‘Immigration Cards’ coming by year end
BANGKOK (TNA): A new immigration card will be introduced for Thais and foreigners who frequently enter and leave Thailand, the state-run Thai News Agency (TNA) has reported.
The agency quoted Immigration Police chief Pol Lt Gen Chatchawan Suksomchit as saying holders of the “Immigration Card” will include those who travel in and out of the country three to five times a year, regardless of their nationality.
Immigration Card holders will bypass some Immigration procedures such as being screened for being a criminal suspect or being on a police or immigration watch list.
The Immigration Card is part of the efforts to promote tourism and investment in Thailand, TNA reported.
Meanwhile, Immigration Police will open a 1178 call center early next year to provide tourism-related information in eight languages.
In addition, Immigration Police will take part in the nationwide crackdown on the exploitation of foreign labor and the flesh trade throughout the country, Lt Gen Chatchawan was quoted as saying.
The report set off a frenzy of speculation and commentary on web forums, where many people posted comments such as “I’ll believe it when I see it”. Others called for more details – such as how much the card would cost and what the procedures might be to obtain one.
