The mass return of foreign tourists to Thailand will lead to an explosive increase in crime in the country – primarily due to “touring” from criminal gangs traveling under the guise of tourists. Such an official statement by the senior inspector of the Thai police, General Visan Prasatthongosot, was spread by the international media.
According to him, the Royal Thai Police will have to redouble its efforts to combat international crime. The reason is that Thailand is becoming more open due to restrictions imposed on Covid-19. The inspector, Daily News, reported that Thailand is located at a “transit” intersection in Southeast Asia, making it an ideal destination for international crimes such as cybercrime, money laundering through counterfeit companies, drug trafficking, and several others.
In addition, according to the Thai police rank, the criminal element from small to large attracts the cost of living in Thailand. This is another factor that attracts international criminals who pretend to be tourists. These tourists are fugitives from Europe, the United States, and Australia who are being prosecuted – they are involved in mafia, drugs, human trafficking, money laundering, and fraud. They are also joined by gangs from Africa and East Asia and people from South Asia and Africa who specialize in petty crimes such as fraud, such as “love scams” and theft.
However, as Visan warned, the country will try to establish a “criminal barrier”: the police will actively cooperate with “offices” such as Interpol and the Immigration Service of Thailand, and the latter alone has about 30 million people in its biometric database, which uses recognition persons and fingerprinting to identify prohibited persons. Face recognition will not allow criminals to escape simply by changing their names and obtaining new documents.
The resorts of Thailand are actively preparing for possible visits of criminal “tourists” – added police officials. For example, Phuket hosted a meeting on the expected rise in drug problems on the resort island in light of easing restrictions on entry to Thailand. It was stated that airlines need tighter surveillance to prevent drug smuggling into Phuket.
