Chinese National Banned from Thailand After Damaging Suvarnabhumi Airport Equipment

May 15, 2026, 09:45
AsiaInternational

Introduction

A Chinese citizen has been permanently banned from entering Thailand and faces criminal charges after damaging automated immigration machines and attacking officials at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Main Body

The incident happened on Wednesday around 2:00 PM in the international terminal's departure area. A 30-year-old man, identified as Liwei Zheng, reportedly failed to follow the correct procedures while using an automated border-control gate, which caused the system to malfunction. After this, the man began kicking and breaking the glass barriers to force his way through, bypassing the mandatory immigration checks without permission. Security officers and the man's spouse eventually intervened after he shouted insults in English and Mandarin and tried to attack the officers on duty. Consequently, Mr. Zheng faces several criminal charges, including the destruction of government property—with damages estimated between 450,000 and 480,000 baht—and insulting public officials. These crimes could lead to up to three years and one year in prison, respectively, along with heavy fines. Authorities emphasized that this action is part of a larger effort to stop disorderly behavior by foreign visitors. Once the court case is finished, the man will be deported.

Conclusion

The individual is currently in custody while waiting for his court date. His visa has been cancelled, and he is permanently banned from returning to the country.

Learning

⚡ The 'B2 Leap': Moving from Simple to Precise Verbs

At the A2 level, students use generic words like do, make, go, or say. To reach B2, you must replace these with precise verbs that describe the exact action and the consequence.

Look at how this text upgrades basic ideas into professional, B2-level English:

🛠️ The Vocabulary Upgrade

A2 (Basic)🚀 B2 (Precise)Context from Article
Help/StopIntervene"Security officers... eventually intervened"
BreakMalfunction"...caused the system to malfunction"
Go aroundBypass"...bypassing the mandatory immigration checks"
Say bad thingsInsult"...he shouted insults in English"

💡 The Linguistic Secret: Collocations

B2 fluency isn't just about big words; it's about which words "stick" together. Notice these strong pairs in the text. If you use these, you stop sounding like a student and start sounding like a speaker:

  • Permanently banned →\rightarrow (Not just cannot go back, but permanently banned).
  • Criminal charges →\rightarrow (Not just police problems, but criminal charges).
  • Government property →\rightarrow (Specific terminology for things owned by the state).
  • In custody →\rightarrow (The formal way to say in jail/held by police).

⚠️ Pro Tip for the Transition

Stop using "Very" and "Bad." Instead of saying "He did a very bad thing," a B2 student says "He engaged in disorderly behavior."

The Formula: Generic Verb →\rightarrow Specific Action Verb →\rightarrow Formal Noun Phrase

Vocabulary Learning

permanently
for all future time; never again
Example:He was permanently banned from the country.
banned
prohibited from doing something
Example:She was banned from entering Thailand.
criminal
related to crime; unlawful
Example:He faced criminal charges.
damaging
causing harm or injury
Example:Damaging the equipment led to fines.
automated
operated by machines without human control
Example:The gate was automated.
immigration
the process of entering a country
Example:Immigration checks were bypassed.
border-control
the system or process that controls entry at borders
Example:The automated border-control gate malfunctioned.
malfunction
to fail to function properly
Example:The system malfunctioned when he used it.
bypassing
avoiding or going around
Example:He was bypassing mandatory checks.
mandatory
required by law or rules
Example:Mandatory immigration checks.
intervened
to stop a conflict by stepping in
Example:Security officers intervened.
insults
offensive remarks
Example:He shouted insults in English.
destruction
the act of destroying
Example:Destruction of property led to charges.
government
the governing authority of a country
Example:Government property was damaged.
property
something owned
Example:Property damage was estimated.
estimated
roughly calculated
Example:Damages were estimated at 450,000 baht.
fines
money penalties
Example:He faced heavy fines.
effort
a purposeful activity
Example:This is part of a larger effort.
disorderly
unruly or chaotic
Example:Disorderly behavior is prohibited.
deported
to send someone back to their country
Example:He will be deported after the trial.
custody
the state of being held by authorities
Example:He is in custody.
visa
a document allowing entry
Example:His visa was cancelled.
cancelled
no longer valid
Example:His visa has been cancelled.