Crime
Indian Man Arrested at Phuket Airport for O-A Retirement Visa Scam
PHUKET – Thailand’s Immigration authorities have detained an Indian Nation at Phuket’s International Airport for allegedly duping another Indian man in northeast of Thailand out of almost a million baht.
59 year-old Indian national Mr. Rajeshwari Mani was detained while waiting to board a flight to New Delhi at Phuket’s International Airport late on Friday.
He was on an arrest warrant issued northeast of Thailand’s Roi Et province on charges of fraud.
According to Thai media he fraudulently borrowed 800,000 baht from his friend to be used in applying for a O-A Retirement Visa extension as a retiree in Thailand.
The amount is the minimum balance an applicant must maintain for at least 2 months before their O-A visa expires,” Immigration police said.
Under the New Rules, Applicants for O-A Retirement visas Over 50
They must either show evidence of monthly salaries of at least 65,000 baht transferred to a Thai bank account or balances of at least 800,000 baht in their Thai bank accounts.
After borrowing the money to renew his O-A Retirement Visa, he disappeared and couldn’t be contacted, prompting his friend to file a complaint with police in the northeastern province.
Acting on the warrant, police searched his house but could not find him.
He was later seen in Buri Ram, Bangkok and Samut Prakan before finally being caught in Phuket, police said.
Immigration Police Maj Gen Nattawat Karndee, chief of the division, said from July 1-12, border immigration police at 20 stations in the Northeast had detained 2,117 Thais and foreigners.
Of the total, 883 were charged with illegal entry, 28 with overstaying and 44 with working without permits. Another 13 were suspects under arrest warrants, 927 more were caught for other offenses and 222 were denied entry.
Source: Thairath, Bangkok Post