Chinese national arrested for identity theft linked to ‘zero-dollar’ tours

[webfact]

Chinese national arrested for identity theft linked to ‘zero-dollar’ tours

By Suriya Patathayo 
The Nation

 

 

A 35-year-old man Chinese man has been arrested for allegedly assuming a Thai citizen’s identity to work for a “zero-dollar” tour business network, Provincial Police Region 6 deputy chief Pol Maj-General Chaiwat Chantharaworalak told a press conference on Sunday.

Zero-dollar tours refer to the illicit practice of promising tourists low-cost packages and then offering them products and services for inflated prices from shops in their network during the tour.

 

A Wankua Kuajee International Co executive identified as Kao Lian was arrested in Soi Yoo Chaoren in Bangkok’s Din Daeng district under an arrest warrant issued on Thursday on charges of fraudulently applying for a Thai ID card by presenting fraudulent evidence to officials. 

 

 

Chaiwat said a police investigation had found that the suspect had submitted an application for a Thai ID card on July 24, 2001 in Nakhon Sawan’s Muang district under the name of “Wisanu Rattanasaeng-ngam” with false information regarding his year of birth. 

 

He allegedly renewed the ID card in 2004 before abandoning the identity of Wisanu in 2007 when he applied for another Thai ID card with a new identification number, with his “father” providing evidence to prove his Thai nationality. He was granted a new ID card number that he had used until now, Chaiwat said. 

 

Kao admitted that he had assumed Wisanu’s identity when he was 18 to operate a business selling computer parts in Thailand, adding that he had later also worked for a “zero-dollar” tour business network just two months before a police crackdown and his arrest.

 

The suspect’s action had negatively affected the real Wisanu, who initially had a problem with his birth certificate. Officials were eventually implicated in issuing his identity to Kao.

 

Wisanu later filed a complaint, leading to the arrest warrant for Kao, Chaiwat said.

 

Police would ask the Interior Ministry to cancel Kao’s Thai ID card, the Commerce Ministry to cancel the licence for his company and the Tourism Department to cancel his tour business licence, Chaiwat said. 

 

Chaiwat also said police were hunting for two more Chinese men who had Thai identities – Ayeenoi Saenmee, who fled to China in September, and Jong Songpaisalkit, who fled to Malaysia in March, both of whom had worked as executives at two separate tour companies established in 2012 in Thailand.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30332532

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-11-27

[Get Real]

So, now I suppose he is chinese again. Good for him!

[mok199]

that's an impressive ''box plot chart'',tax dollars and a freinds print shop,$$$$...thais love shinny sh*t...

[AhFarangJa]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Officials were eventually implicated in issuing his identity to Kao.

Didn't see that one coming............

[NextStationBangkok]

I all can see is, they are opening up a can of worms. Many Chinese already got citizenship using fraud papers in Thailand for business purposes and property investments.

 

Zero Dollar scandal turn out to be a multi million dollar one.

[Stargeezr]

Send him back to China and ban his return for years

[RichardColeman]

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

He was granted a new ID card number that he had used until now, Chaiwat said. 

So, transfers in the pipeline for stupidity ? 

[kiwikeith]

48 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

Didn't see that one coming............

I used to drive Chinese and Korean tours in NZ, the tour guides had the shopping jacked up and we had to drive tourists to back street factories where they thought they were getting a great deal but they were being ripped, even the eating places were a jack up, we got paid a commission on shopping and had to by-pass tourist shops so the passengers did not see them.

The tour guides even charged passengers for free venues, eventually Chinese bought their own busses and killed a lot of bus companies.

Same thing happening here just a big scamming act on their own people.

One tour guide almost got lynched one night when a couple of passengers walked into town and saw a tourist shop selling wool mattress underlays $200 cheaper than what they had bought that day.

[Dukeleto]

25 minutes ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

Send him back to China and ban his return for years

LOL...he will simply get a new Chinese ID and passport and return to assume another Thai identity. He has probably forgotten who he really was at birth!

