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

[bristolgeoff]

Spoke to my friend the other day he said he is going down the embassy route,than the agency one that many have done he said.He also said many are worried and have flights booked for the last day or week.expensive as well he said.

   Everyone is running round trying to sort out a visa.Will be interesting to see what happens he will keep me informed on his visa issues along with a few others

[Peterphuket]

It has been said so many times, the people at the government, who make the rules, definitely don't have brains, for 100% sure now.

At first I still had my doubts, but for now...I'm sure.

[Bangkok Barry]

I've read pretty much all 22 pages of this thread, and am amazed at how many - maybe the majority - support the idea that tens of thousands - maybe the 150,000 that has been quoted - should be made to leave the country, despite them being no burden on anyone, despite them contributing to the economy, despite them supporting Thai businesses.

 

Not one has offered any sensible reason why the government should act in that way, only saying it's the rules and people should have made earlier arrangements to leave. None of those supporting the government's stance has put forward any benefit, any at all, for Thailand in making these people leave. Not one, because there are none. None at all.

 

The situation has caused massive problems, financial and social for everyone. The pandemic is ongoing, unchanged from March, worse even, yet now Thailand has arbitrarily decided to act as if it is all over and normal life must be resumed from Saturday in strictly enforcing visa rules. On what grounds, I wonder, except for a total indifference to its 'guests'.

[Bundooman]

22 hours ago, genericptr said:

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

No. He's not. He's just stating the reality of the whole thing.

You are, by the grace of the authorities, by-passing the strict Immigration laws of this country, laws that all Ex-pats living here have to undergo and agree to.

You, on the other hand appear to have cosied yourself up with a GF and have kind of inwardly decided that you prefer to stay without going through all these hoops, rather than returning home and sorting these personal problems out yourself.

If your tourist Visa has expired, it is up to you to take the necessary steps to correct those details, not whining on here because some poster disagrees with you by answering YOUR question.

It's not rocket science, is it? 

[Peterphuket]

17 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

I've read pretty much all 22 pages of this thread, and am amazed at how many - maybe the majority - support the idea that tens of thousands - maybe the 150,000 that has been quoted - should be made to leave the country, despite them being no burden on anyone, despite them contributing to the economy, despite them supporting Thai businesses.

 

Not one has offered any sensible reason why the government should act in that way, only saying it's the rules and people should have made earlier arrangements to leave. None of those supporting the government's stance has put forward any benefit, any at all, for Thailand in making these people leave. Not one, because there are none. None at all.

 

The situation has caused massive problems, financial and social for everyone. The pandemic is ongoing, unchanged from March, worse even, yet now Thailand has arbitrarily decided to act as if it is all over and normal life must be resumed from Saturday in strictly enforcing visa rules. On what grounds, I wonder, except for a total indifference to its 'guests'.

Please stop, I don't belong to the majority, even I have an retirement extention, I agree with you, the government have to do the best to keep the people in the country.

Under cover: you know what you have but you don't know what you will get.

[micmichd]

6 minutes ago, Peterphuket said:

Please stop, I don't belong to the majority, even I have an retirement extention, I agree with you, the government have to do the best to keep the people in the country.

Under cover: you know what you have but you don't know what you will get.

You know what pragmatic Buddhists say? 

Whatever you get, make the best out of it. 

And that's what Thais do. 

There's a global pandemic, so Thailand closes her doors. There are Thai bargirls that can run a bar, so let them run the bar. 

[lkv]

21 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

The pandemic is ongoing, unchanged from March, worse even, yet now Thailand has arbitrarily decided to act as if it is all over and normal life must be resumed from Saturday in strictly enforcing visa rules.

Folks should understand some key points:

 

- You will not die if you return to your home country, whichever that may be. I have been in my own country since 2019, now I am travelling through Europe for fun selectively (places with less headaches such as testing), and I am doing just fine.

 

- It's not Thailand's responsability to shelter individuals without a proper visa, just because departing from Thailand takes them out of their comfort zone.

 

- Real tourists have a 10-20 day per year holiday, then they go back to work in their home countries.

 

- Thailand has made it pretty clear by its actions that they do not wish to accomodate digital nomads on perpetual visa runs, and the message has become more obvious starting 2014 onwards.

 

- Covid cases might be actually higher in Thailand than one's home country, due to lack of testing and the regime playing with the numbers, so that is a very lame excuse.

 

 

[Ventenio]

1 minute ago, lkv said:

You will not die if you return to your home country,

970,000 deaths.

 

45,238 returned home to their home country

 

This affected over 387,329 people, directly and indirectly

 

I told them all the same thing.........I was wrong

 

but it's a mai bpen rai.....

