Rumours of Immigration Crackdown

Post by **Perente** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 5:45 pm

I have heard a couple of rumours over the last few days. According to these rumours Immigration are cracking down on Farang bar owners working without a work permit. I have been told that 2 owners have been arrested, and others have been "taken away". Has any-one else heard these rumours, can any-one add anything substantial to them?

Post by **tuktukmike** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 8:56 pm

Parente

I could tell you a whole load more but it would not be a good idea for me.

Lets just say that it makes no differance work permit or no wp.

All i can say is look out, there are new guys around from another province.

Mike.

Anyone who has a problem with IM should call Kate on 017026844.

She works for the British Embassy and is well aware of the probs here.

Post by **Guess** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 3:09 am

Yes it's more than just rumours. I know of two bar owners that have been arrested by plain clothes Immigration Officials. A third was warned of their approach by his staff and decided to stay away frojm the bar. He was flying back to the States in a couple of days anyway.

I have also heard a number of rumours of other business men being arrested.

In all cases, as far as I know, money changed hands before release implying that the whole sting is based on screwing money out of Farang.

The police as usual are no help and I have heard that they were the ones who provided the details in the first place.

Post by **lomuamart** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 3:37 am

Nothing new. It's just become more strict as there's money to be made.

Post by **tuktukmike** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 11:16 am

Guess

You are of course right, money does change hands and of course no recipt is given.

Have to dissagree with Louamart, in the 7 years i have been around i have never known anything like this.

All i would ask is that everyone stores the number i have given in the earlier post into their mobiles. We are all at risk at the moment.

If you get arrested remember one thing, they will tell you that after arresting you that you will be sent to BKK and imprisioned until a flight can be arranged to send you home.

Not true, they have to bail you to appear in court. This is something they really dont want as you can of course put your case.

Which is why they keep you sitting around under the threat of arrest while someone sort of explains that maybe you pay.

Also be aware of non farang hanging around the bar listening to your conversations.

I think i have said enough on this subject for now. just be carefull out there at the moment.

Mike.

Post by **lomuamart** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 2:02 pm

TT. I had a bar years ago and it was common practice for Imm from BKK to come down to HH once a year at least.
In those days, we were tipped off first and for 2-3 days no-one went behind their bars. After BKK had gone back the local guys were around thanking us for our cooperation in making them look good and it was "OK, everything's back to normal now".
Evidently, this dosn't happen any more.
What you're saying about keeping that number etc is sound advice.

Post by **Mart** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 7:51 pm

I know I might sound naive, but I thought that if you had a non B, you could be in or around the bar/restaurant no problem, if you had a work permit, then you could work.

Very scary....

How long does this 'crackdown' last for?

Mart

Post by **tuktukmike** » Sun Mar 26, 2006 11:24 pm

As far as i know you can not get a work permit for a beer bar but maybe this is only in pattaya.

Everyone from all the nationalitys shoud carry their Embassy Duty number at all times.

Mike.

Post by **lomuamart** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 6:19 am

My understanding of the work permit thing for a bar is that it only really allows you to act as a director. You can keep the books, file the accounts and "direct" people in terms of what to do.
You are not permitted to serve a drink. This harps back to rule that in order to get a permit, you must be able to show that you can do a job better than a Thai. Bit difficult to demonstrate that you can open a bottle of beer better than them.
I never bothered with that route. I could only see that we would have paid more tax, that's all. Other duties are possible, I think - cooking, for instance, as long as it's speciality stuff.
If you havn't got a permit and the authorities don't like you, they can claim you're working just by sitting in your bar and talking to customers. That did happen to a farang years ago on Bintabart. He was told that if he was seen on the premises, he'd be arrested on the spot. Poor chap had to sit in the place opposite and just watch!!

Post by **Norseman** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 8:51 am

lomuamart wrote:Bit difficult to demonstrate that you can open a bottle of beer better than them.

I've watched you open a bottle of beer lomu.
What a wonderful technique you have!!
You are the number one bottle opener in Hua Hin. No doubt in my mind.

Joke aside, I think you are right with the work permit thing.
As far as I know you can not work in your own bar, that's solely for the thai employees to do.
As long as you confine yourself to administrative work they can't touch you.

Post by **tuktukmike** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 11:32 am

Hi Lomu

From what i have been told you are right about sitting in your own bar, it seems they now consider this working.

It would seem that what is going on is not so much a crackdown but something more sinister.

Mike.

Post by **chelsea** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 12:11 pm

lomuamart, When I was in HH last June, I was sitting having a drink with Rod who runs the Shed Bar, and he told me exactly the same as you have just posted word for word.

He stated, that even if he was in the bar , customers came in and there was no one behind the bar, he could not serve a drink of any kind, otherwise what is happening now would have happened to him.

He said that someone could be passing the bar, see him serve a drink, report him to the authorities and he would be out of the country as fast as they could get him out.

What you will all have to do is sit in the bar opposite the one that you own and direct operations by mobile phone from there. Surely there cannot be a rule against that.

I know that when I was in HH last year, the guy that owns Crawfords used to spend most of the day sitting in the London Lounge making sure that the thai builders who were building his bar, were working as they should.

Good luck everyone, you will all have to be watching each others backs for a while by the sound of it.

Post by **lomuamart** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 1:00 pm

And it could be anyone who reports you. I remember a situation a long time ago where some farangs opened a new business venture down south. On the opening night the wife of one of the farang partners told the farang in question to go behind the bar for an "album shapshot". He did and that photo was with immigration the next day. He was deported!!

Post by **buksida** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 2:07 pm

<rant>

I think what we need to do is watch each others backs a bit more. It really pisses me off sometimes this town and its inhabitants. We have enough problems with corrupt officials demanding cash and threatening us without other foreigners constantly ripping each other off and using underhanded business tactics.

We should be looking out for each other a little more and not always trying to shaft each other.

</rant>

JW · Post by JW » Mon Mar 27, 2006 5:56 pm

Agree 100%, how stupid is it to create problems between ourselves when its tough enough just to stay in the country. It seems its a British thing, we like to knock down those who have any sort of success.