Two Thai immigration officers transferred for allegedly taking visa extension bribes

[sambum]

6 hours ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

It will if only stupid farang grow some balls upon arriving at an immigration office. No receipt. No pay. What's the officer gonna do? 

They tried to charge me 4-500 Baht (no receipt) to transfer my old passport stamps to my new one. I refused to pay. Did I get kicked out. No.

Did I get my stamps transferred? Yes no problem. No charge.

Lucky you! Could easily have gone the other way!

 

I was in Immigration a few years ago when an American was shouting and creating a rumpus because the IO refused to extend/grant/change his visa. )It's a long time ago!) What I do remember was the Immigration Officer saying :- "No visa- you go back to your United States of whatever" and the guy had to go! On another occasion, a Brit was trying to extend his visa a week early as he planned to make a trip somewhere, and when the IO refused and said "You come back next week", he said, in a reasonable tone of voice - "But it says in the rules, that I can", The IO said "I make the rules here!". The guy walked out, and I don't know the outcome, but usually, it does not pay to be aggressive to an Immigration Officer!

 

And in answer to your question:- "What's the officer gonna do?", the answer should now be obvious - he/she is going to refuse your application for whatever you wanted! 

"Why?" you may ask. Answer - "Because they can!" 

Edited July 22, 2020 by sambum

[Pj2738]

The officer in charge was only reprimanded! Because they were caught on his/her watch. They say it starts at the top.

[JackThompson]

47 minutes ago, gamini said:

Are they any worse than the farangs paying 20,000 bt bribes to agents and others to have someone else put up the required 800 K for a Visa extension, it's because of these farangs that the regulations have been tightened and made a bit more difficult.

No, it is because immigration is corrupt, that this option was ever available.  And when not enough bribe-money coming in, they "crack down" on honest applicants, to force more to into their agent-sytem.

[Grusa]

4 hours ago, trainman34014 said:

Both the RTP and Thai Immigration Dep't; internally connected anyway, are both Criminal Organisations from top to bottom.  This is a recognised fact by the United Nations, who lists them as such.

reference please?

[transam]

12 minutes ago, Pj2738 said:

The officer in charge was only reprimanded! Because they were caught on his/her watch. They say it starts at the top.

Then the question for me is, how do the "agents" get away with sorting dodgy visas on a daily basis. 

A guy I know who lives up country near me used an agent, I think down south in Patts, he had no money for the extension, cost him 18,000 bht. But his address was changed to where this agent is. So to me it looks like there must be continuous money under the table.

[Kalasin Jo]

8 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

I thought it was acceptable, well according to many TV posters it seems to be.  Taking bribes is that not part of the Agent process.  Nonthaburi wanted me to pay 500 baht for a lost TM-6 arrival card even with a police report.  I refused and was eventually able to locate the card in the bottom of a backpack I had used months before.  Even have copies of everything but if you do not have the original they get all pricked out.

Uh. When I lost one a while back the I O just handed me a blank one to fill in. then stamped it amd stapled it in to my passport. . 

SakhonNakhon. He liked to hang on to the 100 baht change on the fee though. My wife thought this perfectly acceptable and would dig me in the ribs if she thought I was going to demand it!.

 

Now it's Kalasin I must use.

[brianbbb]

Why are they transfered and not sacked so they can return ?

[soalbundy]

8 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

Any relation to the little toad man?

He only asked for the going rate of 20% from the two officers conserned, therefore not guilty of any wrongdoing.

[Bangkok Barry]

'They would be dealt with'. Does that mean arrested and jailed for corruption (and, of course, damaging the all-important image of Thailand), or given a permanent desk job away from the money tree with a pension at the end?

[soalbundy]

24 minutes ago, transam said:

Then the question for me is, how do the "agents" get away with sorting dodgy visas on a daily basis. 

A guy I know who lives up country near me used an agent, I think down south in Patts, he had no money for the extension, cost him 18,000 bht. But his address was changed to where this agent is. So to me it looks like there must be continuous money under the table.

Yes I know someone in Surin but has an agent in Pattaya where he used to live, god only knows how he does the 90 day report, probably the agent again.

[Andycoops]

Make sure you record all visits to the IB, this is easily done by most people's phones.

[gamini]

1 hour ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

That is not what this is about.

 

Stay on topic.

The topic was corruption in the immigration Department which should of course include corrupt farangs dealing with emigration.

[spornb]

It is well known and accepted that for around 20,000/30,000 a retirement extension can be bought, even the deposit is dealt with

[gamini]

42 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

No, it is because immigration is corrupt, that this option was ever available.  And when not enough bribe-money coming in, they "crack down" on honest applicants, to force more to into their agent-sytem.

Surely honest applicants know the financial requirements for for a Visa extension. So they have these requirements when applying for a visa extension and I have never heard of them being cracked down by immigration officials. I have been here long time and I know very many retirees and they never have any real problem whatsoever with immigration. They understand the requirements when they apply. They have absolutely no need of an agent. So I don't really understand your post.

