Capt Ekkachai Siri of the Phuket Tourist Police confirmed to The Phuket News today (April 30) that raids will start on Wednesday (May 2).
“We will inspect language schools across the island,” Capt Ekkachai said.
Any irregularities in student enrolment and attendance will be investigated, he added.
“If we find any illegal activities, we will move to press charges against those involved, including the language school,” Capt Ekkachai warned.
The impending crackdown follows raids in Bangkok after romance scammers busted by police presented student visas to officers.
During the raids carried out in the capital last week to bust foreigners who had overstayed their visas, in an operation called X-Ray Outlaw Foreigner, officers also searched 74 international schools which provide language courses.
Maj Gen Surachet Hakpan of the Thai Tourist Police said the search came as some criminal elements from Africa were found to have enrolled as students at language schools.
“There are foreign criminals who come to Thailand and enrol on such courses so as to change their tourist visas to education visas, which grant them a permit for a much longer stay,” Gen Surachet said. (See story here.)