'STOLEN' NAMES
Women caught in fake marriage registration scam
Pornpan Seekapha,
Piyanut Tumnukasetchai
The Nation

KHON KAEN: -- Hundreds of false marriages between Thai women and foreign men were registered by a corrupt official in Khon Kaen province between 2011 and 2013, it was revealed yesterday.

Some of these women apparently never knew that someone had "stolen" their name for marriage registration until they wanted to officially register their union with men they planned to start a family with.

A victim said she is living with a foreign husband in Khon Kaen. They decided to register a marriage so the baby would be entitled to rights from a registered marriage. But when they went to the district office, the registration system showed that she was already married to another foreigner, with the marriage registered in Nong Bua Lamphu, where she never goes.

She then went to Non Sang district office and was fortunate to meet with corruption inspectors from the Department of Provincial Administration, who were investigating the office at the time. She told of the her name being recorded as married, before finding out that the registrar there "sold her name" to foreign man to use it to register a marriage.

The official in question registered as many as 611 marriages while serving between 2011 and 2013. He has already been punished for counterfeiting documents, abuse of his work and intentionally registering false data.

Worapan Benjaworakul, the victim's lawyer, said yesterday that most clients of this scam came from India, Malaysia and Nigeria. They used fake marriages with Thai women for immigration purposes, she said.

A current registrar said the offender had done many illegal acts such as counterfeiting documents and faking witnesses for marriage registration.

The registration officer said that women on the list have to show up to verify that they are not married. They can then use the evidence to ask a court to void the "marriage" registration.

Meanwhile, three women called on the Department of Special Investigation yesterday to take action against cyber predators who prey on Thai women via social media.

Ranyaporn Wichienchotewat, the founder of the Thai Anti Scam Facebook page, said victims who had come to her had lost tens of thousand of baht each. One was duped out of Bt6 million.

Ranyaporn created the community page to warn Thai women about the risk of running into scammers on social media or dating websites.

She was once lured into transferring Bt20,000 to a foreign man after chatting to him online for about a month.

"These scammers use the pictures of good-looking men in their profile, claim they are rich and [pretend to] fall in love with their victims," Ranyaporn said.

She said some would then ask the woman to transfer money to them.

"Some other victims are blackmailed and forced to pay a huge sum of money after posing nude via social camera during online chats," Ranyaporn added.

Created in March 2012, the Thai Anti Scam community page has received more than 20,000 likes.

The DSI has promised to investigate complaints filed from Ranyaporn's group.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Women-caught-in-fake-marriage-registration-scam-30245742.html

-- The Nation 2014-10-18

Cyber "predators" work in both directions.

Corruption has no limits here.

Every department has their little scams for money.

Sent from my LG-D858

" She was once lured into transferring 20,000 baht to a foreign man."

Ha!! Happens to me every month. To a foreign woman in Thailand.

The officer was "punished" ??

"The official in question registered as many as 611 marriages while serving between 2011 and 2013. He has already been punished for counterfeiting documents, abuse of his work and intentionally registering false data"

Wonder what his "punishment" is? He should be prosecuted by the law. Probably got scolded like a 5 year old and slapped on the wrist..

DSI urged to act against Thai women scammers who prey on Foreigner men

When the 611 Thai women on the list (do they know they are on the list?) ask a court to void the "marriage" registration, will the normal fees be waived for innocent victims of crime, paid by the Dept, or billed to the criminal registrar?

I'm becoming Thai, takes about 10 years. I'm slow. Nothing wrong with a scolding as easy money is normal. What is important, for social good, is to mention in any public announcement that the officer was punished so everyone can "feel good" that when someone got caught hurting someone, they got hurted back. If any degree of losing face, any at all, occurred then that is quite sufficient. It's not a scolding of a 5 year old, it's a scolding of a Thai. Don't think westernized and it makes perfect sense.

"The official in question registered as many as 611 marriages while serving between 2011 and 2013. He has already been punished for counterfeiting documents, abuse of his work and intentionally registering false data"

Wonder what his "punishment" is? He should be prosecuted by the law. Probably got scolded like a 5 year old and slapped on the wrist..

I was wondering about that also.

He has already been punished He has already been punished

Sounds like it is a done deal no more action.

