Immigration's BMW "Smart Cars" the latest tool to rid Thailand of illegal foreigners

[EricTh]

This is being overly dramatic and naming it BMW shows how materialistic their thinking are.

 

In this internet age, a computer will suffice, no need for fancy names like BMW. It's just a lookup on a database.

[DrTuner]

18 minutes ago, ravip said:

The puzzle is why the people of the developed world leave home to find greener pastures in the 3rd world, undeveloped, sometimes uncivilised countries... ????

No puzzle. Pussy powwah.

[billd766]

1 hour ago, Assurancetourix said:

Why not this kind of vehicle?

 

 

you will notice that I put the link of the site where I found the photo :

 

https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/dubai-police-supercars/index.html

I followed your quote and bearing in mind that Dubai is still a moslem country I read this a little way down the relaese.

 

Alongside the flashy cars, the Dubai police wants to tout its gender equality credentials by showing off the fact that many of the drivers are women. "The most expensive cars -- the Ferrari and the Bentley -- are driven by women police officers," said Sultan.

 

Thailand where women are supposedly equal to men has stopped recruiting women into the police force. I they ever were allowed into the traffic police they certainly would NOT be allowed to drive a BMW on their own, or even as a part of the crew. 

 

They should be employed in the police stations doing menial work like typing, filing reports, making the tea and coffee etc, you know the really vmenial work that men don't want to do.

 

(Sarcasm mode to off).

[JAG]

7 minutes ago, billd766 said:

 

Thailand where women are supposedly equal to men has stopped recruiting women into the police force. I they ever were allowed into the traffic police they certainly would NOT be allowed to drive a BMW on their own, or even as a part of the crew. 

 

I thought (think) that they still recruit women, they just won't allow them to train as investigators and so on - so the "glass ceiling" is pretty low.

[legend49]

3 hours ago, z42 said:

Wouldn't they be smarter if they were less conspicuous, and if they were considerably less expensive to purchase and run?

The practices of immigration over the last 12 months or so have been insidious to an absurd degree.

It's sad to see how pathetic and creepy their rank xenophobia is.

CNX has 6 BMWs I counted in IMO car park. Why I counted them, the car park was full and these clowns on parking take up 2 spaces so 12 cars denied parking.

[Dumbastheycome]

Peeples seem to overlooking the fact these vehicles are ultimately self funded by  fines imposed.

A Ferrari  might have been a desirable  but a lil bit over the top for  serous  Police "work". :)

[RichardColeman]

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

They named him as Al Cha Beebee S. Nasser Calfan Hamed. 

Wonder if that was just his first name or surname ? 

[nahkit]

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Meanwhile, in Nonthaburi north west of Bangkok, the chief of immigration Pol Col Thanongsak Jailuang had received information on Thursday about illegal goings on at an Indian restaurant in Soi Samakhee 29.

So, other than they drove over there in the BMW, how, exactly, did the smart car help?

[phetpeter]

Toyota pick ups are so terrorist military yesterdays! Nissan's are so old Thai police. and Camrys so Traffic police bribe boxes. They need something that matches their doin business grade one uniforms.

[Guderian]

I'm surprised at their lack of ambition, settling for BMW's. Why not go for smart Porsches or Ferraris instead?

[CMNightRider]

4 minutes ago, nahkit said:

So, other than they drove over there in the BMW, how, exactly, did the smart car help?

The fast thinking immigration officers used the BMW smart vehicle's GPS to find the Indian restaurant.  Great job BMW and the same goes for the immigration officers for taking a bite out of crime.  

 

Thai Visa should receive some type of award for publishing this crime story.  This is just another example of the threat foreigners pose to Thailand.  Let's double the 800,000 baht deposit in a Thai bank requirement, and make these people take a Thai language test before renewing their yearly visa extension.  That should clear a lot of these people out of here. 

[Fairynuff]

Being Middle Eastern is clearly acting suspiciously.

[kiwikeith]

5 hours ago, thequietman said:

A motorcycle and a tablet would have done the same job, but a helluva lot cheaper,but where's the kickbacks in that I ask you. ????

will my laptop work better in a BMW?

[sandrabbit]

I had a home visit last year when renewing my marriage extension and the immigration officer turned up in one of these.

Edited January 18, 2020 by sandrabbit

[007 RED]

3 hours ago, sencelebi said:

What that camera does on top of the roof, face recognition or what?

