The ruling was delivered at 11am yesterday (Mar 5), addressing cases numbered Tor 144/2568 to Tor 149/2568, with the Phuket Provincial Public Prosecutor as the plaintiff.
The defendants were charged with forging passports, using forged passports and providing false information to officials in an attempt to deceive immigration officers and the public.
The court found the defendants guilty as charged.
In cases No. Tor 144/2568 and Tor 146/2568, the defendants received a four-year prison sentence, later reduced to two years due to mitigating circumstances, including their confession.
Similarly, in cases No. Tor 145/2568 and Tor 147/2568 to Tor 149/2568, the defendants were sentenced to two years, reduced to one year in prison without suspension.
The case stemmed from the arrest of five Afghan tourists who presented forged Kazakh passports to immigration officers at Phuket International Airport in an attempt to enter Thailand in December.
Their forged passports were designed to closely resemble legitimate documents from the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Phuket Provincial Prosecutor pursued legal action, leading to the court’s verdict.
The sentencing follows the arrest of three men and one woman ‒ all initially reported as Afghan nationals ‒ at Phuket International Airport’s International Arrivals Hall on Dec 10. Airport immigration officers took them to Sakhu Police Station, where they were formally charged with using or possessing a forged passport.
Online photos posted by immigration officials showed five seized Kazakh passports, though only four individuals were reported arrested. Authorities did not clarify the discrepancy.
Those arrests came just one day after two men ‒ both reported as Afghan nationals ‒ were apprehended at the airport’s International Departures Hall on Dec 9 while attempting to leave Thailand using forged Kazakh passports.
Identified as Abdul Bashir Kawoskgar, 24, and Mustafa Ahadi, 20, the two men were trying to board Bangkok Airways flight PG276 to catch a connecting flight to Milan, Italy.
In its public notice issued yesterday, the Phuket Provincial Court emphasised that its Tourist Case Division aims to provide efficient legal services to tourists involved in both criminal and civil disputes.
The division works with relevant agencies to ensure that tourists’ rights are protected while enforcing strict penalties for illegal activities. Officials highlighted that the court’s decisive actions serve to uphold Phuket’s reputation and maintain confidence in the province’s legal system.