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

[ThailandRyan]

56 minutes ago, Elizway said:

28 pages and still no one has given any possible reasoning to the rationale behind this decision to kick out 150,000 paying customers. 

 

Seems to be a lot of haters here too. 

Unfortunately you will never understand, not haters, just folks doing it the right way, and amnesty is not a free ride forever like some want to see.  Do the right thing and become legal.

[micmichd]

2 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Your just hilarious, and still want free handouts given to those that should have made the hard choice and decisions awhile ago, you just do not get it do you.

No question the ambulance would take you, even if you're Farang. 

But hey, you wouldn't even call the ambulance for a maybe dying poor Thai, would you? 

[NanLaew]

53 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

58 minutes ago, Elizway said:

28 pages and still no one has given any possible reasoning to the rationale behind this decision to kick out 150,000 paying customers. 

 

Seems to be a lot of haters here too. 

Its not 150 000 people though .

Many of those people could get a visa extension, but they were waiting and  seeing whether they would get a free extension on an extended amnesty .

On another news site, the number is quoted as nearer 100,000. But regardless of the number, Covid-19 hasn't been a general free pass for unregulated immigration in any country that I know of. The Mongolian diaspora weren't even allowed to repatriate. Sucks to be Mongolian.

 

Queue the comments about how easy it is to be "stranded" longer in Malaysia, Vietnam, etc..

[ThailandRyan]

2 minutes ago, micmichd said:

No question the ambulance would take you, even if you're Farang. 

But hey, you wouldn't even call the ambulance for a maybe dying poor Thai, would you? 

And another one who just does not get it.  There is only so much one can do for another person, and if that person denies they have an issue, nothing can be done.  Stop trying to mix apples and oranges, it never works.  You can lead a horse to water, just like the Government has done here along with immigration, but you can not make it drink the water, just like some so called tourists are doing.  No skin off of my nose, and I would give the shirt off of my back to someone in need, but this group of tourists would just tear it up and wipe there snotty noses with it, because they expect free....

[smudger1951]

On 9/21/2020 at 4:10 PM, ThailandRyan said:

Sorry, but folks have had plenty of time to sort out there Visa statuses. There are many ways to stay in the country legally with extensions of stay and such. For those not married and under 50, or not on a Non Imm B with a WP who can not find a visa to stay I do have empathy for them.  I do understand even those married and who used the Non imm O with ME and border bounced every 90 days or who worked outside of the country may not have the money in the bank to stay, but what else can immigration do for you. It is their rules we live and die by here in this country, and even I know that I am possibly just 1 day away from having to move on. I however, accept those facts and have a Plan B and learned in life things are not always fair.

ThailandRyan, a reasoned comment amongst a lot of gloating smugness. And to all of those posters "you are just a guest in Thailand like everyone rlse" You just put money in the Bank and more fool you.

[smudger1951]

On 9/21/2020 at 3:36 PM, 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 ?

So, do you have thai residence status. ?

Edited September 23, 2020 by smudger1951
Spelling

[impulse]

On 9/21/2020 at 9:53 AM, ukrules said:

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.

 

You gotta be kidding.  This is the one time westerners get a taste of what Thais go through just to get a visa to visit our countries.

 

[smudger1951]

On 9/21/2020 at 4:29 PM, genericptr said:

Nothing more to say on the topic. I'm going home and not coming back anytime soon. Thailand can now find ways to get more tourists. End of discussion. Good luck to everyone.

Mate, I'm sure you're gonna miss all the sympathetic farangs out there. Get yourself out to a better life. Best wishes.

[lkv]

16 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

You gotta be kidding.  This is the one time westerners get a taste of what Thais go through just to get a visa to visit our countries.

 

Asian developed countries in normal times get very easy entry into Europe, visa exempt.

 

The ones applying for schengen visas also get them easily, as long as they have some stable income and a job. The issues are with girlfriends with no job supported by foreigners, that present a risk of dropping the foreigner overnight then overstay and/or claim benefits.

 

I don't recall the Thai government giving benefits to foreigners or caring about human rights.

 

So we are comparing apples and oranges.

 

Europe will gradually open for tourism for all third country nationals, without quarantine, and only based on a prior covid test, if any, according to the epidemiological situation of each particular country.

Edited September 23, 2020 by lkv

[checkered flag]

13 hours ago, NanLaew said:

On another news site, the number is quoted as nearer 100,000. But regardless of the number, Covid-19 hasn't been a general free pass for unregulated immigration in any country that I know of. The Mongolian diaspora weren't even allowed to repatriate. Sucks to be Mongolian.

 

Queue the comments about how easy it is to be "stranded" longer in Malaysia, Vietnam, etc..

I didn't know you were Mongolian. That explains why you write English with an accent.

[kku17]

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 !

Just paid for a 1yr volunteer visa at 35k.....cheaper to be here illegally. 

