Immigration Detention Center of Thailand

The Immigration Detention Center (IDC)

If you overstay or violate Thai immigration laws, you will be detained at the Immigration Detention Center. 

Inside the IDC: An Overview

The IDC’s facility has a limited space with no privacy, in which inmates are squeezed together in a small cell, taking turns to sleep. Fortunately, there is a canteen selling food and drinks for a price and an outdoor area to get some fresh air and exercise.

Other than overstaying visitors, there are asylum seekers, refugees, and migrant workers as inmates. Children, however, are not subject to detainment. 

Due to the limited space in an overcapacity facility, inmates have a higher chance of contracting diseases. When an inmate is hospitalized, he/she is bound and shackled like a prisoner until the treatment is completed. 

When an inmate violates the rules inside the IDC, he/she is subjected to corporal punishment.

Rules for Visiting a Detainee

Section 54 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979) provides guidelines for visitors to visit a detainee:

1. 3 Types of detainees:
   1. Regular detainees are allowed 2 rounds of visits between 09:45-10:30 and 10:15-12:00.
   2. Important detainees are allowed only 1 round of visiting from 12:00-13:00.
   3. Special detainees (embassy and consular officials, and lawyers) also have only 1 round of visits from 13:00-15:30.
2. Required documents:
   1. A detainee visiting form
   2. A valid identification document
      1. A national ID card 
      2. A passport
      3. An alien (foreign) worker ID card with permission to stay and work in the Bangkok area with a valid visa. 
3. Procedure:
   1. Fill in a detainee visitation form in Thai or English with upper-case letters
   2. Submit the form, with the IDC officer and fill in the following details:
      1. Detainee IDC number (if known)
      2. First and last names, nationality, gender, and age of the detainee
      3. Date of detention
      4. A responsible authority for taking the detainee to IDC
      5. Reason for visiting and relationship with the detainee
4. Length of process: 15 minutes total
   1. 10 minutes for document verification, and
   2. 5 minutes for consideration by an authorized officer. 
5. Conditions of the visit:
   1. The following people can visit the detainee:
      1. A Thai official
      2. An embassy official
      3. A representative of a charity organization, 
      4. An appointed lawyer
      5. Parents,
      6. Spouses
      7. Relatives
   2. One visitor per detainee
   3. Comply with the IDC’s rules 
   4. Wait for the approval of the visit from the IDC
   5. Allow to visit on the weekdays from 08:30 to 16:30, except weekends and public holidays.

Deportation

Once you serve a sentence or pay a fine, you will be deported and will need to submit the following documents 1 business day prior to departure:

1. Passport
2. Return request form (filled out)
3. Airline ticket 
4. Transport costs and airport taxes

After that, you will be transported to the airport in handcuffs. Once onboard the airplane, you will be uncuffed and excluded from Thailand for a specific period.

Category: Immigration