Visa Cheaters Company In Pattaya

[oshox]

About three months ago, I registered with a company in Pattaya, to get a visa and working permit to work and live legally in Thailand.

The reason i trusted this company was because it was well advertised on all newspapers in pattaya, and also the manager of the company is a well known guy who owns few condos, money (at least apparently) 16 registered thai people who work for him, few thai wives etc....

I thought the guy was well off and well established into the pattaya society, therefore i trusted him and went on by paying him the money to get me the visa and working permit, + company registration to start a real business with a real shop.

The company has been a complete disaster and after 3 months he did not get me the working permit and my new opened company has been black listed to the immigration. In other words if i do re-apply with the same company name, they will reject my application once again.

On top of this, the manager proposed me to be his partner in a project on Pattaya Klang, promising to start the refurbishment of the new place by the beginning of october, but with great surprise after i sent all money (about 2 millions bath) nothing had started and the guy told me that he did not feel anymore to go on with this project, and that it was better to lose some key-money and go on with another project.

I asked him my money back, and he returned me only half of it, saying that the rest of it was given to the owner of the building..

I did ask for the master lease of the contract and the receipt of the money that he gave to the owner of the building, but he became very angry and asked me to go out of the office with a cheque (half of the total money invested)

I have been to the best solicitors in town, and am now pressing charges against the manager of this miserable company for criminal fraud.

Not sure if i can mention the name of the company on this forum, but anybody who has had experience in pattaya for quite a few years, is welcome to contact me to check if this guy has done the same before with any other investor.

Thanks for your help

[007]

I've heard this happens frequently in Pattaya. Be careful out there...

Edited November 12, 2007 by 7

[jonniebkk]

Many forum threads about these visa companys and how they really don't do anything that you cannot do yourself. They are mostly unnecessary...no need to use them...they like to infer that they can do things because they "know" certain officials but actually, they just go to the same government counters that one can go to themselves.

Why would anyone trust these guys anyway? If they had any money or smarts, they would be retired and relaxing on the beach and not scrapping buy cheating their fellow foreign expatriates.

Edited November 12, 2007 by jonniebkk

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Many forum threads about these visa companys and how they really don't do anything that you cannot do yourself. They are mostly unnecessary...no need to use them...they like to infer that they can do things because they "know" certain officials but actually, they just go to the same government counters that one can go to themselves.

Why would anyone trust these guys anyway? If they had any money or smarts, they would be retired and relaxing on the beach and not scrapping buy cheating their fellow foreign expatriates.

Avoid 'em. They know SFA. Do it all yourself.....cheaper and more efficient.

[PhilHarries]

Why would anyone trust these guys anyway? If they had any money or smarts, they would be retired and relaxing on the beach and not scrapping buy cheating their fellow foreign expatriates.

Very good point, you are dead right there .

[stingray]

I stay 14 years in Thailand and i could tell so many simular stories what happen to me, and i got my own expirience, but we can't write things on internet, becuause in Thailand it's a "criminal case" if you write something bad about someone (don't say any names). So therefore nobody should publish any stories on the internet or news papers, unless he not living in Thailand anymore.

[oshox]

Hi and thank you for your kind replies.

If the name of the company cannot be made public, and the thai laws considers this real fact "really happened" like a criminal case, it looks to me like an encouragement to other people to do the same !!

People who want to make some money especially from other new arrived farangs in pattaya, will see this as a perfect example how to legally cheat wihtout being blacklisted !! Not bad as a business , not bad at all.

You invest money and you are cheated, go to court and takes months or years, meanwhile the "bad man" changes name and possibly the country or location....

Cannot made the name of the company who acts with the intention of criminal fraud ....

Any way to overcome all this ?

Can do declaratio on the newspaper without declaring my name ?

Thank you

[stingray]

Hi and thank you for your kind replies.

If the name of the company cannot be made public, and the thai laws considers this real fact "really happened" like a criminal case, it looks to me like an encouragement to other people to do the same !!

People who want to make some money especially from other new arrived farangs in pattaya, will see this as a perfect example how to legally cheat wihtout being blacklisted !! Not bad as a business , not bad at all.

You invest money and you are cheated, go to court and takes months or years, meanwhile the "bad man" changes name and possibly the country or location....

Cannot made the name of the company who acts with the intention of criminal fraud ....

Any way to overcome all this ?

Can do declaratio on the newspaper without declaring my name ?

Thank you

I could puplish my story, how i lost everything what i worked my whole life for, how i get cheated by lawyers and partners and i' m sure it would be a warning for every one to doing business in Thailand. But some time we have to calm down and forget things in the past, even we are very angry. It doesn't help to get the "lost money" back. Only time can win, because what goes around, will come around. So the best thing is be quiet.

[Firefan]

Oshox; of course you can publish your story/the name. As long as you have decent proof should the case (unlikely) ever be pursued. You are also in your full right to sue the company you dealt with of course.

Stingray; sorry to hear about your experience. Why not publish the story here? At least without company/person names if you wish. Then many here can learn from the general experience.

Cheers!

[jstumbo]

Do things like saying that it is your opinion help you legally? I know that in the US, if you say someone is a crook, you can be sued, but if you say that "in your opinion they are a crook", then you cannot, because you are not stating that they are a crook, you are just stating what your opinion is.

