29-2-2024 (BANGKOK) The Immigration Bureau has refuted allegations made by an Indonesian woman who claimed that she and her husband were denied entry into Thailand for their honeymoon due to a cash requirement. The woman’s TikTok video went viral, causing reputational damage to Thailand’s tourism image. However, investigations carried out by the bureau revealed inconsistencies in her story.
The woman, known on TikTok as Herjastipbkk, shared her experience in a video where she stated that her husband was refused entry at the immigration checkpoint due to insufficient cash. According to her account, despite her efforts to withdraw money from an ATM to meet the cash requirement, officials insisted on sending her husband back. As a result, they had to cancel their planned honeymoon in Thailand and chose Japan as an alternative destination.
The video gained significant attention in Indonesia, accumulating over 24,500 views and 1,476 comments. Senior immigration officers addressed the issue at a media briefing, acknowledging the damage caused to Thailand’s tourism reputation. Pol Maj Gen Choengron Rimphadee, commander of the Immigration Division 2 and spokesman for the Immigration Bureau (IB), stated that an immediate fact-finding investigation was launched following the woman’s allegations.
The investigation revealed that the woman had entered Thailand alone at Don Mueang Airport on January 4th via flight FD395 from Jakarta. This contradicted her claim of traveling with her husband. She was allowed entry and departed on January 16th from Suvarnabhumi Airport after a 13-day stay, which contradicted her TikTok post suggesting an immediate departure with her husband. Security camera footage at the airport also confirmed that she was traveling alone.
Further investigation uncovered that the woman frequently traveled between Thailand and Indonesia as an online vendor. Immigration authorities suspected that she fabricated the story for social media content.
During the media briefing, Pol Maj Gen Choengron presented security camera footage showing the woman traveling alone as evidence. He emphasized that immigration officials prioritize entry requirements to prevent tourists from entering the country to work illegally. While there is a cash requirement, it is secondary considering the prevalent use of credit cards and e-payments.
The IB spokesman debunked the claim that denial of entry was due to a lack of substantial cash, stating that most denials were related to failure in presenting travel plans and room bookings. Some individuals even used counterfeit room booking documents. He also expressed concerns about Indonesian nationals being deceived into entering Thailand to work for call center scam gangs.
Representatives from the Indonesian Embassy, led by Minister Counsellor Dewi Lestari, attended the media conference. Nithi Siprae, deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) for marketing communications, was also present. The Indonesian embassy expressed gratitude towards the immigration officials at Don Mueang Airport for their assistance in screening Indonesian nationals.
Pol Maj Gen Choengron reassured that immigration officials are always ready to welcome Indonesian tourists and that the incident should not deter travelers from visiting Thailand.
