Dealing with Bangkok immigration.

The extension of stay for a dependent child of my migrant worker housekeeper (a 16 year old schoolgirl) is for some reason very much delayed. Prior permission of stay ended July 10. Applications for both worker and her daughter were submitted initially on 15 June. The worker's extension was granted same week but the daughter's passport was initially returned unstamped, they said due to lack of proof of relationship. The application was then re-submitted on 25 July, still more than 2 weeks before end of what was then the permission of stay, with additional documentation.

Fast forward to now: still no return of passports. It is still either in process or stuck for some reason, agent is useless and just keeps saying "wait for stamp" but I have never known this to take so long, and am doubly worried since the prior extension of stay has now ended.

Can anyone tell me:

1. In a case like this where application was made beforehand but process at immigration extends past the existing permission to stay, will overstay fine be applied if/when the extension is finely issued?

2. As above but if the request is finally denied, will we have to pay overstay fine? Will she be given a short extension to allow time to return home?

Lastly, since it has proven impossible to get explanations from the agent, they are thinking of going in person to try to find out what is going on. Is there any danger to the girl of being arrested/sent to IDC if she enters immigration to inquire? All she can show in hand is photocopy of her passport with permission of stay ending July 10th, though we have been repeatedly assured that her passport is at immigration.

Appreciate advice.

38 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

In a case like this where application was made beforehand but process at immigration extends past the existing permission to stay, will overstay fine be applied if/when the extension is finely issued?

How do CW date the under consideration stamp, 30 days from the date of application, or 30 days from the end of current permission of stay?
Regardless, if the application is still under consideration at the end of the 30 day under consideration period, Immigration are supposed to restamp the passport with a further 30 day under consideration stamp.

42 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

As above but if the request is finally denied, will we have to pay overstay fine? Will she be given a short extension to allow time to return home?

You cannot be on overstay when an application is being considered.
If refused, they should give a 7 day extension to leave the Country.

I'm assuming they didn't put any further stamps in her passport, which makes me conclude that as opposed to refusing the application and you having to fully submit another application, they are treating it as a request for further documentation to the original application.

Edited July 19Jul 19 by Liquorice

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

The application was then re-submitted on 25 July, still more than 2 weeks before end of what was then the permission of stay, with additional documentation.

Surely, you meant the application was resubmitted June 25th, which would be 2 weeks prior to her current POS ending on July 10th.

If this was a completely new application resubmitting all new documents, then they should have given her a new 30 day under consideration stamp.

If it was simply a request for further documentation to the existing application, then they should have granted a further 14 day extension from 10th July, to allow for the longer processing period.

Her right to remain in the Country is protected whilst an application is under consideration.

1 hour ago, Liquorice said:

How do CW date the under consideration stamp, 30 days from the date of application, or 30 days from the end of current permission of stay?
Regardless, if the application is still under consideration at the end of the 30 day under consideration period, Immigration are supposed to restamp the passport with a further 30 day under consideration stamp.

You cannot be on overstay when an application is being considered.
If refused, they should give a 7 day extension to leave the Country.

I'm assuming they didn't put any further stamps in her passport, which makes me conclude that as opposed to refusing the application and you having to fully submit another application, they are treating it as a request for further documentation to the original application.

Yes, nothing stamped after the initial application.

I don't know anything about an "under consideration" stamp. In prior years I did this at my local provincial IO and it was done on the spot. I have no prior experience with CW.

Had to use Bangkok this time due to problems with the new online work permit system that necessitated a Bangkok based agent to sort out at the Labor Ministry HQ.

31 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

Surely, you meant the application was resubmitted June 25th, which would be 2 weeks prior to her current POS ending on July 10th.

If this was a completely new application resubmitting all new documents, then they should have given her a new 30 day under consideration stamp.

If it was simply a request for further documentation to the existing application, then they should have granted a further 14 day extension from 10th July, to allow for the longer processing period.

Her right to remain in the Country is protected whilst an application is under consideration.

Yes, sorry. Resubmitted June 25th.

They had returned the passport first so I assume it would be a a new application.

"Her right to remain in the Country is protected whilst an application is under consideration." Thank you for that. Unfortunately we have no proof that she has an application under consideration. Is some sort of receipt or document usually provided? It was submitted by agent.

11 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

They had returned the passport first so I assume it would be a a new application.

When applications have to be approved by the regional IO, they should stamp the passport with a 30 day under consideration stamp.

Example;

My current POS expired 10th July.
I submitted my new application on 16th June.

I received a 30 day under consideration stamp dated from the end of my current POS (10th July) until 9th August.
My application is still pending approval.

At a guesstimate, as an agent is involved, the local CW office were not convinced the application would be approved at regional level and therefore returned the passport to the agent requesting further documentation. If the agent has now submitted said documentation and CW have now sent the application for approval, then the agent should have returned to obtained a 30 day under consideration stamp in the passport, and if not, why not?

The local IO's will not forward an application for approval if they have an issue with it in the first instance, usually requesting further documentation, as a refusal reflects back on their incompetence.

6 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

When applications have to be approved by the regional IO, they should stamp the passport with a 30 day under consideration stamp.

Example;

My current POS expired 10th July.
I submitted my new application on 16th June.

I received a 30 day under consideration stamp dated from the end of my current POS (10th July) until 9th August.
My application is still pending approval.