 

 

[lkv]

2 minutes ago, Ventenio said:

970,000 deaths.

Tough luck.

 

This will keep going for years, if I am to believe some articles in 50 years covid will still be around, it's just too widespread.

 

You expect Thailand to shelter people for the next 10 years?

 

You can find another country that is less xenophobic and seek shelter there, if you are not willing to assume risks as the general population in your home country already does.

[micmichd]

16 minutes ago, lkv said:

Tough luck.

 

This will keep going for years, if I am to believe some articles in 50 years covid will still be around, it's just too widespread.

 

You expect Thailand to shelter people for the next 10 years?

 

You can find another country that is less xenophobic and seek shelter there, if you are not willing to assume risks as the general population in your home country already does.

Maybe you have to be xenophobic to protect your country. Maybe the captain of the Titanic should have been a bit more careful before his boat hit the iceberg. Thais are that careful in medicine, and that's why they are successful. 

Americans call this cybernetics, the naval art of governing a big big boat. The boat you're trusted with. 

[lkv]

1 minute ago, micmichd said:

Maybe you have to be xenophobic to protect your country

With the number of travellers from China making up 40-50% of tourism prior lockdown, I can only imagine how many deaths have been swept under the carpet.

 

Plenty of confirmations from people here going to hospitals, and hospitals doing whatever they can NOT to test.

[david555]

7 hours ago, smudger1951 said:

Is'nt Thailand just wonderfull, trying to kick out people when there are no scheduled flights in or out of the country. I'm sure many would love to get out now in the present xeno climate.

No flights ??...... not searching good guy !…. KLM Bangkok to Amsterdam and connection flights available ….example to Heathrow ….and further from this world Hub to the World 

 

September & October schedule  but must look under SINGLE flight  

https://www.klm.co.th/search/open-dates?connections=BKK:A>AMS:A&pax=1:0:0:0:0:0:0:0&cabinClass=ECONOMY&activeConnection=0

 

 

[joecoolfrog]

23 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?

On the face of it , there is no logical reason , seems utter madness.

Dig a bit deeper though and one might find that those responsible for the decision , may well see personal financial benefit.

The concept of greater good goes out of the window when a shiny new Merc is in the offing .

 

[CanterbrigianBangkoker]

12 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

It would, appear that way to the uninitiated but the Thais know exactly what they are doing.

 

The economic crisis will be more than mitigated by the face the regime will gain from defeating the COVID-19 virus and getting rid of all the foreigners hanging on is just an added bonus. 

Hahaha! Is this really a serious comment!? 

 

I have lived here for many years so I am not what you might call 'uninitiated' in the ways of Thai culture/thinking etc.

 

I would say that the 'mitigation' that any face saving the current regime might garner ( it is already massively unpopular with more and more Thais - as we are seeing from the hundreds of thousands gathering in BKK) will be found wanting when compared to their failing economy in the coming months. It is after all, one that is so heavily reliant on both foreign tourism and foreign investment. Although it would definitely seem there is a lower instance of COVID here, and this probably is the case, the fact that it presents as mild symptoms for the vast majority of people - symptoms which can and are often confused with other corononaviruses like Flu and Rhinovirus - coupled with the fact that the Thai government have done very little testing means that we have NO REAL IDEA of the levels of Covid in Thailand. What we do know is that there are a myriad of businesses going under, millions now out of work, many thousands now destitute and potentially many hundreds of thousands more soon to follow. The knock on effect has yet to be felt. I know which I would choose between a high covid infection rate and massive swathes of crucial industries decimated and an economy very negatively impacted for years to come. The fact that they need the extra money as badly as they obviously do, YET are still willing to evict thousands of folks that would put 100s of millions or more back into their economy is perhaps a comment on how they feel about westerners remaining here, I'll agree with you on that much. How myopic can they be? Very, as we have seen time and again.

[Ganesh108]

1 hour ago, lkv said:

Folks should understand some key points:

 

- You will not die if you return to your home country, whichever that may be. I have been in my own country since 2019, now I am travelling through Europe for fun selectively (places with less headaches such as testing), and I am doing just fine.

 

- It's not Thailand's responsability to shelter individuals without a proper visa, just because departing from Thailand takes them out of their comfort zone.

 

- Real tourists have a 10-20 day per year holiday, then they go back to work in their home countries.

 

- Thailand has made it pretty clear by its actions that they do not wish to accomodate digital nomads on perpetual visa runs, and the message has become more obvious starting 2014 onwards.

 

- Covid cases might be actually higher in Thailand than one's home country, due to lack of testing and the regime playing with the numbers, so that is a very lame excuse.

 

 

"Real tourists have a 10-20 day per year holiday, then they go back to work in their home countries."

