Rayong Immigration Probe Targets Four Unlicensed Entertainment Venues

Thailand's Immigration Bureau has launched an urgent inquiry into four unlicensed entertainment venues in Rayong province. Interior Ministry inspections found more than 100 Chinese nationals at the sites, and prostitution was uncovered at two of them.

Immigration Inquiry

Bureau commissioner Pol Lt Gen Nopasin Poolsawat announced on Saturday, October 17, 2026, that he had asked Pol Maj Gen Songprod Sirisukha, head of Immigration Division 3, to set up a committee with other relevant agencies.

The committee will examine each foreigner's immigration status, visa category and permitted length of stay, along with any possible breaches of the Immigration Act and other laws. Nopasin has ordered swift legal action wherever offences are confirmed.

Allegations of Official Involvement

Nopasin has also ordered a separate investigation into claims that officials received payments or improperly helped the venues for personal gain. He stressed that the probe must be thorough, transparent and fair, with disciplinary and criminal action taken if the evidence shows wrongdoing.

Ten Women Detained

Authorities have detained 10 foreign women working in massage and other service roles. They include three Lao nationals, six Myanmar nationals and one stateless woman. All face charges of working without a work permit or carrying out work they were not authorised to do.

Wider Crackdown

The bureau is tightening checks and monitoring potential offences by foreign nationals across the country. It is also coordinating with other agencies to stop Thailand being used as a base for illegal activity, to combat transnational crime, and to reassure the public and tourists about their safety.

Members of the public can report suspicious conduct by foreigners, or misconduct by officials, through the bureau's 1178 hotline, which operates 24 hours a day.