British Man Arrested in Thailand After 25-Year Visa Overstay

[cowellandrew]

Crikey he is in for a very big shock on his return to multi cultural UK!

 

Surrounded by overstayers!

[NanLaew]

11 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

WHAT the ACTUAL EFF?!? How is someone like this NOT flagged?!?

 

Sorry, but that's classified.

 

I could tell you, but then I would have to kill you.

 

Regards,

22 not out in Isaan

[Kinok Farang]

Another Brit in the "Guinness book of records"

Well done lad,congrats.

[FarangJon]

Pure legend. May I be your padawan grand master kenobi? Teach us please. 

[Gknrd]

Must of been a pretty likable fellow. 

[freedomnow]

I probably saw him around town...wonder what he did for cash...rent his UK house out or pension/teacher.

[ronster]

We have a new winner !!! 👏🥇🏆

[Moneyhonour]

Respect 

[factual monk]

I feel... he should be granted Thai citizenship as a mark of respect to his escapades... 

Salute sire... 🫡 

[tandor]

12 hours ago, swerve said:

From 2000. This is a big boy overstay.  Well done sir!

20,000 THB fine and a fake gold Rolex.

[tandor]

37 minutes ago, freedomnow said:

I probably saw him around town...wonder what he did for cash...rent his UK house out or pension/teacher.

opened a bank account and lived an easy life it seems. Them were the days.

[tandor]

56 minutes ago, FarangJon said:

Pure legend. May I be your padawan grand master kenobi? Teach us please. 

be interesting to know later how he got pinged.

[bdenner]

11 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

How much will the fine be?

Or, does he just pay the usual maximum, which is quite low.

 

Some time ago I had a friend caught after 4 years + overstay (I won't go into his circumstances but he was grassed up by an acquaintance) .

He spent one night in the slammer, before the Udon Thani court next morning and because he plead guilty the max fine (at the time was 20K Baht) was halved to 10K and no black ban. He was transported to Nong Khai and allowed to cross the boarder to the Thai embassy in Vientiane, obtained a long term visitors visa and back home the following day. After some time he finished up on 12 month O visa extensions.

[tandor]

Britain Has Still Got Talent

[thesetat]

11 hours ago, worgeordie said:

I have lived here legally for 37 years now ,out in the wild I have only been

asked for my passport once ,by a soldier ,as at the time there was a coup

going on and there were road blocks everywhere , but maybe it does not

count as he was reading it upside down , 

 

regards worgeordie

Hmm.... I have been stopped once only driving down the long road to my mountain home. The police were coming the opposite direction and they stopped in front of me blocking my way.. But even then they did. not ask for my passport. They stopped me for a photo op... the 3 of them wanted pics with a farang haha... 

[GammaGlobulin]

2 minutes ago, bdenner said:

Some time ago I had a friend caught after 4 years + overstay (I won't go into his circumstances but he was grassed up by an acquaintance) .

He spent one night in the slammer, before the Udon Thani court next morning and because he plead guilty the max fine (at the time was 20K Baht) was halved to 10K and no black ban. He was transported to Nong Khai and allowed to cross the boarder to the Thai embassy in Vientiane, obtained a long term visitors visa and back home the following day. After some time he finished up on 12 month O visa extensions.

 

A charmed life he lead/leads.

If this had been I, there is no telling what might have happened, including dire consequences.

Just a matter of luck.

 

[SABloke]

12 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

oooohhhh.....    the forums famous knicker wetters are going to get so excited at this one......   I predict full on leukorrhea...     watch out for the spelling mistakes as they'll be sliding all over the place, struggling to type in their excitement !!!... 

 

 

 

Shouldn't that be forum's or forums', depending on whether you refer to AN as the forum or each sub-forum separately. Either way, it's nice to see you leading from the front with the excitement induced typing errors you speak of. Pot, meet Kettle 🤣

[Gecko123]

Attached article says he is age 60, has a Thai wife and a child, and that he avoided detection by telling police he was in the process of renewing his visa.

 

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250225-thai-police-arrest-briton-for-overstaying-visa-by-25-years

[Colabamumbai]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Photo courtesy of The Pattaya News

 

In a major crackdown, Chiang Mai Immigration recently arrested a British man who astonishingly overstayed his visa by 9,135 days—more than 25 years. This case marks one of the longest recorded visa overstays in Thailand's history.

