Hi all, my friends son went to Thailand at the end of last year to work. He's kept in touch and his life there seemed great. He's been in touch this week and told her he has in fact overstayed his visa by more than 90 days (we're not sure exactly how long or what kind of visa he even had but I'm guessing he foolishly went there on a tourist visa). He has asked her for £800 to pay for a flight home and his fine. She simply doesn't have that kind of money nor can she get hold of it, it would take her months to save. His friend is currently feeding him and giving him somewhere to stay but I get the feeling he has asked for help now because he has out stayed his welcome. 

 

I've read a thread on here from 2014 regarding handing himself in and getting a reduced fine in court, is this information still correct? We're hoping that is a option and she can cover the fine but we need to speak to the British embassy too to see if they help with a deportation flight (even if he has to pay them back on his return). 

 

Thank you in advance for any advice you can give. 

31 minutes ago, esposa said:

I've read a thread on here from 2014 regarding handing himself in and getting a reduced fine in court, is this information still correct?

The maximum fine he can receive is 20K baht if he surrenders at the airport.

If he gets arrested and sent through the court system he will be fined somewhere in the region of 5-6K baht. But he could be detained for weeks at the International Detention Center, and can be held indefinitely until he’s bought a direct flight to his home country.

 

31 minutes ago, esposa said:

we need to speak to the British embassy too to see if they help with a deportation flight (even if he has to pay them back on his return). 

The Embassy will not help pay for the flight. They would only help get funds to him from a friend or relative.

Edited October 16, 20196 yr by elviajero

Overstay not as easy peazy as it used to be.

 

Tell him to stay put where he is, don't get arrested, book him a flight home.  Borrow 20,000 Baht (equivalent) and send to him for potential max fine on the way out of the airport.

9 minutes ago, elviajero said:

The maximum fine he can receive is 20K baht if he surrenders at the airport.

If he gets arrested and sent through the court system he will be fined somewhere in the region of 5-6K baht. But he could be detained for weeks at the International Detention Center, and can be held indefinitely until he’s bought a direct flight to his home country.

 

The Embassy will not help pay for the flight. They would only help get funds to him from a friend or relative.

Does that include "Go Fund Me"?

2 minutes ago, White Christmas13 said:

Does that include "Go Fund Me"?

No as it doesn't include the fee for each nights stay in IDC if he gets caught. The last I heard, that was around 720 baht per night for bed and breakfast. That isn't a joke either. You really are charged.

2 minutes ago, Lovethailandelite said:

No as it doesn't include the fee for each nights stay in IDC if he gets caught. The last I heard, that was around 720 baht per night for bed and breakfast. That isn't a joke either. You really are charged.

Isnt that only at the airport IDC ?

1 minute ago, sanemax said:

Isnt that only at the airport IDC ?

I couldn't tell you. I have always attempted to avoid it. What we do know, is that there are people in IDC that have been in there for around 10 years or more. Until everything is paid, fines, flights etc your not ever coming out.

Just now, Lovethailandelite said:

I couldn't tell you. I have always attempted to avoid it. What we do know, is that there are people in IDC that have been in there for around 10 years or more. Until everything is paid, fines, flights etc your not ever coming out.

Those long term stayers are there because they dont have travel documents and cannot get them or dont want to leave , rather than not being able to pay .

  I do believe that every day you spend in IDC, 200 Baht gets taken off your overstay fine 

1 minute ago, sanemax said:

Those long term stayers are there because they dont have travel documents and cannot get them or dont want to leave , rather than not being able to pay .

  I do believe that every day you spend in IDC, 200 Baht gets taken off your overstay fine 

I believe it is only taken off once you have been to court. Fact is, if you don't have money for a flight etc, your Embassy (Mostly) or Thailand will not pay for you. Your stuck

4 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Those long term stayers are there because they dont have travel documents and cannot get them or dont want to leave , rather than not being able to pay .

  I do believe that every day you spend in IDC, 200 Baht gets taken off your overstay fine 

From what I have read the 200 baht is taken off the fine for every day you spend in prison then you move to the IDC.

 

 

24 minutes ago, 55Jay said:

Overstay not as easy peazy as it used to be.

 

Tell him to stay put where he is, don't get arrested, book him a flight home.  Borrow 20,000 Baht (equivalent) and send to him for potential max fine on the way out of the airport.

It's the borrowing the 20000 baht and flight money that is the issue. His mum simply doesn't have it and isn't in a position to borrow it, there is nobody else he can ask (his father passed away when he was a child). For me I'd just leave him where he is to deal with the consequences of his actions but his poor mum is beside herself with worry. I'm just trying to get a idea of all options to figure out in the circumstances which is the best one/cheapest for his mum because ultimately even if she has to save for months that's where any money will come from.

