarrassment to all the other layabouts, freeloaders and extorters of the RTP.

[Samui Bodoh]

I know that this thread will soon feature many people talking about abuse of the immigration system and how they should all be thrown out of the country. Fine.

 

A few years back, before I hit 50 years old, I had an ED visa and it was great! I went to my classes and got a firm, if not solid, foundation in the Thai language and greatly expanded my knowledge of Thai culture. I also was able to stay in the country, paying rent and spending money while taking absolutely nothing from a Thai person.

 

Yes, the ED visa has been abused; no one would argue that. But, it was also a good thing sometimes.

 

[poanoi]

study is nice if the teacher is competent,

so i estimate, based on my experience with teachers in thailand,

that its nice to study in 1% cases

[new2here]

I know that this thread will soon feature many people talking about abuse of the immigration system and how they should all be thrown out of the country. Fine.
 
A few years back, before I hit 50 years old, I had an ED visa and it was great! I went to my classes and got a firm, if not solid, foundation in the Thai language and greatly expanded my knowledge of Thai culture. I also was able to stay in the country, paying rent and spending money while taking absolutely nothing from a Thai person.
 
Yes, the ED visa has been abused; no one would argue that. But, it was also a good thing sometimes.
 

I agree. I don't think the answer is to eliminate the ED (or any other category of) visa itself - but rather to have clear, objective and consistent application and enforcement of whatever are the established rules.

Yes, I know that this is Thailand, but I think that doing spot checks / crackdowns or whatever you want to call it - is good.. those who ARE in compliance really have no issues.

I have a few friends who've come here for short summer stays - and done a language course over that time (and used the ED as their basis for entry/stay).. they paid decent money for the course and as such, attended pretty much every class.


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[Bluespunk]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

A total of 91 arrests were made yesterday for illegal entry comprising 62 people from Myanmar, 14 Laotians, 4 Cambodians, 3 Vietnamese, 3 Indian, 3 Pakistanis and one each from Belgium and Australia.

Pesky foreigners. 

 

Once these low lifes are gone, there will reign an era of peace, harmony, honesty, understanding and an end to crime. 

 

Halcyon days, indeed lie ahead. 

 

All hail the big joke. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I'd really like someone of the police to explain what they mean when they keep arresting people for "illegal entry"

 

I'm presuming, that's not the same as overstay. But who knows?  Does it mean all these folks snuck into the country without valid entry stamps from Immigration, or had fake stamps, or fake passports???

 

It almost makes you think that Thailand's borders are like a sieve, leaving tons of folks both inbound and outbound. Say it's not so!!!

 

 

 

[Odysseus123]

20 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

Pesky foreigners. 

 

Once these low lifes are gone, there will reign an era of peace, harmony, honesty, understanding and an end to crime. 

 

Halcyon days, indeed lie ahead. 

 

All hail the big joke. 

Yep-"Hunt the Foreigner" is a high profile game and, in the current climate, a politically astute one.

[Kieranmc]

Out with all these ED scammers.

[JOC]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

In the latest crackdown - X-Ray Outlaw Foreigner #5

Xenophobia is alive and well....

[Odysseus123]

14 minutes ago, JOC said:

Xenophobia is alive and well....

"...alive and well"

 

And being massively stoked up at present.

 

Without an external war as a distraction-Gambia legged it- "foreigners" will just have to do.

[hansnl]

1 hour ago, new2here said:

 

I agree. I don't think the answer is to eliminate the ED (or any other category of) visa itself - but rather to have clear, objective and consistent application and enforcement of whatever are the established rules.

Yes, I know that this is Thailand, but I think that doing spot checks / crackdowns or whatever you want to call it - is good.. those who ARE in compliance really have no issues.

I have a few friends who've come here for short summer stays - and done a language course over that time (and used the ED as their basis for entry/stay).. they paid decent money for the course and as such, attended pretty much every class.


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On the other hand, as I hear, see and read there is rather a lot of crime in Thailand, crime going much further and with much bigger impact on society as the misuse of Visa's.

But face it, much easier to find a few ED visa miscreants and bragging about it in a photoshoot as finding real crime, arresting real criminals and making the country a little safer.

I do agree visa misuse must be handled, but is it really urgent?

