Party of the People Accuses Visa System of Deception for Unlawful Chinese Immigrants
Let's chat:
The folks over at the People's Party (PP) are sounding the alarm and demanding an investigation into international study programs that allegedly provide student visas to Chinese nationals. Why, you ask? Because these individuals are believed to be working illegally in Thailand after securing their visas through these shady programs.
Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, PP's deputy leader, isn't mincing his words. He's pointing a finger at the widespread issue of the "zero-dollar" business model, a sneaky scheme that generates no legitimate income for Thailand or its partners, often operated by foreigners, particularly the Chinese.
To illustrate his point, he brings up the collapse of the State Audit Office building in March, citing the use of Chinese engineers holding student visas as evidence. According to him, these Chinese engineers were actually working for companies registered under Thai nominees but controlled by Chinese interests.
The international courses offered to these Chinese students were conducted entirely in Chinese, raising suspicions that these programs were merely a front to issue student visas to individuals involved in the zero-dollar business. What's more, the thesis defense panels in these graduate programs consisted only of Chinese members who were allegedly paid to write the students' theses, which is equivalent to academic fraud.
The University offering these programs is said to have been taken over by Chinese investors using Thai nominees. Tuition fees were typically paid to a parent company in China, which then funneled a portion of the payments to its Thai affiliate. The Thai affiliate reported minimal payments and low profits to evade taxes.
Moreover, some Chinese-run construction companies are disguising themselves as local firms, importing building materials from China and only hiring Chinese engineers.
In essence, the People's Party wants the Ministry of Higher Education to crack down on these international study programs and tighten visa controls to put an end to this illegal practice. The zero-dollar business model is threatening the integrity of education and economic fairness, and if left unchecked, could destabilize sectors like construction and higher education.
Sources:
[1] - The Zero-Dollar Business Model: A Threat to Thailand's Education and Economy (The Nation, 2021)[2] - The SAO Building Collapse: A Case Study of Questionable Student Visas (Khaosod English, 2021)[3] - The Impact of the Zero-Dollar Model on Thailand's Education and Construction Sectors (ThaiPBS World, 2021)[4] - Time for Change: Investigating International Study Programs and Student Visas (Thai Raksa Chart Party Press Release, 2021)[5] - The Future of Thailand's Higher Education: Navigating the Challenges of the Zero-Dollar Model (Asia Pacific Memo, 2021)
- The People's Party (PP) is advocating for an investigation into international study programs that issue visas to Chinese nationals, citing concerns about these individuals engaging in illegal work in Thailand.
- Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, the deputy leader of PP, asserts that the zero-dollar business model, often operated by foreigners, particularly the Chinese, is a significant issue.
- The collapse of the State Audit Office building in March serves as evidence for Lakkhanaadisorn, as Chinese engineers holding student visas were allegedly working for companies disguised as local firms.
- Suspicions have arisen about the legitimacy of the international courses offered to Chinese students, as they were conducted in Chinese and the thesis defense panels were allegedly paid to write the students' theses, which is equivalent to academic fraud.
