Immigration History
Source : Immigration's duties workbook 23 January 1994 |
 |
Before 1927 AD.
In
the past entering and leaving Thailand was done freely. During the
seventh reign of the Bangkok dynasty, King Rama VII Prachathipok issued
the royal immigration act 2470 (1927) and created the Immigration
Department within the Ministry of the Interior and put it in charge of
controlling the arrivals to and departures from Thailand, in order to be
in line with other civilised nations. The first head of the Immigration
department was Pol. Col. Wichai Prachabal who had a mere 50 officers in
his department. In 1932 the Immigration Department was attached to the
Police Department and its name changed into Immigration Division. |
| 1932 AD.
Thailand
changed its political system. At the same time an economic crisis
caused the new government to cut its budget, which resulted in the
former Immigration Department to be downgraded to the Immigration
Division under the command of the Police Department of the Ministry of
the Interior in November 1932. In 1935 the Immigration Division moved
its headquarters to a new location on South Sathorn Rd. This locality is
presently used as accommodation of the Yannawa Police Station. The
number of immigration checkpoints and offices was increased in the
Northern, Northeastern and Southern regions. |
| 1940 AD.
World War II, the Immigration Division asked for permission to use the
location of the German embassy, which was controlled by the Thai
government, as its new head office. The immigration officers were
promoted from civil servants to police officers and given special
uniforms in accordance with customs of civilised nations. |
| 1960 AD.
On
June 22, 1960, the Immigration Division moved into its new built head
office at the mouth of Soi Phiphat, which was later used as Foreigner
Registry and Taxation Division. |
| 1965 AD.
The
bureaucracy was reorganised and the duties of the Immigration Division
were divided into 5 command divisions and 13 sections, together with 58
regional immigration offices. Later a communication centre was added and
some new provincial immigration offices opened. |
 1973 AD.
Moved
to a new location (the present head office) on Soi Suanphlu off South
Sathorn Rd. in Sathorn District, Bangkok. The new head office was built
on a plot of land belonging to the Treasure Department, measuring 4 rai,
2 ngan, 54 sq. wa. (7,816 m2) The construction of the new building cost
a total of 26,842,990 Baht. |
|
|
| 1980 AD.
The
Police Officers Committee approved the number of immigration positions
according to the workload of the division. A total of 1,049 positions
were approved in the Police department. |
| 1987 AD.
The
Police Officers Committee approved another 53 positions in the visa
section of command 2. The aircraft control section of the command 2 of
the Immigration Division was reorganised, abolishing all former
positions and creating a total of 307 new positions. |
1993 AD.
The
structure of the Immigration Division was reorganised and renamed
"Immigration Bureau", consisting of 4 commands in order to assure a high
efficiency and efficacy of the operations of the Immigration Bureau in
accordance with the workload and national policies. |
|
| Contact to Immigration Bureau |
(66) 34-711-878 | Hot Line: 1178 | 
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