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You are here: Home / Visa Stuff / Caught & Extorted for an Illegal Thai Visa Stamp (True Story)

Caught & Extorted for an Illegal Thai Visa Stamp (True Story)

Visa runs for me are a blessing and a curse.

On one hand they push me to see other parts of Asia I might otherwise find excuses not to see, and on the other hand they often pop up at a time when I am too busy to travel or have just come back off of another trip.

But hey, having a holiday every three months, even if it is just over the border to Laos for a few days, is a treat, and one of the necessities of having a yearly Non-Immigrant ‘O' multiple entry visa.

I've pretty much seen it all in Thailand.

Seriously, I have been in some close shaves, and met some crazy people doing crazy things along the way.

One crazy thing I have encountered numerous times is foreigners using a fake visa stamp. Actually, in some cases it is a real stamp, but fake in the sense that it is illegally obtained.

I have met many people over the years who thought I was silly for complying with the rules, I quote: “Why don't you just pay for a stamp instead of leaving the country”?

“Because I don't want to risk the chance of deportation”!

One guy I met in Bangkok hadn't been out of the country for over 3 years. He just drops his passport at a travel agent and they “get it sorted” for him.

Admittedly, this practice is no where near as common as it was 10 years ago, largely because immigration has been through many changes and the hand of corrupt officials has been slapped by better regulation.

But nevertheless, it is still possible and people still risk it.

thai visa stamp

How to Get An illegal Visa Stamp

Let's say that like me you have a Non Immigrant O visa. For a small fee, a dodgy agent will take your passport off somewhere, stamp it with a 3-month re-entry and deliver it back to you.

It's a racket.

Basically, when a visa run minivan goes over the border, the contact will give your passport (among others) to a “friend” at immigration and get your stamp – for a fee of course.

You don't even need to get out of bed.

For a bigger price, you can even get a Non O visa without leaving the country, or a tourist visa for that matter.

When I arrived on Koh Samui in 2008, this practice was rife. I actually felt in the minority for doing legal visa runs, at least among one particular group of guys I knew.

It was tempting, but I just wasn't prepared to risk my future here. And I'm glad I didn't because a friend ended up getting caught.

If this story doesn't deter you, I don't know what will!

Caught with an Illegal Visa Stamp & Extorted By Local Police

Most illegal activities like this that involve corrupt local officials come unstuck when a legit senior officer takes up a post in the department and uncovers the illicit dealings.

This usually results in people being “moved to an inactive post”, sometime after the media has exposed it.

In some cases, the new senior person will simply cut out the subordinates and take the cash himself, or demand a big piece of the pie to keep the racket going with the existing members in place.

Either way, whether the racket is cut down or kept going, there is usually room for some extortion along the way, which is what happened to a friend of mine.

The story goes like this…

My friend had been getting visa stamps through a local visa run company for two or so years. He'd give them the passport and get it back after 48 hours or so. Easy.

But then the person running the visas to the border got caught by local police. To save himself and bargain his way out of it, he gave up the information of his foreign clients.

Now, this was gold dust for the police. They now had a bunch of “farangs”, presumably some of which had some money in the bank. caught red-handed with illegal visa stamps.

One day, two policeman visited my friend at work and requested that he go get his passport and accompany them for some lunch.

At lunch, they took his passport and said that to avoid being arrested he would have to pay them 300,000 Baht to destroy the passport and evidence of the dodgy visa.

He managed to negotiate the price down to 200k. Two other guys he knew weren't so lucky; they got banged up and readied for a court hearing.

To their credit, it seems they did destroy the passport, or sell it maybe.

My friend moved away from the island though, as he knew that he'd forever be in their debt. They could always come back for more cash, if they needed it.

He called his embassy and said he'd misplaced his passport. They issued a new one and that's where the story ends.

Don't Be An Idiot. Always Stay on the Right Side of the Law

Is it really worth getting an illegal visa stamp for the sake of taking a one-day trip out of the country?

A visa run only costs 1,900 Baht!

This is actually a serious crime. Why? Because a Thai visa is issued by The Royal Thai Consulate, which means you are effectively committing a crime against a Royal institution. I dread to think what the ramifications of this could be.

My advice is to just play by the rules.

Living in Thailand is pretty easy. Sure, immigration is a hassle: documents, reporting, visa runs, queues, etc., but why not do an easy visa run like the one I wrote about here?

You might think you are in with “the mafia”, so to speak, as they take your passport and money and give you a nod, but when that guy gets caught and is asked to give up names to get himself off the hook, do you think he will think twice about giving yours?

Rackets like this only run for as long as the necessary dodgy people are in their departmental posts. Once they are caught and ousted, an investigation ensues and someone's head has to roll.

And let me tell you, it won't be the guy taking your money who will go to jail, it will be the “stupid farang” that gets the blame, and possibly extorted for money like my friend did.

