Thailand decided to put things in order with violators of the visa regime. Recently, The Pattaya News published an interview with Lieutenant General Pakphumpipat Sajafan, who heads the immigration bureau of this Asian country. He promised to clear Thailand of overstayers within 3 months. For this reason, from July to September throughout the country:
- Regular checks will be carried out in entertainment establishments and popular places. Guests of the country, in order to avoid trouble, are advised to always carry the necessary documents (or at least their copies) with them.
- Special vehicles equipped with facial recognition cameras will run on the streets of the resort cities of the country. The database of these cameras will contain photos of all foreigners who have entered the country.
- All hotels and rental centers will be required to immediately report to the migration service about foreigners who have settled with them – there are severe penalties for violating this requirement.
If detected, the violator will be blacklisted by the Thai Immigration Service. That will limit visiting this country in the future. Visa overstayers face:
- Fine – in case of a minor violation;
- Arrest until a court decision on deportation and a large fine – for hardcore offenders.