SURAT THANI, Thailand – Thai immigration officers arrested nine foreign women at a hotel near Chaweng Beach on Koh Samui on October 16, finding that five had overstayed their permitted stays by between 105 and 799 days. The five women, aged 31 to 37, were from Uganda and Tanzania. Immigration officers said the group had attracted complaints about allegedly soliciting tourists to buy sexual services in the Chaweng Beach entertainment area.
During preliminary questioning, the women reportedly said they had entered Thailand on tourist visas hoping to find teaching jobs because they spoke English. When they were unable to secure employment before their visas expired, they turned to work in tourist areas to cover their living expenses. Officers identified the group through accommodation records filed under Section 38 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979) and inspected the hotel following an investigation.
The five women found to have overstayed admitted the charges, according to immigration officials. They were handed over to investigators at Bo Phut Police Station for further legal proceedings.
The operation formed part of a national immigration crackdown on foreigners staying in Thailand unlawfully and efforts to prevent transnational crime.
