A group of foreign tourists went to the tourist police for help on Koh Phangan in Thailand’s south claiming that a well known language school on the island ripped them off by promising they could get one year education visas.
The tourists were from the UK, US, Germany, France and Russia.
Manager said it was an important case and more than 100 people had been conned by the school in the Sri Thanu area.
The group were met by Koh Phangan district chief Poonsak Sophonpathumrak and the island’s chief of police Pol Col Phisit Wisetwong, tourist police help center staff and immigration.
They had been asked for 40,000 baht for courses at the school on the understanding that the school would process visas for them changing a Non-B into an ED-Visa.
They had all put down a 20,000 baht first instalment. Their visas were promised by September 26th.
But when nothing happened they went to immigration in Surat Thani where they were told it was not possible to change a Non-B into an education visa.
Immigration advised them to return to the island to get their money back but this was not forthcoming. The school said no refunds.
Manager said they had originally heard about the school being able to get them a one year education visa from teachers working there.
The police received the case and are investigating. Manager said losses amounted to more than 5 million baht. – Manager
