Beware of Phony Visa "Services"

[Gaybutton]

There are visa "service" companies in Pattaya and elsewhere that advertise they can obtain new visas for farang without the farang having to leave the country or otherwise comply with certain regulations. All for a fee, of course . . . a hefty one, usually to the tune of 10,000 baht on up.

 

It's not a good idea to try to circumvent visa regulations, especially with use of these companies. I have a feeling that after reading the following, anyone tempted to try one of these "services" will definitely have second thoughts.

 

The following appears in PATTAYA ONE:

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Woman Arrested by Immigration Police Accused of Offering Fake Visas to Foreigners

 

On Friday Mr. Gaven Horst aged 34 from South America went to the Immigration Office in Jomtien to check the authenticity of a visa which was stamped in his passport. He explained to Police Captain Achib that he obtained the visa through the Visa 2 Company based in Soi 13 off Pattaya Second Road and paid 13,500 Baht for the service which did not require him to leave the country but only hand over his passport to the company who would do the rest.

 

It was determined that the visa was fake and an Immigration Police investigation began into the company. Khun Bat-tamaporn aged 40 from the Visa 2 Company was contacted and explained she used another company called Property 4 U based in South Pattaya to make the visa.

 

Khun Natarin from the Property 4 U Company explained that they sent the passport to Khun Narinee aged 43 who could make the visa. An arrest warrant for Khun Narinee was obtained and she was arrested on Friday Night and taken to the Immigration Office. She confessed to providing the fake visa service and was charged with producing counterfeit government documents. She will appear in court next week.

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The article doesn't say what ended up happening to Mr. Horst's 13,500 baht, but I'll give you three guesses.

[2lz2p]

As I recall, a few years ago, several foreigners were arrested at the Immigration check point when they were leaving Thailand because their Thai visas were counterfeit. The following has been posted on the US State Department's travel section for Thailand for some time:

 

In this regard, American citizens should be aware that private “visa extension services,” even those advertising in major periodicals or located close to Immigration offices or police stations, are illegal. A number of Americans are arrested at border crossings each year when the visas and entry stamps they have obtained through these illegal services are discovered to be counterfeit.

 

Source: US State Dept - Travel to Thailand

 

 

[Guest lvdkeyes]

I know of a case where an immigration officer provided this "service". Luckily the person was not caught.