[StayinThailand2much]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

A total of 91 arrests were made yesterday for illegal entry comprising 62 people from Myanmar, 14 Laotians, 4 Cambodians, 3 Vietnamese, 3 Indian, 3 Pakistanis and one each from Belgium and Australia.

 

Fifteen others were arrested - 5 Vietnamese, 3 from Myanmar, 2 Indians, 2 British, 2 Thai and 1 French.

 

Confused! So not only did the illegals from neighbouring countries 'swim' across the river, but also a number of Europeans and South Asians jumped over the border fence or walked over the mountain ranges, circumventing the official border posts? How about the 2 Thais - were they required a visa to enter Thailand? Hope, that they will not be deported... 

[overherebc]

26 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

Confused! So not only did the illegals from neighbouring countries 'swim' across the river, but also a number of Europeans and South Asians jumped over the border fence or walked over the mountain ranges, circumventing the official border posts? How about the 2 Thais - were they required a visa to enter Thailand? Hope, that they will not be deported... 

Wanted on outstanding warrents perhaps. Wrong place wrong time and got nabbed.

[new2here]

On the other hand, as I hear, see and read there is rather a lot of crime in Thailand, crime going much further and with much bigger impact on society as the misuse of Visa's.
But face it, much easier to find a few ED visa miscreants and bragging about it in a photoshoot as finding real crime, arresting real criminals and making the country a little safer.
I do agree visa misuse must be handled, but is it really urgent?

Sure, I think it's fair to say that when one looks at ALL the criminal elements/acts across the spectrum, that IMHO, this specific one probably falls into the middle - or at least I don't think it's #1... I agree ...

... but.... I also don't think that just because it's not #1, that then somehow means that the government shouldn't also tackle it, or that they can't/shouldn't do so until all other elements higher up are fully addressed first.

Yes, I agree with prioritization but don't think that then limits them to addressing only one element at a time or that they must be addressed solely in "order"


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[Airbagwill]

If Thailand rationalised their visa system, there wouldn't be any for this sort of stuff.

When it comes to visas their niggardly and pernickety attitudes are in effect, shooting themselves in the foot

[GaryAdriaenssens]

WHAT? No Africans on the list except 1 Kenyan!! Where have they gone?? 

[mark01]

It is a big joke. Pay immigration "fees" and you're left alone and only have to attend for the occasional photoshoot.

Been there, paid the money, got the t-shirt.

[ScotBkk]

5 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

I know that this thread will soon feature many people talking about abuse of the immigration system and how they should all be thrown out of the country. Fine.

 

A few years back, before I hit 50 years old, I had an ED visa and it was great! I went to my classes and got a firm, if not solid, foundation in the Thai language and greatly expanded my knowledge of Thai culture. I also was able to stay in the country, paying rent and spending money while taking absolutely nothing from a Thai person.

 

Yes, the ED visa has been abused; no one would argue that. But, it was also a good thing sometimes.

 

I really need to talk better Thai. My 2 kids in Laos can only say' Me no speak Engrish..... haha

[Ketyo]

"They are rooting out foreigners staying on study visas and then committing crime in Thailand"

 

Surely this approach is ass about face and a waste of resources.  Surely, the main objective should be to catch the foreigners who commit crimes. But my guess is that targeting foreigners who miss more than 3 classes needs masses of resources, will get many people who don't commit crime and will miss many others who go to class but still commit crime.

 

Instead, the Thai police should increase its capacity to police areas where foreigners are committing crimes such as drug dealing, prostitution, drunken violence and theft. These are mainly in the entertainment areas where foreigners concentrate and which are hugely under-policed compared with similar spots in foreign countries.

 

For example in lower Sukhumvit there are gangs of Africans on tourist and presumably Non-Ed visas openly and criminally pushing drugs and their asses onto passers-by. Wouldn't it be easier to round them up and deport them for that instead of raiding the language schools to see who has not turned up for class hoping to catch criminals there.

[Colabamumbai]

Many schools are complicent and do not provide paperwork for visa. I left a few after one month for this reason. They pay the local police to ignore it. Anuban Kalasin is one.

[webfact]

121 foreigners arrested in national crackdowns

By The Nation

 

 

Tourist police arrested 121 foreigners on Thursday in a day-long raid which included immigration and local police forces searching 108 areas nationwide, deputy police chief Pol Maj-General Surachet Hakpal said early on Friday.

