Hi,

 

I need some tips/help guys.

I have 16 days overstay on my regular 30 day visa (I didn’t know about the 30 day extension) and I am for the moment on Koh Tao with everything paid for until 11 Aug (16 more days). 

 

My plan is to stay here until I check out from my hotel the 11 aug. And then what? I’ve been pretty optimistic and my previous plan was to go Koh Samui for a couple days and party and meet some friends. Then take a domestic flight to Bangkok from Koh Samui and then check in at a hostel I like in Bangkok for a week. And after that get some type of private room until I have 89 days overstay and then fly to Kuala Lumpur and get a tourist visa.

 

But now after reading about overstaying online I feel worried about everything. 

 

Can I check in at a hotel on Koh Samui with my (then 30 days) overstay?

 

Can I fly domestic from Koh Samui to Bangkok?

 

Can I get a room for the rest of the time in Bangkok?

 

I’m really afraid to get caught by the police and get a 5 year ban from the country. Should I just go to some “travel shop” here on Koh Tao and buy a ferry + train ticket to Bangkok and take the first flight to Kuala Lumpur? 

 

Pay the overstay fine on the airport and leave the country and come back?

 

I got pretty worried here middle of the night and don’t know what to do.

 

(?)

If you are planning future visits you should leave ASAP and clear your overstay.

 

If you make the stupid decision to stay; all the places you stay at are supposed to report your stay which could get you caught.

 

If you are caught you will almost certainly be arrested, detained, prosecuted in court, fined, deported and banned. Detention could be for weeks.

Leave immediately by air. Get a tourist visa, Return by land. Avoid overstays in the future.

When you check into a hotel your details are reported to immigration by the owner, most of them do this online.

 

If you're on an overstay then the local immigration will know where you are and if they can be bothered and have the time maybe they will come and arrest you.

 

I suggest leaving the country immediately and don't count on getting back in any time soon without a visa.

 

 

Even if you do manage to stay without being arrested there is no guarantee that you will be granted a visa to return. Any overstay by more than a few days will be looked at very carefully by the embassy/consulate. Leaving with a near 90 day overstay and then trying to do a border bounce back into the country will not  be looked at favourably and there is a very high chance that your visa app will be very carefully looked at and denied. Being granted a visa in a not a right, it is a privilege.

 

You seem to think an overstay is not big deal, a simple book entry. It ain't and that big "overstay" stamp in your visa will draw a lot of attention to every country that you enter in the future. And don't think by simply getting another passport will clear the issue. Visa applications to a lot of countries will ask you questions like "have you ever been denied entry to a country" and "have you ever overstayed your visa in any country" - Good luck if you lie. 

 

A visa to enter another country is not a right, it is a privilege and you have proven that you don't obey another countries laws so why would any country not be nervous in extending any privilege to you in the future?

 

 

 

Okey guys, thank you for replying. I need to leave the country today! I can’t walk around feeling like this. So what’s the best option for me if I want to leave today? From Koh Tao. The time here now is 05:36 am and I haven’t slept, I just need to sort this out. Can I take a domestic flight from Koh Samui or should I go by train?

You are making a wise decision in sorting this out without further  irresponsible procrastination.

Domestic flights are fine, probably the safest way to travel.

Although you should not return by air, you should leave Thailand via an international flight. Land crossings will sometimes refuse to process your overstay if it is more than a few days.

Where are you planning to go to apply for a visa? Kuala Lumpur will likely be OK, but you need to have made the application online in advance. Further, you need to return through a safe land entry. Even with a visa, do not risk flying back to Thailand. Avoid Padang Besar and Poipet also.

10 minutes ago, BritTim said:

You are making a wise decision in sorting this out without further  irresponsible procrastination.

Domestic flights are fine, probably the safest way to travel.

Although you should not return by air, you should leave Thailand via an international flight. Land crossings will sometimes refuse to process your overstay if it is more than a few days.

Where are you planning to go to apply for a visa? Kuala Lumpur will likely be OK, but you need to have made the application online in advance. Further, you need to return through a safe land entry. Even with a visa, do not risk flying back to Thailand. Avoid Padang Besar and Poipet also.

Ok thank you for the information.

And I just noticed ITS FRIDAY! The Thai embassy in Kuala Lumpur are closed during weekends right? So I’ll maybe wait and plan everything until Monday. Ok so I should go by bus or train back in to Thailand? I’ll in that case take the train/bus to Surat Thani then the ferry back here to Koh Tao. Hopefully it will not take more than 2-3 day...right?

11 minutes ago, CeylonArey said:

Ok thank you for the information.

And I just noticed ITS FRIDAY! The Thai embassy in Kuala Lumpur are closed during weekends right? So I’ll maybe wait and plan everything until Monday. Ok so I should go by bus or train back in to Thailand? I’ll in that case take the train/bus to Surat Thani then the ferry back here to Koh Tao. Hopefully it will not take more than 2-3 day...right?

