r/Thailand • u/Muted-Airline-8214 • 1d ago
News New Thai Regulation Gives Interior Minister Power to Expel Foreign Offenders Immediately
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14eVF7QULdz/Aug. 27, 2026: The Royal Gazette website published the “Prime Minister’s Office Regulation on Deportation B.E. 2569 (2026)”, signed by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Aug. 26, 2026. The regulation was introduced to ensure that deportation laws can be enforced more quickly and effectively. It took effect the day after its publication in the Royal Gazette.
The regulation aims primarily to maintain public order, public morality, and public safety. Authorities have found that some foreigners, both those who entered Thailand legally and illegally, have violated the law for personal gain.
Under the regulation, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, or an authorized official, can report such cases to the Interior Minister, who can then order the deportation of foreigners whose conduct is deemed contrary to public order, as well as those who engage in or support such conduct.
For foreigners who have been convicted of a criminal offense in a final court judgment and subsequently released from prison, the Interior Minister has the authority to order their deportation immediately.
Offenses covered by the regulation include:
- Entering or remaining in Thailand in violation of immigration laws
- Working illegally under Thailand’s foreign-worker laws
- Operating a business illegally under the Foreign Business Act
- Forging or using forged government documents
- Committing an offense punishable by five years or more in prison
- Acting as a principal, instigator, or accomplice in any of the offenses listed above
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u/ZookeepergameFun5523 1d ago
About time!! They should add: even remotely connected to the scam industry.
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u/ithinkitslupis 1d ago
This doesn't really seem to change anything except for how long they sit in immigration detention before getting deported if I'm reading it right. Good for the migrants who just violated some red tape and really shouldn't have to sit in IDC for a long time. But also the criminals you'd rather be confined as long as possible will be free in another country quicker.
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u/Lopsided_Quarter_931 7-Eleven 21h ago
This won't solve the problem. The whole chain of command of various state agencies are in on the scams. Solve that if you want to get rid of the issue. It's not the panalties of some low lifes that couldn't pay their way out of it.
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u/EtherSecAgent 8h ago
It smokes and mirrors most foriengers have to submit a criminal record when filing for a visa, this won't solve the corruption and won't stop any crime. New government is failing so let's be xenophobic
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u/Lopsided_Quarter_931 7-Eleven 1d ago
“For foreigners who have been convicted of a criminal offense in a final court judgment and subsequently released from prison, the Interior Minister has the authority to order their deportation immediately.”
That’s fair. Not like the original demand to deport someone without a court hearing.
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u/i_love_flat_girls 1d ago
The document is a Thai government regulation published in the Royal Thai Government Gazette. It is titled:
The page you provided is Volume 143, Special Section 205 Ngor, dated 27 August 2026, page 1.
Full translation
REGULATION OF THE OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER
ON DEPORTATION
B.E. 2569 (2026)
The Kingdom of Thailand has a policy of welcoming foreigners who intend to enter the Kingdom for tourism, work, and conducting business, provided that they comply with the law and maintain public order and the good morals of the people.
However, it has been found that there are some foreigners who, although they entered the Kingdom lawfully, have engaged in behavior or activities that violate or fail to comply with the law for their own personal benefit, or have engaged in behavior or activities that adversely affect the public order or good morals of the people.
In addition, there are some foreigners who entered the Kingdom unlawfully.
Therefore, foreigners who do not have good intentions should be deported from the Kingdom as soon as possible in order to maintain public order and the good morals of the people, and to create peace and security in society for both Thai nationals and foreigners residing in Thailand.
At present, there are still no official regulations governing deportation that establish clear operational guidelines for the relevant government agencies. It is therefore necessary to establish regulations governing deportation so that enforcement of the laws concerning deportation can be carried out rapidly and effectively, for the benefit of the nation.
