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

[bbi1]

20 minutes ago, Jackbenimble said:

go back to sleep and don't forget to take your meds

You don't know agents help do the dodgy dodgy for old farts who don't have 800k in the bank and "help" then with this legal requirement for a big fee?

[StayinThailand2much]

3 hours ago, Classic Ray said:

of course there may be a perfectly innocent explanation, but we will never hear it.

 

In the original article it says that a teacher of a language school pretended to extend the visas for the passport holders. So it was just people falling for the oldest scam in the world; trusting a random person with their money (and passports) who could not deliver the service she was pretending to sell. 

[ujayujay]

3 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

 

That goes without saying , thais don't need a visa .

 

 

After being scammed by some dubious thai visa agent , government should show some empathy and grant them a small extension , just long enough to legalize their stay .

 

 

They planned to throw peoples passport away ...?

Jail them .

Wrong, they try to scam the thai Immigration Rules! Everyone knows that these so-called visa agents are illegal! Applying for a visa yourself is not rocket science, it is suspicious of cheating the Thai visa regulations!

[StayinThailand2much]

3 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

After being scammed by some dubious thai visa agent , government should show some empathy and grant them a small extension , just long enough to legalize their stay .

 

Well, even if they had no empathy, or no sense of good governance, at least they should have done it out of good business sense... Fat chance that these scammed, then treated like criminals by the government, tourists will return to Thailand (and neither will their families, friends, work colleagues, etc.) - Best advertising not to travel to Thailand...

Edited December 21, 2023 by StayinThailand2much

[Nemises]

Can't see a problem to continue using an agent providing you pay for it AFTER the extension has been done and you are holding your passport. If the agent is dodgy, or a previously reliable one goes rogue and they "lose" your passport, simply get a new passport. Will never put 800k baht in some Thai bank earning SFA. 

 

 

 

Edited December 21, 2023 by Nemises

[bogozy]

I no understand the thai government immigration policies. They want, only accept the wealthiest immigrants. The required income, or bank deposit irreally high.

With a month per income of 20.000, or bankdeposit of 200.000 a lot of more people can settle at here, and generating much more income for the thai people, and for the government too.

 

[NoshowJones]

22 hours ago, Jonathan Swift said:

 "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." I take it they mean anyone in a foreign country. Take the UK as an example, apart from people who are involved with immigration, who else would have the right to ask for your passport?

 

• 
• Advanced Member
• •  1.4k

• Popular Post

Posted 22 hours ago

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. 

[newbee2022]

4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Rather unlikely, too many people making too much money. Most efforts in that direction only seem to drive more into the agent's clutches!

Sure, I'm aware of that.🥴

But Christmas is also the time to hope for better times. Therefore I expressed my feelings.🧑‍🎄

[Frankie baby]

I use "Thai Visa Centre" in Bangkok. Trust these people with anything. Excellent quick service. Will continue using them for as long as I'm here? 

 

No, I'm not on their payroll.

[Mavideol]

they don't call it LOS (land of scams) without a reason  (sarcasm intended) 555

[proton]

No sympathy at all for the victims, only the hard up, the desperate and the lazy use agents. They are unregulated and have no professional standards or standing, use at your peril.

[proton]

24 minutes ago, Frankie baby said:

I use "Thai Visa Centre" in Bangkok. Trust these people with anything. Excellent quick service. Will continue using them for as long as I'm here? 

 

No, I'm not on their payroll.

where do they get your extension from?

[smedly]

4 hours ago, mikeymike100 said:

The article clearly stated that"

"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."

So this was nothing to do financials and 12 month extensions, but clearly about attempting to obtain ED visas?

agents offer all these sevices in cluding 12 month extensions and they involve bribes

[smedly]

2 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

 

In the original article it says that a teacher of a language school pretended to extend the visas for the passport holders. So it was just people falling for the oldest scam in the world; trusting a random person with their money (and passports) who could not deliver the service she was pretending to sell. 