[sammieuk1]

Zero dollar tours are not to be confused with any currently offered perfectly legal race based duel pricing schemes terms and conditions apply.

[FitnessHealthTravel]

It's good to see they at least have these types on their radar. Interesting how it always links back to some 'corrupt' official.  When I got my Driving License here they typed a '6' instead of a '9' for my birthday. I went back to the counter and they immediately made me a brand new one within seconds. They didn't really even want the incorrect one back. I left it with them but I could have easily taken it. I was shocked that one guy on a computer just printed me one, no big deal.

[Srikcir]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Officials were eventually implicated in issuing his identity to Kao.

Arrest warrants were issued for these officials who upon their arrest implicated higher officials. 

In a Parallel Universe!

[Johnnyngai]

1 hour ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

Send him back to China and ban his return for years

His brothers will continue the business.

[Megasin1]

nice tour bus piccies...good board...well presented

[lonewolf99]

He was never going to get away with using the picture in the bottom right. Surely ?

[Ulic]

I would think that it would be straightforward to put a big crimp on zero baht tourism.

Just hand out pamphlets to Chinese tourists as they clear immigration that explains

the prices of of gems etc... are grossly marked up and a rip-off. The tourists don't buy

anything, the people organizing the zero baht tours can't recoup there costs and

stop offering the package tours at below cost.

[Srikcir]

15 minutes ago, Ulic said:

I would think that it would be straightforward to put a big crimp on zero baht tourism.

Just hand out pamphlets to Chinese tourists as they clear immigration that explains

the prices of of gems etc... are grossly marked up and a rip-off. The tourists don't buy

anything, the people organizing the zero baht tours can't recoup there costs and

stop offering the package tours at below cost.

Education is the right idea but it should begin in China, not when Chinese tourists arrive in Thailand - with the Chinese government's permission of course. If Xi is truly fighting corruption he should welcome such information.

Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul did in September 2016 discuss with Chinese authorities from China’s tourism office about the measures meted out by her ministry to cope with the problem within Thailand of zero-dollar packages tour from China. https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/943941-mou-due-to-be-inked-between-thailand-and-china-to-solve-zero-dollar-package-tour/

 

But obviously that discussion was not a high level discussion, ie., involving the Thai Foreign Ministry, nor suggested any educational efforts by the Thai Embassy in China. Nor mention of any encouragement by the Chinese to do so. Kind of like, "If it's not in our backyard (China), it's not our problem."

[wvavin]

I don't think there is anything big going to happen to this guy before the delivery of the submarines.

[free123]

9 hours ago, Get Real said:

So, now I suppose he is chinese again. Good for him!

open business and labor market for foreigners same as eu does...he just wanted to make a living...he worked, he did not rob or steal also no gambling den neither a Pädophile business ...just a honest work to finance his expenses...every human should be entitled to this should not matter where on that planet...

[Get Real]

16 minutes ago, free123 said:

open business and labor market for foreigners same as eu does...he just wanted to make a living...he worked, he did not rob or steal also no gambling den neither a Pädophile business ...just a honest work to finance his expenses...every human should be entitled to this should not matter where on that planet...

Ever heard of something called labour laws. They also see to that the ones that legally can work, also get the right salury and benefits. Maybe you want to take away all thoose things to at the same time. Different countries different laws. Get used to it.

Edited November 27, 2017 by Get Real

[wavemanwww]

8 hours ago, kiwikeith said:

I used to drive Chinese and Korean tours in NZ, the tour guides had the shopping jacked up and we had to drive tourists to back street factories where they thought they were getting a great deal but they were being ripped, even the eating places were a jack up, we got paid a commission on shopping and had to by-pass tourist shops so the passengers did not see them.

The tour guides even charged passengers for free venues, eventually Chinese bought their own busses and killed a lot of bus companies.

Same thing happening here just a big scamming act on their own people.

One tour guide almost got lynched one night when a couple of passengers walked into town and saw a tourist shop selling wool mattress underlays $200 cheaper than what they had bought that day.

So can you sleep at night based on your work?