South Korean Immigration issues prompt diplomatic concerns for Thai tourists

[webfact]

 

 

The South Korean Foreign Affairs Ministry has expressed regret over reports of its immigration officials denying entry to Thai tourists, causing diplomatic tensions between the nations, as conveyed by the Thai Foreign Affairs Ministry.

 

The annual meeting between the Thai permanent secretary of foreign affairs, Saran Charoensuwan, and the South Korean First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chang Ho-jin, was held amid a surge in the #BanTravellingtoKorea hashtag on social media platform X. The trend emerged as numerous Thai netizens, including influencers and singers, shared accounts of being turned away by South Korean immigration officers.

 

The hashtag gained traction following a traveller’s account, who, despite having a history of multiple visits, a return ticket, and confirmed tour and hotel bookings, was denied entry into South Korea. Her social media post on October 24 garnered substantial attention, amassing over 9.2 million views and 22,000 reposts, triggering a wave of similar stories from other affected Thai travellers.

 

by Bright Choomanee

Picture courtesy of PPTVHD36

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-11-06

 

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[sqwakvfr]

I knew two Thai girls who have experience with Korean immigration:

 

1) One paid over 50,000 Baht to an agent for a Korean Tourist Visa.  When she landed in Incheon she was denied entry.  Her plan was to work at a massage shop.  

2) The second one worked on a farm for 3 years but overstayed her visa.  She was ultimately deported but wanted to go back to Korea.

 

Some of the actions of Korean immigration seem arbitrary but in a way it is understandable  I just got back from Seoul and there are many foreign workers there and some of are illegal.  

[PeterA]

My wife's daughter is married to a Korean man, living in Inchon. My wife is 50 years old, "employed" as a housewife,  owns land and a house here in Thailand. It was a royal pain in the -ar** to get a visa for her to visit, whereas another daughter and son, both under 25 and unemployed,   easily got a visa from the on-line app. After being denied 3 times,  we had to resort to using an agent to get a tourist visa. She held a round trip airline confirmation the entire time, and had more than sufficient funds in the bank. All that information was provided in the app from Korea.

Arbitrary is putting the rules mildly.

[DJ54]

Probably the issue because so many have gamed the system

with tourist visa in reality going to work

 

[TheFishman1]

Yeah, lotta Thai women like to go over there and work in the Massage business lol they get paid a lot more money TIT

[sqwakvfr]

Just now, TheFishman1 said:

Yeah, lotta Thai women like to go over there and work in the Massage business lol they get paid a lot more money TIT

Not just massage shops.  In Itaewon there is a hill with bars. It is commonly known as “hooker hill”.  There are still bars that operate there to this day.  More and more of the ladies in these bars are from SE Asia.  I recall a few years ago a friendly Pinay inviting me in.  Wasn’t in the mood and kept walking. Ironically, “hooker hill” is just a short walk from the largest mosque in S. Korea. 

[hotchilli]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

The South Korean Foreign Affairs Ministry has expressed regret over reports of its immigration officials denying entry to Thai tourists

They kind of brought it on themselves...  many singles gained entry to Korea only to work in dubious occupations and over stay their welcome.

[wwest5829]

I was recently told of a Thai acquaintance of my Wife who called to tell her the good news that she and her Daughter, after using an agency were successful in getting US Tourist Visas. The Daughter plans to remain and work. And thus Thais are costing other Thais by their planned overstays and illegal working … Like it or not Thai females, especially have an earned reputation.

[new2here]

It’s unfortunate, but that kind of how things are.. it’s when the MINority do something “wrong” that enforcement action is taken, and it commonly hits the MAJority who weren’t a part of the wrong that was done.

 

I don’t know that percentage of Thais who enter are deemed to be illegals (ie entered under false pretenses and/or overstayed their otherwise legal entry) .. but it *sounds* like it’s not a small number — so — to that end, I can’t say that the KR Immigration service is unreasonable or acting without some measure of necessity.

 

As far as their actions being “arbitrary” goes- I think by it’s very nature, immigration screening at the airport is almost always going to have some element of randomness and subjectivity to it - while the law may be written quite objectively, how each person presents themselves, the documents they have, the verbal statements made etc do require that an subjective assessment be made.  

[djayz]

Reap what you sow... 

Certain nationalities have "reputations" - rightly or wrongly. 

 

Edited November 6, 2023 by djayz