Basic Travel Allowance (Bta)

[Stic]

G'day All

So I meet this very nice Thai lady on line. We chat via email, and get to know each other quite well over a period of four months.....Since I got on so well with her, we both decided to bring her to Australia for her annual holiday, which was supposed to have been 4 weeks. As the weeks went by, she hired an agent to organize a Australian Visa. She undertook a medical. I propped up her bank account to show the embassy she had money. bought plane tickets, and travel insurance. I paid for everything that the agent demanded from her.

After the interview at the Australian Embassy, she emailed me to say that she had been issued the Visa. Attached to the email was half the visa that had been scanned with her name(not all of it in her passport) and a scan of her passport with the correct name, but the picture does not look like her. In the same email sent to me she stated that the Australian embassy told her, that before she can leave Thailand she needs $5000 AUD in her hand for (BTA).

I contacted the Australian Embassy to see if this BTA exists! They told me no it does not......Looking through the Internet about the subject tells me the same. Since confronting the other party, with this fear I have. things have gone down hill very fast, She is adamant that she needs the BTA to show Thai immigration before leaving Thailand, and to trust her word!.

Has anyone come across this before? Is she telling the truth? Does Thai immigration ask for a BTA before boarding a plane?

Or is it all a scam?

Thanks for any input.

Stic

[Travel2003]

Here is one input.

TROLL.

[Stic]

Why do you say Troll?

I am asking legit questions.

[steve187]

Move on, looks like you have been had.

[Travel2003]

Why do you say Troll?

I am asking legit questions.

Really?

Let me see......

You get to know a person very well on internet?

On internet?????

Then decide to spend money to fly the person to you?

As far as I understand Aussie immigration rules are at least as strict as EU rules, so I believe you already knew or was told by the Aussie immigration that you could not "import" a visitor this way.

Any Aussies reading this?

Sorry Stic, I dont buy it.

By the way, just curious, how old are you?

[ShopBoy]

you been SCREWED !!!

[StreetCowboy]

you been SCREWED !!!

Just fo rthe sake of argumentativeness, it is not unusual to be required to show means to support yourself at immigration when arriving in a foreign country,. Airlines that allow passengers to travel without relevant visas get into trouble. perhaps the Thai side is being preemptively cautious before allowing their citizens to throw themselves at the mercy of pettifogging foreign bureaucrats?

SC

[Soutpeel]

you been SCREWED !!!

Just fo rthe sake of argumentativeness, it is not unusual to be required to show means to support yourself at immigration when arriving in a foreign country,. Airlines that allow passengers to travel without relevant visas get into trouble. perhaps the Thai side is being preemptively cautious before allowing their citizens to throw themselves at the mercy of pettifogging foreign bureaucrats?

SC

You are quite correct with your comments, however in this case the OP is either a troll, or has been scammed, there is no such thing as a BTA and Thai immigration do not check if a Thai national has cash on them before travelling....

[nocturn]

And where does the OP say anything about Thai Immigration?

At least read the post correctly before shrieking troll like a hysterical child.

It would also seem this is a fairly common scam

http://www.country-couples.co.uk/datingtips/basic-travel-allowance-bta-dating-scam/

http://www.romancescam.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7231

though the OP would have to almost entirely simple to have missed this while doing his internet research as these are the first two links that come up.

Edited January 5, 2012 by nocturn

[GooEng]

poor bugger - he's clearly been scammed and now he's been called a liar in here...... last we'll see of him.....

[GooEng]

And where does the OP say anything about Thai Immigration?

At least read the post correctly before shrieking troll like a hysterical child.

It would also seem this is a fairly common scam

http://www.country-c...ta-dating-scam/

http://www.romancesc...opic.php?t=7231

though the OP would have to almost entirely simple to have missed this while doing his internet research as these are the first two links that come up.

nice work nocturn, i did my share of internet dating a few years back and there's definitely a quite substantial sub-industry of online gold-digger/scammer/online-whores at work in thailand - you learn to spot them soon enough, but its interesting to see that sites dedicated to exposing this sort of thing exist.

[Soutpeel]

And where does the OP say anything about Thai Immigration?

At least read the post correctly before shrieking troll like a hysterical child.

"She is adamant that she needs the BTA to show Thai immigration before leaving Thailand, and to trust her word!"