 

The arrest took place on February 24 in an operation led by Police Colonel Surachai Eimpuang and Police Lieutenant Colonel Suthirathep Phothinimit. Their task force, alongside Crime Suppression Division 5, targeted high-risk areas in the Chang Klan subdistrict to enforce immigration laws.

 

The man, whose identity remains undisclosed, was charged with overstaying his permission to remain in Thailand. He is now awaiting deportation to the UK, detained at the Chiang Mai City Police Station.

 

Entered Thailand on January 9, 2000, with a 30-day visa exemption, the man did not seek an extension. He lived in Bangkok for 13 years, later moving to Chiang Mai for another 12. He even obtained a new passport during his prolonged stay, potentially evading detection.

 

 

 

Immigration officials expressed disbelief at the extent of his overstay. "This is one of the longest visa overstays we’ve ever encountered," they noted.

 

Authorities are investigating his background and connections to understand how he managed to evade capture for so long and to check for any criminal history in the UK.

 

"We are committed to enforcing immigration regulations and maintaining public order," pledged Pol. Col. Surachai.

 

The public is urged to report immigration violations or seek assistance via the Chiang Mai Immigration's official website, Facebook page, or by calling 05320 1755, reported The Thaiger.

 

-- 2025-02-25

 

 

Good on him. 

[Scouse123]

Now that's what I call a ' record breaker '😆

[Mr Meeseeks]

10 hours ago, dddave said:

Likely, pretty simple.  He arrived in 2000, before immigration was computerized and before TM-30s were enforced.  He probably lived in casually rented accommodations from people who didn't bother with any kind of reporting. If he lived quietly enough, not calling attention to himself or causing others problems, it was easy to just blend in.  

 

True, and if he never left or entered since then they would not have his biometrics (facial recognition, fingerprints etc.) either. 

 

He wouldn't even be in the system. 

 

Nevertheless, still a remarkable feat to stay here undetected for so long.  

[1happykamper]

He lived in the city center! Twenty five years here illegally! 😂😂😂😂😂

 

All those millions of photos and silly forms we've all been filling out.. and for what reason? TiT🤦🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

Happy Wednesday. What used to be known as Happy Hump Day. 

[Mr Meeseeks]

19 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

Attached article says he is age 60, has a Thai wife and a child, and that he avoided detection by telling police he was in the process of renewing his visa.

 

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250225-thai-police-arrest-briton-for-overstaying-visa-by-25-years

 

Unfortunate, the wife, and child will suffer also now.

 

There must be some reason he didn't get legal... perhaps on the run from the UK or something. Surely can't just be laziness or unwillingness to comply?

[roo860]

Immigration in Chiang Mai should post the time he leaves Chiang Mai so all foreigners can form a guard of honour on the runway, raising their passports as a sign of respect, a true living legend.

[bananafish]

Catch illegal immigrant, deport illegal immigrant. Who'd have thunk. 

 

UK immigration should study in Thailand.

 

In the UK, he'd just have to say that after 25 years he's got used to eating local food, and if deported, having to eat his home country food would make him feel unfulfilled. Then the UK judges would deem it inhumane to deport him, and he'd be granted a permeant right to stay. 

[newbee2022]

12 hours ago, JoseThailand said:

Our hero

A hero??

No, definitely not

He's a law breaker. A criminal.

 

(Nobody is happy with immigration rules, but everybody has to follow if you want to live here)

[Presnock]

14 hours ago, MikeandDow said:

Well WOW !!!!   show how effective immigration enforcement is,  big lose of face on this one !

well in the world of AI, believe that more and more the Thais will recognize the need to merge data, sharing banking, immigration, tourism, hotel stays, whatever, so that they don't continue to be embarrased at these shortcomings..but then again, kill the goose that lays those golden eggs..maybe never.

[AhFarangJa]

Must be false news, about three or four years ago Big Joke said in His whirlwind blitz that it had been a success, and there were no more overstayers in Kingdom. 

[Olof Karlsson]

He made no problems in Thailand and brought a lot of foreign currency to the country during the 25 years,so what is the problem? Let him stay!

[AdrianUk]

The guys I know on overstay

 

- never go out

- no driving license

- rarely drive

- no insurance

- avoid hospitals

- use cheap guesthouse or motels if travelling

- use cheap Thai accommodation 

- pay 100k if caught and then let go