Thais refused entry to Germany because of scam, says Thai embassy

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IMMIGRATION
Thais refused entry to Germany because of scam, says Thai embassy
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Thai Embassy in Belgium has given a different version of the incident in which 14 Thais were denied entry to Frankfurt after their TG flight bound for Bangkok was delayed due to technical problems.

An early report said the delay had forced them to seek overnight accommodation in a Frankfurt hotel but immigration officials refused to give permission for them to leave the airport because their visas had expired.

They then had to camp inside the airport lounge and left the following day.

In a statement the Thai Embassy in Brussels said the reason for German immigration's rejection was the result of a scam run by tour agencies to get Schengen visas for Thai tourists.

"Some Thai tour agencies apply for Schengen visas with a Schengen country complete with hotel bookings and in line with the other requirements. When the visas are approved, they cancel all the bookings and travel to other countries instead," the statement read.

Such a practice could cause direct problems for Thai tourists and the country's image as they could be rejected for entry into a country should the immigration officials learn about the scam.

The embassy said the incident at the Frankfurt airport was a classic example of the scam.

The German immigration officials detained the 14 Thais after they found out that their tour agency had applied for Schengen visas for them from the Belgian Embassy but the group didn't set foot in Belgium. They instead visited Germany, Italy and Switzerland.

The officials thus denied them entry to Frankfurt, read the statement.

Incidents of this nature have become common at Frankfurt Airport, making the officials focus on Thai passport holders. Moreover Thais will have more difficulties in applying for Schengen visas in the future.

The Thai Embassy in Brussels recommends that a Thai who wants to visit 10 Schengen countries in seven days and where the first stop is Amsterdam, apply for the visa at the Dutch Embassy in Thailand.

In the event that he plans to visit Paris for three days but stay in Belgium for two months, he has to get visa from the Belgian Embassy not the French.


-- The Nation 2014-05-02

[Bluespunk]

''Thais refused entry to Germany because of scam, says Thai embassy"

Thais? Scam? Who'd have thought it.

Kind of clever though.

[laurentbkk]

oh well , welcome to the real world .....

[PatOngo]

Thai Scam Thai............sounds like a good name for a political party.

[Thai at Heart]

Well who would have thought. Amazing. Of course, there wouldn't ever be a chance that someone has a friend who has a friend who is a contact in one of the eu embassies in bangkok.

All honest and above board u know.

[canopus1969]

Haha am I surprised - no !

[WhizBang]

Thai Scam Thai............sounds like a good name for a political party.

[lee b]

What goes around comes around...

[love1012]

If you can bribe and corrupt in your own country to get what you want - why cant you do t in otehr peoples?

[rkidlad]

One of the things I love about my gf is when she got her UK and Schengen visas, she complained how difficult it was at first. But instead of blaming the countries who issue the visas, she blamed the governments present and past who have kept Thailand the way it is.

[bangkoklasse]

"A Thai who wants to visit 10 Schengen countries in seven days"

only 10 different countries in one week

[bangkapi]

It's really not a scam... It is just circumventing a problem and getting what they want.

Lots of foreigners jump through convoluted and questionable hoops when trying to stay forever in Thailand.

[chainarong]

Probably the best way to describe it , never trust a Thai, the hens have now come home to roost, with everyone mimicking the Thai corrupt leadership, which has been going on for eons, rice scam now visa scam .

[stickylies]

som nam na...

[stickylies]

"A Thai who wants to visit 10 Schengen countries in seven days"

only 10 different countries in one week

plenty of tripoints in europe so doable and exactly the kind of travels Thais love:

rushing from place a to b, take some pictures, eat thai food and head on to next "adventures".

average hours of sleep per night 6. average meals per day 6. average pictures taken per day 60. average km per day/night 600.

[ALFREDO]

"A Thai who wants to visit 10 Schengen countries in seven days"

only 10 different countries in one week

A BUS Tour? And they drive threw 10 different countries, not a big problem.

[stickylies]

Why many Thais believe everything quickly ?

ignorance.

most of my thai friends don't understand why i can't get a thai visa in thailand and have to go abroad... and no these are not utter-mongoloid people, they simply don't know jacksh*t about these things. those of them who have been abroad had all practical matters handled by agents and pay for it. keeps them away from getting SILIOUT....

[bangkoklasse]

"A Thai who wants to visit 10 Schengen countries in seven days"

only 10 different countries in one week

plenty of tripoints in europe so doable and exactly the kind of travels Thais love:

rushing from place a to b, take some pictures, eat thai food and head on to next "adventures".

average hours of sleep per night 6. average meals per day 6. average pictures taken per day 60. average km per day/night 600.

Yes sure UK & France in one day. And then Germany and Italy the next day

[ALFREDO]

It's really not a scam... It is just circumventing a problem and getting what they want.

Lots of foreigners jump through convoluted and questionable hoops when trying to stay forever in Thailand.

YES.

and holy Germans, =More Papal than the Pope!= did the Thais make something wrong than? The sat in plane back to Thailand, no?

Its just so, it seems, that its more easy to get a Schengen Visa from the Belgium Embassy than from the German or the Swiss Embassy for a holiday!

[stickylies]

netherlands, belgium, luxembourg, france and germany in a couple of hours is doable

that's 5 already and 6 days left!

