Recently, 28 foreign students in Nan Province, Thailand, had their visas revoked due to prolonged absenteeism, uncovering a gray industry chain that exploits student visas for illegal work and even gray market activities.
With the massive relocation of gray market personnel to Thailand by the end of 2024 and the upcoming online TM.6 entry card system set to launch on May 1, the Thai government is initiating a comprehensive regulatory storm against visa abuse and illegal employment.
1. Surge in Illegal Employment: Low-threshold Visas as a "Stepping Stone" for Gray Industries
According to the latest data from the Thai Employment Department in April 2025, there are 523,700 registered foreign workers in Thailand, among which 2,575 are suspected of illegal employment, a significant increase from 2023. Besides traditional workers from Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos, the number of Chinese nationals engaged in illegal work has surged, drawing social attention.
For example, a random inspection at a construction site in Min Buri, Bangkok, found that a large number of Chinese workers were illegally employed under student visas, with contractors mostly being Chinese, forming a "closed-loop" illegal employment chain. Analysts believe that Thailand's relatively lenient visa policies, lower living costs, and the role of intermediary agencies are the main reasons for the increase in illegal employment.
More severely, after the Philippines completely banned POGO (offshore gambling) in 2024, a large number of gray industry practitioners moved to Thailand, involving in cyber fraud, online gambling, money laundering, and other illegal activities, further exacerbating the visa abuse issue.
2. Student Visas & DTV Visas: How Do Gray Industries Exploit Loopholes?
In 2024, Thailand introduced the DTV visa (Destination Thailand Visa), allowing digital nomads and remote workers to travel back and forth multiple times within five years, with each stay up to 180 days. However, some intermediary agencies forged documents and simplified processes, leading to the misuse of this visa by gray industry personnel.
As the scrutiny of DTV visas tightens, student visas have become a new "gray channel". Some agencies openly advertise on social media (such as Xiaohongshu, Facebook): "Just a few tens of thousands of Thai baht, arrange a student visa, no need to attend classes, easily stay in Thailand for over a year." Language schools and Buddhist college courses have become hotspots. For instance, at the Nan branch of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University's Buddhist college, many "students" have never attended classes but have stayed in Thailand for long periods engaging in illegal activities.
Thai media XTHAI.COM found that some holders of student visas were actually engaged in cyber fraud and gambling promotion among other gray market jobs, and even boasted on social platforms about "mixing in Thailand with a student visa", becoming a focus of police investigations.
3. Government Action: Nan Province Takes the Lead in Regulation
In April 2025, the governor of Nan Province, Weewa, ordered a thorough investigation of visa irregularities at local Buddhist colleges, revoking the visas of 28 foreign students due to prolonged absences, with some already deported. The Immigration Bureau also introduced new regulations:
Schools must report student attendance records weekly
Direct visa revocation for courses with participation rates below 20%
Suspension of course projects in cooperation with non-compliant intermediaries
The police stated that this action is just the beginning, and future nationwide strict checks on student visa abuse will focus on combating "fake studies, real illegality."
4. May 1st New Policy: How Does the Online Entry Card System Block Gray Industries?
To strengthen entry control, Thailand will officially implement the online TM.6 entry card system on May 1, with new regulations including:
✅Submit personal information and travel plans online before entry
✅Immigration uses big data to screen criminal records and backgrounds of gray industry personnel
✅Student and DTV visa holders must provide detailed proof materials, or they may be denied entry
The police claim that this system will significantly increase the difficulty of entry for gray industry personnel, preventing Thailand from becoming a transit hub for transnational crimes.
5. Future Trends: Visa System May Undergo Major Overhaul
This tightening of policies marks Thailand's search for a new balance between "open tourism" and "national security". More measures are expected in the future, such as:
🔹Clarify attendance standards for student visas, listing violators on a blacklist
🔹Crack down on intermediaries forging documents and false advertising
🔹Promote compliant long-term visas (such as the Elite Visa), attracting high-quality foreign nationals
🔹Strengthen law enforcement cooperation with China, the Philippines, and Cambodia to jointly combat gray industries
Thailand's lenient visa policy has attracted global residents, but it has also become a loophole for gray industry infiltration. As regulations are upgraded, the space for illegal stays and visa fraud will increasingly shrink. It is advised for those planning to travel to Thailand to process their visas through official channels to avoid legal risks due to intermediary traps.
