Brits arrested in Phuket international school immigration raid

By The Phuket News

 

Photo: The Phuket News / file

 

PHUKET: Two British nationals have been taken into custody on suspicion of working illegally following a Phuket Immigration raid at an international elementary school in Rawai.

 

Phuket Immigration Deputy Chief Col Nareuwat Putthawiro confirmed to The Phuket News today (Nov 6) that the two foreigners were taken into custody at the Palm House International School on Wednesday.

 

The two Brits have been handed over to the Chalong Police, who have been asked to investigate whether any charges should be pressed against the operators of the school, Col Nareuwat said.

 

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/brits-arrested-in-phuket-international-school-immigration-raid-77900.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2020-11-07

 

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It's farangs working illegally that have caused the authorities to crack down on all farangs, IMO. If they are guilty I hope they get done big time.

 

Display your wealth and certain authorities usually come sniffing around catching the smallest slip up. 

 

This is Thailand. 

Silly sods deserve everything they get for being stupid enough to  break immigration rules.

Clowns like them make it more difficult for those here legally.

They must have been aware that they were not legal.

I am sure they are not alone in this occupation just unlucky !

It seems that those making remarks on this topic have already found these two individuals guilty there are always two sides to every story maybe it is the school at fault for not processing there work permits as this is what happened to one of my teaching friends thankfully it all got sorted in the end  between the school and immigration and she was allowed to carry on doing the excellent job she is employed to do .

Keep  us  updated with the prosecution against the school  for hiring them also eh?

The Phuket News has received allegations that the school never applied for work permits for the teachers, and that several teachers are owed substantial amounts in pay.

 

Someone was not happy I would say

24 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

The Phuket News has received allegations that the school never applied for work permits for the teachers, and that several teachers are owed substantial amounts in pay.

 

Someone was not happy I would say

Especially when a bright shiny new V8 Mustang is on display. 

Jealousy might be spot on. 

50 minutes ago, hansgruber said:

Especially when a bright shiny new V8 Mustang is on display. 

Jealousy might be spot on. 

You mean the owner bought a Mustang?

Owed back pay? I think we can all work out who informed Immigration.

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

You mean the owner bought a Mustang?

That seems to be implied, but is not true.

5 minutes ago, stevenl said:

That seems to be implied, but is not true.

I've never seen one around

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

It's farangs working illegally that have caused the authorities to crack down on all farangs, IMO. If they are guilty I hope they get done big time.

Party pooper. 

4 hours ago, colinneil said:

Silly sods deserve everything they get for being stupid enough to  break immigration rules.

Clowns like them make it more difficult for those here legally.

They must have been aware that they were not legal.

Half the people here are not legal but you know that. 

I've worked at a FEW schools.......let me guess at the number of ILLEGAL foreigners who worked at a school without a work permit.  

 

Maybe 30

 

everyone, on your first day, is illegal.  not me, of course.  then everyone works about 3 to 6 months without a permit.  Most simply leave after a few months because they know they aren't tied to the school.  the school's happy because they don't have a real contract and can scare them and these poor (usually fillipino) teachers must do everything....

 

every single job that says "Hiring Immediately" is of course not providing a work permit.

 

further bad news.......if you have a work permit and want to leave, you realize you might not get another job, or lose months of salary waiting for the paperwork, or have to work illegally.

 

WP and everything might cost 20k.  Now another massive cost for fillipinos before they get a first paycheck.

 

i just hope they check every single school, fine them all 600,000 or more, but i'm not a fan of deportation in every case.  What farang really knows they are working illegally when a school "hires" you?  you get off a plane, the school takes your picture, you teach, sign stuff.......do you really wonder, "hey, i can get arrested now??"

 

LOL

4 hours ago, crazykopite said:

It seems that those making remarks on this topic have already found these two individuals guilty there are always two sides to every story maybe it is the school at fault for not processing there work permits as this is what happened to one of my teaching friends thankfully it all got sorted in the end  between the school and immigration and she was allowed to carry on doing the excellent job she is employed to do .

Donations?

4 hours ago, bodga said:

Keep  us  updated with the prosecution against the school  for hiring them also eh?

Why is an international school hiring people without professional qualification checks? Is it more likely that their professional status was known? Maybe they fell foul of the administration so there was a nod and a wink behind the scenes? 

7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The two Brits have been handed over to the Chalong Police, who have been asked to investigate whether any charges should be pressed against the operators of the school, Col Nareuwat said

If they were working without a work permit then fair do's.... caught and kicked out.

If that is the case then one hopes the school director gets done too, a two way street.

