Nong Khai man arrested for providing foreign tourists with fake departure stamps

[wump]

Been doing this for 2 years?

He must have made a good few baht... I wonder how you advertise such a service.

My guess is that he is actually involved with an immigration officer.

In the past I have been approached at border crossings when doing a visa run and told that for a small fee I can avoid the hassle of actually crossing the border or for a bigger fee that they can arrange an extension of stay without money in the bank. All done with the help of a friendly officer in the local immigration office.

I'll add that I didn't take them up on their kind offer of help.

Nearly ALL visa run companies in Pattaya offer this service. They even advertise it on TV! It is done via a doctor's letter and a friendly immigration officer. They even try to push it on you "Why you make visa run for 8,000 baht? I give you stamp 3 months 10,000 baht".

I know someone who has been doing it for two years. They tell me all immigration know about it but no one cares. Apparently exiting is "no problem if you don't overdo it"

[oldsailor35]

The sad part is that there are many more like him, rouge operators, some sanctioned

and enabled by real immigration's personal who gets their cut from such people,

Really? there are many more? Where do they operate? Do you have a list? How many more?

I have had a difficult time finding these numerous operators. I know back in the

early 90's and up to the end of the 90's there were quite a few mainly in the south, but

I have had a hard time finding any in the past 10 years or so. Please enlighten us as

to where these operators are.

Pray tell why you would want to know where they are

For me , it is so that they can be shut down, but i guess for you, it does not matter !

[oldsailor35]

These Thai announcements of arrests are in reality, petty busts. There is no follow up to nail Thai Mr. Bigs and haul them off in handcuffs. The Thai financiers, immigration, police, the local mafia for bar girls pushing the service. What about the Thai bank accounts and money laundering? When do we see massive immigration stings and Thai bankers being hauled off in handcuffs on the evening news? Is the military serious or do they just wish to impress folks with a few random petty arrests like this one?

Go have a look at the Phuket pages and see how one of the mayors and his offsiders are being done.

The Taksinites are becoming desperate. They know their side is never coming back and they can't post much on the forum. Because there is almost no negative news about the coup. Like an other user said maybe they can start a twitter group with Jonathan Head from the BBC.

You see changes and arrest you have never seen before. As for going after Mr Big, look in Phuket and look at the PTP bunch that was in prison.

Yep! Frightening is'nt it, knowing that the real rogues such as Suthep are still out there just waiting the 'nod' to take over with more of the Dems massive corruption.

[oldsailor35]

I apply at my local (Brisbane) Thai Consul . I pass the necessary criteria. I am told the amount required for a Non Immigrant "O" visa.I pay the money asked. I am given the visa ! So why do i have to cross a border every 90 days. What is the reasoning. ? I am completely mystified, seeing that i have to spend money in another country which Thailand would have the benefit of.......................CRAZY!

[Robby nz]

These Thai announcements of arrests are in reality, petty busts. There is no follow up to nail Thai Mr. Bigs and haul them off in handcuffs. The Thai financiers, immigration, police, the local mafia for bar girls pushing the service. What about the Thai bank accounts and money laundering? When do we see massive immigration stings and Thai bankers being hauled off in handcuffs on the evening news? Is the military serious or do they just wish to impress folks with a few random petty arrests like this one?

Go have a look at the Phuket pages and see how one of the mayors and his offsiders are being done.

The Taksinites are becoming desperate. They know their side is never coming back and they can't post much on the forum. Because there is almost no negative news about the coup. Like an other user said maybe they can start a twitter group with Jonathan Head from the BBC.

You see changes and arrest you have never seen before. As for going after Mr Big, look in Phuket and look at the PTP bunch that was in prison.

Yep! Frightening is'nt it, knowing that the real rogues such as Suthep are still out there just waiting the 'nod' to take over with more of the Dems massive corruption.

I have never yet seen any proof of the 'Dems massive corruption' although if you are really keen I can again post the graph from Transparency International that shows the massive increase of corruption during the Thaksin proxy Govts.

Perhaps you would like to post the proof.

It is frightening that rogues like Jatuporn and Nuttawat (turn BKK to a sea of flame, I will take responsibility) are still out there on bail waiting to be made MP's again should a Thaksin proxy party ever again get into power.

[TPI]

The sad part is that there are many more like him, rouge operators, some sanctioned

and enabled by real immigration's personal who gets their cut from such people,

Really? there are many more? Where do they operate? Do you have a list? How many more?

I have had a difficult time finding these numerous operators. I know back in the

early 90's and up to the end of the 90's there were quite a few mainly in the south, but

I have had a hard time finding any in the past 10 years or so. Please enlighten us as

to where these operators are.

