On September 5, Pol. Gen. Damrongkrit Kittiprapas, chief of the National Police, described the government’s policy of allowing Chinese tourists visa-free entry to promote tourism in Thailand as positive.
He explained that the Immigration Department has been preparing for this by working with various agencies to collect personal information and criminal records and cooperating with international police to check and track those entering Thailand. They are also prepared to handle a large influx of tourists at airports.
In addition, he instructed the Immigration Department, Tourist Police, and local police to strictly control foreign nationals entering Thailand, especially with regard to reporting their addresses, as required by the 1979 Immigration Act. This is to enable the tracking of foreigners within Thailand, as a large number of tourists and foreigners are expected to enter the country, which could overwhelm the resources of the Immigration Department.
He also urged landlords and hoteliers to report foreign nationals checking in through the immigration system, which is already available online.
Regarding concerns that visa-free entry could lead to an increase in illegal Chinese immigrants or gray market activities, Pol. Gen. Damrongkrit mentioned that Thailand already has a similar visa entry regime, visa on arrival. However, he stressed the need for a thorough examination of the details and stated that the government must respond appropriately to ensure the best outcome.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Pakphumphiphat Sajjapan, commander of the Immigration Department, mentioned that this policy could lead to some Chinese nationals getting involved in illegal activities such as gray zone business or human trafficking.
However, the police are determined to track down and arrest people who break the law. It acknowledges that this will be a difficult task for the immigration department, but they are not concerned.
In addition, the Immigration Service has established guidelines for dealing with such situations. In the event that a large number of passengers arrive at the same time, the agency plans to deploy additional personnel to fully staff the 119-channel capacity screening channels at airports.
In the event that the government introduces an advance visa policy for Chinese nationals, it will set up special channels to accommodate Chinese tourists separately and minimize the impact on tourists from other countries.
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