Immigration promises no cover up after audio clip of "freedom in exchange for cash" hits social media

[Bert got kinky]

20 minutes ago, steve187 said:

more the fool you.

 a lot of people got caught up in the border runs without leaving Pattaya scam, a fake stamp in your passport is asking for trouble down the line, the agent obtained passport stamps now are mostly genuine, just issued by Stevie Wonder

 

more the fool you.

 

Why, I used Lars' service a few times (with stamps also from Padang Besar & Honolulu) and it allowed me to stay here until I had sorted out my path in life.

That happened over 22 years ago and I have burned through 3 passports since then without any problem from Immigration nor any questions of dodgy stamps in a now cancelled passport.

How does this make me a fool?

 

Edited September 3, 2021 by Bert got kinky

[ChipButty]

12 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Police, immigration, condo developers... what's next?

Land departments, now there's another story

[steve187]

9 minutes ago, Bert got kinky said:

 

more the fool you.

 

Why, I used Lars' service a few times (with stamps also from Padang Besar & Honolulu) and it allowed me to stay here until I had sorted out my path in life.

That happened over 22 years ago and I have burned through 3 passports since then without any problem from Immigration nor any questions of dodgy stamps in a now cancelled passport.

How does this make me a fool?

 

at the time you were a fool for taking the risk, 22 years later there is no risk, same as now with all the agent' legal' extensions, could come back and bite some on the rear

[brianthainess]

22 hours ago, webfact said:

However, RTP committees are notorious for heading nowhere even when evidence is damning.

Well done Aseannow for Daring to saying that. Times may be changing.

[RJRS1301]

2 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

Well done Aseannow for Daring to saying that. Times may be changing.

One never sets up a committee or inquiry with assuring the terms of reference "guide" those conducting the investigation reach the required conclusion. It is dependent on the manner the terms are worded to give guidance.

One of the terms can be, "no recommendations to be submitted in final report, these can be submitted separately".

 

[Bert got kinky]

6 hours ago, bobandyson said:

I used a lady in Nana Plaza in the mid 90's for a while. She was supposedly a daughter of a top-cop and had someone take the passports to Penang, Malaysia for visas via Malay/Thai borders. 

At first only needed a copy of marriage paper, then years later had to also show wife's Thai ID card and in later years had to include a copy of a bank book page showing funds.

I think it all came to a halt when a terrorist named Hambali got caught with fake border stamps obtained from a visa service place in Khao San Road.

 

I knew plenty of guys who used the Swede to get visas from Penang but I've never heard of anyone getting visas or entry/exit stamps from Australia though. Somehow I can't see Aussie immigration officials and Thai Embassy/consulate staff being on the take. 

 

I used a lady in Nana Plaza in the mid 90's for a while. She was supposedly a daughter of a top-cop and had someone take the passports to Penang, Malaysia for visas via Malay/Thai borders. 

I am not sure if there was any truth to it but it was rumoured that Lars' wife had family members who were quite high up in the Immigration ranks.

 

At first only needed a copy of marriage paper, then years later had to also show wife's Thai ID card and in later years had to include a copy of a bank book page showing funds.

I never had to go through that, my passport was the only requirement.

However, my visas were only for 3 months at a time.

 

I knew plenty of guys who used the Swede to get visas from Penang but I've never heard of anyone getting visas or entry/exit stamps from Australia though. Somehow I can't see Aussie immigration officials and Thai Embassy/consulate staff being on the take. 

Just looked at the old passport with the stamps in and I used Lars' service 3 times, I have one 'border run' visa for Padang Besar,  one tourist visa from 'The Royal Thai Consulate, Honolulu' and one tourist visa  from The 'Royal Thai Consulate General, Brisbane.

Can't see that George would have been able to continue in Business if he was using dodgy stamps, so I can only presume that he was connected to the gills.

Either that or he was paying someone else who had big connections.

Didn't matter to me, he provided the service that I paid for.

 

 

[brianthainess]

21 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

I have paid bribes to immigration officers before for a visa extension. 

If your not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

[brianthainess]

20 hours ago, Gandtee said:

And how do they show confirmation of funds being the bank for three and then twelve months?

They don't, the 'agent' takes care of that.