Monday is a holiday too, King's birthday

9 minutes ago, Sticky Wicket said:

Monday is a holiday too, King's birthday

I’ll probably arrive in Kuala Lumpur evening so I’ll go to the embassy the day after arrival. Tuesday is a normal weekday right?

It is direct flights from Koh Samui airport to Kuala Lumpur but I’ve read that’s maybe not the best place to leave the country with an overstay? 

So domestic flight to Bangkok then take the international flight from there is a better idea?

thanks

You should clear the overstay with your exit at an international airport. Expect to pay your fine and receive a long lecture. Do not expect to be allowed to return quickly and not be stopped at immigration as they have an electronic record of your overstay and may choose to decline entry. 

Local Immigration offices can clear an overstay and issue an extension after you've paid the fine but I've only heard about this being done for a few days, if you explain that you simply didn't realise then they may allow you to pay the fine on the spot and then issue the extension.

 

It might be worth considering. Suggest seeking more advice on this route as it has been known to work in the past.

It's clowns like you who abuse the system that makes it difficult for all other farang who take the trouble to stay here legitamately. I hope you get banned for a long time! Good riddance!

10 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

It's clowns like you who abuse the system that makes it difficult for all other farang who take the trouble to stay here legitamately. I hope you get banned for a long time! Good riddance!

Utter drivel, the rules have only recently been changed by the Junta.

Before that it was a very minor indiscretion. 

1 hour ago, BritTim said:

Where are you planning to go to apply for a visa? Kuala Lumpur will likely be OK, but you need to have made the application online in advance.

KL only has a online appointment system not a online application. Appointments are available for the next day without a problem,

See: https://linistry.com/Customer/ServiceMenu?b=127&parentId=1383

The embassy is closed on Monday for a holiday so the earliest is Tuesday.

To OP you might want to consider flying from Surat Thani to KL. Asia has from there.

One option might be to fly domestic to an airport near a friendly border crossing and just do a border hop for new entry. One option is to fly to Udon Thani and take a van from the airport to the bridge in Nong Khai to cross over to Laos and return to get a new 30 day visa exempt entry.

1 hour ago, CeylonArey said:

Ok thank you for the information.

And I just noticed ITS FRIDAY! The Thai embassy in Kuala Lumpur are closed during weekends right? So I’ll maybe wait and plan everything until Monday. Ok so I should go by bus or train back in to Thailand? I’ll in that case take the train/bus to Surat Thani then the ferry back here to Koh Tao. Hopefully it will not take more than 2-3 day...right?

The timing is unfortunate. You could save a day by applying in Kota Bharu. Since this is a Muslim area, the consulate is closed Friday but open Sunday.

If your accommodation is paid until 11th August, you can make a short trip out to KL and get a tourist visa, and then still have use of your paid room when you return. The timing is unfortunate right now given it's a Friday ahead of a long weekend, but remaining here on overstay is never advisable, even though this would usually become an issue only when attempting to check into a new place. Overstay is also a false economy, in that each additional day you don't leave adds 500 baht to the fine. As advised earlier, get the first affordable flight out from Bangkok. 

 

Best way to frame it - KL is a worthwhile destination in it's own right, go for a few days and enjoy it as a travel experience. Cheap rooms are available in areas like Chinatown.

23 minutes ago, BritTim said:

The timing is unfortunate. You could save a day by applying in Kota Bharu. Since this is a Muslim area, the consulate is closed Friday but open Sunday.

Closed this Sunday for the King's birthday but open on Monday. See: http://www.thaiembassy.org/kotabharu/th/organize/17233-วันเวลาทำการ-วันหยุดราชการ--Working-Hours-&-H.html

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

KL only has a online appointment system not a online application. Appointments are available for the next day without a problem,

See: https://linistry.com/Customer/ServiceMenu?b=127&parentId=1383

The embassy is closed on Monday for a holiday so the earliest is Tuesday.

To OP you might want to consider flying from Surat Thani to KL. Asia has from there.

One option might be to fly domestic to an airport near a friendly border crossing and just do a border hop for new entry. One option is to fly to Udon Thani and take a van from the airport to the bridge in Nong Khai to cross over to Laos and return to get a new 30 day visa exempt entry.

OP as usual this advice from ubon is to be followed. Flights from samui are bkk airlines only and expensive. Get ferry to Surat thani and follow ubon advice. My vote would be udon thani. 

Edited July 26, 20196 yr by DrJack54

13 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

OP as usual this advice from ubon is to be followed. Flights from samui are bkk airlines only and expensive. Get ferry to Surat thani and follow ubon advice. My vote would be udon thani. 

This is a matter of opinion. I would choose going somewhere for a tourist visa for two main reasons:

• Although Nong Khai has historically been willing to clear longish overstays, I still think they could conceivably be reluctant if knowing the OP was just planning an in/out border bounce. It is a long way to go to then be told to leave by air.
• I would be husbanding the visa exempt entries by land for situations when there is no other reasonable alternative.

That aside, there is also a tiny chance of being checked at checkpoints near land borders. I would not worry unduly between Udon Thani and Nong Khai, but still a tiny additional concern.

