This opinion piece was taken from Khaosod English – Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has officially approved a revision of Thailand’s visa-free regime, the Public Relations Department announced on its Facebook page on April 27. According to the announcement, the move has become necessary because some foreign tourists have violated Thai law, such as overstaying their visas or working without a permit.
Thailand currently offers visa-free entry to citizens of 93 countries and territories. This arrangement applies to tourist visits or urgent work and allows a stay of up to 60 days. Those who wish can extend this period by another 30 days.
The decision to revise the law does not come out of the blue. There have been a growing number of reports in recent months of foreign visitors being involved in illegal activities. These include working without the required work permit, theft, reckless driving, assaults and various forms of fraud, such as call centre fraud. In some cases, these were even more serious crimes.
One of the most shocking incidents took place in Pattaya, where a Chinese tourist was arrested in connection with the murder of a Thai transgender. The incident happened in a rented apartment in central Pattaya, just before dawn on Saturday, April 26. In this gruesome act, the body of the victim, 25-year-old Woranand from Nong Khai province, was severely mutilated: her body was cut open from the neck to the genitals and her lung and heart were removed, with the lung missing entirely.
The suspect, 42-year-old Fu Tongyuan, was arrested later that day at Suvarnabhumi Airport as he attempted to leave the country for China. Upon his arrest, he showed multiple fresh scratches on his face and body. He eventually confessed to the murder but denied premeditation, despite CCTV footage showing him buying tools used to commit the murder earlier that day. The fate of the removed lung was still unknown on Sunday.
Thailand has invested heavily in attracting tourists in recent years and has therefore greatly relaxed access to the country. With the visa-free regime, the borders were, as it were, thrown wide open. However, it now appears that this opening has also had negative consequences. Nevertheless, it will not be easy to distinguish criminals from honest tourists upon arrival. After all, not every malicious person has a criminal record or exhibits suspicious behavior upon arrival.
In a bid to further improve immigration procedures, Thailand will introduce a digital arrival card from 1 May. This new digital card will replace the paper boarding card, better known as the TM6 form. According to the Public Relations Department, the move is intended to increase efficiency, reduce paperwork and improve the experience of arriving travellers. The new system, called TDAC, will be fully integrated with immigration, health, visa and customs services, significantly streamlining entry procedures.
It is striking that the government communication does not mention anything about the possibility of using the new system to screen visitors with a criminal record more quickly. It is also unclear whether this system will speed up the identification of suspects of crimes. This leaves the question of whether this digital innovation will actually contribute to a safer influx of foreign visitors.
While it is understandable that the Thai government wants to introduce stricter rules to prevent abuse of the visa-free regime, it is crucial that these changes are made thoughtfully. Policy changes that directly affect millions of travelers and the tourism industry should not be rushed. It would be wise for the government to consult widely with all interested parties, including representatives of the tourism industry, law enforcement agencies and possibly the public through public hearings.
In addition, it is essential that any revision of the visa regime is fair and transparent, without discriminating against specific countries or nationalities. A regime that is applied arbitrarily or unfairly could damage Thailand’s international reputation and undermine the confidence of tourists.
Finally, it is advisable to provide stability. Frequent, unclear changes to visa regulations can lead to confusion among potential visitors. This can be detrimental to the tourism sector in the long term, which is a major pillar of the Thai economy. Thailand is therefore advised to carefully prepare and communicate any changes to the visa-free regime, for reasons of both security and hospitality.
Source: Khaosod
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Extending or shortening periods of stay will not help to track incoming criminals and their actions here.
Changing administratively from TM-6 to TDAC also provides no guarantees, unless the Thai Immigration process is linked to systems where foreign criminals are registered.
The instability of Immigration digitality is well known.
I'm curious how the TDAC system will hold up when the huge flow of TDACs arrives.
In addition, one must be willing to arrest, because power and money must not be forgotten in this regard.
Think of the Thai Red Bull 'Boy, who has refused to be arrested for over 12 years.
While 2 high ranking Thai prosecutors have already been tried and sentenced to prison for keeping Redbull 'Boy' out of the Thai legal wind for years.
It is necessary that it becomes more difficult again. They think more is better, but that is not how it works in tourism. I find the islands overcrowded and very expensive. Thai hospitality has also become a lot less, it is not the fault of the Thai people themselves, but they are completely fed up with the behavior of many tourists. They should charge a price per day for the visa, you will get more people with money. Thailand also has no use for backpackers.
What do Thai analyses and statistics say about crime rates among Thais, and projected alongside those of foreigners?
Doesn't this attention to foreigners distract a little from the much greater crime/corruption in all levels of Thailand, including government services?
Plus the ever-prevalent issue of lack of enforcement.
TDAC will not be the 'solution'. Mark my words.
It is possible for anyone (and certainly for a shrewd criminal) to obtain an annual visa through one of the hundreds of visa offices.
So, as far as I'm concerned, this new measure is a joke!
Exactly. Anyone who wants to stay (much) too long and wants to work illegally can arrange some kind of visa in Pattaya with a “travel agent”. But now, if I read the messages correctly, it seems that the Thai citizens, when yet another farang misbehaves, shout that it is all because of that 2-month visa exemption.
Ron, you hit the nail on the head!
Thai Immigration Law is clear. Every foreigner must apply in person for a one-year extension, plus any other residence document.
Here we see a great example of how Immigration Offices do not respect this legality and love it when an 'agent' walks into the office (open and exposed!) with 10-15 applications in his arm.
So they take liberties with their official oath and shake hands with 'agents'.
And never see an applicant in person!
The criminal pays the 'cop' enough money to stay out of the wind. Everybody happy.
Long live the coming TDAC. 🙂
It's exactly as Ron says.