Another visa story

[Mackerel]

I found this at www.pattayatodays.com

Nice and easy to understand...

 What began      as a Thai government attempt to apprehend terrorists like Hambali, the Indonesian al-Qaida regional chief, has now turned into a serious assault on visa fraud as a whole.    Immigration police general Charnvut Varjrabhukka put it succinctly, “People in Thailand illegally will be dealt with strictly.    They could spend a long time in jail.”

There is no official figure for how many tourists and longer staying foreigners have been closely questioned about their visas at airports and border crossings, but the number certainly runs into hundreds.   However, not all these have been arrested but simply questioned in depth.   Several Bangkok based embassies have

issued warning notices that the only valid visa is one stamped in front of you by an immigration officer at the point of entry.

About fifty or so tourists have been arrested at Bangkok airport as they tried to leave the country.   David Fielding, a 25 year old Brit who had holidayed in Pattaya, said that he had been charged with hiring a third party to obtain a visa for him.   He broke down under questioning and admitted who his agent was.   He had been jailed, first in the airport holding cells and then in Bangkok special prison, for almost two weeks whilst he waited for the 150,000 baht bail money to arrive from his relatives.   He has been advised to hire strong legal representation as the penalties under the 1979 immigration act are potentially severe.   It could be months before his case is heard.

Recent reports claim that border posts are also checking exit documentation carefully after complaints from the prime minister.   Dozens have been arrested at Thai checkpoints at Nong Khai and along the Cambodian border. The majority of offenders appear to be from the Indian sub-continent, but twenty or so Europeans have been charged in recent days.  

There are three main subjects of trouble.   The first is where the visa is simply a fake.   In Pattaya for instance, there are places where Thai facilitators hang out, offering to obtain for you a new visa.  

Some of these fake visas are harder to spot than others, but they will almost certainly not have been logged into the Thai immigration system which is now on line at all air, land and sea exit points. The second area is to use an agent to obtain a genuine visa for you from overseas.   Some agents use couriers to take a batch of passports into Cambodia or Malaysia where local arrangers are on hand. Others may use private mail companies, such as DHL, to send customers’ passports to Europe for a genuine visa.   But the method of obtaining these is the problem.   A police check will quickly show such visitors have no applicable exit and entry stamp.

Finally, it is also illegal to send your own passport to a Thai consulate overseas to obtain a new visa.   It is certainly not illegal to apply for a visa by post and some consulates actually require you to do so.   But you are supposed to be in the foreign country at the time you apply.

Once you are refused exit from Thailand with a scam visa, you will not be allowed to use that passport again in this country, even for your return home.   On top of your other problems, you will need to obtain a new passport from the relevant embassy.  

If you are in doubt about your current visa, the official advice is to consult the immigration authorities locally and tell them the truth. A Pattaya police source said, “In immigration matters, it is always better to own up rather than be found out.”   Alternatively, if you have used an agency which is still operational, ask them first what they suggest you do.  

[Kan Win]

Hi Mackerel,

Tks for the site

http://www.pattayatodays.com/current/

looking at it now.

:cool:  :cool:  :cool:

[dr_Pat_Pong]

A good contribution to the debate. Factual too. Unbelievable as it is, there are still punters on this forum think that it is perfectly OK to send your passport abroad to obtain a new visa. Thai Embassies are actively warning  their Consulates against the practice of issuing to applicants outside their jurisdiction.