MFA to quickly solve the missing visa stamps; 500 stickers disappear from Thai consulate in Lao PDR

[webfact]

MFA to quickly solve the missing visa stamps

BANGKOK, 28 Aug 2013 (NNT) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has discovered that the disappearance of 300 Thai visa stickers from the Thai Embassy in Malaysia was likely an organized crime with possible involvement of Malaysian employees.

According to Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Nuttavudh Photisaro, initial investigations pointed out that the stolen visa stickers would probably be offered at high price to customers mostly from African and Asian nations.

Mr. Nuttavudh however said that the MFA has sent memos to related agencies in Thailand and Thai embassies in various countries to keep an eye for irregularities.

As for the 2,000 other visa stickers which went missing earlier, Mr. Nuttavudh admitted that it was probably a security breach in the carrier used to transport the stickers.

He said that such an incident was often found anywhere in the world, adding that the Ministry’s normal practice in the situation was to cancel the stolen stickers before issuing new ones. If the stickers were simply misplaced, they usually would be returned to the ministry within a week or two, Mr. Nuttavudh added.

The Deputy Permanent Secretary stated a long term solution to the problem is to use electronics visa (E-VISA), a measure that Thailand is planning to implement at the end of next year.

Mr. Nuttavudh admitted that there were 500 more visa stickers that were stolen from the Thai embassy in Lao PDR, but he could not make further comments for the moment pending a fact-finding investigation into the matter.

Meanwhile, Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, Police Lieutenant General Panu Kerdlarppon, cited investigations as showing that those holding passports with the stolen visa stickers and still staying in Thailand are not criminals, but their visa requests had been rejected due to lacks of qualifications.


-- NNT 2013-08-28

[zydeco]

Saw MFA in the title and thought for a moment that this was being investigated by the Museum of Fine Arts. What you want to be that they could do a better job than the Foreign Ministry?

[webfact]

500 visa stickers disappear from Thai consulate in Lao PDR
By English News



BANGKOK, Aug 28 – Five hundred visa stickers have been missing from the Thai consulate in the Lao PDR province of Savannakhet since 2008, according to a senior Foreign Ministry official.

Nuttavudh Photisaro, deputy permanent secretary, said the Foreign Ministry investigated the disappearance being alerted by the Immigration Bureau in Nong Khai which recently arrested two foreigners who produced passports containing the missing visa stickers at a Thai-Lao border checkpoint.

The Thai consulate in Savannakhet, however, denied that it issued the two visas and asked the Thai police to take legal action against the two foreign passport holders.

Mr Nuttavudh said the Thai consulate in Savannakhet reviewed records to 2008 and found that 500 visa stickers had disappeared.

He said the sticker theft involved fraud rackets in Thailand and abroad and investigation in the case has yet to finish.

A total of 800 visa stickers were missing from the Thai embassy in Kuala Lumpur and the Thai consulate in Savannakhet, said Mr Nuttawut who added that similar cases have been reported in other countries.

Thai visas are currently issued at 93 Thai embassies and consulates, and 140 honorary Thai consulates worldwide.

He said the Foreign Ministry has instructed all embassies and consulates to strictly follow the regulations to prevent visa sticker theft. State officials implicated in the missing stickers would be punished accordingly, he warned.

Regarding the disappearance of 2,000 visa stickers in a diplomatic pouch destined for the Thai embassy in The Hague, the Netherlands, Mr Nuttavudh said he was informed that diplomatic pouches occasionally went missing and were sometimes found a few weeks later since there are no direct flight between Bangkok and The Hague.

The pouch with 2,000 stickers remains missing leading the Foreign Ministry to cancel them all as well as informing the Immigration Department of the disappearance.

The airline which carried the pouch paid a Bt26,000 damages compensation for the lost bag, Mr Nuttawut said, confirming that the missing stickers bound for The Hague were unrelated to the lost visas in Kuala Lumpur and Savannakhet.

The Foreign Ministry has coordinated with security agencies to keep a close watch on possible visa fraud while Thai embassies and consulates worldwide were instructed to check their inventories and the authenticity of visa stickers, he said.

Mr Nuttavudh said the Foreign Ministry planned to introduce an E-visa system, online collection of applicant data, on October 1 next year to resolve the problem of visa fraud in the long run but stickers would still be required in countries in the Middle East, South Asia and Africa to prevent counterfeiting. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-08-28

[Jdietz]

Mr Nuttavudh said he was informed that diplomatic pouches occasionally went missing and were sometimes found a few weeks later since there are no direct flight between Bangkok and The Hague.

Do they expect a helicopter landing on the roof of the consulate, straight from Bangkok?

There are -many- direct flights Bangkok - Amsterdam, followed by a 45 minutes drive to the Hague, about the same time it will take to deliver something to a random address in Amsterdam proper, depending on traffic.

