Three year overstay

[Iamfalang]

13 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

44 years ago

people talking about overstays 20 and now 44 years ago.  lol.   good stuff.

 

I'll beat that.

 

I remember in 1902 when they created the Thai Baht my great great grandfather needed to get on a boat to Laos and they didn't recognize the five baht coin.  They talked to a local leader and he was immediately approved for the last boat out....if not, well, he had a passport but not really checked so maybe it wouldn't have been a problem.  He was there to cut down some Teak trees.   same stress, everyone wasn't sure what would happen!!!!  lol

[Dan O]

He should decide asap and act on it rather than continuing to wait or delay. That's probably why he's on overstay for 3 years, lack of attention to resolving the problem. 

 

They just picked up a Russian woman on a 2 year overstay on Samui and one of the statements made was they are cracking down on overstays. I would put virtually no faith in the "volunteer" from imm helping or resolving the issue, if they really do exist. 

[homeseeker]

????

23 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Best to go the airport and pay the 20k baht fine when leaving the country. He will banned from entering the country for at least a year.

If he went to immigration he might be detained and deported.

No problem to travel on a domestics flight. Showing his emergency passport since they only want to see the passport for identification purposes.

-My neighbour also health condition some time back was in the same situation. I believe a 5 year overstay, Went with his Thai wife and seems also with an agent to the airport, paid the fine was banned and flew back home.

No detention.

 

Mind you within a year of returning he passed on....

[The Fugitive]

1 hour ago, homeseeker said:

Mind you within a year of returning he passed on....

That's the problem. Elderly with health concerns. Thai climate is keeping some of us alive. 

[The Fugitive]

2 hours ago, JimHuaHin said:

"... should he go straight to the airport buy a ticket pay the fine and go. He has been advised by an immigration volunteer that that he cannot do this and must surrender himself to the local immigration officer ( Pai ) , he is unable to make a decision.  The immigration office have been aware of him for at least a year without making a direct approach , except through the volunteer."

 

Clearly the IO is aware of him and his situation, and have been unwilling to act until now.

 

Has your friend asked the volunteer what will happen to him after he surrenders to the IO and what his options are?

 

If your friend has more information on what the IO plan do do with him, it will help him make a decision.

 

You friend may also want to inform the volunteer of his full situation.  For example, I am elderly and have health issues, but I have been able to continue to annually extend my "retirement visa".  I have no family in Australia, no relatives with whom I have been in contact with over the past 50-odd years, and all my friends In Australia are either dead or 85+ years old.  I am not eligible for any Australian government pension or assistance (to my knowledge).  I have no need or desire to return to Australia, and wish to die here.

 

Maybe if your friend is in a similar situation, his local IO maybe "persuaded" to work out a solution in his favour.

 

Good luck.

Most considerate and helpful suggestions. If an IO specifically asked the volunteer to get the guy to attend it could very well indicate willingness to do a deal. That would obviously be the best solution.

[BritTim]

2 hours ago, The Fugitive said:

Most considerate and helpful suggestions. If an IO specifically asked the volunteer to get the guy to attend it could very well indicate willingness to do a deal. That would obviously be the best solution.

As far as I know, the local immigration office does not have the power to resolve the situation. Fixers always seem to use immigration at a land crossing. It is possible that local immigration might be interested in offering to continue to turn a blind eye to the situation in return for a bribe, and that might be a viable solution, though very high risk. If you want to try to bribe your way out of this kind of situation, it is always better to use an intermediary. This provides you with plausible deniability, and also gives the officials you are bribing greater security.

[Skeptic7]

On 10/9/2022 at 9:35 AM, Tropicalevo said:

Hand himself in.

As I understand it, if Immigration collar him before he does that, it is gaol (until sorted) and a bigger fine.

Here on Samui, Immigration used to check for overstays walking onto the ferries. (People heading for border bounces.) Bigger fines and more 'bonus's'.

To be fair, I have not heard of any cases lately.

If he hands himself in - be packed and ready to go. They will possibly deport him.

Re domestic travel - I use my Thai driving licence. No passport needed. Any photo id should be OK. (I once used a membership card for Taronga Zoo by mistake.)

However, every Immigration Office interprets the laws slightly differently.

Sounds like he has a friend in the local one.

Last resort, above. 

 

First plan of action...GTFO‼️

[Tropposurfer]

On 10/9/2022 at 1:49 PM, ubonjoe said:

The rules have changed since then.

A overstay of more than 90 days now can result in being sent to the detention center for deportation after paying the 20k baht fine.

Agree UbonJ.

As long as the bloke has the 20K fine and enough to pay for a flight home.

If he's in financial, physical, mental trouble the Aussie embassy will assist in severe hardship cases but the funds must be paid back or else the passport will be marked in Oz to not let him leave Oz till the fair amount is reimbursed to DFAT.

If he can satisfy the costs without involving DFAT then simply buy tickets flights > Sam - BKK - BKK - Oz, at Swampy take the fine and ban medicine and leave.

[hotchilli]

On 10/9/2022 at 11:39 AM, ThailandRyan said:

Agree 100%, one also wonders if he has anywhere to actually fly to or if this is his only home....

Book a ticket to Oz.. go to the airport, pay the 20,000 baht fine and get on the plane.

[ThailandRyan]

4 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Book a ticket to Oz.. go to the airport, pay the 20,000 baht fine and get on the plane.

If he needs assistance to buy the ticket and pay the fine, I am sure it can be arranged.

[OJAS]

On 10/9/2022 at 11:15 AM, The Fugitive said:

Does he have somewhere to stay when he gets there? Unlikely, if he is very elderly and skint he will have sold up long ago.

Is there not some charitable organisation in Australia which the OP's neighbour could turn to for assistance if he needed it, similar to Heathrow Travel Care which Brits returning to the UK in dire circumstances can turn to?

 

http://heathrowtravelcare.co.uk/who-we-are/about-heathrowtravelcare/

 

[The Fugitive]

4 hours ago, BritTim said:

As far as I know, the local immigration office does not have the power to resolve the situation. Fixers always seem to use immigration at a land crossing. It is possible that local immigration might be interested in offering to continue to turn a blind eye to the situation in return for a bribe, and that might be a viable solution, though very high risk. If you want to try to bribe your way out of this kind of situation, it is always better to use an intermediary. This provides you with plausible deniability, and also gives the officials you are bribing greater security.

The consensus of opinion seems to be that the guy has sufficient funds and is not terminally ill. Therefore, a longer term view applies? Expunging his immigration record by the method you outline would then be the best option, allowing him to apply for future extensions in the normal manner. That has to be preferable option.