Reviewed by ThaiLawOnline, a licensed Thai law firm practising in Thailand since 2006. Thai lawyer of record: Wichuda Atthamethakon, LL.M., Thai Bar Licence 3149/2556.
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Deportation (การเนรเทศ, nerathet, or in the Immigration Act’s own words การส่งกลับ, song klap, removal) is the compulsory sending of a foreigner out of Thailand by the state. In practice almost all removals are made by the Immigration Bureau under Section 54 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979), which applies to any foreigner who entered without permission or whose permission to stay has expired or been revoked. A separate and older Deportation Act allows the Minister of Interior to expel a foreigner on public-order grounds. Both end with detention, a flight paid by the foreigner and an entry ban.
Table of Contents
Who can be deported and under which law
Section 54 lets the competent official send out any foreigner who entered unlawfully or whose stay has ended, and detain the person pending removal. Section 12 lists the persons refused entry, including anyone imprisoned by a Thai or foreign court other than for a petty or negligence offence, and, in item (11), anyone previously deported by Thailand or another state, whose right of residence was revoked, or who was removed at the Thai government’s expense, unless the Minister grants a special exemption. Section 36 lets the Director-General, which the Act defines as the head of the Police Department, or the Immigration Commission revoke permission to stay temporarily whenever circumstances warrant it. The Act sets out no list of grounds for that power. A revocation ordered by the Director-General can be appealed to the Commission within 48 hours of the order becoming known, and one ordered by the Commission is final. Permanent residence is revoked by a different route: under Section 53 the Minister orders it, on the Commission’s opinion, and only on a closed list of grounds that includes conviction under Section 63 or Section 64.
The ministerial route under the Deportation Act requires an order of the Minister of Interior, with an appeal to the Prime Minister within 7 days that suspends the removal (Sections 7 and 8); no one may be removed under that Act within 15 days of being notified of the order. Overstayers are removed under Section 54. A Prime Minister’s Office regulation in force from 28 August 2026 directs the Minister of Interior to order the deportation, once the sentence has been served, of a foreigner convicted of unlawful entry or stay, unlawful work, unlawful business, forging or using forged official documents, or any offence punishable by imprisonment of five years or more.
Detention, costs and the practical timeline
A person awaiting removal is held at the Immigration Detention Centre (IDC), in Bangkok at Suan Plu, or at a provincial immigration holding cell. Detention beyond 48 hours needs a written extension by the official for up to 7 days, and beyond that the court’s authorisation in blocks of 12 days, with no overall limit. Section 55 puts the cost of removal on the owner or operator of the vehicle that brought the person in, or, where none can be found, on whoever committed the smuggling or harbouring offences of Sections 63 and 64; the foreigner may, with permission, leave by another route at his own expense, and Section 54 charges the cost of detention to the foreigner. In practice the detainee, family or embassy buys the ticket, and a person without funds stays in the IDC until someone does.
An overstay arrest goes to court first, where the fine under Section 81 is imposed, and then to the IDC. Immigration bail is possible, around 50,000 baht with a Thai guarantor and monthly reporting. Bring the passport; a lost or expired passport adds weeks while the embassy issues a travel document. The order to leave is made on the immigration form, and the appeal, where one exists, is filed on form TM11 within 48 hours.
Deportation, extradition and the blacklist compared
Deportation is an administrative act by immigration; extradition is a court procedure at the request of a foreign state under the Extradition Act. Many so-called extraditions of foreign fugitives from Thailand are in fact visa revocations followed by deportation to the home country. A deported person becomes a prohibited alien under Section 12 and is entered on the blacklist: for overstay the ban runs from 1 to 10 years on a published scale, while for deportation after a criminal conviction there is no published scale and entries are commonly for decades or permanent.
Last reviewed: 29 September 2026. Immigration Act B.E. 2522 sections 12, 19, 22, 54, 55 and 81 and Deportation Act B.E. 2499 sections 7 and 8 were read in Thai. The 2026 removal regulation, the blacklist periods and the bail practice are stated as commonly reported and were not re-read in this review.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays for deportation from Thailand?
Under Section 55 of the Immigration Act the owner or operator of the vehicle that brought the foreigner in is liable, or failing that whoever committed the smuggling or harbouring offences of Sections 63 and 64; the foreigner may leave at his own expense with permission, and pays for detention under Section 54. In practice the detainee, relatives or the embassy buy the ticket, and the person remains in the Immigration Detention Centre until it is bought. Thailand does not normally fund removals.
Can you appeal a deportation order in Thailand?
It depends on the ground. A ministerial deportation order under the Deportation Act can be appealed to the Prime Minister within 7 days and the removal is suspended meanwhile. An order by an immigration official sending out a foreigner found to be a prohibited person under Section 12 can be appealed to the Minister within 48 hours on form TM11, and removal waits for the Minister’s decision (Section 22). The exceptions are a foreigner without a valid passport or visa (Section 12(1)) and one the Minister has barred under Section 16 (Section 12(10)); a previously deported person, Section 12(11), keeps the appeal.
Can a deported person come back to Thailand?
Only after the blacklist period expires or the entry is lifted. Overstay bans run 1 to 10 years, while deportation after a criminal conviction produces a long or indefinite ban. Removal can be requested by petition to the Immigration Bureau or by an Administrative Court challenge, generally within 90 days of the order.
See also: immigration blacklist, overstay, extradition, Immigration Bureau, and the guides deportation from Thailand: the 2026 rules and visa overstay, criminal charges and blacklists.
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