Last 14th of July 2026, the Spokesperson for the Office of the Prime Minister announced that, following the Cabinet meeting on 16th of June 2026, guidelines had been established for the improvement and amendment of laws, regulations, and rules relating to immigration, with the aim of expediting the process of removing foreigners who have committed offences or entered Thailand unlawfully from Thailand.
At present, there are also no official administrative regulations governing deportation, which requires close cooperation among relevant government agencies. Thailand finds necessary to establish official administrative regulations on deportation to ensure that the administration of government affairs relating to deportation is carried out more quickly and efficiently for the overall benefit of the country.
Our Bangkok dispute resolution team and litigation lawyers in Thailand at Herrera and Partners H&P has prepared a summary of this legal update dated 14th of July 2026, where the Office of the Prime Minister approved the draft Regulation of the Office of the Prime Minister on Deportation B.E …. (The year has not yet been specified, as this is still a draft.), as proposed by the Deputy Prime Minister. The draft regulation specifies six categories of offences committed by foreigners that may result in deportation from Thailand where deportation is necessary to maintain public order and good morals, as follows:
- Entering or staying in Thailand unlawfully;
- Working in Thailand in violation of the law governing the employment of foreigners;
- Operating a business in Thailand in violation of the law governing foreign business operations;
- Forging official documents or using forged official documents;
- Committing an offence under a law punishable by imprisonment for three years or more; and
- Being a principal offender, instigator, or supporter of an offence under items 1–5.
The draft regulation further requires the relevant government agencies to take the following actions:
- The Director-General of the Department of Corrections must notify the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, or a person delegated by the Permanent Secretary, of the foreigner’s name, nationality, case file, or relevant documentary evidence or information, for acknowledgement and further action under this regulation, before releasing the foreigner from prison and within the prescribed period.
In this regard, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, or the delegated person, must report the matter to the Minister of Interior for consideration and issuance of an order to deport the foreigner from Thailand without delay. The Ministry of Interior shall arrange for the person subject to the deportation order to be returned to the country of which that person is a national.
In particular, if the person has no definite nationality, the person shall be deported to the country that the foreigner stated was the last country in which he or she resided before entering Thailand.
- In cases where another country of which the person subject to the deportation order is not a national, or an international organization, as the case may be, submits a request through diplomatic channels, such request shall be made through diplomatic channels.
The request must state the intention of the requesting country or international organization to assume responsibility for all expenses incurred in caring for the person subject to the deportation order before the transfer, as well as the expenses incurred for the removal of such person. The person subject to the deportation order must also provide written consent.
If you want a legal consultation about a deportation in Thailand, please contact our Bangkok litigation lawyers at info@herrera-partners.com
