Is it really possible to be here with 6 years overstay

[BananaBandit]

12 hours ago, JayClay said:

Presumably they start the family before they let themselves fall into the overstay trap.

I feel like, in this sentence, the words "family" and "overstay" are interchangeable.

[Caldera]

30 minutes ago, BritTim said:

Unlike most here, I think living in a remote area makes you more likely to be caught.

Agreed, in Bangkok chances to get caught would be slim, and if you avoid a handful of hot-spot areas, even slimmer. That's assuming that you don't draw any attention to yourself by criminal activities other than your overstay.

 

Police haven't taken any interest in me whatsoever in 15 years, and many friends living here in Bangkok say the same. 

[rwilem]

26 minutes ago, Caldera said:

Police haven't taken any interest in me whatsoever in 15 years, and many friends living here in Bangkok say the same. 

As crazy as it sounds, there are some folks who have managed to fly under the radar for such a time frame. They've resigned themselves, or have accepted it, that they'll not ever be leaving the country. At least not willingly, until a day of reckoning should come.

Edited December 18, 2022 by rwilem

[lamyai3]

14 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Might be dreaming but semi-recall some dude overstaying like 20 years. 

Yes, about 4 years ago that German guy was caught on 19+ years overstay. 

[JayClay]

20 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

If you start a family anywhere, you must be secure enough, to know that you can stay and support

If that were the case, nobody would ever have children.

[brianthainess]

On 12/17/2022 at 7:05 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

I didn't have to go to any bank for years.

So do you never use an ATM with card ?

[brianthainess]

On 12/17/2022 at 9:21 PM, proton said:

Rather me than him, personally I would report him

Why ?

[Liverpool Lou]

On 12/17/2022 at 6:34 PM, KhunLA said:

In 20+ yrs, I don't recall any official asking to see my PP.  Could have been an overstay easily that whole time.

Same here in 28 years, apart from one traffic stop.   It may have been different, though, if I (or your good self), had been on overstay!   Sod's Law.

[Gottfrid]

33 minutes ago, JayClay said:

If that were the case, nobody would ever have children.

Hey, not everybody are same bad at planning as you seem to think. In reality, that was just a super-weak comment to support further irresponsibility.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 12/17/2022 at 8:53 PM, 3NUMBAS said:

yes easy to do if you live in a shack in the boonies somewhere  .you  could do it for decades if you dont get  grassed up by locals

The locals could only know that if the passport holder made it common knowledge.   Why the slur on the locals ("grassed up by"...) when it would be the expired visa/passport holder who actually deserved your derision?   

[Liverpool Lou]

On 12/17/2022 at 9:21 PM, proton said:

Rather me than him, personally I would report him

How would you ever justify sticking your nose into his business by reporting him to Immigration apart from the pointless and vindictive "if I have to do it he should also" attitude?

[Liverpool Lou]

On 12/17/2022 at 9:51 PM, proton said:

I despise over stayers and those with illegal extensions, just makes it harder for the rest of us doing things legally and respecting the law. I would report anyone breaking the law by overstaying for years, up to me.

Is it just the Immigration law transgressors that you'd selectively report or those who break any laws here?    Have you ever broken any Thai law, however minor, or taken advantage of lax law enforcement in any way, since you've been here?   

[Liverpool Lou]

On 12/18/2022 at 12:32 AM, tomazbodner said:

What happens if he falls badly sick and needs hospital?

He'd go to hospital, then it would be up to the hospital staff.  Under Thai law hospitals cannot refuse treatment to anyone for the first 72 hours of emergency care.

[gearbox]

On 12/17/2022 at 5:27 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

I live in the middle of Bangkok since more than 20 years. I don't remember that anybody official ever checked my passport. Exceptions are of course immigration and airport.

For renting or something like that they normally only ask for the picture page of the passport.

So I guess the answer to your question is: Sure, and IMHO the risk is not high that you get caught. 

Many hotels require a passport for check-in,  there is always a risk that they can spot that the most recent visa expired and report to the police.

[Caldera]

3 minutes ago, gearbox said:

Many hotels require a passport for check-in,  there is always a risk that they can spot that the most recent visa expired and report to the police.

I'd guess a sensible assumption would be that a "successful longterm overstayer" (as per the premise of this thread) knows about TM30 and is smart enough not to check in at a hotel under their own name. Maybe they don't travel, maybe they have a Thai wife who does it for them, not a real problem in itself. 

[owl sees all]

On 12/17/2022 at 5:41 PM, BE88 said:

Living without going out in a small town in Issan is like feeling in confined prison, did he tell you why he doesn't renew his visa?

 

Nonsense!

 

[hotandsticky]

56 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

How would you ever justify sticking your nose into his business by reporting him to Immigration apart from the pointless and vindictive "if I have to do it he should also" attitude?

 

I do hope that you are not condoning overstay  -  or other illegal activities................................

[richard_smith237]

11 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

How would you ever justify sticking your nose into his business by reporting him to Immigration apart from the pointless and vindictive "if I have to do it he should also" attitude?

I do hope that you are not condoning overstay  -  or other illegal activities................................

Well, lets face it, no one likes a grass.... But this forum highlights many would not only ‘grass’ but also want to play executioner... 

 

IF someone wants to overstay, its not really my business or my problem.....  that has nothing to do with ‘condoning’ illegal activities. 

