Immigration Bureau to tighten screening of tourists entering with visa on arrival
Thailand’s Immigration Bureau has been told to tighten screening of tourists using visa on arrival, following a gruesome murder allegedly committed by three Chinese nationals.
Royal Thai Police Commissioner-General Pol General Damrongsak Kittiprapas said on Wednesday that he had held a meeting on Tuesday with Immigration Bureau commissioner Pol Lt-General Pakphumpipat Sajjaphan to discuss measures for filtering out possible criminals who may attempt to enter the country using visa on arrival (VOA).
The meeting of police honchos took place after three Chinese nationals allegedly kidnapped, tortured and murdered a 22-year-old compatriot on March 29 before dumping her body in a canal in Nonthaburi province. The three have reportedly returned to China and have been arrested.
Damrongsak said he had told the Immigration chief to ensure that the screening does not affect the government’s policy to promote tourism and the 15-day VOA facility.
Damrongsak said the Immigration chief was also instructed to cooperate with the Tourist Police Bureau to dispatch officers for regular checks of guesthouses, apartments and rented houses where foreign tourists would stay, as part of pro-active measures to prevent crimes by foreign nationals.
He clarified that the VOA visitors do more good than harm to the country because Thailand is a preferred destination for foreign tourists. He said police would only have to take proactive steps to prevent crimes.
Thai police would also cooperate with the Chinese authorities to seek information on certain Chinese tourists who enter the country with VOA visas as part of the proactive measures, Damrongsak said.
A Thai police team is currently in China as part of its investigations into the murder of Jin Can in Nonthaburi, to seek information on three suspects, who are now in custody of Chinese police.
Damrongsak said Thai police could not directly interrogate the suspects, but they have passed on their questions to their Chinese counterparts to ask the suspects.
The testimonies from the suspects would be used together with the testimony of a Thai woman suspect so that Thai police could wrap up the case. Police have arrested a Thai woman and charged her with collaborating in the crime by luring Jin out to be kidnapped.