Maybe put your glasses on.... ......apology accepted...

.

[PattaniMan]

you been SCREWED !!!

My girlfriend is a government official who makes websites for various government departments. Before she met me, she was single and did online dating. And she encountered the NIGERIAN scam. This is an email she sent me

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before this time i knew a man from ireland. to be honest i loved him and his son very much. i really like him. after we talked few times. he said he loves me and call me his wife and call himself my husband.

he wants marry me and told me he will comes here July this year. do you know before he come here he told me his son went to Malaysia for travelling. after 2 days he told me his son had an accident in Malaysia and wanted me to go there to take care of his son. i can't go there he knew. he wanted me sent my money for helped his son. i didn't do it.

after that he didn't talk to me again cos he thought i don't love he and his son real. why did he think that? my love must prove by money? i told my friend in Malaysia to go to that hospital, he told me, but in Malaysia don't have that hospital. they checked for me 3 days till he was sure then they told me about the hospital.

why did he do like this? why western farang always looked down poo ying thai and want to cheat me?

after that time i never said i love someone who is in only chat, never meet real. i don't believe love from every sites.

i found 2 western farang they are same want me send him my money without meet real. 1 from ireland another one from london. but all friends from india and arab they never asked me about money. they want only friendship and my feelings. what do you think?

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The RUSSIAN scam is in some ways the opposite of the Nigerian scam. Here, a beautiful girl falls in love with a man from, say, England and then decides to visit him. But she never gets there.

Usually she wants money for her visa; sometimes she gets stuck at the airport and needs an emergency transfer to cover unforeseen "extra charges".

A few years ago, Thailand received lots of complaints from foreign men about a Thai girl who'd scammed them in this way. The police got involved and tracked the woman to an address in Thonglor (Sukhumwit 55). The woman was from South Africa.

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Have any of you fine and exquisitely talented people ever heard of Sir Tim Berners-Lee? He's an Oxford-educated physicist who a few years back was voted the world's "Greatest Living Genius". He invented the World Wide Web.

If you read about him, you'll learn that he too once got scammed online.

Imagine that -- you invent the internet and then some little turd uses the internet to scam you.

You simply can't trust anyone these days!

Edited January 5, 2012 by PattaniMan

[craigt3365]

Before the OP gets massacred here in the General forum, let's move this over to the Visa forum.

Topic Moved.

P.S. When my wife, then fiancee, flew to meet me in Singapore several years ago, the airlines had her to to an ATM and take out 10k Baht or so to prove she had money to support herself in Singapore. But she only had a one way ticket as we were planning to return via land.

[nocturn]

And where does the OP say anything about Thai Immigration?

At least read the post correctly before shrieking troll like a hysterical child.

"She is adamant that she needs the BTA to show Thai immigration before leaving Thailand, and to trust her word!"

Maybe put your glasses on.... ......apology accepted...

.

i stand corrected and apologise. It seems i did not read the post correctly myself.

however on the topic of squealing troll, why do you bother? If it weren't for the neighborhood trolls we would all be talking about sinsot.

[ShopBoy]

you been SCREWED !!!

Just fo rthe sake of argumentativeness, it is not unusual to be required to show means to support yourself at immigration when arriving in a foreign country,. Airlines that allow passengers to travel without relevant visas get into trouble. perhaps the Thai side is being preemptively cautious before allowing their citizens to throw themselves at the mercy of pettifogging foreign bureaucrats?

SC

You are correct to a certain extend but AUD5000 as said required by the EMBASSY in her hand before she can leave is already a red flag signal.

[ShopBoy]

As the weeks went by, she hired an agent to organize a Australian Visa. She undertook a medical. I propped up her bank account to show the embassy she had money. bought plane tickets, and travel insurance. I paid for everything that the agent demanded from her.

How much money have you so far given to her ?

[Basil B]

May be a few episodes of "Border Security/ Nothing to Declare" (a fly on the wall documentary on Australia's border force) would enlighten the OP.

I would say it is fair to say that if someone is deemed to have insufficient funds they check that the person (sponsor) who invited them can and is prepared to fund the visit.

So my advise is never put money in a girl friends bank account to make it look like they have money, it's a deception, better to write a letter inviting them where you offer to pay all her expenses and provide accommodation for the visit.

If they insist you need to put money in their bank account you can bet your bottom dollar it is a scam.