1 minute ago, esposa said:

It's the borrowing the 20000 baht and flight money that is the issue. His mum simply doesn't have it and isn't in a position to borrow it, there is nobody else he can ask (his father passed away when he was a child). For me I'd just leave him where he is to deal with the consequences of his actions but his poor mum is beside herself with worry. I'm just trying to get a idea of all options to figure out in the circumstances which is the best one/cheapest for his mum because ultimately even if she has to save for months that's where any money will come from.

Tell her to contact the British Embassy. At one time they would issue a secured loan. I don't know if they still offer it or if they will offer it if he isn't yet in IDC. 

Just now, Lovethailandelite said:

Tell her to contact the British Embassy. At one time they would issue a secured loan. I don't know if they still offer it or if they will offer it if he isn't yet in IDC. 

Thank you, I wasn't expecting them to cover the cost of his flight and him not pay it back. We'll be contacting them tomorrow anyway. I'm not even sure she has the full story from him so I am hoping I can be there when he next makes contact.

4 minutes ago, esposa said:

Thank you, I wasn't expecting them to cover the cost of his flight and him not pay it back. We'll be contacting them tomorrow anyway. I'm not even sure she has the full story from him so I am hoping I can be there when he next makes contact.

The other issue is they absolutely won't send him the money, even if they will do it in case he simply spends it. It will need to go through a third party.
Good luck anyway

I just don't get this overstay business,I've spend many years in Thailand 

and always followed the law, I did a boarder runs every 90 days.

I am not sure if we had 90 day reporting at that time, maybe we did and

I wasn't aware of it. I traveled 17 hours by train form Ratchaburi to 

Penang which was the closest boarder I guess, so why can't other visa

holders do the same? What is so hard about it? No matter what visa you

on follow the rules,and no I am not a Thai apologist, I hated many things 

in Thailand and that's why I left. But I always followed the rules.

So he spent all his money, is slumming off a friend, and wants mom to come to the rescue and spend money she doesn't have. Leave his sorry azz there and let him figure it out.  May be a good lesson of life for him that there are no free rides. Otherwise, he will continue doing this his whole life.

Cheapest one-way flights to the UK from Bangkok (without baggage allowance, run around 9,000 baht. Start at https://www.skyscanner.net/ to research what is available. On top of this, he needs 20,000 baht for the fine at the airport, and a few baht to get himself there. 800 pounds is, indeed, in the right ballpark.

 

Getting arrested and processed through the court system, although it can result in a reduced fine, works out more expensive overall because you are limited in the flights you can use when returning to home country via deportation. It is also an extremely unpleasant process.

 

If neither the son nor his mother has any friends or relatives, he is in a very dicey situation. I think he would be very lucky to raise the money through a donations site. There is too much competition there for assistance. The British Embassy will not help, except that they may be able to pressure friends and family to fork out. Forget ideas of any cash from that quarter.

5 hours ago, esposa said:

It's the borrowing the 20000 baht and flight money that is the issue. His mum simply doesn't have it and isn't in a position to borrow it, there is nobody else he can ask (his father passed away when he was a child). For me I'd just leave him where he is to deal with the consequences of his actions but his poor mum is beside herself with worry. I'm just trying to get a idea of all options to figure out in the circumstances which is the best one/cheapest for his mum because ultimately even if she has to save for months that's where any money will come from.

You have stated Mum is your friend,surely you can assist. Payday loan or similar perhaps,it’s no small dilemma for the lad and must be sorted before he,s arrested. Too easy for some to say let him suffer!

6 minutes ago, Olmate said:

You have stated Mum is your friend,surely you can assist. Payday loan or similar perhaps,it’s no small dilemma for the lad and must be sorted before he,s arrested. Too easy for some to say let him suffer!

Working illegally and overstaying.

Why not let him face the consequences of his own actions.

He made that choice. Nobody else.

Edited October 17, 20196 yr by fishtank

22 minutes ago, fishtank said:

Working illegally and overstaying.

Why not let him face the consequences of his own actions.

He made that choice. Nobody else.

Without all the facts, I never condemn anybody. There may be psychological issues involved that would make me sympathetic if I knew about them. Even if he is just a young idiot who brought this all on himself with his eyes open, I can understand why his mother would not want to see him rot for months or years in a Thai prison.

I'm surprised that he has a friend he can stay with in Thailand, but no friends back home he could borrow the money from. He really needs money to get out, one way or another.

