1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

Personally I think there should be a place at the airport you can go and pay a small charge for any overstay up to 30 days before checking in - after which it is more serious financially. Chasing down a week long over-stayer is just lunacy.

Whilst I broadly agree with you, I don't understand why people overstay - especially for short periods.  A short extension is very easy in most cases - its just laziness in most cases I guess.

 

In 21 years and around 150 visits, I've only ever overstayed by 1 day and that was a simple mistake.

 

This is a problem of Thailand's own making.

The policy of if you overstay by up to 30 days you get fined at the airport on exit allows tourists to believe they have an option of paying a specified declared exit fine(up to 20K)
Most tourists are not aware if they actually get stopped outside the airport on overstay that option is not available and it could result in arrest and IDC.

Tourists hear the stories of paying a fine at the airport if the leave less than 30 days past their visa date and prefer it to wasting a day at the I.O office if staying longer than their initial visa ( usually 30 day VOA  or similar).

Solution: Offer the ability to do a one-time on-line extension for the first extension(30 day) would see a reduction in short overstays - I believe most of these are just a tick-box exercise. Remove the 30 day possibility of paying a fine on exit at the airport. The possibility of the fine at the airport has to be removed for clarity.

 

It makes everything very clear, if you overstay no ifs-or-buts, you will be blacklisted for x time dependent on days. They had the option to extend but chose intentionally to ignore it, resulting in documented consequences .

 

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

You didn't have to, it was obvious that all the overstayers had been arrested.  

The overstayers were arrested due to the excellent work of the police in finding them as seen in the pictures

4 cops assisted in finding the woman and 6 cops assisted finding the man?

Now how many actually arrested them.........?????

 

 

 

8 minutes ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

 

The overstayers were arrested due to the excellent work of the police in finding them as seen in the pictures

4 cops assisted in finding the woman and 6 cops assisted finding the man?

Now how many actually arrested them.........?????

 

 

 

 

Excellent, I couldn't have said better Myself!

The young lady does look happy?????

3 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

yes, if they were guaranteed to leave within the next 30 days - that was my point. 

In that case thousands would stay 29 days over their visa deadline.

15 hours ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

 

The overstayers were arrested due to the excellent work of the police in finding them as seen in the pictures

4 cops assisted in finding the woman and 6 cops assisted finding the man?

Now how many actually arrested them.........?????

 

 

 

 

Jesus Christ...

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Jesus Christ...

I don't know what Jesus Christ has to do with it?

 

3 minutes ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Jesus Christ...

I don't know what Jesus Christ has to do with it?

 

That doesn't surprise me.

1 minute ago, Liverpool Lou said:

That doesn't surprise me.

Are you religious?????

3 minutes ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

5 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

That doesn't surprise me.

Are you religious?????

Maybe I am, maybe I'm not, whatever I am is none of your business.

18 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Personally I think there should be a place at the airport you can go and pay a small charge for any overstay up to 30 days before checking in - after which it is more serious financially. Chasing down a week long over-stayer is just lunacy.

There is such a place. It is called the immigration office.

Overstays can 'hand themselves in' at any time, at any immigration office,  for just a fine - within time limits. But then, they must leave Thailand.

It is only when the IO's 'catch them' that they are arrested.

However, none of those caught that are mentioned here, were making any attempt to be honest or to leave the country.

If anyone wants to see how busy the immigration police have been, this is a link recently sent to me. It is just one of their sites. Apparently there are a few.

 

https://www.facebook.com/Suratimmigration?mibextid=LQQJ4d