More than 100 foreigners ripped off for 5 million baht+ in education visa scam

 

Image: Manager

 

A group of foreign tourists went to the tourist police for help on Koh Phangan in Thailand's south claiming that a well known language school on the island ripped them off by promising they could get one year education visas. 

 

The tourists were from the UK, US, Germany, France and Russia. 

 

Manager said it was an important case and more than 100 people had been conned by the school in the Sri Thanu area.

 

The group were met by Koh Phangan district chief Poonsak Sophonpathumrak and the island's chief of police Pol Col Phisit Wisetwong, tourist police help center staff and immigration. 

 

They had been asked for 40,000 baht for courses at the school on the understanding that the school would process visas for them changing a Non-B into an ED-Visa. 

 

They had all put down a 20,000 baht first instalment. Their visas were promised by September 26th.

 

But when nothing happened they went to immigration in Surat Thani where they were told it was not possible to change a Non-B into an education visa. 

 

Immigration advised them to return to the island to get their money back but this was not forthcoming. The school said no refunds. 

 

Manager said they had originally heard about the school being able to get them a one year education visa from teachers working there.

 

The police received the case and are investigating. Manager said losses amounted to more than 5 million baht.

 

Source: Manager

 

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Yet another scam ripping off foreigners, which the cops are "investigating." If the shoe had been on the other foot and a foreigner had ripped off that many Thais, one suspects said farang would have been arrested already, amid much pomp and chest puffing for the cameras. I somehow doubt these folks will ever be reunited with their cash in full.

Sadly, with the various attempts to obtain replacements for type B ( I wonder what their previous type Bs were for?),visa exempt entries and tourist visas, these unfortunates will probably only be the tip of an iceberg.

 

ThB 40,000 would have probably "sorted" things with an agent!

Next headline.. 100 Farangs arrested for overstaying their Visas

 on Koh Phangan .

regards Worgeordie

 

สมน้ำหน้า

These foreigners wanted to scam the Thai visa rules. Now they got scammed themselves...

One needs to have an education and be able to tell the difference between a legal visa option and a scam BEFORE one can become an educator.

 

Didn't any of these 'teachers' consider why they would need 100 teachers on Koh Phangan?

39 minutes ago, andre47 said:

สมน้ำหน้า

These foreigners wanted to scam the Thai visa rules. Now they got scammed themselves...

 

31 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

One needs to have an education and be able to tell the difference between a legal visa option and a scam BEFORE one can become an educator.

 

Didn't any of these 'teachers' consider why they would need 100 teachers on Koh Phangan?

Quite. A  fool and his money etc.

46 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

 

 

ThB 40,000 would have probably "sorted" things with an agent!

 

true. in the week before Sep.26 agents in Pattaya quoted 47,000 thb.
the "normal" rate before that was 27,000.
 

50 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

One needs to have an education and be able to tell the difference between a legal visa option and a scam BEFORE one can become an educator.

 

Didn't any of these 'teachers' consider why they would need 100 teachers on Koh Phangan?

 

What are you talking about, where did it say they are "teachers"? I think that you're the one that needs a better education...

1 hour ago, herfiehandbag said:

ThB 40,000 would have probably "sorted" things with an agent!

Might be the case some places, however it might not be the case with Surat Thani Immigration's office on Koh Samui...

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

One needs to have an education and be able to tell the difference between a legal visa option and a scam BEFORE one can become an educator.

 

Didn't any of these 'teachers' consider why they would need 100 teachers on Koh Phangan?

 

Wrong tree ????????   They were enrolling in a course for 40,000 baht and getting an Ed Visa - it's a common method for many to prolong their stay in Thailand. 

 

A nice little money earner for an unscrupulous business capitalising on the desperation of people who are unable to carry out visa runs while Thailand remains under Emergency Decree - there will be many, many more.

 

 

 

 

same trap every year but a little different and AGAIN this "cheap" place becomes expensive for some.   they save 10 baht here, save 5 baht here, live in shack for 100 baht, eat 18 baht of rice....THEN get scammed for 40,000!!!!  OMG   

 

i had an ED Visa before but I used my brain and picked the right place.  no problems, everything professional, years ago.  

 

i'm sure none of these farangs can speak Thai and only want to drink and party and drink and party and drink and party....

 

I want the company to sue them for defamation or the refund will be 1 satang and they get a wai and their picture.  

 

Odds of getting back all their money?      OMG I'll laugh all day

 

Serves them right. Better improve that juggling fast and learn to ride a unicycle.

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

One needs to have an education and be able to tell the difference between a legal visa option and a scam BEFORE one can become an educator.

 

Didn't any of these 'teachers' consider why they would need 100 teachers on Koh Phangan?

 

Who said they were teachers?

13 minutes ago, Ventenio said:

i'm sure none of these farangs can speak Thai and only want to drink and party and drink and party and drink and party....

Me too .........

What's wrong with that?

(You forgot have sex with an assortment of random partners)

15 minutes ago, Ventenio said:

i'm sure none of these farangs can speak Thai and only want to drink and party and drink and party and drink and party....

I spent 3 months there in 1992 for the early full moon parties. Stoned every waking hour, don't knock it ???? 

4 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Me too .........

What's wrong with that?

(You forgot have sex with an assortment of random partners)

And they speak almost perfect English .

 

You good looking sir.

Handsome.

Oh, very big.

How long you here.

Where you from.

What you work.

 

That's all what matters.

