Thailand News

aussie dollar · #1 15-02-2006, 02:36

Ranong 12 finally set free

RANONG: “The Ranong 12”, a group of 12 foreign tourists arrested on the morning of February 8 for overstaying their visas, were freed on Sunday.

The most that any of the 12 had overstayed was six days. Others were just 24 hours over the limit.

During their five-day ordeal they spent the first two nights on dirty police cell floors in Kapoe District and the next two locked up in minibuses on overnight journeys to and from Bangkok, where they were sent to be processed for deportation.

The detainees were eventually spared deportation from Bangkok following successful negotiations between their embassies and top Immigration officials in the capital.

They were then returned, still under detention, to Ranong, from where they finally left the country under expulsion orders. They then re-entered the country as free men an d women on new tourist visas.

The arrests have caused confusion and fear among foreign tourists and resident expats, who for years have been able to depart the country after overstaying – within reason – their permit-to-stay by simply paying a 200-baht-a-day fine.

One of the 12 arrested, Australian Chris Taylor, 31, told the Gazette today, “We were under arrest the whole time … when we weren’t locked in a cage we were being escorted by Immigration or other police officials … many people did not sleep at all for the whole time … They weren’t giving us information, and when they did give us information they lied to us,” he said.

He said that when he finally got back to Phuket, nobody could believe he had been locked up for five days because of a one-day overstay.

“The way we were treated was shocking … Some of the food I couldn’t eat; it was jus t bloody dog food. The Kapoe Police did their best to accommodate us; they tried to make us comfortable. They did their best with the sleeping arrangements, but I don’t think they really knew what was going on.

“But the Tourist Police, Immigration Police in Bangkok and especially the Immigration Police in Ranong, none could speak English at all – and they were very rude, treating us like crap,” he said.

He said that the day before his tourist visa was set to expire he went to Phuket Immigration, where he was told that a one-day overstay would not cause a problem.

“‘Just do a visa run tomorrow and pay a 200-baht fine,’ they told me,” he said, adding that they should have advised him to extend his visa by 10 days then and there as he faced possible arrest as an overstay.

Despite all the discomfort, he said he would continue his vacation in Thail and by making new reservations for a flight to Chiang Mai, as his original tickets had expired and were non-refundable.

“I am just tired and need to rest for a few days first,” he said.

Australian Embassy officials in Bangkok had done an extraordinary job in negotiating with Thai Immigration officials in Bangkok, he added.

Another member of the group, Swede Olaf Fredling, also said he would not let the experience put him off vacationing in Thailand. Like his Australian co-detainee, he said the actions of a few didn’t reflect badly on all of Thailand.

“But my feet are really bad right now from all the standing around. We never got a chance to lay down … but sure, I am going to stay in Thailand,” he said.

Janpen Munsa, owner of the Penphet Visa Run Company, said the arrests were unprecedented in the company’s six-year hist ory and had hurt her business because former customers now feared arrest if they use it.

“The company is registered as visa run business, but they arrested [our customers] – using rude words and bad behavior,” she said, adding that hers is just one of three companies providing the service.

“Why was our vehicle pulled over and our overstayed customers singled out?” she wanted to know.

Anchalee Praphut, owner of Angelina Travel and Tour Agency, which arranged the visa tour for one of the overstays, said the whole episode had sullied the reputation of the Tourist Police.

She had to plead with the police to allow two of the group who were diabetic to have insulin shots, which they had to pay for themselves.

She called on the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to look into the matter, saying that TAT efforts to promote tourism abroad would be all for nothing if the Tourist Police treated foreign tourists so badly after they arrived.

Ranong Governor Mekin Methawikul, who was informed of the issue by K. Anchalee, told the Gazette that he had sent a formal request to the head of the Ranong Tourist Police for a report about the incident.

He said that the Tourist Police Chief told him that there had been cases of foreigners using the visa runs to smuggle ya bah (methamphetamine) into the country from Burma, so his staff needed to check foreigners on visa runs carefully.

As the Tourist Police do not have the authority to stop moving vehicles, they had called on the Highway Police for assistance. Another bus on a visa run that followed shortly thereafter was allowed to pass by because the police did not want to create traffic congestion, the Governor said.

Gov Mek in added that, as the arresting officers were low-level police, it was unrealistic to expect them to communicate well in English.

“The tour company staff, who speak English, should have explained to the tourists what was going on,” he said.

“I admit this type of thing has never before happened in Ranong and I have told the Tourist Police to prevent this kind of thing from happening [again]. Still, I think the officers did their jobs according to procedure,” he said.

Meanwhile, a Gazette reader with an expired permit to stay reported that he flew out of Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur with no problems at all – not even a fine.

