Worried About Fraud Exposure

[yipnakhon]

Dear forum,

I taught English in Thailand under my Spanish passport with a fake bachelor's degree. I skipped the Kingdom following the recent case in which an American teacher was arrested for an alleged murder... My school was cracked down by police... Today, I've got a TEFL and plan on going back with my French passport. I want to get back to Thailand and teach, because that's where my girlfriend is and I enjoyed my life there.

I know that I can go to other schools. But sooner or later, I will be meeting Immigrations where computers can dig out the fake bachelor's degree because the school did report it after I left. I have no other criminal record. Opinions and comments are welcome.

[aussiestyle1983]

Okay...............

You have a TEFL now, but.............. you still don't have a degree, correct?

You will still need a degree to get a teachers liscence and work permit here so only having a TEFL won't help you much. Some places can pull strings (well could pull strings in the past) and get a TL and WP for you without a degre, but you have also submitted fake doccuments in the past so I doubt the MOE or DEPT of Labour would let this happen.

Most liekly, you would have to face the same situation this time that you would have had to face last time if you got caught. Maybe leaving and doing the TEFL would work in your favour because at least you have taken some course to improve you qualifications, but you still don't have a degree.

Remember, you did submit fake doccuments in the past, so most likely you will be in deep shit if you get caught this time. If you work off the books, maybe you will be fine untill your school gets raided, but if you go and apply for a TL or WP, yes, your name (even on a different passport) will still be on their computer and the will punish you.

Maybe it time for you to get a visa for your TGF to come with you to another country.

Post this same topic in the teaching forum and see what kind of replys you get.............

Edited March 4, 2007 by aussiestyle1983

[grtaylor]

Okay...............

You have a TEFL now, but.............. you still don't have a degree, correct?

You will still need a degree to get a teachers liscence and work permit here so only having a TEFL won't help you much. Some places can pull strings (well could pull strings in the past) and get a TL and WP for you without a degre, but you have also submitted fake doccuments in the past so I doubt the MOE or DEPT of Labour would let this happen.

Most liekly, you would have to face the same situation this time that you would have had to face last time if you got caught. Maybe leaving and doing the TEFL would work in your favour because at least you have taken some course to improve you qualifications, but you still don't have a degree.

Remember, you did submit fake doccuments in the past, so most likely you will be in deep shit if you get caught this time. If you work off the books, maybe you will be fine untill your school gets raided, but if you go and apply for a TL or WP, yes, your name (even on a different passport) will still be on their computer and the will punish you.

Maybe it time for you to get a visa for your TGF to come with you to another country.

Post this same topic in the teaching forum and see what kind of replys you get.............

Good response aussiestyle - the OPs big mistake was to use the fake degree the first time round!

G

[yipnakhon]

if you go and apply for a TL or WP, yes, your name (even on a different passport) will still be on their computer and the will punish you.

Maybe it time for you to get a visa for your TGF to come with you to another country.

Post this same topic in the teaching forum and see what kind of replys you get.............

Do you think I could still get in as a tourist, under my French passport so that I can take care of a few things there before moving back to Europe? I'll play the devil's advocate for a second. How many John Smiths are there? If John Smith was my name and some other guy with the same name did what I did, would they be putting the blame one me? Sure it's the same name, but many people have the same name. A different passport from a different country usually means a different person. How do you think they would still be able to key on to that?

Edited March 4, 2007 by yipnakhon

[Ijustwannateach]

My opinion is that this thread is misnamed. Please try to make the name of a thread reflective of its content. I will be renaming it shortly to "Worried About Fraud Exposure."

"Steven"

[Ijustwannateach]

My other opinion is that you're either making this up and are a troll or you're telling the truth and you're an idiot. If you actually got a work permit under your real name and a fake degree submitted for the teacher's license, then all the time you're here again you'll be subject to imprisonment/extortion. If life here is worth that to you, then go for it; we haven't had a teacher arrest in the news for a week or two.

As another way of phrasing this question: what do you think has changed from the time you fled the country?

"Steven"

[yipnakhon]

we haven't had a teacher arrest in the news for a week or two.

As another way of phrasing this question: what do you think has changed from the time you fled the country?

"Steven"

A week or two is not really reassuring. I left Thailand shortly after the coup d'état. As for what changed from the time I fled is pretty simple: before I left the school didn't know the degree was a fake. They found out after the raid so the ministry of education now knows it's a fake.

Back to the original question: If the ministry of education knows, does that mean immigrations know as well and if they do, could they possibly link it to me even though I'll be going in with a different passport?

Edited March 4, 2007 by yipnakhon

[Ijustwannateach]

Yip, I really didn't think you were serious (and part of me still doesn't). But if you value your freedom and peace of mind, Thailand is over for you for at least a few years. Don't gamble your freedom/lots of money on them not being able to spot your name on a warning list at one of at least 3 different government ministries.

"Steven"

[yipnakhon]

You're probably right. Thanks. At least I have time to work on my Bachelor's before going back.

Just out of curiosity, what is the 3rd government ministry you're talking about? One is education, two is immigration. Number three?

[Ijustwannateach]

Labour.

[Loaded]

Yipnakhon

Just be careful using the French passport as they'll automatically assume you have low moral fibre.

I would advise you visit the ministry of fisheries.

[Logarhythm]

Why don't you study for a real degree while your laying low for a few years? I'm not sure how old you are, but I was 45 when I got a degree, so it's never too late. It will take the stress out of your current situation. I am generally a sympathetic person, but I do find it hard to sympathise with people who use fake qualifications, particularly when most people work their <deleted> off to get real ones.

[mbkudu]

There is a good option for degreeless teachers here. Apply at a university in Thailand, then apply for a non-

immigrant ED visa. This is a one year renewable visa as long as you are currently studying. Part-time studying is accepted and then you can do what you have to do to earn money the other hours of the week. After 4 or 5 years you'll have a degree and then be fully legal. I study full-time and I've finished my first year already; two more to go. I can find enough teaching in the evenings to get by.

If your girl friend can find work as well, you should be ok financially.

Edited March 5, 2007 by mbkudu

[Ijustwannateach]

^That's actually very good advice for many of our members, MBKudu, thanks!- but not for someone who's already committed fraud with the MOE and the MOL...

[mbkudu]

^That's actually very good advice for many of our members, MBKudu, thanks!- but not for someone who's already committed fraud with the MOE and the MOL...

Steven, you could be right actually. At first I thought that it wouldn't matter because he would not be applying for another job, just applying for university. However, the only way to enter a university in Thailand

is to have one's high school transcripts verified by..........the Ministry of Education. So, I suppose a person's name could stand out while applying for other things education related after using a fake degree for previous work. Maybe there is a can of worms within a can of worms.

[Ijustwannateach]

Some off-topic posts have been removed. I wouldn't recommend repeating the same theme.