 

As against that, I suppose a denied application for the visa in Kuala Lumpur or Kota Bharu is possible. That would still leave some alternatives.

Edited July 26, 20196 yr by BritTim

11 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

OP as usual this advice from ubon is to be followed. Flights from samui are bkk airlines only and expensive. Get ferry to Surat thani and follow ubon advice. My vote would be udon thani. 

Yes but the fact still remains he will still be on overstay and if he flies to Udon say today, or tomorrow or Sunday or Monday, if possible he will need to get across the border and stay there as he cannot rent a room here as will risk getting caught. As his details are already in the system where he is currently staying, immigration might just decide to show up at his door to get an arrest just to show another bad boy. So what really is the best? Either way for what ever direction he goes to he should get out now and not risk detainment. I would go to Surathani and get out to KL asap.

55 minutes ago, BritTim said:

This is a matter of opinion. I would choose going somewhere for a tourist visa for two main reasons:

• Although Nong Khai has historically been willing to clear longish overstays, I still think they could conceivably be reluctant if knowing the OP was just planning an in/out border bounce. It is a long way to go to then be told to leave by air.
• I would be husbanding the visa exempt entries by land for situations when there is no other reasonable alternative.

That aside, there is also a tiny chance of being checked at checkpoints near land borders. I would not worry unduly between Udon Thani and Nong Khai, but still a tiny additional concern.

 

As against that, I suppose a denied application for the visa in Kuala Lumpur or Kota Bharu is possible. That would still leave some alternatives.

I agree. I didn't think the overstay through clearly. I think best flight out of Thailand and clear up overstay at international airport. What are his options from Surat thani. Or for that matter bkk.

4 hours ago, CeylonArey said:

Okey guys, thank you for replying. I need to leave the country today! I can’t walk around feeling like this. So what’s the best option for me if I want to leave today? From Koh Tao. The time here now is 05:36 am and I haven’t slept, I just need to sort this out. Can I take a domestic flight from Koh Samui or should I go by train?

i would let your friends and family know what you are doing and have them waiting to hear from you once you get past immigration.

 

if you fly they will check your passport but not too concerned about your status on a domestic flight. if you take the train they will check your passport once but there are still police who walk through the train looking for people with drugs. it depends on how you look.

 

i would buy a few snack bars and some water now. not sure how long you will be detained at immigration.

 

and if you get arrested before the airport then you will need to be transported from down south up to BKK. That sometimes can take a few days.

Edited July 26, 20196 yr by NCC1701A

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

I agree. I didn't think the overstay through clearly. I think best flight out of Thailand and clear up overstay at international airport. What are his options from Surat thani. Or for that matter bkk.

Although Surat Thani is technically an international airport, as a practical matter a connection is necessary through Suvarnabhumi or Don Muang to get anywhere for the visa.

Good options in my opinion are

• Yangon, returning by land through Myawaddy/Maesot. This requires a Myanmar visa available online.
• Kuala Lumpur, returning by bus through Sadao, with Satun being another reasonable crossing point to use.
• Kota Bharu, returning through Sungai Kolok.

Less attractive because of a complicated return journey to enter by land are

• Ho Chi Minh City, returning via Cambodia to Koh Kong and into Thailand at Hat Lek.
• Hanoi, returning to Thailand via Vientiane and Nong Khai. This involves a very long bus trip, but the buses are supposedly comfortable, and the trip bearable. [EDIT: Actually, flying, just over an hour, from Hanoi to Vientiane is possible, making this maybe more attractive.]

I would forget Savannakhet in the OP's case given the complications of flying there on international flights and the extreme crowds that can be expected early next week. I believe Phnom Penh and Penang are risky for tourist visas now in any but very clean circumstances.

Edited July 26, 20196 yr by BritTim

Thank you for all the tips and information. Well needed!

 

I can’t find anything online about train from Kuala Lumpur to Thailand. I just find lots of bus companies Kuala Lumpur to Hat Yai. 

 

Is it really needed to enter Thailand by land? Is it not possible to take a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok? There are some really cheap flights.

Amazing the kind of people we encounter here, there and everywhere. Laurel & Hardy reborn. MS>

Planning an overstay!? Very irresponsible behaviour. However, I hope you sort it out and everything works fine. Maybe you should consider to return home for a while, sit down and think over how to do and behave when travelling to a foreign country. To me it seems that you´ve lost all boundries and common sense.

Thank you +2 for the kind words. It was a stupid as* mistake, I know. I’ve learned by it. Been to Thailand for 3 years in total, always done visa runs by flight. Never overstayed before. 

 

I was was drunk in Bangkok and took a decision. Took a flight to Koh Samui with only 1 day left on my visa. And then...I came up with this stupid plan. I regret that I didn’t used google about Thai Visa information and extended my 30 day visa. Now I’m here and the situation isn’t that good and that’s how it is. Now I need to sort this out. ‘stupid Ceylon’

 

 

I might have missed it but OP never mentioned his/her nationality. Do check...

Edited July 26, 20196 yr by ttkeric
Left out 'never'