Thai immigration authorities have rejected reports alleging extortion and improper entry refusals at the country’s international airports, stating that the claims are inaccurate and misrepresent standard immigration procedures. Officials said travellers are only denied entry when they fail to meet established requirements that are widely applied by immigration agencies worldwide.

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The clarification was issued on Friday 6 March, in response to an article published by Cambodian outlet Khmer Times, which alleged that Cambodian and Indian nationals were being detained at Thai airports, forced to book immediate return flights, and charged an illicit “service fee” of 1,000 baht. Thai authorities warned that such reports could damage the country’s reputation as a leading global tourism destination.

Pol Col Pongthorn Pongratchatanan, spokesperson for Immigration Division 2, said the allegations were “entirely divorced from the facts”. He stressed that screening procedures at Thailand’s airports strictly follow legal requirements and international aviation protocols applied in many countries.

According to Pongthorn, travellers are typically refused entry only when they fail to meet basic conditions for admission or are considered a potential threat to public order. These conditions include having sufficient financial resources for the duration of the stay, confirmed accommodation and a clear travel itinerary.

Other grounds for refusal include suspicions that an individual intends to seek illegal employment while entering the country as a tourist. Immigration officers may also deny entry if behaviour or circumstances raise concerns about public safety or security. Officials emphasised that such criteria are standard practice in international immigration control.

Addressing the specific claim that travellers were forced to pay a 1,000 baht fee, Pongthorn said no such charge exists within the official immigration framework. He insisted that immigration officers do not collect any unofficial “service fees” as part of the entry process.

The spokesperson also clarified the procedures followed when a traveller is refused entry to Thailand. Under international aviation rules, responsibility for arranging and covering the cost of return flights rests with the airline that transported the passenger, rather than with immigration authorities.

Thai officials said they remain committed to maintaining fair and transparent immigration procedures while protecting national security and public safety. They also urged media outlets to verify information carefully before publishing reports that could affect the country’s tourism industry and international reputation.

The Nation reported that authorities did not indicate whether any formal response would be issued to the Cambodian publication. However, they reaffirmed that immigration screening will continue to follow established laws and international standards.

Pictures courtesy of The Nation

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Nation 7 Mar 2026

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Look who's talking, Cambodia...I entered that God forsaken country twice by road and both times me and my friends were subjected to blackmail by their immigration to pay some additional charge nobody ever heard about it. When we asked them what is this charge for, they said you can pay or turn back.

Personally as a snowbird since 1984, I have never had an awkward entry into Thailand , even with multiple visas and extensions. But I have never overstayed or gone over the limit.

I’ve seen some of the types that do get stopped, and I do understand that a lot of dubious people try to get through.

Lots of these are Indian and Cambodian people already working in Thailand or on a try out. These are weeded out as they are all over the world.

I may get shouted at for this, but there are a lot of foreigners just milking the system and staying until they are thrown out.

Thailand has been much too generous with their visa options which are covering for practically living here. Also , Since the freedom given to all the cannabis aficionados, the place has become a dumping place for drop outs and idiots. All these strange people running naked and others lying in the streets is the outcome. It needs to be toned down. They need to revise the visa entry obligations.

I am shocked that anyone can suggest that any Thai official would act in an improper manner

6 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Thai immigration authorities have rejected reports alleging extortion and improper entry refusals at the country’s international airports, stating that the claims are inaccurate and misrepresent standard immigration procedures. Officials said travellers are only denied entry when they fail to meet established requirements that are widely applied by immigration agencies worldwide.

Which is a minefield in itself...

14 minutes ago, geisha said:

Personally as a snowbird since 1984, I have never had an awkward entry into Thailand , even with multiple visas and extensions. But I have never overstayed or gone over the limit.

I’ve seen some of the types that do get stopped, and I do understand that a lot of dubious people try to get through.

Lots of these are Indian and Cambodian people already working in Thailand or on a try out. These are weeded out as they are all over the world.

I may get shouted at for this, but there are a lot of foreigners just milking the system and staying until they are thrown out.

Thailand has been much too generous with their visa options which are covering for practically living here. Also , Since the freedom given to all the cannabis aficionados, the place has become a dumping place for drop outs and idiots. All these strange people running naked and others lying in the streets is the outcome. It needs to be toned down. They need to revise the visa entry obligations.