[hotrod4098]

Schengen Visas i know of 2 girls refused a visa...one to belgium one to norway.. the belgium one refused 3 times..she is even maries with a child..so these visa are not easy to get...so some one pulled strings to get there visa

[JohnThailandJohn]

Shocking! Can you imagine Europeans trying to scam visas and take advantage of the system to find ways to stay in Thailand?

[marko kok prong]

They have bought this on themselves,how many times do we see illegal brothels busted in Aus,south africa,or other places and who are the majority of the workers THais, add to this anyone from europe who has been on holiday here and scammed,it's no wonder they kept them in the airport,as i read it they were fed, and given blankets,pillows etc,hardly as if they were thrown into a barbed wire enclosure,with watch towers and snarling dogs patrolling the perimeter,though i am curious if our Germans friends asked the question we see in so many wwii escape movies, "your papers please".

[TimCM]

'Such a practice could cause direct problems for Thai tourists and the country's image as they could be rejected for entry into a country should the immigration officials learn about the scam.'

What image do Thai's really think they have in other countries?

I am back in Australia at the moment and when I say I was living in Thailand, everyone jokes about hookers

[Baerboxer]

Schengen Visas i know of 2 girls refused a visa...one to belgium one to norway.. the belgium one refused 3 times..she is even maries with a child..so these visa are not easy to get...so some one pulled strings to get there visa

You can't conclude that without knowing all the circumstances.

A Schengen visa is good for all countries signed up to the Schengen visa. If they start making additional rules for people then it becomes just another example of a EU bureaucratic farce.

A long time ago I applied for a Schengen visa for my wife via the Netherland's Embassy (very friendly, efficient and helpful) as my office was in Maastricht. But it was cheaper and easier to fly to Germany and pick up a hire car than Schipol. No problem at all. In fact the German Border Police were also very friendly and efficient, going in and out. Driving and rail have no checks between these countries. My wife was amazed that one day we drove in Netherlands, Belgium. Germany and Luxembourg without any border or customs checks - that's the whole point of Schengen.

[Baerboxer]

'Such a practice could cause direct problems for Thai tourists and the country's image as they could be rejected for entry into a country should the immigration officials learn about the scam.'

What image do Thai's really think they have in other countries?

I am back in Australia at the moment and when I say I was living in Thailand, everyone jokes about hookers

That's a very true but sad observation Tim. Tell anyone you live in Thailand, are going on holiday in Thailand, or have a Thai wife and a very high % automatically think of prostitution and the sex trade.

As if it doesn't exist, far worse in some countries too.

[Gweiloman]

As is par for the course on TVF, most posters jump in with both feet with absolutely no idea of what's happening in this particular case and why.

1. A group of Thais (rich, affluent as one would have to be to be able to afford a holiday to Europe)

2. Being Thais, they require a Schengen visa

3. It's Songkran period, the peak season of outbound travel from Thailand to Europe and elsewhere

4. Quota at the German Embassy in Bangkok is full, thus no chance to obtain visa from them

5. Their Thai travel agent tries to workaround by applying for the visa at the Belgian Embassy (this is common practice among Thai travel agencies)

6. Visa approved, they depart for their holiday. First point of entry, Italy, most likely Rome

7. They continue their journey to Florence, Venice, Milan, Switzerland (Lucerne or Interlaken) before finally crossing over into Germany.

8. In Germany, they continue making their way up north, maybe including a cruise on the River Rhine

9. They spend their last night in Germany in Frankfurt or Cologne before departing to the airport for their flight BACK to Thailand, where they have their businesses, jobs, families, giks, coyote girls, M Benzs, BMW's etc etc

10. Their TG flight (presumably TG923 ETD 21:20) had a technical problem and presumably would only be able to depart the following day

11. They decided to then stay one more night in Frankfurt rather than roughing it out at the airport (they are after all rich people by Thai standards)

12. However, as the Schengen visa is issued according to original flight schedules, that means their visa has technically expired

Technically speaking, yes, it's a scam in that they obtained the visa from an embassy that they had no intention of visiting. However, this is the result of immigration laws, lazy and inept European consulars enjoying their lives in Thailand and a highly racist attitude towards the Thais and not because these people are trying to enter Europe illegally and work as kitchen helpers, dish washers or prostitutes.

[ezzra]

Thai Scam Thai............sounds like a good name for a political party.

They already have one, it's called government....

[ezzra]

And this is from the very people who makes every farang stand in line like a dog waiting for a bone

just to get a stamp in our passport to stay in their country to work, live, tour and pour billions of

baht in to their economy, dose any one see the irony here?

[marko kok prong]

'Such a practice could cause direct problems for Thai tourists and the country's image as they could be rejected for entry into a country should the immigration officials learn about the scam.'

What image do Thai's really think they have in other countries?

I am back in Australia at the moment and when I say I was living in Thailand, everyone jokes about hookers

That's a very true but sad observation Tim. Tell anyone you live in Thailand, are going on holiday in Thailand, or have a Thai wife and a very high % automatically think of prostitution and the sex trade.

As if it doesn't exist, far worse in some countries too.

Agree my family were dismayed when i told them i had married a Thai lady,but like most members she is proffesional,and was highly regarded in her line of work.