"Sack them!" PM's call to Big Joke in Chinese visa bribe scandal

 

Picture: Thai PBS

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha has demanded that Thai immigration end the culture of bribes for visas. 

 

He has ordered the new immigration chief Maj-Gen Surachate Hakpan to sack officers taking money from tourists - especially Chinese tourists - just to stamp their passports. 

 

The practice has come to light at Don Muang airport where middle men routinely charge each passenger 300 baht tea money that is a back- hander to immigration to "facilitate visas". 

 

Picture: Thai PBS

 

The scandal also comes in the wake of Chinese social media claims that the assault on a Chinese tourist by a security guard happened because the tourist refused to pay the 300 baht as he was not getting a receipt. 

 

Thai PBS reported that the whole way visas are issued will be reassessed by October 18th.

 

Tourism and sports minister Weerasak Kowsurat intimated that the paying of bribes at the airport was ingrained behavior. 

 

The furor comes amid yet more damning statistics on Chinese travel to Thailand - figures for August showed Chinese tourism down 11.8% on the same month last year.

 

There were 870,000 arrivals from China compared to 930,000 in August 2017. 

 

PM Prayut tried to put a positive spin on matters but admitted tourism was down. He said he wants to see sacking of corrupt staff. 

 

That has already happened in the security guard case and some connected have been suspended, it is believed.

 

The PM also warned people against sharing damaging videos. 

 

He also expressed approval of the idea to give Chinese "double visas".

 

Maj-Gen Surachate - Big Joke in the Thai media - is facing his first big test after assuming the role of commissioner of the immigration police on Monday. 

 

He has implemented a "No Tip" policy though PBS said that he was also going after the middle men at the airport for tarnishing the name of his department' men. 

 

Prayut is demanding that he look deeper than that at the culture of bribes for visas that exists in Thailand.

 

Source: ThaiPBS

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-10-03

"Yea, you sack 'em!"

so how come all these high up cops caught with their hands in the till dont get the sack, only moved sideways, yes of course its our old friends the Chinese involved, mustnt upset them, ok to rip off others until you get caught that is

13 minutes ago, webfact said:

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha has demanded that Thai immigration end the culture of bribes

      

For some reason it reminds of the saying: The pot calling the kettle black.

 

"Sack them!"

 

Where have you been for the last four years while the corruption flourished?

Why are you speaking now?

Are you equally concerned when non-Chinese get forced to pay extra?

 

Breath-taking hypocrisy.

 

 

 

Edited October 3, 20187 yr by Samui Bodoh

So taking 300B is a big drama that justifies a sacking, while those higher up routinely stealing millions are left untouched? Way to go Mr. P.

20 minutes ago, webfact said:

The PM also warned people against sharing damaging videos. 

 

Edited October 3, 20187 yr by Darcula

30 minutes ago, webfact said:

He said he wants to see sacking of corrupt staff. 

 

If you were to enforce the same thing into the police force, there would not be a force left. 

(except for the thousands in inactive posts.)

For anyone who never heard the word Thailand and Thailand immigration practices, its fair disclosure to say that Thai immigration is one big giant mafia/cartel, just sitting there in CW and seeing all those messengers/middlemen and visa agents coming into the cubicles with a bundles of passports and leaving them there after having a hearty chat and a laugh with the ladies there while you sit there for hours...

36 minutes ago, Samui Bodoh said:

"Sack them!"

 

Where have you been for the last four years while the corruption flourished?

Why are you speaking now?

Are you equally concerned when non-Chinese get forced to pay extra?

 

Breath-taking hypocrisy.

 

 

 

I suppose the difference is that the Chinese government will kick up a stink about their nationals being treated like crap while ours couldn't give a toss.

 

But yes, sack the corrupt immigration officials at Dom Mueang and then move on to Aranyaprathet and Sadao...