That has all changed recently, and though you are right that Thailand is far too generous with their 30 and 60 day tourist visas, attracting alot of dregs, they're making it much more difficult for people who want to live here, or stay long periods, to use temporary visas.

6 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

The clarification was issued on Friday 6 March, in response to an article published by Cambodian outlet Khmer Times

Thailand should simply stop responding to any fake claims coming out of scambodia.

28 minutes ago, BMW Overlander said:

Look who's talking, Cambodia...I entered that God forsaken country twice by road and both times me and my friends were subjected to blackmail by their immigration to pay some additional charge nobody ever heard about it. When we asked them what is this charge for, they said you can pay or turn back.

Exactly - Cambodia has the most corrupt immigration officials I have ever encountered. Never, not once, have I ever had any issue entering or leaving Thailand.

The article itself explains the issue quite clearly. Entry can be refused if travellers cannot show sufficient funds, confirmed accommodation, or a clear travel itinerary. These are requirements that are standard for immigration authorities around the world.

Like every sovereign country, Thailand has the right to decide who is allowed to enter and who is not. If someone cannot meet the basic entry conditions, refusal should not come as a surprise.

Given the current tensions between the two countries, it also seems unlikely that large numbers of Cambodians would be coming to Thailand purely for a holiday right now!

Well, true story:

Jan 20/26 arrive from norway klm.

Made online application card, stating stay in house of me and thai wife. (As always last 20 yrs)

Immigration officer ask for hotel reservation, "if tourist need stay hotel"!

Repeted stay own house as always done she took me to her boss, he said he be nice and only ban me from thailand 99 yrs, not lifetime.

Told be lazy, not apply for visa. Told him have applied 10 times, no problem for me.

After som "yelling" let me go, but if i didnt already have "attachment" to thailand it would have been my last visit... :-)

35 minutes ago, Olav Seglem said:

Well, true story:

Jan 20/26 arrive from norway klm.

Made online application card, stating stay in house of me and thai wife. (As always last 20 yrs)

Immigration officer ask for hotel reservation, "if tourist need stay hotel"!

Repeted stay own house as always done she took me to her boss, he said he be nice and only ban me from thailand 99 yrs, not lifetime.

Told be lazy, not apply for visa. Told him have applied 10 times, no problem for me.

After som "yelling" let me go, but if i didnt already have "attachment" to thailand it would have been my last visit... :-)

Why couldn't you get the proper visa? You are married, right, so a breeze for you to get. You are clearly NOT a tourist. :(

Thai immigration can be a truly dispiriting experience, even for those admitted without incident, but when you are waiting in line, often for more than an hour, spare a thought for the IO's. It must be a truly soul-destroying job. Faced with a constant stream of detritus from seemingly everywhere on the planet, all of whom can clearly afford things which an IO cannot. Surely a few random refusals, plus some "service fees" are an absolute necessity just to liven up what would otherwise be a deadly monotonous job?

Slightly off-topic, but by comparison Cambodian Immigration at the new Phnom Penh airport this week was a truly astonishingly refreshing experience - no queue, no questions, no language difficulties, no hassles, no delays, no passport stamps (so my passport is in less danger of filling up before it expires😊), no scams. Just an online visa and entry via an E-gate! It literally took only seconds to clear immigration! The only downside was that I arrived in baggage reclaim so quickly that I had to wait for the bags to start to arrive!

I'm now dragging my feet over my return to Thailand.....

Post breaking forum rules removed.

@lch rule 14. You will not post slurs, degrading, or overly negative comments directed towards Thailand, Thai people, Thai culture,Religion, Thai institutions such as the military, judicial or law enforcement system, or specific locations within Thailand.

3 hours ago, BMW Overlander said:

Look who's talking, Cambodia...I entered that God forsaken country twice by road and both times me and my friends were subjected to blackmail by their immigration to pay some additional charge nobody ever heard about it. When we asked them what is this charge for, they said you can pay or turn back.

That "charge" (bribe) they call a stamp fee, and is usually 5 $ on top of the 30 $ VOA fee. Happens at most land borders, not at airports, but they don't /can't deny you entry if you refuse to pay the bribe, they just make a scene, and in some cases "delay" the issuance of the visa.

