Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered legal amendments to speed up the deportation of foreign criminals to prevent them from repeating their offences in Thailand, according to a government spokesperson.
Mr Anutin has assigned Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt, the Immigration Bureau and the Ministry of Interior to draw up amendments to the immigration law and related regulations to speed up deportations, Rachada Dhnadirek said after the cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
According to Ms Rachada, the prime minister told the cabinet meeting that although foreign culprits are being arrested and prosecuted, the deportation process was time-consuming.
If foreigners face criminal charges in Thailand, the legal process must be concluded before deportation can take place. They can be released on bail but are usually required to surrender their passports. At this stage, some will go back and resume their normal criminal activities, authorities say.
Once the local criminal charges have been dealt with, foreigners ordered deported will be taken to an immigration detention centre until the order is carried out.
The prime minister told officials to prepare the legal amendments promptly, in accordance with national security, public interest and international obligations of Thailand.
“Thailand is glad to welcome foreign tourists, investors and business operators,” Ms Rachada quoted Prime Minister Anutin as saying in the cabinet meeting. “For those who arrive and violate laws or cause damage to the country, they must be prosecuted decisively and deported as soon as possible.”
The government has been effectively tackling problems caused by foreigners involved in transnational crime, call scams, proxy business and illicit operations, the spokeswoman added.
Police have said that foreign criminal suspects tend to be concentrated in major tourist destinations, where they can blend more easily into expatriate communities and business networks.
Authorities in recent months have expanded surveillance and investigative operations in several areas, including Koh Phangan in Surat Thani, Phuket, Pai in Mae Hong Son, and Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan.
