Chinese expats arrested in Phuket for work permit offences

[webfact]

Chinese expats arrested in Phuket for work permit offences
By Digital Content



PHUKET, Feb 22 – Thai Immigration Police arrested four Chinese nationals accused of setting up a wedding photography service and failing to show authorisation documents in this resort island of the Thai South.

Phuket Immigration Superintendent, Pol Col Sanchai Chokkayaikit told a news briefing on Friday that the four suspects are identified as Shi Liang, 29, Tian Zhuang, 21, Peng Xianrong, 29, and Deng Lijuan, 26. They were arrested on allegations they had set up a wedding business in Phuket without proper working permission.

Col Sanchai said the four suspects failed to produce work permits, while confessing to the police that Shi Liang is the shareholder and generally takes care of the business, while Tian Zhuang and Peng Xianrong are photographers and Deng Lijuan is the makeup artist. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2014-02-22

[h90]

Good to see that the police is taking care of the real problems:

Farangs drink beer in Soi Nana during election day

Farangs drink beer on Valentine day in Pattaya

Farangs go drinking in Pattaya without Passport

is bad enough and the law should punish them without mercy.

But now they found even worse things:

Chinese made photos of Chinese couples marrying in Phuket!!!

One of the worst crimes......

[NeverSure]

I say hang 'em high in public and let them twist in the wind for a few days to show what doing something illegal such as jet ski scams, taxi scams, bar girl drink scams, tea money, bribes, taking pictures will get you.

[h90]

I say hang 'em high in public and let them twist in the wind for a few days to show what doing something illegal such as jet ski scams, taxi scams, bar girl drink scams, tea money, bribes, taking pictures will get you.

Right! They have done on of the most evil things people can imagine.

[stevenl]

Do nothing, people complain, do something, people complain.

In short: people will always find a reason to complain.

[mancub]

Do something about the real issues, then less people would find less to complain about.

[webfact]

Illegal wedding photographers busted in Phuket
Phuket Gazette

Mr Shi (right) is an owner of the Love Island Wedding Studio which had supplied no work permits for its photographers. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- Two photographers, a makeup artist and an owner of a Phuket photography studio were caught working without work permits yesterday after their rude behavior was flagged by local residents.

Phuket Old Town residents filed a complaint to police against Love Island Wedding Studio Co Ltd, which had been using their homes as backdrops for pre-wedding photos without asking permission.

“Locals said that people in the company shouted a lot and were impolite,” said Phuket Immigration Superintendent Sanchai Chokhayaikij.

The company, which specialized in taking pre-wedding photos of Chinese couples at tourist sites around Phuket, charged 20,000 baht per couple, Col Sanchai said.

Police raided Love Island Wedding Studio, located on Maeluan Road in the Rang Hill area, at 11:45am.

Shi Liang, 29, an owner; Tian Zhuang, 21, and Peng Xianrong, 29, photographers; and Deng Lijuan, 26, a makeup artist, were all arrested and charged for working without a work permit.

“We were told that Ms Peng and Ms Deng had just been working there for two days,” Col Sanchai said.

All the suspects face a fine of up to 100,000 baht, five years in jail or both. They can also be deported within 30 days, Col Sanchai said.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2014/Illegal-wedding-photographers-busted-in-Phuket-25661.html


-- Phuket Gazette 2014-02-22

[TallPalm]

Just ignore the fat cat Teaching Agency owners that employ dozens of farang without the proper paperwork, year in year out. Concentrate on the little guys.

[stevenl]

Do something about the real issues, then less people would find less to complain about.

To me, a legal worker, illegal workers are a real issue.

[HeavyDrinker]

That lass with the tats is pretty hot.....

[impulse]

Phuket Old Town residents filed a complaint to police against Love Island Wedding Studio Co Ltd, which had been using their homes as backdrops for pre-wedding photos without asking permission.

“Locals said that people in the company shouted a lot and were impolite,” said Phuket Immigration Superintendent Sanchai Chokhayaikij.

The company, which specialized in taking pre-wedding photos of Chinese couples at tourist sites around Phuket, charged 20,000 baht per couple, Col Sanchai said.

