Briton Details Thai Prison Ordeal in Bangkok

5 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

I think that's certainly a possibility. Some operators may simply be running a scam, inserting counterfeit stamps, taking the money and disappearing the moment things go wrong.

What I suspect is more likely is that there are agents with contacts who can obtain genuine stamps or genuine access to official processes, but in a manner that is entirely improper or fraudulent. To the customer, everything appears legitimate because the stamp itself looks legitimate.

The difficulty is that the person paying for the service often has very little way of knowing where the line between "assistance" and outright fraud is actually being crossed.

Let's be honest, plenty of retirees have used nominee fund arrangements or similar services to satisfy financial requirements that they would not otherwise meet. Whether people like it or not, those arrangements exist in a legal grey area at best, and many are openly discussed and even recommended on forums such as this one.

The reality is that people become accustomed to hearing that "everyone does it" and that certain agents are "trusted".

After a while, it becomes easy to convince yourself that if a service is widely used, it must also be legitimate.

They're told the agent is "well connected", "knows the right people", or has been "doing this for years", and they assume the arrangement is authorised.

Well i do know one of the largest in Pattaya has their own employees more or less permanently stationed at immigration where they obviously know everyone and are there to grease the system as needed to help their clients . They also have an employee in uniform with their company name on it based at the bank where the 800 k appears and then disappears....i think one can pretty safely assume that both the immigration officials as well as the bank officials are well aware of what is going on.

17 hours ago, JerryM said:

The definition of a 'reputable agent' is in Thai Penal Code Sec.143:

Section 143. Accepting Benefit by Member of Government

Whoever, demanding, accepting or agreeing to accept a property or any other benefit for himself or the other person as a return for inducting or having induced, by dishonest or unlawful means, or by using his influence, any official, ... to exercise or not to exercise any of his functions, which is advantageous or disadvantageous to any person (penalty)

The IO has the right to exercise discretion in the process, thus it is not illegal and doesn't fall under the purview of this law. No crime has been committed.

This 'debate' has been raging since I first visited 20 years ago and I've not found a single example of a foreigner who used an agent and was denied entry based on that stamp. There have been many shenanigans surrounding visa runs where the passport went to Cambodia whilst its owner was perched on a barstool, but that's not the same thing.

Please post just one example of when someone used a legitimate agent and was sanctioned for passing through immigration with one of those stamps.

Maybe Western countries need to start educating their citizens on how to navigate a corrupt environment. "If it's crooked get away from it" might be good advice but it is not always that simple.

In boyo's case here it was probably his agents who did the actual forged markings, and how would a farang tourist know that the agent was acting illegally?

56 minutes ago, flaming dragon said:

Please post just one example of when someone used a legitimate agent and was sanctioned for passing through immigration with one of those stamps.

RTP Immigration arrest thyself hasn't and isn't gonna happen.

Maybe it will come from something like this:

- Medium-term measures: 6–9 months -

The Immigration Bureau will lead operations with relevant agencies to inspect foreigner databases, verify documents and evidence, review visa extension requests and examine foreign business operations.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3253894/thailand-moves-to-uproot-illegal-foreign-activities

1 hour ago, flaming dragon said:

The IO has the right to exercise discretion in the process, thus it is not illegal and doesn't fall under the purview of this law. No crime has been committed

The IO claims his/her discretion under ORDER OF THE IMMIGRATION BUREAU

No. 327/2557 Clause 5 to waive any or all extension requirements for 1900 baht.

How much does one pay the agent?

And that whole discretion order is under sec. 35 IMM Act:

20 hours ago, Pasak110 said:

The other surprising thing is on release he wasn't interviewed by one of the Thai based YouTube interviewers,

the Irish lad, or that pretend farmer out in the sticks....

Deported, and straight to departures?

They are not free to wander between release from prison and deportation.

Heard in a bar telecon recently. re a Bangkok prison.

How is Davy " ?

He's out now ....said t was the worst nick

he'd ever been in " !

19 hours ago, RMK54 said:

Don’t lie or try to cheat Thailand, it’s that simple!