Spending more time, the buffalo comes out of the drawer 

 

 

21 minutes ago, Ventenio said:

i'm sure none of these farangs can speak Thai

 

Hence why they signed up with a language school

3 minutes ago, AlfHuy said:

And they speak almost perfect English .

 

You good looking sir.

Handsome.

Oh, very big.

How long you here.

Where you from.

What you work.

 

That's all what matters.

Spending more time, the buffalo comes out of the drawer 

 

You will never be a good teacher. Where is 

 

You pay drink for me? 

I come with you? 

How much you pay? 

Short or long time? 

 

And many other important phrases... 

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

One needs to have an education and be able to tell the difference between a legal visa option and a scam BEFORE one can become an educator.

 

Didn't any of these 'teachers' consider why they would need 100 teachers on Koh Phangan?

You seem under a misapprehension, these are not 'teachers' but people trying to get education visas as a means to learn Thai and/or to remain in Thailand.

35 minutes ago, Oldie said:

You will never be a good teacher. Where is 

 

You pay drink for me? 

I come with you? 

How much you pay? 

Short or long time? 

 

And many other important phrases... 

friend me ...lose her key.

1 hour ago, Ventenio said:

same trap every year but a little different and AGAIN this "cheap" place becomes expensive for some.   they save 10 baht here, save 5 baht here, live in shack for 100 baht, eat 18 baht of rice....THEN get scammed for 40,000!!!!  OMG   

 

i had an ED Visa before but I used my brain and picked the right place.  no problems, everything professional, years ago.  

 

i'm sure none of these farangs can speak Thai and only want to drink and party and drink and party and drink and party....

 

I want the company to sue them for defamation or the refund will be 1 satang and they get a wai and their picture.  

 

Odds of getting back all their money?      OMG I'll laugh all day

 

Milk of human kindness flowing freely then?

 

What is it about people having problems with visas which so delights so many on TVF?

lol, there's a sucker born every minute

1 hour ago, Ventenio said:

i had an ED Visa before but I used my brain and picked the right place.  no problems, everything professional, years ago.  

 

You looking into the financial records registered with the BoI and ran your complete due diligence in the company? 

 

Or do you mean you were just fortunate that you chose a company which wasn’t ripping people off ?????

 

You trusted your instincts right... its the instincts man, no-one can pull a fast one on you, your instincts are too strong !!! 

5 minutes ago, fred110 said:

lol, there's a sucker born every minute

 

Schadenfreude - befitting of complete ayholes !

4 hours ago, Traubert said:

 

Quite. A  fool and his money etc.

Traubert. You sir/madam are obviously not a teacher, because you can't even spell "Quote".

3 hours ago, Ventenio said:

same trap every year but a little different and AGAIN this "cheap" place becomes expensive for some.   they save 10 baht here, save 5 baht here, live in shack for 100 baht, eat 18 baht of rice....THEN get scammed for 40,000!!!!  OMG   

 

i had an ED Visa before but I used my brain and picked the right place.  no problems, everything professional, years ago.  

 

i'm sure none of these farangs can speak Thai and only want to drink and party and drink and party and drink and party....

 

I want the company to sue them for defamation or the refund will be 1 satang and they get a wai and their picture.  

 

Odds of getting back all their money?      OMG I'll laugh all day

 

So you have gotten lucky once with an ED visa and they didn't , so they are all garabage people that don't contribute enough to the local economy ( which desperately needs all the helps it can get) So they don't deserve to be here and deserve to be cheated?

Ohh sorry, you used your far Superior intellect to pick your school to get your ED visa.. Get over yourself..

These people wanted to stay here in Thailand longer , paid for services from a "we'll known local school" (read reputable) utilizing a legal and and commonly used method to prolong ones stay in the Kingdom.

One of very few options for many, and they are the ones that are wrong? 

5 hours ago, andre47 said:

สมน้ำหน้า

These foreigners wanted to scam the Thai visa rules. Now they got scammed themselves...

 

These people deserved to get scammed ????

 

How does someone ‘scam’ visa rules ? - they were paying money to obtain an Ed Visa - its a grey area, much like those who pay more money to obtain a Thai Elite Visa to stay here - these people are scamming no one and ensuring they stay here legally, albeit within a grey area of the regulations. 

 

They were lied to and ripped off, scammed of their money - that is quite different. No one deserves this. Only an idiot who enjoys seeing others suffer would suggest they deserved to lose money. 

4 hours ago, Quack said:

5 hours ago, NanLaew said:

One needs to have an education and be able to tell the difference between a legal visa option and a scam BEFORE one can become an educator.

 

Didn't any of these 'teachers' consider why they would need 100 teachers on Koh Phangan?

 

What are you talking about, where did it say they are "teachers"? I think that you're the one that needs a better education...

I am a victim of PBC (posting before coffee).

 

Guilty M'lud.

 

OK, so they suddenly wanted to learn the lingo without actually having to learn the lingo?

5 hours ago, andre47 said:

สมน้ำหน้า

These foreigners wanted to scam the Thai visa rules. Now they got scammed themselves...

 

These are foreigners who did everything to follow the Thai visa rules. These people contacted a well established and reputable school to obtain an ED visa. If anything, this group tried to follow the rules more than just about all other stranded foreigners. They didn't opt for a fake volunteer or ED visa or make up a bogus reason for why they can't leave Thailand. สมน้ำหน้า doesn't apply here at all. What's wrong with you?