Thai social media basher left PHL on Friday – Immigration

The Bureau of Immigration deported Thai national Prasertsri Kosin, a.k.a. “Koko Narak” last Friday, May 8, the bureau said Monday.

 

According to BI Commissioner Siegfred Mison, Kosin boarded Thai Airways Flight TG625 at 8:00 pm last Friday.

 

BI spokesperson Elaine Tan said he was sent back to Thailand by virtue of a voluntary deportation order signed by the Board of Commissioners on May 7.

 

“He was deported upon his presentation of an outbound ticket and upon verification that his name registered ‘no hit’ in the NBI records,” she said in a statement.

 

Kosin earned the ire of the Philippine social media community for his racist comments in his Facebook account where he tagged Filipinos as “pignoys”, “stupid creatures”, “low-class slum slaves”, and “useless race in the world”.

 

He was charged for undesirability, and he later admitted the charge by filing a petition for voluntary deportation. He has also apologized and said he was merely venting his frustration at Filipino habits that he disagreed with.

 

Last week, a group of Filipinos based in Thailand appealed on the bureau to drop the charges. They said deportation was a “harsh if not harsher than a criminal penalty such as a fine or community service.”

 

“Indeed, the statements of Mr. Kosin were offensive and have obviously sparked outrage from netizens. But offensive, hateful and downright irresponsible as they are, they were not criminal,” the group also said.

 

They said the Philippines should set an example of freedom of expression in Southeast Asia.

Thailand's ruling military junta lifted martial law there in April but retains broad powers that allow warrantless arrests and detention without charges. — JDS, GMA News