Chinese Man Blacklisted After Kicking Automated Gate at Suvarnabhumi Airport; Visa Revoked, Lifetime Ban, Ordered to Pay 450,000 Baht

A Chinese man has been blacklisted and permanently banned from entering Thailand following an incident at Suvarnabhumi Airport where he kicked and damaged an Automated Border Control gate, then verbally abused immigration officers. On May 13, 2025, at approximately 2:00 PM, Li Wei Zeng, a 30-year-old Chinese national, was processing through the automated passport control gate in the departure area. When he failed to follow the correct procedure and placed his boarding pass incorrectly on the document reader, the machine malfunctioned and the first door did not open.

Frustrated, Li Wei Zeng kicked the transparent glass door of the machine, damaging it. He then attempted again, incorrectly placing his passport, and when the machine failed to operate, he kicked the door a second time and forced his way through without completing the inspection process. When immigration officers attempted to detain him, he verbally abused them in Chinese and English using obscene language and tried to physically assault them, though his wife intervened to prevent further escalation.

Immigration officers and airport security personnel took Li Wei Zeng into custody and transferred him to Suvarnabhumi Airport Police Station. He faces charges of property damage, carrying a penalty of up to 3 years imprisonment, a fine not exceeding 60,000 baht, or both. He is also required to pay 450,000 baht in damages for the automated passport control gate.

Additionally, he faces charges of insulting a civil servant in the performance of duty, which carries a maximum penalty of 1 year imprisonment, a 20,000 baht fine, or both. Investigators will file the case with Samut Prakan Provincial Court on May 15.

Based on this incident, the Airport Authority of Thailand's director ordered the revocation of Li Wei Zeng's visa and his addition to the immigration blacklist as a person posing a threat to society, with a lifetime ban from entering Thailand. Upon completion of legal proceedings, he will be deported. Immigration authorities also issued a warning to foreign tourists, emphasizing that while Thailand welcomes visitors from all nations who respect Thai people and the country, any misconduct—whether criminal or moral—will result in visa revocation and immediate deportation without exception.