[tomazbodner]

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

He'd go to hospital, then it would be up to the hospital staff.  Under Thai law hospitals cannot refuse treatment to anyone for the first 72 hours of emergency care.

I know so many cases where emergency care was refused unless patient coughed up money up-front. But that wasn't even what I was referring to.

 

What I was referring to was that he would need to show documentation to hospital, which would likely contact immigration upon inspecting the papers especially if hospitalisation was required... which has happened before. So in case this man is hospitalised and recovers, his next lodge would likely be detention center awaiting deportation after he pays off penalties and buys a plane ticket home.

[richard_smith237]

10 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

I know so many cases where emergency care was refused unless patient coughed up money up-front. But that wasn't even what I was referring to.

Key word - Emergency care... 

 

 

10 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

What I was referring to was that he would need to show documentation to hospital, which would likely contact immigration upon inspecting the papers especially if hospitalisation was required... which has happened before. So in case this man is hospitalised and recovers, his next lodge would likely be detention center awaiting deportation after he pays off penalties and buys a plane ticket home.

Someone could simply show a photocopy of their ID page - thats all a hospital needs. 

 

Hospitals don’t ‘inspect’ papers... they just want a Name and DOB so they can access the correct records - The last few times I was at hospital I provided no ID, neither did my Wife... we just gave them our name and DOB, we are already on the hospitals records. 

 

[hotandsticky]

34 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Well, lets face it, no one likes a grass.... But this forum highlights many would not only ‘grass’ but also want to play executioner... 

 

IF someone wants to overstay, its not really my business or my problem.....  that has nothing to do with ‘condoning’ illegal activities. 

I agree with you....but I was replying to Liverpool Lou's comment.

[proton]

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

How would you ever justify sticking your nose into his business by reporting him to Immigration apart from the pointless and vindictive "if I have to do it he should also" attitude?

I would report overstayers, child abusers, yaba dealers and murderers. You cannot always look the other way and be afraid of being labeled vindictive or a busy body.

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, brianthainess said:

So do you never use an ATM with card ?

Is an ATM now called a bank? And when I use an ATM I use it with my ATM card, I don't need a passport for that.

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, gearbox said:

Many hotels require a passport for check-in,  there is always a risk that they can spot that the most recent visa expired and report to the police.

Sure. But as far as I understand this thread is about people who live here without valid visa. I guess most of them live in one place and they don't travel. And if they travel it would be stupid to give a passport with an expired visa to anybody.

 

Now my passport and visa are perfect since many years. But a long time ago I had a substantial overstay. I didn't have to think too much to avoid giving the passport to anybody who might check it.

 

[owl sees all]

20 minutes ago, proton said:

I would report overstayers, child abusers, yaba dealers and murderers. You cannot always look the other way and be afraid of being labeled vindictive or a busy body.

 

Overstayers on par with murderers?

 

If you reported yaba dealers up her you would be quickly taken out.

 

[JayClay]

3 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

Hey, not everybody are same bad at planning as you seem to think. In reality, that was just a super-weak comment to support further irresponsibility.

*Sigh*

 

If you seriously believe that the majority, or even a significant minority, of people are financially secure enough to endure any kind of setback before having a family then you are deluded and it's really not work pursuing any kind of conversation with you expecting a rational response.

 

But just to go through the motions:

 

So what's your plan when your state decided not to pay pensions to expats? And when a global event wipes out the value of your private pension plans?

 

Or how about when your country is invaded and the value of your currency goes to all but zero?

 

Nobody has a backup plan for every conceivable situation. If they did humanity simply would never progress.

[Gottfrid]

33 minutes ago, JayClay said:

*Sigh*

 

If you seriously believe that the majority, or even a significant minority, of people are financially secure enough to endure any kind of setback before having a family then you are deluded and it's really not work pursuing any kind of conversation with you expecting a rational response.

 

But just to go through the motions:

 

So what's your plan when your state decided not to pay pensions to expats? And when a global event wipes out the value of your private pension plans?

 

Or how about when your country is invaded and the value of your currency goes to all but zero?

 

Nobody has a backup plan for every conceivable situation. If they did humanity simply would never progress.

So, if you do not have a safety net, then make a family in your own country, and you will still have your pension.

Wiping out pensions and war, is just ridiculous to mention, as that is mostly besides what the problems for people are.

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, hotandsticky said:

3 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

How would you ever justify sticking your nose into his business by reporting him to Immigration apart from the pointless and vindictive "if I have to do it he should also" attitude?

 

I do hope that you are not condoning overstay  -  or other illegal activities................................

Did I say that I condone them?    But, regardless of whether I do or do not, why would you hope that I, in particular, would not condone them when there have been so many other posters in various threads recently fully supporting overstayers and calling out IB officers for doing their job that you have not expressed your hopes about similarly?

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

3 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

He'd go to hospital, then it would be up to the hospital staff.  Under Thai law hospitals cannot refuse treatment to anyone for the first 72 hours of emergency care.

I know so many cases where emergency care was refused unless patient coughed up money up-front.

"I know so many cases..."

Do you?  Personally?  Any examples that aren't hearsay, conjecture o speculation?

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, proton said:

4 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

How would you ever justify sticking your nose into his business by reporting him to Immigration apart from the pointless and vindictive "if I have to do it he should also" attitude?

I would report overstayers,

This about overstayers only; how is another person's visa status any of your sodding business?