Yes, I was asked for a "donation" of 1000baht:>>> a few years back, and not having a residency visa on return to LOS for 4th time that year: it was demanded and a passport crook even took my passport and made me wait behind his booth .

1 hour ago, Jim Waldron said:

The article itself explains the issue quite clearly. Entry can be refused if travellers cannot show sufficient funds, confirmed accommodation, or a clear travel itinerary. These are requirements that are standard for immigration authorities around the world.

Like every sovereign country, Thailand has the right to decide who is allowed to enter and who is not. If someone cannot meet the basic entry conditions, refusal should not come as a surprise.

Given the current tensions between the two countries, it also seems unlikely that large numbers of Cambodians would be coming to Thailand purely for a holiday right now!

Sufficient funds yes, hotel accommodation sometimes, but clear travel itinerary not required for most countries, and is a joke anyway, as backpackers, bikers, and a lot of ordinary tourists want to explore the country freely and rarely have a clear itinerary. As a matter of fact, Thai authorities don't really care about your travel itinerary either.

1 hour ago, Homburg said:

Thai immigration can be a truly dispiriting experience, even for those admitted without incident, but when you are waiting in line, often for more than an hour, spare a thought for the IO's. It must be a truly soul-destroying job. Faced with a constant stream of detritus from seemingly everywhere on the planet, all of whom can clearly afford things which an IO cannot. Surely a few random refusals, plus some "service fees" are an absolute necessity just to liven up what would otherwise be a deadly monotonous job?

Slightly off-topic, but by comparison Cambodian Immigration at the new Phnom Penh airport this week was a truly astonishingly refreshing experience - no queue, no questions, no language difficulties, no hassles, no delays, no passport stamps (so my passport is in less danger of filling up before it expires😊), no scams. Just an online visa and entry via an E-gate! It literally took only seconds to clear immigration! The only downside was that I arrived in baggage reclaim so quickly that I had to wait for the bags to start to arrive!

I'm now dragging my feet over my return to Thailand.....

Had the same experience last month at the new airport in Phnom Penh , except that the luggage arrived almost instantly too, much faster than Suvarnabhumi. Especially the bicycle, oversized baggage, at Suvarnabhumi I wait on average 30 minutes, Techo airport it was 5 minutes.

6 minutes ago, thecyclist said:

Sufficient funds yes, hotel accommodation sometimes, but clear travel itinerary not required for most countries, and is a joke anyway, as backpackers, bikers, and a lot of ordinary tourists want to explore the country freely and rarely have a clear itinerary. As a matter of fact, Thai authorities don't really care about your travel itinerary either.

555

I can remember the first snowbird trip I did over 20 years ago. I had a clear itinerary packed with the loadsa things I wanted to do and see across 3 countries.

6 weeks in my plans were forgotten and I was living in a different world, free as a bird, my entire outlook on life changed forever.

Never made one since.

4 hours ago, geisha said:

Personally as a snowbird since 1984, I have never had an awkward entry into Thailand , even with multiple visas and extensions. But I have never overstayed or gone over the limit.

I’ve seen some of the types that do get stopped, and I do understand that a lot of dubious people try to get through.

Lots of these are Indian and Cambodian people already working in Thailand or on a try out. These are weeded out as they are all over the world.

I may get shouted at for this, but there are a lot of foreigners just milking the system and staying until they are thrown out.

Thailand has been much too generous with their visa options which are covering for practically living here. Also , Since the freedom given to all the cannabis aficionados, the place has become a dumping place for drop outs and idiots. All these strange people running naked and others lying in the streets is the outcome. It needs to be toned down. They need to revise the visa entry obligations.

"Since the freedom given to all the cannabis aficionados, the place has become a dumping place for drop outs and idiots. All these strange people running naked and others lying in the streets is the outcome."

Exactly how much do you know about cannabis?

"Since the freedom given to the cannabis afficianados, it has been blamed for all strange people running round naked and others lying in the streets" More likely to be yabba, but there again, it may be all down to the legalisation of alcohol!!! :-)

I would be surprised if they pulled it at the airports, but certainly other ports of entry wouldn't put it past them.

