Visa overstay due to cancelled flight

[elviajero]

2 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

I wouldn't wonder if you have to pay. 

I remember a day at CM immigration. A family of 4 applied for an extension. They arrived very early before 7am. Unfortunately half of staff went to a meeting so that the family's matters could not be finished that day. They were told to come back tomorrow. This meant ONE day overstay because of immigration. They had to pay for whole family 

Because of immigration or because they left it to the last day to apply for an extension!?

[NoshowJones]

17 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

OP , I hope its sorted for you asap. Simple solution would be statement from Thai imm something like "any tourists with cancelled flights due to current no fly zone restrictions  can show original ticket at passport control will not be subjected to over stay laws"

 

You actually think there is any chance that Thai immigration would do that? 

That is far too sensible for them. 

[sawadee1947]

3 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Because of immigration or because they left it to the last day to apply for an extension!?

Well, they've been told not to wait until last day 

[NoshowJones]

11 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Well the situation was beyond the control of Thai immigration too! There was some mention that some tourist leaving with a short overstay who can show it was due to cancellation of the flight would not be fined at the airport.

If people plan their trips to leave on the day their permission expires they should also consider contingency plans and be able to afford the 1900 baht, 500/day and hotel. 

Will the Airline accept the costs as they are cancelling the flights?

I think that in Europe they would, they wouldn't have a choice.

[NoshowJones]

7 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Yeah, take the taxi driver.

and make sure he turns on the meter.

Edited March 1, 2019 by possum1931

[NoshowJones]

17 minutes ago, sawadee1947 said:

I wouldn't wonder if you have to pay. 

I remember a day at CM immigration. A family of 4 applied for an extension. They arrived very early before 7am. Unfortunately half of staff went to a meeting so that the family's matters could not be finished that day. They were told to come back tomorrow. This meant ONE day overstay because of immigration. They had to pay for whole family 

That's not hard to believe.

[Maestro]

18 hours ago, Hanshansen said:

Due to the cancelled flights today, my family and myself will overstay our 30 days at arrival visa (valid until feb, 27th...

Am I reading this correctly?

 

27 February: expiration of permission to stay in Thailand.

 

28 February: scheduled date of flight out of Thailand, which was cancelled.

 

[Muhendis]

There really is nothing to worry about. Some years ago Iceland allowed one of their volcanoes to erupt which caused my return flight from BKK to LHR to be cancelled. I went to Bangkok immigration for an extension only to be told it wasn't necessary. All I would need to do was to explain the situation to the immigration police at BKK, show them my valid ticket and all would be well. I did and it was. My delay was two weeks of additional happiness in sunny Pattaya. 

[JackThompson]

55 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Because of immigration or because they left it to the last day to apply for an extension!?

The family tried to apply on a valid date (starting 7AM), and immigration failed to process the extensions on a working-day, due to immigration's "meeting" activities.  Therefore, they should not have been charged.   Of course, this assumes someone with a shred of decency involved in the process, which is "hit and miss," unfortunately. 

 

There was no justifiable reason for fining that family, or trying to wrangle 11K baht out of the guy with delayed flights (earlier post) in contradiction to an announced-policy, in that instance.  It is as though the people involved are working on quotas, bonuses or commissions - at least I hope so, as that is a policy which can at least be stopped.  The alternative explanations imply a mentality in the staff towards foreigners, which would be a far more difficult problem to correct.

[elviajero]

45 minutes ago, JackThompson said:

The family tried to apply on a valid date (starting 7AM), and immigration failed to process the extensions on a working-day, due to immigration's "meeting" activities.  Therefore, they should not have been charged.   Of course, this assumes someone with a shred of decency involved in the process, which is "hit and miss," unfortunately. 

The family applied on the last day (their choice), which meant any unforeseen event stopping them completing the extension that day would put them on overstay. They would have known that.

 

But you go ahead and - as usual - blame immigration and their anti-foreigner staff! 

[SiSePuede419]

Due to the cancelled flights today, my family and myself will overstay our 30 days at arrival visa (valid until feb, 27th - flight now planned for march, 8th

 

Where are you flying to?

 

Some obscure country that only has one flight per week?

 

Every single airline I've ever flown that cancels a flight?

 

They put me on the very next flight. ????

[Hanshansen]

We got the visa extension today and were fined for the 2 days without visa. The cancelled flight did not get us around the fee or the fine, but the kids did not have to pay. I guess everything was done by the book.

