Bangkok Post : New drive to expel foreign undesirables

News » Local News

New drive to expel foreign undesirables

IMMIGRATION VOWS END TO SAFE HAVEN

Published: 21/02/2010 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News

The Immigration Bureau has launched a campaign to drive out hundreds of foreign criminals living in Thailand.

MEANS BUSINESS: Wuthi Liptapallop. PHOTO: TAWATCHAI KEMGUMNERD

Bureau commissioner Wuthi Liptapallop said Thailand was known worldwide as a haven for criminals because of its relatively easy-going visa policies.

''I don't want Thailand to be known as a place where foreign criminals hide and conduct illegal activities _ but they do, especially in Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Koh Samui and Phuket,'' Pol Lt Gen Wuthi said in an exclusive interview with the Bangkok Post Sunday.

''We want these and other places in Thailand to be tourist destinations, not places for foreign criminals and gangs.''

The full background: Ridding Thailand of foreign criminals

A new National Criminal Centre, to be based at the immigration office in Soi Suan Phlu, will open next month to handle police requests from abroad to track down foreign criminals, Pol Lt Gen Wuthi said.

The crackdown will target both foreign nationals who have an outstanding international arrest warrant against them and those who have committed offences while residing in Thailand.

Pol Lt Gen Wuthi, who also heads the Transnational Crime Coordination Unit within the bureau, said they had the names of the ''most wanted'' people sought by the the US's Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Interpol.

The National Criminal Centre would have an advantage.

''We have so much information and data, starting with the entry of people into the country until their departure.

''This is an advantage that has never really been fully exploited.''

He said they also had a list of about 1,000 foreign nationals with arrest warrants issued by Thai courts.

''We will try to classify the various warrants and arrange them into categories such as human trafficking, robbery, terrorism, drugs and so on.

''I will launch a battle against all the criminals _ to find and arrest them.

''I estimate that at least half of these wanted people are still in Thailand,'' he said.

Pol Lt Gen Wuthi, who served as commissioner of the Narcotic Suppression Bureau (NSB), deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and commander of the Tourist Police (TP), took over as immigration chief in November.

He said his previous experience had shown him there was a lack of coordination between local law enforcement agencies working on rooting out transnational crime in Thailand.

''When the NSB receives information about foreign drug traffickers, we would like to receive the same information here. We want to be linked to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Interpol and to other foreign law enforcement organisations,'' he said.

As proof of this new direction, Pol Lt Gen Wuthi pointed to the arrest last week of Anai Kenichi, accused of murdering a rival Yakuza member in Japan last June.

Give us your ideas!

What do you want to see at the website? We need your input! We appreciate your suggestions.

Take survey

About the author

: Writer: Maxmilian Wechsler; Position: Freelance writer

Keep this article in your social bookmark:

Latest stories in this category:

Share your thoughts

For more candid, lengthy, conversational and open discussion between one another, use our Forum

Report objectionable comments click here. Include: discussion #, commenter name, comment date / time as it looks on the page. Example: discussion 15: 09/01/2009 at 10:00 AM.

Suku

Discussion 42 : 24/02/2010 at 12:00 AM42
Hi..
it is easy to pose a tough stance, than to act tough ! as is same with the Chief of Immigration who would growl in front of the Tiger's Statue, but piss in front of a real tiger ! The whole issue is today ingrained in the system, over years, in various forms, so much integrated and entrenched, that just an individual effort, raising a single finger, is futile: no finger had ever moved a mountain, in reality. Ok, even the luk-nong in the Immigration department who read this article would have said : Mai Ru Ruang Loei !!! Instead of giving an interview which is meaningless, better ask the Immigration Chief to study the systems in other countries. 20 years back, when I applied for 1 year visa in Togo, within 24 hours, the Immigration Department had visited the place of Work and Residence, and within 14 days, issued a Temporary Visa Card, of their country. They informed me that this was necessary to IDENTIFY THE GOOD OR REAL CASES. In 20 years, the Thai Immigration did not evolve even 1% in this direction, so the pronouncements of this Chief is just a passing cloud...in 20 years, this Chief would be a mummy of the Egyptian tombs..
jd

Discussion 41 : 22/02/2010 at 01:40 PM41
stop moaning about thailand and expats getting problems here, this is why
1 they never listen and learn
2all they do is moan most times about about themselves.SELF INFLICTED PROBLEMS
3 we have guideines to follow here and if you follw them most times you will be ok ,the same as any other country.
YOU HAVE A CHOICE 2 IF YOU DONT LIKE IT AND CANT CHANGE IT... GET OUT ITS YOUR FREE CHOICE.

