Overstay or extension?

[jimmybcool]

OK, I have miscalculated my visa.  I will be departing 2 days after my visa ends.  I can get an extension or arrive at the airport two days overstay.  It isn't too late to get the extension.

 

What says the board?  I don't want to risk problems in getting future visas.  Oh, and I had a one day overstay last year.  Do they track this stuff if it's minor or? 

 

Opinions or experiences welcome.

[DrJack54]

You can apply for extension at immigration which will be rejected and be given 7 days to get out of dodge.

 

Personally, I would just go to airport and pay the 2 day overstay. 1000b.

Some folk will disagree with that option. 

[Liquorice]

1,900 BHT for an extension with all the hassle.
1,000 BHT overstay fine at the airport on departure.

 

Do you need to ask your options?

 

To avoid creating a history of overstaying, when calculating your stay and booking return flights, note the day of arrival counts as day 1 of your stay, and 30 days is not always the same as 1 month.

Edited March 14 by Liquorice

[Ohyesuare]

Any overstay gets you that red stamp usually. I'd get the extension just to avoid that even if there's only a miniscule chance that it could impact future visa applications.

[Tropicalevo]

The risk is being caught.

Go and admit overstay, just a fine.

If someone catches you in the 2 days before you get to the desk - possible arrest, and a bigger problem/fine.

The immigration folk sometimes hang around the ferry terminal here in the morning and check passports of foreigners when boarding the ferry. Quite a few folk doing border bounces were caught out and arrested.

[steve187]

28 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

You can apply for extension at immigration which will be rejected and be given 7 days to get out of dodge.

 

Personally, I would just go to airport and pay the 2 day overstay. 1000b.

Some folk will disagree with that option. 

no mention of the op not being eligible for the normal 30 day extension

[Woof999]

Planning to be on overstay when there is a legal alternative is, IMHO, a bad idea. Especially so with the current crackdown on anything even remotely illegal by a foreigner. At least one recent news article here about a tourist being arrested and detained while only 1 day over.

[Korat Kiwi]

Id take the lesser of 2 evils and go get the extension. 

 

The risk although maybe small, if you get caught can be quite nasty. 

[Caldera]

In the current climate, I wouldn't overstay deliberately (not even by just a few days), and as you said, in your case it can be avoided by applying for an extension before your permission to stay will expire.

 

As you already have a previous short overstay, getting another overstay stamp in your passport wouldn't look good. So in case you ever need to rely on immigration's leniency or discretion in the future, that could well come back to bite you.

[KhunBENQ]

3 hours ago, jimmybcool said:

OK, I have miscalculated my visa.  I will be departing 2 days after my visa ends

What kind of visa, how long is the permitted stay (stamp in passport,arrival date/permitted date)?

As mentioned you could be eligible for a normal 30 day extension.

At these times I would not risk a single day of overstay.

Immigration uses the tiniest bit to create some headlines.

Edited March 14 by KhunBENQ

[ukrules]

They appear to be 'catching' people at some airports based on recent news stories out of Phuket.

 

Obviously this is due to the airline check in desks, they check your current extension of stay date - they always did even when nobody cared about overstays because it can delay you getting to the gate.

 

Go and get an extension, like others have said, if they say no to the extension because you've already had one then you get 7 days which is no problem at all.

 

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

Go and get an extension, like others have said, if they say no to the extension because you've already had one then you get 7 days which is no problem at all.

Some others have said pay overstay at airport. 

Many would be surprised how common short overstays are. One/two days as is case with OP.

 

[jimmybcool]

Thanks all.  Guess I'll get the extension.  I did calculate wrong.  by one day.  I missed it was leap year and made it two.  I think when I calculated since I had an early flight I was planning on arriving at the airport before midnight and alls well but not now and not with last years one day overstay.  I don't mind the money it's the hassle of the extension but better that than a potential greater hassle I guess.

 

[Lite Beer]

3 hours ago, jimmybcool said:

Thanks all.  Guess I'll get the extension.  I did calculate wrong.  by one day.  I missed it was leap year and made it two.  I think when I calculated since I had an early flight I was planning on arriving at the airport before midnight and alls well but not now and not with last years one day overstay.  I don't mind the money it's the hassle of the extension but better that than a potential greater hassle I guess.

 

Good choice. Eliminate any potential problems. 

[brianthainess]

3 hours ago, jimmybcool said:

Thanks all.  Guess I'll get the extension.  I did calculate wrong.  by one day.  I missed it was leap year and made it two.  I think when I calculated since I had an early flight I was planning on arriving at the airport before midnight and alls well but not now and not with last years one day overstay.  I don't mind the money it's the hassle of the extension but better that than a potential greater hassle I guess.

 

As said good choice, I personally would not take any advice suggesting you break the law, by a poster here, you could end up with a 1 yr ban and 

[DrJack54]

21 hours ago, steve187 said:

no mention of the op not being eligible for the normal 30 day extension

That's a very good point.

If OP is eligible for 30 day extension to SETV or visa exempt entry he can obtain an extension. 

OP be aware that if you entered with eg a tourist visa you obtain your extension at CW. 

If entered visa exempt you would apply at IT mall LakSi. 

 

You will need tm7 with photo 

TM30  and photocopies of basic pages of pp.

Photo page, last entry stamp etc.

