JAKARTA - Thailand’s government said on June 16 that Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had assigned legal, police, immigration and interior agencies to review rules for deporting foreign nationals who commit offenses in the country, according to the Royal Thai Government. 

The instruction followed a Cabinet meeting in Bangkok. Anutin assigned Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt, the Royal Thai Police through the Immigration Bureau, and the Ministry of Interior to consider amendments to immigration law and related regulations so deportation procedures can move faster and more efficiently.

The government said enforcement has continued against foreign nationals linked to transnational crime, call-center gangs, nominee arrangements, illegal business operations and other offenses. It said deportation procedures still face limits after arrests and prosecutions, with some cases taking a long time.

“Thailand welcomes foreigners who come to travel, invest and conduct business honestly, but those who enter and violate the law or cause damage to the country must face decisive legal action and be sent out of the country as quickly as possible,” Anutin said.

The instruction does not amount to an approved law. The government release says the agencies have been asked to consider legal and regulatory changes, including how to make the return process quicker, more flexible and more effective.

A June 6 update from Thailand’s Government Public Relations Department gave the enforcement backdrop. 

The Immigration Bureau said 29,490 foreigners had been denied entry because of insufficient funds, missing itineraries or suspicious visa runs. It also said 169,506 individuals were blacklisted in the APPS digital screening system.

The same update said authorities revoked 668 “Fake Student” ED visas after holders were found skipping classes to work or operate illegally. It said 14,161 overstayers and illegal workers had been arrested and processed for deportation.

The Immigration Bureau also reported 190 high-risk target zones raided nationwide using immigration big data. Chonburi, including Pattaya, accounted for 147 targeted operations, followed by Chiang Mai with nine and Phuket with eight. 

The government said the legal review should consider national security, public interest and Thailand’s international obligations.