Thailand exposed as crime hub over MH370 stolen passports

[slipperylobster]

No police report required by the USA if you lost a passport. You just apply for a new one. I can see where a report would have to be filed, for a "stolen" passport. If it should drop out of your pocket, or accidently left in a cab/hotel, it is probably not going to get returned. How would the Embassy know either way? The Embassy, I believe, invalidates lost passports. The number embossed on it is no longer good. However, if nobody enters/checks the valid dates and numbers...what good is a passport at all?

[Lex Talionis]

And while Interpol's stolen passport database sounds nice, think about it. If every Immigration officer at every Immigration counter in Thailand had to check every passport against a database containing 40 million(+) stolen passport numbers, imagine just how long the delays would be getting through. As noted in the various news articles, very few countries actually use that database, and probably for that very reason. More likely it is used mainly if someone is arrested and they suspect the passport may be dodgy. Otherwise instead of spending 2-3 minutes at the Immigration counter, you could be held up 5-10 times that long (now think about all those people that just got off that A-380 ahead of you) !

And when something in the "system" breaks down (computers, servers, databases) what happens ? Longer line-ups, or just "giving-up" and going back to no checking at all ? (Guess it would largely depend on who is issuing the contracts and who is receiving them.)

But if you want to live in Paradise, you've got to take the good with the bad ! Could be worse, you could still be living back (wherever) and wishing you were in Thailand !

Agree with most of what you say but a database lookup like Interpol's can be done in a matter of microseconds. Your not sorting but using an index. This check needs to be thoroughly implemented.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Edited March 11, 2014 by Lex Talionis

[pbeieio]

Well, if tourists were not forced, by Thai law, to carry their passports around 24/7 but were able to leave them in a safer place, less passports would be stolen.

[Goldieinkathu]

I wonder how long it will be before we're all told we're to be mircochipped? I for one can see it coming.

[ingvar]

Just showing photocopies of the stolen passports is not enough. Someone needs to point at them for a proper investigation.

Yes absolutely, there must be a senior officer pointing at something, and also there should be a guy with a bag over his head!

[sandyf]

When I went to KL last year, my wife was fingerprinted but I wasn't, probably because of UK passport. She was also fingerprinted on entry to the UK a few weeks ago.

I can see that becoming the norm for everyone.

[ggt]

_{Surprise...Surprise...Surprise!}

_{"Thailand has been used by some international terrorist (crime) groups as a zone of operation, to raise funds or to plan attacks," said Rommel Banlaoi, an analyst on terrorism in South-East Asia."}

_{Come to Thailand...where crime pays...}

[lostmebike]

At last!

A real hub to be proud of.

[fredob43]

A little true story.

Some years ago I was siting in a bar in Pattaya on beach road between Soi 7/8 when a lady of the night came up to a Thai chap sitting next to the toilets and handed him a passport (Not Thai) he just stuck it in his pocket and nothing more was said or done. I turned to a Farang that was sitting next to me and said did you see that, yes came the reply go's on all the time she'll come back later for her money.

Has anyone reported it to the police, that by the way are no more than 50mt away yes he said it's been done many times, has any action taken place regarding same, don't be silly came the reply no bugger cares the police more than likely in on it.

[inzman]

Thailand should be careful wishing for stuff, they always want to be the hub of something, now they are the hub of counterfeiting. But I'm sure Chalerm will have it wiped out in 90 days.

[bitcoinbob]

as more of the story comes out , the chinese may brand thailand a security risk and stop all Chinese tourist from entering Thailand . till something gets done to ensure it does not happen again,

[Munger]

We are out in full force with nonsense slagging Thailand post over a worldwide issue of stolen passports.

HUH, so its Thai bashing, and racist.

[me313]

The NY Times article on this subject does not mention Thailand. What it does mention in the article is "Homeland Security" --the T-word is used repeatedly (terrorism) and new searches, seizures and invasions of privacy are going to be justified by this latest "terrorist" attack. Homeland Security is going to make it's visible home in Thailand, whereas it was just on vacation doing surveillance up to this point. It's also going to be used to create a false claim of corruption at Yingluck and co., when it's probably nothing related to her performance but part of the old regime. I'm really used to these "false flag" operations by now. Thailand: Welcome to the USA!