Or maybe if I ask you completely unrelated to this thread if there was a company in Pattaya that helps people get visas and setup companies that you would NOT recommend, who would it be?

[garro]

I am sorry to hear about people on here being cheated out of their savings.

Unfortunately those who like to prey on their fellow man are usually very good at knowing their own rights and how to protect them.

Do what you can to legally get your money back, but don't let these fluckers cause you any further mental hardship.

I don't visit Pattaya very often, but when I do go these companies, such as get a visa easily, seem to be everywhere.

I think it a shame that they are allowed to operate and advertise their 'services' in local guides.

I don't know how you could stop these parasites.

Edited November 16, 2007 by garro

[jstumbo]

I am sorry to hear about people on here being cheated out of their savings.

Unfortunately those who like to prey on their fellow man are usually very good at knowing their own rights and how to protect them.

Do what you can to legally get your money back, but don't let these fluckers cause you any further mental hardship.

I don't visit Pattaya very often, but when I do go these companies, such as get a visa easily, seem to be everywhere.

I think it a shame that they are allowed to operate and advertise their 'services' in local guides.

I don't know how you could stop these parasites.

Unfortunately how do you know the legit ones from the rip offs. Sunbelt advertises the same type of services and they are legit, I guess you just need to get references on your own to make sure they are legit before you give them any money.

[garro]

I am sorry to hear about people on here being cheated out of their savings.

Unfortunately those who like to prey on their fellow man are usually very good at knowing their own rights and how to protect them.

Do what you can to legally get your money back, but don't let these fluckers cause you any further mental hardship.

I don't visit Pattaya very often, but when I do go these companies, such as get a visa easily, seem to be everywhere.

I think it a shame that they are allowed to operate and advertise their 'services' in local guides.

I don't know how you could stop these parasites.

Unfortunately how do you know the legit ones from the rip offs. Sunbelt advertises the same type of services and they are legit, I guess you just need to get references on your own to make sure they are legit before you give them any money.

I know that I'm being naive to expect this, but I do believe that these magazines, which are given free to tourists, should contain warnings about rogue operators. I doubt it will ever happen though while they are happily accepting money off them for advertisements.

[backflip]

Have you tried calling the tourist police: 1155.

[oshox]

Hi

Am not really angry for what happened, as i invested only the money i could afford to lose....

means money without which i'd still be able to survive and eat twice a day .

Just i guess calm is needed to prepare a surprise !!

Of course the company has been sued, and the case is being prepared by one of the best solicitors in pattaya (my opinion) and as adviced by other farangs who had problems before ...

jstumbo, thats a good one !!

in my opinion i reccomend this, and i would not reccomend that company !!

but i will only publish this story on the newspaper, and the name of this company only when the solicitors will have finished his investigations and send the notice to the company ...

for now solicitors have told me not to say anything to the company, so they do not have time for defence, and the purpose is actually send them the notice to pay-off all money + expenses, before going to court....

not bad as a move ....

Even if this crook is on the forum right now, he will not know if this message it's for him or not, and not even who I am, as he has cheated quite a few who never had the courage to answer back and sue him.

My strong point his that i have contact with people who work in his office and secretely tell me what's going on, what he does, and even how he tends to (skillfully) abuse of the women in the office by treahtening them to fire them if they dont please him the way he wants ..... not only thai lady, but farangs lady too....

Absurd !!! But still happens

[brahmburgers]

Why would anyone trust these guys anyway? If they had any money or smarts, they would be retired and relaxing on the beach and not scrapping buy cheating their fellow foreign expatriates.

Where does it say the rip-off is a farang? During my years in Thailand, I've been cheated by Thais and by farang, but more often by Thais. This may seem like 'splitting hairs' but I've noticed there's a subtle difference bettwen getting cheated by a farang and cheated by a Thai. Often the Thai will (at least partly) believe that he/she has right intention (will pay back a loan, etc) whereas a farang who intends to cheat, will know from the get-go it's a ruse. Regardless, the result is often a lighter wallet for dems that trust the word of others.

[stingray]

After all my bad expirience, i would like to recomment to everyone: Should not do any business and should not buy any property in LOS. I could write a book about all my expirience. The law is never on the farang side. It is simular with the traffic law. Farang always wrong. Business is to risky, can't control the business, must depent always on locals, WP allow us foreigners only to do limited things. For example: You can have a company to run a shop. But you can't sell the items by your self. You depend on your staff. They can cheat, if they smart. Property we can't own, so why we should buy it? Go to LOS, enjoy, but never make ties. Always ready to step in the plane.

[mel2surf]

After all my bad expirience, i would like to recomment to everyone: Should not do any business and should not buy any property in LOS. I could write a book about all my expirience. The law is never on the farang side. It is simular with the traffic law. Farang always wrong. Business is to risky, can't control the business, must depent always on locals, WP allow us foreigners only to do limited things. For example: You can have a company to run a shop. But you can't sell the items by your self. You depend on your staff. They can cheat, if they smart. Property we can't own, so why we should buy it? Go to LOS, enjoy, but never make ties. Always ready to step in the plane.

THIS seems the best advice,after all is said and done!

I,for one,will NOT be investing here,unless things change radically.

A shame too,as I like LOS

[Manchester]

You can own property..............just not the land it sits on.