Immigration Police Raid Visa Agency Over Fake Bank Statements, Warrant Issued by Minburi Criminal Court

Thai immigration police raided a visa consultancy in Bangkok’s Sai Mai district on August 12, 2026, after a European embassy flagged suspicious financial records in visa applications. Officers arrested no one publicly identified in the announcement, but seized computers, forged documents and counterfeit bank stamps from the office.

The search followed a Minburi Criminal Court warrant, according to investigators. Police said the agency prepared altered bank statements, salary certificates and other financial paperwork for visa applications, including applications for European travel.

The raid produced 4 desktop computers, more than 20 suspected fake financial documents and numerous counterfeit rubber stamps linked to banks and government agencies. The seized computers may contain client databases.

Police announced the operation on August 17, 2026. The case began when an embassy alerted immigration authorities to documents that did not match banking records.

Police Major General Songprod Sirisukha, commander of Immigration Division 3, described the findings at a briefing. He said investigators had identified the same defects in five applications.

“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.”

Investigators also found a repeated payment link. The travel sponsors for five applicants allegedly used the same foreign bank credit card number to cover related travel expenses.

The inquiry could reach well beyond the office. More than 400 customers may have been affected, police said, while the consultancy reportedly charged 40,000 baht per person. That puts the estimated value of the suspected transactions above 16 million baht, or about $460,000.

Police have not identified the company publicly. The name remains withheld while investigators pursue additional arrests.

The seized records are being matched against bank data

Immigration Bureau Division 3 led the search and is comparing the seized paperwork with official bank records. Investigators are using that comparison to identify additional applications and determine which documents were altered.

The material allegedly covered more than one type of financial proof. Bank statements, salary certificates and related documents formed part of the packages prepared for applicants.

The stamps added another layer to the suspected scheme. Police said officers found counterfeit rubber stamps bearing the names of various banks and government agencies.

The four computers may help investigators trace how applications moved through the consultancy. Police have described the client information as part of the seized evidence.

The embassy that made the initial referral has not been named. Authorities said it was a European mission, and the alert concerned applications submitted by Thai nationals.

Police Major General Phanthana Nuchanart, deputy commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, ordered the search warrant and called for a wider inquiry. He said authorities were “instructed to investigate and crack down on illegal immigration networks” and to expand the investigation to everyone involved.

Police Lieutenant General Phanumat Bunyalak, commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, oversaw the reporting of the findings and authorized the investigation’s expansion. Police Colonel Prinya Klinakorn, deputy commander of Immigration Division 3, and Police Colonel Suriya Phuangsom, superintendent of its Investigation Subdivision, also attended the briefing.

Applicants could face separate scrutiny over submitted documents

Police said people who knowingly submitted false financial documents could face allegations as co-conspirators in forgery. The possible consequences described in the investigation include criminal records, imprisonment of up to 5 years and permanent immigration blacklisting.

Knowledge and intent will matter in any individual case. A customer who paid an agency to prepare paperwork may not face the same allegations as someone investigators say knowingly supplied or used false records.

The report does not provide the full list of Thai charging statutes. Police are pursuing allegations described as “jointly forging and using forged official documents.”

Embassies are reviewing applications handled by the consultancy, according to the investigation. That review could lead to cancellation of issued visas and bans for applicants whose files contain fraudulent material.

Those consequences would depend on the records tied to each application. The initial police findings concern five cases with mismatched names, altered transaction details and banking data that did not align with confirmed records.

The raid forms part of a broader 2026 enforcement campaign

Authorities have linked the operation to the Thai government’s “No Entry, No Stay, No Escape” campaign. The nationwide campaign targets transnational crime, visa abuse and fraudulent document services.

Other operations followed in August. Police raided foreign nominee networks in Koh Phangan on August 14 and in Surat Thani on August 16.

The visa consultancy case remains focused on financial documents used in applications. Investigators are expanding it as they compare the seized files with bank records and examine the agency’s customer database.

The embassy referral gave police the first documented warning. The next stage will turn on whether more applications show the same pattern found in the five cases already checked.

This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.