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

[superatoz]

11 minutes ago, IsaanEng said:

I'm on a non o for marriage, I have 2 kids been married 14 years. 

unfortunately, I extended my visa for 60 days just before the borders were closed.

I live in the North East. 

I went to immigration this morning and was told I could not extend my stay and had to leave by Saturday. 

Fortunately, i was able to do a 1-year marriage extension, so no problem.

be warned if you think there will be soft options to stay beyond this weekend you will be very disappointed.

glad for u... im like u but i already extended and cos i didnt put 400k in their banks , i couldnt get any extension.

 

 

Edited September 22, 2020 by superatoz

[Dialemco]

How can any foreigners still in Thailand be classed as a Tourists? No tourists visas have been issued outside Thailand for more than 6 months. Doubt if the proposed 90 day long stay visa will materialise. Personally even if a visa was available would not be keen to travel as covid is still present in most if not all countries.

[micmichd]

1 hour ago, CanterbrigianBangkoker said:

The explanation is simply that they lack common sense or a basic understanding of economics. This government could barely boil an egg between them, let alone forge and enact an effective economic policy regarding the current situation. Regardless of how lenient they have been on those who have been stranded here (and I would be the first to say they have been), Thailand is now facing its seventh month of near 0 foreign tourism, with a negligible number of tourist arrivals since April. Their economy will have shrunk massively by the end of the 4th quarter of 2020 and with no obvious answer to their dire economic woes on the horizon it does seem utterly insane to evict perhaps as many as 400,000 essentially foreign 'tourists'. People who will continue to pile money into the economy and potentially travel / continue to travel around the place providing some much needed support for near destitute tourist reliant business around the country. Furthermore the government would need only slap a 2k baht fee on creating and renewing 30 or 60 day visas for those who are here and have been since April (and therefore pose NO risk re: Covid) which is effectively what they are going to do for people ENTERING from the outside world - people who in their eyes at least, DO pose more of a risk, so I ask again - why not boost their revenue substantially by doing this, rather than booting out billions of baht that they sure as hell won't get back any time soon from any foreign tourists with a laughable 14 day quarantine and god knows how many other asinine hoops to jump through! Typical Thai government thinking I'm afraid - one word for it - woolly. 

You forgot one thing : Thailand has no domestic CoviD-19 cases A BECAUSE they banned foreigners from CoviD-19 countries or forced them in quarantine.

And it's now up to Western countries to handle the pandemic and get vaccinated according to WHO standards. 

[superatoz]

3 minutes ago, Dialemco said:

How can any foreigners still in Thailand be classed as a Tourists? No tourists visas have been issued outside Thailand for more than 6 months. Doubt if the proposed 90 day long stay visa will materialise. Personally even if a visa was available would not be keen to travel as covid is still present in most if not all countries.

the fear of being on a flight with someone who is infected with covid is much more scary ....

 

 

[crazykopite]

150,000 tourist still in Thailand that’s a fair amount of income if they all have to leave , went to my local coffee shop this morning only to find it has closed down gone out of business I was there on Saturday enjoying a cappuccino and not a word was mentioned by the Thai owner ☹️☹️☹️

[Mike Teavee]

23 minutes ago, Ventenio said:

six months to sort it out????????????????

 

I came here 7 months ago with 30,000 baht for a two-week holiday.

 

I've now spent 250,000 baht in a place where I cannot work.  I've promised the 100000 farangs I'll pay them back.

 

ok, my point is not everyone has been made better off with the six month "holiday".

 

be nice to everyone..........30 million people got covid.

 

the real number is probably closer to 89.28373232 million

 

 

Then why are you still here?

 

Which country are you from? Let me find you a flight back...

FWIW I’m from the UK & there hasn’t been a single week since the lockdown started that I couldn’t have found some way to get back (Hint Repatriation flights are just that)

Edited September 22, 2020 by Mike Teavee

[EricTh]

4 hours ago, Grumpy John said:

Are you sure their Benz vehicles?  Last time I saw one it was a BMW! 