“For example, a foreigner to work without a work permit can incur a fine from B600,000 up to B1 million and from three to 10 years in prison, or both, for each foreign worker deceived,” he said.

11 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

If they were working without a work permit then fair do's.... caught and kicked out.

If that is the case then one hopes the school director gets done too, a two way street.

“For example, a foreigner to work without a work permit can incur a fine from B600,000 up to B1 million and from three to 10 years in prison, or both, for each foreign worker deceived,” he said.

 

This is rubbish, the laws have been relaxed years ago. 

 

No prison sentence possible for this, in case of the foreigner, but the school director could go to jail - but won't, because this is all just to rip off dumb farrangs anyway. 

 

Fine for the foreigners:

Quote

The foreigner faces a fine ranging from THB 5,000 to THB 50,000.

 

 

Fine for the school:

Quote

The employer faces a fine ranging from THB 10,000 to THB 100,000 per foreigner.Employers who are repeat offenders face imprisonment for up to one year, or a fine ranging from THB 50,000 to THB 200,000, or both. Such employers will also be blacklisted and not allowed to hire foreign employees for three years from the date of the final court judgement.

 

 

Of course we all know they won't rip off the school. 

 

 

Source: https://www.tilleke.com/sites/default/files/IC - May 2018 - Relaxation of Work Permit Requirements in Thailand.pdf

15 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

If they were working without a work permit then fair do's.... caught and kicked out.

If that is the case then one hopes the school director gets done too, a two way street.

“For example, a foreigner to work without a work permit can incur a fine from B600,000 up to B1 million and from three to 10 years in prison, or both, for each foreign worker deceived,” he said.

Im not a teacher but I have seen lots of threads on here and it seems lots of teachers dont have a work permit the other week that school in BKK 

I am pretty confident this is happening all over Thailand 

They are unlucky to be caught out if its correct on them not having  work permits

Hope the authorities  clamp down on the school directors as well

6 hours ago, tracker1 said:

I am sure they are not alone in this occupation just unlucky !

They certainly aren't.

All the foreign teachers where I live don't have work permits.

6 hours ago, tracker1 said:

I am sure they are not alone in this occupation just unlucky !

Unlucky? No it appears they were breaking the law, it is GOO luck they have caught, and it may stop some others thinking they get away  with it.

If guilty, too sad, deport never to return

Who ever hired them with the correct forms and visa, charge them as well. The directors and owners should be held accountable for the misdemeanors of the employees who did the hiring.

 

5 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

Unlucky? No it appears they were breaking the law, it is GOO luck they have caught, and it may stop some others thinking they get away  with it.

If guilty, too sad, deport never to return

Who ever hired them with the correct forms and visa, charge them as well. The directors and owners should be held accountable for the misdemeanors of the employees who did the hiring.

 

 

The issue may not be ask black and white as you suggest. 

 

Perhaps the teachers were told their work permits were under process. It's quite common for the ‘work to start’ while the work permit process is underway, instead of having to wait a month or more. 

 

So long as the application is in process this shouldn’t be an issue. However, the issue exists when / if the schools tells the Teacher the work permit is in process and they’ve lied. 

 

The directors and owners should most definitely be held accountable. It should also be established whether or not the teachers were misled or if they knowingly worked without a work permit and knew there was no application in progress. 

 

 

 

7 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

It's farangs working illegally that have caused the authorities to crack down on all farangs, IMO. If they are guilty I hope they get done big time.

Part of the situation is that when foreign teachers work in schools (and other work situations) many people quickly realize that there's no work permit.

 

In other words the 'no work permit' becomes widely known, people talk/gossip, people have negative attitudes, detection comes quickly and easily. 

 

34 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

The issue may not be ask black and white as you suggest. 

 

Perhaps the teachers were told their work permits were under process. It's quite common for the ‘work to start’ while the work permit process is underway, instead of having to wait a month or more. 

 

So long as the application is in process this shouldn’t be an issue. However, the issue exists when / if the schools tells the Teacher the work permit is in process and they’ve lied. 

 

The directors and owners should most definitely be held accountable. It should also be established whether or not the teachers were misled or if they knowingly worked without a work permit and knew there was no application in progress. 

 

 

 

Surely you would know if the work permit was "under application, something such a receipt for the lodgement

Is one allowed to gainfully employed while the W{P is "under application?

 If not then they are working illegally

 

So the school didn't cheat idiot parents with high enough fees to bribe immigration ?

 

 

8 hours ago, tracker1 said:

I am sure they are not alone in this occupation just unlucky !

I imagine 70% of english teachers are working illegal. As in not having a degree. So they should all keep their gobs shut!

The school has to do the paperwork..