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Last Updated on September 9, 2017

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Comments Sort by : newest | oldest

  1. Leonard Levine says

    August 21, 2019 at 9:56 am

    My filipina wife has a student visa which expires on September 15th. She needs to extend it at least 30 and preferably 60 days. Since she will be moving to the U.S. this fall to join me there permanently, what are her options between now and October 1st?
    Reply

    Aug 21, 2019 at 9:56 am

    • TheThailandLife says

      August 21, 2019 at 6:22 pm

      As far as I'm aware an ED visa for a language school gives you 90 days and is extendable up to 8 months. So if she hasn't reached 8 months she will be able to extend at immigration. They will decide whether to give her a 30 day or 60 day extension, based on her answers to their questions.
      Reply

      Aug 21, 2019 at 6:22 pm

      • Leonard Levine says

        August 21, 2019 at 11:57 pm

        Her student visa was for one year, since she was a university student. She thinks her visa will prevent her from leaving Thailand(say, for a visa run to Laos). I told her they won't prevent her from leaving - anyone not being hunted by authorities for a crime or other illegal reason, can leave and can returnunder a 30 day torist visa. Am I right?
        Reply

        Aug 21, 2019 at 11:57 pm

  2. Vicky says

    March 24, 2019 at 8:35 pm

    Hello there my boyfriend get caught for holding a fake visa in Thailan which is he doesn’t know anything. He been hanging around Thailand, flying in and out from maesot to Bangkok and Bangkok to Chaing mai and everything was fine..after two months and on his way back home they just find out that he visa is fake??🤷🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️ ? I’m worry that he might get a criminal record. He went to court and now he’s free but I want to bring him with me in America Do u think does he allow to come and live with me in America?
    Reply

    Mar 24, 2019 at 8:35 pm

  3. Lurita says

    August 1, 2017 at 2:12 pm

    Hi Peter
    I saw in one of your previous posts, something about an English speaking lawyer. My husband has given one month's notice (last day of 7th month) to leave his employment (US co, Asian HR), but the work visa expires on the 19th of the month of which his notice period falls. They now want to force him to make his last day of employment the 19th of the month - according to his contract, he can give a month's notice to leave. We are planning to go away for a few days and return on a visitor's visa to be able to stay until the end of the month.
    Thanks for taking time to read this
    Reply

    Aug 01, 2017 at 2:12 pm

    • TheThailandLife says

      August 1, 2017 at 4:39 pm

      So he has given a month's notice but they want him to work an extra 12 days? He should simply say "No, I have given you the contractually required notice, and I have a holiday booked". I would try sitting down and talking it through before going to a lawyer. It would be better all round to solve this amicably. At the end of the day, if he has given notice, then he can just leave on the day his notice period is up.
      Reply

      Aug 01, 2017 at 4:39 pm

  4. Neda says

    July 26, 2014 at 9:58 pm

    Hi is it possible to contact me in my email i have some important questions 2 ask
    Thanks
    Reply

    Jul 26, 2014 at 9:58 pm

    • TheThailandLife says

      August 13, 2014 at 11:52 am

      Hi Neda, please email me your questions via the contact form. Thank you.
      Reply

      Aug 13, 2014 at 11:52 am

  5. Rod Rix says

    March 2, 2012 at 12:39 am

    Hi, I have a yearly multiple entry visa for Thailand and I am planning on moving to Thailand later this year with my Thai Wife. The reason for the multiple entry visa is that I work offshore in Brazil so I will be spending 8 weeks in Thailand then 8 weeks in Brazil for work, therefore the visa runs will not be required. However I wondered if anyone knew if this type of visa can be extended in Thailand at an Immigration office when it is due to expire or will I need to return to the UK once a year to get a new visa issued from the consulate in Hull?
    Reply

    Mar 02, 2012 at 12:39 am

    • TheThailandLife says

      March 2, 2012 at 10:36 am

      Hi Rod Rix, I had a multiple entry non imm O previously and i had to come back to the UK to renew it. People have said to me it can be renewed in neighboring countries but I don't think that is true.Thanks
      Reply

      Mar 02, 2012 at 10:36 am

      • Rod Rix says

        March 2, 2012 at 2:33 pm

        Hi ! I kinda thought that this would be the case, but just wanted to check it out first, thanks for the information. Great site by the way! full of lots of useful and interesting information.
        Reply

        Mar 02, 2012 at 2:33 pm

  6. Sheela says

    December 13, 2011 at 11:43 pm

    Hi! I'm so glad I found your blog - it's a great one and you've chronicled your adventures so well =) I just have a few questions...I'm planning to teach in Thailand starting in May 2012, but I'll be in India from January - April visiting my aunt who's kinda sick. BUT my parents will still be here, in the US - do you know if they can apply for my Thailand work visa on my behalf, without my actual passport as it will be with me? Or must I go to a Thai embassy in India?

    Thank you!
    Reply

    Dec 13, 2011 at 11:43 pm

    • TheThailandLife says

      December 14, 2011 at 12:14 am

      Hi Sheela,As far as I know, you have to be in your home country to get a visa that allows a stay of longer than 30 days. The work permit is applied for by the school you get a job with, so you won't be able to sort that out until a job is confirmed. The best place to get advice on this stuff is http://www.ajarn.com, which is a site dedicated to teaching in Thailand. Thanks for visiting!
      Reply

      Dec 14, 2011 at 12:14 am

  7. James Soh says

    October 6, 2011 at 8:13 am

    Why put yourself into these unnecessary trouble with the law ? Remember you are there to enjoy Thailand not to spend time in jail or flaunt other country laws.
    If real trouble really happened to you just imagine they found out that the visa you had is a fake.
    Even your country embassy will not dare lift a finger to help you....as you are considered an illegal immigrant...
    Reply

    Oct 06, 2011 at 8:13 am

    • TheThailandLife says

      October 6, 2011 at 9:36 am

      I can't think for the life of me why people want to do this. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing I had a fake visa; would also be s***ing myself going through immigration at the airport each time.
      Reply

      Oct 06, 2011 at 9:36 am

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thethailandlife

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