I personally know one of the victims - he was very angry, I advised him not to use her but was too late, he was applying for a 12 month extension - lost his passport had to get an emergency  travel document from the British embassy BKK

[proton]

 

Its amazing how man

7 minutes ago, smedly said:

I personally know one of the victims - he was very angry, I advised him not to use her but was too late, he was applying for a 12 month extension - lost his passport had to get an emergency  travel document from the British embassy BKK

 

The cost and time of putting that right is considerable, fly home, new passport, new visa fee and flight back. I would never trust my passport to anyone, I even keep my eye on where it is at the immigration office. There may well be agents who are reliable and who never involve themselves in corruption, I just never heard of one.

[Kalasin Jo]

Wow. 32,000 baht. Not chicken feed. And only the start of their costly troubles. Mostly promised  Education visas. The lady " agent" appears to have been the subject of a citizen style arrest then marched to the police station. The group's representative deserves praise for organising and leading them in that.

[Montnoveau]

51 minutes ago, Kalasin Jo said:

Wow. 32,000 baht. Not chicken feed. And only the start of their costly troubles. Mostly promised  Education visas. The lady " agent" appears to have been the subject of a citizen style arrest then marched to the police station. The group's representative deserves praise for organising and leading them in that.

Criminals with money maybe, and who like to stay out of sight...

[crazykopite]

Having read the remarks  there are a lot who say never surrender your passport everyone of these  people at some stage surrendered there passport either to immigration, bike or car rentals and don’t be under any illusions that the IO can’t misplace your passport . The IO love it when people use the agents as the benefit from it 

[smedly]

1 hour ago, proton said:

 

Its amazing how man

 

The cost and time of putting that right is considerable, fly home, new passport, new visa fee and flight back. I would never trust my passport to anyone, I even keep my eye on where it is at the immigration office. There may well be agents who are reliable and who never involve themselves in corruption, I just never heard of one.

he gave her his passport expecting it back in matter of weeks, time rolled on into almost 2 months, he was due to fly home (flights already booked), after several visits he demanded she return his passport visa or not, no response and 3 weeks before his departure he went to BKK and got an emergency travel doc, he never got his passport back or the Bt32k he paid this scam artist.

[Kinok Farang]

On 12/20/2023 at 2:10 PM, Joe Farang said:

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

You are spot on.

Yes i agree  but only after giving them 100 lashes.

[Kinok Farang]

2 hours ago, proton said:

No sympathy at all for the victims, only the hard up, the desperate and the lazy use agents. They are unregulated and have no professional standards or standing, use at your peril.

Yes i agree.Thailand should only be for rich people.

Let the poor,the people who have lost a lot to Thai girls and peop!e who don't trust Thai banks rot in hell.

[proton]

23 hours ago, BritScot said:

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.

 

Bribing IO's is corrupt, illegal and wrong, as is anyone defending such practice, or using those methods. No agent passing on bribes good or 'honest'. Using agents to save time when you are legal is another matter.

[proton]

4 minutes ago, Kinok Farang said:

Yes i agree.Thailand should only be for rich people.

Let the poor,the people who have lost a lot to Thai girls and peop!e who don't trust Thai banks rot in hell.

if you think 400k or 800k is 'rich' you must be penniless. 

[salavan]

On 12/20/2023 at 1:22 PM, jaywalker2 said:

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

They can't publish their name for fear of deformation law suit against them

[mikeymike100]

2 hours ago, smedly said:

agents offer all these sevices in cluding 12 month extensions and they involve bribes

They also offer quite legal services, that you don't mention?

All agents aren't bad, but there are  a few unscrupulous ones, as this article shows!

 

 

[Celsius]

40 minutes ago, proton said:

if you think 400k or 800k is 'rich' you must be penniless. 

 

This.

 

If you could not save ten times that amount working in the first world country, you have no business being in Thailand.

 

[proton]

2 minutes ago, Celsius said:

 

This.

 

If you could not save ten times that amount working in the first world country, you have no business being in Thailand.

 

 

The retired do not work

[Yme]

Is Drew Noyes back in town? 

[hkt83100]

On 12/20/2023 at 1:22 PM, jaywalker2 said:

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

Publish the name and you will be sued for defamation. Not very easy to understand, but that's the famous law.

[Kinok Farang]

5 hours ago, proton said:

if you think 400k or 800k is 'rich' you must be penniless. 

I am but being penniless in Thailand is preferable to being penniless in Europe.