Foreigners in Thailand face fines and jail for overstaying as visa amnesty ends

[snoop1130]

Foreigners in Thailand face fines and jail for overstaying as visa amnesty ends

 

Image: Reuters

 

Thai Immigration are warning foreigners in Thailand to make sure their visa status is in order ahead of the end of the visa amnesty.

 

Foreigners who have been stranded in Thailand due to COVID-19 have until 26 September to renew their visas or leave the country.

 

Anyone found to be in Thailand on an expired visa from 27 September, normal overstay penalties will apply, Immigration has warned.

 

As Thailand went into lockdown in March, the Thai government announced a visa amnesty for foreigners left stranded in the country. The amnesty was then extended to 26 September.

 

While most of the foreign tourists stuck in Thailand have since returned home, Immigration have said there are still 150,000 foreigners in Thailand on tourist visas. 

 

Foreigners who overstay their permission to remain in Thailand face fines and even possible jail. 

 

They are also likely to be deported and could be blacklisted from re-entering Thailand for up to 10 years, depending on the length of time they have overstayed. Information on Thailand’s penalties for overstay can be found below.

 

The news comes as the Phuket News reported that Phuket Immigration on Monday was “overwhelmed” with foreigners trying to extend their permission to remain in the country. 

 

And the end of the visa amnesty doesn’t just apply to tourists. 

 

Expats who stay in Thailand with long term extensions of stay based on marriage, retirement or being a parent to a Thai child are also required to make sure their immgiration status is in order if they had put off renewing their extension during the amnesty period. 

 

Penalties for overstaying in Thailand

 

The fine for overstaying is 500 Baht per day, up to a maximum fine of 20,000 Baht.

 

In the case of a foreigner surrendering to authorities

 

Overstay more than 90 Days = 1 year ban from Thailand

 

Overstay more than 1 Year = 3 year ban from Thailand

 

Overstay more than 3 Years = 5 year ban from Thailand

 

Overstay more than 5 Years = 10 year ban from Thailand

 

In the case of a foreigner on overstay being arrested:

 

Overstay less up to 1 Year = 5 year ban from Thailand

 

Overstay more than 1 Year = 10 year ban from Thailand

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-09-21

 

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[fangless]

How many are still betting on another extension to the "amnesty" now?

[NorthernRyland]

20 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Foreigners who have been stranded in Thailand due to COVID-19 have until 26 September to renew their visas or leave the country.

 

Given the absolute shambles tourism is currently in, I still can't believe they're going to send all these tourists home without even offering some alternative visa.

 

What's the explanation for this behavior?

[nightfox]

1 minute ago, genericptr said:

Given the absolute shambles tourism is currently in, I still can't believe they're going to send all these tourists home without even offering some alternative visa.

 

What's the explanation for this behavior?

I think Immigration is trying to say that you tourists have overstayed your welcome and its time to go home.

[mancub]

1 year overstay for bt20k and only a 1 year ban seems like a good deal !

[fangless]

7 minutes ago, genericptr said:

Given the absolute shambles tourism is currently in, I still can't believe they're going to send all these tourists home without even offering some alternative visa.

 

What's the explanation for this behavior?

They were tourists, not residents,

[NorthernRyland]

3 minutes ago, nightfox said:

I think Immigration is trying to say that you tourists have overstayed your welcome and its time to go home.

That's how it feels to me also. This whole experience leaves me with a bad taste in mouth for Thailand. If I get CV-19 and fall seriously ill when I return back to the USA on the 24th I'm going to be pretty angry I can imagine. All because I "overstayed my welcome".

[trucking]

Meanwhile , in other news there has been much interest in attracting tourists to Thailand with long term visas.

 

Those arriving will have to arrive on a chartered flight having filled in lots of paperwork and do 14 days in quarantine.

 

Medical experts have expressed concern that this might be risky.

 

Nonetheless, the covid free tourists still remaining in the country who have been unable to extend their visas will be criminalized , arrested and deported. It is hoped they will hold no grudge and continue to be great ambassadors for Thailand.

 

Those who say these criminals should have been allowed to apply and pay for the new visa in country have not understood the depth of disdain held for ' tourists ' by a certain segment of the ex pat community and how various government departments work against and contradict each other as a matter of normality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FritsSikkink]

12 minutes ago, genericptr said:

Given the absolute shambles tourism is currently in, I still can't believe they're going to send all these tourists home without even offering some alternative visa.

 

What's the explanation for this behavior?

Immigration laws and that you had 6 months to sort something out.

[FritsSikkink]

1 minute ago, genericptr said:

That's how it feels to me also. This whole experience leaves me with a bad taste in mouth for Thailand. If I get CV-19 and fall seriously ill when I return back to the USA on the 24th I'm going to be pretty angry I can imagine. All because I "overstayed my welcome".

No, because the USA can't handle the pandemic properly.

[NorthernRyland]

3 minutes ago, fangless said:

They were tourists, not residents,

But they're desperate for more tourists now. It's like we've spoiled past our expiration date or something.

[mancub]

3 minutes ago, fangless said:

They were tourists, not residents,

And are presumed to have spent all their money already....and not having deposited large sums of largely in-accesible baht in Thai banks

[NorthernRyland]

2 minutes ago, trucking said:

Nonetheless, the covid free tourists still remaining in the country who have been unable to extend their visas will be criminalized , arrested and deported. It is hoped they will hold no grudge and continue to be great ambassadors for Thailand.