Spot on.... The camera on the top of the car, behind the emergency light bar, is a Tilt, Pan, Zoom camera which is linked to a computer mounted in the boot of the vehicle.  The computer is linked via WiFi to the new Immigration facial recognition database.

 

These cars have been deployed for quite some time.  I first spotted 3 of them parked in my local Immigration office (Nakhon Pathom) in January 2019 when I did my 90 day reporting.  I have subsequently seen them parked outside the local big factories who employ a large number of migrant workers as the shifts are about to change.

 

During a recent visit to my local Immigration office I spoke to one of the IOs who was about to get into one of the vehicles.  He was happy to show me the system and agreed to do a demo with me as a possible 'suspect'.  I walked about 150 meters from the car and then turned around.  According to my wife who was watching the demo in the car, my photo and details came up on the computer screen within a matter of seconds after I turned around and my face was picked out by the camera.  The picture and details on the screen were from my passport and the IO was then able to 'drill down' to my history.

 

As well as the facial recognition system, the IO also has access to a passport scanner (like those used at boarder entry/exit point) so that they can put the photo page of your passport onto it and read the data held on the microchip that is embedded within the passport to check if the passport is real or fake.

 

I totally agree with many previous posters, using 300 series BMW is somewhat over the top.  A bog standard pickup would have done the same thing at a fraction of the cost.  I know, there is unlikely to be worthwhile kickbacks from purchasing pickups.

Edited January 18, 2020 by 007 RED

[Chrysaora]

Why do we care that the computer was inside a BMW?

[Chrysaora]

3 hours ago, Rimmer said:

One has to wonder if a Toyota and a lap top could become a smart car?

 

The ANPR system in UK police cars would seem to be a lot smarter than this dumb but very expensive car.

Seems to me, that we could finally find a good reason to have a Tuk Tuk.

 

[losername]

It seems to me that instead of a senior officer using his valuable time to direct his officers with their smart car this and machine that to check a location, an everyday plod could have gone there on his bike, checked the foreigners passports, seen overstays, witnessed them working and made an arrest:  job done!!

[jackinthebox]

5 hours ago, DLock said:

Trying to rationalize BMW's so you can buy more is so transparent.

 

Should have gone with a Lambo or Porsche - BMW are one step above a Camry.

 

Aim higher kid.

A 1986 Pontiac Firebird would had been cool. Including a talking wristwatch ("Hey Kitt, target this Al Cha Beebee S. Nasser Calfan Hamed...). David H. could have advised a little bit...

[reargunnerph3]

Wow, a German taxi and a laptop? Is that Thai cutting edge technology? It was a smart car until the driver got in. 

[peter14]

To get rid of foreigner because we thai are xenophobic and think all foreigner are criminals 

[DrTuner]

18 minutes ago, reargunnerph3 said:

Wow, a German taxi and a laptop?

German taxis are 5-series. 3 is for wife's shopping etc.

[Asernume]

I've heard Porsche cars are even better to find out overstaying foreigners.

The department who orders the car will also get back an undisclosed percentage of the total amount spent on the cars (to be spent on catching more overstaying foreigners of course).

[mickymouse1]

Plenty of dosh to splash out. 

Ride and Arrest in Style.

How come there are so many foreigners are still in Thailand illegally for so long? I thought BJ got rid of them all before his famous promotion ????

[mickymouse1]

How about Ferrari Drones for next budget?

[dotpoom]

I wonder what "suspicious" movements one would be doing...when their crime is 7 days overstay.

[lensta]

Headline should be "Immigration's BMW "Smart Cars" the latest tool to rid Thailand of all foreigners"

[phantomfiddler]

Remember what happened to the previous government, around 20 years ago, who squandered huge amounts of money renting well over 100 Mercedes cars for the police force to come down to visit Pattaya ????

With half the population on the breadline such waste does not make sense, or impress !

[DepDavid]

5 hours ago, sencelebi said:

What that camera does on top of the roof, face recognition or what?

I was told bi immigration that it was satellite antenna!

[Scot123]

7 hours ago, DLock said:

You stick a computer and a WIFI hub in a 1973 Datsun 1200, and it will do the same job.

 

Trying to rationalize BMW's so you can buy more is so transparent.

 

Should have gone with a Lambo or Porsche - BMW are one step above a Camry.

 

Aim higher kid.

Personally I would put the Camry far higher than a BMW and a LEXUS well, even the new RAV4 would have been a better choice far better mileage, more space and running costs very low and they have the same or more USP power points.