Thailand Deports 55 ‘jobless’ Pinoy Traders

[george]

Thailand deports 55 ‘jobless’ Pinoy traders

MANILA: -- Fifty-five Filipinos posing as businessmen were deported back to the Philippines after Thai authorities discovered their questionable visas, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

DFA spokesman Gilberto Asuque said that the 55 were among the 57 Filipinos who went to Thailand using business visas when in fact they were looking for jobs themselves.

The DFA said that the 55 Filipinos were brought back to the Philippines by batches since August 12, the last batch arriving last night at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) from Bangkok. Their names were withheld upon the request of the deported Filipinos.

Asuque said the 57 Filipinos were able to get the business visas while they were in Malaysia.

Because of this, Thai immigration conducted a raid last July 27 and arrested 57 Filipinos from different parts in Bangkok and Pattaya.

Asuque said that the two other Filipinos who are still detained in Thailand and are undergoing investigation.

Meanwhile, Philippine Ambassador to Bangkok Antonio Rodriguez assured that the embassy will continue to provide assistance to the remaining Filipinos.

--Tempo, PH, 2005-08-20

[sriracha john]

Their names were withheld upon the request of the deported Filipinos.

Asuque said the 57 Filipinos were able to get the business visas while they were in Malaysia.

Wow... that's a nice feature of the Filipino press to voluntarily withhold the names upon request.

And VERY INTERESTING... no mention at all about any actions against the embassy/consulate in Malaysia that issued the visas in the first place????

[sriracha john]

55 Filipinos going home free from Thailand

INQ7.net

FIFTY-FIVE of the 57 Filipinos detained in Thailand for violation of immigration laws will be repatriated Friday night, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

In a report to the DFA, Philippine ambassador to Thailand Antonio Rodriguez said the still-detained two Filipinos, who are brothers, are suspected of illegally recruiting the 55 aspirant overseas workers.

Rodriguez had asked early this month Thai immigration officials to prosecute the two alleged illegal recruiters, including one who owns an entertainment company.

The 55 Filipinos allegedly paid a recruiter in the Philippines placement fees of up to 150,000 pesos (* that's 110,392 baht*) to arrange for jobs in Korea, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Getting a Thai business visa was part of a plan supposedly meant to increase the chances of these Filipinos in getting entry visas to their chosen country of work.

Thai authorities have informed the Philippine embassy that the 57 were arrested after their business visas were revoked, having entered Thailand as tourists but with the intention of finding work -- a violation of section 12 of the Thai Immigration Act.

Rodriguez said the arrests were part of the Thai government's renewed crackdown on illegal foreign workers.

[ovenman]

Getting a Thai business visa was part of a plan supposedly meant to increase the chances of these Filipinos in getting entry visas to their chosen country of work.

Thai authorities have informed the Philippine embassy that the 57 were arrested after their business visas were revoked, having entered Thailand as tourists but with the intention of finding work -- a violation of section 12 of the Thai Immigration Act.

If these 57 entered Thailand with a business visa (presumably a non-immigrant 'B' visa), then how were they considered to be tourists and why was it then illegal for them to look for work?

[ovenman]

And VERY INTERESTING... no mention at all about any actions against the embassy/consulate in Malaysia that issued the visas in the first place????   

This change in paperwork requirements probably qualifies as actions taken.