[Nickymaster]

Thousands of visa stickers are missing. What a mess.

You can't possibly blame Thaksin's cousin and foreign minister Surapong for this mess. He has been too busy going an PR trips with Yingluck.

On a more serious note, I thought the case was already solved 24 hours after the first missing stickers were reported.

(maybe they tried to wipe it under the carpet, maybe, who knows...)

Edited August 28, 2013 by Nickymaster

[ChrisY1]

Sounds as though this has been a long standing practice with staff in Thai embasies and consulates all over the place....hard to understand that only now this has emerged....

[Spare]

The only group of people creating a demand for these stolen goods are the Farang in Thaivisa.

[Time Traveller]

Sounds like those dishonest Malaysian embassy workers are stealing from the Thai consulate in Laos as well. Or will the scapegoats be some Lao people this time?

Edited August 28, 2013 by Time Traveller

[Nickymaster]

The only group of people creating a demand for these stolen goods are the Farang in Thaivisa.

Whaaoo, have you submitted this info to the police already? It seems that you are holding the key in solving this mystery.

Keep up the good work and please keep us posted.

Edited August 28, 2013 by Nickymaster

[ovenman]

Sounds like those dishonest Malaysian embassy workers are stealing from the Thai consulate in Laos as well. Or will the scapegoats be some Lao people this time?

You can rest assured there were no Thais involved in such heinous acts!

[Tatsujin]

. . . that diplomatic pouches occasionally went missing . . .

Since when???? I'm damn sure if the UK or USA lost any diplomatic pouches there'd be an uproar. Aren't these things hand-delivered, carried door-to-door?

[zydeco]

. . . that diplomatic pouches occasionally went missing . . .

Since when???? I'm dam_n sure if the UK or USA lost any diplomatic pouches there'd be an uproar. Aren't these things hand-delivered, carried door-to-door?

Funnier, by the minute, ain't it?

[jonclark]

The only group of people creating a demand for these stolen goods are the Farang in Thaivisa.

Feeling a bit bored and undervalued today are you?

[Songhua]

The only group of people creating a demand for these stolen goods are the Farang in Thaivisa.

Sure, I'd much prefer to pay twenty or thousand baht for a stolen sticker (either knowingly or through someone I was promised was an 'agent') than walk in and pay ten thousand for a legitimate multiple entry one at the consulate just an hour down the road. Not.

Edited August 28, 2013 by Songhua

[NongKhaiKid]

Sounds like those dishonest Malaysian embassy workers are stealing from the Thai consulate in Laos as well. Or will the scapegoats be some Lao people this time?

This story is taking on the proportions of rolling a snowball down a hillside.

One thing we can be sure of is that the FM will fight tooth and nail to insist no Thais are involved and this was clearly stated when it was announced 2,000 stickers en route to The Hague by no less a means than the Diplomatic Bag went " missing ". Just who collected the bag at Amsterdam for transport to the embassy at The Hague, I doubt that's a task entrusted to anyone other than a Thai.

These highly suspect Malaysian employees certainly get around and has been pointed out they've managed to fit in a side trip to Laos as well. Lets face it even if locally employed staff are involved in all these countries where's the supervision and oversight by Thai diplomatic staff ? There certainly won't be much in the way of accountability investigations as it's just not on to have to admit a Thai is in any way at fault.

[billd766]

Sounds like those dishonest Malaysian embassy workers are stealing from the Thai consulate in Laos as well. Or will the scapegoats be some Lao people this time?

The scapegoats will be anybody EXCEPT Thais because as we all know Thais are too honest to steal.

[Spare]

The only group of people creating a demand for these stolen goods are the Farang in Thaivisa.

Sure, I'd much prefer to pay twenty or thousand baht for a stolen sticker (either knowingly or through someone I believed was an agent) than walk in and pay ten thousand for a legitimate multiple entry one at the consulate just an hour down the road. Not.

I won't be surprise if these stolen stickers are openly on sales in KSR. In the same store that sells similar items like us/uk/euro/international driving license, degree (any university you want), student / teacher / press pass, marriage cert, etc. I don't think any Thai will be interested in buying a Thai visa sticker.

Edited August 28, 2013 by Spare

[Redhawk]

At the honorary consulat of Thailand in Hamburg/Germany they still use a stamp which the data is filled in!

[theblether]

Eh........

Mr Nuttavudh said the Foreign Ministry planned to introduce an E-visa system, online collection of applicant data, on October 1 next year

That's the interesting bit of this article. There's a lot they could do with the information submitted online, such as requiring a criminal record check. That would gel with the photographic visa requirement proposed yesterday.

It could be one of those occasions when we crow about them being useless and stupid then get hit with a sucker punch. For many people, that sucker punch wouldn't be the criminal record check although it would affect some, it could put an end to the constant visa spinning that people do now, by limiting the number of visas granted automatically.