Indeed, when he asked Immigration in Bangkok why they were not fining him, he was told, “Your permit expired less than 24 hours ago, so we are not going to fine you.”

“But I want to pay,” the t raveler said. “I really do. Please let me pay, because I don’t want to find, three years from now, that I am in trouble for not paying.”

He was escorted to the office of a captain of Immigration Police who stamped his passport with a special stamp stating, “[The passport holder] has overstayed his visa by one day (not more than 24 hours) and has thus been cleared, as specified under the orders of the Immigration Division 2 Inspector.”

Clearly, Immigration – whose job it is to keep an eye on and regulate all foreigners – do not regard a short overstay as being a great crime – unlike the Tourist and Highway Police of Ranong.

Brought to you by:
The Phuket Gazette
18:47 local time (GMT +7)

shark1963 · #2 15-02-2006, 07:47

I think the Tourist Police did a good job!Not easy to make much more damage as they did! A small excuse for the treatment by the Tourist Police would appropriately. But this seems to be a kind of Face Lost if they would. Bad farangs.

stevem · #3 15-02-2006, 07:50

Whether the tourist police did right or wrong is not the issue here, if farang didnt overstay then there would be no need for any of this to happen.

aussie dollar · #4 15-02-2006, 08:01

dont think i would risk it always stay legal they no problems

LivinLOS · #5 15-02-2006, 08:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevem

Whether the tourist police did right or wrong is not the issue here, if farang didnt overstay then there would be no need for any of this to happen.

Yes but some people dont know the rules as well.. When questioned immigration has often told me to not worry about a day or two here or there.. They told one of the detainees the same..

If immigration themselves give that kind of advice theres a big margin for error.. No clear consistancy is typical in police immigration / tourist police / etc policies..

stevem · #6 15-02-2006, 08:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by LivinLOS

Yes but some people dont know the rules as well.. When questioned immigration has often told me to not worry about a day or two here or there.. They told one of the detainees the same..

If immigration themselves give that kind of advice theres a big margin for error.. No clear consistancy is typical in police immigration / tourist police / etc policies..

Thats the whole root of the problem, the law in Thailand is interpreted very differently by the various law enforcement agencies, and then applied as they see fit at the time.

Lets just hope that word has gotten out to everyone now, not to overstay at all.

fun2have · #7 15-02-2006, 12:07

i always am worried when i see farangs break the law in los.

los is a police state, the police can make your life very uncomfortable.

i agree with LIL about conflicting advice from various agencies, but i always err on the conservative side.

those people visa runners broke the law, and i think they were very lucky to be not "stamped never to return" on their passport.

dogblower · #8 15-02-2006, 12:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevem

Thats the whole root of the problem, the law in Thailand is interpreted very differently by the various law enforcement agencies, and then applied as they see fit at the time.

Lets just hope that word has gotten out to everyone now, not to overstay at all.

Perhaps that was the whole point of this little exercise.

fun2have · #9 15-02-2006, 15:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by dogblower

Perhaps that was the whole point of this little exercise.

agree with you there DB, maybe the phuket government agencies are just sending a little message to farangs.

maybe some loose talk about " how much are you overstayed mate" has fallen on the wrong ears

Captain · #10 15-02-2006, 16:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by aussie dollar

He said that the Tourist Police Chief told him that there had been cases of foreigners using the visa runs to smuggle ya bah (methamphetamine) into the country from Burma, so his staff needed to check foreigners on visa runs carefully.

Posted this allready in the other tread about this case
So they check people leaving the country to see if they "import" yaba? Makes no sense. If they want to look for smugling into Thailand they have more chance catching when they come back from Myanmar.

aussie dollar · #11 15-02-2006, 16:08

sorry captain missed it was it in the news section ?

Captain · #12 15-02-2006, 16:19

Yes. Look to similar threads down this page

aussie dollar · #13 16-02-2006, 07:59

Different story
like to have
Brought to you by:
The Phuket Gazette
18:47 local time (GMT +7)
so publisher can be seen
as I dont write them
treated it as new article as about the conclusion of first story,I post these articles to create discussion on the forum and this has had a few replies.
sorry If I offened anybody

Sirgezza · #14 17-02-2006, 00:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by aussie dollar

Different story
like to have
Brought to you by:
The Phuket Gazette
18:47 local time (GMT +7)
so publisher can be seen
as I dont write them
treated it as new article as about the conclusion of first story,I post these articles to create discussion on the forum and this has had a few replies.
sorry If I offened anybody

Keep up the good work AD. I'm too lazy to look at the Phuket Gazette, so appreciate you posting the stuff here.