shocky2004

I can confirm what Mario & JordanJames said.

I've actually spoken with 3 different immigration this morning (we called in CMX, BKK & Phuket cause we really wanted to make sure that we get the right answer since sometimes they tend to contradict themselves)

All of them were unanimous: You're not gonna get blacklisted if you leave NOW (by now i mean not later than this week-end, after that i can't help.)

We, ourselves, went out together last friday out by air at CNX INT Airport and my friend paid his 11months overstay fine and they just literally offered him cofee and told him to get the right visa and that he wouldnt have a problem coming back. After what we saw here by some people, we really wanted to make sure so we called this morning and they all said the same thing:

If you have the right visa, and if you haven't had a blacklist stamp in your passeport on your way out (which won't happen since the law isn't in place) then you will be back in.

I asked if there would be a problem having a big overstay stamp in the passeport when you try to go back in and they say 'no as long as you have the right visa now because the law aren't in effect and will most likely not be retroactive.'

But please, go out now. Stop being paranoid about it. Many people here posted about exiting without a problem. You will be fine but posting on TV for days asking the same question won't help. Just go out now, make a plan and comeback.

Thanks for the answer guys

i think the same as you Mario but i just want to make sure since, even though we left before the law was passed, it really wasn't long time ago (a week) so i don't know if this can play a role.

Crossy, the thing is he's obviously not a tourist since he stayed in Thailand for over a year but it's the only visa he could of get here. I guess the immigration officer will challenge and ask him about how can he be a tourist if he stayed there for more than a year.. we asked some people here (PP) and they told us that it was a tourist visa that he needed but i dunno how can this work, we shall see i guess.

Is there any amount of money needed up front in case for a tourist visa when u arrive at immigration at bkk? is it 20k?

Just wanna know something (i know Joe quite helped me answering this question but i'm still somehow unsure of what we should do):

Since the law has passed yesterday, does that mean thatif someone overstayed more than 90 days but less than a year and has already left the country (flew out on July 17th) won't be able to comeback inside the country?

It's a bit confusing because yesterday my friend received his tourist visa & passeport and we're suppose to go back to Bangkok tommorow.

Does the new law apply only to those who are still in the country and are getting caught or exiting the country from now on or to anyone that has already overstayed and cleared the fine?

My logic tell me that he shouldn't have problem since he went out before the law were in application but i'm still unsure.

Thanks

(Also, does showing paper like existing bank account transaction & departure plane ticket before the end of the 30 days help or it doesn't matter much?)

Does that mean that if someone overstayed more than 90 days but less than a year and has already left the country (July 17th) wont be able to come back int the country? Its a bit confusing cause today my friend received his tourist visa and passeport, were suppose to go back on Friday.

Does the new law apply only to those who are still in the country and are getting caught or exiting the country from now on or to anyone that has already overstayed and cleared the fine?

Im a bit confdused

bump

I have a friend who had an overstay of over a year.Last week he paid the penalty and left for a neighbouring country to obtain a visa. Unfortunately he did not have the correct paperwork and is currently awaiting this paperwork. Now that the new penalties are in force, is he likely to have a problem on his return to Thailand?

bump

Does that mean that if someone overstayed more than 90 days but less than a year and has already left the country (July 17th) wont be able to come back int the country? Its a bit confusing cause today my friend received his tourist visa and passeport, were suppose to go back on Friday.

Does the new law apply only to those who are still in the country and are getting caught or exiting the country from now on or to anyone that has already overstayed and cleared the fine?

Im a bit confdused

Shocky

Chiang Mai is "CNX" for the airport designation, per IATA:

http://www.iata.org/publications/Pages/code-search.aspx

Mac

Oops, sorry for the confusion. I always thought it was CMX for 'Chiang Mai'.

Ty for the correction.

He should apply for a tourist visa because that apparently his only option. You/he should contact an agency to do the visa application because it can take up to 4 days to get the visa unless you use one. I will only cost $10 to $20 to get the visa quicker and with more certainty that it will issued.

Thanks you ubon.

Just a quick question.

To those who haven't followed the other thread i made well basically

- A friend of mine went out Thailand by CMX airport with an overstay of 11 months. He paid his fine, got told about the new rules. They said the rules aren't in effect yet and that he won't be blacklisted but to get a good visa.

- We went out through the same airport on a flight with AA to BKK then BKK to PP.

At this moment, we are still in PP (actually he's going to the embassy today) Even though officials told us that the rules aren't in effect yet, an overstay stamp in passeport is obviously not good looking and might play a huge role in the decision of an officer in letting someone in/out. What i would like to know is

- What kind of visa should he apply for at the Embassy? Immigration at CMX told him to get the 'right' visa but he can't apply for his ED outside so which one would be the best to at least be able to go back for 30 days then leave out (30 days is around the time it takes to receive papers from school) It make no sense to apply for a tourist visa considering you're not a tourist so i was wondering if there was some other kind of visa for this transition or simply a visa extempt at airport.