1 minute ago, BritTim said:

Without all the facts, I never condemn anybody.

He might be giving BS to mummy to get some money out of her too! Bad of him to distress her so and put her in this spot. 

6 hours ago, White Christmas13 said:

I just don't get this overstay business,I've spend many years in Thailand 

and always followed the law, I did a boarder runs every 90 days.

I am not sure if we had 90 day reporting at that time, maybe we did and

I wasn't aware of it. I traveled 17 hours by train form Ratchaburi to 

Penang which was the closest boarder I guess, so why can't other visa

holders do the same? What is so hard about it? No matter what visa you

on follow the rules,and no I am not a Thai apologist, I hated many things 

in Thailand and that's why I left. But I always followed the rules.

23 minutes ago, BritTim said:

Without all the facts, I never condemn anybody. There may be psychological issues involved that would make me sympathetic if I knew about them. Even if he is just a young idiot who brought this all on himself with his eyes open, I can understand why his mother would not want to see him rot for months or years in a Thai prison.

correct, however I think the only logical solution here is for his mum to beg, borrow or sell the TV, sofa & refrigerator …. and then deal with him when he gets back home. 

56 minutes ago, Olmate said:

You have stated Mum is your friend,surely you can assist. Payday loan or similar perhaps,it’s no small dilemma for the lad and must be sorted before he,s arrested. Too easy for some to say let him suffer!

Mum is my friend but I'm not in a financial position to help, not that it's any of your business. I really don't like her son, so I'm certainly not going to get into debt to help him.

 

His friends in the UK won't help, he left owning most of them cash. I've since found out a gofundme was set up 2 or 3 days ago, not one person has donated.

 

The police are apparently looking for him, hence his sudden urgency for money to come home. He was apparently accused of theft and the police were informed. He claims he's innocent but he's lost his job and didn't save any cash from the job. 

 

As it stands with the new information there's nothing she can do because he's refusing to get advice from the British embassy. He thinks he can turn up at the airport, pay the fine and board the flight home. We don't think that's going to be a option now.

27 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

He might be giving BS to mummy to get some money out of her too! Bad of him to distress her so and put her in this spot. 

His mother no doubt knows him better than you! Do you see bad in every such predicament I wonder

4 minutes ago, esposa said:

Mum is my friend but I'm not in a financial position to help, not that it's any of your business. I really don't like her son, so I'm certainly not going to get into debt to help him.

 

His friends in the UK won't help, he left owning most of them cash. I've since found out a gofundme was set up 2 or 3 days ago, not one person has donated.

 

The police are apparently looking for him, hence his sudden urgency for money to come home. He was apparently accused of theft and the police were informed. He claims he's innocent but he's lost his job and didn't save any cash from the job. 

 

As it stands with the new information there's nothing she can do because he's refusing to get advice from the British embassy. He thinks he can turn up at the airport, pay the fine and board the flight home. We don't think that's going to be a option now.

well it sounds like he has a ' I'm ok ' attitude and he thinks all will be fine. His previous history about work and other info don't sound too promising but none of this is our business.

Leave his sorry ass where it is and let him sort it out if he's so smart. 

5 minutes ago, esposa said:

Mum is my friend but I'm not in a financial position to help, not that it's any of your business. I really don't like her son, so I'm certainly not going to get into debt to help him.

 

His friends in the UK won't help, he left owning most of them cash. I've since found out a gofundme was set up 2 or 3 days ago, not one person has donated.

 

The police are apparently looking for him, hence his sudden urgency for money to come home. He was apparently accused of theft and the police were informed. He claims he's innocent but he's lost his job and didn't save any cash from the job. 

 

As it stands with the new information there's nothing she can do because he's refusing to get advice from the British embassy. He thinks he can turn up at the airport, pay the fine and board the flight home. We don't think that's going to be a option now.

Suggest your not mums friend at all then and it’s strange your latest info wasn,t in your first post, just a few hours ago? You post so it’s everyone,s business to answer, so sorry if it offends????

7 hours ago, elviajero said:

The Embassy will not help pay for the flight. They would only help get funds to him from a friend or relative.

Some embassy like Canada will lend the money for the flight if there is no other options. They will make you contact or they will contact the family and friends to try find the funds first. If they need to lend the money you can't leave Canada again until the debt has been repaid.

7 hours ago, sanemax said:

Isnt that only at the airport IDC ?

Some people confuse IDC (immigration detention center) and detention at the airport when denied. They really are not the same condition. Airport detention is heaven compared to IDC. One is a Thai jail and the other one is more like a shared room in a hostel. 

Edited October 17, 20196 yr by Tayaout