Overstay: Where to surrender yourself?

[JoseThailand]

19 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

First get the emergency document / passport by doing a basic police report without behaving like a idiot, this is not a big deal and could be any local police station really. Stating you lost it but aren't sure when and need to get a new one.

 

Terrible idea. He will be arrested on the spot.

[Caldera]

3 hours ago, Jenkins9039 said:

Those days are over, he would be detained and processed, the old method of blacklisted and shown to the plane after paying are over since at least a year.

 

The only airport from where it has been reported that overstayers are arrested and sent off to the local police station for processing instead of sending them on their way with a fine and a ban is Phuket.

 

And even there, it isn't clear from those reports if they're doing that with every longterm overstayer or just with certain ones, e.g. if there are additional issues besides a lengthy overstay.

 

Flying out from Bangkok with no other issues than a lengthy overstay shouldn't be a problem in any case, as long as the fine is paid without fuss. They have the authority to fine and blacklist an overstayer right there.

[Maestro]

Removed an off-topic post about the border between Malaysia and Thailand.

[JoseThailand]

1 hour ago, Caldera said:

They have the authority to fine and blacklist an overstayer right there.

 

Also, the possibility to avoid blacklisting may be negotiated 😉

[JoseThailand]

11 hours ago, ttkeric said:

Thank you to everyone who shared their ideas. Like many have said, ideally, sort out passport > air ticket > head out and settle whatever we encounter at the airport. 

 

Why go to the airport if you can pay the fine and exit at a land border?

[Hummin]

10 minutes ago, JoseThailand said:

 

Why go to the airport if you can pay the fine and exit at a land border?

Land boarders where you can face one set of rules one day, and another next day often involved bribery, when you know exiting Suvarnabhumi is most likely the safest way? 

 

 

[GypsyT]

15 hours ago, bigt3116 said:

Report to Local Authorities:

Police Report: Immediately report the loss or theft of your passport to the local police and obtain an official report.

I wouldn't do that!

[richard_smith237]

17 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

 

What others have written is best advice. Passport->air ticket->get to airport->pay fine->fly out.

BUT, the biggest worry should be getting from Mae Sot to either Chiang Mai or Bangkok without getting detained. I took a bus from Mae Sot to Bangkok in 2016. The bus was stopped, and boarded by immigration officers checking documents no less than 3 times (they got several Burmese off the bus). And that was before passing Kampaeng Phet. This would be the biggest risk in my opinion.

 

 

Lots of Advice on here...   but as has been pointed out, as 'another asian' passing the check-points over the hills between Mae Sot and Tak is going to be the biggest hurdle. 

 

Does the Ops Malaysian friend have an MyKAD (Malaysian ID card) - if in private transport there is less likelihood of being checked in detail, but a Malay ID card may work in lieu of showing a passport (he could say his passport is with the Malaysian Embassy and he's going to pick it up).

 

Steps are still the same

1) Report Loss of Passport to Police (get a Police report) this may be better done at a station more familiar with tourist in Bangkok (he'll blend into the 'background' there, so to speak).

 

2) Malaysia Embassy offers an Emergency Certificate (EC) for a single direct journey back to Malaysia - the Ops friend will sill need his MyKAD.

 

3) With an EC, it would be best to take a flight from BKK to KUL declaring the overstay at the Airport and paying the 20,000 baht fine - this would 'usually' be a formality, though due to the overstay the Ops friend will be blacklisted for a duration.

 

 

[DrJack54]

Some trolling posts along with replies removed 

[DrJack54]

Comments regarding opinion on anyone in overstay situation off topic and some have been removed. 

[DrJack54]

Off topic post removed.

OP asked advice for someone on overstay and lost pp

Stay on topic. 

[thaibeachlovers]

On 12/19/2024 at 5:20 PM, ChaiyaTH said:

First get the emergency document / passport by doing a basic police report without behaving like a idiot, this is not a big deal and could be any local police station really. Stating you lost it but aren't sure when and need to get a new one. You could first try with embassy to see if without is possible in this situation too.

If your friend survived this part, you should be able to obtain an (emergency) passport to travel home. When having this, you book a ticket and get to the airport 3-4 hours before the maximum early possible with checkin options, not to hang around there.