Edited March 11, 2014 by me313

[Lite Beer]

Iranians, Thai woman involved in passports used on missing Malaysian jet
By Digital Content

BANGKOK, March 11 - Thai authorities on Tuesday revealed that the missing Malaysian Airlines' Beijing-bound tickets of two imposters travelling with passports stolen in Thailand were booked by an Iranian and paid by a Thai woman.

Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu Bakar told a news conference Tuesday that investigators had determined one was a 19-year-old Iranian planning to enter Germany to seek asylum. A second passenger also travelling with a stolen passport has not been identified. Both bought their tickets in Thailand and entered Malaysia together, according to the Associated Press news agency.

Immigration Bureau commander Pol Lt Gen Panu Kerdlarppol disclosed more details following reports that the Italian and Austrian foreign ministries announced that the names of their two national matched the MH 370 flight manifest but the two men - Austrian Christian Kozel and Italian Luigi Maraldi - did not board the flight but their passports were stolen while they were in Thailand.

Gen Panu said the tickets were sold by a tour agent in the seaside resort of Pattaya via email contact with an Iranian named Ali on March 1 for an Italian passport for the route Kuala Lumpur - Doha - Copenhagen. The second booking was for an Austrian passport for the route Kula Lumpur - Abu Dhabi - Frankfurt.

The booking however was changed on March 6 for Kuala Lumpur - Beijing - Amsterdam.

The Thai wife of another Iranian called Asem paid Bt51,000 for the tickets, in Pattaya.

Gen Panu said Thai police have searched Mr Asem's Pattaya home as intelligence reports suggested that they linked with a forged passport syndicate for Middle East and South Asian people for travelling to third countries.

He said there is no evidence proving a link to terrorism, but they chose Thailand as their operations base as the kingdom is a tourist hub with a large number of passports being stolen.

As for Mr Ali, Gen Panu said, the suspect is an operational member of the syndicate and has entered Thailand 19 times. He left Thailand Dec 1 last year. Police found clear evidence showing his forged passport orders with his clients, which is considered as a treat to Thailand's security.

The immigration bureau chief said Mr Asem, an accomplice, has lived in Thailand for 17 years with a tourist visa. He entered Thailand last July via the Cambodian border.

Gen Panu said the immigration bureau is conducting a further investigation to bring the culprits for legal prosecution. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2014-03-11

[lazygourmet]

[Thai at Heart]

He said there is no evidence proving a link to terrorism, but they chose Thailand as their operations base as the kingdom is a tourist hub with a large number of passports being stolen.As for Mr Ali, Gen Panu said, the suspect is an operational member of the syndicate and has entered Thailand 19 times. He left Thailand Dec 1 last year. Police found clear evidence showing his forged passport orders with his clients, which is considered as a treat to Thailand's security.

The immigration bureau chief said Mr Asem, an accomplice, has lived in Thailand for 17 years with a tourist visa. He entered Thailand last July via the Cambodian border.

Gen Panu said the immigration bureau is conducting a further investigation to bring the culprits for legal prosecution. (MCOT online news)

Not to mention of course, the completely corrupt and ineffective law enforcement. I really think that Thai immigration had better to shut up before they really make fools of themselves in front of the world. Someone stays 17 years as a tourist. How is this possible with their supposed rules about multiple entries etc. Another bloke turned over as forging passports, but of course, there is not one little bit of evidence to link him to terrorism????Seems that Iran has got its fingers in a lot of pies in Thailand. How is the bloke who blew his legs off doing? Their corruption is coming back to haunt them on the world stage.

I await the Chinese black listing Thailand as an unsafe country for tourists. I tell you one thing, the last thing that the Chinese want is a massive amount of Chinese passports going missing.

[chooka]

My passport was stolen whenI first arrived BKK in 2007 and I knew who stole it. I reported it to the police who were not interested in assisting me, so I just went my embassy, reported it stolen and got a new passport. It all comes down to the police; every time. I wish they understood what national pride is. It might be a good thing for Thailand if the government allowed copies of passports to serve as a tempory ID until the original could be presented but that would eleminate the extorsion fine police collect. Tourists and residents could leave their passports in a safe place and produce it if necessary.

