Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing some recently published information regarding the new Head of Immigration, the new Chief of Immigration; discussion on collection of data on foreign nationals here in Thailand. 

A recent article from the Thai Examiner, that is the thaiexaminer.com, a lot of information in here. I really urge people who are watching this video go check out that article because it is very insightful. The article is titled: New Immigration Bureau Boss Signals New Orders so Police can Easily Track Down Foreign Suspects in Thailand. Quoting directly: "The newly installed Immigration Police Chief wants to create a climate of fear against foreign criminals who are waiting for the opportunity to use Thailand as a base for their operations once inward tourism resumes into the country on a wider scale when the COVID-19 crisis ends. He says better screening and database technology has already helped to make Thailand less of a paradise for these types who use the country for drug trafficking and a range of online scams that not only damage the country's reputation but cause harm to Thai people. Thailand's new Immigration Bureau Boss wants a tighter ship when it comes to tracking foreign residents in the Kingdom and tourists. The new Police Boss wants to see an improvement in security databases and intelligence on foreigners living in Thailand going forward." 

So interesting stuff. I definitely would say I think folks that watch my channel, I am always concerned when I hear these kinds of things. That said, foreign nationals in a given country often times are not accorded the same level of privacy protections etc. as natives of that given country. Now the question becomes, to one degree or another, I do think that the newly current Head of Immigration is pretty serious about this. I mean it is clear to me he is making his position known here at the outset. We oftentimes see this; a kind of signal the way that they are going to operate in the job if you will and the question becomes: what does this extra data collection mean? Is it going to be more forms? or are they going to better collate the data through databases? digitization? Again it all remains to be seen  

As we noted in other videos, biometrics especially a couple of years ago, the biometric system radically changed the way Immigration was able to enforce policy and deal with quite frankly folks that they deemed undesirable or that they did not want to come into the Kingdom. Biometrics really cut through a lot of the, I hesitate to say red tape, but it cut through the fog if you will because biometrics, I mean my understanding is it is either impossible or nearly impossible to fake biometrics. So if you are in the database, in The Blacklist and they had your biometric data, and you try to re-enter Thailand well you were kind of "up a creek as they say without a paddle" because you were going to be found and they turned you away. 

As we have discussed in other videos the APP system and the PIBICS system, those also are online and they are having a tremendous impact on the efficiency and the efficacy of the Thai Immigration apparatus. It will be interesting to watch moving forward how the new Immigration Police Chief proceeds as I think we are probably going to see a much, tighter ship as they say with respect to Immigration moving forward here in the Kingdom of Thailand.