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Immigration Bureau clarifies Chinese tourist complaints

Immigration Bureau clarifies Chinese tourist complaints

Matichon•General•46m ago

Reader Briefing

The Immigration Bureau clarified that the criticized detention area at Suvarnabhumi Airport is a temporary waiting area managed by airlines and denied claims of officer bribery.

  • •Chinese tourists complained about detention room conditions and alleged brokers charged 18,000 yuan for entry on November 12.
  • •The Immigration Bureau stated the Detention Room is a short-term waiting area for those denied entry, not a criminal cell.
  • •On November 12, 2026, 92 passengers of all nationalities were denied entry, including 45 Chinese nationals.
  • •The Immigration Bureau warned against scammers on Chinese platforms claiming they can facilitate entry via bribes.

Overview

  • •Pol. Maj. Gen. Choengron Rimphadee clarified that the Detention Room is a temporary area managed by airlines for foreigners denied entry.
  • •Pol. Lt. Gen. Noppasil Poolsawat ordered Pol. Maj. Gen. Kathathorn Khamthieng to immediately investigate the complaints regarding the facility.
  • •On November 12, 2026, 45 Chinese nationals were among 92 total passengers of all nationalities denied entry.
  • •The Immigration Bureau denies entry to high-risk groups, specifically those unable to confirm travel plans and those linked to scammer networks.
  • •Pol. Maj. Gen. Choengron Rimphadee noted that Chinese social media pages are falsely advertising the ability to pay for entry through Thai Immigration officials.
  • •From January 1, 2026, to the present, 12,880 Chinese passengers were denied entry out of 4,879,002 total arrivals, representing approximately 0.26%.
  • •Pol. Gen. Samran Nualma ordered all immigration checkpoints to increase screening rigor for foreigners attempting to hide their activities in Thailand.

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Source: Matichon (Original)

Key Quotes

Pol. Maj. Gen. Choengron Rimphadee
"Good people are convenient, bad people find it hard to pass."
คนดีสะดวก คนร้ายผ่านยาก

Key Entities

Person

Pol. Maj. Gen. Choengron Rimphadee(พล.ต.ต.เชิงรณ ริมผดี)
Deputy Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau and spokesperson for the Immigration Bureau.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Noppasil Poolsawat(พล.ต.ท.นพศิลป์ พูลสวัสดิ์)
Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Kathathorn Khamthieng(พล.ต.ต.คธาธร คำเที่ยง)
Commander of Immigration Division 2.
Pol. Gen. Samran Nualma(พล.ต.อ.สำราญ นวลมา)
Commissioner General of the Royal Thai Police.

Organization

Immigration Bureau(สำนักงานตรวจคนเข้าเมือง)
The agency responsible for screening foreigners entering and staying in Thailand.
Royal Thai Police(สำนักงานตำรวจแห่งชาติ)ℹ️
The national police agency implementing government policies to block undesirable foreigners.

Place

Suvarnabhumi Airport(ท่าอากาศยานสุวรรณภูมิ)ℹ️
The location where Chinese passengers were denied entry and complained about the waiting area.