Spouse Visa Obtained £1500 Release Payment Required

[markjeab]

Hi,

I live in the UK and have a Thai girflriend who wants to come to the UK.

I have been dealing with a Visa office in Thailand and my girlfriend has now been issued with a Visa.

The trouble is, the visa office have this Visa and they will not release it until I make a further £1500 payment. This was not made known to me until now and I feel this Visa office have already had plenty from me.

My question is this:-

Can the visa office lawfully do this?

[farangsay]

Hi,

I live in the UK and have a Thai girflriend who wants to come to the UK.

I have been dealing with a Visa office in Thailand and my girlfriend has now been issued with a Visa.

The trouble is, the visa office have this Visa and they will not release it until I make a further £1500 payment. This was not made known to me until now and I feel this Visa office have already had plenty from me.

My question is this:-

Can the visa office lawfully do this?

Sounds like a scam to me

When you say "Visa office" you mean a visa "facilitator" not anyone in the

Brit embassy.

When you say they "have the visa" that mean they have your GF's passport ?

I wouldn't pay anything until you get advice , which I'm sure will be coming on this forum.

Good luck.

[rcm]

Hi,

I live in the UK and have a Thai girflriend who wants to come to the UK.

I have been dealing with a Visa office in Thailand and my girlfriend has now been issued with a Visa.

The trouble is, the visa office have this Visa and they will not release it until I make a further £1500 payment. This was not made known to me until now and I feel this Visa office have already had plenty from me.

My question is this:-

Can the visa office lawfully do this?

That surely sounds odd....who told you about another 1500 Pound payment? The Visa office? Your Girlfriend? how much was paid already? Did you pay the application fee for the visa , or did the Visa office (would be a surprise though...) .

i think better to bring more info , now we don't really know much...

rcm

[GU22]

Somebody is conning you.

After an application is processed, successful or not, the passport is returned by the embassy to the application centre to be collected by, or forwarded on to, the applicant. If someone at the application centre is demanding this money then your girlfriend or you should immediately inform the embassy, the application centre and the Thai police.

If a so called visa agent is making this demand, how did they get hold of her passport? As far as I am aware, the application centre will only return passports to the applicant, unless someone has written authority from the applicant to collect it on their behalf.

If an agent has conned you and your girlfriend into letting them collect her passport for her and are now making this demand, report this immediately to the Thai police.

[markjeab]

Basically,

All of the documents have been going over to a "Visa Facilitator" as has been put to me on this forum. The british Embassy have issued the visa and the "Visa Facilitators" have this.

The "Visa Facilitators" have asked my girlfriend to pay £1500 for them to release the visa to my girlfriend. This is my understanding and I have to go with that understanding.

Do the Visa facilitators have the right to do this? If they have that right, then I will pay the £1500.

My feeling on this, is that the British Embassy have issued the Visa and so my girffriend should have the right to collect this, without having to make any further payments. However, I know that In Thailand, they go about things 'In a different way'.

It would be interesting to know what Thai Laws govern this and to what extent these laws can be upheld.

Thanks for your advice so far.

[markjeab]

GU22

It looks to me like my girlfriend has given authority to the visa agent to collect the Passport.

[paully]

Pure blackmail. If this 'release fee' was not contained in the documentation or explained to you/your girlfriend, then it's not part of the contract.

However, actually getting her passport back and into her hands is another matter. If you instruct Thai lawyers, lo and behold they'll charge you something similar to obtain the passport. I don't feel that the Thai police would want to become involved. Bit of a bind, I'm afraid.

[fxm88]

All of the documents have been going over to a "Visa Facilitator"...

I feel like something is missing from this story. Do you have some kind of deal with this "Visa Facilitator"? What is the deal? Did you agree to pay them £1500 on the issuance of a visa for your girlfriend? How much have you already paid to them?

[markjeab]

Again, thanks for the advice of everyone. Top class in all departments and very much appreciated.

Looks like I am stuck with this. I will have a sleep on this and think about what to do.

Incidentally, what if I refuse to pay and make another application and handle all the paperwork myself?

[geoffphuket]

GU22

It looks to me like my girlfriend has given authority to the visa agent to collect the Passport.

If she has, but there's no signed agreement to hand over £1500 for it's return, then I'd go to the police. This is blackmail and the police should take an interest.

Just a thought...You seem a little unsure of your facts. It is £1,500 not 1500 Baht ?

[markjeab]

I have paid about £1500 in total so far, covering all stages of the document handling procedures.

Up to know, I have been notified off all of the costs.

I have received no notification, formal or otherwise of this £1500 release fee. The £1500 is Sterling by the way.

Thanking all of you.

[geoffphuket]

So in total £3000 (210,000 Baht) fees for a tourist visa - got to be a world record .... You're being cheated somewhere down the line

[paully]

If the contract is with you and not your girlfriend then the agents have breached the contract by making this extra demand. If you were still in Thailand I'd advise you and your g/f to go and demand the passport back from them in person and gratis. How firm is your g/f? Would she feel ok about doing this without you there too?

[markjeab]

I am not in Thailand at the moment, the contract is between the Visa firm and myself.

I don't think my girlfriend would have the guts to demand her passport.

She is scared they might destroy it.

[geoffphuket]

I am not in Thailand at the moment, the contract is between the Visa firm and myself.

