The acclaimed initiative to maintain a crime-free environment in Phuket has demonstrated its effectiveness, having apprehended more than 1,000 foreign nationals for visa overstay.
More than 800 lodging providers on the island have joined forces with the Phuket Immigration Office, supporting the initiative by reporting any suspicious activities involving their foreign guests.
On Wednesday, Pol Col Thanet Sukchai, the head of Phuket’s immigration, reported that the quantity of foreign guests registered at accommodations in Phuket in the past two months exceeded by over 20% the total number of foreign tourists arriving during the same period.
According to Pol Col Thanet, the newly implemented database has recently facilitated the location of a missing foreign national.
Between May 1-25, he reported, the Immigration Police conducted operations at 1,550 targeted locations in Phuket, resulting in the apprehension of 11 foreigners who had exceeded their visa duration and four others who had illegally entered Thailand.
The Immigration Bureau’s Information Technology Centre records indicate that a total of 1,050 foreign nationals had overstayed their visas.
Out of these, 391 individuals were not residing at their reported lodgings and 228 have since departed from Thailand.
It has been documented that 331 visitors have applied for visa extensions, 109 were reported deceased, one was immobilized due to severe illness, and another was granted Thai citizenship, as per the centre’s records.
Pol Col Thanet confirmed that only nine of the visa overstayers were under legal prosecution.
He encouraged anyone with knowledge regarding tourists overstaying their visas or committing other legal infractions to report the information to either the Phuket Immigration Office or the Traffy Fondue application.