[Knocker33]

9 hours ago, ezzra said:

Only two ?...

Afraid so. The inactive post office is full to overflowing with the corrupt and useless officials at the moment

[Burma Bill]

9 minutes ago, spornb said:

It is well known and accepted that for around 20,000/30,000 a retirement extension can be bought, even the deposit is dealt with

Yes indeed and from my experience, many years ago the "agency" package also included a multiple re-entry permit and 4 X 90-day reports (pre-dated and signed by Immigration). All one had to do was de-staple the 90 Day report from one's passport and re-staple the next and so on. Simple and no visit to an Immigration Office. I emphasis many years ago!! 

[raccos21]

This is very common here; I’m not surprised. ????

[Guitar God]

Did they change the rules and now you have to be above a certain rank to take bribes?

[Toany]

17 minutes ago, gamini said:

Surely honest applicants know the financial requirements for for a Visa extension. So they have these requirements when applying for a visa extension and I have never heard of them being cracked down by immigration officials. I have been here long time and I know very many retirees and they never have any real problem whatsoever with immigration. They understand the requirements when they apply. They have absolutely no need of an agent. So I don't really understand your post.

But immigration move the goal posts as they did with the TM30.  I always try to stay legal, but the TM 30 caught me out.  Usually they are OK, but not always

[Sydebolle]

...... while in Pattaya they officially advertise the "visa" service for all those without sufficient cash, paper, insurance and-what-have-yous. 
 

[bluesea]

Fake News never Never in Thailand, The Land of Smiles!!

[BritManToo]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

The two men - with the rank of captain - have been accused of taking 20,000 baht tea money to speed up visa extensions for foreigners. 

They weren't investigated for taking bribes, they were investigated for not sharing the bribes with the bosses up the line.

[trainman34014]

1 hour ago, transam said:

Then the question for me is, how do the "agents" get away with sorting dodgy visas on a daily basis. 

A guy I know who lives up country near me used an agent, I think down south in Patts, he had no money for the extension, cost him 18,000 bht. But his address was changed to where this agent is. So to me it looks like there must be continuous money under the table.

Expensive; i know two who have recently got extensions for 13,500 each, Passport back in 24 hrs, delivered to home address.

[Airbagwill]

Do they mean taking bribes and not sharing?

[Searat7]

I think Big Joke  was fired from his position as head of Immigration because one of his next targets would have been the “Agent System” which was full of corruption. But that would have upset the Gravy Train so Prawit was forced to remove him from his position by unhappy senior officers.

[BestB]

Idiot who posted to Facebook and same applies to all supporting it .

so many of you cried and screamed when immigration changed rules demanding money in the bank.

 

just as many cried not having the money or not wanting to keep money in thai bank 

 

just as many cried and screamed when money had to be there for a certain period with proof.

 

the very same moaners used agents who for a fee fixed all problems.

 

now you can expect that fee to go up and perhaps a period of “ no available”

 

Yes corruption is bad thing but in a country where laws and rules interpreted how one sees fits , you can enjoy siting and watching immigration officer going over every single page and if little dot missing to be sent away or should your balance in the bank fallen 1 baht below requirement instead of having it overlooked for a fee, you can now enjoy nice red denied stamp. 
 

Good going ????

[Neeranam]

3 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

Isn't it possible this is the box for "donations" after someone from Immigration has kindly photocopied pages from your passport, or other documents, free of charge???

They never do that, they have the nerve to ask 7.5 baht a page! This is pure extortion, they even ask to photocopy the recipient of payment, I mean this is purely to make money. 

[Peter Denis]

39 minutes ago, BestB said:

Idiot who posted to Facebook and same applies to all supporting it .

...

You should read the article more carefully, it says:

National RTP spokesman Pol Col Krissana Pattanacharoen announced the moves after a virulent Facebook post and video on the page of "Tom Julpas Kruesopon" that made the claim that 20,000 baht needed to be paid to speed up work visas for foreigners. 

The 'idiot' is a HiSo Thai, and he complained that he was extorted by the 2 Nonthaburi immigration officer.

Those two officers tried to play the same game on this HISo well-connected Thai that they do on a daily basis with 'stupid farangs', and demanding 20K tea-money to speed up the processing of the work permits of the foreigners employed by that HiSo Thai. 

Big Mistake!

[Neeranam]

1 hour ago, Sydebolle said:

...... while in Pattaya they officially advertise the "visa" service for all those without sufficient cash, paper, insurance and-what-have-yous. 
 

They advertise in the police station? Take a photo and post it please.

[Prince77]

Hang the guy who posted this issue on his facebook page. Nobody has to pay anything under table, but those who wish to speed-up the process - it is up to them - so what?