Many Thai tourists are upset because they were denied entry to South Korea.

Many Thai tourists to South Korea recently complained that they were often subjected to scrutiny, discrimination, and even denied entry.

Data from the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) shows that 250,000 Thai tourists visited Korea in the first eight months of the year. A recent Visa survey also showed that Korea is among the top five favorite destinations for Thais in 2023.

However, many Thais arriving in South Korea in recent months have been subject to increased scrutiny, sparking accusations of unfair treatment.

Tourists fill Myeongdong, a popular shopping destination for tourists visiting Korea. Photo: Reuters — Tourists fill Myeongdong, a popular shopping destination for tourists visiting Korea. Photo: *Reuters*

"Many Thai tourists had difficulty entering the country and were eventually sent back despite presenting multiple documents to prove their credibility," one user said on Twitter. "They repeatedly reminded me that I was from a Southeast Asian country and then refused to let me enter," said a female tourist who said she had been repeatedly questioned by Korean immigration officers and "felt ashamed" when she remembered her trip.

Her sharing received the sympathy of many people. Others told about similar incidents and said that "South Korea deliberately avoids Thai people". "I regret the money spent on plane tickets. I recommend you go to another country that is more romantic than Korea", said another person.

Many people also expressed concerns about the purpose of South Korea promoting tourism in Thailand but not being interested in tourists coming. Thai people said they "don't want to read news about someone taking time off to travel and being sent back to their country and not allowed to enter the country". "It's better to go to places that welcome you", one person commented.

In September, a Thai KOL (key opinion leader) named Waraphon Piyathansomsin was detained and forced to sleep on the floor for a night upon entering South Korea. Piyathansomsin was later forced to return home, while her husband was allowed to enter the country to continue his trip.

To reduce this discrimination, many people have called on the government to address the long-standing problem of many Thai citizens staying illegally in South Korea to work. These people are called "little ghosts", a term used to describe the estimated 100,000 illegal Thai workers living in South Korea.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin pledged to work with Deputy Foreign Minister Chakkraphong Saengmanee to resolve the issue of Thai tourists being repeatedly denied entry to South Korea.

The reason why "little ghosts" are causing South Korea to tighten entry for Thai tourists does not satisfy many people. "Is there any ghost who spends money to buy round-trip air tickets, book hotel rooms and buy concert tickets to see in South Korea?", one tourist expressed his opinion.

Anh Minh (According to SCMP )

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