Laotian worker caught with fake ID
Provincial administration office employees implicated
After the recent arrest of six illegal residents from Laos illegally employed at a restaurant in North Pattaya, the Pattaya Immigration Office investigated one additional person working at the restaurant who produced a Thai identity card with an address in Chonburi District.
He almost got away with it. Bee Sannikon from Laos was caught with a fake Thai ID card.
The card appeared to be authentic, identifying Mr. Narongsak Khao La Ong, age 19. However, the Immigration Superintendent was familiar with the possibilities of obtaining false identification and contacted the Chonburi office who confided that the identity card had some complications. Officials questioned the man more intently until he confessed to illegally obtaining the card and admitted to being a Lao national. He gave immigration authorities the following account as to how he acquired the identity card.
His real name is Bee Sannikon, age 24, and he crossed into Thailand through Nong Khai in 1996. He came to Pattaya on the Nong Khai - Pattaya Tour Bus to look for employment.
He found employment at the Thai House Restaurant where he met with a Mr. Sayan, whose last name was never made known to him. Before Sayan quit the restaurant four months ago he introduced Bee to Mrs. Urai, last name also unknown, who worked on Soi Post Office. She was a relative of Mr. Narong Khao La Ong, the name of the person identified on the Thai identification card.
Mrs. Urai charged Bee 65,000 baht to set him up with the Thai identity card by taking him to Chonburi and introducing him to a Miss Lek, an employee at the provincial administration office. He was not aware of her last name but he told police he could easily recall her face.
At that time he also met with Miss Nitaya Khao La Ong, a.k.a Miss Jaeng, who identified herself as Narong’s older sister. The three met with Miss Lek, who issued the Thai identity card after receiving 40,000 baht from Bee on 21 July this year. Miss Nitaya was given 20,000 baht and Mrs. Urai was paid 5,000 baht for her part in the scheme.
Bee is being charged the same as the other Lao employees at the Thai House Restaurant with an additional charge of acquiring a Thai identity card under false pretences. The fake ID contained the authorizing signature of Mr. Khajornsak Singtokul.
The Immigration Superintendent told reporters he intends to discuss this matter with the Governor of Chonburi to expose the officials involved in the identity card business.