Absolutely, leave it them or maybe just the 1% richest, frustrating as it may be...

12 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

The lesson is simple: if you need a visa, deal directly with Immigration. If something sounds too easy, too convenient, or too expensive to be true, it probably is.

I fully agree with you but have to add one thing: To do visas and visa extensions yourself can sometimes be a bit confusing, especially when they change the rules but if you don't do it yourself you will never learn and stay updated.

I have sorted out my own visas for 26 years, but I have also filed my own tax returns for the past 2 years. Most foreigners living here have no clue how the Thai tax system works and many don't bother to file their tax return despite living here for 180 days or more in a calendar year and sending over money from abroad. They could very well be approached by the taxman in the future and end up in trouble, not only for that particular year but all the way back to 1 January 2024 when the changes in the tax system started to affect also foreigners. All they want us to do is to file a tax return once a year. Most foreigners living here must file their tax return but very few have to pay tax due to generous deductions and tax already paid abroad, which give you full tax credit. If you don't know how to file your tax return, they'll help you at the local revenue office or you can contact a certified local Thai accountant and pay for the service but make sure that he/she is certified.

Conclusion: Follow Thai laws and regulations while staying in Thailand and you will avoid prison time and fines.

11 hours ago, keithcresswell said:

FYI you no longer get a stamp when departing BKK its electronic gates now.

Really? I don’t really know as I exit via Phuket which is distinctly old school. Maybe the suspicion was raised because he had stamps and the electronic gates meant there shouldn’t be any. 😂 just kidding

7 hours ago, flaming dragon said:

The IO has the right to exercise discretion in the process, thus it is not illegal and doesn't fall under the purview of this law. No crime has been committed.

I think you read that wrong. It says:

... as a return for inducting or having induced,

by dishonest or unlawful means (IE a bribe), or

by using his influence,

any official, ... to exercise or not to exercise any of his functions (or use his/her discretion as interpreted by many) , which is advantageous or disadvantageous to any person (IE the client).

And this Section is addressing the activities of a facilitator, not the IO.

2 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

14 hours ago, keithcresswell said:

FYI you no longer get a stamp when departing BKK its electronic gates now.

Really? I don’t really know as I exit via Phuket which is distinctly old school. Maybe the suspicion was raised because he had stamps and the electronic gates meant there shouldn’t be any. 😂 just kidding

Phuket is actually ahead of the curve - its also now trialing Immigration E-Gates on arrival (for holders of biometric / e-passports) which most of us hold.

I'm assuming the end game - with the biometric recognition - any abuse beyond conventional rules and permissions of stay / or arrivals which exceed standard admittance / arrival regulations would see the passenger flagged for 'human immigration officer' intervention.

This would naturally mean - rules have to be crystal clear for those 'stretching out their stay here' etc and timing overseas spells to fit within a 'set boundary' of regulations - all of which at the moment are particularly muddy and seem to change month by month and airport to airport.

Stamps / in and out - will soon be a think of the past - at least at the Major Airports - and any human processing (stamps) will be logged directly into an immigration database rendering the stamp itself (if they give one) nothing more than an ornament in your passport.

IMO - the only key facet here - is having the ability to log in with your name and Passport Details (perhaps a visa number etc) and checking your permission of stay online (which other countries already do).

https://aseannow.com/topic/1396050-phuket-airport-to-open-automated-passport-gates-on-june-13/

8 hours ago, bendejo said:

Maybe Western countries need to start educating their citizens on how to navigate a corrupt environment. "If it's crooked get away from it" might be good advice but it is not always that simple.

In boyo's case here it was probably his agents who did the actual forged markings, and how would a farang tourist know that the agent was acting illegally?

Based on the information available, that does appear to be a possibility.

The scenario that a rogue agent was simply applying counterfeit stamps and pocketing the money is highly feasible. Although, in reality, it is difficult to see how such an operation could survive for long before being detected, particularly given that Immigration has every incentive to identify and prosecute this type of fraud.

