Swedes held in Bangkok over alleged crimes and overstays

On 8/25/2026 at 9:57 AM, 1happykamper said:

I don't need to answer...but Thailand immigration needs to. I said in my earlier comment...."surely the technology exists". I'm an engineer not a border security expert

What technology is going to identify an individual travelling on an eu passport, for whom a red notice has not been issued, as being a criminal?

One of these guys entered the Kingdom at least six months ago. The Swedish police seem to have only now contacted the Thai authorities to apprehend him.

Technology needs data. If these guys weren’t “wanted” at the time of entry how could Thailand suddenly decide that they are criminals?

And, once again I wish to point out that they arrived from another country, most likely candidate being Sweden. Why weren’t they caught on exit? Most probably answer, at that time they weren’t wanted for a crime.

I mean, give immigration a break, we all moan about them to some degree or other, but they aren’t mind readers.

15 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

Is not overstaying in and of itself a criminal offence?

No, it's not a criminal offense.

That's why overstayers go to a detention center and not a prison. They are not charged with overstaying and put before a court for sentencing, They are detained until being deported.

15 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

And after a clean sweep of all overstayers from bygone days, would it not simply be a question of staying on top of new arrivals?

Like I said, they haven't got the resources to do a clean sweep.

When you read a news article about a guy who has been caught for something like 8 years overstay, one wonders why /how he could just cruise around Thailand for 8 years.

You would think that after, say, 1 year overstay, an immigration officer is assigned his case and they go after him, but once again, lack of resources.

38 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

No, it's not a criminal offense.

That's why overstayers go to a detention center and not a prison. They are not charged with overstaying and put before a court for sentencing, They are detained until being deported.

Like I said, they haven't got the resources to do a clean sweep.

When you read a news article about a guy who has been caught for something like 8 years overstay, one wonders why /how he could just cruise around Thailand for 8 years.

You would think that after, say, 1 year overstay, an immigration officer is assigned his case and they go after him, but once again, lack of resources.

You sure about that?

AI seems to disagree with you.

“is overstaying a tourist visa in thailand a criminal offence

+4

:

Yes, overstaying a tourist visa in Thailand is an illegal act and a violation of the Thai Immigration Act, though how it is handled depends on how long you stay past your date. “

2 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

And, once again I wish to point out that they arrived from another country, most likely candidate being Sweden.

If you live in southern Sweden you choose Copenhagen airport that's closer than Stockholm.

For example, Malmö third biggest city is 33km from Copenhagen airport and 647 km to Stockholm airport.

22 hours ago, 1happykamper said:

Yes. Obviously. Why not? You seem angry at this thought...any particular reason?

"How Thailand Screens Passengers in Advance

• Pre-Boarding Checks: Airlines are legally required to send passenger details and flight manifests to the Thai Immigration Bureau before departure. [1, 2]

• Database Matching: The system cross-references traveler passport data against blacklists, outstanding arrest warrants, and Interpol alerts. If a match occurs, the system can block the passenger from boarding the plane at their origin airport. [1, 2, 3]

• Digital Arrivals: Travelers also submit digital entry information via systems like the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) to help authorities track and pre-screen visitors. [1, 2]"

Digital arrival card. 🤣🤣🤣please stop it. You can put anything you want on it. It never gets checked. Pre boarding checks give names not background details. Data base matching very rarely works till after the person has already arrived. Hence why there is very little arrests at the airport. It’s always flagged up after they have gone through immigration.

17 minutes ago, Reddavy said:

Digital arrival card. 🤣🤣🤣please stop it. You can put anything you want on it. It never gets checked. Pre boarding checks give names not background details. Data base matching very rarely works till after the person has already arrived. Hence why there is very little arrests at the airport. It’s always flagged up after they have gone through immigration.

That's my point...the DAC is currently useless....but...if it is revised and asks certain questions..like I said...I'm not border security. They could do better