Pattaya visa scam leaves hundreds of tourists out of pocket and overstaying

[webfact]

Hundreds of victims have been financially swindled by an unscrupulous visa extension agency in Pattaya, with some foreign victims being illegally overstayed in the Kingdom. Today, 36 year old Chanidapha Thowasakul, represented a group of more than 30 victims, including foreign nationals, and brought 33 year old Suphawadee (surname withheld) to the Pattaya City Police Station.

 

The victims, with 40 passports, reported to the Pattaya City Police that they had given their passports to the accused for visa extensions at the Immigration Office, but they were not returned. This led to some foreigners overstaying in the Kingdom.

 

Chanidapha revealed that the affected tourists, who had paid approximately 32,000 baht (US$ 916) each, had approached her language school, but the school found no record of them in their system. This led to investigations that revealed more than 100 victims from over 10 different countries, which has significantly impacted the tourism image, reported KhaoSod.

 

Some tourists were detained for overstaying in the Kingdom for more than 90 days, leading to lawsuits and forced repatriation.

 

The victims planned to meet the fraudulent agency by requesting the return of their passports, without seeking a refund. After learning that the agency planned to dump several passports, the victims negotiated to have them returned to the numerous tourists. 

 

by Nattapong Westwood

Picture courtesy of Top News

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-12-20

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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[Celsius]

Visa agents 

 

How can people just surrender their passport to these scumbags, lol

 

I hope the issuing countries keep a tab on every mug who willingly surrenders the passport to these so called "agents" never issue a replacement passport again.

 

 

[ezzra]

There you go Mr. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to get in and eradicate all those visa scammers that Thailand are full of before you

jump giving freebies to tourists, do away with the criminal elements that are all over the country ruining Thailand image...

[expat_4_life]

"32,000 baht (US$ 916) each, had approached her language school"

 

The "tourists" in the article sound like victims of some sort of "long stay" ED Visa scam - feel sorry for the schools owner if she is/was not involved

[stoner]

44 minutes ago, webfact said:

Chanidapha revealed that the affected tourists, who had paid approximately 32,000 baht (US$ 916) each, had approached her language school, but the school found no record of them in their system. This led to investigations that revealed more than 100 victims from over 10 different countries, which has significantly impacted the tourism image, reported KhaoSod.

 

 

 

ok 

 

1 - what is a tourist doing approaching a language school for a long term visa ? 

 

2 - no thailand you impact your own image. was it the tourists who set up this scam or locals ? 

[jaywalker2]

So what agency was it? They leave out the most important information

[JimTripper]

Learn to do things yourself. Don't use an agent for anything here. It's just blokes off the street doing things you could do on your own.

[Jonathan Swift]

4 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

Learn to do things yourself. Don't use an agent for anything here. It's just blokes off the street doing things you could do on your own.

Absolutely. That's what I did. Even if the risks are minimal, the consequences are too high. None of it is that hard to do, you just have to get through a learning curve like anything else, no more complicated than registering a car in your home country.

[Jonathan Swift]

This is the second time I read something like this in Pattaya. The first time it was some Russians, sometime last year. Take heed as to why your own government tells you to never surrender your passport to anyone. Each time you do you are a hostage to that person. 

[beautifulthailand99]

Wow could just be a shakedown of a flaky one to encourage the others. If there ever was a true crackdown then the net could get 100s or thousands of dodgy visa extenders. Knowing Thailand this looks like a shakedown and a price increase.

[Joe Farang]

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

There you go Mr. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to get in and eradicate all those visa scammers that Thailand are full of before you

jump giving freebies to tourists, do away with the criminal elements that are all over the country ruining Thailand image...

Yes, all these foreign criminals attempting to circumvent the Visa process should be deported and never let return.

You are spot on.

[Banana7]

Lots of Russians use language schools to get extended visas.

 

Nasty if they get deported, then get recruited upon return into the military and find themselves at the front line with Ukraine in the snow.

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

the affected tourists, who had paid approximately 32,000 baht (US$ 916) each

Does anybody pay that kind of money for a legal visa extension? I don't think so.

So, immigration should give the guy a medal for helping them finding all the people who wanted to illegally continue to stay in Thailand.

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, JimTripper said:

Learn to do things yourself. Don't use an agent for anything here. It's just blokes off the street doing things you could do on your own.

I think using an agent is often helpful. It saves a lot of time and hassle.

I am legally in Thailand with business visa. If I go to immigration, I see my agent, and all is done in maybe 10min. I am willing to pay for that convenience.

But obviously it's important to know who you can trust. 

[JimTripper]

7 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I think using an agent is often helpful. It saves a lot of time and hassle.

I am legally in Thailand with business visa. If I go to immigration, I see my agent, and all is done in maybe 10min. I am willing to pay for that convenience.

But obviously it's important to know who you can trust. 

I have nothing but time. Retired and not working. I'm also never in a rush.

