Thailand speeds up deportation of foreigners found guilty of moral turpitude

Thailand's cabinet approved in principle an urgent draft regulation to accelerate deportations of foreigners, including people whose conduct officials deem incompatible with Thai morals and social norms, Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt said.

Pakorn was referring to the draft PM's Office Regulation on Deportation, the Bangkok Post reported. The draft is under review by the Office of the Council of State after being designated an urgent matter.

Pakorn said Thailand already has a deportation law but lacks clear administrative procedures, leaving immigration law to largely replace deportation law in practice. Illegal entrants are typically prosecuted, detained and later repatriated.

The existing law, enacted decades ago, requires deportees to be returned by the same route they entered, with transport operators covering the cost. Pakorn said that provision no longer reflects reality because many undocumented migrants entered long ago without the means to return home and airlines refuse to bear deportation expenses.

Foreigners engaging in conduct considered "deviant" or inconsistent with Thai social norms could be deported immediately, the report said. Foreigners convicted of serious crimes would first face prosecution, but must be deported within 30 days of completing their sentence if a deportation order has been issued.

Pakorn said the government chose to allow state funds to cover deportation costs because repatriation is less expensive than prolonged detention. The regulation lists six offence categories that may warrant deportation, including illegal entry or overstay, unlawful employment, illegal business operations and document forgery, and requires the Corrections Department to notify the Interior Ministry before a foreign inmate is freed so a deportation order can be issued.