Still, the Thai government prioritizing a crackdown on overstays when their tourist-dependent economy is in shambles will lead to years of economic repercussions. This act is akin to collecting gold in a glass bottle and then sending it out to sea.
Then again, the people in charge of this country are not selected for their intelligence, they stage military coups and the caveman with the biggest club takes over. Anyway, enough of rant, I have to cover my visa purchase and am off to play two tens for a five with the minister of tourism. 

[chainarong]

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?

There's no explanation , all countries are kicking out foreigners , they don't want to be responsible for another's countries people or costs, basically,  if you can get your head around this, with this virus all countries are on a war footing, budgets have blown out, the countries debit has shot through the roof and un employed riots could start erupting at any time. 

[essox essox]

On 9/21/2020 at 9:34 PM, genericptr said:

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...

DONT YOU MEAN WHAT A SHAM......NOT SHAME???!!!

[Bender Rodriguez]

7 hours ago, impulse said:

 

You gotta be kidding.  This is the one time westerners get a taste of what Thais go through just to get a visa to visit our countries.

 

wait, do thais overnight have to show 800.000 baht in a bank account just sitting there to visit their non-thai spouse ?

 

you know how many percentage of the thai populace even have 800.000 baht saving, not counting the rich chinese thai elite swimming in millions & billions ?

 

you forget the little ghosts that "work" illegally in other countries as thai "massage" girls, cough cough

 

how many cheap thai labour go work in western countries on a tourist visa, to never return, but are they fined & jailed & deported and blacklisted for life if caught ?

Edited September 24, 2020 by Bender Rodriguez

[Chivas]

Two days left and the axe falls.  I've ordered in 85kg of popcorn, 4 cases of Stella and await the squealing as the pips squeak......

 

[jomtienisgood]

On 9/21/2020 at 9:29 PM, 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".

Th cannot be held responsible for the sanitary issues in US. The only way to avoid all this is to lock yourself up in a large fridge and avoid any contact....... 

[Walker88]

2 hours ago, Chivas said:

Two days left and the axe falls.  I've ordered in 85kg of popcorn, 4 cases of Stella and await the squealing as the pips squeak......

 

Yours seems like a troll post. Since apparently it is not viewed that way, I can respond.

 

When ALL Westerners are blamed for a surge in Covid cases in Thailand, as they will be probably by December, others will return the favor watching 'retirees' squeal as they are told to "Get Out !"  "But this is my home and I support the economy!"  They don't care.

 

I see airplanes in December full of "retirees" asking the flight attendant for seat belt extenders, as guys with 55" waists try to fit in economy seats. Airplane seats are not quite as accommodating as barstools. Those spare tires and protruding bellies have to fit between the armrests.

[jomtienisgood]

10 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

Yours seems like a troll post. Since apparently it is not viewed that way, I can respond.

 

When ALL Westerners are blamed for a surge in Covid cases in Thailand, as they will be probably by December, others will return the favor watching 'retirees' squeal as they are told to "Get Out !"  "But this is my home and I support the economy!"  They don't care.

 

I see airplanes in December full of "retirees" asking the flight attendant for seat belt extenders, as guys with 55" waists try to fit in economy seats. Airplane seats are not quite as accommodating as barstools. Those spare tires and protruding bellies have to fit between the armrests.

That's why the amount of seats is limited, not due to Covid. 55555555555

[Eindhoven]

On 9/22/2020 at 2:02 PM, 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.

 

 

 

Quote

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

 

 

is just a load of rubbish that you pulled out of your hat. 

Edited September 24, 2020 by Eindhoven

[checkered flag]

2 hours ago, Chivas said:

Two days left and the axe falls.  I've ordered in 85kg of popcorn, 4 cases of Stella and await the squealing as the pips squeak......

 

You need to make a video and post it on You Tube. You could come up with a clever title like, "the end of the endless summer" or something. 

[ThailandRyan]

25 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

Yours seems like a troll post. Since apparently it is not viewed that way, I can respond.

 

When ALL Westerners are blamed for a surge in Covid cases in Thailand, as they will be probably by December, others will return the favor watching 'retirees' squeal as they are told to "Get Out !"  "But this is my home and I support the economy!"  They don't care.

 

I see airplanes in December full of "retirees" asking the flight attendant for seat belt extenders, as guys with 55" waists try to fit in economy seats. Airplane seats are not quite as accommodating as barstools. Those spare tires and protruding bellies have to fit between the armrests.

And once again you are dreaming of an alternate reality world.  Those here legally will continue to be here for years to come, sour grapes is all your spewing.

[checkered flag]

9 minutes ago, Eindhoven said:

 

 

 

is just a load of rubbish that you pulled out of your hat. 

The truth is hard to accept by those that think they are smarter and have everything figured out, until they fail. 

[checkered flag]

4 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

And once again you are dreaming of an alternate reality world.  Those here legally will continue to be here for years to come, sour grapes is all your spewing.

