Kiwi held in Pattaya for overstaying visa by six years

[Jonathan Swift]

20 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

 

Depends what there is back home.  If it's the same but the weather is poor and he can't get a girl, maybe this is the better choice.

And that's what we don't know. Maybe he just couldn't afford life there any more and this was his only option, but was unable to navigate the legit options. I couldn't afford life in the US any more. Maybe he got bad advice from others, other overstayers. Lord knows, in 10 years I've gotten a lot of bad advice which I knew not to follow. We don't know what his story is, so we shouldn't make assumptions. I feel bad for anyone his age in this predicament, he could end up homeless on the streets on NZ. 

[PETERTHEEATER]

On 5/12/2024 at 6:20 AM, webfact said:

......amounted to a staggering 2,173 days,......

He's an alcoholic?

[Cabradelmar]

19 hours ago, NativeBob said:

Wow! that is really cool over-stay! more than 13 years!

 

Check these guys out... 15 and 11 years...

 

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/iraqi-man-arrested-for-overstaying-in-thailand-for-nearly-15-years

 

https://thethaiger.com/guides/visa-information/elderly-british-man-overstays-visa-in-thailand-by-11-years

[thecyclist]

On 5/12/2024 at 1:22 PM, Hellfire said:

“He confessed to venturing outside his abode only during evenings to procure essentials, all in a bid to avoid run-ins with law enforcement”

 

Does simply living in Pattaya justifies this kind of sacrifice of having a count Dracula lifestyle for 6 years?

 

 

Pattaya is perfect for vampires. Sleep during the day. Party at night.

[NativeBob]

22 minutes ago, Cabradelmar said:

Check these guys out... 15 and 11 years...

those over-stayers are just like some type of different species: immortals with tails or even more freaky. 

they don't afraid of being caught 'cos they know how to get out, they know how blend in other folks, yet they posses the power to abuse the system.

Tempting? Nah, rather freaky!

[Simon1287]

On 5/12/2024 at 9:45 AM, Cabradelmar said:

 In my 8 years living here, it only happened to me once... in the very first year... I was in Roi Et. Police came right up me and asked to see my passport. All I was doing was eating ice cream in the shade with my lady friend. 

 

Never once been asked to show my passport in that way in decades of being in Thailand, except on busses and I think and once on a train down near Sungai Kolok. 

 

The most recent being on a bus mid last year when entering Phuket at 6 am or so.  (After about 600 or 700 flights in my lifetime I fly only when necessary now as I am bored sick of planes and all the faff that goes with them these days)

 

A large mean looking policeman went almost silently through the bus checking all ID's.  I remember thinking as he checked my passport what a total nightmare awaited anyone on that bus that did not have the correct visa. Even a day overstay can begin the nightmare in such circumstances I believe.

 

The return leg, being Phuket to Pattaya, via bus change at Morchit at 5 am was about 15 hours but I still like travelling, other than planes, even at my age.

 

Only other times I can remember (though as I did spend many years just travelling around 72 or the 77 provinces I daresay it was more) have been up in Chiang Rai a couple of times on busses. The police officer questioned the lady I was with each time about what the farang was doing there as he checked the passport.

 

The time at Sungai Kolok was probably over 15 years ago and the passport may even have been checked twice I can't quite remember.

 

I fell into a deep sleep at Hat Yai and woke up in my seat sometime after to see two soldiers beside me and 3 opposite, all holding M-16’s (some with grenade launchers underneath) and another 25 of their colleagues in the carriage with us.

 

It did seem a bit surreal for a few seconds after waking I must say as the carriage was quite quiet when I went to sleep. They all got off at Sungai Kolok for a while and went back on the same train. 

Edited May 13 by Simon1287
Typo

[Polaky]

Too cold in nz, came to thai , the warmth created a sense of ambiance , so he settled into easy living, uriah heep .

[kiwikeith]

18 hours ago, Korat Kiwi said:

NZ, beautiful country to visit but it's getting more expensive each day. 