[JackThompson]

1 hour ago, elviajero said:

The family applied on the last day (their choice), which meant any unforeseen event stopping them completing the extension that day would put them on overstay. They would have known that.

 

But you go ahead and - as usual - blame immigration and their anti-foreigner staff! 

I will, since the unforeseen-event was immigration's event, carried out in place of doing the day's business, so should have been immigration's responsibility.

[lamyai3]

2 hours ago, Muhendis said:

There really is nothing to worry about. Some years ago Iceland allowed one of their volcanoes to erupt which caused my return flight from BKK to LHR to be cancelled. I went to Bangkok immigration for an extension only to be told it wasn't necessary. All I would need to do was to explain the situation to the immigration police at BKK, show them my valid ticket and all would be well. I did and it was. My delay was two weeks of additional happiness in sunny Pattaya. 

This only seems to happen when a certain critical mass is reached. Major events such as the aftermath of the tsunami, yellow shirt airport closure and the Iceland volcano all lasted many days and put a lot of people into an overstay situation. It would have been very bad for tourism and the image of Thailand for them to do anything else. But the flight cancellations earlier this week were short lived and probably only a small number of people were pushed into overstay as a result. The event wasn't significant or protracted enough for any special arrangements to be announced. 

[Caldera]

1 hour ago, elviajero said:

The family applied on the last day (their choice), which meant any unforeseen event stopping them completing the extension that day would put them on overstay. They would have known that.

 

But you go ahead and - as usual - blame immigration and their anti-foreigner staff! 

I think you do have to consider what caused the problem. If they hadn't had their documents in order or if there had been an issue outside of immigration, okay. But in that case? Clearly immigration's fault! If an office isn't closed for a holiday, showing up at 7am and expecting to get seen to the same day is perfectly reasonable. Yet you defend these clowns time and again.

[Maestro]

21 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

This is first report related to the VERY many flights cancelled. So you suggest they all trot off to CW. 55

The OP and his wife got their extensions of stay at the Bangkok immigration office today. Obviously, not everybody whose flight was cancelled had to "trot off to CW" today.

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, Maestro said:

The OP and his wife got their extensions of stay at the Bangkok immigration office today. Obviously, not everybody whose flight was cancelled had to "trot off to CW" today.

There was was 41 flights cancelled. Not everyone posts on tv. In fact the typical tourist probably never has. Prey tell why would a whole family need to go to CW zoo, in this situation. 

[scorecard]

22 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Good point....and sadly yet again demonstrates Thai imm inept at acting quickly to assist tourists in situation beyond their control.

Would the immigration folks in other countries / your home country show any flexibility for this scenario? Mine wouldn't. 

[DrJack54]

19 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Would the immigration folks in other countries / your home country show any flexibility for this scenario? Mine wouldn't. 

I did do the Google thing. Several countries have done exactly as I suggested, especially things such as this. Yes there will be some countries that don't. Check it out....

You say your country would not. Guess or factual info

[smotherb]

On 3/1/2019 at 1:15 AM, impulse said:

 

Some people can roll with the punches, others not so much. 

 

Chaeng Wattana (sp?) may be a zoo, or they may be in and out in an hour or 2 (took me 90 minutes last time I did an extension in mid 2018)  Then they have a week or so to explore BKK, head off to Kanchanaburi to see the Death Railroad Bridge on the River Kwai (that's what I'd do) or any of a thousand things they didn't have time for.

 

Life gave 'em lemons.  They can choke on 'em.  Or they can make lemonade.  

 

Yeah, but unfortunately many will have already spent their holiday funds. Those with the financial resources can simply spend more and extend their holidays to make lemonade.

 

However, I think you may have overlooked the big picture complaint. Sure the lemons came in the form of hostilities between India and Pakistan which, rightfully so, incurred the flight cancellations. Why do those people have to choke because of the added hassle from Thai immigration? Especially those without money and needing to eat and sleep and pay the overstay fees.

 

Come-on Big Joke; flex your muscle--it seems so easy, let those with proof of cancelled flight slide out within some reasonable time, maybe one week. Immigration gives you seven days to clear-out once you've extended your stay, don't they? 

[NanLaew]

On 2/28/2019 at 4:37 PM, DrJack54 said:

OP , I hope its sorted for you asap. Simple solution would be statement from Thai imm something like "any tourists with cancelled flights due to current no fly zone restrictions  can show original ticket at passport control will not be subjected to over stay laws"

 

You mean like what they do in exactly no other country in the world? Ever?