I think it's more like Thai women scamming foreigner's. I have know several fools who believed al the beautiful lying smiling Thai ladies. All left here broke and one bloke nearly died

So, if these fake marriages were used for immigration purposes, will they now be going after the people who used them to stay here illegally?

So why has this corrupt vermin not been thrown in gaol where he belongs after paying compensation to all his victims?

what was his punishment? yet another inactive post? or more likely transferred too another place so he can start all over again?

Where were these nude posing woman in my online dating times ?!

So, if these fake marriages were used for immigration purposes, will they now be going after the people who used them to stay here illegally?

I hope so

The officer was "punished" ??

Yeah, he's now at a new office desk, in the corner, facing a wall. And he has to write 100 lines per day, "i was a naughty boy. Because i got caught".

So, if these fake marriages were used for immigration purposes, will they now be going after the people who used them to stay here illegally?

I hope so

" The registration officer said that women on the list have to show up to verify that they are not married. They can then use the evidence to ask a court to void the "marriage" registration."

Hmm... How about the officer do his bloody job and contact the women, take evidence, and send the scammer to jail. Why is it the responsibility of the women that may have no idea that they have been victimized to one day walk into the registration office and say, ... hey, i was just walking to the market and thought that I might stop in and see if anybody has ever illegally used my name for marriage. I have not done this for 10 years and maybe it is time for another check up.

I wonder if the punishment was like the typical police/gambling dens and the bad guy was transferred to a new location?

The officer was "punished" ??

Yeah, he's now at a new office desk, in the corner, facing a wall. And he has to write 100 lines per day, "i was a naughty boy. Because i got caught".

I guess the degree of punishment is linked to whatever information he happens to know about whom.

Seems to be the norm.

....if they could be bilked as was the intention....there would be no problem.......

....always the foreigners to blame...

Cyber "predators" work in both directions.

Nah, can't imagine a Thai lady doing that.

The officer was "punished" ??

Yes, wonder how he's fitting in with his new posting

So, if these fake marriages were used for immigration purposes, will they now be going after the people who used them to stay here illegally?

I hope so

You've posted this twice. Has this affected you in any way?

"The official in question registered as many as 611 marriages while serving between 2011 and 2013. He has already been punished for counterfeiting documents, abuse of his work and intentionally registering false data"[/size]

Wonder what his "punishment" is? He should be prosecuted by the law. Probably got scolded like a 5 year old and slapped on the wrist..[/size]

Moved to an 'inactive' post more likely....

Looks like that officer will be getting a free week off.. Then back on duty as usual.

Not just Thailand has this problem, a lot of EU for the same reason. Perhaps introducing stricter laws for marriage would be applicable.

On a foreigner perspective, I'm not entirely sure what advantage marriage brings in Thailand, since it seems that you have no real rights when you marry a Thai citizen, other than the ability to apply for a marriage visa (non-o). In EU, partners are entitled, and enjoy the same community rights across the board, once they are acknowledged by the authorities as being the legal partner, as stated in the EU directive. It's a shame that foreigners in Thailand are not given the same reciprocal rights as their Thai counterparts. Perhaps one day Thailand will change this view.

So, if these fake marriages were used for immigration purposes, will they now be going after the people who used them to stay here illegally?

I hope so

You've posted this twice. Has this affected you in any way?

I hope so

....always the foreigners to blame...

In this case actually yes!! Without buyers, no business for the sellers!!

611 foreigners on fake visas must be sweating now.

She was once lured into transferring Bt20,000 to a foreign man after chatting to him online for about a month.

A chat on Thai Love Sucks, or any other of these "lovely" websites. The foreigner "enticed" the innocent Thai woman to transfer 20 K to his bank account?

If all these foreign men were farang, there'll be many lonely hearts and visa less guys here. How many TVF members are finally enticing lonely Thai women?

A victim said she is living with a foreign husband in Khon Kaen. They decided to register a marriage so the baby would be entitled to rights from a registered marriage. But when they went to the district office, the registration system showed that she was already married to another foreigner, with the marriage registered in Nong Bua Lamphu, where she never goes.

Oh she never goes to Nong Bua Lamphu. A good example to understand Thaineeness is:

A woman in the hood made it clear that she disliked foreigners. She made some extra baht on weekends, tutoring some little kids in Tinglish.

When it turned out that her business wasn't successful and she ran out of cash, she drove to Pattaya to find the right partner.

Oh. Tirac, I love you toooooooooooooo muchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.