 

I've told this to my GFs friends and the owner of the house I rent. It's totally embarrassing to them that their country is kicking us out during a global crisis. And for what? The owner of the home is already asking when I'm coming back so I can keep renting from her. What a shame the whole thing is...

[NorthernRyland]

4 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Immigration laws and that you had 6 months to sort something out.

So what? I'm leaving now. You won. Are you happy or something????

[mlkik]

A tourist is somebody who comes for a holiday. It is not someone who should be able to live in the country for ever !

Why do tourists think they should be able to stay with no regulation and people who have the correct visa for long stay have to meet all sorts of regulations regarding money in the bank,health insurance,90 day reports etc ?

[fangless]

4 minutes ago, genericptr said:

So what? I'm leaving now.

is that a promise?

If so, good bye!

[NorthernRyland]

1 minute ago, mlkik said:

Why do tourists think they should be able to stay with no regulation and people who have the correct visa for long stay have to meet all sorts of regulations regarding money in the bank,health insurance,90 day reports etc ?

There it is. Petty jealousy driving all the behavior. It's a global crisis man. I never asked for this special behavior before. When the crisis ends immigration resumes the normal routine.

[amexpat]

11 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

24 minutes ago, genericptr said:

Given the absolute shambles tourism is currently in, I still can't believe they're going to send all these tourists home without even offering some alternative visa.

 

What's the explanation for this behavior?

Immigration laws and that you had 6 months to sort something out.

Yes, rules is rules.  But the question wasn't what are the rules, but what is the rationale?

[mlkik]

13 minutes ago, genericptr said:

There it is. Petty jealousy driving all the behavior. It's a global crisis man. I never asked for this special behavior before. When the crisis ends immigration resumes the normal routine.

I am not jealous of you as I am a long term visa holder and I am not a tourist !

You are a tourist and have been very lucky to have had such a long stay in Thailand as you are just that ... a tourist !

Tourists normally would have to go home or face an overstay,it is the same world wide. Again if you wanted to live in Thailand why do you not have a visa fit for purpose ?

[fangless]

15 minutes ago, genericptr said:

the owner of the house I rent

It seems to me that if you are renting a house then you were/are not a tourist.

[bestie]

14 minutes ago, genericptr said:

So what? I'm leaving now. You won. Are you happy or something????

I'm sorry to hear that you will leave. That's sad. If they really throwing the tourists out, I think the reason behind it is way more then "no right to live here" the country is probably becoming very unstable or it's very unpredictable what is happing here over the next month/year. On one side Covid and no income on the other side more and more protests which can get quick out of control. Probably not the best idea to have then 100K tourists here. I guess. 

 

Wish you all the best. 

[ukrules]

It's time to start prodding the Home Office (or equivalent) to make sure that Thais in foreign countries get a good measure of reciprocity here.

 

[ukrules]

4 minutes ago, bestie said:

I'm sorry to hear that you will leave. That's sad. If they really throwing the tourists out, I think the reason behind it is way more then "no right to live here" the country is probably becoming very unstable or it's very unpredictable what is happing here over the next month/year. On one side Covid and no income on the other side more and more protests which can get quick out of control. Probably not the best idea to have then 100K tourists here. I guess. 

The only reason they haven't thrown each and every one of them out already is that they were ordered not to by central government.

 

I read something recently which mentioned immigration were against amnesty for foreigners. Why would that be?

[fangless]

8 minutes ago, amexpat said:

but what is the rationale?

What is the "rationale" behind so called "tourists" complaining that they have been caught out by trying to buck the system for so long with their border hops, fake "agent" extensions etc,

[NorthernRyland]

10 minutes ago, mlkik said:

Tourists normally would have to go home or face an overstay,it is the same world wide. Again if you wanted to live in Thailand why do you not have a visa fit for purpose ?

You don't get it. Because now is not normal. That's the entire issue. Normally I go home no problem and come back when I want to. Not this time. Everything is different this time.

[fangless]

2 minutes ago, ukrules said:

I read something recently

Is that a claim to fame or do you have a link to the source you think you read.

[bestie]

3 minutes ago, ukrules said:

The only reason they haven't thrown each and every one of them out already is that they were ordered not to by central government.

 

I read something recently which mentioned immigration were against amnesty for foreigners. Why would that be?

I can't remember a time when the immigration was ever on our side. 

[NorthernRyland]

1 minute ago, bestie said:

I can't remember a time when the immigration was ever on our side. 

USA has 300k Thai residents I believe. We've taken in thousands of refugees from the region and surely would have done the same for Thailand. If only Americans knew how the Thais treat us here they wouldn't be so generous in the future.

[fangless]

7 minutes ago, bestie said:

I can't remember a time when the immigration was ever on our side. 

Immigration Departments of all countries are on the side of their Governments as that is who employs them!

[fangless]

Just now, genericptr said:

USA has 300k Thai residents I believe. We've taken in thousands of refugees from the region and surely would have done the same for Thailand. If only Americans knew how the Thais treat us here they wouldn't be so generous in the future.

Are you claiming to be a refugee from the US to Thailand?

If not what is the relevance of your post?