 

The cost of living is way higher than Thailand. The public health system is not in good stead.  Want a local doctors appointment? Likely to be a waiting list and you'll need to book weeks in advance. 

 

Owning your first home is extremely hard, big deposits and high interest rates. Rent average is around NZ$500 a week (11000 baht/ US$300/BP250). 

 

I don't know how pensioners survive unless they have their own house and savings. Although this guy hasn't made it to that stage yet. 

 

In Thailand you can live quite well and for a lot less.  Not surprised he overstayed. He'll be in for a shock if/when he returns to NZ. 

 

Unsure how it works here in regards to deportation. I suspect he'll have to pay the fine for overstaying and air tickets back to NZ.  What if he has insufficient money? 

 

Does he rot in a holding/detention area/cell? I'm sure the RTP won't release him until they get there monies. The embassy will give out advise and that's all. 

 

Silly guy,  he'll be barred from returning for 10 year now.

 

Thai government pays for his deportation, same as NZ government pays to deport thai overstayers 

[jacko45k]

19 hours ago, Marco100 said:

Wonder what's the reason 🤔 ? He didn't have money to apply a Retirement Visa ?

Have to start with a Non-imm O conversion, then a retirement extension. Perhaps already had let a TV or Visa exempt permission expire and carried on from there. 

[Bday Prang]

On 5/12/2024 at 12:20 PM, webfact said:

Police have apprised him of his offense.

never seen the word "apprised" used before.....ever

[tabacione]

I come to the lush shores of Jomtien Beach to only leave the house at night to get food and not apply for a visa for 6 years.
intelligence quotient certainly above the world average 🤔

[BTB1977]

6 years is still rookie status.  Come talk to me when you hit 20. 

[Robert Paulson]

What if one day you twilight zoned back into Thailand and there was no 90 day reporting. And there were statues of men around the country who had overstayed their visas the longest. Maybe this guy could make it somewhere in some small city for his efforts. The pioneers. Even the roads could be named after these pioneers. 

Edited May 14 by Robert Paulson

[Robert Paulson]

6 minutes ago, BTB1977 said:

6 years is still rookie status.  Come talk to me when you hit 20. 

Is 20+ pulled in a small town, a big city, in the boondocks? 

[Korat Kiwi]

Who knows what his 'real' story is? 

 

That will probably go to the grave with him. 

 

I don't think he was properly prepared for Thailand.

 

There are some simple rules (Albeit bureaucratic to hell) and if you follow those you are generally ok to stay.   And you can have a good time doing so. 

 

Hiding from authorities is not a good time. 

 

Time to return to the land of the long white cloud (Aotearoa: NZ), I'm sure you are going to miss this place. 

[Hammerite]

The New Zealanders  I have met,  really dislike being labelled as Kiwis. 

Does this mean we can call Pakistanis the P word? Or Chinese the C word etc etc . 

Double standards as usual!!

[thainet]

22 hours ago, kiwikeith said:

Thai government pays for his deportation, same as NZ government pays to deport thai overstayers 

No they don't.....You sit in the Bangkok Immigration jail until you, family or someone pays your airfare.

[MangoKorat]

On 5/12/2024 at 8:19 AM, Chivas said:

Has anyone here solely walking around on foot every been approached by a random Police officer  ? (so not on motorbike car etc etc)

Yes. About 5 years ago there was a clamp down in Bangkok looking for overstayers, illegals etc. There were reports of people being stopped on the street in the Sukhumvit area for passport checks. I was in a taxi at the Asoke junction traffic lights when 2 coppers approached and asked to see my passport. 

 

As far as I can remember though, that's the only time I've been checked in 22 years.

 

There was also a time around 7 years ago when clubs in upper Sukhumvit were raided.  Those raids were targeted/drugs related though and not random passport checks. Both Thais and foreigners were subjected to urine tests. Any foreigner that couldn't provide a passport on the spot was locked up until someone could get their passport for them.

[kiwikeith]

1 hour ago, thainet said:

No they don't.....You sit in the Bangkok Immigration jail until you, family or someone pays your airfare.