The more realisitic possibility is an agent operating through a corrupt contact within Immigration, whereby genuine stamps are applied fraudulently in exchange for payment. In that situation, the traveller receives what appears to be a legitimate immigration record, but the underlying database entry may never be made due to forgetfulness, oversight, laziness, or some other administrative failure - i.e. maybe the agent handed over 20 passports for 'fraudulent stamping' and the IO forgot to add the digital data for one of them by mistake (i.e. just being crap and lazy).

That would explain why physical stamps could exist while the electronic immigration records do not correspond.

What seems highly unlikely is that this young man independently manufactured stamps and attempted to engineer the entire deception himself. The level of knowledge, access and confidence required would strongly suggest the involvement of third partys somewhere in the process (namely agents and a slippery Immigration officer).

10 hours ago, pomchop said:

Well i do know one of the largest in Pattaya has their own employees more or less permanently stationed at immigration where they obviously know everyone and are there to grease the system as needed to help their clients . They also have an employee in uniform with their company name on it based at the bank where the 800 k appears and then disappears....i think one can pretty safely assume that both the immigration officials as well as the bank officials are well aware of what is going on.

100% agree - everyone is happy, everyone takes their cut.

28 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

100% agree - everyone is happy, everyone takes their cut.

As I have noted RTP Immigration, arrest thyself ain't gonna happen.

Other than the recently announced corruption review, for things to change will take someone with a grudge filing a complaint as did Chuwit in Khon Kaen

:Visa racket report fingers 107 immigration officers

Police submit 139,000 pages of documents to graft-busters on enablers of Chinese nationals

In many cases, documents issued by language schools or volunteer foundations were used to support applications for visa extensions.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2524191/visa-racket-report-fingers-107-immigration-officers

He got off lightly. I guess you cant fix stupid.

19 minutes ago, JerryM said:

Other than the recently announced corruption review, for things to change will take someone with a grudge filing a complaint as did Chuwit in Khon Kaen

As in this:

FYI you no longer get a stamp when departing BKK its electronic gates now.

I get stamped out of Swampy every time because the e-gates reject my US passport. Happened several times in a row, so I just walk over to the nice Immigration Officers without even trying the e-gates any more. (Edit: I've run into other Americans with the same problem, and no clue why)

The people "directing traffic" don't stop anyone. They even tried my passport themselves on the e-gates and they got the same result. No luv.

That's handy info for anyone who needs an exit stamp for whatever reason. It doesn't hurt to have the proof, and there's virtually no queue any more.

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

100% agree - everyone is happy, everyone takes their cut.

The official agent chamber-of-commerce story is that all moneys paid to the agent except the 1900 baht for extension is a facilitation fee for the agent. Such is the "plausible deniability" that any IMM personnel is on the take.

If so, there shouldn't be anything to cut.

On 6/15/2026 at 3:01 AM, wensiensheng said:

Isn’t it because Thailand stamps your passport in and out? I believe they do that for British nationals. Nothing on the British side of course.

I wonder if there was any investigation of the agencies that he identified as having used and/or the officials who provided the stamps?

Passports are scanned on the way out now, no stamp.

Agree about the dodgy stamps and chasing down those ‘agents’ (perhaps even Imm officers), but the Thai authorities do tend to revel in it and close the book quick when they get their man, esp if it’s a foreigner. If this really happened, he does come across a tad naive, but harsh all the same. Murderers seemingly get leaner treatment and potential sentences.

Grating that those on here using agents themselves gloat about it though, boomers probably. Ok, you may think your agent is legit, but if you’re one of those that is using one to avoid showing monies and get registered at a different provincial address, you are circumventing the system. Guaranteed they’ll close that loophole eventually, if they haven’t already. Karma can be a b*tch.

1 minute ago, impulse said:

15 hours ago, keithcresswell said:

FYI you no longer get a stamp when departing BKK its electronic gates now.

I get stamped out of Swampy every time because the e-gates reject my US passport. Happened several times in a row, so I just walk over to the nice Immigration Officers without even trying the e-gates any more.

The people "directing traffic" don't stop anyone. They even tried my passport themselves on the e-gates and they got the same result. No luv.

