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  1. #1
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Dozens of foreigners in Phuket allegedly defrauded by visa agency

    I wonder what would happen if they ever did a full audit of any immigration office, especially of the paperwork used where the person has never actually had the funds required for certain types of long term visa.


    Multiple news outlets have reported an estimated 100 foreigners in Phuket have allegedly been defrauded by a visa agency.

    Facebook page ‘Help Crime Victim Club’ posted earlier this week that a visa agent in Phuket did not properly do their job after receiving money and passports from foreigners to extend their visas under various programs. Many affected foreigner visas are now in an overstay status as a result. Phuket City police also believe some victims have not come forward out of fear of their visa status and estimated the total number of victims at around 100 people.

    Many of those affected are reportedly individuals who had regularly used this particular agent previously to extend their visas and stamps throughout the pandemic, with many claiming to be “stuck” in Thailand during the Covid-19 period. However, recently this particular agent has left many people without their visas and passports for up to three months and is unresponsive to clients, leading dozens of foreign nationals to file police reports and ask for assistance from their respective embassies.

    The Phuket City Police Chief Colonel Sarawut Chooprasit told the Phuket Express, “Some foreigners have reported to us about this alleged incident. We are now collecting evidence and contacting the Immigration Office as our partner in this situation.”

    The Phuket Immigration Chief Colonel Tanet Sukchai told the Phuket Express, “Any foreigners who were affected and on a visa overstay as a result should not wait for this visa agency or the case to be concluded. We will help and those defrauded by this agent will not be held accountable or suffer penalties or punishment for their current visa status. Any complaints can be reported at 0864077763 and 076221905 Ext. 10.”

    The name of the visa agent has been withheld by The Phuket Express pending a full investigation by relevant agencies in Phuket, however, has been posted by Help Crime Victim Club as seen in the link above, whose statements and allegations are entirely their own. More information on contacting Immigration for help with this issue is below.

    Dozens of foreigners in Phuket allegedly defrauded by visa agency, police investigating - The Phuket Express

  2. #2
    Thailand Expat
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    I wonder what would happen if they ever did a full audit of any immigration office, especially of the paperwork used where the person has never actually had the funds required for certain types of long term visa.
    They'd find nothing. The people doing the auditing would all be getting a slice of the action already anyway and if they weren't, they soon would be. Are you new here?

  3. #3
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    i know a guy in hua hin, needed his retirement visa renewing but didnt have enough in his bank account. allegedly, the immigration office directed him to an agent, who happened to be the wife of an immigration officer, who for an agreed fee arranged with a local bank to open a backdated account in the farangs name, the agent transferred 800,000b into this account and the required paperwork was printed out after which the account was closed the money returned to the agent, and the farang got his visa and the agent trousered the fee. this workaround is common knowledge and similar schemes probably operate up and down the country.

  4. #4
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Headworx View Post
    They'd find nothing. The people doing the auditing would all be getting a slice of the action already anyway and if they weren't, they soon would be. Are you new here?
    Thai government trickle up economy.

    Quote Originally Posted by taxexile View Post
    similar schemes probably operate up and down the country.
    You bet they do.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norton View Post
    Thai government trickle up economy.
    Exactly. They don't even see it as corruption, they consider it to be profit sharing. It's a finely oiled machine at Pattaya Immigration, there must have been half a dozen new Immigration Chiefs in my 20+ years living here and absolutely nothing changes with each new boss. But why would anything ever change when the guy moving to the top spot has paid a motza to get promoted to that posting, and he needs to recoup the money and line his nest before the next guy moves in!

  6. #6
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    <duplicate>
    Last edited by harrybarracuda; 29-06-2022 at 05:44 PM.

  7. #7
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Headworx View Post
    They'd find nothing. The people doing the auditing
    That's going to depend on who is doing the auditing and who asked for it.

    Hence the words "if" and "full audit".

    I'm fully aware of the shenanigans that go on with people who have no right to long term visas but pay bribes to circumvent the law.

    I was merely saying that to an extent they have their arses oot the windae so to speak.

    One of my best mates here has a volunteer visa from Udon Thani and she's never set foot in the fucking place.

