Immigration warning over fake extension stamps

[buksida]

Police Lieutenant General Sakda Chuenpakdee, the Commissioner of The Royal Thai Police Immigration Bureau, has through Police Colonel Voravat Amornvivat, Deputy Commander of Investigations, issued the following warning to all foreigners in Thailand:

“Recently Immigration has found a number of passports with fake rubber stamps, as people are departing from the Kingdom.

Please be aware that there are agents and people who have sold fake visa extension stamps to unsuspecting foreigners.

Please be careful when applying through a visa extension agent, that the agent shows you an official receipt of 1,900 from Immigration, for your extension.”

The example below is of a genuine extension stamp:

immigration-stamp.jpg (21.42 KiB) Viewed 1205 times

Source: Samui Times

[Pleng]

The example below is of a genuine extension stamp:

fake-immigration-stamp.jpg

The file name says "fake-immigration-stamp"? [Mod comment] File name changed.

Anyway it's always baffled me how immigration can tell a fake stamp apart from a real one? They literally are just a couple of rubber stamps with a few squiggles drawn over them by immigration officials.

[buksida]

Never could tell myself, there was a big fuss many moons ago about fake entry stamps from Sadao as an 'agent' in Hua Hin at the time used to send them all down there for the visa run.

[Big Boy]

Anyway it's always baffled me how immigration can tell a fake stamp apart from a real one?

Agree 100% - I've often looked at the rubber stamps and thought how easy they would be to make your own.

[BOZ]

Yes making the fake stamp may be could be done... Updating the online immigration database to show the updated stamp can not be copied... So that is how they catch the fakes.... Simple cross check of information...

[HHTel]

'Online immigration database!'.... Really? Not going to talk about it here in as much to say, there is no such thing.... believe me!

[Henry 14th]

There must be some sort if recording system for each issued visa. Probably not available the to the general public but certainly available to immigration checkpoints.

This is why each visa has a unique code, very easy to cross reference.


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[HHTel]

As far as I'm aware, TM cards are recorded and can be checked when you entered the country, but not visas. I believe the database is very limited which is why fake stamps often work.

[Henry 14th]

I just find it very hard to believe that visas and their numbers are not recorded and are not able to be cross referenced against a database. Perhaps it is not a requirement to check visa numbers in the same way it is to check the TM number.

If what you say is correct, it makes me wonder how they can even say that a visa is in fact fake? As some have stated here, the rubber stamps are very easy to copy.


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[Big Boy]

Smoke & mirrors

[Nereus]

How simple things get twisted around.

Immigration warning over fake extension stamps

If what you say is correct, it makes me wonder how they can even say that a visa is in fact fake?

They are not saying the VISA is fake, just the extension stamp!

[hhfarang]

I just find it very hard to believe that visas and their numbers are not recorded and are not able to be cross referenced against a database.

Every time I go to immigration to do an extension, a counter officer does the paperwork and stamps, then it is approved by a supervisor sitting in the back. I've watched and the supervisor not only checks it visually for mistakes they look up something on the computer so I assume there is an immigration data base. I believe they also use a computer at immigration on entry into the country. Do you think they are just browsing porn sites while you stand there and wait?