Tanee Sangrat, Thai ambassador to South Korea, poses for a photograph during an interview with The Korea Herald at his office at the Royal Thai Embassy in Yongsan, central Seoul. (Im Se-jun/The Korea Herald)

The drop in Thai tourists to Korea as a result of tight screening and the large population of Thais working in Korea illegally should be addressed simultaneously, according to Tanee Sangrat, who began his mission as Thai ambassador to South Korea in April.

In an interview with The Korea Herald, Sangrat said that for Korea to see a rebound in tourism from Thailand, some efforts were needed on his country’s part to reduce the number of Thais overstaying their visas.

“We are doing our best to decrease the size of the illegal workforce in Korea, which is a goal that is mutually beneficial,” he said.

The Thai ambassador said the Southeast Asian country “has nothing against applying national laws and immigration laws,” he said.

“I’ve been working closely with immigration, and I also have a meeting that is coming up with the Ministry of Justice soon. I think that within this year, we might start to see some better numbers,” he said.

He said his embassy was offering Korean language programs and other assistance to the Thai community here to help them adjust better and improve their chances of finding legal employment.

“I think we can give foreign workers opportunities to improve their skills and help them stay informed about visa types and how to switch between them, for instance,” he said.

“Korean employers need workers, and Thai workers need the income that is usually higher compared to what they would get paid in Thailand. We just need them to do that legally.”

He said he would advise Korean authorities to revise the pre-arrival screening system, known as Korea Electronic Travel Authorization or K-ETA, to avoid turning away visitors after they had already landed in Korea.

The number of Thai visitors to Korea has declined after cases of some Thai travelers being denied entry after arriving in Korea drew negative reactions in Thailand, he said.

However, the ambassador stressed the strong ties between the two countries, saying that their friendship had a “long history dating back to the Korean War.”

“We were the first Asian country to contribute troops, and the only Asian country to contribute all three branches of our armed forces -- the air force, the navy and the army. We still have children and grandchildren of Korean War veterans,” he said.

“I hope the Korean people would remember Thailand as being one of your very first friends in your time of need.”

Meanwhile, the Thai Embassy in Seoul will host a cultural festival at the Cheonggye plaza in central Seoul from Oct. 4-6 to celebrate the 65th anniversary of South Korea-Thailand diplomatic ties.

The festival, the first such event to be held outdoors since COVID-19, is aimed at promoting Thai culture to the Korean public, the embassy said. The festival will feature Thai contemporary and popular artists.

This article is part of a series examining the evolving relationship between ASEAN member countries and South Korea, in celebration of the 35th anniversary of ASEAN-Korea Dialogue Relations. to be commemorated this October. -- Ed.