Edited October 3, 20187 yr by baboon

54 minutes ago, webfact said:

especially Chinese tourists

Tourists from other countries are still fair game,

regards worgeordie

49 minutes ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Are you equally concerned when non-Chinese get forced to pay extra?

 

He has ordered the new immigration chief Maj-Gen Surachate Hakpan to sack officers taking money from tourists - especially Chinese tourists - just to stamp their passports.

47 minutes ago, Darcula said:

 

 

Really? That cringe worthy video is just purely damaging to everyone's intelligence.  

58 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

"Yea, you sack 'em!"

So guess if Big Joke has been instructed to sack all corrupt immigration staff then he will soon be a very very busy man,  working on his own everywhere ????

6 minutes ago, Thian said:

He has ordered the new immigration chief Maj-Gen Surachate Hakpan to sack officers taking money from tourists - especially Chinese tourists - just to stamp their passports.

I'm sure it's lost something in translation and should say: "only Chinese tourists"

 

If all the government officials taking bribes were sacked there would be a lot of unemployed Thais about.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Prayut tried to put a positive spin on matters but admitted tourism was down. He said he wants to see sacking of corrupt staff. 

Surely he said arrest?

1 hour ago, webfact said:

He has implemented a "No Tip" policy though PBS said that he was also going after the middle men at the airport for tarnishing the name of his department' men. 

Pesky middle men. 

1 minute ago, Bluespunk said:

Surely he said arrest?

Arrest, or a rest?

Send them off to an inactive post.

 

21 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

I'm sure it's lost something in translation and should say: "only Chinese tourists"

 

 

Well if they do it to farang it will be written on internet the next day...for Indians i don't know if they use internet a lot.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

"Sack them!"

Brave words from the PM which will be totally ignored. Nobody seems to take much notice of him anymore. The pigeon feeders don't and basically laughed in his face.

Apparently he doesn't realise all those small extortions add up to one big monthly extortion part of which goes back to his friends higher up the food chain. Someone should put a flea in his ear.

2 minutes ago, Thian said:

Well if they do it to farang it will be written on internet the next day...for Indians i don't know if they use internet a lot.

Smoke signals.

 

Edited October 3, 20187 yr by bluesofa

Or perhaps they could actually charge the officers, you know, to try to act as a deterrent. 

 

The facts on how few corruption prosecutions are carried out is actually quite alarming. Get caught being corrupt? No problem, we'll just shift you to an inactive post for a few years. Start making examples of people and watch how quickly officials suddenly don't think a few hundred baht is worth 5 years in jail...

This happens routinely at the Sao Dao border with Malaysia. They will always find a way, though.

"Tourism and sports minister Weerasak Kowsurat intimated that the paying of bribes at the airport was ingrained behavior."

So...they've known it's been going on for aeons...and as always, done zilch!

1 minute ago, ChrisY1 said:

"Tourism and sports minister Weerasak Kowsurat intimated that the paying of bribes at the airport was ingrained behavior."

So...they've known it's been going on for aeons...and as always, done zilch!

Ingrained: (of dirt or a stain) deeply embedded and thus difficult to remove.

 

46 minutes ago, Thian said:

He has ordered the new immigration chief Maj-Gen Surachate Hakpan to sack officers taking money from tourists - especially Chinese tourists - just to stamp their passports.

all he has to do is go to any Imm office (Jomtien perhaps) and look at the last month of 12 month extension application (especially the money in bank seasoning) and he will open a huge can of worms - that is of course provided they are filed together with the legit applications and not some backroom hidden secret cabinet, at 12k - 25k baht a pop someone is making huge sums of money

Take a look at ChiangMai too Mr Big Joke

 

Immigration there has been mopping tons of baht for years to stamp passports

quicker with visa renewals  ????

For so many years the Thais kissed American erse and US citizens visiting and staying benefitted from it. Now they kiss Chinese erse and a new group reap the rewards.

How the worm turns.

A post containing a disallowed reference to the PM has been removed. 

 

A troll post was removed.