Thai woman arrested over Thai visa theft

[bobl]

As scams go, its a pretty lame one, bound to failure. Giving people visas when they have no entry / exit stamps to the visas where the visas were supposedly issued. Doh!

That's not how the scam works.

While the official Thai Government position on visas is that you can have unlimited number of visas back to back, the different consulates (and even some border crossings, like Mae Sai with their "4 crossings max" limit for 15 day stamps) have their own different interpretations of the rules. Most consulates will not give back-to-back visas more than a few times. That's why everyone using this method bounces around all over the place - Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia.

SO - people can use an 'agent'. The agents in these countries "smooth" the visa process using their "friend" inside the embassy - for a fee. Technically, so far, not illegal. The traveler gets his (perfectly legal) visa, the agent and the 'friend' get their fee, and everybody's happy.

Then the agent and the friend get greedy. Why should we only get our commission? If we steal a book of visa stickers, we can just issue those and not bother handing over the 2,000 baht to the cashier - we keep the whole 5,000 (or whatever) and make an extra 2,000.

Nothing to see here but greed and stupidity - and many hapless people who were simply trying to stay 'legal', getting caught in the middle when the proverbial hit the fan.

If Thailand had a more consistent visa process, people wouldn't be forced to go to these extremes. When you have border posts and consulates making up their own rules (and changing them frequently, especially when a new 'boss' arrives) you're creating your own problems.

[klons]

http://www.dailynews.co.th/thailand/233533 (Thai article)

Man from Netherlands caught with fake.

The 500 fake visa stickers from Thai consulate in Laos' Savannakhet

are numbered 8486001-8486500 and look like this.

[giggles]

i knew a Nigerian would be involved somewhere as thats what they were born for

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Obviously, it was an "unseen third hand" that swiped the visa stickers... along with some help from the resident spirits...

But clearly, neither the third hand nor the spirits were Thai, contrary to what everyone here might think!

The probe identified the suspected mastermind behind the missing Kuala Lumpur visa stickers as Indian national Kumar Ramesh, who is known to be in a relationship with a woman who works at the consulate.

The source article for Coconuts notes that this woman allegedly stole the visa stickers from the consulate and sold them to others.

But curiously, even in the source article, no mention of the nationality of the woman, nor any mention of her or her alleged Indian beau having been arrested.

Edited September 16, 2013 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[RubbaJohnny]

Cambodian magic has yet to be considered.Obviously the powers that be send these valuable items and leave them on the counter.Only foreigners could dream of defrauded the government of the revenue.It is reassuring that no diplomatic staff imprisoned as this will make the queues longer.

[Time Traveller]

Don't forget the Indian who is reported to be friendly with a member of the embassy staff in KL.

Furthermore, what is fake about stolen visa stickers? They are the real thing, just not officially endorsed.

The story is fake. If the mastermind is an Indian national friendly with a worker at the consulate in KL, then how is he also stealing visas from the consulates in Laos and Netherlands? More likely is Thai consulate staff themselves are the masterminds and indian was just they 1st buyer.

[surangw]

no doubt she will say her nigerian husband forced her to commit the crime

[CNXSTEVE]

Common Guys Get over it . This is Thai Visa the worst journalism has to offer. Half of what they think is good translation is totally NOT understood and people have complained for years but their level of writing will never improve because they will not hire an English journalist .

So if you read about an elephant who gave up his Thai citizenship to back to America then you know you have found Thai visa

Common guys??

to back to

With English like this it is probably better not to criticise other people's English

[Bagwan]

Why hasn't the Royal Thai Embassy sign been painted black? O the shame and loss of face.

[OMGImInPattaya]

As scams go, its a pretty lame one, bound to failure. Giving people visas when they have no entry / exit stamps to the visas where the visas were supposedly issued. Doh!

That's not how the scam works.

While the official Thai Government position on visas is that you can have unlimited number of visas back to back, the different consulates (and even some border crossings, like Mae Sai with their "4 crossings max" limit for 15 day stamps) have their own different interpretations of the rules. Most consulates will not give back-to-back visas more than a few times. That's why everyone using this method bounces around all over the place - Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia.