Shi Liang, 29, an owner; Tian Zhuang, 21, and Peng Xianrong, 29, photographers; and Deng Lijuan, 26, a makeup artist, were all arrested and charged for working without a work permit.

All the suspects face a fine of up to 100,000 baht, five years in jail or both. They can also be deported within 30 days, Col Sanchai said.

Their arrests coincide with the grand opening celebration of the Luv Island Wedding Studio Co, Ltd, owned (also coincidentally) by the families of local complainants.

Luv Island (not to be confused with Love Island) took the press opportunity to announce a Grand Opening discount price of 19,900 baht per couple, noting that the price will go up to 25,000 baht per couple, after the Grand Opening sale (or whenever the Chinese competition actually get deported, whichever comes first)

Edited February 22, 2014 by impulse

[h90]

Do something about the real issues, then less people would find less to complain about.

To me, a legal worker, illegal workers are a real issue.

real, yes....but minor in compare to all the other problems the police could take care off, but does not.

[PiPiFFS]

hey should have set up shop in Phi Phi instead of Phuket. Here there seems to be no job a Farang can't do or need a work permit to do either.

[khunsiam]

Do something about the real issues, then less people would find less to complain about.

To me, a legal worker, illegal workers are a real issue.

many legal workers do illegal work, are they a real issue?

[stevenl]

Do something about the real issues, then less people would find less to complain about.

To me, a legal worker, illegal workers are a real issue.

many legal workers do illegal work, are they a real issue?

Of course illegal work is a problem.

[bangkokheat]

ms PENG and ms DENG, lol, priceless

[technologybytes]

All the suspects face a fine of up to 100,000 baht, five years in jail or both. They can also be deported within 30 days, Col Sanchai said.

My understanding (though I may well be out of date) is that a first offence of working without a work permit was a relatively minor offence and that the maximum penalty for the first offence was a slap on the wrist and a small fine. I was sure that it was only second or third offences that carried technical deportation. I say technical deportation because for work permit offences you can legally return the next day after being deported.

I am sure someone will correct me if my information is incorrect.

[TPI]

Good to see that the police is taking care of the real problems:

Farangs drink beer in Soi Nana during election day

Farangs drink beer on Valentine day in Pattaya

Farangs go drinking in Pattaya without Passport

is bad enough and the law should punish them without mercy.

But now they found even worse things:

Chinese made photos of Chinese couples marrying in Phuket!!!

One of the worst crimes......

I, personnally, was horrified to find such sick and perverted crimes had been allowed to occur in LOS! These could only have been allowed to operate with the conivence of vested interests, which must be rooted out ASAP!

Or

Good grief, haven't Immigration got more important things to do like, people smuggling, bonded labour etc.?

[Thai at Heart]

Illegal wedding photographers busted in Phuket

Phuket Gazette

Mr Shi (right) is an owner of the Love Island Wedding Studio which had supplied no work permits for its photographers. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: -- Two photographers, a makeup artist and an owner of a Phuket photography studio were caught working without work permits yesterday after their rude behavior was flagged by local residents.

Phuket Old Town residents filed a complaint to police against Love Island Wedding Studio Co Ltd, which had been using their homes as backdrops for pre-wedding photos without asking permission.

Locals said that people in the company shouted a lot and were impolite, said Phuket Immigration Superintendent Sanchai Chokhayaikij.

The company, which specialized in taking pre-wedding photos of Chinese couples at tourist sites around Phuket, charged 20,000 baht per couple, Col Sanchai said.

Police raided Love Island Wedding Studio, located on Maeluan Road in the Rang Hill area, at 11:45am.

Shi Liang, 29, an owner; Tian Zhuang, 21, and Peng Xianrong, 29, photographers; and Deng Lijuan, 26, a makeup artist, were all arrested and charged for working without a work permit.

We were told that Ms Peng and Ms Deng had just been working there for two days, Col Sanchai said.

All the suspects face a fine of up to 100,000 baht, five years in jail or both. They can also be deported within 30 days, Col Sanchai said.

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket_news/2014/Illegal-wedding-photographers-busted-in-Phuket-25661.html

-- Phuket Gazette 2014-02-22

Photographing without permission.

So.if they had paid, it would have been all right. Glad they caught these criminal master minds though. Outrageous behaviour.