 

20 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Dont ask questions and I wont tell you no lie's

Ask no questions tell no lies,

Have you ever seen a copper doing up his,

Flies are a nuisance, bugs are worse,

That's the end of this little verse.                Playground poetry.  

[elgenon]

A cynic would think they are investigating it to see if they can use the technique but I would never do that. I only say happy things here.

[brianthainess]

19 hours ago, Karma80 said:

I pay agents. Either I pay them or waste my day and end up paying one way or another.

 

Waste your day? so one day is worth more than 15k to you. Why not just say you don't have funds in a bank to cover your 1,900 baht extension.

 

20 hours ago, samtam said:

When in Rome...

Does Rome have Agents then?????

[brianthainess]

10 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

A scenario.

 

You go early for your extension because the nearest immigration is through the mountains 1.5 hours away from your home. You are there 9.30am. Immigration takes your documents. The place is quiet except for three more who arrived after you.

 

Your documents are in order. 11.30am Immigration announce they are going for lunch and suggest you do the same.

 

At 2pm, they finally decide that your documents are not in order, because your bank letter was dated one day before, even though your bank book  was updated at a local bank that very morning and proves your funds are intact and in order. You have the personal phone number for the lady at the bank who did the letter. They don't want to talk to her.

 

They tell you to go get another letter and return the day after. It is then 1.5 hours home and then 1.5 hours for the return journey the following morning.

 

Do you:-

 

1. Drop two thousand baht to ' sponsor the football team ' , or

 

2. Go home, get the letter and come back the day after in the hope they don't find fault again, sit around for another morning, and waste another day?

 

My life has got easier since my province opened a new immigration office in the city 45 minutes away, but these were the things some of us have faced in the past at immigration offices.

I don't make that mistake, of not getting it the same day. Simple to me but for others well........

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

6 hours ago, majhiggins said:

many don't realize that the envelope with 5000-10,000 baht that you present to the admissions official at a reputable public school for your child to get in is even a bribe. 

I know of a certain Issan govt school exactly like this. Admins even bragged about it, that this meant their school was so good. Yet it was much the same as most govt schools, with kids usually sitting in class, goofing off all day, and getting a score for this. Meanwhile teachers were rarely around, in the office or off attending "meetings". Parents really were paying for just a prestigious name on that diploma.

 

Samut Prakan was mentioned earlier. I can confirm they are indeed one of the worst offices. They enjoy being in an area with many private and intl schools, and factories with foreign workers, and take full advantage of this by making the visa process as difficult as possible. The flummoxed employers are forced into forking faciliative funds for their foreigners. I finally was flabbergasted and fled, fortunately to a place far away. F!

[brianthainess]

9 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

A bank letter is supposed to be valid five days as far as I am aware.

That depends on what IO you use, Trat insist on same day. In fact I prefer it that way all done in one day. The afternoon is the best time to visit my IO as all the Early lot have left. In fact an officer told me one time "come afternoon more quite."

[Sydebolle]

Here again, facilitate matters, make it super transparent and easy. You will reduce the numbers of officers in all those overstuffed offices occupying low educated know-it-all-clowns with photocopy checking for blue and not black signatures etc. 

Publish a clear tariff structure and time frame; do away with re-entry visas and make visas automatically valid for unlimited re-entries during the visa's validity and revamp this monster of Thai bureaucracy. 

It is amazing, how inefficient and corrupt all this is here; good luck I am out of this endless loop of a vicious circle called visa! 

[brianthainess]

2 hours ago, HAPPYNUFF said:

You obviously havent been into an Immigration Office    from Australia lately...You would have  great trouble finding an Australian working there...Plenty of Chinese, Indians and other nationalities however.     One time    one of them, from a certain  Asian country  started to question my wife.. Even though I realised,  to work in a Commonwealth Government office, you have to be an Australian citizen, even  a naturalised one. I asked  her what right did she, a foreigner in my eyes, have the right to question my wife in such a rude manner.

Australia is full of racists like you, how do you know they were not born there? What country did your ancestors come from?

 

1 hour ago, Bert got kinky said:

I used a lady in Nana Plaza

So did I, it only took a short time, and I got the service i paid for. 

Edited September 3, 2021 by brianthainess

[spidermike007]

18 hours ago, HAPPYNUFF said:

Strangely enough, when I last did my visa  extensionl, and    the usual  annual fee was 1900 baht, the officer  attending to me asked for me to pay  that amount per phone banking to   his bank account.      As I dont use phone banking I declined and offered   the cash as usual..He was  most upset.

