Kenyan Man Jailed in Thailand for Using Forged Immigration Documents

A 20-year-old Kenyan man has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison in Thailand after being convicted of travelling with falsified immigration documents.

Anthony Mwangi, from Nakuru, arrived in Thailand in October 2024 intending to seek employment. He was arrested shortly after landing when immigration officers identified irregular entry stamps in his passport. 

Thai authorities charged him with document fraud, an offence that carries custodial penalties under the country’s criminal law. Mwangi has maintained that the passport and travel arrangements were provided by a recruitment agent.

Thailand applies strict penalties for offences involving forged or altered travel documents. Under the Penal Code, forging passports or visas can result in prison sentences of between one and ten years, along with substantial fines. Using another person’s genuine passport or official immigration stamp is treated as a serious crime, punishable by up to ten years’ imprisonment.

Possession of multiple forged passports is classified as intent to distribute, an offence that can lead to sentences of three to twenty years and fines of up to Ksh1.6 million. Foreign nationals convicted of such crimes are also permanently barred from re-entering Thailand after deportation. 

From January 2026, Thailand will operate a fully digital immigration system, making physical document forgery more difficult through automated entry checks. Thai authorities have also cautioned travellers against fraudulent websites posing as official digital arrival card platforms. 

These sites charge fees for services that are provided free by the government and have been used to exploit migrants and jobseekers. Mwangi is currently serving his sentence in a Thai prison. His family say conditions are harsh and that he lacks basic necessities, including adequate clothing. 

In letters sent home, he has described distress over his circumstances and uncertainty about his future. His mother, Monica Mwangi, has blamed the recruitment agent who facilitated his travel, questioning how the documents passed through exit checks at a Kenyan airport. 

The family say they have been unable to obtain assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and are appealing for government intervention. They are calling for diplomatic engagement with Thai authorities to review Mwangi’s case or improve his conditions, and for investigations into the agents involved in arranging his travel.