[Travel2003]

Before the OP gets massacred here in the General forum, let's move this over to the Visa forum.

Topic Moved.

P.S. When my wife, then fiancee, flew to meet me in Singapore several years ago, the airlines had her to to an ATM and take out 10k Baht or so to prove she had money to support herself in Singapore. But she only had a one way ticket as we were planning to return via land.

Return via land?

From Singapore?

Not trying to be "funny", but am I missing something here?

[StreetCowboy]

Before the OP gets massacred here in the General forum, let's move this over to the Visa forum.

Topic Moved.

P.S. When my wife, then fiancee, flew to meet me in Singapore several years ago, the airlines had her to to an ATM and take out 10k Baht or so to prove she had money to support herself in Singapore. But she only had a one way ticket as we were planning to return via land.

Return via land?

From Singapore?

Not trying to be "funny", but am I missing something here?

I assume he means via the Causeway

SC

[ShopBoy]

no words from the OP looks like a troll for now

[craigt3365]

Before the OP gets massacred here in the General forum, let's move this over to the Visa forum.

Topic Moved.

P.S. When my wife, then fiancee, flew to meet me in Singapore several years ago, the airlines had her to to an ATM and take out 10k Baht or so to prove she had money to support herself in Singapore. But she only had a one way ticket as we were planning to return via land.

Return via land?

From Singapore?

Not trying to be "funny", but am I missing something here?

Bus all the way. A variety of stops made it a good trip.

[dindong]

I can get you a private detective to go to her house to check her out.Where does she live?

[cigar7]

I also met a woman on the internet. She wanted me to sponser her to Thailand. She wanted a BTA too.

The golden rule for internet women who want to come and visit you - NEVER SEND THEM MONEY!!

After all of the small talk, I ask them to send me a full scan of their passport. If the photo in the passport doesn't match the photos previously sent to you, ask for a detailed explanation. I do not know of any legitimate explanation as to why the photos would not match. Also helps to verify their age.

After the passport test, I only offer to reimburse them, upon arrival, up to a certain amount for their flight. I search the internet for the cheapest flight, choosing low cost carriers and low cost travel dates and based on this research, I offer them a sufficient sum. If they choose to fly first class, they'll need to pay the difference between the sum I offer and the 1st class fare. Of course I'll direct them to the low cost flight option on the internet. Never send them a plane ticket unless it is fully refundable to your credit card or account, not to the passenger. Please note refundable tickets cost a lot more than regular cheap tickets.

If they need a BTA, I tell them to borrow the sum from their friends if they don't have the money. They can return the BTA to their friends because I pay all accommodation, food, drinks, entertainment, transportation when they stay with me. At least one of their friends, or a relative, should have a credit card.

The above approach has worked for me.

It is difficult to determine a scam. In the OP's case, I think it is a scam.

With potential internet lovers, just play it safe, use the GOLDEN rule.

Edited January 8, 2012 by cigar7

[jackspratt]

"As the weeks went by, she hired an agent to organize a Australian Visa. She undertook a medical................."

I am not aware that Thais require a medical to obtain a tourist visa for Oz - it certainly hasn't been the case for the 3 or 4 visas my TGF/now wife has obtained.

[skorchio]

Stop being a scrooge, send her the money, when she gets there you will know why she is worth it. Do it now today.

[Will27]

Soutpeel is on the money.

Scam or troll. More likely a troll I think.

[Stic]

Thank you to everyone that has given a constructive comment to this thread.......I do appreciate it.

As for the people that are SQUEALING troll!

[ShopBoy]

Thank you to everyone that has given a constructive comment to this thread.......I do appreciate it.

As for the people that are SQUEALING troll!

OP how much have you sent her so far ?

[weegee]

May be a few episodes of "Border Security/ Nothing to Declare" (a fly on the wall documentary on Australia's border force) would enlighten the OP.

I would say it is fair to say that if someone is deemed to have insufficient funds they check that the person (sponsor) who invited them can and is prepared to fund the visit.

So my advise is never put money in a girl friends bank account to make it look like they have money, it's a deception, better to write a letter inviting them where you offer to pay all her expenses and provide accommodation for the visit.

If they insist you need to put money in their bank account you can bet your bottom dollar it is a scam.

You are absolutely 100% correct with what you have said....