"Stopping Illegal Stay in Korea Is Natural"... Unexpected Reactions from Thai Netizens

Conflicting Reactions in Thai Media
"Let's Not Go to Korea" Anti-Korean Remarks
Support for Entry Restrictions on Illegal Stay and Drugs

This is a photo from a Korean job fair held in Thailand, unrelated to the article content [File photo]

Following the entry ban imposed on Thai nationals, there has been a sharp decline in Thai tourists visiting Korea, leading to mixed reactions in Thailand. While some view it as a disrespectful act toward Thailand and are spreading a "No Korea" movement urging people not to travel to Korea for the time being, others are showing understanding toward Korea's measures.

In a recent Bangkok Post article on the 21st addressing the sharp drop in Thai tourism to Korea, Thai netizens expressed anti-Korean sentiments such as "Let's not go to Korea" and "Let's go to Japan or China instead of Korea." However, there were also more responses than expected supporting Korea's actions, saying "Korea's measures are justified," "How many Thais actually travel to Korea?" and "Isn't it true that there are many illegal residents?"

One netizen commented, "It seems the Korean government is fed up with Thai tourists who come for tourism disappearing and becoming illegal residents working there." Another said, "Women pretending to be Thai immigrants or tourists are finding it harder to enter Korea due to the new crackdown," adding, "I am sure Korea will be very pleased."

There are also posts insisting that the entry ban should continue until illegal residency and drug issues are eradicated. One netizen wrote, "They are not just quietly making money as illegal residents; they gather in groups to do drugs, so stricter control is necessary." Another asked, "Should we not conduct entry screenings after seeing a country where 273 people who came on charter flights simply disappear?" In fact, in recent years, there have been frequent cases of Southeast Asian entrants from countries like Thailand and Vietnam being caught smuggling drugs. In 2022, 55 out of 280 Thais who came to Jeju Island disappeared.

Another netizen said, "Since Korea pays the highest wages to foreigners in Asia, the number of illegal residents inevitably increases. The leftists' non-discriminatory equality policies are fostering illegal residents," and added, "Thais do not travel to Korea for tourism but to earn money. They just disguise themselves as tourists and enter; if they did not stay illegally, there would be no problem." Comparing the economic development processes of Korea and Thailand, another comment stated, "Look at what Korea has achieved in the past 50 years, and then look at Thailand."

The article with these comments was published by the Bangkok Post on the 19th. Wang Ananon, president of the Thailand Travel Agents Association (TTAA), who was interviewed in the article, conveyed that a movement rejecting Korea is emerging in Thailand, saying, "Before the Korea travel boycott movement started, Korea was one of the top three popular travel destinations in Thailand, but those days are over," and added, "It will take at least one to two years for Korea to regain the trust of Thai tourists." From January to April this year, 119,000 Thai tourists visited Korea, a 21.1% decrease compared to the same period last year. Before COVID-19, Thailand was the number one source of tourists to Korea among Southeast Asian countries but has since fallen to third place behind Vietnam and the Philippines.