antoine Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 This French guy, Jackie, very known afters years of performances in cabaret show, opened a restaurant an a show room for dresses in Bangkok. As almost everybody he choosed a specialized company working with lawyers to manage all visas, permits, licences. As he was living before in Pattaya, he asked to a french company in Pattaya to do that. Las time he came at immigration, on 2nd of June, for his 3 months stamp, after checking his passport, police detained him for a false stamp. He immediatly told wich company (a french one in Pattaya) made his last visa...but nothing to do : 2 days in post office, then the court refused to release under caution deposit, and transfert to Bangkok jail. Now after 16 days in jail, with friends trying to help him with lawyers, with setting up a file with receipts from the visa company, and to try to make evidences that he paid this company to make visa, but not a false one ! Why would he have paid afalse one for the price of a true ! Of course, now they are investigating about the company that put this false stamp on his passport, but he is still in jail. Some friends are trying to help him, visiting him, contacting lawyers, asking some help to French embassy (no result for moment..), and to make everybody know about this incredible nightmare for jackie. There is in French a rfull eport on le petit Journal Bangkok but... I tried to put a link here but I have just read" not allowed to put an url.." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossy Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 Original article http://www.lepetitjournal.com/content/view/42583/1013/ Google translate of article http://translate.google.com/translate?prev...history_state0= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junglejumbo Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 I never heard of any French company doing that. The only French interests that I know of are restaurant owners. The French are not a big group in Pattaya. There are several warnings over the past few years about not using visa stamps got from within Thailand or any kind of mail service, even that to Hawaii which was used some few years ago. There's a few cases of people being detained but usually on their way out of the country and not for long. But I guess, french man to french man, perhaps he trusted him despite warnings all over the web about this kind of operation. On the other hand they're in a business of design and handywork so perhaps one of them did think they could do a bit of copying in the passport also but mere speculation...uneducated local staff don't understand anything about visas or importance of them as they've never traveled themselves. I remember when my passport last expired one of the local staff took it to Udon's City Hall to get a new UK passport!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H2oDunc Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 I'm sorry but if you send your passport somewhere to get a visa and do not leave the country you know it is illegal. As such you take the risks to do something like that then you take the consequences if you are caught. No sympathy. Just another post about a bleating, whining farang moaning about Thai justice when he has broken the law. He has been here long enough to know the score on visa's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junglejumbo Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 As almost everybody he choosed a specialized company working with lawyers to manage all visas, permits, licences. As he was living before in Pattaya, he asked to a french company in Pattaya to do that.. I just have to add that this is not really true. If we know a visa is going to expire, I don't think most of us just give our passports away hoping that a "consultant" can find away to stop us from leaving the country. Certainly I would never to that. I know what miracles can't be performed. If I've got to leave, then so be it. Also when a consultant is asked to help I suspect for the vast majority of us its usually for a work permit or retirement visa which I assume this guy didn't have as he would still have to go into the work permit office or immigration and speak with the officer and sign a receiving note even if you employ the best consultant...so I assume he was on some other type of visa. And who would bother asking a consultant for a tourist visa or 3-months business visa when we know that these should mostly be got outside of the country Either way it's easy to check things on the web. I would say, this guy knew that he was doing wrong given that he had business interests here already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubonjoe Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 It sounds more like a forged immigration stamp than a visa. If he was doing a 90 day report when they caught him it could of been a fake extension of stay stamp. I think they would of noticed a visa before that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeetJohnDoe Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 Not really sure what the op is looking for...sympathy for breaking the immigration laws of your host country? You won't get any here. Whether knowingly or not, he broke the law and will now have to proceed with his case in the Thai justice system. What is it about a visa entry stamp that says it's good for 60 or 90 days and then the holder must leave the country is unclear? If that's the visa situation he is in, he should have done his visa run like everyone else. He could, if he meets the requirements and applies for an extension to stay in the country year-by-year, then it's another story. The old business of procuring visa stamps and even visas (I used them for a couple years) was big in Thailand a decade ago and openly advertised in the Post and other media but there was a huge crackdown and its been a big no-no for years now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongeman Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 Im sorry but all this guy is doing is making things more difficult for people who do have the proper stamps. i.e. exit stamps ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbrenn Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 (edited) I'm sorry but if you send your passport somewhere to get a visa and do not leave the country you know it is illegal. As such you take the risks to do something like that then you take the consequences if you are caught. No sympathy. Just another post about a bleating, whining farang moaning about Thai justice when he has broken the law. He has been here long enough to know the score on visa's. Getting an agent to do visa runs on your behalf, because you don't want to comply with the law and leave the country in accordance with the regulations, is asking for trouble. People have been getting arrested for doing it for years, and there are signs up at many of the border checkpoints warning against it. If your entry and exit stamps don't match what is on the computer, you are nicked. Where else but Thailand would anyone dream of doing that? Thailand is such a warm and friendly country that certain people think that they are entitled to stay, forgetting about minor details like the Thai immigration law as something that is beneath them - staying on the wrong kind of visas, calling themselves tourists when they are not, getting agents to do visa runs, etc. Edited June 18, 2009 by dbrenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazz Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 I think the issue here is not wether or not he knew he was breaking the law, but the fact that he has spent 16 days in jail for what is in the grand schem of things a petty crime. may be Pattaya is jealous of puket's reputation for over reacting to foreigners breaking the law and is trying to catch up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H2oDunc Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 I think the issue here is not wether or not he knew he was breaking the law, but the fact that he has spent 16 days in jail for what is in the grand schem of things a petty crime.may be Pattaya is jealous of puket's reputation for over reacting to foreigners breaking the law and is trying to catch up I'm sorry but the issue here is the man knowingly broke the law because he was either lazy or could not take time out of his hectic schedule ( in which case he should have had a work permit ) to go and do a visa run. Now he has been caught he is playing the badly done by tourist picked on by the nasty Thai immigration! You broke the law by choice not accident so take your punishment like a man and not a girl! hazz, would you want everybody to ignore the rule of law ? He broke the law and faces many more days in jail and possible deportation. Lets hope he has no assets here if that is the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongeman Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 I did visa runs many times in the 1990's and never thought once about handing my passport over to anybody else. Thailand is a fantastic country but its one of the last places I would take a chance with regarding immigration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigSnake Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 Will the power that be go after the company(?) I wonder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCP Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 With the recent changes and all the extra hassle with Thai visa's, extensions and everything else at present, immigration are providing a market for the dodgy Law Companies who say they can get you a 'no hassle' visa for a fee. If anyone is thinking of getting backdoor visa's or stamps let our French friend be a warning. I expect in the future we'll be seeing many more threads like this one, but don't expect any sympathy from me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abdulrahman Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 It sounds more like a forged immigration stamp than a visa. If he was doing a 90 day report when they caught him it could of been a fake extension of stay stamp. I think they would of noticed a visa before that. You must be right,UJ,but this open the way to more questions. 1st extension? Which kind of Visa/extension? and more..... Without knowing the real situation,every stupid comment can be saved.(for later or forever) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boater Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 i had the same before, my visa was due for an extention ONLY, but my companys account put all the paperwork through late, and sent my passport to malaysia!!!!!! to get a new 3 months.. but i was NEVER TOLD and would have gone myself as i know it is illigal!, but i only found out when my passport came back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texpat Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 Everyone's clever, everyone's got a plan to beat the system. I have little love for Thai immigration. I have less love for those that try to be clever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolypie Posted June 18, 2009 Share Posted June 18, 2009 No sympathy what so ever!!! There are rules to follow why should Jackie be any different how can anyone think they can have a stamp without leaving the country? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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