Immigration Officials Investigates Visa Agent

[george]

Officials check visa service firm

PHUKET: The investigation into fake entry permits for foreigners took a halting step forward recently when Immigration officers visited a “visa service” company and seized 20 passports found on the premises.

“We checked the company where, foreigners informed us, they had obtained stamps, and now we are waiting for further instructions,” Pol Capt Krissarat Nusen of the Phuket Provincial Immigration Office (PPIO) told the Gazette.

“We found evidence there but we [have no proof of] what they were doing. We have to get more evidence before we can proceed against [the company].

“If we want to raid them, we need to have foreigners report officially to the police that they were cheated by this company, but so far no foreigners have made such reports to the police. Some have just given us information.”

He said that the holders of some – but not all – of the passports had contacted the PPIO requesting the return of their travel documents.

The reluctance of foreigners to make reports may be partly explained by the fact that police appear to be applying a narrow intrepretation of the rules.

While those who contact the Immigration Office to report having fake stamps will not be charged with being accessories to forgery, they will be fined for overstaying their previous legitimate entry stamps at a rate of 200 baht a day, up to a maximum of 20,000 baht.

Capt Krissarat said that after the Gazette published news that “victims” of the visa service company could present themselves at the PPIO and would not be charged with a crime, four or five people had come forward.

“We have had many phone calls asking for more details about this, but no one seems to be brave enough to make an official complaint to the police.

“I would suggest that victims contact their embassy because Immigration in Bangkok is already working with the embassies over the fake stamps,” Capt Krissarat added.

Colonel Montri Kosiyasathit, Deputy Commander and official spokesman of Immigration Bureau 1 in Bangkok, said he felt that local officers were interpreting the law too narrowly.

“I don’t think it’s right to fine them for overstaying – they are victims, and had no intention of overstaying. It is up to the judgment of individual officers, but most of those working in local [immigration] offices tend to interpret the law narrowly,” he added.

He said that he would discuss the matter of the overstay fine with the Major General in charge of Immigration Police Region 3, which includes Phuket.

“I will suggest that he instruct local offices not to impose the fines because [these people] did not intend to overstay – they were victims [of fraud].”

He agreed that action could not be taken against the visa service company until foreigners are willing to make official reports complaining of fraud.

“However, we can question the foreigners whose passports were found as to why their passports were left with the company,” he added.

Col Montri also urged foreigners to call Bangkok if they came across an Immigration officer “cheating” or telling them to do something they knew to be illegal.

They should call 02-2871740 during government office hours, he said, and be prepared to give the name of the offending officer, along with the date and time of the offense and the place where the officer works.

Source: Phuket Gazette

[Jamboo]

On every corner here you could find people to take care of your visa.

Pay 2000 bath wait one week and your passport will be back from Malaisia

with a new stamp.

The imigration police people in person came to my house,

took the passport and the money and gave the passport back to me

7-10 days later wearing EVEN the official imigration police uniform.

Sure they told me they do me a favor to help me,

that this is a thing apart from there work.

(before they gave me the cell phone number wich I called)

So I trusted imigration police... big mistake...

Now the goverment ask cheated people to step forward,

as if if they never heard of such a thing...

A multi million $ buisiness !?

Come on, first they arrest many with those false stamps.

Acusing us of fraud and now they wonder why nobody

steps forward and reports to the police !?

And sure we all know the name of the person who was

taking care of the visa... and the dates...

C O M E O N !!!

I never had any idea that there are false stamps involved.

I thought evrything is in order and legal.

I never knew that this was not legal to do.

I trusted imigration police.

Visa places everywhere I go, now it is not legal ?

And the bad, bad criminal people are we....

[opalhort]

The imigration police people in person came to my house,

took the passport and the money and gave the passport back to me

7-10 days later wearing EVEN the official imigration police uniform.

Sure they told me they do me a favor to help me,

that this is a thing apart from there work.

(before they gave me the cell phone number wich I called)

So I trusted imigration police... big mistake...

Now the goverment ask cheated people to step forward,

as if if they never heard of such a thing...

A multi million $ buisiness !?

Come on, first they arrest many with those false stamps.

Acusing us of fraud and now they wonder why nobody

steps forward and reports to the police !?

And sure we all know the name of the person who was

taking care of the visa... and the dates...

C O M E  O N  !!!

I never had any idea that there are false stamps involved.

I thought evrything is in order and legal.

I never knew that this was not legal to do.

I trusted imigration police.

Visa places everywhere I go, now it is not legal ?