[Thai at Heart]

Do something about the real issues, then less people would find less to complain about.

To me, a legal worker, illegal workers are a real issue.

Indeed. Slavery on fishing boats is quite nasty on comparison with chinese weddings.

[TPI]

Phuket Old Town residents filed a complaint to police against Love Island Wedding Studio Co Ltd, which had been using their homes as backdrops for pre-wedding photos without asking permission.

“Locals said that people in the company shouted a lot and were impolite,” said Phuket Immigration Superintendent Sanchai Chokhayaikij.

The company, which specialized in taking pre-wedding photos of Chinese couples at tourist sites around Phuket, charged 20,000 baht per couple, Col Sanchai said.

Shi Liang, 29, an owner; Tian Zhuang, 21, and Peng Xianrong, 29, photographers; and Deng Lijuan, 26, a makeup artist, were all arrested and charged for working without a work permit.

All the suspects face a fine of up to 100,000 baht, five years in jail or both. They can also be deported within 30 days, Col Sanchai said.

Their arrests coincide with the grand opening celebration of the Luv Island Wedding Studio Co, Ltd, owned (also coincidentally) by the families of local complainants.

Luv Island (not to be confused with Love Island) took the press opportunity to announce a Grand Opening discount price of 19,900 baht per couple, noting that the price will go up to 25,000 baht per couple, after the Grand Opening sale (or whenever the Chinese competition actually get deported, whichever comes first)

Ah yes, of course, how strupid of me to think that everything was "kosher"!

[freedom4life]

Hello?! Need you all be reminded that the same thing happens in China? I knew of an expat who got deported for having a language school business, but not the proper visa to be in the country to run it. Such petty stories or reports that seem to flourish here.

[realenglish1]

What No handcuffs. These are very dangerous photographers Should be shackled and blindfolded.

Never did trust wedding photographers The most dangerous of species

[NomadJoe]

Do something about the real issues, then less people would find less to complain about.

To me, a legal worker, illegal workers are a real issue.

real, yes....but minor in compare to all the other problems the police could take care off, but does not.

You are forgetting that this happened because a complaint was made. When there is a complaint made, the police are obliged to act. It's not like they went out looking for Chinese photographers without WP's.

[duanebigsby]

Do something about the real issues, then less people would find less to complain about.

To me, a legal worker, illegal workers are a real issue.

real, yes....but minor in compare to all the other problems the police could take care off, but does not.

Whenever the cops arrest someone for a minor thing back home ie jaywalking, the same thing is said. Working without a work permit is a crime, period.

If it interferes with a local business it's a bigger issue.

[ezzra]

Do something about the real issues, then less people would find less to complain about.

Human nature it's what it is....

[H1w4yR1da]

Just ignore the fat cat Teaching Agency owners that employ dozens of farang without the proper paperwork, year in year out. Concentrate on the little guys.

Unlike the fat cat teacher agencies, the little guys don't pay off the police. TIT!

[fstarbkk]

Will there be a reenactment of the crimes in question?

[AyG]

When there is a complaint made, the police are obliged to act.

็Really? I thought the police only bothered to act when you paid them a little (or big) something under the table. This is a clear example of someone with a grudge.

It also underlines the Thai authorities shortsightedness. A Chinese couple coming here wants to deal with the arrangements in their own language, and with someone who understands their own standards, expectations and traditions. A Thai-only business simply won't be able to do that. The net effect is that Chinese couples will simply get wed elsewhere. The knock on effect is fewer hotel bookings, extravagant ceremonies and meals. Thai laws requiring the employment of four locals for every foreigner make this sort of business pretty much impossible for a foreigner to set up and run profitably.

[Phuketboy]

You guys complain when the police do nothing and then ridicule them when they do, unbelievable. Another example on here is we can't post about French ripping people off (post blocked), but it's ok to bash on the Thai's every single post. It almost reminds me of little bitchy 13 year old school girls. Frankly, they set up a business without the correct permits, so enough said, the police did the right thing in making an arrest. Come here on the correct visa and don't work without a work permit, pretty simple people. For those who are saying that it's ok for Thai's to do this and that but not ok for Farang... well, it's their country, their rules. You have a choice to be here, you weren't forced.