 

Your experience and world view seem quite limited. I work about 6 months per year (in bits of 3 or 4 weeks in various countries), and 6 months I travel for pleasure. I know many people in similar situations.

 

 

[CanterbrigianBangkoker]

11 hours 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. 

This is besides the point I am making totally - read my comment more closely. Those who have been here since April on the amnesty are in the exact same boat as anyone else who has also not left the country. Also, I would ask - how EXACTLY do you or anyone else know how many cases of Covid Thailand has had? Are you taking a corrupt, unelected bunch of venal, self serving toads and their lackeys at their word? Or have you been visiting every hospital and household across the kingdom issuing covid 19 tests for the 70m people around the country? I know the Thai authorities sure haven't. I wouldn't believe a word of it. No one has any idea how many people may or may not have Covid in Thailand, and never have. If those who they were planning to kick out had left the country and re-entered etc. then your comment may have some bearing on my former one, but evicting thousands of people who pose no more risk in this regard than any Thai citizen, seems nuts to me, especially when the country is so desperate for tourist income right now.

[CanterbrigianBangkoker]

12 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Rather sad to blame the Thai government for your lack of planning.

????

 

Rather presumptuous to assume I am or that I have any issue re: the upcoming end of the amnesty. I am fine to remain in Thailand for the foreseeable future, thanks very much. Even if I was having to leave, would that invalidate ANYTHING I have said above? No, no it wouldn't.

[talahtnut]

14 hours ago, mstevens said:

 

A friend of mine from New Zealand was in California a couple of months ago. He was actually keen to remain there rather than go back to Hong Kong where he is based. When he called American Immigration he was yelled at down the phone line and told he could not extend his visa and he had to leave before his visa expired.

 

You say America is being kind to tourists who want to stay there, right? My friend didn't find that to be the case at all - so don't go saying Thailand is not treating visitors as well as your own country of USA because that is <deleted>.

 

Tell him to come to the UK, no visa required, eat the passport,

stay as long as you like, Costs involved: one rubber boat. one paddle. one Boris mask.

 

 

[worldfun]

On 9/21/2020 at 9:25 PM, mancub said:

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

did you forget about the jail time?

[talahtnut]

In July and August 2020 Cornwall had its busiest tourist season in living memory. Estimates say over a million people came to Cornwall over the 10 week period. They came from all over the United Kingdom and across the world. All from different households, families, bubbles, hubs and other new vocabulary introduced to scare people. Cornwall was heaving with people, every restaurant, pub and cafe was full with the eat out to help out scheme creating nothing short of a frenzy, and the hard hit hospitality sector struggling to cope with the demand. Beaches were packed, the A30 was jammed, campsites were full. Cornwall pretty much went against every single piece of scientific advice for two months.

Do you know how many people died from or with Covid 19 at Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust (Treliske) between July 3rd and September 10th? I will give you 3 seconds to guess. The answer is NONE ZERO ZILCH

[david555]

20 minutes ago, talahtnut said:

In July and August 2020 Cornwall had its busiest tourist season in living memory. Estimates say over a million people came to Cornwall over the 10 week period. They came from all over the United Kingdom and across the world. All from different households, families, bubbles, hubs and other new vocabulary introduced to scare people. Cornwall was heaving with people, every restaurant, pub and cafe was full with the eat out to help out scheme creating nothing short of a frenzy, and the hard hit hospitality sector struggling to cope with the demand. Beaches were packed, the A30 was jammed, campsites were full. Cornwall pretty much went against every single piece of scientific advice for two months.

Do you know how many people died from or with Covid 19 at Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust (Treliske) between July 3rd and September 10th? I will give you 3 seconds to guess. The answer is NONE ZERO ZILCH

And now September high contagion  C19..., you have  high emergency politicians making new drastic C19  measures , who could last (by PM Boris words …. and he never lies ????…) ….6 month's  

[Trujillo]

"Definitely would be better for Thailand for give extensions 1900thb every month for people who are still here and cannot go back, ..."

 

Why? And what do you mean by "cannot go back"? There are already provisions for those who are medically incapable of leaving by the 26th. Anyone who is physically able to leave should leave; if not, then they are gaming the system, clearly. 

 

The government has already bent the visa rules a number of times to (over)accommodate the foreign tourist. Remember, the average time for a "real" tourist to stay in country is about nine days. If you are an actual tourist, don't you have your life to get back to in your own country? And shouldn't a country go back to normal visa limits at some point? 

 

 If I were a tourist and was still here after...what? Four months or more of extra time on my 30 day/two week/week visa, I'd be feeling that I got a real windfall and at some time (this Saturday) it's time to get on with it. 

I don't understand all the kicking and screaming. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. 

