‘Fake’ lawyer held after visa probe

By Khanathit Srihirundaj
The Nation

 

 

A 50-year-old Thai man wanted for fraud was arrested on Thursday in Nonthaburi's Muang district, Immigration Bureau commissioner Pol Maj Gen Surachate Hakparn told a press conference in Bangkok.

 

Suspect Pairoj Kanchanarat allegedly told US tourists that he was a lawyer able to get a permanent visa for Bt20,000-Bt50,000.

He was wanted under an arrest warrant issued on October 8 by the Phra Khanong Provincial Court. Pairoj was caught at the Lumphini Ville condominium on Prachacheun Road.

 

The arrest stemmed from a police complaint filed by a US expat in February who said Pairoj claimed to be a lawyer able to secure a permanent visa and work permit for foreigners without them needing to go to the government offices to apply for the documents. 

 

Foreigners reportedly paid between Bt20,000 and Bt50,000 to Pairoj. The US victim allegedly paid Bt25,000 for a permanent visa and his Italian friend paid Bt49,000 for a work permit.

 

Surachate said the police probe had found Pairoj duped people many times over 10 years and he was wanted for another seven fraud arrest warrants in Bangkok, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Nakhon Ratchasima and Chiang Mai. 

 

The police said Pairoj would go to tourist attractions to befriend potential victims with false promises. 

 

Immigration and tourist police also worked to arrest 40 Indians who broke the law, 10 of whom had overstayed their visa and 30 others failed to present identification papers at the Sampgheng market in Bangkok's Samphanthawong district early on Thursday morning.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30356264

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-10-11

49k for a work permit. Work permit costs 3.100 baht... Some foreigners are easily fouled.... 

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

a police complaint filed by a US expat in February

It took some time to react. He only did it for 10 years and nobody discovered it? It was only a complaint made by a farang.

Whingeing farang!

After all this time who found him out.he must have had a good cover story to last this long.

Another case of extreme incompetence on the part of the RTP. One can only guess how many times the worm was reported before the toy cops did anything. 

So police could not find him to arrest him?

 

I wonder how many people he helped each week and if he has a friend still helping others?

So what will that give him?  A pat on the head and a cupcake if he gives his victims a wai and apologizes to Thai society.

You would think after all that time immigration at swampy would have sussed it out the first time a phony tried coming in or going out, or immigration in general would have realized something was amiss when they tried to get a re-entry permit. Something is missing in this story.

RE - ‘Fake’ lawyer held after visa probe

 

He will need a real one, but karma may give him a fake one....

I can predict the fake lawyer is about to do a fake Wai.

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Pairoj duped people many times over 10 years and he was wanted for another seven fraud arrest warrants in Bangkok, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Nakhon Ratchasima and Chiang Mai. 

So Thai ID cards are worthless as the guy has been at it so long, leaving Plod in his wake?

Wow I am amazed a THAI doing something not legal! ????

A troll post has been removed.

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Another case of extreme incompetence on the part of the RTP. One can only guess how many times the worm was reported before the toy cops did anything. 

Do you think he gave his victims his real contact details? 

The cops were probably told of a man with a false name, whose only contact details would 

have been a mobile phone number. I'm sure the payments would have been in cash.

 

Seems, like most scams, a fairly simple plan, the real genius would be finding victims

and sweet talking them into parting with their money.

13 hours ago, Raymonddiaz said:

49k for a work permit. Work permit costs 3.100 baht... Some foreigners are easily fouled.... 

3.100 baht, sure, if you have a registered employer and a genuine job that is not exclusive to Thais. I doubt that was the case here.

1 hour ago, quandow said:

You would think after all that time immigration at swampy would have sussed it out the first time a phony tried coming in or going out, or immigration in general would have realized something was amiss when they tried to get a re-entry permit. Something is missing in this story.

What's missing is who and how much they were taking from this guy to allow him to get away with this.

14 hours ago, Raymonddiaz said:

49k for a work permit. Work permit costs 3.100 baht... Some foreigners are easily fouled.... 