- Can having, for example, a plane ticket showing that you're leaving back in like 25-30 days later in your hands help?

I can't help on this matter as i never had tourist visa before, i'm on my 2nd ED.

Thanks!!

I can't say I understand your recommendation...

You recommend leaving and coming back via that airport because your friend paid an overstay fine there? That doesn't make sense. You can pay the overstay fine and leave with no problems at any airport, or indeed border crossing if you get there safely, nothing special about your experience at that airport.

In fact I recently returned from Cambodia to Bangkok after an overstay, I arrived at Suvarnabhumi without a visa, and was given a visa exempt entry for 30 days. That's with a 30 day visa exempt, two Double entries and a 20k baht overstay in my passport. They didn't bat an eyelid or bring up how they 'wouldn't be joking next time'.

As an aside on a legal point of view, if they are making people sign this new form acknowledging the banishment from the kingdom, does that mean that if you haven't signed one you are not subject to it?

I said that based on the fact that there have never been a problem with people going out and coming back with visa after overstaying, going back by CMX then it could be a great idea and reduce the chance of getting refused.

Sorry if you were searching for a 'special' experience report. I just typed what happened and as about what's gonna happen next i don't know since we haven't been back yet.

It's not because you received a visa exempt entry for 30 days that it's the same for everyone. Many people got refused and they actually did what they had to do (like getting a visa before coming, filling papers etc) and still got refused. You rolled the dice by overstaying and coming back with your double entries hoping they give you a visa exempt entry and it went good for you luckily. It's not everyone that want to do that. Did you even had any plan B? S

Sounds like you try to brag by saying 'Oh i came back without a visa and they let me in even with all i had in my passeport!' but it just sound stupid. Why would you do a such thing lol

It's not immediately clear why the penalty for overstay when "apprehended" is so much more severe than if you present yourself to Immo at the airport.

Apparently, 'apprehended' can refer to any encounter with the police in which you are required to show your passport, and not necessarily the result of having commited a crime (other than the overstay).

Does anyone have an idea why there is the difference in penalties for the same length of overstay?

The practical effect however is to motivate overstayers to get to the airport and out of the country as soon as possible.

If that is the intent (of the more severe penalty), Immo should conduct a nationwide public information campaign in multiple languages to give overstayers a nudge.

There has always been a different penalty for being caught with an overstay verses doing it voluntarily. If caught you would be put in the IDC until the fine is paid and you got a ticket out of the country. Also some that were caught were blacklisted.

The big difference is not so much the "apprehended" side of things it is banning from entry for any overstay more than 90 days.based upon how long the overstay is for.

From what we've been told, the girl (they were 3 actually but 2 of them) clearly told us that right now overstayers who aren't getting caught can comeback to Thailand as the new rules aren't in place. Obviously, you can get denied anywhere depending on the officer you meet but my friend clearly asked them (he was obv worry and wanted to have a plan B in case... which he still has) if he was going to be denied entry when he try to come back in Thailand because he overstayed 360 days or something. The girl told him that he should not have a problem BUT he need to get the right visa and apply for it at a Thailand Embassy outside Thailand. (But everybody already knew that i guess)

Age, look, how you talk play a huge role too... if an officer doesn't like your face, you're toasted no matter what you say/do.

And for the 10 days 1 year ban, it was written on paper by hands, it wasn't a printed document so.... i might be in the wrong there, i just tell you what i saw.

And yes you can pay your overstay at CMX Airport even if you have a domestic plane to take first THEN another one to go out country. You go through immigration in CMX and in Bangkok someone come pick you up and you go directly to your boarding gate.

Young? Freelancer in Thailand? White?

Does your domain contain computer and cards? :P

Does one have to pay his fine INSIDE CMX Airport or at the Chiang Mai Immigration Center?

Changing passports does not help. Immigration has a database they can do a name and date of birth search on to find previous entries. This has been discussed and confirmed by posts in topics on this forum.

Most people will be able to leave and get a visa and re-enter without problem.

That was actually my thought. I can't really understand how can a country not be able to see your past activity based on different passeports with the same name/birthday. That's why i've contacted 3 different firms but they all told me that they wouldn't be able to see it. (Which is why they recommended to have a new passeport).

So you're telling me that the overstay stamp most likely won't (until the new rule take place) be a problem if one apply for the right visa in a different country and come back?

Cheers

Does anyone know if it's still possible to get a student visa for Muai Thai courses full time?

Just spent an hour talking with 2 different laywers.

