Thai, Chinese police join forces in crackdown on crime to protect tourism industry
Thai and Chinese police have launched a joint operation to stamp out criminal elements entering the kingdom using short-term visas to execute kidnappings for ransom of their mainland compatriots.
The immigration bureau's deputy commissioner Panthana Nuchanart said the clampdown would also target Chinese nationals living permanently in the country and indulge in unlawful activities, and those who flee to China after giving police the slip.
The crime-prevention drive comes as Thailand boosts efforts to protect the image of the tourism industry, a key driver of its economy, amid fears a spate of crimes involving Chinese nationals could discourage prospective foreign travellers.
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Panthana said Chinese police had begun sharing details of residents with criminal antecedents with Thai law enforcement, including the immigration department, to stop them from reaching the Southeast Asian nation's shores.
"Chinese police have sent information on many prime suspects who have fled to Thailand so that Thai immigration police will arrest them," The Bangkok Post quoted him as saying.
Thailand has seen a rise in abductions, sometimes fatal, involving Chinese nationals who attack their fellow citizens mainly for money.
Last year, the ringleader of a Chinese kidnap-for-ransom group that allegedly cut off the finger of a compatriot after holding him captive in Pattaya was arrested following a police raid on his home.
The suspect had demanded more than US$790,000 as payoff to free the victim.
Chinese police in April took three men into custody for the suspected kidnap and murder of a music student in Thailand after they fled to the central Hubei province.
The woman's body was found in a trench north of Bangkok days after she went missing and her family dismissed a US$73,000 ransom call as a prank.
Police said one of the suspects had previously been involved in a relationship with the 22-year-old in her hometown, adding she was killed for rebuffing his advances in Thailand.
Thai police have also accused more than 100 immigration officials of taking hefty bribes to issue long-term visas to Chinese nationals linked to shady businesses in the country.
An ensuing crackdown on Chinese-run illegal commercial entities led to the arrest of high-profile businessman Chaiyanat "Tuhao" Kornchayanant. Chaiyanat, who is also a Thai citizen, is accused of running a nightlife and drugs empire for mainly Chinese customers. He has had more than US$300 million worth of assets seized by Thai authorities.
Chaiyanat and 40 others were indicted in January on multiple charges, including drug trafficking and money laundering.
While officials step up screening of Chinese arrivals, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has sought more visas for mainland travellers to keep up with demand as the sector recovers from pandemic doldrums.
It said the monthly quota of 84,000 visas was insufficient as the number of Chinese visiting the country was set to surge in the coming weeks.
Thailand welcomed more than 843,000 Chinese tourists in the first four months of the year.
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
