Tracking Overstays

[Photoguy21]

Just a thought but when you enter Thailand they check your passport. They could, and maybe do, record the date of entry, passport number and name etc., then they stamp your entry date and due date to leave or extend. Why cant the computer system be setup to read the passport data again after the entry stamp? If this was dont a complete record of overstays could be easily identified along with extensions etc.. Useful comments appreciated.

[MJCM]

I think they know who is on overstay, but overstayers don’t file 90 day reports or when they move addresses don’t let immigration know where they are living now is my guess. 

[IvorBiggun2]

Computers and Thai government departments don't seem to go together easily. Sent off my 90 day report on 26th Jan. I received a 'pending' notification on same day. Today still no notification that my TM47 was accepted. Off I go to their office, 160km round trip. I asked why I couldn't do it online? Told me computer fault. I said 'what 15  days?' Officer just shrugged his shoulders and raised his eyebrows.

[4MyEgo]

16 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

Just a thought but when you enter Thailand they check your passport. They could, and maybe do, record the date of entry, passport number and name etc., then they stamp your entry date and due date to leave or extend.

They do.

 

16 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

Why cant the computer system be setup to read the passport data again after the entry stamp?

Yes, the new system from my experience hasn't done that, e.g. I had to go in to do the 90 days from re-entry (single re-entry)

 

17 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

If this was dont a complete record of overstays could be easily identified along with extensions etc.. Useful comments appreciated.

Identifying overstays is one thing, extensions is another as I mentioned above, it doesn't appear that the new system is set up for the latter, overstayers, i.e. intending overstayers, the ones that don't want to return to their countries for whatever reason, disappear when they are due to fly out, hence the reason they are called overstayers.

[Photoguy21]

Just now, IvorBiggun2 said:

Computers and Thai government departments don't seem to go together easily. Sent off my 90 day report on 26th Jan. I received a 'pending' notification on same day. Today still no notification that my TM47 was accepted. Off I go to their office, 160km round trip. I asked why I couldn't do it online? Told me computer fault. I said 'what 15  days?' Officer just shrugged his shoulders and raised his eyebrows.

I know it is a pain but it isnt necessary. A full print out if set up correctly could be made available every day or week wheat ever they decided on.

[Photoguy21]

1 minute ago, 4MyEgo said:

They do.

 

Yes, the new system from my experience hasn't done that, e.g. I had to go in to do the 90 days from re-entry (single re-entry)

 

Identifying overstays is one thing, extensions is another as I mentioned above, it doesn't appear that the new system is set up for the latter, overstayers, i.e. intending overstayers, the ones that don't want to return to their countries for whatever reason, disappear when they are due to fly out, hence the reason they are called overstayers.

It appears just to be a record of entry and tie in to permission to stay expiry which it could be.

[4MyEgo]

8 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

It appears just to be a record of entry and tie in to permission to stay expiry which it could be.

My 90 days was due in November, however I exited Thailand in October and returned at the end of the same month, so my 90 days was supposed to start from the date I re-entered, i.e. take me till the end of January, and it did, but when I tried to do another 90 days on line, it declined me, so that tells me that the clock restarts when you re-enter, but after that, you have to go to Immigration, for whatever reason, yes it's weird.

 

For what it's worth, my extension was due to be renewed on the same day my 90 days was up, now whether that had anything to do it I have no idea, AN members have told me they are both separate, i.e. extensions and 90 day reporting, suffice to say, immigration had no answers for me.

 

EDIT: I also applied for my extension in December which was a month before my 90 days was up, immigration didn't provide me with another 90 days at that time, and when I couldn't get another 90 days come end January, they said don't worry over the phone, when you get your stamp in March we will give you another 90 days, so I have to take their word on it, I guess, and it beats doing the 180km round trip again for the 90 days between January and March.

 

I won't be paying any fine, I can assure you of that.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 10, 2023 by 4MyEgo

[ThailandRyan]

The smart BMW camera car can be uploaded with all of the photos and the individuals information linked to it as well.  They can then drive down the street slowly as the camera scans the people and when they get a hit make a stop on the individual for being on overstay.....bingo, ding ding ding, winner winner chicken dinner....

[n00dle]

1 minute ago, ThailandRyan said:

The smart BMW camera car can be uploaded with all of the photos and the individuals information linked to it as well.  

Ah, the old upload the car trick.