Hotels could issue a tourist ID as well, with the name of the hotel, the passport number, and visa expiration date. That should be sufficient for any ID or rental when presented with a driving license.

If there was a photo opportunity like with the Italian guy, mate the BIB would have been killing each other to investigate the theft of your passport.

[Thai at Heart]

My passport was stolen whenI first arrived BKK in 2007 and I knew who stole it. I reported it to the police who were not interested in assisting me, so I just went my embassy, reported it stolen and got a new passport. It all comes down to the police; every time. I wish they understood what national pride is. It might be a good thing for Thailand if the government allowed copies of passports to serve as a tempory ID until the original could be presented but that would eleminate the extorsion fine police collect. Tourists and residents could leave their passports in a safe place and produce it if necessary.

Hotels could issue a tourist ID as well, with the name of the hotel, the passport number, and visa expiration date. That should be sufficient for any ID or rental when presented with a driving license.

If there was a photo opportunity like with the Italian guy, mate the BIB would have been killing each other to investigate the theft of your passport.

I am not sure it is the police, it is the connection between the police, the embassy and immigration. If the immigration have no way to log it into the thai system, and the airlines don't check that its off the list, what can a policeman do?

What they can do is crack down on people selling stolen passports, and people counterfeiting and modifying them. The headline about this Austrian bloke is that his passport was stolen years ago. So it may even have gone over its date. But for a fee, I have no doubt a willing immigration officer can put a passport into the system and dada, you are legal. Of course, this is another reason to have passport readers instead of allowing immigration to put your ID in manually. As for visas, have you ever seen the big log book sitting in your local immigration office. Ever seen anyone keying in the entry for your visa reknewal ? Never not once.

So basially, once you are here, you just stay at the whim of the officer and if someone leaves on your passport, he has to bribe a bloke on 25,000 baht a month to put your id into the system. Hardly reassuring is it.

[Somtamnication]

God, I hope the powers that be never discover that Thailand is the sex capital of the world. That would me something!

[chooka]

God, I hope the powers that be never discover that Thailand is the sex capital of the world. That would me something!

Will never happen because prostitution and sex are illegal in Thailand.

[bangon04]

There's that word hub again, well deserved this time.

"The ease with which police officials can be paid off also helped the industry to thrive.

"The police can turn a blind eye if you have the money," he added."

Yes, well deserved Hub status.

[tingtongfarang]

My passport was stolen whenI first arrived BKK in 2007 and I knew who stole it. I reported it to the police who were not interested in assisting me, so I just went my embassy, reported it stolen and got a new passport. It all comes down to the police; every time. I wish they understood what national pride is. It might be a good thing for Thailand if the government allowed copies of passports to serve as a tempory ID until the original could be presented but that would eleminate the extorsion fine police collect. Tourists and residents could leave their passports in a safe place and produce it if necessary.

Hotels could issue a tourist ID as well, with the name of the hotel, the passport number, and visa expiration date. That should be sufficient for any ID or rental when presented with a driving license.

If there was a photo opportunity like with the Italian guy, mate the BIB would have been killing each other to investigate the theft of your passport.

A guy who stayed with me insisted on going everywhere with his passport sticking out his back pocket, i warned him so many times even to the point of scanning his passport and giving him a printout which he did,nt use ...maybe binned it.....but always got this grin meaning i was over reacting,

After a few months he carried his luggage down then went through everything saying ...cant find my passport, then asked...what to do now?

I gave him lost passport links to tvf and told...as i understand you first have to call the airline and explain then go to the police, also it might be an idea to go to the post office, He did nothing for the next 2 weeks,

To say i was shocked would be an understatement .

[RubbaJohnny]

When I went to KL last year, my wife was fingerprinted but I wasn't, probably because of UK passport. She was also fingerprinted on entry to the UK a few weeks ago.

I can see that becoming the norm for everyone.

A lot of Thai women get fingered.

In fact may become a hub for knuckledraggers.

As the Alamanc de Gotha described local society

'They were sort of people who had a toilet roll on the dinner table '

[chooka]

My hunch. The fake passport travellers were unlucky illegal immigrants. Plane was brought down by technical malfunction and/or pilot error.

I said pretty much the same at post #46 in relation to the passports.

All but confirmed by Malaysian authorities.