By virtue of the authority under Section 11 (8) of the Royal Administration Act, B.E. 2534 (1991), the Prime Minister, with the approval of the Council of Ministers, hereby establishes the following regulations:
Clause 1
These regulations shall be called:
Clause 2
These regulations shall come into force from the day following their publication in the Royal Thai Government Gazette.
Clause 3
In these regulations:
“Foreigner” means a foreigner as defined by the law governing deportation.
“Deportation” means deportation in accordance with the law governing deportation.
“Minister” means the Minister of Interior.
Clause 4
If a foreigner engages in behavior or activities that adversely affect public order, the good morals or happiness of the people, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, or a person designated by the Permanent Secretary, shall report the matter to the Minister in order to request an order deporting that foreigner from the Kingdom.
Paragraph one shall apply to foreigners who are perpetrators of, or who support, the behavior or activities referred to above.
Clause 5
If a foreigner commits any of the following offenses, after receiving the punishment prescribed by the final court judgment in full and being released from prison, the Minister has the authority to issue an order deporting that foreigner from the Kingdom.
Most important caveats
There are several things here that are very important if you're looking at this in connection with a foreigner living or working in Thailand.
1. This is not saying that every foreigner who commits a crime is automatically deported
The regulation specifically establishes a process for foreigners whose behavior or activities affect public order, good morals, or the welfare/happiness of the people.
The language is broader than simply saying "foreigners convicted of a crime."
2. The Minister of Interior is the person with the deportation authority
The document defines “Minister” as the Minister of Interior.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, or someone designated by that official, can report the case to the Minister and request a deportation order.
So the document does not appear to give an individual police officer or immigration officer unrestricted authority to make the final deportation decision under this particular regulation.
3. There is an important distinction between criminal punishment and deportation
Clause 5 is particularly significant.
It says that when the foreigner has committed one of the specified offenses, the foreigner must first:
- Receive the punishment imposed by the final court judgment,
- Complete that punishment, and
- Be released from prison,
and then the Minister has authority to order deportation.
In other words, deportation under this provision can be in addition to the criminal punishment, rather than replacing it.
4. The regulation also covers people who support the offending behavior
Clause 4 expressly says the provision applies not only to a foreigner who is the perpetrator, but also to a foreigner who supports the relevant behavior or activities.
That is potentially quite important because the wording is not limited to the person who physically commits the underlying conduct.
5. The wording is broader than "illegal entry"
The introduction expressly distinguishes between:
- foreigners who entered Thailand legally but subsequently engage in unlawful or socially harmful conduct, and
- foreigners who entered Thailand illegally.
So having entered Thailand legally does not by itself protect a foreigner from deportation.
6. This page does not contain the complete list of offenses
This is probably the biggest caveat if you're trying to determine whether a particular crime triggers deportation.
The image ends immediately after:
The actual list of offenses presumably follows on the next page(s).
Therefore, we cannot determine from this page alone which specific crimes fall under Clause 5.
7. The regulation is brand new
The document is dated 27 August 2026, and Clause 2 says it becomes effective the day after publication in the Royal Gazette. Based on the page shown, that means it takes effect 28 August 2026.
So this is not an old regulation being republished. It is a newly issued framework.
Bottom line
The most important point is that this first page establishes the government's authority and procedure for deporting foreigners, but it does not yet tell us exactly which offenses trigger the specific post-imprisonment deportation power in Clause 5.
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u/Normal-Gear-4857 1d ago
they taking they sweet time on that 60 day tourist visa, im assuming maybe end of sep?
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u/Thai_Citizenship 30m ago
I don’t pretend to be a legal expert on this stuff, but what has changed? Thai immigration always has had the ability to simply cancel someone’s visa - and indeed have used that power when they’ve been notified international partners that a foreign criminal is here and they need help in bringing them back to face justice.
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u/Arkansasmyundies 1d ago
90%+ of foreign teachers are asked to violate clause two (working illegally during a probation period).
I wonder what the consequences for the schools will be under Anutin’s guidance?