63-year-old American arrested in Phang Nga for 745 days of overstay, hadn’t left his house in two years

[BostonRob2]

I've stayed at home for nearly three years and I'm a resident.

 

Rooster

[VinnieK]

Wife snitched on him?

Note to self..

If you ever need to overstay live the f. ALONE!!!

[shackleton]

Seems recently quite a few cases of people foreigners over staying ???? 

No doubt will read of more In the coming weeks 

Coming out of the wood work????

 

 

 

[Lemsta69]

3 hours ago, jvs said:

Clearly in this case not a danger to society but he still broke the law.

He will be deported back to the US.

Is that correct? AFAIK you have to pay your own way home and if he's short on cash...

[d4dang]

3 hours ago, bendejo said:

Who tipped them off? 

 

 

The Immi Smart Car

[JeffersLos]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

He grew organic vegetables for sale on 30 Rai plots of land nearby

 

3 hours ago, jvs said:

He will be deported back to the US.

He may be allowed to stay, minus a few rai. 

[kingstonkid]

3 hours ago, bendejo said:

Who tipped them off? 

 

 

I think it might have been his visa.  

Questions for other American

 

Do you not get social security after 60?

 

If do is it not enough to qualify for marrio vida.

 

Also would he not have qualified for COVID extension

 

I am a little confused asto why he was that long over.

 

He had a wife.  He had modest income from farm.

 

Am I missing something.

[chilli42]

3 hours ago, bendejo said:

Who tipped them off? 

 

 

Someone who borrowed money from him?

[lopburi3]

2 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

I think it might have been his visa.  

Questions for other American

 

Do you not get social security after 60?

 

If do is it not enough to qualify for marrio vida.

 

Also would he not have qualified for COVID extension

 

I am a little confused asto why he was that long over.

 

He had a wife.  He had modest income from farm.

 

Am I missing something.

Appears he may have retired early and not receiving any SS (believe that starts a bit after age 65 now but do not receive so not sure exactly).  Many have savings they use until SS kicks in (and often end up spending much more than they planned).

Suspect he had little or no knowledge of Covid visas - that was designed for tourists and unless visit immigration or read forum most likely would not know about it.

[jwest10]

3 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

It says deported and blacklisted - so never to see his wife again will be the effect - as appears he will not have financials to take wife with him.

Yes, one wonders how many of these people out there and yes even those here legally are finding it more difficult with frozen state pensions ie meaning never getting one Baht  increase in many years and yes bringing up a family.
Posted on British overseas pension site on F/B if one is British and having to return to Blighty and is married must have property and also income of 19k or 20k Sterling and most certainly most do not and also for the first 2 years there is a huge surcharge to pay the NHS even though paid enough in to the system snd sbout 4k for the next 2 years.
Some obviously have homes paid for but not in their name so it is like and I know this is an American person but yes even in other countries families are being split up coz of financial and health issues.
Reading and hearing a lot more cases in this most unstable world we all live in.

 

[FritsSikkink]

Why do people retire early and then are skinned?

[Mickeymaus]

There is another story of also a 63 years old American that overstayed - but only 8 days.

 

https://thepattayanews.com/2022/12/06/national-overstay-campaign-continues-in-thailand-as-american-man-arrested-in-phuket-for-8-days-of-overstay/

 

[jwest10]

2 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

Sometimes you have to have a little empathy for people who find themselves in this situation. 

It is not clear if the economic issues were of his doing, or maybe due to Covididiocy.

He did realise he was on overstay, and kept his head down in order to stay with his Wife, whom, it states, carried on with the business as best she could. 

Maybe a better option would have been to go to the airport two years ago, and hand himself in. Then, once back in America, make plans to take his Wife there.

An easy thing for someone to say when they are not the one facing the options.

I for one wish him luck, and hope he can get his life back on track. 

There but for the grace of God go I. 

Very true no one knows the circumstances and all different but hearing of families all over the world getting split up and not just here either.

[renaissanc]

What a wretched situation to be in, especially because he has a Thai wife.

Having said that, I've lived here since 1984, but if I ever fail to show 400,000 Baht, even if I'm 95 years old, Immigration will kick me out of the country even if I have nowhere to go to. The system is black and white.

[GinBoy2]

Another 'Oh Dear God' story.

 

Well he's 63 so he could have been pulling social security for a year, but given the fact he's been in Thailand for a few years who knows what his contribution record is, and subsequently what his monthly payout would be.

 

Who knows what he has to go back to, but certainly looks like he committed the cardinal error and has nothing back home, and anything he has is Thailand will be forfeit.

 

As for his wife, who knows if married legally, which would be the only way she could join him in the US.

 

Pretty much all up shi%&t creek

[Mickeymaus]

3 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

Another 'Oh Dear God' story.

 

Well he's 63 so he could have been pulling social security for a year, but given the fact he's been in Thailand for a few years who knows what his contribution record is, and subsequently what his monthly payout would be.

 

Who knows what he has to go back to, but certainly looks like he committed the cardinal error and has nothing back home, and anything he has is Thailand will be forfeit.

 

As for his wife, who knows if married legally, which would be the only way she could join him in the US.

 

Pretty much all up shi%&t creek

It is very bad for this guy and a sad story. But it is also a reminder that we are only tourists here. Also visa regulations and requirements can change at any time. 

[LukKrueng]

3 hours ago, ezzra said:

Thailand is not a forgiving regime when it comes to over stayers, it's like you have committed the cardinal sin by god forbid, overstaying... 