[CanterbrigianBangkoker]

44 minutes ago, Trujillo said:

"Definitely would be better for Thailand for give extensions 1900thb every month for people who are still here and cannot go back, ..."

 

Why? And what do you mean by "cannot go back"? There are already provisions for those who are medically incapable of leaving by the 26th. Anyone who is physically able to leave should leave; if not, then they are gaming the system, clearly. 

 

The government has already bent the visa rules a number of times to (over)accommodate the foreign tourist. Remember, the average time for a "real" tourist to stay in country is about nine days. If you are an actual tourist, don't you have your life to get back to in your own country? And shouldn't a country go back to normal visa limits at some point? 

 

 If I were a tourist and was still here after...what? Four months or more of extra time on my 30 day/two week/week visa, I'd be feeling that I got a real windfall and at some time (this Saturday) it's time to get on with it. 

I don't understand all the kicking and screaming. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. 

Although I agree that they have been unusually lenient and that many of the so-called tourists stranded here after months may be less marooned holidaymakers and more self-exiled then stranded, does this really matter? I'd say you have it backwards. The Thais are looking a billion baht gift horse in the mouth and throwing it away. Yes the usual visa rules and regs will have to reapply at some point soon enough, but the world is still in relative turmoil (whether it's self imposed or not is another question) and the country has already and for some time now relaxed its rules in these areas while introducing new ones and tightening others, so following the 'letter of the law' is irrelevant to a large extent at the moment. If you're a business owner that has lost some majorly important clients, are now struggling to pay your rent and feed your family and have no easy way out on the horizon, you wouldn't turn down a few lodgers to help tide you over now would you???

[Ganesh108]

I'm not normally a pessimist, but I feel Thailand is currently doing everything wrong that it can do wrong. It is committing economic suicide, and its treatment of the last remaining tourists will leave many people bitter, they'll never return and tell others back home to avoid Thailand. Don't even mention the idiotic plan to re-start tourism with a 'Quarantine can be fun' scheme. Many people will just forget about Thailand and discover all the other nice places they'd missed earlier. 

 

Does Thailand want to erase itself from the world map and become another North Korea? I don't think it's the explicit intention, but in effect it may be the eventual outcome. 

[david555]

3 minutes ago, Ganesh108 said:

I'm not normally a pessimist, but I feel Thailand is currently doing everything wrong that it can do wrong. It is committing economic suicide, and its treatment of the last remaining tourists will leave many people bitter, they'll never return and tell others back home to avoid Thailand. Don't even mention the idiotic plan to re-start tourism with a 'Quarantine can be fun' scheme. Many people will just forget about Thailand and discover all the other nice places they'd missed earlier. 

 

Does Thailand want to erase itself from the world map and become another North Korea? I don't think it's the explicit intention, but in effect it may be the eventual outcome. 

O.K. so the western country's handle the c19 better ?….. that is why now they are all in panic mode  like U.K. France and Spain again ….or you don't watch the news ?

[Ganesh108]

14 minutes ago, david555 said:

O.K. so the western country's handle the c19 better ?….. that is why now they are all in panic mode  like U.K. France and Spain again ….or you don't watch the news ?

I'm not in Europe right now, but none of my friends or family over there are in panic mode. It's the media and politicians stirring up the panic, day in, day out. For what end? Well, let me just say that I don't believe Western European politicians are working for the benefit of their people any more. That notion died a couple of decades ago. And the less said about Western mainstream media the better - I'd rather put my faith in a backstreet hooker in Pattaya.

 

 

 

 

 

[david555]

18 minutes ago, Ganesh108 said:

I'm not in Europe right now, but none of my friends or family over there are in panic mode. It's the media and politicians stirring up the panic, day in, day out. For what end? Well, let me just say that I don't believe Western European politicians are working for the benefit of their people any more. That notion died a couple of decades ago. And the less said about Western mainstream media the better - I'd rather put my faith in a backstreet hooker in Pattaya.

 

 

 

 

 

Well ....,against sutch ignorant defence i have no reply ????.....i leave you in that wisdom as i do not start a mission impossible ....????

[Albert Zweistein]

On 9/21/2020 at 4:45 PM, mlkik said:

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 ?

Lovely, like two barflies fighting for one farang.

[Jim P]

7 hours ago, NB1986 said:

Definetely would be better for Thailand for give extensions 1900thb every month for people who are still here and cannot go back, i got letter from consulate that i will get only one time and what after?? 

Ummmm, go home maybe.

[rosst]

On 9/21/2020 at 10:17 PM, 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?

Yes, how bizarre, on one hand they are trying to get foreign tourists and on the other hand they have 150,000 who are there and spending money and they want to kick them out. 

Makes you shake your head and laugh.