BANGKOK: Thailand is preparing to overhaul parts of its immigration law to make it easier and faster to deport foreign nationals involved in crime, as the government steps up efforts to tackle transnational criminal networks using the country as an operating base.
The move comes after authorities found that legal procedures under the Immigration Act have slowed the removal of foreign offenders, leaving many detainees in state custody for long periods while cases move through appeals, court processes or embassy coordination.
Officials say the problem has grown alongside concerns that Thailand’s 60-day visa exemption scheme, introduced in July 2024 under the Srettha Thavisin administration, created security gaps by allowing visitors from 93 countries and territories to enter without prior screening.
Because travellers were not required to apply for visas in advance, Thai embassies were unable to conduct checks on criminal records or financial status before arrival. Some visitors later used repeated border runs to reset their stay instead of returning to their home countries.
Authorities say the loopholes have helped some foreign nationals settle in Thailand, work illegally, compete with Thai workers in businesses such as restaurants, resorts and entertainment venues, acquire property through nominee arrangements, or become involved in call-centre scams, money laundering and grey-capital networks.
The problem has been reported in several major tourist areas, including Pai in Mae Hong Son, Pattaya in Chonburi, Koh Phangan in Surat Thani and Bangkok.
Visa rules tightened after security concerns
The Anutin government has made the crackdown on transnational crime a security priority, with the Immigration Bureau, the Royal Thai Police and other agencies instructed to strengthen screening and enforcement.
Four proactive measures were introduced, covering checks on travellers who enter and leave Thailand unusually often without clear reasons, tighter screening of high-risk countries, closer integration of international criminal records with Interpol and security agencies, and measures to reduce overlapping visa rights.
After the Anutin 2 government took office, the Cabinet approved the cancellation of the 60-day visa exemption for 93 countries on May 19, 2026. Thailand is set to return to previous country-by-country arrangements, with most visitors expected to receive a maximum stay of no more than 30 days.
The government has argued that Thailand must focus on security and quality tourism rather than arrival numbers alone. Officials say the 60-day visa exemption did not clearly translate into higher tourist arrivals or stronger spending, while exposing the country to a wider range of security risks.
Security agencies have since intensified inspections of foreign nationals staying illegally in Thailand. Joint operations involving military, police and administrative officials have led to continuing arrests of foreign offenders who are now undergoing legal proceedings and deportation processes.
Detainee backlog creates pressure on state agencies
However, the government has found that many foreign detainees remain stuck in the system and cannot be returned to their countries immediately.
Some cannot afford travel costs and must wait for Thai authorities to coordinate with their embassies over financial support. Others who face deportation after committing offences in Thailand are able to challenge or appeal deportation orders under the Immigration Act of 1979.
Under current rules, a foreign national may appeal to the Immigration Bureau within 48 hours of being informed of a deportation order, with evidence and reasons attached. While the appeal is pending, deportation is normally delayed, except in serious cases.
In some cases, detainees may also ask the Immigration Commission to postpone removal or extend temporary stay on humanitarian or legal grounds.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has now assigned Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt, who oversees legal affairs, to work with the Royal Thai Police, the Immigration Bureau and the Interior Ministry on revising immigration laws and related regulations.
The goal is to make the deportation of foreign offenders faster, more flexible and more effective, while remaining within the law and respecting human rights standards.
The government is focusing in particular on Sections 54 and 55 of the Immigration Act of 1979, which deal with the removal of foreign nationals from the kingdom.
Anutin said the government had continuously cracked down on foreigners involved in transnational crime, call-centre gangs, nominee businesses, illegal business operations and other offences, with concrete results now visible.
However, he said arrests and prosecutions alone were not enough because the deportation process still faced limitations and often took a long time. In some cases, he said, offenders were able to return to normal life while procedures were still pending, creating the risk of repeat offences.
“Thailand welcomes foreigners who come to travel, invest and do business honestly,” Anutin said, adding that those who break the law or damage the country must face decisive legal action and be removed as quickly as possible.
Police point to human rights and court processes
Pol Lt Gen Trairong Phiwpan, spokesman for the Royal Thai Police, said the deportation and extradition of foreign detainees involves several legal layers.
If Thailand has an extradition treaty with the country concerned, the attorney-general must consider the case before forwarding it to the court for an order. If there is no extradition treaty, the Foreign Ministry must submit a request to the attorney-general, who then asks the court to issue an extradition order.
Trairong said human rights considerations are involved in every case. Detainees have the right to petition the court, oppose removal or request temporary release on human rights grounds.
Thailand is a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council and is also party to eight major international human rights treaties, covering children’s rights, women’s rights, civil and political rights, economic and social rights, racial discrimination, torture prevention, disability rights and protection from enforced disappearance.
The police spokesman said reviewing the system would be positive because several laws are involved and Thailand has the right to reassess how the process works.
He acknowledged that deportations can take time and that no single timeframe can be applied to every case, as each detainee may exercise different rights under extradition treaties and human rights procedures.
Trairong said that if detainees do not invoke human rights procedures, repatriation can move faster. But when challenges and counterclaims are filed, the process must wait for court consideration, extending the timeline.
He said any reform should focus on shortening timeframes, reducing unnecessary steps and limiting delays, while still allowing authorities or the courts to consider the seriousness of each case. These could include illegal entry, visa overstay, transnational crime or scammer networks.
Pakorn is expected to hold discussions with the Interior Ministry, the Royal Thai Police and other relevant agencies to gather information and assess impacts across all dimensions.
The government will then prepare proposals to revise immigration laws and related regulations before submitting them to the Cabinet for consideration. - The Nation/ANN
