[theold]

The decline in Thai tourists is attributed to the online “Boycott Korea” movement that erupted late last year after Thai tourists were denied entry to South Korea. This led to anti-Korean sentiment, with the hashtag “ban Korea travel” trending on social media. The situation escalated to the point where the Thai Prime Minister had to step in to appease the public.

However, South Korea’s Ministry of Justice said the government plans to apply a stricter screening process to prevent illegal immigration. The number of illegal Thai immigrants in South Korea has nearly tripled from 52,000 in 2015 to 157,000 in September last year, underscoring the challenges in managing this issue.

https://www.chosun.com/english/national-...VPR72MIKE/