I have just been asked by a local bar owner if I can assist with the predicament of one of his "regulars". It seems that a British passport holder has accumulated "several years" of overstay in Thailand and has now been convinced to "sort it out". He has managed to renew his expired passport at the Embassy in Bangkok and now is wanting to clear the overstay. As far as I can see his only option is to try to get to the airport in Bangkok with a ticket to Singapore or Malaysia and 20,000 baht for his fine. My question is: what are the consequences for him of having a passport with no stamps in it? Will they just fine him the maximum and send him on his way or will there be more to it than that? Are there any other ways he can clear his overstay without the risk of arrest?

This thread has been a most interesting read.

My question is this: What on earth makes these guys think that they can live here in Thailand,where 99% of farangs obey the immigration laws re visas and reporting etc, without doing the correct thing and reporting every 90 days or leaving the country when his legal visa expires?.

What has this character been doing for "several years" while he never bothered to report to immigration? Is he on the run? Is he senile?

Just curious.

Some people's circumstances may be very different than your own. It could involve the death of a wife, having to look after the kids single handedly, becoming sick etc.

Not everyone is a squeaky clean retired civil servant from Surrey, with nothing better to do than check the exchange rates for his pension and plan his 90 day reporting trip.

Thank you for the replies/advice, I have passed on the info to the bar owner.

Edited June 20, 200719 yr by PREM-R

It appears there is no more constructive information to be provided and thread has become a battlefield rather than an information exchange. Topic closed.