Before you come to Thailand, you should know that the Royal Thai Government does not have an asylum system for the protection of refugees. Anyone without a valid visa is at risk of detention.
In Thailand, UNHCR is the only organization responsible for receiving and processing asylum applications.
To apply for asylum in Thailand, you have to:
Register with UNHCR: You should contact UNHCR and request registration, by email ([email protected]). The information you need to provide is available on the page here.
Please note that decreased funding for UNHCR has significantly reduced the number of individuals that UNHCR can register each month. Due to these limitations and the large volume of requests received, most individuals will have to wait for up to two years before being registered.
Upon registration, UNHCR considers you in need of international protection, but if you do not have a valid Thai visa, the Royal Thai Government may still arrest or detain you.
After your registration interview, UNHCR will assess the details of your claim to determine whether a Refugee Status Determination (RSD) interview is necessary. This process may take months or even years, and not all registered asylum-seekers will be invited for an RSD interview. If your case requires an interview, you will be informed directly. There is no need to contact UNHCR to request or follow up about the interview.
For more information on the RSD process, please visit this page. Please note that not all registered asylum-seekers who are interviewed will be recognized as refugees, and globally, very few recognized refugees—less than 0.1%—are resettled to third countries.
ATTENTION! Asylum-seeker and refugee status documents are NOT VISAS! If you can, make sure to have a valid visa with the Government of Thailand during your entire stay in Thailand.
Who is a refugee?
A refugee is someone who has a well-founded fear of persecution based on their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion. They must be outside of their country of origin and unable or unwilling to receive protection from their country of origin because of their fear of persecution.
Who is an asylum-seeker?
An asylum-seeker is someone who has applied for refugee status but who has not yet received a decision as to whether he/she has been recognized as a refugee.
How do I claim asylum in Thailand?
If you wish to ask for asylum in Thailand, you will first have to register with UNHCR. To seek protection from deportation by the Thai authorities, you may apply to the National Screening Mechanism.
What is the National Screening Mechanism?
The Royal Thai Government (RTG) launched the National Screening Mechanism (NSM) in September 2023. The NSM is a legal process created by the Royal Thai Government to identify individuals who may qualify for “Protected Person” status in Thailand.
The NSM is not part of the UNHCR process. UNHCR has no control or authority over the NSM process. UNHCR’s registration and Refugee Status Determination (RSD) processes are completely separate from the NSM. UNHCR has no control or authority over the NSM process. UNHCR’s registration and Refugee Status Determination (RSD) processes are completely separate from the NSM. You can apply to both UNHCR and the NSM, and applying to the NSM does not affect your UNHCR status.
How do I apply to the NSM?
You can file a request in-person to be a Protected Person at:
Sub-Division 4 of the Immigration Bureau
Bangkhen Immigration Detention Center
Police Club, Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Talat Bang Khen Sub-district, Lak Si District, Bangkok 10210
The NSM Office is under the Thai Immigration Bureau.
All NSM applicants are subject to Thai Immigration laws. If you do not have a valid visa or legal stay in Thailand, you are at risk of arrest, including by applying for the NSM. UNHCR has been advised by the RTG that you will not be arrested when applying for the NSM if you are already on bail.
Where can I find more information about the NSM
For additional information on the NSM, for additional information on the NSM, please visit the official Facebook page of Sub-Division 4 of the Immigration Bureau, which includes answers to frequently asked questions about the NSM.
You can also call Sub-Division 4 at 02-0241622 (for pre-screening stage) and 02-0245998 (for screening stage).