No more dancing between friendly Embassies, the computer says no.

Interesting times ahead for some people.

.

Edited August 28, 2013 by theblether

[gemini81]

Remember: it wasn't (and never is) Thai officials. We don't need evidence or investigation; we can just tell. (if you don't believe the last guy, then ask chalerm).

[Thai at Heart]

Of course, they could make it that instead of having to leave the country to process so many different types of visas, they could just process them in country.

Not to say it's less corrupt, but at least it would put the process in Thailand and this that little easier to control.

[NongKhaiKid]

. . . that diplomatic pouches occasionally went missing . . .

Since when???? I'm dam_n sure if the UK or USA lost any diplomatic pouches there'd be an uproar. Aren't these things hand-delivered, carried door-to-door?

In my experience of UK and Australian diplomatic messengers security was paramount. They would be collected at the airport and taken back by diplomatic staff, were not supposed to drink on the flight and had to be awake. etc.

With the general easy oasy attitude of Thais it's not hard to believe that their diplomatic bags went missing byt how, especially if Thai staff are never at fault ?

[Thai at Heart]

. . . that diplomatic pouches occasionally went missing . . .

Since when???? I'm dam_n sure if the UK or USA lost any diplomatic pouches there'd be an uproar. Aren't these things hand-delivered, carried door-to-door?

In my experience of UK and Australian diplomatic messengers security was paramount. They would be collected at the airport and taken back by diplomatic staff, were not supposed to drink on the flight and had to be awake. etc.

With the general easy oasy attitude of Thais it's not hard to believe that their diplomatic bags went missing byt how, especially if Thai staff are never at fault ?

Classic. Diplomatic pouches went missing. Use dhl then....

[ginjag]

. . . that diplomatic pouches occasionally went missing . . .

Since when???? I'm dam_n sure if the UK or USA lost any diplomatic pouches there'd be an uproar. Aren't these things hand-delivered, carried door-to-door?

All things like this are usually (as in the U.K.) in a pouch with zip and lock, they are hand to hand delivered to a Higher Exec Officer /above if confidential, signed for.

I remember the Bosnian War and I handled stuff of various codes, some for U.K. eyes only, secret, and so forth. Now these stickers are of importance as all immigration material is, it has to be so it is treated the same as hand delivered and signed. If this procedure is not carried out then the department in charge will have to carry the can.

Because of the reporting here we have to take it that the reporting has been done correctly. If the story is correct the Embassy/consulate IS responsible for their nations stickers, no matter who works there, and where they are from.

So in transit from a to b, the stickers are the responsibility of the Embassy that sent them and/or the Embassy that receives them.

" Our staff in Thailand are not responsible for our stickers missing" did I read wrong ??

[barefoot1988]

now savannaket as well? uhuh, crap start hitting the fans

[Thai at Heart]

now savannaket as well? uhuh, crap start hitting the fans

Next they will start checking all the pr's given out over the last 20 years. You think everyone just waited patiently in line to get them?

[tomross46]

The process of transporting diplomatic pouches had been documented for decades. In most occurrences these pouches are signed for by a responsible person. It appears that there has been a deviation from the process and that it is out of control. This is a simple " control of documents ". If the MFA can not control their own documents, is there more problems within the government.

Is there a document control process problem with the rice inventory in government warehouses? A process problem with the procurement of clocks for parliament?

[Thai at Heart]

The process of transporting diplomatic pouches had been documented for decades. In most occurrences these pouches are signed for by a responsible person. It appears that there has been a deviation from the process and that it is out of control. This is a simple " control of documents ". If the MFA can not control their own documents, is there more problems within the government.

Is there a document control process problem with the rice inventory in government warehouses? A process problem with the procurement of clocks for parliament?

Deviation from process.

Is that a polite way of saying mai bpen arai?

[ginjag]

The process of transporting diplomatic pouches had been documented for decades. In most occurrences these pouches are signed for by a responsible person. It appears that there has been a deviation from the process and that it is out of control. This is a simple " control of documents ". If the MFA can not control their own documents, is there more problems within the government.

Is there a document control process problem with the rice inventory in government warehouses? A process problem with the procurement of clocks for parliament?

Deviation from process.

Is that a polite way of saying mai bpen arai?

Not normal procedure, slightly overlooked --old boy--tut tut--have to be our people, have to get to the bottom of this.

Wait this is TIT, been overlooked for yonks old boy now somebody has pulled the plug, tut tut. it's not our people involved though-never.

[lemonjelly]

<Meanwhile, Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, Police Lieutenant General Panu Kerdlarppon, cited investigations as showing that those holding passports with the stolen visa stickers and still staying in Thailand are not criminals, but their visa requests had been rejected due to lacks of qualifications.>....... ummm..... ok... but weren't some people already arrested for having these visas.... and a visa request rejected for a visa they already have?....... maybe it's been lost in translation......