(23 August) Immigration Office at
Suvannabhumi airport arrested Mr. Linenko Alexander, 26, a Russian national, after it was found that his passport had a visa
label listed as stolen from Royal Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
The news followed the
revelation that 300 visa labels have been missing from the Thai Embassy in Malaysia. Other
individuals have been arrested as they attempted to cross the border with such documents.
Mr.
Alexander confessed that he had bought the label from a shopping mall in the Malaysian capital
before he used it to try to enter Thailand.
The immigration office announced that other 11
people arrested are from Cameroon, Guinea, Pakistan, Iran and India.
Mr. Jakkrit Srivali, an
official at the Ministry of Affairs, said that the Foreign Minister, Mr. Surapong Towijakchaikul had
acknowledged the issue and insisted to bringing charges against those who used false documents, and
those who stole the labels from the Thai Embassy.
He said the theft is the first case of its
kind in over a decade.
The Ministry is also looking for a way to prevent such a problem, such
as providing each embassy a security safe, and developing the system of electronic visa in the near
future.
The Royal Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur is reported to be processing Visa Services as
normal.