 

I thought it strange, paying into his account,,,he stated it was his personal account,,, as I thought that would be a simple way to get caught, given  phone and bank records are kept.

Getting caught is the least of their worries. They are protected at the highest levels, and they know that. Corruption here seems to be sanctioned. That applies to immigration, customs, the police and all officials. There never was any intention behind the promises to root out corruption. Quite the opposite. 

[Bert got kinky]

16 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

Australia is full of racists like you, how do you know they were not born there? What country did your ancestors come from?

 

So did I, it only took a short time, and I got the service i paid for. 

Reply removed due to my misunderstanding of your post. 

 

 

Edited September 3, 2021 by Bert got kinky

[smutcakes]

Went through the 1st page and could not see it. Does anywhere actually say what was in the clip?

[Mr Meeseeks]

15 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Fortuner?  You've got a strange idea of what a high end car is.

You obviously missed the joke. ????

[smutcakes]

Have only read the 1st page. Is there a transcript of what was said?

[Bert got kinky]

19 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

You obviously missed the joke. ????

 

[SomchaiCNX]

On 9/2/2021 at 10:18 AM, smedly said:

out of all the people I know that live here only two of them get their extensions without going through an agent and of those none of them have the funds in the bank and pay on average 15k for a 12 month extension - fact

Yes, but if you mention it, people will say "shut up" you don't know anything. After 30 years I have seen my fair share of corruption in different police branches.

[berrec]

On 9/2/2021 at 11:18 AM, mtls2005 said:

Just the tip.

[NoshowJones]

On 9/2/2021 at 10:18 AM, smedly said:

out of all the people I know that live here only two of them get their extensions without going through an agent and of those none of them have the funds in the bank and pay on average 15k for a 12 month extension - fact

A lot of them are probably like me. I can afford the money in the bank method but feel much safer keeping my money in my UK bank, and use Wise every month so that I only have enough money for my Thai living expenses.

There are lots of things here in Thailand where people can and will approach you for money as you are seen as a rich farang. What you haven't got they cannot get.

[jacko45k]

3 hours ago, brianthainess said:

Waste your day? so one day is worth more than 15k to you. Why not just say you don't have funds in a bank to cover your 1,900 baht extension.

A bit harsh... it actually saves him finding 785,000 baht to park uselessly. As stated they take care of proving the money is still there, 3 months later, and sometimes the 90 day reports. Keeping the cash here looks less attractive now that they won't let you touch half of it for a year.

[hottrader77]

On 9/2/2021 at 9:44 AM, Rampant Rabbit said:

using the plastic  bag method?

Really ! Your about 50 years too late

[smedly]

29 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

A lot of them are probably like me. I can afford the money in the bank method but feel much safer keeping my money in my UK bank, and use Wise every month so that I only have enough money for my Thai living expenses.

There are lots of things here in Thailand where people can and will approach you for money as you are seen as a rich farang. What you haven't got they cannot get.

That is possible in some cases but not really the point - it is still breaking the rules and paying a bribe to overlook them - this topic is about corruption

 

 

[smedly]

34 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

As stated they take care of proving the money is still there, 3 months later

not they don't because the money is not there 3 months later - it hits their account to get a bank letter and is then taken straight out again - not one rule is complied with at any stage - immigration is paid to overlook it = corruption

[jacko45k]

12 minutes ago, smedly said:

not they don't because the money is not there 3 months later - it hits their account to get a bank letter and is then taken straight out again - not one rule is complied with at any stage - immigration is paid to overlook it = corruption

Let us simply say the requirement is 'waived'.....

Immigration Officers have the authority to 'sign off' on some of the requirements, and this is the loophole often cited. 

It is what it is, has been around for a long time....and even when requirements change, it often looks as if one is being pushed towards the agent route!

[NoshowJones]

32 minutes ago, smedly said:

That is possible in some cases but not really the point - it is still breaking the rules and paying a bribe to overlook them - this topic is about corruption

 

 

If I was to live by everyone's rules then what would be the point of getting out of bed in the morning? Besides it must be legal where IOs are concerned otherwise there would not be any agents sponsored by AN.