 

Surachet held a press conference at 1.30am on Friday to announce the outcome of the fifth “X-Ray Outlaw Foreigner” mass raid, which he said, aimed to find foreign criminals who disguised themselves as tourists.

 

At the end of the operation, 17 were arrested for overstaying their visa –nine Indians, two Cambodians, two Pakistanis, one Chinese, one Myanmarian, one Kenyan, and one Egyptian. Surachet said five of had been living in Thailand for over two years.

 

He said 91 of the arrested had entered the Kingdom without a visa –62 Myanmarians, 14 Laotians, four Cambodians, three Vietnamese, three Indians, three Pakistanis, one Belgian and one Australian.

 

Thirteen other foreigners were arrested on other charges – five Vietnamese, three Myanmarians, two Indians, two Britons and one French national.

 

Surachet said police searched 49 educational institutes and 59 residences in the latest operation.

 

So far, police have searched 2,346 areas and arrested 490 foreigners in five operations under the codename of X-Ray Outlaw Foreigner, he added. The operation had previously worn the codename “Black Eagles Operation” and focused on people from African nations.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30341556

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-03-23

[webfact]

123 more foreigners arrested in raids on schools, hotels

By Asaree Thaitrakulpanich, Staff Reporter

 

Police Deputy Commissioner Maj. Gen. Surachet Hakpal points some arrested foreigners.

BANGKOK — Police announced early Friday morning the arrest of 123 foreigners suspected of various visa infractions.

 

In the latest police action as part of a sweeping crackdown on foreigners in the capital, regular and tourist police officers raided 49 schools and 59 hostels throughout the capital Thursday in search of people who entered the kingdom illegally or overstayed their visas.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/crime-crime/2018/03/23/123-more-foreigners-arrested-in-raids-on-schools-hostels/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-03-23

[Cadbury]

6 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

I know that this thread will soon feature many people talking about abuse of the immigration system and how they should all be thrown out of the country. Fine.

 

A few years back, before I hit 50 years old, I had an ED visa and it was great! I went to my classes and got a firm, if not solid, foundation in the Thai language and greatly expanded my knowledge of Thai culture. I also was able to stay in the country, paying rent and spending money while taking absolutely nothing from a Thai person.

 

Yes, the ED visa has been abused; no one would argue that. But, it was also a good thing sometimes.

 

From what you say it seems it can be a good thing sometimes; especially for those who use it for the purpose it was intended. Sounds like you were one of those who benefited.

Then there are those who turn up for a few classes and disappear into the sois of Thailand to engage in nefarious activities......until rounded up by "Big Joke" and given their marching orders.

 

[NextStationBangkok]

Most Thais goes to Australia and work with student visa. It is open secret.  Opposite side is not OK for Thais.

 

It will be fair, if other countries also crackdown on Thais going with various types of visa for sex trade, and pretending.

[new2here]

Most Thais goes to Australia and work with student visa. It is open secret.  Opposite side is not OK for Thais.
 
It will be fair, if other countries also crackdown on Thais going with various types of visa for sex trade, and pretending.

As I recall, for those on student/study visas to Australia, rules DO in fact permit work - with limits.

https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/Trav/Stud/More/Work-conditions-for-Student-visa-holders


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[smedly]

would be interesting to see them start operating in Pattaya

[spidermike007]

The incompetent goons in charge are focusing their efforts in all the wrong areas. They are trying to make Thailand a Quaker State. A land of purity. Total BS. Nonsense. Misplaced priorities, and wasted efforts. They should be focusing their efforts on traffic and public safety, easing import tariffs, making visa policy simpler, and more friendly, boosting Western tourism, real crackdowns on slavery, and illegal fishing instead of nonsensical hyperbole, cleaning up the water, the air, the rivers, and the beaches, and other things that actually improve lives.

 

The best thing about a Little P. crackdown, is that it does not mean anything. It will be forgotten in two weeks time.

 

Little P. Not making Thailand great again. And moving the nation backwards at an astonishing and alarming pace.  

 

[Destiny1990]

Used to be popular but nowadays nobody does the education visa they simply moved to other countries.

Good luck with crack down.. seems a very important matter.

[AWillOz]

...Them pesky Australian illegals... at last we caught one!