Thai Police Arrest German-Thai Couple For Opening Illegal School

[webfact]

Cops Nab German-Thai Couple Opening Illegal School



Police arrested a 45-year-old German man and his Thai wife for opening a German language school without a permit. Concerned parents notified the police after discovering the school was illegal. Police also found that the German has pending arrest warrants from his native country

PATTAYA – March 29, 2013 [PDN]; At 12:20 a.m., a married couple was arrested for opening an illegal language school by Pol. Lt. Col. Phassakorn Phaijit, Deputy Superintendent, acting to assist the work of the Center of Protecting Children, Teenagers and Women, section 2; together with Pol. Lt. Col. Omsin Sukkarnkha, investigation officer; and Pol. Lt. Col. Kamol Thaweesri, Inspector.

The suspects were identified as Mr. Ralph Vias, age 45, nationality Germany; and Mrs. Phayao Vias, age 39. The couple are the owners of the German International School, address 8/109-134 Soi Nong Hin, Moo 9 Tambon Nong Preu, Amphur Banglamung, Chonburi province.

Police had been notified by more than 10 parents that the school did not have a work permission card, and made false advertising claims.

One of the complaining parents, Mrs. Siriyaboon Songsaeng, age 34, said that she and her foreign husband had sent her son, age 3 years old, to study in the kindergarten level. The school claimed that if students progressed and graduated from secondary school grade 6 at their language school, they will be able to continue studying in German.

Full story: http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2013/03/29/cops-nab-german-thai-couple-opening-illegal-school/

-- Pattaya Daily News 2013-03-29

[nullx8]

a German TV Show did report about this school .. not so long ago.

telling the public that they freely operating ...

looks like the Thai Govt. did not like that very much.

good work.

[petercool]

When will some foreigners learn ?

It's so easy to learn what the laws are.

And so easy for others to report them when they break those laws.

Edited March 29, 2013 by petercool

[Samut]

Journalism at its finest.

1. His name is Ralf Wirz, not Vios. Reading abilities would help.

2. There is no such thing as a "work permission card" for a school.

Definitely this school had all permits.

How do you get "cheated" when a teacher has no work permit?

3. "One of the complaining parents, Mrs. Siriyaboon Songsaeng, age 34, said

that she and her foreign husband had sent her son, age 3 years old, to

study in the kindergarten level. The school claimed that if students

progressed and graduated from secondary school grade 6 at their language

school, they will be able to continue studying in German".

This is partly correct, a school needs to be in operation for 5 years, then it can ask to be recognized as an international school.

Why would these silly parents now loose their money, AND, in 5 years, the chance to send their kid to Germany?

4. Both Owners are wanted on 40 charges in Germany, correct.

Does this make the school "Bad"? Has anybody checked on the teachers? Would be much more important.

To panic now that it became clear what might be wrong with the "director" doesn't help any parents or kids.

I was planning to send my daughter there and followed up this story...

Correct his name is Ralf Wirz however the school has no

license at all has never applied for and will never get one neither from the

German nor from the Thai Education Ministry because the “school” doesn’t comply

with the requirements of the authorities; this is a fact!

Don’t know about you but I don’t send my child to a

school where the “owners” are having over 40 pending court cases including

fraud and violence and 2 arrest warrants; beside the so called teachers might

be good guys but are not qualified (of course we have checked on that) and therefore

documents issued by this school are worthless.

Answering the question “how we get cheated” is easy; the

school owners advertise and conformed in meetings that they are licensed but

are not; how do you call that?

[MrLaoKao]

Maybe his name was Vias on the passport he showed for the thai police

[Briggsy]

The Pattaya Police keeping our streets safe.

[DisainaM]

I was looking for the topic

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/626985-german-international-school-of-pattaya/

but couldn`t find it.

[aechzen]

yes , the armis don t want , thais study german

[manarak]

the forum rules forbid to post links to other forums, but a short internet search brought me to a German forum where the TV reports can be watched.

From the TV reports it becomes very clear that Ralf Wirz and his wife are criminals, and they also scammed people here in Thailand, doing things like fake house sales to Germans who lost thier life savings in the deal.

I hope Thailand will have him first go through the Thai judicial system and prison before sending him to Germany for the rest of his deeds.

[Locationthailand]

Love to see this one unfold. Enjoy the stay in Tailand. Pity about his wife as the guy is obviously the criminal by past record. Hope she does not get nailed as an accomplice as you can bet she was not that smart about his scams.

[jbrain]

The Pattaya Police keeping our streets safe.

Not too bad a job when they arrest criminals, not?

[manarak]

Love to see this one unfold. Enjoy the stay in Tailand. Pity about his wife as the guy is obviously the criminal by past record. Hope she does not get nailed as an accomplice as you can bet she was not that smart about his scams.