    The next post may be brought to you by my little bitch Spamdreth

  8. #8
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Headworx View Post
    Exactly. They don't even see it as corruption, they consider it to be profit sharing. It's a finely oiled machine at Pattaya Immigration, there must have been half a dozen new Immigration Chiefs in my 20+ years living here and absolutely nothing changes with each new boss. But why would anything ever change when the guy moving to the top spot has paid a motza to get promoted to that posting, and he needs to recoup the money and line his nest before the next guy moves in!
    They also "handle work" *cough* for some farang in Chiang Mai

  9. #9
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by taxexile View Post
    an immigration officer, who for an agreed fee arranged with a local bank to open a backdated account in the farangs name, the agent transferred 800,000b into this account and the required paperwork was printed out after which the account was closed the money returned to the agent, and the farang got his visa
    With AMLO and banking regulations that would be rather obvious.

    Photoshop of someone else's bank statement is sufficient.

  10. #10
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    Photoshop of someone else's bank statement is sufficient.
    Yep. That's the way it works in my experience. The money never goes in your bank.

  11. #11
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    the fellow in hua hin actually had a bank book printed in his name that he presented, along with photocopies of it, to immigration, before he got the visa, after which he was escorted back to the bank (he had to pay for the taxi) where the bank book was handed back and the account closed.

  12. #12
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by taxexile View Post
    the fellow in hua hin actually had a bank book printed in his name that he presented, along with photocopies of it, to immigration, before he got the visa, after which he was escorted back to the bank (he had to pay for the taxi) where the bank book was handed back and the account closed.
    Sure could work this way. There are many ways to skin a farang.

  13. #13
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by taxexile View Post
    the fellow in hua hin actually had a bank book printed in his name that he presented, along with photocopies of it, to immigration, before he got the visa, after which he was escorted back to the bank (he had to pay for the taxi) where the bank book was handed back and the account closed.
    Was he also ex-SAS?

  14. #14
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    ^ and your point is?

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by taxexile View Post
    ^ and your point is?
    Obvious, Hazza is never wrong, infallible he is.

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by Headworx View Post
    Are you new here?
    Hazza was utterly amazed at a scooter with a sidecart on his Finally got to visit Thailand thread a few months ago.


    The first time tourists are cute.

  17. #17
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    ^ ....

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    I'm fully aware of the shenanigans that go on with people who have no right to long term visas but pay bribes to circumvent the law.
    People who have every right to a visa and meet all the requirements, like me, still use agencies because fuck jumping thru hoops like a trained Chihuahua when for not much money, someone can do it all for you.

    The money in the bank thing is optional if using the right agent and depending on location! I've said here before that I always have the required funds to renew my Retirement visa in my local Baht account and I get the proof of this from my bank each time but it's a 50/50 proposition as to if the agent I use takes it or says it's not necessary and pushes the letter back to me in his office the last half dozen times I've renewed. Don't know don't care but do know that I don't need to go to Immigration after a few months (or whatever that particular hoop stipulates) to prove there's still xxx,xxx in the account either.

  19. #19
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Edmond View Post
    Hazza was utterly amazed at a scooter with a sidecart
    If you're going to make shit up, you should learn to spell.

  20. #20
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Headworx View Post
    People who have every right to a visa and meet all the requirements, like me, still use agencies because fuck jumping thru hoops like a trained Chihuahua when for not much money, someone can do it all for you.
    That's absolutely fascinating but I was talking about the ones that do not meet the requirements. Carry on though.

    P.S. I used an agent to transform my visa exemption into a 12 month Non Imm-O so that's not an issue.
    Last edited by harrybarracuda; 30-06-2022 at 07:38 AM.

  21. #21
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by taxexile View Post
    ^ and your point is?
    I would have thought it was fairly fucking obvious.

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    That's absolutely fascinating but I was talking about the ones that do not meet the requirements.
    After your ridiculously newbie logic of thinking that anything would actually turn up in an audit, I just thought you'd like to know how things really work here coming from someone who isn't new, gullible, or retarded. Carry on though.

  23. #23
    Thailand Expat
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    Harry how many months, yes months not years have you been living in Thailand? Most of the posters on this thread have been here a lot longer. I can remember a thread you got really angry in. How do I find an agent to help me get an apartment? Maybe realize its the quality of your posts, not the quantity.

  24. #24
    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
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    The way noobie aitch is acting like some all-seeing historian of Thailand after every bout of furious googling is quite amusing.

    ‘Ah yes, I seem to recall that act was passed during the Chatchai era…’



  25. #25
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    There are agents, and there are agents ..........

    If an application is unlikely to succeed because it would not meet the requirements of the rules, then for a consideration it can meet the rules provided the 'right' agent is used. Horses for courses, as they say.

    The suggestion that many caught in this Phuket scam were folk unable to travel because of COVID would indicate they are most likely dross who do not qualify legitimately for any category of stay.

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