Immigration checking bank accounts? Officers undergo training in "money laundering"

[Guderian]

I wonder when it will become compulsory to give them the PIN to your ATM card? They've already got your passport and fingerprints, after all, it's not money-laundering we should be concerned about.

[userabcd]

''An Immigration seminar in Pattaya was training officers in how to spot money laundering and how they could apply the law. 

 

Thaivisa notes that this comes at a time when immigration has been trying to root out agents who arrange long stay visas for foreigners with money in bogus bank accounts''

 

Foreigners with money in bogus bank accounts??

Edited July 24, 2019 by userabcd

[Cadbury]

2 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

its getting so you can't even launder money anymore. i mean why even come here?

Don't feel disappointed. You are laundering money whether you know it or not. For example, everytime you go to Soi 6 you give your money to the "hostess' who in turn gives all or part of it to the boss who then hands a percentage over to the police who in turn passes it up the food chain to find it's way to politicians and then to offshore bank accounts. It eventually comes back to Thailand squeaky clean. 

Feel better now?

 

[Briggsy]

There are 2 totally unrelated issues in this very confusing article.

1. Foreign criminals passing money through Thailand to make it appear legit and disguise its true source.

2. Foreigners getting extensions without 800,000 Baht in the bank.

 

They are unrelated but this seminar seems to have conflated the two issues to make it seem like the hapless agent users in Pattaya are big time money launderers!

 

The last thing I would want is some hostile and "determined to find something" Immigration Officer poking around in my bank account demanding that I justify every transaction over the last 12 months.

 

The real money launderers (think Russians and Chinese) are all on work permits and extensions of their front businesses (or even fake Thai identities for the Chinese) so the whole thing is just yet another fishing expedition which will result in the extraction of fines from small fry farangs for the flimsiest of reasons.

 

[SteveK]

I can imagine that this will end up in a situation where you are asked to prove where your 400k/800k has come from, with them asking for documentation, letters, payslips, solicitor's letters etc, which will be near enough impossible to provide for most people. What paperwork can you come up with the prove that your life savings from working are legit? It's going to be another reason for immigration to reject you and more headaches.

[jacko45k]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

immigration has been trying to root out agents who arrange long stay visas for foreigners

I need not comment, I have already soiled myself. 

[sammieuk1]

I can self confirm my £ account has been well and truly laundered rinsed and hung out to dry and will be further confirmed when the guy who hasn't got time to take his jacket off makes his house calls????

[bluesofa]

3 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

its getting so you can't even launder money anymore. i mean why even come here?

It's not that difficult.

My wife does it regularly, judging by the number of twenty Baht notes that appear in the bottom of the washing machine.

[Rimmer]

Off topic post removed

[outsider]

Aww... you just scuppered Jho Low's plans. Poor fatty has nowhere to go with his BILLIONS now.

[khunpa]

Why train people who are already experts?

[jlwilliamsjr18]

Heads up to non-residents... your accts. could be seized. 

[Assurancetourix]

29 minutes ago, khunpa said:

Why train people who are already experts?

Because no TV expert here has  notice that this seminar is held in Pattaya and not in Nan, Uttaradit or Nakhon Sri Thammarat. 

[Joker Man]

Christ! Who are they really training and to do what? 

[Teacherduck]

Why hold a course, just ask the big boss and deputy how to do it. They are experts.

[ronaldo0]

I bet they can’t find themselves and will state there is no money laundering here !! Just like the prostitution statement ! ????

[from the home of CC]

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

For those of you who are making jokes about this news report, I would politely suggest that no-one would hold a training program such as this unless they proposed to use that training for a purpose.  Holding seminars etc costs time and money.

 

Immigration officers are responsible for managing the issue of visas for foreigners, which in many cases involves proof of funds and/or proof of source of funds etc.  Think about it.

 

For those who do not have the 400/800 k baht for their visa extension, and who use an agent to 'circumvent' the system, I'd be worried...

I agree but there are those who think everybody born in Thailand is corrupt so they'll never have a problem, you read about this daily on this site. IMO people are going to be bitterly disappointed when they can't bribe someone via an agent..

[PingRoundTheWorld]

Not their job, not their business. <deleted> Thailand, getting more xenophobic by the minute.

[dallen52]

Doing it?

 

Or detecting it?

[justin case]

no training how to stop corruption ?

 

or just incompetence ?

 

abuse of power ?

 

[madmitch]

If anyone was involved in money laundering would they be stupid enough to use the bank account that needs to shown to Immigration, a branch of the police? They would almost certainly have several accounts.

[dallen52]

3 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

"Thaivisa notes that this comes at a time when immigration has been trying to root out agents who arrange long stay visas for foreigners with money in bogus bank accounts."

 

These agents wouldn't have anything to do with the agents TV members use to get their visa extensions for between 14,000-25,000 baht with no money in the bank, certainly...

Not sure if this activity will be scrutinized. 

It's like killing the goose that lays golden eggs. (Or baht).

 

Besides which, most many agents do not require bank accounts for renewals of retirement extensions.

 

So no bogus accounts here.

 

Obviously agreements in place with I.O. cheifs to facilitate this. 

[DaRoadrunner]

There is obviously one law for the Thais and none for the Farang.

[owenm]

I've previously read that 1% of the population owns 70% of Thai's wealth..

 

Wouldn't this 1% of hi-so's be worth scrutinising their bank accounts for laundering instead of picking on the expats and retirees, who are struggling to stay a float with their 65k/800k in the bank rules?

[Proboscis]

To do money-laundering the criminal needs either a business or access to a business. In the latter case, that would most likely be access to a Thai business. A waste of time for immigration to be looking into this. Better for customs, revenue enforcement and police investigators to do so.

[Andycoops]

4 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

I did money laundry a few times back in the young days. Forgot banknotes in pants' pockets and load them in washing machine. Money came out sparkling clean after drying. Good it's made of cotton, not paper...

Had my share in the washing machine too. 

[Tom59]

Tic Tock Tic Tock that's the sound of the clock ticking down to the moment that those expats that have not tied all their money up in Thai property finally decide that Thailand isn't worth the hassle any more. Best business to get into now is undertaking for all those who will no doubt be joining the 'Pattaya Flyers Club' when their 'agents' can no longer fix it.

[Parker2100]

At what point does Immigration decide that doing everything that it wants to do is just becoming petty?

 

At what point do they decide that the benefit does not outweigh the undue burden of an overly complex system?

 

Said another way, when are they going to decide this is just an expensive excerise in Wack-o-Mole?

 

 

 

 

[hotchilli]

A never ending clampdown.. I hope Thais will be happy with what's left when all the money, expats and tourists have gone elsewhere. I wonder what they'll do all day as far as I can see there's very little domestic employment for all the out of work girls & bar managers !

[crazykopite]

I think they would find more Money laundering in the higher echelons of the Thai elite , maybe they need to start from the very top and anyone with more than 4 watches should be included.