AFAIK the wife is jointly charged in Germany with premeditated criminal assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

"vorsätzliche Körperverletzung"

Edited March 29, 2013 by manarak

[pete66]

Journalism at its finest.

1. His name is Ralf Wirz, not Vios. Reading abilities would help.

2. There is no such thing as a "work permission card" for a school.

Definitely this school had all permits.

How do you get "cheated" when a teacher has no work permit?

3. "One of the complaining parents, Mrs. Siriyaboon Songsaeng, age 34, said

that she and her foreign husband had sent her son, age 3 years old, to

study in the kindergarten level. The school claimed that if students

progressed and graduated from secondary school grade 6 at their language

school, they will be able to continue studying in German".

This is partly correct, a school needs to be in operation for 5 years, then it can ask to be recognized as an international school.

Why would these silly parents now loose their money, AND, in 5 years, the chance to send their kid to Germany?

4. Both Owners are wanted on 40 charges in Germany, correct.

Does this make the school "Bad"? Has anybody checked on the teachers? Would be much more important.

To panic now that it became clear what might be wrong with the "director" doesn't help any parents or kids.

I was planning to send my daughter there and followed up this story...

Does the fact the joint-owners of an illegal school in Thailand are up on 40 charges in Germany make the school bad? Err ... yes it does. You won't have to worry about your decision to send your daughter there or not. The "school" won't be there.

[tragickingdom]

The original article do not provide any proof to the claim that there were outstanding arrests in his hime country, it looks like the police for once followed procedure and informed the German embassy of the arrest of a citizen something that seldom happens (See the disappeared Swiss tourist).

The premises of the school look much better than most Thai owned international schools, so it is probably just the competition that paid the police to close it down. On top of that anyone with enough money can send his or her children to Europe or Germany, being able to communicate fluently in German helps greatly, there is nothing conning about that claim.

[RogueLeader]

When will some foreigners learn ?

It's so easy to learn what the laws are.

And so easy for others to report them when they break those laws.

Yeah. Imagine wanting to open an educational institution. The utter gall of it. What do schools contribute to society?

[rebelplatoon]

Would be nice to know what they were wanted for in Germany. If it's parking/ speeding tickets, ah well... If it's fraud, breaking and entry or molesting kids, another story...

[a99az]

Journalism at its finest.

1. His name is Ralf Wirz, not Vios. Reading abilities would help.

2. There is no such thing as a "work permission card" for a school.

Definitely this school had all permits.

How do you get "cheated" when a teacher has no work permit?

3. "One of the complaining parents, Mrs. Siriyaboon Songsaeng, age 34, said

that she and her foreign husband had sent her son, age 3 years old, to

study in the kindergarten level. The school claimed that if students

progressed and graduated from secondary school grade 6 at their language

school, they will be able to continue studying in German".

This is partly correct, a school needs to be in operation for 5 years, then it can ask to be recognized as an international school.

Why would these silly parents now loose their money, AND, in 5 years, the chance to send their kid to Germany?

4. Both Owners are wanted on 40 charges in Germany, correct.

Does this make the school "Bad"? Has anybody checked on the teachers? Would be much more important.

To panic now that it became clear what might be wrong with the "director" doesn't help any parents or kids.

I was planning to send my daughter there and followed up this story...

Are you related? I for one would not be very happy if my children's teachers where wanted criminals. In fact it's about time the Thai government demanded that every teacher should have a clean criminal record.

[Thorgal]

I'm confused.

What is the difference when you provide yourself private teaching for your own kids.

It's also a "fake", read illegal school if you hire private teachers at home ?...

[HarryMilton]

Journalism at its finest.

1. His name is Ralf Wirz, not Vios. Reading abilities would help.

2. There is no such thing as a "work permission card" for a school.

Definitely this school had all permits.

How do you get "cheated" when a teacher has no work permit?

3. "One of the complaining parents, Mrs. Siriyaboon Songsaeng, age 34, said

that she and her foreign husband had sent her son, age 3 years old, to

study in the kindergarten level. The school claimed that if students

progressed and graduated from secondary school grade 6 at their language

school, they will be able to continue studying in German".

This is partly correct, a school needs to be in operation for 5 years, then it can ask to be recognized as an international school.

Why would these silly parents now loose their money, AND, in 5 years, the chance to send their kid to Germany?

4. Both Owners are wanted on 40 charges in Germany, correct.

Does this make the school "Bad"? Has anybody checked on the teachers? Would be much more important.

To panic now that it became clear what might be wrong with the "director" doesn't help any parents or kids.

I was planning to send my daughter there and followed up this story...

Correct his name is Ralf Wirz however the school has no

license at all has never applied for and will never get one neither from the

German nor from the Thai Education Ministry because the “school” doesn’t comply

with the requirements of the authorities; this is a fact!