SO - people can use an 'agent'. The agents in these countries "smooth" the visa process using their "friend" inside the embassy - for a fee. Technically, so far, not illegal. The traveler gets his (perfectly legal) visa, the agent and the 'friend' get their fee, and everybody's happy.

Then the agent and the friend get greedy. Why should we only get our commission? If we steal a book of visa stickers, we can just issue those and not bother handing over the 2,000 baht to the cashier - we keep the whole 5,000 (or whatever) and make an extra 2,000.

Nothing to see here but greed and stupidity - and many hapless people who were simply trying to stay 'legal', getting caught in the middle when the proverbial hit the fan.

If Thailand had a more consistent visa process, people wouldn't be forced to go to these extremes. When you have border posts and consulates making up their own rules (and changing them frequently, especially when a new 'boss' arrives) you're creating your own problems.

<deleted> are you talking about! Blaming Thailand for having, and then having the temerity, of enforcing its own visa policies. People who qualify for visas get them with no problem. Criminals and others who don't use these fixers to obtain their illegal visas. Good on immigration on attempting to arrest both the Thais involved in the scam and the foreigners with the illegal visas.

[OMGImInPattaya]

http://www.dailynews.co.th/thailand/233533 (Thai article)

Man from Netherlands caught with fake.

The 500 fake visa stickers from Thai consulate in Laos' Savannakhet

are numbered 8486001-8486500 and look like this.

fakevisa.jpg

The visas themselves are not "fake," only obtained in an illegal manner, rendering them invalid for travel to Thailand.

[anon8]

Could be the ambassador himself. In The Hague a previous Thai ambassador tried to sell the land on which the embassy was located for private purposes. He was half way before they could just stop the deal. Everything possible, in- & outside Thailand. Red Bull gives you over-creative wings.....

LOL are you serious?

[bander]

Unbelievable investigation report. Is mama an embassy staff, or did she fly to Malaysia to heist the visa stickers?

Mentioning Nigerian husband, Cameroonian suspect and Colombian embassy detracts from the issue at the core.

Who gave mama the stickers? Mickey mouse?

....again....the Thais are never guilty of anything....always some foreigner's fault.....

Same old story, Thai steal visa sticker and sell to falang, he get caught on the border by immigration officer, pointing finger at falang, Thais save face again

[bobl]

If Thailand had a more consistent visa process, people wouldn't be forced to go to these extremes. When you have border posts and consulates making up their own rules (and changing them frequently, especially when a new 'boss' arrives) you're creating your own problems.

<deleted> are you talking about! Blaming Thailand for having, and then having the temerity, of enforcing its own visa policies. People who qualify for visas get them with no problem. Criminals and others who don't use these fixers to obtain their illegal visas. Good on immigration on attempting to arrest both the Thais involved in the scam and the foreigners with the illegal visas.

You apologists crack me up sometimes.

<deleted> I am talking about are the inconsistencies - not "blaming Thailand" for having visa policies. And certainly not criticising their enforcement of their visa policies. Do try to keep up.

For long term stayers, Thailand has NO VISA for single people under 50, for example. Please don't cite "business visa" and "ed visa" as examples - they are work-arounds, not examples.

Thailand does NOT HAVE a limit on tourist visas. But try getting a few back-to-back from any of the neighbouring consulates. Inconsistency.

Thailand does NOT HAVE a limit on border crossings. Tell that to the boss in Mae Sai. Inconsistency.

The more recent thread, about the consulate in Hull, UK, requiring 800,000 baht proof of funds to issue a non-O marriage visa. Inconsistency.

OF COURSE there will be a criminal element looking for any and all ways to be here illegally - as there is in any country. That's a seperate issue altogether. I'd still be prepared to bet that many of the foreigners who have these "illegal visas" are also victims (Technically their visas aren't illegal in their authenticity or in the foreigner's entitlement to receive one - they're only "illegal" in that the consulate never received the money for them, thanks to the scammers).

[sirchai]

Hey Mama, where do you go with the gun in your hand?-