And the bad, bad criminal people are we....

if you really did what you state in your post then I wonder what is your IQ?

opalhort

[Jamboo]

opalhort, you miss the point here...

[opalhort]

opalhort, you miss the point here...

ok,

may be I do miss the point.

so please educate me and tell me what is the point!

opalhort

[T0MY]

Come on, first they arrest many with those false stamps.

Acusing us of fraud and now they wonder why nobody

steps forward and reports to the police !?

kinda true to that, i mean people been bust with these false stamp, jail and deported, while they bust these people they should also looking into the agent as well, find out where the sources come from, i guest they didn't do that and busted the people so now they are affraid to come forward.

[KevinN]

I think that there is to many people in a police uniform that are just as bad as the crooks,which you find in all 3 world countrys.

When I was first here and needed a visa extinsion I was in Chiang Mai and my landlord was an american retired lawyer.and he told me that I could take our passports to a lady there that would take them out and bring them back in a week with new tourist visa's for 2000 baht per visa. This didn't sound to bad ,but it didn't sound legal either because I have done some travel before,and at times an employer had taken care of our work visa's,but this didn't sound right to me,so I didn't do it.

Now here we have the police busting a visa place for FRAUD, ask anyone that has done business with them to come in ,make a complaint and then pay a fine for overstay,which is an actual violation of the law.

If the visa place is guilty of fraud in a large number of cases then why should the people that have done business with them also be guilty of fraud.

This kinda sounds like buying liquor from a saudi,drinking it with them, and then you are quilty of violation when the saudi bootlegger goes free and you get jail time and deportation.

If they want to do something about the problems here they should at least advise the people coming into the country about the laws,

A small flyer given to tourists at the entry point would not be out of line,as most do not know what is legal or not.

Hand out the flyers that state,Prostitution is illegal,letting someone else take your passport to renew visa is illegal, There are any number of things that I find are illegal that I thought were OK,and I have been here steady for over 3 years and still do not know all the laws.

It is very hard to tell by looking,with all the whores running around the saloons and all the visa places in the open and doing business you would just naturally think that they would be legal and above board.Doesn't seem to be to much here illegal until a farang does them,then you find out what is legal and which is not.

[jayenram]

A little common sense may help.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

A little common sense may help.

Alas, there's a paucity of that I'm afraid. .

[monitorlizard]

Hand out the flyers that state,Prostitution is illegal,letting someone else take your passport to renew visa is illegal, There are any number of things that I find are illegal that I thought were OK,and I have been here steady for over 3 years and still do not know all the laws.

What a riot! What a way to start a new day with a hearty laugh.

I hope this guy isn't serious.

Perhaps they should include murder, selliing or consumption of drugs, jaywalking when you see a sign forbiding it, throwing trash on the street when there is another sign indicating a fine, speeding, drunk driving, etc. etc.

Maybe I can contact the publishers of the " Dummies Guide to...." They could publish Dummies Guide to Travel in Thailand. They can make a fortune and make guides for every country in the world. Apparently there is no shortage of fools.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

And Monitor...don't forget that Santa is coming soon. Why I wonder...no chimney's hereabouts. The tooth fairy is hot on his heels too.

[singa-traz]

Hand out the flyers that state,Prostitution is illegal,letting someone else take your passport to renew visa is illegal, There are any number of things that I find are illegal that I thought were OK,and I have been here steady for over 3 years and still do not know all the laws.

What a riot! What a way to start a new day with a hearty laugh.

I hope this guy isn't serious.

Perhaps they should include murder, selliing or consumption of drugs, jaywalking when you see a sign forbiding it, throwing trash on the street when there is another sign indicating a fine, speeding, drunk driving, etc. etc.

Maybe I can contact the publishers of the " Dummies Guide to...." They could publish Dummies Guide to Travel in Thailand. They can make a fortune and make guides for every country in the world. Apparently there is no shortage of fools.

What about organizing a brain donation and transplant for those guys at the airport (even Buffalo's one will do apparently ... )...

Or assigning them a nanny/tutor that will watch their every single step in the Kingdom ...

[T0MY]

Perhaps they should include murder, selliing or consumption of drugs, jaywalking when you see a sign forbiding it, throwing trash on the street when there is another sign indicating a fine, speeding, drunk driving, etc. etc.

i was going to Pataya traveling at the speed of 130-150km right pass another police car, the next thing i saw was he was right behind me, instead of pulling me over he wanted to race me, eventually i zoom zoom away and left him behind