I guess I will have to ring the Minister off immigration and tell him to stop paying for Thai overstayers to go home. 

I could ring .my aussie mate who overstayed 5 years was broke and Thailand flew him home, he' never paid just got ten years suspension, he won't be back hes 80 now got deported 4 years ago. 

Edited May 14 by kiwikeith
Add more

[mstevens]

On 5/13/2024 at 5:25 PM, Jonathan Swift said:

And that's what we don't know. Maybe he just couldn't afford life there any more and this was his only option, but was unable to navigate the legit options. I couldn't afford life in the US any more. Maybe he got bad advice from others, other overstayers. Lord knows, in 10 years I've gotten a lot of bad advice which I knew not to follow. We don't know what his story is, so we shouldn't make assumptions. I feel bad for anyone his age in this predicament, he could end up homeless on the streets on NZ. 

 

This guy is going to be in for a shock when he gets back to New Zealand. The cost of living here has sky-rocketed over the past 5 years, and that was off a fairly high base. Sadly, New Zealand has a bad combination of a high coast of living and comparatively low salaries (about 25% lower than Australia, for example). He will be able to get some government assistance but it probably won't be enough to lead anything more than the most basic existence. Even getting a place of his own might be difficult and he could end up in a boarding house, and those places are, to be frank, a nightmare.

[mstevens]

2 hours ago, Hammerite said:

The New Zealanders  I have met,  really dislike being labelled as Kiwis. 

Does this mean we can call Pakistanis the P word? Or Chinese the C word etc etc . 

Double standards as usual!!

 

Most New Zealanders aged 40 or 45 up will be totally fine with being termed a "Kiwi". It's really only the new generation, particularly the wokesters who don't like it as they see it as being an old term from the colonial times.....

[mstevens]

On 5/14/2024 at 6:50 AM, kiwikeith said:

Thai government pays for his deportation, same as NZ government pays to deport thai overstayers 

 

Actually, this is not right at all, or only half right. In the case of a Thai (or anyone else) being deported from New Zealand, yes, the NZ government pays.

 

But for foreigners being deported from Thailand, that person must pay for the flights themselves. There have been many cases of foreigners sent to the Immigration Detention Centre who have had to somehow raise money for their air ticket out of Thailand. They are reliant on family or friends. In some cases, they cannot raise the funds are stuck in the system for a long time.

[AreYouGerman]

On 5/13/2024 at 8:27 AM, NativeBob said:

those over-stayers are just like some type of different species: immortals with tails or even more freaky. 

they don't afraid of being caught 'cos they know how to get out, they know how blend in other folks, yet they posses the power to abuse the system.

Tempting? Nah, rather freaky!

 

I have overstayed in Thailand before they introduced bans as well. Sometimes I even used overstaying as visa, lol, every 90 days I would just pay 20k and go out & in again.  Once even a year and the immigration at the airport just all smiles and jokes about how much I love Thailand. Nobody was too much bothered. Good old times! At least nowadays people like you can be happy.

[balo]

On 5/13/2024 at 5:45 AM, Marco100 said:

Wonder what's the reason 🤔 ? He didn't have money to apply a Retirement Visa ?

 

My guess he is wanted for something back home in NZ, or the mafia is after him. Or else there is no point in hiding. 
 

 

[Chivas]

10 hours ago, MangoKorat said:

Yes. About 5 years ago there was a clamp down in Bangkok looking for overstayers, illegals etc. There were reports of people being stopped on the street in the Sukhumvit area for passport checks. I was in a taxi at the Asoke junction traffic lights when 2 coppers approached and asked to see my passport. 

 

As far as I can remember though, that's the only time I've been checked in 22 years.

 

There was also a time around 7 years ago when clubs in upper Sukhumvit were raided.  Those raids were targeted/drugs related though and not random passport checks. Both Thais and foreigners were subjected to urine tests. Any foreigner that couldn't provide a passport on the spot was locked up until someone could get their passport for them.

