BANGKOK – Thailand’s Immigration Bureau, with support from the Royal Thai Police and the Ministry of Labour, has sharply increased its nationwide push against foreign tourists and expats working illegally.
The operation targets major expat hotspots, including Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and the islands of Koh Samui and Koh Pha-ngan. Officials say the campaign, which began ramping up in October, is now in “full enforcement mode” as high season starts.
Immigration and Labour authorities say any foreigner doing paid work without a valid work permit now risks immediate arrest, detention, fines of up to 100,000 baht, and deportation, along with a possible re-entry ban of up to ten years.
Since October, officers have recorded more than 1,200 arrests, mainly in construction, hospitality, property sales, and co-working spaces popular with digital nomads.
A senior Immigration colonel in Phuket told the Chiang Rai Times, “We won’t accept excuses like ‘I’m only helping a friend’ or ‘I just teach a few hours a week’. If there is payment for work, a work permit is required, with no exceptions.”
Stricter Enforcement of Jobs Reserved for Thai Citizens
Officials are placing strong emphasis on enforcing the 39 occupations that are reserved only for Thai nationals under the Alien Working Act. These protected roles include tour guides, hairdressers, barbers, drivers (apart from international transport), retail staff, and most manual jobs. Foreigners found working in these positions, even on a part-time or casual basis, are being blacklisted and deported within 48 hours.
In Chiang Mai last week, inspectors arrested 27 foreign “volunteers” at cafés and hostels after discovering they were receiving free rooms and meals in return for full-time shifts. Authorities now treat this kind of work-for-accommodation deal as illegal employment.
Immigration officers are also cracking down on the misuse of tourist visas, visa-exempt entries, and education (ED) visas. Border checkpoints on land and at airports now flag travellers with multiple back-to-back visa-exempt entries or repeated 30 or 45-day extensions.
“Four or five visa-exempt stamps in a passport within one year raises concerns,” said Pol. Col. Thanet Sukchai, Deputy Commander of Immigration Division 1. “We question people when they arrive. If we suspect they are living and working here, we refuse entry.”
Hundreds of long-stay digital nomads running online businesses or freelancing from Thailand on tourist visas have already been detained, fined, and deported this month.
Harsh Penalties for Thai Employers
Thai employers and company directors are now facing stronger penalties. Hiring a foreigner without a valid work permit carries a fine of up to 100,000 baht per illegal worker, and repeat offenders can face prison terms of up to three years. Authorities have already charged several restaurant owners in Pattaya and bar managers in Bangkok’s Sukhumvit area.
In one recent high-profile case, a villa management company in Phuket was fined 800,000 baht for employing eight foreigners as property agents and maintenance staff without the required permits.
Foreigners who are deported are now routinely added to a national blacklist, which can range from one to ten years, depending on how serious the offence is. Those who overstay their visa while waiting for deportation face an extra fine of 20,000 baht and a longer blacklist period.
Immigration detention centres in Bangkok and Suan Phlu are currently holding more than 600 foreigners waiting for deportation, which officials say is the highest figure in five years.
Immigration Bureau spokesman Pol. Maj. Gen. Choowit Thawornwong issued a clear warning: “Thailand welcomes genuine tourists, retirees with proper visas, and foreign professionals who work here legally.
But anyone who thinks they can stay here long term on tourist visas while running businesses or taking jobs from Thais will be tracked down, arrested, and removed.”
As the high season gets underway, the message from Thai authorities is direct and firm: if you want to work in Thailand, you must have the correct visa and a valid work permit, or you risk serious consequences. For many long-term expats, the period of working in the shadows appears to be coming to an end.
Key Points of the Thai Immigration Crackdown
Main goals
The Thai authorities have stepped up checks on foreign workers to:
- Protect jobs for Thai citizens
- Make sure labour laws are followed
- Stop the misuse of visa schemes for work
Where operations are taking place
Raids and inspections have been common in:
- Major tourist areas and southern islands
- Phuket, Koh Samui, and Koh Phangan
- Large cities and other busy economic hubs
Who and what the crackdown targets
Officials are focusing on foreign nationals who are:
- Working with no work permit at all
- Working in jobs that are reserved for Thai citizens, such as:
- Tour guides
- Barbers and hairdressers
- Street vendors
- Certain manual trades, for example, carpentry
- Working outside the job description or location listed on their work permit
- Using tourist or student visas while doing paid work
- Using Thai citizens as unlawful nominees to front local businesses or hold property for them
How the law is being enforced
Authorities are following a clear process:
Identify, arrest, fine, deport.
They are also acting on public reports and tip-offs from locals, workers, and competitors.
Recent activity
From early to mid-2025, officials have arrested several thousand foreign workers across many different roles. The campaign is still active and is expected to continue across the whole country.
Penalties for breaking Thai work and immigration laws
The punishments are tough and affect both the foreign worker and the employer.
| Offence | Penalty for a foreign worker | Penalty for the employer |
|---|---|---|
| Working without a valid work permit | Fine of 5,000 to 50,000 baht, deportation, and a possible 2-year ban on re-entry or new work permits | Fine of 10,000 to 100,000 baht for each illegally employed worker |
| Repeat offences (employer) | N/A | Up to 1 year in prison, a fine of 50,000 to 200,000 baht per worker, and a 3-year ban on hiring foreign staff |
| Working in a restricted occupation | Fine of up to 50,000 baht and deportation | Subject to the same employer penalties listed above |
The government is urging businesses to use proper legal hiring channels, such as the official Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) system for migrant workers. Members of the public can report suspected illegal work or visa abuse to the Ministry of Labour hotline on 1506.
