Thailand is preparing legal changes to accelerate the deportation of foreign nationals involved in criminal activity, as authorities say current procedures are too slow to prevent repeat offences, Bangkok Post reports.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has instructed relevant agencies to draft amendments to immigration laws to shorten the deportation process.
“The deportation process was time-consuming,” government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek said after Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, explaining the motivation behind the planned changes.
Under existing rules, foreign suspects must complete all criminal proceedings before they can be deported. While they may be released on bail during this period, they are typically required to surrender their passports.
Authorities say this creates a gap in which some individuals have allegedly resumed illegal activities.
“Their criminal cases must be prosecuted decisively and they must be deported as soon as possible,” Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said, according to the spokesperson.
The government has tasked Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt, the Immigration Bureau and the Ministry of Interior with drafting the amendments, which must align with national security, public interest and Thailand’s international obligations.
Officials say foreign suspects are often linked to transnational crime, scam operations and illicit businesses, particularly in tourist-heavy areas such as Phuket, Koh Phangan, Hua Hin and Pai, where they can more easily blend into expatriate communities.
Authorities have recently expanded surveillance and investigations in several of these locations as part of a broader crackdown on foreign-related criminal networks.