That's handy info for anyone who needs an exit stamp for whatever reason. It doesn't hurt to have the proof, and there's virtually no queue any more.

The immigration stamp itself is no longer regarded as definitive proof of entry or exit. In modern immigration systems, the authoritative record is the electronic entry within the national immigration database. The issue in this case appears to be that the stamps in the individual's passport did not correspond with any matching digital immigration records. In effect, the stamp becomes little more than a physical annotation; it is the immigration officer's entry into the central system that ultimately validates the movement.

Regarding your experience with Thailand's immigration e-gates, is your U.S. passport biometric (i.e. does it display the ICAO biometric passport symbol on the front cover)?

The Auto-e-Immigration Gate reads the MRZ (machined readable zone - bottom two lines of text) first to unlock and read the RFID information stored in the chip (process called basic access control) - The gate then compares the information stored on the chip with the live image captured by the gate camera to verify ID and then compare to the Immigration Database to verify status.

There maybe several reasons why an e-gate may reject you... i.e. poor positioning during scanning, a dirty scanner, lighting issues, or simply a temporary system fault - but repeated failure points to something else - damage on the MRZ, a variation in facial features (a lot fatter ? a lot skinner) resulting in a difference between stored Image and auto-gate identification, or possible damage to the passports embedded RFID chip (through physical damage, wear, or electronic failure etc) - hence you are diverted to a staffed immigration desk for manual processing.

Having used immigration e-gates across numerous countries, my experience has been that they are generally reliable, but sometimes hit-n-miss and occasionally one will reject a perfectly valid passport for no obvious reason, requiring intervention by an immigration officer.

5 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Guaranteed they’ll close that loophole eventually, if they haven’t already. Karma can be a b*tch

Making no predictions, I posted this on the recent Krabi nominee topic:

The 6JAN 2021 Washington DC bomber (bombs placed but didn't explode) was caught after 5 years. All the raw information had been obtained early on but it took programs with so much more horsepower to link like the Home Depot receipts, Cell phone data, shoes and backpack, license plate video, etc. etc. which is how or they finally found the guy.

15 minutes ago, JerryM said:

The official agent chamber-of-commerce story is that all moneys paid to the agent except the 1900 baht for extension is a facilitation fee for the agent. Such is the "plausible deniability" that any IMM personnel is on the take.

If so, there shouldn't be anything to cut.

Thats not quite true - my 1900 baht extensions are paid directly to Immigration - no agent involved whatsoever.

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Thats not quite true - my 1900 baht extensions are paid directly to Immigration - no agent involved whatsoever.

Meaning you didn't pay 15K baht to an agent for no money in the bank cover but that was the scenario in the topic to which you applied.

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

Phuket is actually ahead of the curve - its also now trialing Immigration E-Gates on arrival (for holders of biometric / e-passports) which most of us hold.

I'm assuming the end game - with the biometric recognition - any abuse beyond conventional rules and permissions of stay / or arrivals which exceed standard admittance / arrival regulations would see the passenger flagged for 'human immigration officer' intervention.

This would naturally mean - rules have to be crystal clear for those 'stretching out their stay here' etc and timing overseas spells to fit within a 'set boundary' of regulations - all of which at the moment are particularly muddy and seem to change month by month and airport to airport.

Stamps / in and out - will soon be a think of the past - at least at the Major Airports - and any human processing (stamps) will be logged directly into an immigration database rendering the stamp itself (if they give one) nothing more than an ornament in your passport.

IMO - the only key facet here - is having the ability to log in with your name and Passport Details (perhaps a visa number etc) and checking your permission of stay online (which other countries already do).

https://aseannow.com/topic/1396050-phuket-airport-to-open-automated-passport-gates-on-june-13/

All very interesting.

I certainly agree that stamps will be a thing of the past within my lifetime. Already when I go to Singapore I don’t even have to scan my passport on the way in and just scan it on the way out. No stamps. Of course I am Singaporean, but even Singapore PR don’t have to scan a passport on the way in.

On the other hand, I flew to and fro Singapore last month and had my passport stamped in and out at Phuket. No sign of any bio metric scanning taking place for foreigners. But I do seem to recall it was available for Thais on the way out. 🤷‍♂️.

