A Frenchman who has lived in Thailand for over 18 years was denied re-entry and will be deported back to France. The 49-year-old man is well known for social media posts making fun of the Thai leadership.
Yan Marchal rose to fame in 2019, when he posted a video mocking a song by the National Council for Peace and Order, the military junta that was ruling Thailand at the time. Within a day of posting the video, it had more than 1 million views. However, the police ordered him to remove it.
After returning to Thailand from France, he was told by immigration officials that he was banned from entering the country because the government viewed him as a threat to national security. According to the Bangkok Post, he said that he was also served with a legal notice claiming that he was a potential danger to the public.
Marchal was to be deported within 48 hours from when he was served with the legal notice. He had a chance to appeal the decision within 48 hours, which he planned on doing.
Marchal was quoted explaining that he had lived in Thailand for almost two decades, and had a family here (a Thai wife and two kids). He also owns a business in Thailand.
Marchal speculated that he was banned because of his social media posts about Thailand politics.
He continues to cover Thai politics on social media, mostly Facebook. His TikTok account has gained traction, as it has 600,000 followers.