Pray tell why you would want to know where they are

And why would you spend time in the last 10 years looking for them? Very strange?

[AnotherOneAmerican]

There is one thing about this story which I don't understand. How could these people pass through the bridge immigration checkpoint, Thai side, whilst having exit stamps already?

Sale was to Asians, they can just walk out with no checks, or ride pillion on a m/c.

[noitom]

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I apply at my local (Brisbane) Thai Consul . I pass the necessary criteria. I am told the amount required for a Non Immigrant "O" visa.I pay the money asked. I am given the visa ! So why do i have to cross a border every 90 days. What is the reasoning. ? I am completely mystified, seeing that i have to spend money in another country which Thailand would have the benefit of.......................CRAZY!

The story on this as I understand it is a Thai trick. The Non-Immigrant O is valid for a year, but if you read the fine Thai print, it requires you to get an update every 90 days. So in reality, it is really a 90 day visa, but there is no 90 day Non-Imm O. You can get a one year Non-Immigrant-O with a few reentry permits, but yo still have to comply with the 90 day update Thai fine print rule. It is merely a Thai version of the shell game, that is guess which shell the pea is under. Guess which visa you really have?

[nithisa78]

Been doing this for 2 years?

He must have made a good few baht... I wonder how you advertise such a service.

My guess is that he is actually involved with an immigration officer.

When I was there with ranking Thai friend. They just approached us. I said no thank you. It would surprise and disappoint if any real immigration officer was involved. They have no excuse because they have the credentials to go elsewhere in the world and earn real money...honestly. Or work their way up the ladder where they are. I did it anybody can. It is not easy but easier than stealing. There is no profit in stealing and I doubt if he has any baht or self respect to show for it. Desperate people do desperate things. God help them and God forgives them.

[paz]

The story on this as I understand it is a Thai trick. The Non-Immigrant O is valid for a year, but if you read the fine Thai print, it requires you to get an update every 90 days. So in reality, it is really a 90 day visa, but there is no 90 day Non-Imm O. You can get a one year Non-Immigrant-O with a few reentry permits, but yo still have to comply with the 90 day update Thai fine print rule. It is merely a Thai version of the shell game, that is guess which shell the pea is under. Guess which visa you really have?

??? You are referring to the 90 days reporting to which all year-long extensions of stay are subject. It can be meaningless and bureaucratic but is not a trick. There is worst than that in Thai immigration rules. By the way, the report can be done by mail.

Edited July 3, 2014 by paz

[northernboy]

Been doing this for 2 years?

He must have made a good few baht... I wonder how you advertise such a service.

My guess is that he is actually involved with an immigration officer.

When I was there with ranking Thai friend. They just approached us. I said no thank you. It would surprise and disappoint if any real immigration officer was involved. They have no excuse because they have the credentials to go elsewhere in the world and earn real money...honestly. Or work their way up the ladder where they are. I did it anybody can. It is not easy but easier than stealing. There is no profit in stealing and I doubt if he has any baht or self respect to show for it. Desperate people do desperate things. God help them and God forgives them.

Do you really believe that Thai immigration officers have the credentials to go work anywhere in the first world? If so I think you need to take your head out of the skies and and find out what respect a Thai passport has in the real world. These Immigration officers are just police officers working as clerks, most of which barely can speak a second language and most have no special training or education to be more than low level bureaucrats that could not even pass a basic temp agency computer skills test. Sorry to be so blunt. Sure there are exceptions but they are that, exceptions.

[phil2]

The sad part is that there are many more like him, rouge operators, some sanctioned

and enabled by real immigration's personal who gets their cut from such people,

Really? there are many more? Where do they operate? Do you have a list? How many more?

I have had a difficult time finding these numerous operators. I know back in the

early 90's and up to the end of the 90's there were quite a few mainly in the south, but

I have had a hard time finding any in the past 10 years or so. Please enlighten us as

to where these operators are.

You've been looking for them in the wrong places.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

These Thai announcements of arrests are in reality, petty busts. There is no follow up to nail Thai Mr. Bigs and haul them off in handcuffs. The Thai financiers, immigration, police, the local mafia for bar girls pushing the service. What about the Thai bank accounts and money laundering? When do we see massive immigration stings and Thai bankers being hauled off in handcuffs on the evening news? Is the military serious or do they just wish to impress folks with a few random petty arrests like this one?

I too thought it was telling that the OP article refers to the military - not the police -- as having conducted the search of the suspect's home, even though the arrest announcement is being made by the police.

As for the bigger question and role of Immigration police, recall the report some months back of an Immigration division commander and office head being transferred out of their posts due to suspected collusion with a dodgy visa service business... Don't believe we've ever heard what ever happened with that case, the business involved or those two senior officers.

Where there's money to be made....