Visa extension fraudsters: Further details emerge as Thai police go after Russian retirees who used service

[webfact]

Picture: INN news

 

The Thai police are going after Russians who used a fraudulent service provided by two compatriots to show they had money in the bank for visa extensions when they had none.

 

Two arrests have been made according to a vinyl board on the story of INN news - Mr Alexey, 63, and "Miss" Irina, 59.

They have been charged with working without a permit and engaging in activity potentially harming national security and stability.

 

This is because it is feared that Russian criminal elements who reside in Pattaya used their service to extend visas so they could maintain influence over the Russian community.

 

In this sense they would have the money for the extensions but would want to hide their activity and details, notes Thaivisa.

 

INN news reported that foreign nationals in Thailand need to show 400,000 baht in the bank or evidence of 65,000 baht coming in each month to get extensions on things like retirement visas.

 

The pair faked bank documents in the sum of 70,365 baht (monthly) from SERBANK in Russia then presented these to the Russian embassy in Thailand to have them certified.

 

The Russian embassy has been informed of the activity of the pair who were using VK.com - a food business that acted as a front for the criminal activity.

 

Now the Thai police are going after Russians who paid 2,000 baht a time for the fake certification in order to extend their retirement visas.

 

The Russian pair are in the hands of the Pattaya police.

 

Interestingly the matter was announced not by immigration but by a higher ranked man - inspector general of the Thai police General Visanu Prasatthong-osoth indicating that the breadth of the subsequent investigation will be wide.

 

INN news said there was evidence of lots of fake bank documents with names from MANY passports.

 

Gen Visanu was commenting as head of the CTIC - a center that combats transnational crime and deals with illegal immigrants.

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-03-23

 

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[ezzra]

Oh Those Russians....

[YetAnother]

4 minutes ago, webfact said:

engaging in activity potentially harming national security and stability.

this far-too-overused phrase can mean anything these days, meaning it means nothing

[2530Ubon]

Hmmm... So are dodgy visas & extensions of stay only ok if issued through immigration or a well known visa agent?

Seems like a pretty harmless crime really considering it's a damn sight more expensive to have the same service from a Thai agent/IO

[KarenBravo]

So much for accuracy. You need to show 800,000 Bt for a retirement extension.

 

"INN news reported that foreign nationals in Thailand need to show 400,000 baht in the bank or evidence of 65,000 baht coming in each month to get extensions on things like retirement visas".

[petermik]

7 hours ago, 2530Ubon said:

Hmmm... So are dodgy visas & extensions of stay only ok if issued through immigration or a well known visa agent?

Seems like a pretty harmless crime really considering it's a damn sight more expensive to have the same service from a Thai agent/IO

I wonder if it were a Thai agent would they then seek out all who had used their services....nah no chance.... too much loss in "pocket money" to the folks in Immigration here...

[mtls2005]

At least the Russian Embassy is on the hook for certifying the "income".

 

 

 

 

 

[foreverlomsak]

2 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

At least the Russian Embassy is on the hook for certifying the "income".

 

 

 

 

 

Are they going to force them to stop providing "Income Letters", as they have with UK, USA and Australia, or is it going to be just "Oh you naughty boys" and a limpy slap on the wrist.

[4MyEgo]

31 minutes ago, webfact said:

Now the Thai police are going after Russians who paid 2,000 baht a time for the fake certification in order to extend their retirement visas.

 

Can't have that now can we, the going rate from what I have heard is 10 times that through a recognised Thai agent, and the boys get their cut from that.

 

What on earth were the Russians thinking, 2,000 baht a pop, lol, no rich quick scheme there fellas.

[smedly]

31 minutes ago, webfact said:

The Thai police are going after Russians who used a fraudulent service provided by two compatriots to show they had money in the bank for visa extensions when they had none.

 

are they having a laugh

 

most of the people I know that have 12 month extensions use and agent for this very reason 

 

too funny

[smedly]

Just now, 4MyEgo said:

What on earth were the Russians thinking, 2,000 baht a pop, lol, no rich quick scheme there fellas

they were faking the bank statements to get an embassy letter - somewhat different but just as dodgy 

[polpott]

35 minutes ago, foreverlomsak said:

Are they going to force them to stop providing "Income Letters", as they have with UK, USA and Australia, or is it going to be just "Oh you naughty boys" and a limpy slap on the wrist.

Wasn't immigration that forced the embassies, the embassies took it upon themselves to stop the letters, hence the majority of embassies still provide the letters.

[Susco]

59 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Oh Those Russians....

 

Oh those visa agents

[The Man Who Sold the World]

It will be of interest if the results of this "subsequent investigation" come to light or die on the vine and pass into oblivion. 

 

I expect it will just fade into the sunset, but, you never know...

