Thailand steps up immigration screening to combat foreign-run prostitution rings
Thailand has intensified its immigration screening procedures in a bid to crack down on foreign-run prostitution rings and transnational criminal activity, National Police Chief Pol Gen Kittharath Punpetch has announced.
New pre-entry measures include the implementation of a digital arrival card system, which will allow authorities to screen travellers' backgrounds before they enter the country. The initiative is a joint effort between the Immigration Bureau and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangkok Post reports.
Travellers’ information will be cross-referenced with data from foreign embassies to identify individuals on watchlists or blacklists. The data will then be shared with the Tourist Police and local law enforcement units for monitoring and tracking purposes.
Pol Gen Kittharath said travellers entering Thailand on tourist or student visas will be subject to heightened scrutiny.
The announcement comes in response to increasing concerns about prostitution networks operated by foreign nationals in key nightlife districts such as Sukhumvit, Soi Cowboy, and Nana in Bangkok.
