Fake marriage to foreigners scandal: A job for Big Joke?

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Fake marriage to foreigners scandal: A job for Big Joke?

 

Image: TNA

 

The wide ranging scandal of foreigners paying Thai women for fake marriages in order to live in Thailand is fast developing. 

 

TNA are reporting that in some district offices the gangs and agents acting on behalf of the men - mostly from India and Pakistan - are being actively helped by the connivance of bent officials. 

 

In Bang Len district of Nakorn Pathom, for example, on one day alone 100 foreigners turned up to get married when there is a stated limit of 16 per day. 

 

Officials there are under investigation as are state employees in Wang Muang district of Saraburi. Fifty couples there tied the knot.

 

Thai women were paid anywhere between 5,000 baht and ten thousand.

 

The fake marriages - and there could be as many as 3,500 - have all  occurred since 2015.

 

Many Thai women barely knew who they were marrying and few lived together at all.

 

Raids have led to dozens of Pakistanis being deported and agents are starting to tumble. 

 

TNA published a picture of Maj-Gen Surachate Hakparn - known as Big Joke in the media - during his time as deputy in charge at the tourist police.

 

The suggestion is that now that Maj-Gen Surachate is head of immigration the heat will be turned up on those involved in the marriages of convenience. 

 

TNA suggested that 3,500 cases were currently under investigation with 2,000 in Saraburi and 1,000 in Nakorn Pathom, both provinces in close proximity to Bangkok.

 

Source: TNA

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-10-20

 

 

 

 

[Vacuum]

15 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Raids have led to dozens of Pakistanis being deported and agents are starting to tumble. 

And what happened to the Thai ladies in question?

[elviajero]

And when people moan and complain about how Thai immigration processes extensions of stay for spouses; this is -- as I've been writing for years -- the reason. Fake marriages! It's not immigration deliberately being obstructive.

[poanoi]

define 'fake marriage' ?

is it when its not official, i.e just a village ceremony ?

[kotsak]

3 minutes ago, poanoi said:

define 'fake marriage' ?

is it when its not official, i.e just a village ceremony ?

As usual it got lost in translation (TIT style), the correct phrase to use is "white marriage". Fake would have been if it never really happened and they produced fake documentation.

 

[Lungstib]

Must be a very short term benefit. In a years time the guy needs to take his wife back to get an extension. If she is unhappy she wont go. He doesn't get a work permit, he cant own land and without the wife's cooperation they cant run a business. He gets a one year visa but must have 400,000b in the bank. I can only imagine its a case of "I'm in, now I make friends with helpful officials and after a year I am hidden somewhere".

[elviajero]

59 minutes ago, poanoi said:

define 'fake marriage' ?

is it when its not official, i.e just a village ceremony ?

If they have officially/legally got married just so one partner can get a visa the marriage is clearly fake (fraudulent).

[poanoi]

11 minutes ago, elviajero said:

If they have officially/legally got married just so one partner can get a visa the marriage is clearly fake (fraudulent).

whos to say they havnt consumated the marriage ?

CCTV in the bedroom  much by the investigating arm of royal thai police force ?

[elviajero]

3 minutes ago, poanoi said:

14 minutes ago, elviajero said:

If they have officially/legally got married just so one partner can get a visa the marriage is clearly fake (fraudulent).

whos to say they havnt consumated the marriage ?

CCTV in the bedroom  much by the investigating arm of royal thai police force ?

Consummation has nothing to do with it! That would only be relevant if one party wanted the marriage annulled!

 

They have got married under false pretences to get a visa. It's fraud.

 

 

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, elviajero said:

And when people moan and complain about how Thai immigration processes extensions of stay for spouses; this is -- as I've been writing for years -- the reason. Fake marriages! It's not immigration deliberately being obstructive.

But it's not something white folk generally do, and people from the Indian continent have been playing this game all over the world for the past 60 years.