I don't think my girlfriend would have the guts to demand her passport.

She is scared they might destroy it.

Her words ? If they do, fine, she can go to the passport office, explain what has happened to her passport - get a replacement and take it to the British embassy for a new visa...just an idea

[markjeab]

I think I will pay it and have done with it.

Will have a think about it overnight though.

[farangsay]

I am not in Thailand at the moment, the contract is between the Visa firm and myself.

I don't think my girlfriend would have the guts to demand her passport.

She is scared they might destroy it.

This is just an opinion , with NO expertise behind it OK

This sounds even more like a scam every minute

You have actually paid 1500 English (that's a lot of baht right everybody ?)

This "visa person" now wants the same again ?

You have a demand for 1500 English

They have a Thai passport (with a UK visa ?)

By jeez hang tough there guy

Bargaining power alone says that.

Your girlfriend goes to the cops and tells them these people have her passport

and won't give it back. Phrase it right and it's theft. Police business that.

Again good luck , and keep liistening to everybody else (they know more than me

but that's not hard !)

[geoffphuket]

Keep us posted of events...select options at the top of the page and click on 'track this topic'

And forgot.. to

Geoff

[the scouser]

Any professional agency should let you know beforehand how much the job is likely to cost, and if at any point this estimate is exceeded, should confirm in writing that you still wish them to proceed. Under no circumstances do they have the right to withold a passport against payment of fees, agreed or otherwise. This is definitely a con.

Your girlfriend should either go to the Thai police, a proper lawyer, or report the passport lost, obtain a new one, and explain the circumstances to the embassy, asking that they issue a replacement visa in the new passport.

Scouse.

[TBWG]

Hi Mark

Must say this sounds like a giant bit of opportunism, you have already coughed up £1500 presumably willingly.

This easily obtained wildly inflated amount has led to a large dose of Greed from Thai facilitator.

My attitude would be that I have been suckered once I will not let it happen again. Learn well from this episode or else you will be one extremely skint farang in a very short space of time!

Good luck and I have your best interests at heart.

TBWG

[markjeab]

I have paid out for quite a bit already and it is been hard work - literally. Had to work hard.

This is good advice from you.

I will be checking back on this before I make my decision.

Cheers

[Rinrada]

Who is to say that they will hand it over even if you pay?

Sorry... but think the expression is ...they saw you coming" or a scam....

[Sunbelt Asia]

£1500 initial payment and another £1500 required is very expensive for this type of visa.

As an example our firm professional fee is just £215 or 15,000 Baht.

What is the name of the firm?

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

[vinny]

Did your agreement with them include another payment of £1500?

Inside the back cover of Thai passports is written: "This passport is the property of the Royal Thai Government and may be withdrawn at anytime"

I suspect that both the Foreign Ministry and the police will take a dim view of any "Visa Facilitators" holding a passport (the property of the Royal Thai Government) for ransom in this manner.

[peterjackson]

Hey

Just me being an old cynic here and after reading of many scams that go on in LOS.

But did your G/f find the Visa facilitator ? This could be a new version of the 'sick buffalo' scam.

Just a thought. Either way, just report it to the Police. DO NOT under any circumstances pay the money, you cannot give in to blackmail at any level.

Kind regards

Peter

[rcm]

I have paid about £1500 in total so far, covering all stages of the document handling procedures.

Up to know, I have been notified off all of the costs.

I have received no notification, formal or otherwise of this £1500 release fee. The £1500 is Sterling by the way.

Thanking all of you.

This is crazy i never heard a total of 210000 THB (3000 Pound)for a Visa to the UK (VV or SV) usually you have "Agent Fees" from 230 - 450 Pounds for this ..... 3000 pounds is far off.

I'd say either the "visa offfice" is playing a "game" or somebody else does. Involve the Police if nothing helps get a new Passport (takes only a few days and a few pound) go to the Embassy with this passport and explain , I assume you will get the Visa in the new Passport stamped...GU22 or Scouser might confirm this or not. Alternatively get in touch with Sunbelt or Scouser (they are forum sponsors too) , maybe they can help you out of the dilemma?

Good luck,

rcm

[geoffphuket]

Because of the lack of information, I've a few questions to add after considering it overnight:

1. Are you in direct communication with the visa agent, or is everything being translated through your TG over the phone?

2. Did you make the application to the agent yourself in Bangkok, or was it the TG after you arrived back in the UK ?

With great respect and apologies for the blunt questions, but believe it or not, some Thai ladies cannot be trusted…. it’s just possible that it’s her being dishonest and you need to eliminate her from the equation

geoffphuket

[The Dan Sai Kid]

£1500 initial payment and another £1500 required is very expensive for this type of visa.

As an example our firm professional fee is just £215 or 15,000 Baht.

What is the name of the firm?

www.sunbeltasiagroup.com

Why don't you just get a new passport and see if you can get the visa transferred?

£1,500 is a total rip off.

[Jockstar]

Pay them nothing, Scam! Was it the agency who told you to pay more or your girlfriend?

[Thaipwriter]

tell her to report the passport stolen.

Go get another for 1100 baht.

go back to Embassy for replacement UK visa.

If your girl is reluctant to do this then she is one scamming.

Easy really.

If she really wants to come to the Uk she will do the above request.

Please name the scum that are demanding the 1500 sterling!