Is Australia a forgiving country for overstayers? Especially those who work illegally as this guy did?

[jwest10]

5 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

Another 'Oh Dear God' story.

 

Well he's 63 so he could have been pulling social security for a year, but given the fact he's been in Thailand for a few years who knows what his contribution record is, and subsequently what his monthly payout would be.

 

Who knows what he has to go back to, but certainly looks like he committed the cardinal error and has nothing back home, and anything he has is Thailand will be forfeit.

 

As for his wife, who knows if married legally, which would be the only way she could join him in the US.

 

Pretty much all up shi%&t creek

He would still have to have financials in his own name but if married legally surely his legal wife and or family would help him but maybe not here.
I honestly would not know but you also read stories of Thais loaning money to Thai family with  no intention of giving it back and lie through their teeth saying it was a gift!!!

[Robbie2618]

I'm going to guess this man had issues that he couldn't get over, unfortunatly many suffer from panic attacks and stress that most would find irrational but for them its uncontrollable and overwhelming. Many people became shut ins do to covid fears.

[The Fugitive]

26 minutes ago, Mickeymaus said:

There is another story of also a 63 years old American that overstayed - but only 8 days.

 

https://thepattayanews.com/2022/12/06/national-overstay-campaign-continues-in-thailand-as-american-man-arrested-in-phuket-for-8-days-of-overstay/

 

Baffling! Appears could so easily have been avoided.

[GinBoy2]

4 minutes ago, jwest10 said:

He would still have to have financials in his own name but if married legally surely his legal wife and or family would help him but maybe not here.
I honestly would not know but you also read stories of Thais loaning money to Thai family with  no intention of giving it back and lie through their teeth saying it was a gift!!!

WelI, wouldn't put money on the Thai family helping out.

 

The only thing he probably could liquidate would be his bank account. The house, land, thats all his 'wifes'

 

The worst part of this is when he gets home. I hope he has some family who will take him in until he gets back on his feet.

 

The US isn't Europe, he won't get put up in a hotel indefinitely, he'll be on his own and without family support it's gonna be pretty bleak

[lopburi3]

4 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

The US isn't Europe, he won't get put up in a hotel indefinitely, he'll be on his own and without family support it's gonna be pretty bleak

Actually employment is still an option and pay can be quite good even for basic fast food jobs.  And there are a lot of jobs available.

[Mickeymaus]

He could try to get to Europe. Then all his problems will be solved ????

 

[GinBoy2]

Just now, lopburi3 said:

Actually employment is still an option and pay can be quite good even for basic fast food jobs.  And there are a lot of jobs available.

I don't disagree with that, he'll find a job. But landing at an airport with nowhere to stay, and finding a job.

 

Well lets say it wouldn't be a situation I'd want to be in

[In Full Agreement]

 

I think it's a shame there isn't some process to determine if this person could remain in Thailand.    As mentioned he clearly represents no threat to anyone and he's Ok to stay in his house.    

 

It's likely there's no home back in his home country so it seems unfair to me to cast him  off like this.

[PJ71]

3 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

Maybe a better option would have been to go to the airport two years ago, and hand himself in. Then, once back in America, make plans to take his Wife there.

You realise this is just a pipe dream for many retired expats that can't 'really' afford to live here - sad.

[Mickeymaus]

2 minutes ago, In Full Agreement said:

 

I think it's a shame there isn't some process to determine if this person could remain in Thailand.    As mentioned he clearly represents no threat to anyone and he's Ok to stay in his house.    

 

It's likely there's no home back in his home country so it seems unfair to me to cast him  off like this.

He could be a case for something like gofundme to get the 400,000 Baht for a marriage visa deposit. A sad story and Christmas is near. But they will block him from re-entry for a while. 

[sikishrory]

How's this news?

The amount of visa overstay national headlines i didn't see in Australia is truly mind boggling 

[terryq]

Ideal thread for rhetoric from the anti Thai faction.

 

Several of the posts I could have written myself on behalf of the posters as they are so predictable and repetitive.

 

The key to a possible good outcome is not to go into overstay but to try and resolve in advance. One way would, of course, is to try the agent route. Another way is to approach Immigration in advance, the normal Thai way would be to use a third party initially.

 

Years ago an old guy and his wife, who we had known for years , told us that due to his increasing medical costs and fixed pension for years he would not be able to make the financial requirements for his next extension. Offered to lend him the 400 thou for a couple of months but he refused the offer.

Next time wife and I were going near Immigration we dropped in and wife asked to see the boss. Let wife go in on her own, as did not know if money would be discussed and have found Thai officialdom is sometimes reluctant to talk about money in front of foreigners.

Outcome was that extension could be done using the clause giving IO's above a certain rank leeway to forego some requirements.

Documents needed were standard  plus doctors letter and bank book showing that some money was arriving each month. Couple of weeks later took him to Immigration and extension processed. Cost normal 1900 Baht, no additional payments.

A year later same procedure for further 1 year ext. Unfortunately a further extension was not required.

 

As stated before try to resolve before going into overstay as once on overstay its far more difficult.

 

[In Full Agreement]

8 minutes ago, Mickeymaus said:

He could be a case for something like gofundme to get the 400,000 Baht for a marriage visa deposit. A sad story and Christmas is near. But they will block him from re-entry for a while. 

 

Are you suggesting or implying this is some kind of scam?