I HAVE LIVED HERE FOR 20 YEARS AND SO FAR I MANAGED TO STAY OUT OF TROUBLE
Mnkutbory

Discussion 40 : 22/02/2010 at 08:23 AM40
So if you want to arrest any criminals please let start with the group that held up international airport and govt.building those cause millions of dollars from tax payers and then.....
j d

Discussion 39 : 22/02/2010 at 07:17 AM39
good idea if it ever works,ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS
what we got here now in thailand,are more and more expats fleeing from spain etc bringing with them there criminal activities.
they are only looking for one thing to surrive here....VICTIMS.....KEEP THEM OUY GET RID OF THEM WE DONT WANT THEM.
David Heaston MD

Discussion 38 : 22/02/2010 at 12:11 AM38
For all you ex-pats living in Thailand, you surely enjoy complaining about the country. If things are so terrible in Thailand, why don't just leave and go back to your home country? We have the same problem in California-people from New York come to live here, complain about the high cost of living, the high cost of home ownership and the lack of jobs. I always encourage to back from where they came from and stay there. For some people, if they did not have anything to complain about, they would complain about that. Enjoy your life and accept what it is.
Bubba

Discussion 37 : 21/02/2010 at 11:50 PM37
- 'Thailand was known worldwide as a haven for criminals because of its relatively easy-going visa policies'

This is a joke. More farang-bashing coming?

I am all for hunting down criminals but why this ridiculous reference to easy visa acquisition which in fact is false?

The big players in crime can figure out easier and more long term ways of getting into the country than doing visa runs like so many farang do.

I suspect the real problem is foreign criminals are too much competition for the Thai criminals.
Mega Doochy

Discussion 36 : 21/02/2010 at 10:58 PM36
how many immigration officers is Wuthi gonna bust at Suvarnabhumi Airport?
shame

Discussion 35 : 21/02/2010 at 09:28 PM35
WUTHI, start how we (local and foreign) look at the policemen doing their daily work, did they collect money, as part of the corruption that we know, fix your internal, before challenge what outside opinion. You open the floor for those people, don't count all foreigner.
Daboyz

Discussion 34 : 21/02/2010 at 08:52 PM34
I thought Dubai was the place to hide out if you are a criminal.
HammerHarry

Discussion 33 : 21/02/2010 at 08:42 PM33
Khun Wuthi Liptapallop and about time its long over due but fine words - but money talks and the rest well is just hot air my friend - you need to sort out your visa rules first, why because half your immigration staff do not even know them, not only does it differ from office to office, you can go to the same office one day and the next come back to the same office and bam they want something ridiculous, I was actually asked this for a picture outside my house with my wife (Who is not Thai) with the number of the house visible which we did, the next day they said they wanted the same picture with the main gates open so they knew that is where we were living, this was after showing them company papers, work permits, LOI, almost 75 photo copies of everything, when we went back for final time we met a very friendly female immigration officer who said why have you photo copied all this rubbish and what are these photos, all you can do is shake your head. But I must agree with him Thailand is a safe haven for criminals but there own embassies know they are here, but why have them on there own door steps when you can leave them on someone else’s, An arrest warrant for a foreign national out of a Thai court is about as much use as an ash tray on a motorbike. We have all seen how the Thai police efficiently deal with an Interpol warrant and they do it very quickly, it is a pity they can not act as quick with there own.

It is easier to find Thai criminals sir – just visit your local police station, arrest every police officer assigned to the Chon Buri / Pattaya districts that would be a good start, there is enough video evidence on You tube and other video social uploading sites to grab dozens of them. You cannot clean someone else’s house without cleaning your own first. As three examples, the NYPD, The NSW police in Australia and the Metropolitan police department in London all cleaned house going back to the 70’s & 80’s then they went after the criminal’s, they knew it was pointless chasing criminals with half the police force on there payrolls. I applaud your intentions but action speaks louder than words, look closer to home sir then target your smaller problems, 1000 foreigners against tens of thousands of police who are supposed to protect and serve the people of this country.

This will all be forgotten about next week, which is not funny it is actually quite sad because I actually believe Khun Wuthi Liptapallop has good intentions. Finally I point you to the United Nations charter on organised crime where again it is sad to say they the UN acknowledges the strong links between the Thai police force and local as well as international organised crime.

I rest my case. But never the less I wish you the best of luck.

1 2 3 4 5 Next Last