I can't seem to get what luxury cars they go around to nab overstayers nowadays. LOL

[vinny41]

5 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

150,000 tourist still in Thailand that’s a fair amount of income if they all have to leave , went to my local coffee shop this morning only to find it has closed down gone out of business I was there on Saturday enjoying a cappuccino and not a word was mentioned by the Thai owner ☹️☹️☹️

I think you will find that the majority of the 150,000 have been to Immigration to extend their visa's

According to Phuket Immigration there is only 1,641 foreigners on tourist or long-stay visas who still have not come to our office to extend their visa and they are currently processing 190 per day applications with another 5 days left to extend

https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-immigration-overwhelmed-as-foreigners-race-to-extend-stay-in-thailand-77389.php

[Rimmer]

A baiting flame has been removed, also an off topic post

[Tony125]

13 hours 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".

You could have gotten a letter from the US Embassy online and emailed to you that could have given you 30 days at a time extensions untill possibly finding another type visa or borders opened.  I got  the letter emailed to me  and then got an apointment 9/21/2020 and they printed up an emergency passport on the spot as I did not have enough pages to do more than 1 extension. Will go to MTT in a few hrs and after 30 day extension will get retirement or marriage extension as I have been on them for 7 years and have all the paperwork and funds.

[Harveyboy]

13 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

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

yes i agree given 6 months grace to get visa or get out many playing the cheapskate card hoping for more free extension   do the same as i do  Pay..not rocket science is it   

[Miami007]

13 hours 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".

Wear a mask, stay away from crowds and you will be fine in the USA...  More than 99% of us are healthy...

This is not a "the sky is falling" situation in the USA

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

Indeed, it would cost me 16 million baht to retire in the US, yet there are some US retirees here that complain about paying 500,000 baht for an Elite visa.

But you would have certain rights of abode in the US, which you wouldn't have in Thailand. 

 

 

[FarFlungFalang]

13 hours 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?

No kick backs?

[Miami007]

19 minutes ago, micmichd said:

You forgot one thing : Thailand has no domestic CoviD-19 cases A BECAUSE they banned foreigners from CoviD-19 countries or forced them in quarantine.

And it's now up to Western countries to handle the pandemic and get vaccinated according to WHO standards. 

you are forgetting the ban on China at the beginning of the pandemic - oh wait, there was no ban and the first case outside of China was in Thailand. But Chinese tourists could enter in January and February... without quarantine.  Why did they not infect anyone in Thailand?  Why would only western tourists infect Thais?

Something does not add up 

 

[ThailandRyan]

1 minute ago, Miami007 said:

Wear a mask, stay away from crowds and you will be fine in the USA...  More than 99% of us are healthy...

This is not a "the sky is falling" situation in the USA

 

Yet the MSM would lead you to believe the Sky was Falling.  When you look at the total population and the percentage of infections, Covid is fairly low as a percentage.  Just stay away from large groups, mask up as you say and he should be just fine.  Thailand has no idea of how much or many Covid infections they have as they are not testing like all the other larger countries are.  Should the US have followed the Thai model and not tested well then....that is a whole different ball game and story. 

 

Fear of catching Covid has gripped these folks who came on tourists Visas and rather then play the game and convert or obtain a proper Visa, they just want to hide out here.  Thailand does not give out free rides folks, eventually we all have to pay the piper.

[johng]

3 minutes ago, Miami007 said:

But Chinese tourists could enter in January and February... without quarantine. 

7000 of them direct from Wuhan !!

[Neeranam]

5 minutes ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

But you would have certain rights of abode in the US, which you wouldn't have in Thailand. 

 

 

Would I get healthcare like I do in Thailand? I pay 432 baht a month.

[ryandb]

3 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Yet the MSM would lead you to believe the Sky was Falling.  When you look at the total population and the percentage of infections, Covid is fairly low as a percentage.  Just stay away from large groups, mask up as you say and he should be just fine.  Thailand has no idea of how much or many Covid infections they have as they are not testing like all the other larger countries are.  Should the US have followed the Thai model and not tested well then....that is a whole different ball game and story. 

 

Fear of catching Covid has gripped these folks who came on tourists Visas and rather then play the game and convert or obtain a proper Visa, they just want to hide out here.  Thailand does not give out free rides folks, eventually we all have to pay the piper.