Do you mean  "fooled"?

3 hours ago, bristolgeoff said:

After all this time who found him out.he must have had a good cover story to last this long.

The ginger lad who made the complaint is my mate - 'US expat' mentioned in the news articles.

 

https://www.khaosod.co.th/around-thailand/news_1674757

 

He and another two friends were robbed of upwards of 100k between them. Naive and and maybe a little gullible of them to believe this sheister, but still, the guy is a crook and was apparently very persuasive and believable.

He has been on the run for the last 6 months. I wonder what will happen to him now? Hoping for more than the solemn wai and 500bt fine, standard recourse.

 

 

 

 

I hate sheisters no matter where they come from .

11 minutes ago, CanterbrigianBangkoker said:

The ginger lad who made the complaint is my mate - 'US expat' mentioned in the news articles.

 

https://www.khaosod.co.th/around-thailand/news_1674757

 

He and another two friends were robbed of upwards of 100k between them. Naive and and maybe a little gullible of them to believe this sheister, but still, the guy is a crook and was apparently very persuasive and believable.

He has been on the run for the last 6 months. I wonder what will happen to him now? Hoping for more than the solemn wai and 500bt fine, standard recourse.

 

 

 

 

Did this "lawyer"produce any paperwork or did he just take the money?

i am not really clear on that,if he produced documents what will happen to the people he conned?

Buyer beware, if it sounds too good to be true, it isn’t true.

Quote

Surachate said the police probe had found Pairoj duped people many times over 10 years and he was wanted for another seven fraud arrest warrants in Bangkok, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Nakhon Ratchasima and Chiang Mai. 

So the eight arrest warrant worked.  I expect 1 out of 8 ain't bad by Thai police standards.

What a shark, the real lawyers will be green with envy that he cut them out of the wheeling and dealing.

39 minutes ago, jvs said:

Did this "lawyer"produce any paperwork or did he just take the money?

i am not really clear on that,if he produced documents what will happen to the people he conned?

I have no, idea to be honest. I have known one of his victims since last year - the ginger American guy featured in the khaosod article. On his return to BKK in Feb he was looking to get a Student visa or Non O / Business visa - something that would allow him a longer stay in the kingdom. 

 

I don't know why he thought he'd be able to just pay for and receive a work permit, as I didn't think he had any prospect of work, but I might be mistaken there. Perhaps not knowing enough about the system or the visa requirements etc., he might not have known he needed a Non B visa first, either. He isn't a close mate, but someone I see regularly enough. He is a nice lad, but a little 'wet behind the ears' let's say, especially when it comes to Thais and Thailand's corruption.

 

From what I was told, the guy (Tony as he called himself) produced lots of official looking, but patently false, paperwork and had business cards / some kind of make shift office and spoke very good English, he was also working on similar procedures for 2 other mutual friends of ours who were confident that he was legitimate enough. One of whom is featured looking pretty irate in the khaosod article. ????

 

I have been told that both my yank mate and the other people involved have had their $$ returned to them now, however. So that's a win for them, I'm pleased to say. 

 

What will happen to the sheister himself or any other victims, I have no idea.

 

 

I see adverts for this kind of visa business in my Facebook and Instagram all the time. 

Ads like " Are you blacklisted in Thailand.... " etc. 

Must be a peace of cake to track these scammers who insist on having contact's in Immigration Bureau...

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The police said Pairoj would go to tourist attractions to befriend potential victims with false promises. 

And who is so stupid to believe that a proper lawyer would work this style ?

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Foreigners reportedly paid between Bt20,000 and Bt50,000 to Pairoj. The US victim allegedly paid Bt25,000 for a permanent visa and his Italian friend paid Bt49,000 for a work permit.

If victims don’t pay,

crooks won’t be there. 

 

16 hours ago, Raymonddiaz said:

49k for a work permit. Work permit costs 3.100 baht... Some foreigners are easily fouled.... 

Work permit does not cost 3,000 bht   a proper one cost around 30,000 for the year