 

Anyone who carries their passport around with them 24/7 needs their head examining.

On the remote chance it happened to me I'd deal with the fallout thereafter.

 

Nobody whatsoever is being locked up indefinately until "someone goes and gets their passport"

 

As an example I had a Siam Secure security box on 2 separate occasions back around 2015 in which I kept the passport at the time. Nobody but me would have access to that. Common sense even in Thailand has to prevail

[MangoKorat]

2 hours ago, Chivas said:

Anyone who carries their passport around with them 24/7 needs their head examining.

On the remote chance it happened to me I'd deal with the fallout thereafter.

 

Nobody whatsoever is being locked up indefinately until "someone goes and gets their passport"

Firstly, I have carried my passport with me for at least 25 years. Must remember to book am appointment to get my head examined.

 

Secondly, were you at one of those clubs at the time?  I can assure you that people were not being released until their passport was released - I should know as I had to go get my mates from his hotel room.

[Chivas]

9 minutes ago, MangoKorat said:

Firstly, I have carried my passport with me for at least 25 years. Must remember to book am appointment to get my head examined.

 

Secondly, were you at one of those clubs at the time?  I can assure you that people were not being released until their passport was released - I should know as I had to go get my mates from his hotel room.

 

So you take your passport to the Beach...shall I go on  ??

Secondly you completely ignored what I said about a passport being in a secure place with no access to 3rd parties

 

Furthermore the chief immigration minister produced an article which was here on Thaivisa at the time and I've got it saved probably on other laptop where you have 24 hours to produce your passport to a police station if asked to do so

 

I dont know absolutely anyone these 32 years who routinely takes their passport out day to day walking about their daily business. (banking excepted obviously)

 

None !

[MangoKorat]

1 minute ago, Chivas said:

Furthermore the chief immigration minister produced an article which was here on Thaivisa at the time and I've got it saved probably on other laptop where you have 24 hours to produce your passport to a police station if asked to do so

 

I dont know absolutely anyone these 32 years who routinely takes their passport out day to day walking about their daily business. (banking excepted obviously)

I really don't care what the Chief Immigration officer produced - my mate was taken to Lumpini police station along with about 15 others and I had to get his passport.  Maybe I shoulld have told the cops that I'd report them to their chief?

 

My passport was with me on several beaches in Koh Chang and Koh Kood just last week.

 

I don't remember claiming any laws state you must carry your passport so what are you banging on about?  I simply said what happened to a friend.

[Korat Kiwi]

1 hour ago, MangoKorat said:

I really don't care what the Chief Immigration officer produced - my mate was taken to Lumpini police station along with about 15 others and I had to get his passport.  Maybe I shoulld have told the cops that I'd report them to their chief?

 

My passport was with me on several beaches in Koh Chang and Koh Kood just last week.

 

I don't remember claiming any laws state you must carry your passport so what are you banging on about?  I simply said what happened to a friend.

Actually I always have my passport with me. On the odd occasion that it may be with my agent then I have both a photocopy and a photograph on my cellphone. 

 

Some years ago when doing visa runs from Chiang Mai to Mae Sai,  the bus was bordered by police/immigration officials.  All passports were checked. 

 

Happened twice in my time in CM.  On one occasion several Laotians were removed from the bus. 

 

I have no problems carrying my passport with me.  I'm always are aware that I have it and it is secure, same as my driving licences. 

[AreYouGerman]

5 hours ago, MangoKorat said:

I really don't care what the Chief Immigration officer produced - my mate was taken to Lumpini police station along with about 15 others and I had to get his passport.  Maybe I shoulld have told the cops that I'd report them to their chief?

 

My passport was with me on several beaches in Koh Chang and Koh Kood just last week.

 

I don't remember claiming any laws state you must carry your passport so what are you banging on about?  I simply said what happened to a friend.

 

In the 10 years in Thailand I have NEVER carried my passport around and NEVER have been asked to produce it.

 

Is this a thing now? Seems Thailand really wants to tighten up on smelly foreigners.