[poanoi]

2 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Consummation has nothing to do with it! That would only be relevant if one party wanted the marriage annulled!

 

They have got married under false pretences to get a visa. It's fraud.

 

 

i just googled 'white marriage' and that is the definition according to wikipedia, do you have any other definition

as to what constitutes a 'fraud marriage' vs marriage ?

 

[akirasan]

I wish my marriage was fake. It must be nice to be able to find things where you left them.

[kotsak]

17 minutes ago, poanoi said:

whos to say they havnt consumated the marriage ?

CCTV in the bedroom  much by the investigating arm of royal thai police force ?

 

Woody Allen's "Bananas" has a similar scene

 

 

[tingtongtourist]

Funny to read Thaivisa members sound a lot different than actual news we read.

 

Thaivisa members:

Thailand is finish and DONE, last nail in coffin, ALL expats and tourist avoiding Thailand, 

Thais killed the golden goose with to many SCAMS.

visa requirements to hard,

corruption is rife...

etc etc

 

news:

record numbers through airports and need bigger terminal in Bkk,

takes 8 hours to get seen at CM immigrations because so many farang, hordes of farang on overstay cos they just dont wanna go.

millions of farang dum dums breaking laws, getting fake passport and marriage..actually doing anything so they can stay.

 

AND one of the longer threads here is about Brit Embassy will no longer authenticate your dodgy claim of income.

 

lol but everyone leaving Thailand they say

[elviajero]

19 minutes ago, poanoi said:

24 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Consummation has nothing to do with it! That would only be relevant if one party wanted the marriage annulled!

 

They have got married under false pretences to get a visa. It's fraud.

 

 

i just googled 'white marriage' and that is the definition according to wikipedia, do you have any other definition

as to what constitutes a 'fraud marriage' vs marriage ?

Even if a marriage is not consummated it is still legal. But, again, in this context it's irrelevant.

 

If two people get married legally; it is a legal marriage, ***BUT*** Thai immigration, and every other country in the world (probably), will not issue a visa/permit to stay if the marriage was entered into to get visa, and/or the partners are not living together as husband and wife. Under immigration rules the marriage must be de facto and de jure.

[Sir Dude]

Quote

The fake marriages - and there could be as many as 3,500 - have all  occurred since 2015.

Well, you could probably times that number by at least 20 or more.

[Sir Dude]

All the scumbags are intent on trying to scam the system here and all it does is make thing harder for those who are legit. Hope they bust all the blaggers/scammers for not being bothered to play the game. Goodbye scumbags!

[grego49]

In Australia the chinese are pretty good at it too(fake marriages)

[ParadiseLost]

23 minutes ago, grego49 said:

In Australia the chinese are pretty good at it too(fake marriages)

Uh ...who are they marrying? Other Chinese?

 

Let me answer for you - they are marrying Australian citizens of Chinese descent.

 

So Australians are also pretty good at it.

 

Or are you one of them fair dinkum Aussies who don't see Asian or brown people as real Australians?

[ParadiseLost]

All I have to say to this OP is - I paid too much - nobody told me there were 5k options!

 

The big joke is this was reported a few years ago. Nothing happened then, not holding my breath now.

 

Imagine the warehouses full of photocopies, being 'inspected' as we speak, not.

 

:-))

 

[connda]

Hell's Bells.  Almost 12 years married to the same Thai woman and I can now expect the cops to show up at the door once again to check that this evil foreigner isn't taking advantage of a poor 'victimized' Thai woman.  Maybe the Big Jokester will show up in person to check me out, evil foreigner that I am, always one step away from being a potential criminal and a national security risk.

[connda]

20 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Officials there are under investigation as are state employees in Wang Muang district of Saraburi. Fifty couples there tied the knot.

 

20 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

In Bang Len district of Nakorn Pathom, for example, on one day alone 100 foreigners turned up to get married when there is a stated limit of 16 per day. 

100 marriages in one location on one day; 50 marriages in another location another day; but....

