On 21 June 2017, investigators from the Investigation Division of the Immigration Bureau arrested nine foreign suspects who applied for legalisation at the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand. Seven were charged for attempting to use forged travel documents and two for overstaying their visa.

 

In the past few months, the Department of Consular Affairs had been investigating multiple cases of falsified visa stickers in foreign passports that were submitted to the Department to request endorsements of marital status. These documents are essential in applying for a marriage certificate with a Thai national and requesting permanent residence in Thailand from the Immigration Bureau.

 

During the visa evaluation process, the Department of Consular Affairs discovered that multiple visa stamps had been modified and thus worked closely with relevant agencies, especially the Immigration Bureau, to monitor the travel of the suspects in and out of Thailand. Seven of those arrested have been charged with “counterfeit[ing] the seal, impression of such seal, or visa form… used in the administration of international travelling,” with further cause to believe that they may have been working as a network.

 

The operation was a collaboration between the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Immigration Bureau, which is responsible for enforcing laws regarding the arrest and prevention of foreign networks involved in the forgery of travel documents in Thailand. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to work with the Immigration Bureau and relevant agencies to discourage and prevent further abuses of such laws.