Phuket Immigration wind up ‘Operation X-ray Outlaw Foreigner’ crackdown

Phuket Immigration officers say they’re committed to the national crackdown called Operation X-ray Out Law Foreigner, especially on overstayers.

As a show of force yesterday, more than 252 officers from the Phuket Immigration Office, the Royal Thai Army, the Royal Thai Navy, the Phuket Provincial Police, Highway Police, Tourist Police and Marine Police assembled at the Phuket City Police Station.

The Chief of the Phuket Immigration Office, Col Kathathorn Kumthieng says, “During this month we have checked about 397 accommodations, including hotels, for ‘alien’ (foreigner) reporting. We also discovered some overstayers.”

“The offending hotels and hostels have been fined and informed to report when foreigners are staying in their premises within 24 hours.”

“From October 1-14, the crackdown on serial overstayers, in the Immigration Office Division 6 which covers the southern part of Thailand, netted 583 overstayers and 880 for illegally entering the country.”