Yea, some do things legally and have zero problems. They probably have no problems at immigration where the IO treats them well. These are the one Thailand wants because they don't cut corners, fill out the proper forms and have proof of financials. They become an asset to their communities.

The ones in trouble are those that game the system and now scream at everyone but still not themselves. Disgusting

[zzaa09]

3 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

And once again you are dreaming of an alternate reality world.  Those here legally will continue to be here for years to come, sour grapes is all your spewing.

Yeah, bitterness looking for some false blame. 

Those of us that have secured things properly to begin with needn't require such whinging angst. 

All of us will have to sit it out patiently - regardless of your situation. 

[jacob29]

3 hours ago, checkered flag said:

Yea, some do things legally and have zero problems. They probably have no problems at immigration where the IO treats them well. These are the one Thailand wants because they don't cut corners, fill out the proper forms and have proof of financials. They become an asset to their communities.

The ones in trouble are those that game the system and now scream at everyone but still not themselves. Disgusting

Well.. there were quite the hoops to jump through to extend legally via the embassy letter at Jomtien. Needing the landlord to provide scans of their ID, or even attend at immigration. No such hoops when extending via back channels. You tell me, who is the undesirable when you compare those two groups?

[BritManToo]

3 hours ago, checkered flag said:

Yea, some do things legally and have zero problems. They probably have no problems at immigration where the IO treats them well. These are the one Thailand wants because they don't cut corners, fill out the proper forms and have proof of financials. They become an asset to their communities.

The ones in trouble are those that game the system and now scream at everyone but still not themselves. Disgusting

The ones having zero problems are the guys paying 25k+ bribes via agents.

 

Maybe a ream of paperwork, financials, bank letters, landlord forms, copies of every page in your passport, copies of every page in your bank book, home visits, neighbours having their ID cards copied by immigration police is zero problems to you ..... but I ain't buying that.

Edited September 24, 2020 by BritManToo

[Walker88]

4 hours ago, checkered flag said:

Yea, some do things legally and have zero problems. They probably have no problems at immigration where the IO treats them well. These are the one Thailand wants because they don't cut corners, fill out the proper forms and have proof of financials. They become an asset to their communities.

The ones in trouble are those that game the system and now scream at everyone but still not themselves. Disgusting

Wrong. Most of us 'tourists' on visa amnesty have had nothing but good relations with Immigration. I have never seen such patience in folks dealing with hundreds of applicants each day for the last few weeks.  Efficient, organized and friendly...that is what we've seen at Immigration.

 

Extension was really just tacit amnesty extension, albeit with a minor cost of 1900 baht.  We have broken no law, been an 'asset to our community', earned favor from the hotels where we stayed and restaurants we frequented, and have had such an enjoyable and safe experience we signed up for Thai Elite. No corners cut, and we even get limo service from Suvarnabhumi into BKK when we arrive! They also do our 90-day reports, so no Immigration visit required. Of course, if all foreigners are asked to leave in the 2nd wave, we're out 500,000 baht, but so be it. It's a gamble worth taking.

 

We aren't screaming at anyone, and we aren't so upset that 'somebody got something for free' (visa amnesty) that instead we try to post useful info on this forum to aid others in how to extend and enjoy the safety and security of Thailand. "Some people' are so miffed that somebody got a freebie, and they're so bereft of anything meaningful in their lives, that they have to troll every amnesty thread, day after day, posting vitriole about those 'gaming the system' (sic).

 

Living the dream isn't enough?

Edited September 24, 2020 by Walker88

[metisdead]

An offensive post and a reply has been removed. 

[impulse]

16 hours ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

23 hours ago, impulse said:

You gotta be kidding.  This is the one time westerners get a taste of what Thais go through just to get a visa to visit our countries.

wait, do thais overnight have to show 800.000 baht in a bank account just sitting there to visit their non-thai spouse ?

 

you know how many percentage of the thai populace even have 800.000 baht saving, not counting the rich chinese thai elite swimming in millions & billions ?

 

Who needs 800K in the bank to visit a Thai spouse?  The vast majority of westerners can visit their Thai spouse by flying in on visa exempt.

 

You only need the money in the bank if you want to take up residence with that spouse.  Thais wanting to visit the west need visas.  Which entails proving they have wherewithal and won't become a burden on their host country.  Which requires appointments and paperwork and proof of employment and interviews and a pretty good chance of being declined.  

 

I, on the other hand, can hop on an airplane to Thailand and enter visa exempt.  Can you see how that's easier?

 

Of course, I'm not discussing current conditions, which I contend level the burden and give us a taste of what Thais have been dealing with for years.

 

[lkv]

38 minutes ago, impulse said:

I, on the other hand, can hop on an airplane to Thailand and enter visa exempt.  Can you see how that's easier?

Told you you are comparing apples and oranges.

 

One of my best friends from Taiwan was travelling to Europe without any issues, on visa exempt.

 

I guess nationality makes a difference.