The announcement, reported by Phuket Immigration, follows airspace closures and flight cancellations after attacks targeting key aviation hubs in the Middle East, including Dubai and Qatar. Passengers unable to depart Thailand due to the disruptions will not face overstay penalties if they intend to travel onward to another country once flights resume.
The Immigration Bureau, operating under the Royal Thai Police, said the measure forms part of a broader package of 10 steps aimed at tightening the screening of foreign nationals, cracking down on transnational crime networks and easing congestion at airport immigration halls.
Overstay relief and temporary extensions
Under the first measure, foreign nationals stranded by Middle East-related airspace closures will have overstay fines waived, provided they can demonstrate onward travel plans. Those wishing to remain temporarily in Thailand may apply for a 30-day extension with certification from their embassy.
In cases where conflict-related disruptions result in prolonged overstays, applications must be submitted to the Cabinet for consideration under Section 17 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979).
The move comes after multiple outbound and inbound flights were cancelled following the February 28 attacks, leaving some passengers unable to leave as scheduled. The Immigration Bureau said about 22 outbound and 12 inbound flights across around 10 airlines were affected.
Passenger surge and congestion
At the same time, Thailand has experienced a sharp increase in foreign arrivals since late 2025. Daily passenger numbers at the country’s main international gateways ‒ including Suvarnabhumi Airport, Don Mueang International Airport and Phuket International Airport ‒ have risen from about 60,000 per day to between 70,000 and 80,000, an increase of roughly 16%.
At Suvarnabhumi alone, arrivals average 5,000-6,000 passengers per hour during peak periods, while the passport control hall can accommodate about 2,500 people at a time. Congestion is most acute between 2pm and 7pm, and again from 10pm to 1am.
Authorities said bottlenecks at entrance points to passport control areas have contributed to overcrowding, particularly as passengers arriving simultaneously from multiple gates converge at immigration checkpoints.
The Immigration Bureau noted that many travellers have also failed to complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online in advance, despite prior public announcements. This, combined with stricter screening of high-risk individuals, has slowed processing times.
Despite the pressures, immigration officers have been deployed at every available inspection counter during peak hours. Officials said the maximum average waiting time has been about 50 minutes, while the inspection process itself takes approximately 45 seconds per passenger.
Crackdown on call centre gangs and grey capital
Pol Maj Gen Choengron Rimpadee, Deputy Commissioner seconded to the Immigration Bureau and its spokesperson, said he had been assigned by Pol Lt Gen Phanumas Boonyalak, Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, to convene a high-level meeting at the Immigration Operations Center at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
The meeting was attended by senior officers from Immigration Division 2 and superintendents from major airport checkpoints, along with representatives from airport and airline operations.
Officials said enhanced screening measures have been introduced to prevent foreign call centre gangs and so-called ‘grey capital’ groups from relocating operations to Thailand following crackdowns on Cambodian casino networks. At the same time, additional scrutiny is being applied to travellers from countries affected by the Middle East attacks, particularly those involving major aviation hubs.
10 measures introduced
In addition to overstay relief, the Immigration Bureau outlined the following measures:
- Request airlines to ensure passengers complete the TDAC online prior to check-in, similar to procedures used in Singapore.
- Deploy full staffing at all immigration counters during peak arrival times, based on advance flight schedules.
- Assign officers to manage congestion at immigration hall entrances and distribute passenger flow more evenly.
- Provide priority lanes for vulnerable groups, including children under 120cm in height, the elderly, persons with disabilities, pregnant women and foreign families travelling with Thai nationals.
- Designate specific areas for cancelling departure stamps in cases of sudden flight cancellations, to prevent mixing with regular arriving passengers.
- Require airlines to coordinate closely with immigration officers for passengers with urgent domestic connections.
- Work with Airports of Thailand (AOT) to manage flight slot allocations and reduce clustering of arrivals.
- Accelerate the use of Automatic Border Control (ABC) systems for eligible foreign travellers.
- Intensify screening of individuals who may pose security risks linked to unrest in the Middle East, in coordination with security and intelligence agencies.
Pol Maj Gen Choengron said the high volume of arrivals reflected Thailand’s strong tourism recovery but stressed that security considerations remain paramount.
“Airport immigration must simultaneously strengthen screening measures, particularly against call centre gangs and grey capital groups relocating from Cambodia, as well as individuals who may pose security risks amid unrest in the Middle East,” he said.
“While these measures may temporarily affect the speed of passenger processing, the Immigration Bureau is fully aware of the situation and wishes to clarify the necessity of these actions to the Thai public and international travellers alike.”