Overstay after positive PCR fit to fly test

[feasantplukka]

A friend just been charged for overstay 7500bht, spe t 15 days quarantine after Fit to fly PCR came back positive,

That's ridiculous ???? 

[alextrat1966]

Yes, if you get quarantined, you must contact immigration to extend your stay.

[ThaIrish Sean]

The Thaiger was reporting that Phuket immigration was visiting quarantined people to check on their visa status to help them out. They realise this is bad publicity

[talahtnut]

Optimistic thoughts of daring to return to LOS a dashed again

when reading this sort of news, its like they hate us, the critters

also hate us, had scorpion in the loo, a 12" poisonous centipede

tickle my feet, and a snake under the table, mozzies eating me,

lucky not to get Dengie,    Nah, stuff it, not going back.

 

[Canadian Snowbird]

This will really help entice the tourists back won't it. Test positive on arrival, get quarantined, miss out on your vacation, plus get charged and fined for overstay because of being quarantined. TAT should put that in their promo's. Amazing Thailand. 

[mtls2005]

Does anyone understand the background here?

 

The "friend" was stamped in to let's say Day 30, and had a ticket out on Day 30, took a PCR test on Day 28, presumably as a requirement to fly/arrive, and tested positive. Then what? Self-quarantined for 10 days, and quarantined for another 5 days? Took another PCR test (when)? Then flew out on Day 45?

 

 

Is that correct?

 

I assume the "friend" was aware of his permission to stay date? Or was at least working on a solution while quarantined?

 

What are people expecting here? Departing Immigration just waives overstays? Based on what criteria?

 

Probably better to start the message with: "For God's sake, don't overstay".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 30, 2022 by mtls2005

[easydoor]

A topic starting with: 'A friend'..... you can be sure, not a friend but HIMSELF....

Everybody should have to know the first thing this 'friend' had to do was: CONTACTING THE IMMIGRATION. Maybe this 'friend' cannot write or read but I suppose he can talk and that is what a telephone is made for. All self created problems .... pay the bill and go back home or did this /friend; spent his last money yet in the bars and have no money anymore to pay the 7500THB??????

[JustAnotherHun]

22 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Departing Immigration just waives overstays? Based on what criteria?

Maybe based on the fact that you had to stay in a mandatory quarantaine? How can one leave if he's locked in?

Edited January 31, 2022 by JustAnotherHun

[thonglorjimmy]

33 minutes ago, easydoor said:

A topic starting with: 'A friend'..... you can be sure, not a friend but HIMSELF....

You know this to be a fact do you, or are you just being cynical?

[Sydebolle]

The fight of the Titans. 

Explains possibly why a lot of former Thai visitors now opt for other destinations where the immigration rules have reached the 20th century. Thailand's stonehenge rules, written and enforced by dinosaurs, have created most of the damage. 

I - for one - would have flat refused to pay as it was the Thai authorities not planning for such incidents to happen and the illegality of the stay was legally enforced by Thailand. 

You move in your circle of friends, within your income level and among fellow interests. Guess, how much damage this particular case is creating since ......... the internet is also accessed from OUTSIDE Thailand! Go figure! 

[AKJeff]

22 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

 

What are people expecting here? Departing Immigration just waives overstays? Based on what criteria?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes! Based on, the mandatory quarantine and "having all the documents from the hospital."

 

Not if someone just told immigration they had covid but if you can present evidence that was the reason for overstay.  After all the Thai government and medical experts are the people telling you this is required, you cannot leave.

 

[shackleton]

When you visit Thailand as a tourist over this period 

You should be aware of the pitfalls you already knew  the Corivirus infection is in Thailand  when you arrive 

If you test positive on or before departure agree bad luck but that's life 

[Liverpool Lou]

Instead of just assuming that leaving on an overstay wouldn't be a problem (he should have at least enquired about the problem),  he should have requested a letter from the doctor specifically explaining to Immigration the medical reason that prevented him from leaving before his extension expired.    That letter should then have been presented that to an Immigration office for an additional extension before trying to leave at the airport.   Immigration offices have specific visa/extension arrangements for those (medically incurred) circumstances.

 

The OP's friend was not "quarantined for 15 days", the friend's message explains that he was quarantined for 10 days.   

Why would any doctor, whose patient had quarantined for 10 days and has the required negative PCR test, i.e. does not have Covid, advise him not to fly for five days extra, regardless, and why would that person, who knew that he was already on an overstay, willingly extend it by an extra five days knowing that they had the required clearance to leave immediately?  That does not make any logical sense.

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, AKJeff said:

On 1/30/2022 at 9:24 AM, mtls2005 said:

 

What are people expecting here? Departing Immigration just waives overstays? Based on what criteria?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes! Based on, the mandatory quarantine and "having all the documents from the hospital."

He didn't have all the required documents!   He'd stayed five days extra, after the quarantine period, based on "a doctor's recommendation" so he needed that inability to travel confirmed in writing, signed by the doctor.  That would have enabled him to get the extra Covid/medical extension before going to the airport, that IB has the facility for.

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

I - for one - would have flat refused to pay as it was the Thai authorities not planning for such incidents to happen and the illegality of the stay was legally enforced by Thailand. 

Brave man preferring the comforts of IDC, particularly when you weren't in that position!   

 

The "legally enforced" quarantine was for 10 days, he stayed five days extra based on a daft doctor's recommendation (he claims) so that part was not "enforced by Thailand"

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, JustAnotherHun said:

On 1/30/2022 at 9:24 AM, mtls2005 said:

Departing Immigration just waives overstays? Based on what criteria?

Maybe based on the fact that you had to stay in a mandatory quarantaine? How can one leave if he's locked in?

His quarantine was 10 days, he wasn't "locked in " for the last five days of the fifteen day overstay.

