Japan envoys issue overstay ban threat

Tally of deported Thais soars over year

The Thai embassy in Japan has warned Thai citizens of being blacklisted by authorities if they overstay their visas or work illegally in Japan.

Meanwhile, some Thai nationals who once worked illegally in Japan have shared their experiences after the embassy posted details of their stays online.

Since the Japan government adopted a visa waiver policy for 15-day stays for Thai nationals in July 2013, the number of Thais overstaying their visas and working illegally in Japan has been increasing, which concerns the authorities there.

“Working without permission is illegal in Japan and anyone who does so will be blacklisted from entering Japan again,” the Royal Thai Embassy in Japan wrote on its Facebook page, reminding Thai nationals about the consequences of overstaying their visas and working in Japan without a work permit.

Along with the warning, the embassy enclosed messages from Thai nationals who had worked illegally in Japan.

“Do not believe the brokers when they say ‘you will get a high salary’. It is not true. When you arrive in Japan, you will be abandoned,” a Thai national, whose personal information was obscured, wrote about his experience as an illegal worker in Japan.

“If you do not know Japanese and possess a visa, I strongly recommend you not to illegally stay in Japan,” another Thai national who had worked in the construction sector wrote.

He added he earned 8,000 yen (or about 2,450 baht) per day, but the work was too heavy.

A Thai female working in a butter bean farm in Japan said she was planning to return to Thailand to find better work or continue her studies.

She is now seeking help from the Thai embassy to return home.

According to Immigration Bureau chief Pol Lt Gen Nattorn Prohsunthorn, from Jan 1 to Dec 25 this year, 1,138 Thai nationals were deported from Japan.

Of them, 778 people overstayed their visas and engaged in work without permission, while another 360 were refused entry to the country by immigration inspectors at airports in Japan, Pol Lt General Nattorn said.

The number of deported Thais has surged from 693 last year, he added.

As of Jan 1 this year, based on data from Japanese authorities, the total number of foreigners who had overstayed their visas in Japan over the years was 62,818.

Of these, up to 5,959 were Thai nationals, the third highest among illegal foreigners.

The Thai embassy said those arrested for overstaying visas would be detained for a long time before they are “exiled” and blacklisted.

The embassy recommended Thais overstaying their visas turn themselves in.