News Forum - 110 bent immigration cops busted in visa scam swoop

[Thaiger]

The Royal Thai Police (RTP) yesterday revealed they uncovered a massive visa scam involving 110 bent immigration cops. The Deputy Commander of the Royal Thai Police (RTP), Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn, held a press conference at the Police Club, where he exposed details of the illegal operation. The corrupt cops illegally offered visas to foreigners, …

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[KaptainRob]

Well done BJ, keep up the good work!

[Soidog]

I can name at leat 3 “visa offices”  where these kind of things is a daily occurrence. I could even post a picture of a price list handed to me while having a coffee by one of those places (I won’t)!  This practice is widespread throughout the country and involves immigration and local police. The Thai police should start recruiting westerners to enter such places and gather the evidence.  

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

36 minutes ago, Thaiger said:

The Royal Thai Police (RTP) yesterday revealed they uncovered a massive visa scam involving 110 bent immigration cops.

Immigration Officers are soon to release evidence of corruption by Thai Police . Pot Kettle. Should not Thai Police face the mirror at their own organisation as I’m sure there would be more than 110 officers found to not meet the required standards. 

[palooka]

So another round of massive transfers to other provinces, they usually promote them to justify the transfer, then I have to get used to the whims of a new uneducated d..khead's interpretation of visa rules and how he will be pulling the strings locally.  Had a change at the top locally every year for the past four, gets tiring.

Do wonder if the current top dog will take his souped up BMW Immigration Police vehicle with him when he goes.

[Pinga]

Ironically it was Big Joke himself who was the head of immigration while most of these crimes were committed. But yes visas for sale is nothing new - plenty of $1000/mo one-beer heroes in Thailand with volunteer/ed visas and the like, since forever. Clean 'em up and send them home to get a real job.

[whyuthinktoomut]

 

Oh come on, everyone knows there's no corr rup shun, just like no prostitution.

Naa li gaa man and sidekick drop kick Bridge over the River general Kwai cleaned up that conspiracy fact never.

 

[TheDirtyDurian]

All those pensioners eking out a life on their pension without funds in the bank to get a legit retirement visa wanna be careful. 

Today it's the Chinese, tomorrow who knows

[Soidog]

12 minutes ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

All those pensioners eking out a life on their pension without funds in the bank to get a legit retirement visa wanna be careful. 

Today it's the Chinese, tomorrow who knows

You don’t need funds in the bank. That may be one way, but it’s not the only legitimate way to get a visa. 

[TheDirtyDurian]

14 minutes ago, Soidog said:

You don’t need funds in the bank. That may be one way, but it’s not the only legitimate way to get a visa. 

That's true. But many pensioners get less than 65k a month income, so they pay the 15-20-25k or whatever to go the illegal route. 

They should be careful. What worked in the past, might not work in the future. 

[Soidog]

5 minutes ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

That's true. But many pensioners get less than 65k a month income, so they pay the 15-20-25k or whatever to go the illegal route. 

They should be careful. What worked in the past, might not work in the future. 

Yes I agree and spot on with the figures for illegal visas. I know at least 6 guys who do this, even though at least 3 of them have more than enough money to do it legally. They simply say they can’t be bothered dealing with immigration and doing 90 day reporting. The money they pay includes covering 90 reports. It will be interesting to see what they do to those people who bought the illegal visas? 

[Faz]

1 hour ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

All those pensioners eking out a life on their pension without funds in the bank to get a legit retirement visa wanna be careful. 

54 minutes ago, Soidog said:

It will be interesting to see what they do to those people who bought the illegal visas? 

They are paying for a stamp that grants them a temporary stay for a further 12 months.
They are not visa, they are permits.

[TheDirtyDurian]

Just now, Faz said:

They are paying for a stamp that grants them a temporary stay for a further 12 months.
They are not visa, they are permits.

Okay. Whatever. My bad for using the wrong term. 

The point is still the same. 

And it is fine, until it isn't. 

[TheDirtyDurian]

58 minutes ago, Soidog said:

Yes I agree and spot on with the figures for illegal visas. I know at least 6 guys who do this, even though at least 3 of them have more than enough money to do it legally. They simply say they can’t be bothered dealing with immigration and doing 90 day reporting. The money they pay includes covering 90 reports. It will be interesting to see what they do to those people who bought the illegal visas? 

Yeah. I remember about 20 years ago down south when travel agents would take your passport down to Malaysia for a fee. They'd wait till they had a few and then take a load down. That's already illegal because you're supposed to cross the border yourself. 

Then some bright guy started stamping illegally in the back of a travel agent somewhere to save themselves the trip. 

Once it all came out there were people getting busted regularly for a couple of years after because they still had the fake stamps in their passport, even though their current stamp might have been okay. 

It's fine until it isn't. 

[Faz]

This is purely to do with the investigation into the Immigration scam operated by the Chinese mafia.

I don't think there is a single Immigration office in Thailand that doesn't have corrupt officials working alongside agents offering these services. They need to cut out the middle men, the 'agents' that offer these illegal services to make any impact.

[Soidog]

1 hour ago, Faz said:

They are paying for a stamp that grants them a temporary stay for a further 12 months.
They are not visa, they are permits.

In some cases Faz, people are paying initially for a Non-O. Typically this is 10,000 -15,000 baht. They then pay another 20,000 baht a year to have that Non-O on extended for 12 months as you say. 

[Faz]

7 hours ago, Soidog said:

In some cases Faz, people are paying initially for a Non-O. Typically this is 10,000 -15,000 baht. They then pay another 20,000 baht a year to have that Non-O on extended for 12 months as you say. 

Yes, I'm familiar with that process of changing your status from Tourist to Non Immigrant in order to apply for 1 year extensions of stay. Corruption is endemic throughout Thailand, especially throughout the government sector, just ask any Thai.

[Donald]

If the Thai authorities would just make the whole process less awkward and straight forward there wouldn't be a market for this, but of course then they have to would invent another scam . At the end of the day corruption is so ingrained in Thai society that eradicating it would be like ripping it's soul out.