[FritsSikkink]

19 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

It appears just to be a record of entry and tie in to permission to stay expiry which it could be.

All your passport data, entries and leave dates, overstays are in their computer already for a very long time. 

[NativeBob]

What does it mean "in their computer" is that yes, Imm. got few server racks at CAT building at Bangrak running Oracle databases. And it was set more than 20 years ago. Yes, everything you can see on your passport (related to Thailand) is there. Photos and fingerprints too.

But, very huge but: that much of data called BIg Data, and even running simple update query is a tedious task, but so far it works just fine.

To conclude: it won't be difficult to get a list of (say) all overstayers from Kiwi-land older than 65 with overstay more than 105 days.
Print it and than what? Publish it on some bounty website? Give it as booklet (quite big too) to every policeman? Hang them at 7/11, bus terminals, tube's entrances? 

PS: But the bounty idea looks appealing - there're so many farangs willing to do exactly this kind of "volunteering job" )

[Captain Monday]

26 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

All your passport data, entries and leave dates, overstays are in their computer already for a very long time. 

They have your facial photograph. Your fingerprintz. You can go to your country and change your name get a sex change and get a new passport. They will never let you change your birthday. Throw away your passport and hide out in a village. Some have made it thousands of days  All pointless.

 

Eventually a BMW will roll by and Immigration will "pounce" into action

[problemfarang]

they do know over stays and yes, computer shows alarm about it too. the problem is they dont know where you are. and no need to waste time trying to find you. they just do random checks at bars or likewise places.

[Xanthe]

7 hours ago, Captain Monday said:

They have your facial photograph. Your fingerprintz. You can go to your country and change your name get a sex change and get a new passport.

OMG Why somebody would like to do that? What is there in Thailand to start such a massive undertaking. It just boggles my mind why people overstay in a foreign land instead of  going back to their home country (unless they are economic migrants or running away from violence/war in their home country which I understand). But I don't understand the lure of sex orgy or the prospect of finding brides for overstaying.

[bigt3116]

14 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

For what it's worth, my extension was due to be renewed on the same day my 90 days was up, now whether that had anything to do it I have no idea, AN members have told me they are both separate, i.e. extensions and 90 day reporting, suffice to say, immigration had no answers for me.

A new 90 day report is only as long your current extension is valid or 90 days, whichever is the shorter - because you needed a new extension on the same day, that is why you could not do a 90 day report.

[ThailandRyan]

36 minutes ago, bigt3116 said:

A new 90 day report is only as long your current extension is valid or 90 days, whichever is the shorter - because you needed a new extension on the same day, that is why you could not do a 90 day report.

Yet some immigration offices will do it in conjunction with your extension of stay.

[hotchilli]

16 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

All your passport data, entries and leave dates, overstays are in their computer already for a very long time. 

But the don't have a system that RED FLAGS those who have exceeded expiry dates.

[HampiK]

18 hours ago, NativeBob said:

...

PS: But the bounty idea looks appealing - there're so many farangs willing to do exactly this kind of "volunteering job" )

If you give 500 baht per found person, I think many Thais would be happy to do the Job. The first few months, this would be a nice earner. Foreigners couldn't do the Job... Thai reserved earner...

[Salerno]

4 hours ago, bigt3116 said:

A new 90 day report is only as long your current extension is valid or 90 days, whichever is the shorter - because you needed a new extension on the same day, that is why you could not do a 90 day report.

The 90 day report has nothing to do with your current extension per se (yes, you need to be in Thailand legally, how much longer your permission to stay for after the date the 90 day report is due is irrelevant). It is a report you are still in Thailand 90 days after entering (or since your last 90 day report if you haven't exited the country), your legal status and where you are living. It has nothing to do with the future, other than you will be fined for not doing one if you need to renew your permission to stay and haven't left the country since it was last due. 

[Eff1n2ret]

I don't know if it's relevant, but when I went for my extension this  week, I was sent off to a side office to get my old TM30 slip photocopied. I hadn't done a copy myself, I don't remember it ever having been required before. The clerk took two copies and retained one, also copying my passport photo page and my expiring extension stamp. It seemed to me that she was creating an extra file, and I wondered if it was to pass to the enforcement section so that they could run their own checks on overstayers. Rather bureaucratic, as the first thing they would have to do would be to check for a renewed extension stamp, which I was given at the main desk shortly afterwards.