1 hour ago, thecyclist said:

Had the same experience last month at the new airport in Phnom Penh , except that the luggage arrived almost instantly too, much faster than Suvarnabhumi. Especially the bicycle, oversized baggage, at Suvarnabhumi I wait on average 30 minutes, Techo airport it was 5 minutes.

There are also E-gates for departing passengers, so my exit should be a breeze, not looking forward to arrival in Swampy though☹️. Did you cycle into PP or take the bus? (I found the bus to be a surprisingly good service, and for only around 12 Baht!) No Airport Rail Link yet (if ever🤣), and it's much further from the City, but Techo still seems better connected than the old airport.

4 minutes ago, Homburg said:

There are also E-gates for departing passengers, so my exit should be a breeze, not looking forward to arrival in Swampy though☹️. Did you cycle into PP or take the bus? (I found the bus to be a surprisingly good service, and for only around 12 Baht!) No Airport Rail Link yet (if ever🤣), and it's much further from the City, but Techo still seems better connected than the old airport.

I cycled the 25 km on the new, wide Hun Sen Boulevard, crossing the Xi Jinping and Mao Tse Tong boulevards.

Surprised that they didn't name the new airport after one of the dynastic leaders, Hun Sen or Hun Manut. Maybe Hun the third will have an airport named after him.

All government offices have their fair share of corruption – occasionally it gets out of hand and people start to complain.

The usual process with immigration is that an officer finds a loophole or creates extra paperwork – those in the know recognise this as a demand for money in the form of a "service fee" to "help out" the application and smooth the way through.

If you don't recognise this for what it is, you may indeed be refused your visa.

12 hours ago, BMW Overlander said:

Look who's talking, Cambodia...I entered that God forsaken country twice by road and both times me and my friends were subjected to blackmail by their immigration to pay some additional charge nobody ever heard about it. When we asked them what is this charge for, they said you can pay or turn back.

it's been like that for decades..

Doesn't matter where in SouthEast Asia almost all of them are corrupt. Some right in your face, others times made to look offical.

20 hours ago, BMW Overlander said:

Look who's talking, Cambodia...I entered that God forsaken country twice by road and both times me and my friends were subjected to blackmail by their immigration to pay some additional charge nobody ever heard about it. When we asked them what is this charge for, they said you can pay or turn back.

Cambodia border crossing scammers everywhere

Been coming to LOS on/off for almost half a century and even used Thailand as the hub for 10 year of my career when doing work related visits in the region (at the most 7 entries in 1 year) including a few 1-2 days overstay and never, never, had any issues with immigration. That said I have no tattoos, smoke weed and fly biz which may make a difference 😋

On 3/7/2026 at 10:40 AM, spidermike007 said:

That has all changed recently, and though you are right that Thailand is far too generous with their 30 and 60 day tourist visas, attracting alot of dregs, they're making it much more difficult for people who want to live here, or stay long periods, to use temporary visas.

I agree , there are all sorts of visas but highly impractical, or, too expensive. But, seems Thailand is not very clever enough to sort it all out.

On 3/7/2026 at 2:59 PM, sambum said:

"Since the freedom given to all the cannabis aficionados, the place has become a dumping place for drop outs and idiots. All these strange people running naked and others lying in the streets is the outcome."

Exactly how much do you know about cannabis?

"Since the freedom given to the cannabis afficianados, it has been blamed for all strange people running round naked and others lying in the streets" More likely to be yabba, but there again, it may be all down to the legalisation of alcohol!!! :-)

I have never in 40 years seen so many idiots, louts, drunks and drugged, crazies and bizarre behavior, as in the last few years. I believe it’s due to cannabis being made legal , and publicized all over the world that Thailand is a free for all . You think that it’s only cannabis on sale in the cannabis shops ?

On 3/7/2026 at 6:44 AM, thecyclist said:

Had the same experience last month at the new airport in Phnom Penh , except that the luggage arrived almost instantly too, much faster than Suvarnabhumi. Especially the bicycle, oversized baggage, at Suvarnabhumi I wait on average 30 minutes, Techo airport it was 5 minutes.

How many international flights per day at Techo compared with Suvarnabhumi, and how many of them are bringing a bloody pushbike?

Sheesh...

So the rub is at regional immigration offices not arrival counters....shhhhh.