At the checkin counter you right away tell the steward(ess), you normally get this tag with overstay, this already puts you safe. If not, just continue to go to immigration itself and surrender yourself there. 

As this was a long time + a new passport, it could take a bit longer as usual, but my guess is your friend would still be in free duty within 1-1.5 hour max. If you do it another way, your friend might face the music with X days or weeks in jail before being able to leave.

 

For this scenario you as his friend can be his support only and prepare money (control) to buy his fines, food and ticket out.

Going to the police station with anything is going to get him in a world of hurt. Just go to embassy and get emergency travel documents, then get to the  airport pronto.

 

[DrJack54]

10 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Going to the police station with anything is going to get him in a world of hurt.

The situation outlined by the OP comes up regularly.

Here is a thread with links to other similar threads regarding ...Lost/Stolen passport while on overstay.

Step 1. Obtain police report. 

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1344244-i-need-helpadvice-on-lost-passaport/#elControls_19398776_menu

 

[Phillip9]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Going to the police station with anything is going to get him in a world of hurt. Just go to embassy and get emergency travel documents, then get to the  airport pronto.

If you lose your passport, most embassies won't issue a new passport or travel document without a police report.

[DrJack54]

Few incorrect (imo) posts in this thread regarding what to do if having lost pp and also on overstay.

Step 1. You make a police report.

Correct.

 

Can you make a police report while on overstay. Answer Yes.

 

Will your embassy require a police report to even start process to provide emergency travel document?

Absolutely. 

 

The following is copy/paste from AI reply.

Not convinced about point 5.

Suggest with the EC and flight to Malaysia and 20k head to airport. 

 

"If you lose your Malaysian passport while overstaying in Thailand, you should: 

 

1. File a police report and get a copy
2. Contact the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok to:
   • Inform them of the loss
   • Apply for a verification of identity
   • Bring the following documents:
     • The police report, translated into English
     • Proof of identity, such as an IC or driving license
     • Two passport-sized photographs
3. Undergo an interview with a Consular Officer to verify your nationality
4. If you meet all the requirements, you will receive an Emergency Certificate (EC) to travel back to Malaysia
5. Bring the EC to the Immigration Office for endorsement" 

[GypsyT]

Recently Google has started to post AI answers and they are all over the map.

Some real stupid and 100% incorrect.

 

OP has very serious business to take care of. I wouldn't trust Google.

 

[DrJack54]

5 minutes ago, GypsyT said:

OP has very serious business to take care of. I wouldn't trust Google.

What I posted was one supporting answer from AI.

I very rarely post in threads those results.

My previous posts were links to threads. 

The first step is absolutely make police report

 

[wwest5829]

On 12/19/2024 at 11:00 AM, ttkeric said:

Good morning all. I'm encouraging a family friend to end his nightmare and report himself in for overstaying. That way, the legal proceedings can begin which will, hopefully, see him deported home in a month or so (hopefully...). 

 

Very briefly: 5 years+ overstay, lost passport, lives in a border town that lets him fade in and out, so to speak. We're Asians, so we blend into the scenery. Was living it large pre-pandemic, took advantage of the Covid extensions, then apparently trusted an agent who will "settle it all" and found himself left in a lurch. He's now practically a shut-in doing odd jobs and begging for funds everywhere to survive. Again, lost passport. No bus or air ticket. No waltzing into the airport, pay and leave. 

 

My question: anyone has an idea where it's best to surrender himself? Police or immigration? Of course, if he's detain elsewhere, then it's all academic. 

 

Also, I'll be providing him support on behalf of the family i.e. paying the fines, bills, visiting him at the IDC, etc. Anyone has experience doing the same? What should I expect? 

 

I suppose, the wait will be for his sentencing, paying of the fines, waiting for our embassy to issue the right documents to get home, etc. 

Any feedback will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

First thing, his Embassy to establish citizenship. Ask advice there first.

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, wwest5829 said:

First thing, his Embassy to establish citizenship. Ask advice there first.

The advice will go something like this.

"Go make police report and come back with this this and this" 

[BritTim]

Not mentioned by anyone else: Maesot has an airport, and it is possible to take a Nok Air flight to Bangkok.

With the police report and a Malaysian id card, I do not think there would be an issue taking a domestic flight, and it would be less stressful than a road journey.