I’m a bit skeptical that we will see bio metric scanning for foreigners in Phuket very soon. Quite a few foreigners have to answer a least a few questions from an immigration officer when entering and I don’t think immigration will quite trust the technology sufficiently to do away with that. I will be very happy if I am wrong. High season queues at Phuket airport are horrendous. Bio metric scanning may reduce the queues.

22 minutes ago, JerryM said:

24 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Thats not quite true - my 1900 baht extensions are paid directly to Immigration - no agent involved whatsoever.

Meaning you didn't pay 15K baht to an agent for no money in the bank cover but that was the scenario in the topic to which you applied.

Fair point - as mentioned, "everyone gets their cut'

Officially, Immigration receives its 1,900 baht fee for an extension of stay.

Unofficially, where agents are involved in facilitating arrangements that fall outside the normal process, many people are well aware that a portion of the additional fee finds its way through various channels to those able to smooth the path and keep the wheels turning.

More broadly, the payment of unofficial fees to expedite processes, bypass bureaucracy, jump queues, or circumvent regulations is hardly unique to Thailand. It exists, to varying degrees, in many countries and institutions. The difference is often one of visibility rather than existence.

Thailand has long had a reputation for informal networks and "facilitation payments" operating alongside official procedures.

That process is systemic, endemic and simply part of local business culture. The practice is widely recognised and openly discussed.

From time to time there are highly publicised crackdowns, investigations, and arrests. These occur when abuses become too visible, attract media attention, generate public pressure, or inconvenience someone with sufficient influence to demand action.

Until then, many such arrangements continue to exist in the grey area between what is officially permitted and what is quietly tolerated.

35 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Passports are scanned on the way out now, no stamp.

Agree about the dodgy stamps and chasing down those ‘agents’ (perhaps even Imm officers), but the Thai authorities do tend to revel in it and close the book quick when they get their man, esp if it’s a foreigner. If this really happened, he does come across a tad naive, but harsh all the same. Murderers seemingly get leaner treatment and potential sentences.

Grating that those on here using agents themselves gloat about it though, boomers probably. Ok, you may think your agent is legit, but if you’re one of those that is using one to avoid showing monies and get registered at a different provincial address, you are circumventing the system. Guaranteed they’ll close that loophole eventually, if they haven’t already. Karma can be a b*tch.

36 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Passports are scanned on the way out now, no stamp.

Agree about the dodgy stamps and chasing down those ‘agents’ (perhaps even Imm officers), but the Thai authorities do tend to revel in it and close the book quick when they get their man, esp if it’s a foreigner. If this really happened, he does come across a tad naive, but harsh all the same. Murderers seemingly get leaner treatment and potential sentences.

Grating that those on here using agents themselves gloat about it though, boomers probably. Ok, you may think your agent is legit, but if you’re one of those that is using one to avoid showing monies and get registered at a different provincial address, you are circumventing the system. Guaranteed they’ll close that loophole eventually, if they haven’t already. Karma can be a b*tch.

36 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Passports are scanned on the way out now, no stamp.

I definitely got stamped in and out last month at Phuket airport.

Have just checked my passport and I see that on each occasion the IO writes the expiry date of my retirement visa inside the stamp.

I’m not sure what purpose that serves in reality, but I am also aware that I am often asked for a copy of my photograph page and a copy of my last entry stamp, when doing “government” stuff like applying for an Amphur Consent letter for my daughter to leave Thailand without her mother.

Anyway, I guess we are drifting off topic, but the guy in this story knew those were fake stamps in his passport. So it wasn’t a question of an agent bribing an IO for a genuine visa stamp. they were fake through and through and he knew it because he didn’t make those trips.

9 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

I’m a bit skeptical that we will see bio metric scanning for foreigners in Phuket very soon. Quite a few foreigners have to answer a least a few questions from an immigration officer when entering and I don’t think immigration will quite trust the technology sufficiently to do away with that. I will be very happy if I am wrong. High season queues at Phuket airport are horrendous. Bio metric scanning may reduce the queues.

