The hashtag 'KoreaTravelBan' has been trending among young Thai people on social media platforms. Many Thai youth are questioning the fairness of their entry denials at South Korean airports and are subsequently choosing to boycott travel to the country.

Two months ago, a Thai K-pop fan claimed that he was denied entry to South Korea and turned away immediately. He explained he traveled to South Korea for a fan sign event for a K-pop girl group but faced challenges entering the country. He explained, "The immigration officer, without even looking at the other documents, checked that I had a Thai passport and immediately took me to the investigation room, where the interview began right away."

He continued to claim, "They asked me, 'why did I come to Korea? Do you have tickets for the fan sign event?" Even showing the ticket receipts, the return flight ticket, and the original album of the girl group was of no use. He added, "The immigration officer said 'anyone can buy an album. How can I believe you're going to that event? There is no reason for you to enter Korea'."

These claims have gained significant attention on various social media platforms, such as Social Media X (formerly known as Twitter). As this issue escalated into a conflict between netizens from both countries, eventually, both governments stepped in to address the situation.

A meeting between the heads of diplomatic missions from both countries is planned in the near future to address this escalating issue.

In response to the controversy, the South Korean Ministry of Justice assured that there is no intention or practice of discrimination against Thai nationals. The Ministry pledged to take appropriate steps to prevent innocent travelers from becoming victims of such incidents.

The core issue amidst this controversy seems to revolve around the problem of an estimated 150,000 illegal Thai residents residing in Korea. Accordingly, the Thai government expressed its commitment to addressing illegal employment in South Korea. However, the effectiveness of these measures remains to be seen. 

Korean netizens commented, "There are over 150,000 illegal residents in Korea. Please understand our perspective too," "The immigration center is doing its job," "Then why did you guys decide to immigrate illegally in the first place?" "It's because there are so many illegal Thai immigrants coming to Korea," "150,000 illegal immigrants is a lot..." "Why do we need to appease the Thai people? Don't Korean people visit Thailand more? If we boycott travel to Thailand, who would be at a bigger loss?" and "They're blaming someone else's country when they should be blaming their people who are traveling to South Korea and deciding to illegally stay here."