Thai travelers to Japan being turned away in record numbers

[george]

Thai travelers to Japan being turned away in record numbers
KUCHIKOMI MAR. 12, 2015 - 06:01AM JST ( 16 )TOKYO —

Japanese visa sticker. File photo.

TOKYO: -- During 2014, the number of Thai nationals refused entry into Japan exceeded 1,000 persons, the Sankei Shimbun (March 8) notes. This figure, according to Japan’s Ministry of Justice, began soaring following adoption of the visa waiver system enabling Thai citizens to enter Japan for stays of short duration, which went into effect from July 2013.

Taking advantage of a visa waiver policy, the number of Thai nationals visiting Japan in 2014 surged by 43% over the year before, reaching 681,743. A less happy figure was 4,391. That was the number of Thais in detention, as of Jan 1, 2014, for overstaying their visas. The figure, up by 23% over 2013, marked the first increase for Thai nationals in 21 years, since the era of the “bubble economy” back in the early 1990s.

The most frequently given reason entry refusal by Immigration was “Doubts over the traveler’s stated purpose of entry.” Many were caught when they failed to provide a credible explanation of their planned sightseeing activities in Japan, leading inspectors to suspect they were coming to work illegally.

The Sankei noted that last year, 91 Thais were also charged with being in violation of the Refugee Act, more than double the figure for 2013. A high-ranking police official was quoted as saying he believed that figure was likely to be “just the tip of the iceberg.”

Japan has given high priority to attracting more foreign tourists as one pillar of its economic strategy, with a targeted goal of 20 million annual visitors by 2020. As one measure, it has been selectively adopting visa waiver programs among ASEAN countries, particularly Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

In a related story in the same issue, the Sankei covered a dawn raid on a location in Ibaraki Prefecture that had been under surveillance for the previous three months by immigration authorities, following notification by an informant of the presence of “illegal foreign overstayers.”

The building had its windows blackened to prevent outsiders from peering in. According to one investigating inspector, the property around the building was strewn with a “mountain” of abandoned industrial equipment.

As a male Thai emerged from the building clad in a green jacket, he was confronted by immigration inspectors who then proceeded to enter the facility where they found two more Thais, one male and one female.

Upon questioning, it was found that the three had all entered Japan the previous November with visas permitting a stay of 15 days.

“Just as expected, they got in by ‘samen,’” the inspector murmured. “Samen” is immigration shorthand for “sasho-menjo” or visa waiver.

The three Thais admitted to having overstayed their visas and engaging in work without permission.

While being transported in a van to the Tokyo Immigration department, the Thai woman, age 39, told an inspector in reasonably conversational Japanese that she had arrived from Bangkok on a flight to Nagoya. “We took the shinkansen and came here (to Ibaraki),” she said. This had been her third sojourn to Japan. She had paid 800,000 yen to a broker in eastern Thailand, who used the money to buy her air ticket and make work arrangements.

Work in the fields harvesting vegetables earned her 5,000 yen per day. While the amount seems low, an immigration official told the newspaper that a worker could earn enough in two to three years to build a 3-story dwelling. “So they borrow money to come here,” he explained with a shrug.

The woman, who left two children back in Thailand, told the inspector, “I like Japan. But I guess I won’t be able to come anymore.”

Other Thai visa violators have been detained while working in massage parlors in Tokyo and other large cities, and the number is reportedly on the rise. Last year the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department arrested 139, up by 36% from 2013. As more operators of sex businesses attempt to exploit the current no-visa loophole, the authorities are likely to respond with tougher crackdowns.

-- Japan Today 2015-03-12

[kotsak]

Japan, it seems, was expecting quality tourists only as well..

[Bluespunk]

"A less happy figure was 4,391. That was the number of Thais in detention, as of Jan 1, 2014, for overstaying their visas."

Tut, tut, tut how very naughty of you all.

[wileycoyote]

Yes,I was wondering when the easier access to japan would be questioned .

[96tehtarp]

I've seen similar fuss in the USA upon arrival at Newark and JFK airports. The immigration officer asks, "What is your address in the United States, where will you be staying". Answer from the prospective entrant is invariably a blank stare of bewilderment. ===> REJECTED.

Edited March 12, 2015 by 96tehtarp

[Trembly]

I remember when this visa waiver programme for Thailand was announced in 2013 and one of the very first high-profile comments came from none other than the Thai Foreign Minister at the time : http://test2-bangkok.coconuts.co/2013/06/14/foreign-minister-urges-thais-not-abuse-visa-free-entry-japan

[harleyclarkey]

How many of the refusals were pretty young women .....going to make Japanese guys have happy time??

[VINCENT2012]

suspect they were coming to work illegally.......as a hooker for example.

thai woman knows very much how generous are the japanese...!

[Chicog]

The woman, who left two children back in Thailand, told the inspector, “I like Japan. But I guess I won’t be able to come anymore.”

At least until she's bought her new ID card under a different name and got a new passport.