[overherebc]

51 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

At least the Russian Embassy is on the hook for certifying the "income".

 

 

 

 

 

Not really.  The embassy is only signing to say that 'these are the facts you presented'

They are just saying/signing to say you swear the facts are real and the truth. 

In court if you swear to tell the truth etc and then lie they don't blame the court official.

Edited March 23, 2021 by overherebc

[colinneil]

Clearly those 2 Russians were not passing on monies to the correct people, or were not passing any money on, just keeping it all for themselves.

[tonray]

55 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

At least the Russian Embassy is on the hook for certifying the "income".

 

 

 

 

 

Putin: "I know nothing of this...it must be lies created by Western powers"

[AlfHuy]

Aren't the Chineses, Russians that they are targeting as high spenders.

Well, each day another story about them.

 

On the other site, rarely something wrong about Indians to be seen.

[impulse]

9 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Clearly those 2 Russians were not passing on monies to the correct people, or were not passing any money on, just keeping it all for themselves.

 

There's 2 other possibilities here...

 

1) You're right.  They weren't greasing the right palms.

2) Dodgy visa agent is a career reserved for Thais.

3) They're going to be cracking down more on dodgy visa agents and the customers who use them.

[Surelynot]

Could this be a case of a policeman just doing his duty........no, seriously........it might be!

[Enzian]

27 minutes ago, polpott said:

Wasn't immigration that forced the embassies, the embassies took it upon themselves to stop the letters, hence the majority of embassies still provide the letters.

I thought the point was that Immigration asked the Embassies to do more than just create a sworn affidavit, to actually go back to the US  (in my case) and verify that I really had that much in my US bank accounts, and the embassy said they didn't have the manpower or authority for that, hence Immigration stopped accepting the unverified affidavits. So from that POV, Immigration forced my embassy to cease and desist, and I had to have funds wired to a bank here (rather than pay an "agent").

[Surelynot]

2 minutes ago, Enzian said:

I thought the point was that Immigration asked the Embassies to do more than just create a sworn affidavit, to actually go back to the US  (in my case) and verify that I really had that much in my US bank accounts, and the embassy said they didn't have the manpower or authority for that, hence Immigration stopped accepting the unverified affidavits. So from that POV, Immigration forced my embassy to cease and desist, and I had to have funds wired to a bank here (rather than pay an "agent").

This is a Russian Embassy.......555

[gunderhill]

IMO   the  biggest fraudsters are IMMIGRATION themselves.

[KeeTua]

1 hour ago, 2530Ubon said:

Hmmm... So are dodgy visas & extensions of stay only ok if issued through immigration or a well known visa agent?

Seems like a pretty harmless crime really considering it's a damn sight more expensive to have the same service from a Thai agent/IO

Harmless? Bank documents were forged and I assume sworn affidavits were executed at the embassy claiming the documents were genuine, another big no no.

Is it illegal for a visa agent to take a stack of applications to an IO and request exceptions be made for the various applicants? IOs can be flexible if the choose, they have final say.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Interestingly the matter was announced not by immigration but by a higher ranked man - inspector general of the Thai police General Visanu Prasatthongosop indicating that the breadth of the subsequent investigation will be wide.

 

Having a higher-ranked, non-Immigration cop fronting this story indicates to me that some branches or individuals at the Immigration police may also be under investigation.

[EricTh]

Quote

The pair faked bank documents in the sum of 70,365 baht (monthly) from SERBANK in Russia then presented these to the Russian embassy in Thailand to have them certified.

 

That is why all these income letters from embassies should be scrapped because it is open to abuse.

 

To ban income letters from UK and USA but allow income letters from all other embassies isn't fair.

 

All retirees should put their money in Thai banks at least 800k or monthly transfer. Even the monthly transfer is open to abuse.

Edited March 23, 2021 by EricTh

[EricTh]

The recent case of Japanese retirees borrowing money through agents to topup the financial requirement is going to make things worse for those who abide by the rules.

 

 

 

[mosan]

1 hour ago, KarenBravo said:

So much for accuracy. You need to show 800,000 Bt for a retirement extension.

 

"INN news reported that foreign nationals in Thailand need to show 400,000 baht in the bank or evidence of 65,000 baht coming in each month to get extensions on things like retirement visas".

The statement is technically correct, they just didn't cover all the bases - in the unlikely event you didn't know...

[RubbaJohnny]

Sigh beerier, the hazards of cutting out the middlemen, Russkis seem to have made a 'hub location error".

[EricTh]

I read a recent report that somebody faked some documents and he was banned from entering Thailand for a number of years.

 

So it's not a case of simply cheating immigration and getting a small fine, you will be blacklisted from entering Thailand for xx years.