The Thai immigration detained Hong democracy movement activist, Joshua Wong, 19, after travelling to Thailand on invitation by Netiwit Chotipatpaisal, the Thai student activist leader, to speak about his participation in the 2014 Occupy protests.
According to the Thai immigration, Pol Col Pruthipong Prayoonsiri, deputy commander of the Suvarnabhumi Airport immigration office, the Chinese government has made a request to Thailand to stop the young man from entering the country, and had requested cooperation of the government to deny Joshua entry into Thailand. When Joshua was told about the information of his deportation, he did not oppose it.
The Thailand Military Junta quickly denied that it received any letter from Beijing, and no instruction was given pertaining to Joshua Wong. According to spokesman Lt Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd, claimed that Wong had been detained and deported because:
Mr Wong had been active in resistance movements against other foreign governments, and that if such actions were taken within Thailand, they could eventually affect Thailand’s relations with other nations.
Joshua had travelled to speak at the Chulalongkorn University, to mark the 40th anniversary of the deadly government crackdown of pro-democracy students in Bangkok, known as the Thammasat University massacre, though he was supposed to speak about his own experience during the umbrella movement, but he never made it to the venue.
On Wednesday 5:26am, a political party, Demosistō, Joshua helped to co-found in Hong-Kong posted a message on their Facebook that their world famous secretary-general had been detained at Suvarnabhumi Airport late on Tuesday night, and on noon on Wednesday, Joshua was placed on Hong Kong Express Airways flight back to Hong Kong, and landed four hours later were reporters were waiting for him.
Speaking about his experience at the Thailand immigration border, he said that more than 20 police and custom officers were waiting for him at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, and he was detained alone in a cell where he was interrogated. He was not allowed to use a smartphone or laptop. So he could not call his lawyer or parents.
Joshua told reporters he won't stop talking about democracy, freedom, fairness and justice with other young activists in East Asia. Wong has also said he is in contact with Chulalongkorn University, so he can pass his message to them via Skype.
Wong while being detained ask the officer why he was being held, and was told “This is Thailand, the same as China. This is not Hong Kong,”
After I heard this, I asked them continuously - is what you’re doing against human rights? [A]fter which they used a very intimidating voice to say ‘Here, we can treat you very well, or purposely make things difficult for you, you know to what extent we can do this - so which do you want?"
Since taking power in 2014, the military regime has been working to build stronger ties with China, and one way of doing that is deporting dissidents.
In May, 2016, Mr Wong was denied entry into Malaysia where he had planned to attend some seminar and talk about democracy.