It's already underway.

At Suvarnabhumi Airport, automated immigration processing is expanding rapidly. Departure e-gates are already being used by both Thai nationals and eligible foreign travellers, while automated arrival processing for foreigners is being rolled out, with further expansion planned.

There will, of course, still be immigration officers on hand to deal with exceptions, queries, and travellers who cannot be processed automatically.

The key point is that immigration control is increasingly driven by the central database rather than passport stamps. The system can instantly flag anomalies, unusual travel patterns, overstays, visa issues, or travellers who fall outside predefined risk parameters. Anyone triggering those criteria can simply be referred to a staffed immigration desk for further scrutiny.

For holders of Non-Immigrant visas, re-entry permits, Elite visas, DTVs, and other long-term permissions, routine arrivals and departures should become increasingly seamless. Provided everything aligns with the records held in the system, the process may eventually become little more than a passport scan and facial recognition check.

First-time arrivals and those whose biometric information has not yet been fully enrolled may still require manual processing until their details are properly registered and verified.

In reality, this is simply the direction many countries have already taken. Low-risk, routine travellers pass through automated systems with minimal delay, while those who fall outside normal patterns are diverted for human assessment.

The technology speeds up the processing of the majority, allowing immigration officers to focus their attention on the minority who warrant closer examination.

The next logical step, in my view, would be the evolution of the Pink ID Card into a genuine foreign resident ID card.

As immigration records become increasingly digital, it makes little sense for long-term residents to carry passports for routine identification, banking, domestic travel, or immigration checks. A secure card linked directly to the national database would streamline all of these functions and fit naturally with Thailand's move towards biometric verification and automated border processing.

3 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

It's already underway.

At Suvarnabhumi Airport, automated immigration processing is expanding rapidly. Departure e-gates are already being used by both Thai nationals and eligible foreign travellers, while automated arrival processing for foreigners is being rolled out, with further expansion planned.

There will, of course, still be immigration officers on hand to deal with exceptions, queries, and travellers who cannot be processed automatically.

The key point is that immigration control is increasingly driven by the central database rather than passport stamps. The system can instantly flag anomalies, unusual travel patterns, overstays, visa issues, or travellers who fall outside predefined risk parameters. Anyone triggering those criteria can simply be referred to a staffed immigration desk for further scrutiny.

For holders of Non-Immigrant visas, re-entry permits, Elite visas, DTVs, and other long-term permissions, routine arrivals and departures should become increasingly seamless. Provided everything aligns with the records held in the system, the process may eventually become little more than a passport scan and facial recognition check.

First-time arrivals and those whose biometric information has not yet been fully enrolled may still require manual processing until their details are properly registered and verified.

In reality, this is simply the direction many countries have already taken. Low-risk, routine travellers pass through automated systems with minimal delay, while those who fall outside normal patterns are diverted for human assessment.

The technology speeds up the processing of the majority, allowing immigration officers to focus their attention on the minority who warrant closer examination.

The next logical step, in my view, would be the evolution of the Pink ID Card into a genuine foreign resident ID card.

As immigration records become increasingly digital, it makes little sense for long-term residents to carry passports for routine identification, banking, domestic travel, or immigration checks. A secure card linked directly to the national database would streamline all of these functions and fit naturally with Thailand's move towards biometric verification and automated border processing.

I follow all that and think it’s great.

But I do have a stamp in my passport saying departed on 21st May from Phuket when I went to Singapore for a medical check up.

And a stamp dated 22 May when I re entered at Suvarnabhumi because I was meeting my daughter in Bangkok before flying back to Phuket.

Each stamp, in and out, has the renewal date of my retirement visa written on it in blue pen by the respective IO.

So it all sounds great, I’m just saying that there doesn’t seem to be actual roll out for the general public yet. I’m assuming my Singapore passport would qualify me as being eligible.

At Suvarnabhumi I do recall some e gates on the right hand side, but an official was standing there and wasn’t allowing foreigners to go in those lanes.

I’m not too sure if you are recounting personal experience or recent announcements by the authorities? I am simply stating my personal experience.