From what i've understood whaty they recommended to anyone who has overstay for more than 90 days:

- Go out the country ASAP (preferably by any international airports in Thailand where you can safely pay your fines.
- Go in a country near with an embassy/consulate from your country (or you can directly go to your country)
- Re-Apply for a new passeport (Immigration don't have access to your old infos in your old passeport. I know this one seems hard to believe and i've repeated myself around 3-4 times to make sure they understood but they were 100% confident that when you change passeport and try to re-enter, they cannot see that you overstayed.)

I'll give you guys update on how it went next few days so maybe it can help some people in the same situation as my friend. Cheers

So, just to recap, the OP's friend has been in Thailand for up to 3 years already, mostly on ED visas. I suppose we have to assume that in this time, the friend was attending school in Tak so should be comfortable with the local language. We should also assume that the friend must benefit from some sort of inheritance to be able to stay here so long, (possibly) attending classes with no visible means of support. This really does sound like a genuine tourist to me.

First year he did indeed go to school. But he had to leave Thailand to go back to his home country after 4-5 months so he lost the other 6-7 months of his ED visa. Then when he came back, he re-applied for an ED visa. That time, he stopped going after i don't know how long (met some thai gf, blabla i don't know).

As i stated earlier, he did made a mistake on that one and only him will pay and be held fully responsible of his acts. I do not agree with what he did and i clearly told him. But at the end of the day, he's my friend and i consider him as a good person who <deleted> it up and i'm not the type of person to leave a friend like that.

But you can go ahead and play the detective role and determine via internet and the little infos you have about him if he's a 'genuine tourist'. So many people are doing it here (seems like it's the only thing they do, or go drink some beers at the bar whining about how thai girls are evil, about how thai only try to scam for money, etc) i'm used to that :-P.

There are several international flights a day from CNX - several different carriers. I'm only suggesting the Mae Hong Son flight via Kan Airways as it will reduce the time/risk on the road. Check-in at the international desks- go upstairs, pay your fine at immigration, and you're gone.

You'll probably be familiar with AirAsia and the other well known carriers - a couple of lesser known carriers are Air Bagan that can take you to Yangon - and Lao Airlines which takes you direct to Luang Prabang.

I'm not up to speed with the visa situation in Yangon, if you go to LP, you can either take a bus down to Vientiane or fly down again with Lao Airlines.

Obviously you could fly to KL and connect to Penang - I suppose whatever happens you would be (or your friend would be) looking to first of all get a flight directly out of the country - and to secondly get to the most benign embassy or consulate.

AirAsia also flies direct to Hong Kong - I don't know what the visa situ is there?

Thanks for all the infos you provided me so far, it's really helpful.

My friend is actually here at my condo. He came today from Tak to Chiang Mai by car with a friend. We plan on flying out monday/tuesday morning but i would like to know if flying from Chiang Mai to Myanmar (Yangon i guess?) would be a good idea? Also i have absolutely no idea how tourist visa work as i've never had one (i did had one when i came out of plane but ever since i've been on my ED visa) so if someone can tell me what would he need or can direct me to an updated link it would be appreciated. I've searched but some of the infos i've found seem over-dated.

Biggest fear so far seems to be able to come back to Thailand. Ideally, the plan would be to get a tourist visa for 30 days so it can give him time to contact a school and get the right papers/documents to apply for an ED visa the next month.

Anyway cheers guys, thanks again!

He could only do it at CNX if he was on direct flight out of the country and went through immigration there.

So let's say he has a plane ticket in hand direct to KL + 20k baths, he could fix the issue in CMX and doesnt have to go down to Bangkok?

I did get stopped too here in Chiang Mai at Thapae Gate (right in front of the McDonald). I was on the passager side of a motorcycle with my thai friend and i even had a small can of beer in my hand and they did nothing.... both army and police were there... They only gave us a 100 baths fine cause we didn't had helmets...

Only 100 B ?

Not too much.

Ind why didn't you use helmet ??? Are you a super hero ? I don't want to read about you here in future: " ...there wasn't found any helmet around victim ... "

Long story short: we (me and my thai friend) were only suppose to drive like 4-5 sois to get to a friend house but my friend decided to drive a little bit further so i didn't think a helmet was needed neither did i thought i should worry of finishing my little can of Leo on the small soi. I told my friend to not go where the police are to which he said 'ok no problem. Next thing you know: He drive directly to Thapae Gate lol.

'So - quickest way out - Kan Airways - MHS, CNX and then exit the country. '

I am in Chiang Mai. He's coming down here from Tak cause i told him that we could do a CMX - BKK flight and then get out of the country. Do he absolutely need to clear his fine at bkk airport or can he clean it here in CMX Airport? If he can clear it here and get out of the country i think it would make things much easier.

he has 2 passeports though. His new passeport has absolutely nothing inside (beside the overstay stamp that's he's about to have). So i don't know if this can help when one try to comeback in Thailand at the border..