1900b. Allow the day without appointment. 

The print stalls at immigration will know what you need.

[Drumbuie]

I would usually take Dr Jack's advice on all immigration matters but in this case, I humbly beg to differ.

if it is not too late to get an extension, apply.  It appears that Immigration are not only now operating digitally but are in the process of digitising all their records. It is very easy to write code that will pull up all overstays and flag the individuals for further investigation; if I were Immigration, I'd be doing that already and I've noticed a flurry of news reports that could indicate they are.

So I'd go for the extension, smartly dressed. Explain that you've miscalculated the dates, only just realised your mistake,  can't change your ticket and please can you have the extension? Quite apart from anything else, it's the truth.

With a respectful, apologetic attitude , they might   give you the extension  - but at any rate you've shown you're an upright citizen trying to do the right thing,  not another cheapskate farang trying to dodge paying an extra 800 baht.

[DrJack54]

19 minutes ago, Drumbuie said:

So I'd go for the extension, smartly dressed. Explain that you've miscalculated the dates, only just realised your mistake,  can't change your ticket and please can you have the extension? Quite apart from anything else, it's the truth.

Good post/advice.

Just pointing out that he doesn't need to be apologetic. 

If indeed he has a tourist visa then he is eligible for 30 day extension.

I posted earlier what he needs for that.

If for example he has a non O and cannot meet extension requirements, he can apply for extension and the application will be rejected and he will be given directive to exit Thailand within 7 days. 

That will avoid overstay. 

[jimmybcool]

Yeah to clarify I am on a 60 day tourist evisa from the USA.  I qualify for a 30 day extension.  Got no golf Monday or Tuesday so I'll mosey on over and get it done.

 

 

[arithai12]

9 hours ago, jimmybcool said:

Thanks all.  Guess I'll get the extension.  I did calculate wrong.  by one day.  I missed it was leap year and made it two.  I think when I calculated since I had an early flight I was planning on arriving at the airport before midnight and alls well but not now and not with last years one day overstay.  I don't mind the money it's the hassle of the extension but better that than a potential greater hassle I guess.

 

You lost me here, since when we have to count days? Usually they put the last day of your permitted stay in the passport stamp. It's not that the officer will count days when he stamps you out.

[mrwebb8825]

One's illegal and one's admitting to your mistake and correcting it like a man. Tough enough choice that you had to even ask?

[Upnotover]

4 hours ago, arithai12 said:

You lost me here, since when we have to count days? Usually they put the last day of your permitted stay in the passport stamp. It's not that the officer will count days when he stamps you out.

Just a shot in the dark here, but perhaps he counted the days when planning the trip, not after arriving?

[Liverpool Lou]

10 hours ago, Drumbuie said:

I'd go for the extension, smartly dressed. Explain that you've miscalculated the dates, only just realised your mistake,

What has "miscalculating the days/ date" got to do with it when the "admitted until" date is clearly stamped in the passport?  No one has to work out what day they have to leave.

[DrJack54]

19 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

What has "miscalculating the days/ date" got to do with it when the "admitted until" date is clearly stamped in the passport?  No one has to work out what day they have to leave.

So missing the point.

If someone plans a trip and flights in advance then at that point they do not have a entry stamp with an "admitted till date" 

[arithai12]

8 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

So missing the point.

If someone plans a trip and flights in advance then at that point they do not have a entry stamp with an "admitted till date" 

ok, I see what you mean. Still a bit strange, however, because usually when I enter Thailand and they stamp me in, I look at the stamp and if it's one day earlier than an outbound flight I had already booked, I would do something right away. From the OP's comment "It isn't too late to get the extension" and the fact that he has 60 days permission to stay, it seems he did not realize for a while. Whatever, he has found his solution, good.

[mlkik]

On 3/14/2024 at 3:55 AM, jimmybcool said:

OK, I have miscalculated my visa.  I will be departing 2 days after my visa ends.  

Get an extention.

Edited March 15 by mlkik

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

ok, I see what you mean. Still a bit strange, however, because usually when I enter Thailand and they stamp me in, I look at the stamp and if it's one day earlier than an outbound flight I had already booked, I would do something right away. From the OP's comment "It isn't too late to get the extension" and the fact that he has 60 days permission to stay, it seems he did not realize for a while. Whatever, he has found his solution, good.

I read too much into his OP early on.

He is now asking should he obtain an extension or pay the two day overstay.

Most advice from the forum is to obtain extension

[mlkik]

1 minute ago, mlkik said:

Get an extention.

 

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, mlkik said:

If you still have a couple of weeks before departure I suggest applying for a 60 day tourist visa.

No more worries.

This is what I did when I miscalculated my stay when booking a flight.

No.

He is in Thailand and cannot obtain a tourist visa.

He can obtain 30 day extension

[DrJack54]

21 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

I look at the stamp and if it's one day earlier than an outbound flight I had already booked, I would do something right away.

Exactly. OP would be aware of it as soon as stamp was placed in pp.

We all need to check stamp after pp is handed back.

 

Tip for those using Google to calculate dates. If you land eg March 15 visa exempt 

Google "March 15 plus 29 days" 

That will give until date. 

 

Note: if taking Thai partner to Japan (that country provides 15 day visa exempt for thai) be aware that Japan counts day one AFTER date of arrival