Thailand to fast-track deportations for serious offenses

Thailand has approved a new regulation establishing a formal framework to accelerate the deportation of foreign nationals who violate Thai law.

The draft Prime Minister’s Office Regulation on Deportation, proposed by Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt, was approved as part of a broader government effort to modernize Thailand’s immigration system and close procedural gaps that officials say have slowed deportation proceedings for years.

Cutting through the red tape

While Thailand’s Deportation Act B.E. 2499 (1956) has long provided legal authority to remove foreign nationals from the Kingdom, officials acknowledged that no dedicated administrative regulation previously existed to govern how deportations should be carried out in practice. As a result, authorities often relied on coordination among multiple agencies, a process the government said could be time-consuming and cumbersome.

The new regulation is intended to create a standardized process, allowing for more efficient action when dealing with foreign nationals whose actions are deemed detrimental to public order or national security.

The measure follows a June Cabinet directive that tasks Pakorn with coordinating a review of immigration-related laws and regulations with relevant agencies. His focus will be to streamline the deportation of foreign nationals who violate the law or reside in the country unlawfully.

Six main offenses for deportation

Under the regulation, foreign nationals may be considered for deportation if they fall into one of six categories. These include: 

• entering or residing in the Kingdom illegally;
• working illegally;
• operating a business illegally;
• forging official documents or using forged official documents;
• committing an offense punishable by imprisonment of three years or more; and
• acting as a principal offender, instigator, or supporter of any of the above offenses.

The framework is designed to ensure that immigration violations and serious criminal conduct can be addressed through a more systematic process.

Thailand’s new deportation process

Under the new procedures, the Department of Corrections must notify the Ministry of Interior before an eligible foreign inmate completes a prison sentence, providing information such as nationality and case details. 

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, or a designated representative, must then promptly submit the case to the Interior Minister for consideration of a deportation order.

Once approved, authorities will arrange for the individual’s return to their country of nationality. If nationality cannot be conclusively established, the person may be sent to the country they identify as their last place of residence before entering Thailand.

The regulation also outlines procedures for transfers to third countries or international organizations. Any such arrangement must proceed through diplomatic channels, with the receiving party assuming all related costs and the deportee providing written consent before a transfer can take place.

The government says the new framework will help ensure that the removal of foreign offenders is carried out more consistently and efficiently, while also reinforcing Thailand’s broader immigration enforcement efforts.