Bangkok – An embassy of a European country has coordinated with the Immigration Bureau after detecting suspicious documents in multiple visa applications, particularly bank statements that appeared forged or altered.
On the 17th of August 2026 at 10:30 a.m., at Immigration Division 3 headquarters, Police Major General Songprod Sirisukha, Commander of Immigration Division 3, together with Police Colonel Prinya Klinakorn, Deputy Commander, and Police Colonel Suriya Phuangsom, Superintendent of the Investigation Subdivision, held a press conference on the case.
On the 12th of August 2026, investigators from the Investigation Subdivision of Immigration Division 3 executed a search warrant issued by the Minburi Criminal Court at the office of a visa consultancy company in Sai Mai district, Bangkok. The company name was withheld pending further investigation.
Officers seized multiple items of evidence, including alleged fake rubber stamps of banks and various agencies, more than 20 allegedly forged financial documents, and four desktop computers. Authorities believe the premises were used to produce fake supporting documents for Thai clients seeking visas to travel abroad.
After reporting the findings to Police Lieutenant General Phanumat Bunyalak, Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, and Police Major General Phanthana Nuchnarath, Deputy Commissioner, investigators were ordered to expand the inquiry. Documents provided by the embassy were compared against actual bank records.
Preliminary checks revealed the same irregularities in five cases: the names of the applicants did not match the real account holders, and the transaction details in the submitted statements had been altered and did not correspond with the banks’ confirmed data.
A further notable point was that the travel sponsors for all five applicants used the same foreign bank credit card number to pay related expenses.
The search also uncovered additional rubber stamps of several commercial banks, salary certificates, bank statements and other documents suspected of being forged, along with the four computers. All items were seized as evidence for further forensic examination and to identify other individuals involved.
Police Major General Songprod stated that the preliminary investigation indicates more than 400 clients were linked to the company. Each client was charged approximately 40,000 baht for services, bringing the total value to more than 16 million baht.
The actions may constitute joint offences of forging documents and using forged documents under Sections 264, 265 and 268 of the Criminal Code, as well as forging seals under Sections 251 and 252. Exact charges will be determined based on forensic results, evidence and the ongoing investigation in accordance with legal procedures.
Immigration officials described the case as an important warning for people planning to travel abroad. They urged the public not to trust visa agents who claim they can prepare or certify financial documents. Using forged documents, even if the traveller did not create them, can affect visa decisions and may lead to criminal liability.
The Immigration Bureau encourages anyone with information about such offences to report it to the Immigration Bureau or the provincial immigration office in their area.