 

20 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

The fake marriages - and there could be as many as 3,500 - have all  occurred since 2015.

....but, "there could be as many as 3,500 - have all occurred since 2015." 
Really?  You'd have to believe that the figure was close to 35,000 or more based on the first two paragraphs.   So, 3,500 over a three year period is about 1,166 per year in a country with a population of 76 million citizens?  That's hardly a blip on the radar or a rounding error. 

[Mickmouse1]

The women should be treated as partners in Crime as they were the main party together with the agents

[Mickmouse1]

18 hours ago, Sir Dude said:

All the scumbags are intent on trying to scam the system here and all it does is make thing harder for those who are legit. Hope they bust all the blaggers/scammers for not being bothered to play the game. Goodbye scumbags!

Most of those trying hard to stay in los are indeed as you described ,irrespective of where they came from.

[micmichd]

19 hours ago, elviajero said:

Consummation has nothing to do with it! That would only be relevant if one party wanted the marriage annulled!

 

They have got married under false pretences to get a visa. It's fraud.

 

 

Show me one wedding in the world that is not for material advantages to a least one of the parties, and you've shown me an angel. 

There used to be a way to handle material issues at weddings in traditional Thailand. It was called "sin sod" (dowry). Does that still exist?

[dcnx]

22 hours ago, poanoi said:

define 'fake marriage' ?

is it when its not official, i.e just a village ceremony ?

That’s the scary part. It’s up to them. Despite maybe being legit, if they don’t think you are, you’re not. Great way to live and build a future. ????

[dcnx]

2 hours ago, connda said:

Hell's Bells.  Almost 12 years married to the same Thai woman and I can now expect the cops to show up at the door once again to check that this evil foreigner isn't taking advantage of a poor 'victimized' Thai woman.  Maybe the Big Jokester will show up in person to check me out, evil foreigner that I am, always one step away from being a potential criminal and a national security risk.

As ridiculous as that sounds, that’s the reality of the situation. Should that happen, I hope they don’t consider your long term marriage a sham. At the very least it’s an excellent way for them to get money out of legit marriages.

 

If you survive this sweep, there will always be another, then another, then another. It’s unfortunate.

[connda]

41 minutes ago, dcnx said:

As ridiculous as that sounds, that’s the reality of the situation. Should that happen, I hope they don’t consider your long term marriage a sham. At the very least it’s an excellent way for them to get money out of legit marriages.

 

If you survive this sweep, there will always be another, then another, then another. It’s unfortunate.

Perhaps they can jail and deport me for pruning the flowers in the garden.  You know -- taking away a job reserved for a Thai and all.  Heinous criminal acts from what I hear along with playing Bridge and engaging in home improvements and cooking  <Gasp> I'll have to hide the pruning shears, hammer, screwdriver, the electric drill and frying pan before the Big Jokester arrives.  

[Classic Ray]

The only way to keep getting away with this is bribery and corruption. The amount of guff I have to produce to Immigration every year with documents, photos and bringing my wife with me would be far too difficult for fakes. Makes me angry that genuine cases like me, my wife and kids suffer because of all the illegals.

[observer90210]

People from some countries will always be on survival mode and always try different ways to stay in a more promising land to work and make a living.

 

Why are they stigmatizing the wrong people ? Chauvinism perhaps ?

 

The real culprits are the corrupt immigration officials, the corrupt agents and many of the Thai women, who will sell their soul for money. They are the ones to be chased by the xRay sting operations.

 

And while the respected Immigration Chief cleans up his house, he should also make it clear to his officers to Stop harassing the honest foreign retirees on their visa and extension of stay issues.

 

And please make the immigration offices nationwide a bit more dignified in a 4.0 mode. It is a disgrace  for Thailand to see elderly expats or retirees having to wait for hours at regional immigration offices,  just to be harassed by some immigration officer on extention of stay, visa, reporting issues,  invented red tape etc.