Airport Scam #254

[BlueTerrace]

Anyone who has ever gained a re-entry permit from the Immigration Department booth at the airport will be aware of the scam cooked up by corrupt immigration officers and the airport police.

It’s pretty simple. When you go to pay the visa fee, the immigration officer claims there has been a price rise and instead of charging you the official rage of 1000 baht, charges you the ‘new’ figure, usually 1200, ( but I know one Swiss guy who was asked for 2000). They take your application forms and cash at one booth and complete the process (and issue copy of the receipt for 1000) at the police table beside the door to the customs area.

The amount charged is small, and I guess they bank on people not wanting to make a fuss as they are about to get on a plane. I got around it last time by claiming I only had a 1000 baht on me as that’s what the website listed. I was eventually given the reentry visa, but it got a bit tense and a female police officer with captain’s pips gave me a hard time before relenting and allowing me to pay “the old price”.

Judging by the pile of forms on her desk at the end of the day, I reckon they do around 50 of these a day, so even if they only extract 200 baht per paper they could still rope in 300,000 baht a month.

This would be an easy scam for officials to clamp down on, as its perpetrated in a building filled with CCTVs: dead easy to film and catch the police-mafia at work … but that would require an honest Thai government official … a very rare creature indeed.

[happyrobert]

"This would be an easy scam for officials to clamp down on, as its perpetrated in a building filled with CCTVs: dead easy to film and catch the police-mafia at work … but that would require an honest Thai government official … a very rare creature indeed. "

But they don't want to clamp down on the practice. Otherwise they couldn't collect the baht paid to buy the positions at the airport in the first place.

Or the borders.

Or all the other assignments that pay handsomely.

[Atmos]

Thanks for the post - I had seen that booth last time we were there but have not needed to use it.

I'm now 110km round trip from an Immigration office, reasonable distance to go for a re-entry permit, but at our last address it was a 180km round trip, I think I'd just support their corruption, 200 baht and save half a day's travel, gasoline etc.

Edited April 23, 2011 by genghis61

[jackdawson]

1,000

1,200

really

what's the difference ?

[pauljones]

Thailand's airport security guards would let Bin Laden on a plane if he gave them a free bowl of noodle soup.

[saintofsilence]

They were doing the same on the cambodian border but I don't know about now last time I went was a couple of years ago.

[maswov]

1,000

1,200

really

what's the difference ?

200

[lingyaiyai]

1,000

1,200

really

what's the difference ?

To many people principles are more important than money - that's the difference.

[PattayaParent]

1,000

1,200

really

what's the difference ?

1,000 = legal

1,200 = illegal

[Mitker]

1,000

1,200

really

what's the difference ?

Over a year and just at this office this amounts to the cost of building a school or even a small health unit where needed.

A big difference.

Corruption is a serious illness.

[champken]

1,000

1,200

really

what's the difference ?

Incredible comment.......why not 1300 or 1400 then?...wouldn't bother you would it?

[arrowsdawdle]

Cameras to enable a crackdown on the extortion? That's what you thought they were for? That would suggest a naive belief that the person that took the baht at the desk is the recipient. Those cameras are to keep the extortion fees out of the pockets of the frontline enforcers and trickling up to the policy maker monitoring the cameras, it would seem.

[yermanee]

A couple of remarks on this one.

First, it's not an airport scam, it's an immigration police scam at the airport.

People that don't need a re-entry visa are not subjected to it.

As one of the posters replied, for some that do use this service because of logistics, they would consider the 200 Baht extra as a convenience fee.

I don't condone corruption, but sometimes (as in this case) it's a small price to pay for saving time and hassle, in my opinion about on the same level as paying 200 Baht for speeding.

Yermanee :jap:

[PetePL]

A couple of remarks on this one.

First, it's not an airport scam, it's an immigration police scam at the airport.

People that don't need a re-entry visa are not subjected to it.

As one of the posters replied, for some that do use this service because of logistics, they would consider the 200 Baht extra as a convenience fee.

I don't condone corruption, but sometimes (as in this case) it's a small price to pay for saving time and hassle, in my opinion about on the same level as paying 200 Baht for speeding.

Yermanee :jap:

Only my opinion - but I think ur very wrong + a couple of previous posters.

Calling this a convenience fee....by having such attitude corruption exists and will be spreading across thailand and many other nations. It's just easier to pay this - why would I bother? I'd never pay a penny I'd rather make a big show around that booth, waste my time and possibly get in trouble. At least I'd know I did something to fight it rather than being passive. I'd feel absolutely terrible if I just paid - but this is only me.

