Taiwanese Tour Company Owner Arrested for Forged Visa & False Identity

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture of arrest.

 

Authorities have apprehended a Taiwanese national who evaded capture for nearly five years by forging documents, changing his name, and re-entering Thailand under a false identity.

 

At 10:00 on December 17, Pol. Lt. Gen. Saksira Phuak-am, Commander of the Tourism Police Bureau, ordered a crackdown on crimes involving foreign nationals in Thailand. This led to the arrest of Mr. Chao Li Chan, 45, a Taiwanese citizen wanted under a Phra Khanong Criminal Court warrant No. 258/2567, issued on November 21, 2023. He faces charges of “forgery and use of forged documents” related to fraudulent visa and work permit applications.

 

Authorities began their investigation after uncovering a syndicate of foreign nationals using forged documents to obtain visas and work permits. Mr. Chao Li Chan was identified as a key member of the operation. To evade arrest, he exploited legal loopholes by reporting his passport as lost to the Taiwanese Consulate in Thailand, enabling him to return to Taiwan. Once there, he changed his name to Mr. Chiao Zheng-En and obtained a new passport. Using this passport, he re-entered Thailand multiple times over the course of five years, successfully avoiding detection.

 

The Tourism Police Unit 2, Division 1, under the Tourism Police Bureau, eventually located Mr. Chao hiding in the Lat Krabang district of Bangkok. Investigations revealed he was living off funds earned from operating a tour company in Taiwan prior to his escape.

 

The suspect was taken into custody and handed over to investigators for prosecution under Thai law. Authorities emphasised their commitment to tracking down foreign criminals attempting to evade justice in Thailand.

 

-- 2024-12-18

 

[hotchilli]

8 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Authorities began their investigation after uncovering a syndicate of foreign nationals using forged documents to obtain visas and work permits. Mr. Chao Li Chan was identified as a key member of the operation. To evade arrest, he exploited legal loopholes by reporting his passport as lost to the Taiwanese Consulate in Thailand, enabling him to return to Taiwan. Once there, he changed his name to Mr. Chiao Zheng-En and obtained a new passport. Using this passport, he re-entered Thailand multiple times over the course of five years, successfully avoiding detection.

Seems to be loop-hole there somewhere?