BANGKOK, Thailand – Thailand’s deportation of foreign nationals who violate the law may ease public pressure in the short term but will not resolve broader problems unless the government reforms overlapping laws and restructures how authorities coordinate, security and foreign affairs expert Panitan Wattanayagorn said.
Panitan said Thailand needs a comprehensive approach to managing foreign nationals who violate Thai laws or regulations, rather than relying mainly on individual deportation cases. He said the issue affects foreign nationals of all nationalities and includes call-center scam gangs, online gambling networks, foreigners using nominees to hold property and illegal migrant workers from neighboring countries.
Deportation can be necessary in individual cases, particularly when a court has already issued a final judgment, he said. In cases where legal proceedings remain pending, authorities may have to wait for the outcome, although deportation orders can also be issued under the powers of the Interior Ministry in appropriate cases. Panitan noted that several government agencies currently have powers to restrict or remove foreign nationals. Immigration authorities can deny entry, while security agencies can take action when individuals are considered threats. However, he said these measures generally remain focused on individual people, cases or incidents rather than addressing the underlying problems across the system.
The measures could help ease public pressure, particularly amid demonstrations outside embassies that risk escalating tensions and affecting Thailand’s international relations, Panitan said. But he argued that a broader structural response would produce more lasting results. He identified three key areas requiring coordinated government action: foreign ownership of property, crimes committed through online platforms, and illegal migrant labor. Panitan said these issues are interconnected and require government agencies to work together through a permanent coordinating mechanism. He also called for amendments to overlapping laws and a restructuring of responsibilities so that there is a clear lead agency for dealing with the problems.
His comments come amid heightened attention to Thailand’s treatment of foreign nationals following the government’s introduction of new deportation procedures. The new rules are intended to make the process clearer and faster, with authorities saying they aim to improve coordination among agencies handling foreign offenders.
Panitan stressed that individual deportations may demonstrate that authorities are responding to public concerns, but a long-term solution requires Thailand to examine its laws, institutional responsibilities and mechanisms for monitoring foreign nationals. He said bringing all relevant agencies into a coordinated framework, eliminating overlapping authority and establishing clear responsibility would allow Thailand to tackle the problems more effectively than relying on case-by-case action. (TNA)
