BANGKOK — Immigration officers at Don Mueang Airport arrested a Vietnamese national for using a forged visa extension stamp while attempting to board a flight to Hanoi, Vietnam on AirAsia on the morning of June 30.
Officers detained Mr. Nguyen, a 24-year-old Vietnamese citizen, at the international departure hall on the third floor of Terminal 1, along with evidence including his passport and an iPhone 11 Pro Max. A check of the immigration information system revealed that Nguyen had overstayed his visa.
The Vietnamese man entered Thailand on August 26, 2024, with a tourist visa that permitted him to stay until October 24, 2024. However, no departure record was found, indicating he had overstayed for 249 days.
When officers examined his passport, they discovered a forged stamp showing a visa type change to NON L-A, purportedly allowing him to stay until March 31, 2025, allegedly signed by an officer from Trat Immigration Office. After coordinating with Trat Immigration, authorities confirmed the document was fake, with no record of the named officer. Sample comparisons of the forged stamp versus authentic ones were sent as evidence.
During preliminary questioning, Nguyen claimed he entered Thailand in 2024 after being invited by a Vietnamese friend to work at a restaurant, though he couldn’t specify the name or location. He said his employer arranged the visa change but he was unaware of the process details.
Immigration officials noted that overstaying more than 90 days results in blacklisting from entering Thailand for 1-10 years depending on the case. They suspect the Vietnamese man forged the stamp to avoid prosecution.
However, when officers informed Nguyen of the charges, he denied all accusations throughout. Police will proceed with filing charges for the case to be fought in court.
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