Don’t know about you but I don’t send my child to a

school where the “owners” are having over 40 pending court cases including

fraud and violence and 2 arrest warrants; beside the so called teachers might

be good guys but are not qualified (of course we have checked on that) and therefore

documents issued by this school are worthless.

Answering the question “how we get cheated” is easy; the

school owners advertise and conformed in meetings that they are licensed but

are not; how do you call that?

Hmm, i ran a language school myself and went through the paperwork to get it licensed.

Not really easy and watched carefully by the min. of education..

I believe you can not open a school in Thailand for 1,5 years without having the authorities all over you,

after three weeks.

Lets put it this way, albeit i am guessing. They were licensed; but not as an international school. That could have happened after 5 years and the young 3 year old brat, then an 8 year old brat, would/could/should be going to Germany. Instead they blew it, as usual, and strain the legal resources, and complain, and feel cheated and so forth.

Quite impossible to open a school and have not done your paperwork.

That would be like Drunk Driving on Songkran, impossible!

Also i don't believe any parent called the police; somebody else did.

Because now they (parents...) lost all, money, school, deposits, the uniform, the hat and the stickers. Very smart indeed, unless they honestly believe they get some money back via court and such, in Thailand, from a German convict. Cmon, who would do this?

I totally agree that this guy is a criminal and should be punished for scamming 80.000 Euros out of this "Love-Clown", letting the money to pay for a house going through his account.

That guy was not able to open a bank acc. himself; so be it.

If 80.000 Euros lost makes you bankrupt (not that i like to experience it) Thailand is anyway too expensive for you.

I know, i sound defending this guy, but i don't. I don't even know him personally but get annoyed by the constantly false reporting of our media here and then by comments in this forum.

Preferably by Americans who do not stay here and give advice why the strong Baht will kill Thailand. (Bhat is a fine reference, then you know you are reading the professionals )

But that's another story altogether, Right?!

Nice of you to refer to their child as a brat. Lovely man.

[atyclb]

I suppose some of the students were learning German so they can pretend to be German while in Thailand.

[badmedicine]

sounds like a fair cop, and a good bust for the BiB.

Let's give them their due when they do the job properly; god knows they need the confidence boost.

[Markaew]

When will some foreigners learn ?

It's so easy to learn what the laws are.

And so easy for others to report them when they break those laws.

Yeah. Imagine wanting to open an educational institution. The utter gall of it. What do schools contribute to society?

In Thailand, schools form the society via indoctrination. MoE keeps a tight leash on schools to ensure that happens.

[Soutpeel]

I suppose some of the students were learning German so they can pretend to be German while in Thailand.

It might go a long way to explain the facination they have with the uniforms up in Chang Mai ..

[technologybytes]

Well, here is another half-story to keep us all guessing about what actually happened.

Charges in Germany... well, charges are charges, but to be criminal one needs convictions not just charges. It may be that there are convictions, but given the quality of the reporting it's anyone's guess what happened.

Time will tell, running a school with an incorrect license, or having a teacher without a work permit is hardly crime of the century now is it!

[harber8]

German? Why would a thai wana learn German?

Is it the Pattaya/German thing?

[Soutpeel]

German? Why would a thai wana learn German?

Is it the Pattaya/German thing?

maybe going into competition with the school in Chang Mai....the pitter patter of little jack boots and lugers coming to a school near you..

[rbrooks]

yes , the armis don t want , thais study german

Wunderbar here we go again, blaming the Americans for everything. Maybe the Euro is having a crisis again? I guess you must be Deutsch, calling the Americans by the slang term, Armis, it is actually Amis but still do not see your point. How did you get the Americans to blame since this was done in Thailand? I am quite sure that if a school operated in Germany (impossible) without a permit it would be shut down and especially if the owners had pending warrants. Matter of fact you really cannot get a business license for most professions in your country unless you have a Meister certificate costing ungodly amounts of money and years of schooling before you can legally operate in your profession. In America the same applies for opening any school and of course if you have pending warrants it is hard to hide especially when you are the owner of a school which also cannot legal operate without the proper licenses and certification.

[Ticketmaster]

The question that begs to be asked is, "Why would anyone want to learn to speak German anyway?"

[VINCENT2012]

1)i dont see how this couple surch by german police (normally in these cases interpoll is also involved )with such a profil got into thailand without behing arrested at their arrival.

2)Then every 3 mounth he has to stamp at the immigration office.! nobody from the police office, noticed anything or had any information about them?

3)he lived there ....made his school ,worked etc ...... knowing the thai police efficiency ...there is something wrong here...... !i dont beleive it.

4)again it looks like a tipical pattaya disneyland story to me ..

[Payboy]

Cops Nab German-Thai Couple Opening Illegal School

They'll be alright, I guess. Looks like they've got Elvis as their lawyer.