Same thing happens to policemen stopping u on the highway, trying to find something missing from your documents and in the end (when they realize everything is fine) asking 100 baht. I laugh straight in their face and tell them to deal with my embassy if they have a problem. What do they do? (Not right away but)....They walk away...

I have such attitude towards every single similar scam whether at the airport or not and it works... never got into trouble, spent some time on it and got what I deserved = WIN! In my opinion this is the way to go but if for you it'd be easier to pay 200baht then ur another little contributor to maintaining corruption on every possible level.

Hope I didnt offend u but I had to put my point accross.

PEACE

[yermanee]

A couple of remarks on this one.

First, it's not an airport scam, it's an immigration police scam at the airport.

People that don't need a re-entry visa are not subjected to it.

As one of the posters replied, for some that do use this service because of logistics, they would consider the 200 Baht extra as a convenience fee.

I don't condone corruption, but sometimes (as in this case) it's a small price to pay for saving time and hassle, in my opinion about on the same level as paying 200 Baht for speeding.

Yermanee :jap:

Only my opinion - but I think ur very wrong + a couple of previous posters.

Calling this a convenience fee....by having such attitude corruption exists and will be spreading across thailand and many other nations. It's just easier to pay this - why would I bother? I'd never pay a penny I'd rather make a big show around that booth, waste my time and possibly get in trouble. At least I'd know I did something to fight it rather than being passive. I'd feel absolutely terrible if I just paid - but this is only me.

Same thing happens to policemen stopping u on the highway, trying to find something missing from your documents and in the end (when they realize everything is fine) asking 100 baht. I laugh straight in their face and tell them to deal with my embassy if they have a problem. What do they do? (Not right away but)....They walk away...

I have such attitude towards every single similar scam whether at the airport or not and it works... never got into trouble, spent some time on it and got what I deserved = WIN! In my opinion this is the way to go but if for you it'd be easier to pay 200baht then ur another little contributor to maintaining corruption on every possible level.

Hope I didnt offend u but I had to put my point accross.

PEACE

No I'm not offended at all. Just as you I have an opinion.

However claiming that corruption exists by having the " so what attitude " is a bit over the top.

Corruption is (in my opinion) due to the fact that mankind is inherently corrupt, and society as it is only emphasizes this in giving people power over others.

Power corrupts and not the victims because of their attitude.

Just my 2 cents

Yermanee :jap:

[Mitker]

A couple of remarks on this one.

First, it's not an airport scam, it's an immigration police scam at the airport.

People that don't need a re-entry visa are not subjected to it.

As one of the posters replied, for some that do use this service because of logistics, they would consider the 200 Baht extra as a convenience fee.

I don't condone corruption, but sometimes (as in this case) it's a small price to pay for saving time and hassle, in my opinion about on the same level as paying 200 Baht for speeding.

Yermanee :jap:

Only my opinion - but I think ur very wrong + a couple of previous posters.

Calling this a convenience fee....by having such attitude corruption exists and will be spreading across thailand and many other nations. It's just easier to pay this - why would I bother? I'd never pay a penny I'd rather make a big show around that booth, waste my time and possibly get in trouble. At least I'd know I did something to fight it rather than being passive. I'd feel absolutely terrible if I just paid - but this is only me.

Same thing happens to policemen stopping u on the highway, trying to find something missing from your documents and in the end (when they realize everything is fine) asking 100 baht. I laugh straight in their face and tell them to deal with my embassy if they have a problem. What do they do? (Not right away but)....They walk away...

I have such attitude towards every single similar scam whether at the airport or not and it works... never got into trouble, spent some time on it and got what I deserved = WIN! In my opinion this is the way to go but if for you it'd be easier to pay 200baht then ur another little contributor to maintaining corruption on every possible level.

Hope I didnt offend u but I had to put my point accross.

PEACE

I agree totally with this analysis.

[PetePL]

No I'm not offended at all. Just as you I have an opinion.

However claiming that corruption exists by having the " so what attitude " is a bit over the top.

Corruption is (in my opinion) due to the fact that mankind is inherently corrupt, and society as it is only emphasizes this in giving people power over others.

Power corrupts and not the victims because of their attitude.

Just my 2 cents

Yermanee :jap:

Why over the top? If people change their attitude and stop paying bribes then things will have to change eventually.