[CanadaSam]

Thailand has a thriving "visa agent" business, because of the difficulties, with numerous cumbersome paper-work etc.  Just stop the BS and let the immigration staff deal with it based on your passport and bank book, period!

[ChipButty]

Nothing seems to happen to the agents, perhaps if they got 10 years might make them think long and hard, maybe others involved, 

[BritScot]

2 hours ago, Celsius said:

Visa agents 

 

How can people just surrender their passport to these scumbags, lol

 

I hope the issuing countries keep a tab on every mug who willingly surrenders the passport to these so called "agents" never issue a replacement passport again.

 

 

Another vindictive character in Thailand.  Why so twisted? Expats use agents for all kinds of reasons and one is the belief that there will be less hassle.  I used an agent once when I was a scuba diving instructor and the reason back then was working on an island and work permits were non existing. I was very lucky as left thailand before it came out the agent was just stamping the passports himself. This caused  friend to end up in prison and a 100,000baht fine plus banned for life (one of the nicest guys ive met). The agent was sitting in his shop, sign still up with nothing at all happending to him. However, I also new a very good and honest agent who became very rich from providing a good service. I would never decry anyone who used such a service.

[Digitalbanana]

3 hours ago, jaywalker2 said:

So what agency was it? They leave out the most important information

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Suphawadee (surname withheld)

 Just Google it, you will soon see the surname from Khaosod news site.

[smedly]

4 hours ago, Celsius said:

How can people just surrender their passport to these scumbags

most of them have no choice as they cannot meet the financial requirements for a 12 month extension or refuse to

[smedly]

2 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Nothing seems to happen to the agents, perhaps if they got 10 years might make them think long and hard, maybe others involved, 

you think it's the agents making most of the money ?, they get a cut maybe 30% and the rest of it goes to #### #### 

[ChipButty]

19 minutes ago, smedly said:

you think it's the agents making most of the money ?, they get a cut maybe 30% and the rest of it goes to #### #### 

I know where it goes but I didn't want to say here, one guy here in Phuket has been at it for years still at it as far as I know and has been raided a couple of times, there was a time here in Phuket were they had dodgy stamps, 

[Ben Zioner]

2 hours ago, BritScot said:

  I used an agent once when I was a scuba diving instructor and the reason back then was working on an island and work permits were non existing.

But you knew that you needed a work permit to work as a diving instructor, didn't you? So you were lucky and you "friend" only got what he deserved.

[PJ71]

9 hours ago, Celsius said:

How can people just surrender their passport to these scumbags, lol

no choice.

[balo]

Plenty of good hard working visa agents in Pattaya.  Clearly they did not do a good enough research.

Key Visa is highly recommended.     (RIP  Darren   ) 

 

[webfact]

Over 100 Tourists Allegedly Duped in Passport Scam, Agent in Pattaya Faces Legal Action
By Tanakorn Panyadee

 

 

Pattaya — Over 100 foreign tourists in Pattaya were allegedly scammed by a visa agent who promised to handle their passport extensions. However, the agent reportedly kept the passports far past agreed upon dates, without processing the extensions, leading to some of the tourists overstaying their stays in Thailand and keeping money paid by the tourists.

For our video report of this story on our YouTube channel tap or click here.

The incident came to light on December 19th, 2023, when a group of 30 tourists, accompanied by their representative Ms. Chanidapa Thosakul (36), brought Ms. Supawadee, whose last name was withheld pending an ongoing investigation, (33) under custody to the Pattaya Police Station.

 

Ms. Chanidapa revealed that the 30 tourists were allegedly lured by Ms. Supawadee’s promise to deal with their passport extensions with Royal Thai Immigration. The tourists paid around 32,000 baht each for Ms. Supawadee’s services. However, the tourists alleged that Ms. Supawadee took their passports and never returned the documents, nor processed their extensions, which were for a variety of reasons but mostly education visas.

 

The situation worsened when it emerged that over 100 tourists from more than 10 countries were reportedly impacted, some allegedly having their passports confiscated by Ms. Supawadee far beyond their authorized stay of 30-90 days in Thailand. This forced several tourists to face legal action and potential deportation, Ms. Chanidapa said.

 

Full story: THE PATTAYA NEWS 2023-12-21

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

[2baht]

32,000 baht each!.........Fools! 

[Ralf001]

Bwahahahahahahaha silly t w a t s 

[jacko45k]

ED Visas/Extensions to learn the language (and Muay Thai I suspect), have always been a dodgy item.... and no doubt money is received by officials. A nightmare for the victims, the loss of a lot of money, no extension, on overstay, and no passport!

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, Celsius said:

Visa agents 

 

How can people just surrender their passport to these scumbags, lol

 

I hope the issuing countries keep a tab on every mug who willingly surrenders the passport to these so called "agents" never issue a replacement passport again.

 

 

I think it works like this:

Go to the agency to arrange a dodgy Ed visa stamp, pay the fee and hand over your passport..

they will go to IO and get everything done....

TiT