UPDATE: 110 Thais on one flight denied entry into South Korea

UPDATE

The Thai tourists who were denied entry into South Korea have filed a lawsuit against a tour company who they say is responsible for the whole nightmare. Despite forking out loads of cash for the package ‘holiday,’ 71 Thai tourists were detained at the South Korean border for four days and deported back to Thailand.

Yesterday, eight Thais on the flight travelled to meet famous lawyer Ratchapol Sirisakorn in Nonthaburi province to take legal action against the tour company.

Of the 184 passengers on the flight, 71 Thais had booked a holiday to Jeju Island through the same company. Upon arrival at Jeju International Airport, their two tour guides hurried through immigration without providing contact details or information.

Immigration said there was no way the 71 tourists were getting into South Korea without a tour guide because they couldn’t prove they were really on a tour. All 71 tourists were detained for four days before being sent back to Thailand.

The group’s representative, 36 year old Rittichai, described the ordeal “like being in prison.” The tourists had to buy their food but were only allowed two meals a day, costing 280 baht each time, said Rittichai.

Each tourist paid 13,999 baht for a package deal – inclusive of flights, accommodation, and a tour. However, when they met with two tour guides at Suvarnabhumi Airport, they were hit with extra fees of 10,000 each for insurance and a “tour guide tip” of 1,500 baht to both tour guides. Everyone agreed to pay because they were about to board the flight, said Rittichai. In total, the tourists ended up paying 26,999 baht each.

Lawyer Ratchapol Sirisakorn said that if there is an error that makes a tour group fail immigration checks, then the tour company is responsible for it. The tourists must be refunded every penny, said the lawyer. However, the lawyer wasn’t sure whether the case should be handled by the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or Office of the Consumer Protection Board.

Yesterday, the group said that they heard there is another group of Thais currently detained at the South Korean border who also booked a tour.

The number of Thais working illegally in South Korea – colloquially called ‘Pee Noi’ (‘Little Ghosts’) in Thailand is estimated to be around 140,000. According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, South Korean authorities denied entry to 417 out of 697 Thais travelling to Jeju this month.

SOURCE: KhaoSod

ORIGINAL STORY

A total of 110 Thai tourists on a single flight were denied entry into the South Korean island of Jeju and sent back to Thailand yesterday, according to the Korea Times. Since Korea’s post-pandemic “reopening,” a crazy 50% of all Thais arriving in South Korea have been rejected at the border, according to reports.

Of the 184 Thai nationals aboard a Jeju Airlines flight from Bangkok to Jeju Island yesterday, 125 were “re-examined” at immigration. A total of 110 were denied entry and flown back home to Thailand last night. Immigration did not provide details or reasons for denying their entry, said the Korea Times.

South Korea opened up to tourists with no quarantine – regardless of vaccination status – on July 25. However, South Korean immigration is stricter than ever. Since Korea’s post-pandemic “reopening,” 10,000 Thai people have travelled to South Korea. Over 5,000 of them – 50% – have been rejected and sent home, according to Daily News.

Why? The country is cracking down hard on illegal migrant workers. The number of Thais working legally in South Korea is around 18,000. The amount of Thais illegally working in South Korea is thought to be as high as 140,000.

In 2022 alone, 10,377 Thai people found working illegally in South Korea were deported.

At present, all foreigners are required to obtain a K-ETA or a visa to gain entry into South Korea. Non-Korean nationals going to South Korea for tourism, business meetings, discussions, conferences, short-term study with a stay below 90 days, and family visits should apply for K-ETA online at least one week before arrival.

If your purpose of visit is not covered under the K-ETA, or your nationality is not eligible for a K-ETA, you must apply for the appropriate visa.

The Korea Times did not say whether the rejected Thais had a K-ETA or the correct visa, but it is probably safe to assume that 110 people on one flight weren’t so ill-prepared to have either. So, the real reason for their denied entry is unknown.

SOURCE: Korea Times, DailyNews