[arithai12]

4 hours ago, JustAnotherHun said:

Maybe based on the fact that you had to stay in a mandatory quarantaine? How can one leave if he's locked in?

I would have informed Immigration the moment I knew I would not be able to fly out.

 

The assumption that one can waive the overstay by presenting evidence of quarantine after the fact was reasonable, but apparently wrong. For example, we all (should) know that if you are sick in a hospital while your extension date is coming up, it is possible to inform Immigration and they even come to you. I think this is similar.

[AKJeff]

4 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

He didn't have all the required documents!   He'd stayed five days extra, after the quarantine period, based on "a doctor's recommendation" so he needed that inability to travel confirmed in writing, signed by the doctor.  That would have enabled him to get the extra Covid/medical extension before going to the airport, that IB has the facility for.

Okay, but the OP says that he was charged for 15 days overstay, not the extra 5.  Also the OP said that he had all the required documents.  That may mean he had the note from the doctor.  I am not sure how you can be sure.  I am only commenting on what was posted.

 

But if you read my post I was commenting on the person that asked "based on what criteria.". That is the criteria, if he didn't have it then maybe he should be charged an overstay.  I don't see how any reading of the OP would imply that he didn't have the documents to prove the 10 day quarantine so a max if 5 days maybe .

 

 

 

[bbbbooboo]

Hmmmm... is it my imagination or do Thai authorities seem to want  to make money out of "foreigners" a.k.a. "aliens" at every turn in this pandemic ? (hush my mouth)

[Liverpool Lou]

6 minutes ago, AKJeff said:

the OP said that he had all the required documents.  That may mean he had the note from the doctor.

If he had a doctor's letter for immigration he would have been given an extension based on his medical situation before turning up at the airport so it's clear that, because he was on overstay, he didn't have that extension, i.e. he hadn't had that specific letter, either.   The doctor's letter has to be presented to Immigration to get an additional medical extension so that he is not on overstay when trying to leave at the airport.

[Mac Mickmanus]

4 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

I - for one - would have flat refused to pay as it was the Thai authorities not planning for such incidents to happen and the illegality of the stay was legally enforced by Thailand. 

You would have been sent to IDC and you would have stayed there until you paid the fine 

[Old Croc]

Was he in Phuket?

 

 

[ubonjoe]

Moved to the Thai Visas and Extensions forum.

[Ohyesuare]

I know someone who tested positive on PCR when trying to leave and ended up in overstay. They asked the hospital to help with the extension and the hospital refused and said to just go to immigration when they are let out or go to the airport. Either way, they would have and did have to pay the overstay fee. Depending on the hospital it seems, some will help with extending the stay and some won't. I agree it looks very bad just trying to get every baht from tourists they can.

[ubonjoe]

On 1/29/2022 at 8:09 PM, feasantplukka said:

A friend just been charged for overstay 7500bht, spe t 15 days quarantine after Fit to fly PCR came back positive,

That's ridiculous

That could of been easily avoided it he had arranged to apply for a extension of stay at immigration based up being under the care of a hospital or doctor. Most hospital have staff that are familiar with applying for extensions when needed.

[Badger18]

26 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Most hospital have staff that are familiar with applying for extensions when needed.

I was wondering what you could realistically do in that situation. I mean you can't just pop down to immigration. My extension expires 11 March and I'm planning to leave around 5 March. I had been wondering whether I should extend again before getting the PCR test, just in case. I don't want an overstay on my record. From this comment it sounds like you're OK as long as you're in a tourist area, but it still seems a bit risky. Maybe better safe than sorry.

[Lemsta69]

On 1/30/2022 at 9:08 AM, Canadian Snowbird said:

This will really help entice the tourists back won't it. Test positive on arrival, get quarantined, miss out on your vacation, plus get charged and fined for overstay because of being quarantined. TAT should put that in their promo's. Amazing Thailand. 

are you serious bro? OP's mate was clearly living in fantasy land if he thought he didn't have to arrange an extension of stay as soon as he got the test result. then came the reaity check.

 

his attitude is all too common on here namely that it's all the Thais fault because the noob farang doesn't know / doesn'twant to know how the system works here. 

 

he should be thankful that they allowed him to leave so easily. 500 baht per day overstay, max. 20k baht is a steal, where else in the world so they make it so easy?

 

the only thing "ridiculous" about this situation is the OP's mate's sense of entitlement. I don't normally say this because it sounds too much like I'm trying to be a Mr. Thailand but "som nam naa"

 

[Caldera]

It's understandable that an immigration officer at the airport cannot just waive the overstay fine as things stand, but maybe the government needs to step in again to handle this situation that is now quite common. They did on previous occasions, when travelers simply weren't able to leave as scheduled (for example when airplanes were grounded in the aftermath of volcano eruptions).

 

I think neither a quarantined tourist nor a potentially overwhelmed hospital should be expected to apply for a medical extension, which requires extensive documentation. Ordering immigration to waive overstay penalties upon presenting proof of Covid treatment or quarantine would be the best approach.

[BritTim]

Correct procedure:

1. As soon as you know you must quarantine, and unable to leave by the expiry of your permission to stay, call Immigration (preferably your local office, but the immigration hotline to set things in motion if necessary).
2. Hopefully, agree to attend the immigration office as soon as able for backdated medical extension, based on the fact that you were unable to get the actual stamp earlier, but had already been granted the extension.

If you do not have an extension approved before the expiry of your permission to stay (even if it is because you were in a coma) the fine can only be waived by an official of very high rank. This very rarely happens.

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, Badger18 said:

I was wondering what you could realistically do in that situation.

I think I would buy a ATK and test myself to have a little confidence that I would not test positive when the RT-PCR test was done. I might even do 2 ATK tests to be more sure.