[Lupatria]

Wow, that’s hard to swallow!

Citizens of the hub of hubs, occupying the center of the universe

the self declared inventors of the wheel and everything that followed,

the guardians of conveniently economically modified Buddhism,

living by the most honorable principles of Thainess

are not welcomed as over stayers by the rest of the world?

When will these stupid farrangs ever learn?

[ezzra]

The Thais are doing onto the Japanese exactly what they don't allow the farangs in Thailand

to do on to them, the case of, I do ok, you do, not ok... did any one say double standards?

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Wow, that’s hard to swallow!

Citizens of the hub of hubs, occupying the center of the universe

the self declared inventors of the wheel and everything that followed,

the guardians of conveniently economically modified Buddhism,

living by the most honorable principles of Thainess

are not welcomed as over stayers by the rest of the world?

When will these stupid farrangs ever learn?

the guardians of conveniently economically modified Buddhism,

living by the most honorable principles of Thainess

[kalbz]

So, the Japs are into human trafficking !!!

I'll call the World Police (the US), to put Japan on Tier 3 & threaten them with economic sanctions.

[Rancid]

Reading that many Japanese women considered sex too bothersome. That certainly makes a certain business have greater possibilities.

[NickJ]

Just call Team America , they can handle it.

[Muzarella]

Prostitution is the best paying "job" for non-professional young women around the world, no surprise that Thai women will go where the "wages" are higher than Thailand.

San Francisco have the larger community of Thai women in the US, most working for massage parlors, go go bars, and escort services. Applying for a US visa 5 years ago, my 30 years younger and beautiful Thai wife was rejected, and the guy from the visa service said that possibly was not enough evidence that she will not become my "employee".

I owned a bar in LA at that time, and I hold a USA passport. He also told me that many "fiance" visas were being rejected for the same reason, and many "brides to be" are being deported from the US. Again...good people paying for the the faults of bad people...

[Johnny S]

Hope the Japanese Immigration give thais a hard time

[dendijk]

Rest in piece Theo !

Edited March 12, 2015 by dendijk

[bangon04]

Hope the Japanese Immigration give thais a hard time

They could / should take lessons from S Korea immigration, which has been dealing with this problem for many years .

[Vogele123]

Every single country that allows Thais to travel without a prior visa ends up revoking the law, they have ruined every single chance of visa on entry in every country that allowed it - Their reputation is probably as good as Yemen or Angola when it comes to abiding by entry laws!

Wasn't New Zealand one of the last civilized countries to just put an end to the Thai Visa on entry due to mammoth abuse and overstay?

[AZBill]

The advantage of a U.S. Green Card. We had no issues traveling there a few months back.

[The Deerhunter]

Every single country that allows Thais to travel without a prior visa ends up revoking the law, they have ruined every single chance of visa on entry in every country that allowed it - Their reputation is probably as good as Yemen or Angola when it comes to abiding by entry laws!

Wasn't New Zealand one of the last civilized countries to just put an end to the Thai Visa on entry due to mammoth abuse and overstay?

New Zealand has been a difficult country for quite some years for a single Thai to get a visa to visit without a good job to return to in Thailand when the visit was over. It used to be easier than it is now, and from what I hear, there were many abuses of visas and overstaying in the past. If they ever had "visa on arrival" it must have been many years ago.

[rijb]

Just call Team America , they can handle it.

Can't your numb-nuts team do anything for themselves?

[Thai at Heart]

700k Thais went to Japan? Wow...what a number.

[Daniel Ingalls]

I haven't met a Japanese man yet that didn't like Cow-pot!

[ovenman]

Wasn't New Zealand one of the last civilized countries to just put an end to the Thai Visa on entry due to mammoth abuse and overstay?

New Zealand has been a difficult country for quite some years for a single Thai to get a visa to visit without a good job to return to in Thailand when the visit was over. It used to be easier than it is now, and from what I hear, there were many abuses of visas and overstaying in the past. If they ever had "visa on arrival" it must have been many years ago.

It was done away with maybe ten to fifteen years ago. I don't recall how many visa-exempt days Thais received upon entry to New Zealand but I do recall at that time, New Zealanders received a ninety-day visa exempt stamp for Thailand.

[Tokay]

If it were my call to make, I wouldn't let most of them into my country either. And those who did get in, would have to jump through as many changing hoops of fire as expats living here do.

Japan is doing the right thing.

[kinmaew]

Boot on the other foot. How does it feel Thais when you just cant do what you like just like your elite does to you and you have to leave your country for a better life? Except in Japan and other civilized countries its all within the law, no bribes and all above board. Don't you get sick of living hand to mouth, living in repression? Don't you want better lives in your OWN country? then get off your arse and bloody do something about it!!!!

[bkkcanuck8]

Unless my calculations are wrong the number overstaying is 0.6% of all those that entered.... to me that does not seem like a significant number of people to take too strong of action yet.

[thedude82]

Thai people...keep them within their own borders and constantly tell them how great they are.