clippy wrote:most long term overstayer will be living in grotty $60 a month apartment rooms, are they all going to be linked to immigration by computer too? and whats to stop people bribing the underpaid guy on reception to just not enter your details at all

are they going to deport all the vietnamese who don't have papers too?

Cam Nivag wrote:We had a poll on this last year on K440 and according to the poll, 0% of Westerners are overstaying their visas.

OrangeDragon wrote:

clippy wrote:most long term overstayer will be living in grotty $60 a month apartment rooms, are they all going to be linked to immigration by computer too? and whats to stop people bribing the underpaid guy on reception to just not enter your details at all

are they going to deport all the vietnamese who don't have papers too?

the thing that will stop people bribing reception is that the guest houses will get shut down if they're caught. say if the guy has a motorbike accident and they ask him where he's staying, but end up not having a record of him there. end of a guesthouse. they're actually building a police force specifically for this task... that's the degree of seriousness they're approaching it with. as for the apartment rooms, they're still going to be required to turn into the paper copies... and the same thing applies, having their businesses shut down.

OrangeDragon wrote:Some information I've come across for a software package I'm working on:

They DO actually have a comprehensive database of Visa Numbers (and expiration dates) and the passport numbers they're attached to. Currently that's sort of useless for tracking down an overstayer, because it relies on guesthouses to turn in what is called the "White Form" and make sure it's filled out properly, then someone else to either search all of these documents or enter it into a computer. Neither of which happen. It also doesn't show check-out date, so a person moving a lot will be pretty hard to find with a lot of wild goose chases.

HOWEVER... like the work permits, this is soon to change. The information will be entered digitally at the guest houses at check in, and anyone overstaying will flag immediately with the immigration ministry. An overstayer checking into a guesthouse will be able to expect police to arrive within the hour. Upside, anyone overstaying on accident will be immediately notified and a small fine handed out. Downside, anyone not having the visa renewal money at that time will be screwed.

Joon wrote:

OrangeDragon wrote:Some information I've come across for a software package I'm working on:

They DO actually have a comprehensive database of Visa Numbers (and expiration dates) and the passport numbers they're attached to. Currently that's sort of useless for tracking down an overstayer, because it relies on guesthouses to turn in what is called the "White Form" and make sure it's filled out properly, then someone else to either search all of these documents or enter it into a computer. Neither of which happen. It also doesn't show check-out date, so a person moving a lot will be pretty hard to find with a lot of wild goose chases.

HOWEVER... like the work permits, this is soon to change. The information will be entered digitally at the guest houses at check in, and anyone overstaying will flag immediately with the immigration ministry. An overstayer checking into a guesthouse will be able to expect police to arrive within the hour. Upside, anyone overstaying on accident will be immediately notified and a small fine handed out. Downside, anyone not having the visa renewal money at that time will be screwed.

That part is interesting. Would the department of immigration have the capacity and infrastructure to flag passports that have overstayed their visas by comparing arrival forms and visas number with departure forms?