[Date Masamune]

Amazing how many people plan a holiday to the last day of visa and overstay briefly by accident or intention. Sure yesterday a dozens of punters at airport were FURIOUS to remember Feb has 28 days so they wasted 2 days of visa exempt status

 

Next year the same crowd will all overstay one day because they'll forget leap year!

 

 

 

[natway09]

I am sure Thai Immigration will overlook fining people who have had their flights cancelled through no fault of their own nor the airline.

Lets see, shall we, please let us know

[OJAS]

17 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

There was was 41 flights cancelled. Not everyone posts on tv. In fact the typical tourist probably never has. Prey tell why would a whole family need to go to CW zoo, in this situation. 

I was under the impression that Suvarnabhumi lies within the catchment area of the Samut Prakan immigration office - which is much closer to the airport than CW.

[JackThompson]

19 hours ago, lamyai3 said:

This only seems to happen when a certain critical mass is reached. Major events such as the aftermath of the tsunami, yellow shirt airport closure and the Iceland volcano all lasted many days and put a lot of people into an overstay situation. It would have been very bad for tourism and the image of Thailand for them to do anything else. But the flight cancellations earlier this week were short lived and probably only a small number of people were pushed into overstay as a result. The event wasn't significant or protracted enough for any special arrangements to be announced. 

In other words, it was an "revenue opportunity," with minimal projected blowback.  What they fail to recognize, is how social-media can capture an experience of poor treatment of a relatively small group, and beam it into thousands of minds.  Hitting a small percentage and simultaneously gas-lighting them to make them feel they were "an isolated case," doesn't work so well, anymore.

 

53 minutes ago, OJAS said:

I was under the impression that Suvarnabhumi lies within the catchment area of the Samut Prakan immigration office - which is much closer to the airport than CW.

I'm not sure the local office has any "jurisdiction" over the entry-point, or if they do, the "fiefdom" rule leads to minimal oversight. 

 

Consider the bad-reports of Nong Khai office, vs the friendly Nong Khai entry-point - or the Bangkok airports' attitudes towards staying "a whole 60 days" of vacation from a Tourist Visa ("Impossible," they told a 1st time visitor, recently), while few reports of problems obtaining 30-day extensions of those "long" 60-day stays at immigration offices.

[ukrules]

21 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

 

Some obscure country that only has one flight per week?

 

Every single airline I've ever flown that cancels a flight?

 

They put me on the very next flight. ????

LOL, lots of airlines have just one nearly full flight every day, it could take a couple of weeks to reseat 300 passengers unless of course they start offloading the passengers to other airlines which also have the same issue.

 

There's not going to be a spare plane.

[StevieAus]

On 2/28/2019 at 11:16 PM, DrJack54 said:

Good point....and sadly yet again demonstrates Thai imm inept at acting quickly to assist tourists in situation beyond their control.

More importantly what are the airline doing to assist if they have caused the problem?

[OJAS]

19 hours ago, JackThompson said:

I'm not sure the local office has any "jurisdiction" over the entry-point, or if they do, the "fiefdom" rule leads to minimal oversight. 

Same could equally be said of CW, I think. Those forced to crash out on the floor at BKK until a new flight can be booked may never have set foot in Bangkok during their trip!

[elviajero]

On 3/1/2019 at 1:50 PM, Caldera said:

On 3/1/2019 at 12:19 PM, elviajero said:

The family applied on the last day (their choice), which meant any unforeseen event stopping them completing the extension that day would put them on overstay. They would have known that.

 

But you go ahead and - as usual - blame immigration and their anti-foreigner staff! 

I think you do have to consider what caused the problem. If they hadn't had their documents in order or if there had been an issue outside of immigration, okay. But in that case? Clearly immigration's fault! If an office isn't closed for a holiday, showing up at 7am and expecting to get seen to the same day is perfectly reasonable. Yet you defend these clowns time and again.

If you leave the application to the last minute you only have yourself to blame.

 

I'm not defending the "clowns", I'm criticising the applicants.

 

For the record I don't believe immigration should charge for overstay in this case; however, I also do not believe the story. There is no way, meeting or not, that someone turning up at 7 am would not get a simple tourist extension the same day!

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, elviajero said:

There is no way, meeting or not, that someone turning up at 7 am would not get a simple tourist extension the same day!

At some small immigration offices, it is easy to believe you would not get the extension the same day. Junior officials do not have authority to sign off on them, and the one or two officials normally responsible could easily be unavailable for a day. However, you would normally be allowed to submit the application, with the authorised signature being given the following day, without a fine assessed.