I think terrorism less likely because I don't see the usual suspects as being particularly interested in China. While China does have their Ugher (spell) issues they seem a rather crude group - last attack used knives, not even guns, so not much chance of mounting a sophisticated plane bombing. Plus Malaysia is a Muslim nation, so they'd be hitting their own too.

Hi 5 my friend, one has just been identified as a 19 yrs old Iranian who wanted to be with his family in Germany who are currently seeking asylum. The 2nd is yet to be identified but I guess Iranian as well. Seems like we were both thinking down the same lines.

[mercman24]

Reply to ROTORBREEZE where does it say anywhere, the passenger did not join the flight ????????

[CRUNCHER]

1975016_606578066083743_2077763265_n.jpg

[jayjayjayjay]

Lived in Thailand for 17 years on a tourist visa!!! Sort of says it all....

Actually really <deleted> pisses me of that as a tax paying foreigner over 20 years now that life is not much easier for us. ie. change a job, must

Leave the country within 7 days, no mater having Thai children and significant assets.

[Dumu Ali]

How is this TAT a new slogan for your next promotion " hub of crime " and it is all because of corruption get a decent a decent government that takes harsh action on corruption but it will still take a long time to stop.

"UNSAVOURY CHARACTERS"

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said more than 60,000 passports - both Thai and foreign - were reported missing or stolen in Thailand between January 2012 and June 2013.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/10/us-malaysia-airlines-thailand-passports-idUSBREA290KD20140310

if that number is correct, then Thailand does indeed have a serous problem! where are the sixty thousand passports? I don't believe that number!

not believe? u r a newbie naive and that is why u get fooled n scammed all the time

most busts r not in the media as that prevents too much corruption

sometimes u see Thai police seizing thousands of fake travel books at a time -

sorry but many fools do not realise that a passport is just a book and not a big deal to forge and used in parts of the world that are either primitive or corrupt or both

Even Bangkok Post and Nation and tourist magazines have ads for visa brokers that often see books too

if you understand the lingo then you will see book vendors galore many near Nana or South Silom Surawong

there is an Englishman in Thonglor selling most grade A visas and easy to find as he leaves flyers at money changers hotel lobbies and gogo bars to find customers

There are a gang of Arab touts hanging outside Grace Holetel and they can offer everything from powder kilos to fresh or secondhand books

[TheWizardofRnR]

After 27 years here I have a theory why terrorists haven't really executed attacks in the Kingdom ,like those in Bali,

and other locales in the world.

Even terrorists want to get laid !

So ,they will conduct illegal activities here ,but none to be destructive like in other places.

They don't want to destroy their only place they can go R&R safely , that may also be their !

An example of this behavior can come from the Vietnam War , when a plane was boarded by a large group of

North Vietnamese soldiers impersonating South Vietnamese Soldiers , and flown to a nearby R&R location !

( guess where?)

It wasn't discovered until about a week after they had returned, when an AF officer had examined the forged paperwork.

The amazing things Men will do to get back in the womb !

I know people who are reading this might be asking ,how do I know this really happened???

I'd love to tell you but then they did tell me if I told anybody , they'd have to kill me !

So just call it a rumor I heard from a Pilot ,who during the Vietnam War , had flown into Dover AFB in USA loaded with

returning wounded and body bags with fallen heroes !

Just always seems , the more paperwork there is , the more chance there is for things to go wrong.

Haven't you ever thought that here , every time you have to fill out or sign too many pieces of paper?

Not even to mention , how many trees died for all that waste of time filling them out!

[beowolf2012]

Some years ago I lived in Pattaya. And Pattaya south almost down to the walking street. There are so many Muslims, many of them from Saudi Arabia rent out motorbikes at that time when go ask for rent a motorbike big one i have to provide my passport to him a copy of my passport was not good enough. I borrowed no mortor bike.
Perhaps it would thai imigration look at that too on all sout arabia have a work permit.
When I look at how difficult it is to get a work permit here in thailand and how expensive it really is. Then you would probably think that it does not pay to stand and rent out mortor bikes.
There must then be equal before the law. Whether you come from a European country or coming from Sout Arabia. All non-Thai may then be FALANG

Edited March 11, 2014 by metisdead
Overly large bold font reset to normal.