German to be deported over no work permit

[STEVE G]

PHUKET CITY: German architect Frank Witzel is awaiting deportation following his arrest on June 22 by Immigration officials. He was arrested for working without a work permit while on a building site in Patong, and for performing work prohibited to foreigners.

Witzel pleaded guilty to the charges in court in February. He was fined 1,000 baht and handed down a one-month jail sentence, which was suspended for two years.

Witzel explained to the Gazette that the events that led to his deportation began with his company, Modern Architecture & Design, and its Patong View Talay project on the Patong hillside.

The project, built on land that Witzel owned on the hill opposite the Esso gas station on Phra Barami Rd, will consist of 14 apartments priced from 4.2 million to 18.6 million baht each.

Witzel, 52, had designed the project, but when it came time to renew his work permit at the beginning of the year, he ran into problems. He first tried to go to the Phuket Provincial Labor Office to renew the permit, he said, but it was closed due to a holiday.

He said that when he returned, he was told that the work permit had expired on the holiday that the office was closed and was told that he would have to apply for a new permit.

He relayed the information to his staff, who failed to submit the application.

On February 3, he was called out to the work site by his development partner to answer questions about where pipes should be laid. At first Witzel declined since he had no work permit, he said, but his partner assured him it would be a fast job, and he drove out to the construction site.

Once there, he pointed out where the pipes should be laid, but suddenly found himself confronted by Immigration officers who had driven out to the site to do a “spot inspectionâ€

[DawnHRD]

Witzel’s German business partner has bought out most of his interest in the Patong project and his architecture firm.

and for a bargain price, too, I bet!

Call me cynical, but I bet I know who grassed him up to the authorities

[STEVE G]

My thoughts exactly Dawn, otherwise it would be very unlucky to hit a “spot inspectionâ€

[redzonerocker]

very cynical dawn! but also, no doubt, very close to the truth.
& i bet his business partner will lead everyone to believe he did him a favour by 'helping him out'.

[buksida]

Even before finishing the article I'd arrived at the same conclusion, the guy was trying to make an effort to get it renewed but the cards were already stacked against him.

Sadly this country seems to attract some of the very worst specimens of the human race ... and some of them are a little closer to home.

[webmaster]

On February 3, he was called out to the work site by his development partner to answer questions about where pipes should be laid. At first Witzel declined since he had no work permit, he said, but his partner assured him it would be a fast job, and he drove out to the construction site.

That was a FAST JOB!

He relayed the information to his staff, who failed to submit the application.

I wonder why, since they are all in the same office as the other partner!
Did somebody tell them not to submit the application, NOOOOO, your partner wouldn't do such a thing or would he/she just FOR A FEW MILLION QUID?

Naivety is not an excuse when it's overlapping stupidity.

[redzonerocker]

don't think it's just thailand buksida.
it seems to be the way of the world these days.
'scratch my back & i'll stab you in yours' seems a more appropriate saying nowadays. they say there is no honour among thieves. this kind of action is no better than thieving.
i hope he comes a cropper

[The understudy]

Hmm....

Back Stabbing and dissing of ones Partner among two Germans in the LoS! like redzonerocker said "This seems the way of the world these days"
"Scratch my back and i'll stab in yours seems to be more the saying nowadays." Well said my man. I Hope Herr Witzel (his Name deprived from the german word "Witz" which means Joke) had learned an important lesson. Do your Homeworks (Immigration stuff) beforehand and don't let anyone else do it for you. Not even your Partner. Your once trusted Partner can be your worst enemy when greet comes into Play.

Terry's statement is spot on and nailed the point into Herr Witz(els) puffed invetstments. "Naitivity is not an excuse for overlapping stupidity!!!"

Euer kleiner Understud!!!

[PeteC]

Me too. I was half way through it when it became obvious what happened to him. I don't know what publication it is from but I give credit to the journalist for writing in a style that seems to lead readers to that conclusion. Maybe it will do the guy some good with his defense. Pete

[gooze]

This thread only confirms what I allready know through bitter experience. Beware of the Thais although you should be more aware of the farrangs as they are ther real b...........ds here when it comes to ripping of farrangs.

[STEVE G]

Me too. I was half way through it when it became obvious what happened to him. I don't know what publication it is from but I give credit to the journalist for writing in a style that seems to lead readers to that conclusion. Maybe it will do the guy some good with his defense. Pete :cheers:

Oops, I missed off the publication, it was from Phuket Today.

[CliveBLive]

[quote="gooze"]This thread only confirms what I allready know through bitter experience. Beware of the Thais although you should be more aware of the farrangs as they are ther real b...........ds here when it comes to ripping of farrangs. :guns:[/quote]

It's a shame, isn't it? Farang housing estate developers seem to be at the top of the heap when it comes to sleazy practices. Not all, mind you, but way tooo many.

[swanks]

The Thai's in business seem to have developed there own quaint ways of dealing with such blatant and aggressive dishonesty.

If I were the remaining partner I might just sleep with one eye open in case a little parting gift arrives unexpectedly once the victim arrives back in Deutschland !
It could be a new car , for example , but probably not. It might just cost about the same though!

[splitlid]

This thread only confirms what I allready know through bitter experience. Beware of the Thais although you should be more aware of the farrangs as they are ther real b...........ds here when it comes to ripping of farrangs.

It's a shame, isn't it? Farang housing estate developers seem to be at the top of the heap when it comes to sleazy practices. Not all, mind you, but way tooo many.

cant believe he actually wrote that

[huahinsimon]

what do you think it cost the one partner to get immigration to bust the other? Selling real estate is a job reserved for Thais but you see dozens of farangs engaged in it every day. Why aren't we reading about HH property agents and developers being busted for violating Thai labor law. They may have a work permit to manage a business but do not have one to sell property or am I wrong here?