It's not going to happen overnight but every good will to fight this wrong system is another little step forward.

People always had power and will have it forever, there needs to be some sort of hierarchy to get things moving. The problem is that people with "power" take advantage of it because of our attitudes - we simply let them do it.

And these guys at the airport know that 200baht is not a considerable amount for 99% of foreigners and they know that most of us will simply put the money on the table - because it's easier that way. But I believe that if everyone refused this and all other little overpayments (bribes, tea money whatever) then these guys couldnt rely on it no more. And more importantly, if this was the case in the past - nowadays they fee would have been 1000 and they probably would never think of trying to charge more.

[saintofsilence]

This should be reported to your embassy and they should take it up with the government.

[raylo]

Has anyone else experienced it? Not just seen the booth!

[samran]

Agree that what they are doing at the airport is wrong - if that is indeed what is happening.

However, the thing that is more offensive is that those who are whinging about this probably have no problem slipping a copper 200 baht if they've been pulled over for an infringement.

The issue here isn't corruption. It is when corruption isn't working for you.

[OZEMADE]

This should be reported to your embassy and they should take it up with the government.

Next time you are there getting a RE-Entry Permit get your mate to video it on his phone of Video camera zoomed in and put it on the internet. It wont take long for them to hit it on the head.

[Soboringtochooseaname]

I can't believe that this happens in Thailand.

Anyway some people would be cheater and scammed even on Mars !

[raylo]

Agree that what they are doing at the airport is wrong - if that is indeed what is happening.

However, the thing that is more offensive is that those who are whinging about this probably have no problem slipping a copper 200 baht if they've been pulled over for an infringement.

The issue here isn't corruption. It is when corruption isn't working for you.

WIth respects to the OP:

WHO ELSE HAS BEEN SCAMMED? WHERE IS THE SOURCE CHECKING??

SO far veeryone has gone off the handle on 1 unconfirmed report.

[wpcoe]

There is at least one other report here on ThaiVisa.com (currently post #57, by hyku1147) which includes:

All went well at the airport. I got my re-entry stamp, but a strange thing happened. I went to the second international passport departure section. There was no re-entry booth, so I asked an official looking dude, and he told me to go to the VAT refund office. I go there, the guy makes a call, then tells me the permit will be 1800B. I politely declined, and walked back to departures. This time I noticed a re-entry permit sign at the first int' pass' departure. They charge 1200B because they use a different form, and it requires a different picture-which they graciously take for us.

[raylo]

There is at least one other report here on ThaiVisa.com (currently post #57, by hyku1147) which includes:

All went well at the airport. I got my re-entry stamp, but a strange thing happened. I went to the second international passport departure section. There was no re-entry booth, so I asked an official looking dude, and he told me to go to the VAT refund office. I go there, the guy makes a call, then tells me the permit will be 1800B. I politely declined, and walked back to departures. This time I noticed a re-entry permit sign at the first int' pass' departure. They charge 1200B because they use a different form, and it requires a different picture-which they graciously take for us.

Good point. But they charged 200 baht for the pic?? Expensive or government price??

Thx for the enlightenment everyone else seems to be going off half cocked with a previously uncorroborated post (prior to your notice).

[tingtongfarang]

1,000

1,200

really

what's the difference ?

Look at it another way 200bht=the minimum daily wage for a thai, the reason this corruption exists is because too many people have the attitude thats its only 200bht...i refuse to pay bribes to any including traffic police!

[moe666]

Plan ahead and get the re-entry permit on your next trip to immigration.

[tim armstrong]

I agree corruption is bad. Much better to stick to the 1000 baht fee, saving the 200 baht, and when you eventually leave the airport for the long drive home you can give the 200 baht saved to the traffic cop who stops you for no good reason on the motorway. See, Win Win all around!

[BlueTerrace]

Thanks for the post - I had seen that booth last time we were there but have not needed to use it.

I'm now 110km round trip from an Immigration office, reasonable distance to go for a re-entry permit, but at our last address it was a 180km round trip, I think I'd just support their corruption, 200 baht and save half a day's travel, gasoline etc.

Yeah thats the way I rationalise it. I'd be interested to hear of anyone elses expereince at this booth. The guy who told me about the booth said the same thing happened to him. But maybe it depends who is working it. In the past I have always got my reentry permit from the main immi-centre, but its a hell of a lot easier and cheaper to do it at the airport...even accounting for the "surcharge"

Edited May 12, 2011 by BlueTerrace