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

[bangkoklasse]

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.

Nearly all countries I go to inside Schengen when I lived in Sweden, I had to go trough custom/immigration. And even show my passport all the time.

[belg]

14 thai exotic dancers?

or real tourists with money in the bank, jobs in thailand and a reason to come back to this lovely place with smiles all over, freedom of speech, the right to be with your family without any hastle of red tape

oh, i must be mixing up some countries as none of the above apply to thailand

Edited May 2, 2014 by belg

[Larry001]

Thailand has a wonderful reputation around the world these days; 555

[sometimewoodworker]

How can a visa allready applied in passport and then not allowed to enter?

Easy, a visa is never a guarantee that you will be permitted to enter a country. It is always the immigration official who decides.

Most people who have a visa (but not all) are permitted to enter.

[soalbundy]

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

Thais? Scam? Who'd have thought it.

Kind of clever though.

stupid in the long run though

[skildpadden]

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

that's 5 already and 6 days left!

Yep then head off through Denmark, Sweden, Finland (overnight ferry) and then do the Baltic states (short ferry trip). You will probably not see much but it is certainly doable in a week (but don't ask them to remember where they actually went).

[bangkoklasse]

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

that's 5 already and 6 days left!

Yep then head off through Denmark, Sweden, Finland (overnight ferry) and then do the Baltic states (short ferry trip). You will probably not see much but it is certainly doable in a week (but don't ask them to remember where they actually went).

If you don't like to see anything. Then you can just enter the countries airspace. Then you can probably do every country on the globe in 10 days. But neither this or doing 3-4 countires in one day is what a normal tourist like to do.

[louse1953]

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".

Some of those Thai girls have been lured there under false pretences,even chained up and locked in,so not really their fault.

[ggt]

Thais involved in scams?...unheard of...!

[louse1953]

'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.

Says more about Oz media and what they report to the dumbed down,2 week millionaires.Luckily my friends are clued up and come for the culture.

[louse1953]

scamming is in their DNA theyre born with it

C.R.A.P.

[selftaopath]

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 .

Land of Scams=LOS

[louse1953]

Thailand has a wonderful reputation around the world these days; 555

So say the millions of tourists that come every year and cant wait to come back.5555

[art vandelay]

ten plus years ago when i first came to thailand thai's often used to say to me 'thai never hurt thai'. it was obviously <deleted> then but they couldn't see it.

well the façade is well and truly shattered now with children drowning while thai onlookers filmed... scams right left and centre... not to mention the demonstration killings and injuries... etc, etc.

i never hear a thai say 'thai never hurt thai' these days. the scales have fallen from the eyes.

[SanukJoeII]

The Schengen rules are very clear and it is obvious that the Thai tour operators went for the easiest way, not being the correct way.

As we could have read, they apply for visas in e.g. Belgium, have (fake or not) hotel reservations, so all seems to be ok. Visas given.

Then they cancel (if they were real at all) the hotels and introduce plan B, which not even includes Belgium on the tour...

When that came out the German immigration followed the rules and didn't let them enter Germany (from the airport where they were stamped out earlier) as they had no valid visas.

Schengen visa has to be applied either for the country where you stay first, or for the country where you stay the longest time. That's it.

Not a big deal, the advantage is that you can travel in 25 countries without additional visa, even non-Schengen country Switzerland is joining.

BTW someone mentioned France and UK in one day. Possible but you lose your visa, as UK is not a member of Schengen!

So Thais became the victim of a scamming tour operator, and that is the real culprit, not any of the embassies or immigration offices.

[Dogmatix]

If the travel agent is gaming the system by embassy shopping and presenting false itineraries, they have to be rather dumb not to add on a day to the itinerary in case of a flight delay on the way home. The Schengen embassies usually issue the visas for the exact dates on the itineraries.

Obviously the 60 Thais had visas expiring on the day of the return flight. I am not at all convinced that German immigration would have let them in for an extra day whatever the case. I think this story of a scam is a red herring to pass the blame on to the travel agent instead of inflexible Schengen immigration policies. The US and the UK would do exactly the same thing, if visas were expired, but their embassies usually issue longer term tourist visas as standard, e.g. 10 years (US), 6 months (UK).

The problem is really the Schengen policy of issuing visas for the exact dates of the itinerary. I am sure this is group is not the first to be stranded like this.

[stickylies]

thais DO NOT TRUST THEMSELVES(aka confidence) OR EACHOTHER.

do you trust yourself ? do you trust someone else? i tend to MISTRUST all humans, often including myself.

[sawadee1947]

there was a member yesterday saying..."that is the reason, why he never visited Germany".....but now it turns out for me that I like Germany for what they did! Well done Germany! Thank you

[Johnnie99]

Karma - it's sh¡t hot!

[Suradit69]

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

Thais? Scam? Who'd have thought it.

Kind of clever though.

"Kind of clever though."

Certainly more clever than farangs claiming to be deaf and passing out key chains at restaurants in Phuket & Pattaya while seeking donations, but not everyone can be as tricky as Bernie Madoff ... or as mindlessly greedy as his victims ... or as incredibly stupid & incompetent as those meant to protect investors in the US.

.

[harrry]

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

only 10 different countries in one week

What was that old film...

If it is Tuesday it must be Belgium.

Edited May 2, 2014 by harrry

[marcusd]

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.

my bf said the same

Marcusd. Via tapatalk

[rebelplatoon]

It s a Schengen rule. The country most visited during the visa OR in special cases of many countries, first country of entry. It s not hard.

[Mudcrab]

"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.

Can do that in Oz for four days and still be in the same State!!!

[Mudcrab]

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".

Don't think the girls working in the illegal brothels went there as tourists though. Maybe a much bigger scam involved there.

Edited May 2, 2014 by Mudcrab

[Mudcrab]

'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.

hahahahhahhaa went over most peoples heads

[Gunna]

"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

UK isn't included in Schengen countries

[JonnyF]

555 quite an amusing story. Thai people should really stick to scamming Thai people, or scamming foreigners in Thailand while they have no rights. Easy money...

Trying to scam farang authorities in farangland? Not such a great idea...

[JohnThailandJohn]

'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

You sure they joke with you about hookers because of Thailand?

[Maestro]

Removed some troll posts and the replies to them.