Video catches Thai immigration officials asking for a bribe

Officers from an immigration office near Bangkok have been “suspended” after a Facebook video showed an immigration official asking for money to help “speed up his visa process”. The caption read… “This is real, such a shame, when will the cheating stop”.

“Thailand is good, foreigners get Visas to work in the country. They go to the Nonthaburi Immigration for the application. The papers were submitted and the officer told the foreigner that if he wanted the application to be completed fast then it would cost 20,000 baht. The officer then put the money in his pocket.”

“Nonthaburi Immigration should stop cheating the country and foreigners”.

Immigration officials now say they have set up an investigating committee to look into the incident involving the 2 Nonthaburi Immigration officials. Police Colonel Kritsana Pattanacharoen noted that, if the 2 officers are shown to be guilty then they will be dealt “disciplinary actions”.

“The people must be able to rely on the police and officials must not act like thieves by using their power in the wrong way.”

The current situation, despite the visa amenities, has put a lot of foreigners in difficult situations, with their visas lapsing, some unable to return home, losing their source of income in Thailand, or worrying about possibly overstaying their visas.

The Thaiger has received a number of anecdotal complaints about similar incidents where immigration officials have asked for a financial offering in return for less paperwork and complications at the immigration offices around Thailand.

SOURCE: Thai Residents | Khaosod