Six Chinese beggars banned from returning to Thailand for 10 years

They were arrested between Nov. 10 and 20 while asking for money on the streets, Bangkok Post reported.

They have been fined between 100 and 500 baht (US$3-15) each. One of them has already been deported back to China, while the rest are awaiting deportation, Thai PBS World reported.

Police added that all of them will be blacklisted.

They mainly begged in crowded places and tourist destinations with their disfigured faces and bodies.

Some of the beggars claimed they ran out of money while traveling in Thailand but police found one of the Chinese beggars arrived by air in June on a tourist visa. The woman later applied for online education in Thailand and sought a student visa to help extend her stay, the Nation Thailand reported.

Following the investigation, police found the beggars earned about 10,000 baht a day.

Begging is considered illegal in Thailand.

Thailand last month started granting visa-free entry for Chinese tourists and industry insiders worried the Chinese beggars would take advantage of the government's visa-free scheme to operate in Thailand.

Thai police pledged to carefully check Chinese visitors with facial and body disfiguration as some had come there with the intention of begging on the streets, according to the Metropolitan Police Bureau.