I don't think the majority are scared at all its just a convenient thing to use to complain about and use the victim card, only if you have major health issues should you be worried about boarding a plane once you get to another country you can isolate yourself anyways then theres very low risk

[Miami007]

2 hours ago, British Bulldog said:

emmmm .... I may have missed something, I'm up in Vientiane Laos, but the question is, do you guys down their in say BKK, have reasonably regular flights out of Thailand ? Commercial non VIP at ridiculous ticket prices ? I just wondered how the poor tourist is supposed to leave on the 24th or before ? Its quite difficult to leave and arrive in Laos, not impossible, but lots of hoops.

It seems like the immigration officers are getting these tourist to walk the plank into Corona Virus infected waters !

Corona infested waters... seriously, how many cases would show in Thailand, if they tested as much as the UK... 

[yeahbutif]

13 hours ago, mlkik said:

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 ?

I do agree. But how come they make it so hard And hoop's to jump through for people who want to get visa correctly? At 1900b. Seems they want us to use an agent so no hoops and immigration officers gets more money Very wrong..

[Miami007]

9 minutes ago, johng said:

7000 of them direct from Wuhan !!

And no infections ... LOL... nobody can explain that 

[sanuk711]

1 minute ago, yeahbutif said:

I do agree. But how come they make it so hard And hoop's to jump through for people who want to get visa correctly? At 1900b. Seems they want us to use an agent so no hoops and immigration officers gets more money Very wrong..

What hoops.??......I have been getting a visa 1,900baht since it started, what hoops??

Do you mean the standing rules ...got to over 50 have x amount in Bank account..etc....are the hoops your taliking about

[John Drake]

13 hours ago, fangless said:

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

If not what is the relevance of your post?

The US routinely issues Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to foreigners in the US and whose countries face natural or other disasters. For example, Nicaraguans have received TPS for more than two decades because of a hurricane 21 years ago. I suppose a similar argument could be made for foreigners caught in Thailand during COVID.

 

Frankly, I don't understand all the retired quartermasters on this forum who still think every box should be checked just like it was for them on their job. After all, up until about 8 or 9 years ago, an overstay was no big deal. You just paid the 20,000 baht fine and that was that. The laws and regulations have always been subjected to "interpretation" here. Only recently, with the military government, has the country seen fit to turn itself into one giant barracks.

[Ventenio]

Let me get everyone up-to-date....

 

the last 16 pages will offer NOTHING of value.  

 

saved you some time.  

 

there is some comedy, but too many people are stressed to see the humor.  

 

I am down to my last 4 baht.  I'm now in the jungles searching for gold.  i had 100 billion baht only 7 months ago, but lost it all on trying to create a time machine.  

[FarFlungFalang]

Just so much sabre rattling by those whom don't make the rules but merely enforce their interpretations of them,for them amnesty means pay cut and most of us would get a bit peed off with a pay cut.

[PGSan]

13 hours ago, genericptr said:

All because I "overstayed my welcome".

Yes, it is very, very tough.  But you will have “overstayed”, at least on “tourist status” will you not?

 

But you are not alone.  Many, many others have also suffered various types of loss due to the current worldwide circumstances.

 

For myself, although I am very happy not to have to return to Europe for a long time yet, my absence, along with other effects of shutdowns and lack of people’s mobility, have caused me to lose a fair bit financially: about 4 million baht in current cash flow (unrecoverable) plus about 20 million of paper losses — hopefully recoverable over some years, depending on the movements in the property markets, financial markets and currency trends.

[John Drake]

13 hours ago, mlkik said:

You are a tourist and nothing more.

So are you, unless you're on a Non-B and working here or a PR. Most long stayers came in originally on tourist visas and extended those visas based on retirement. I cam in on a Non-B and after five years extended it on the basis of retirement. But every year, immigration asks what type of visa I originally entered on and it is Non-B. Whatever you entered on is the same. If it's a tourist visa, you are no different than the person you are mocking. Just a tourist. We all are.

[Tony125]

14 hours 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 should have alowed everyone here on Tourist  Visas, Visa Exempt, ect to get say 90 day issued Covid Visas as everyone already here is Covid free and could pay so they wouldn't have to go home. I am from US and would be scared silly if I had to fly back.

[PGSan]

3 minutes ago, John Drake said:

Most long stayers came in originally on tourist visas and extended those visas based on retirement. 

A doubtful statistic.  Many of us simply retired here without the need for a tourist visa.

Edited September 22, 2020 by PGSan
typos