At a guesstimate, as an agent is involved, the local CW office were not convinced the application would be approved at regional level and therefore returned the passport to the agent requesting further documentation. If the agent has now submitted said documentation and CW have now sent the application for approval, then the agent should have returned to obtained a 30 day under consideration stamp in the passport, and if not, why not?

The local IO's will not forward an application for approval if they have an issue with it in the first instance, usually requesting further documentation, as a refusal reflects back on their incompetence.

As this is the Bangkok Head Office I wouldn't think it needs to be refetred anywhere else?

This is for a dependent child. Not the norm, in my experience, to have an "under consideration" period. When I did it myself in the past in the province, it was on the spot. I have only heard of "under consideration" periods in connection with extensions based on matriage to a Thai. ???

The passports were not returned, they are still at immigration.

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

As this is the Bangkok Head Office I wouldn't think it needs to be refetred anywhere else?

I stand to be corrected but maybe the same office but a different section.

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

This is for a dependent child. Not the norm, in my experience, to have an "under consideration" period. When I did it myself in the past in the province, it was on the spot. I have only heard of "under consideration" periods in connection with extensions based on matriage to a Thai. ???

Thai family and dependent extensions have to be approved by other than a local Inspector at a local office.

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

The passports were not returned, they are still at immigration.

Sometimes, no news, is good news.
When the extension is granted, (as I suspect), it will be backdated to 10th July.

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

The passports were not returned, they are still at immigration.

My thinking is applications are under consideration..

Advice from Liquorice seems sound.

@Tod Daniels @BrandonJT anything to add

I would suggest the simple first step of getting a suitable Thai speaker to call CW and enquire what is the current situation (call early or late in imm working day).

7 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

I would suggest the simple first step of getting a suitable Thai speaker to call CW and enquire what is the current situation (call early or late in imm working day).

Already tried that. All they got was someone reciting the rules we already know. They said they could not check on a specific case.

9 hours ago, Liquorice said:

I stand to be corrected but maybe the same office but a different section.

Thai family and dependent extensions have to be approved by other than a local Inspector at a local office.

This puzzles me as I have been doing these extensions for them at my local provincial IO for years and it was always issued on the spot by the local IO.

On 7/19/2026 at 12:53 AM, Liquorice said:

I stand to be corrected but maybe the same office but a different section.

Thai family and dependent extensions have to be approved by other than a local Inspector at a local office.

Sometimes, no news, is good news.
When the extension is granted, (as I suspect), it will be backdated to 10th July.

Unfortunately this is not what happened.

The passport and the stack of supporting documentation were returned today by immigration to the agent with nothing stamped in it at all. No 7 day extension to leave the country, no denial of application, nothing. There is something hand written in marker pen on the plastic folder holding the supporting documentation but I will not know what it says until we physically get t back as photo was unclear.

So now she is on overstay, despite having applied for extension within prior permission of stay.

The agent says the reason verbally given by Immigration was that she did not get a re-entry permit when last she returned to Cambodia, which is untrue. She had a re-entry permit and it is clearly shown in her passport and stamped as used on the date she last re-entered.

The only thing I can guess is that the officer who received the application was unwilling to forward it to his superiors/relevant officer for consideration for some reason (or was just verbally told by them not to bother as they did nto want to approve it) , and just made up a fake reason, after holding on to the whole file for almost a month. ☹️

As to why the unwillingness , aside from general hostile sttitude towards Cambodians due to the political conflict, possibly the girl's age was a factor. She was 12 the last time we (easily) did an in-country extension and 14 when her current visa was issued by the Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh, ĺ but is now 16. While still legally eligible for dependent status it is possible that at this age Imm suspects her of working illegally in Thailand. (She is not, she is in school full time and we have documentation of this). Just guessing.

In any event we obviously cannot make a new application now, since she is already on overstay, and she will return to Cambodia, disrupting her schooling and separating from her family.

Am I correct in assuming that in addition to the fine, there will be an overstay stamp put in her passport on exit?

And for overstay fine, does the day of departure count? Her permission of stay ended 10 July, she will depart about 3 PM on 23 July.

7 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Am I correct in assuming that in addition to the fine, there will be an overstay stamp put in her passport on exit?

And for overstay fine, does the day of departure count? Her permission of stay ended 10 July, she will depart about 3 PM on 23 July.

There will be an overstay stamp indicating an overstay of 13 days, including the day of departure.

I'm very sorry to hear the unfortunate conclusion of this attempt to get an extension as a dependent. With the benefit of hindsight and for the reasons you've already mentioned, getting a visa and extensions based on education may have been a safer bet.

8 hours ago, Sheryl said:

The agent says the reason verbally given by Immigration was that she did not get a re-entry permit when last she returned to Cambodia, which is untrue. She had a re-entry permit and it is clearly shown in her passport and stamped as used on the date she last re-entered.

The only thing I can guess is that the officer who received the application was unwilling to forward it to his superiors/relevant officer for consideration for some reason (or was just verbally told by them not to bother as they did nto want to approve it) , and just made up a fake reason, after holding on to the whole file for almost a month.

I find the whole situation of how this application was handled bizarre.

You state her re-entry permit was stamped as used, but there should have also been an entry stamp noting the date she was permitted to stay until.

It's standard practice if refusing an application to grant a 7 day extension, allowing time to pack and sort affairs out before departing.
The fact this young girls POS had already expired whilst in the hands of Immigration and they didn't grant her an extension to avoid overstay is highly irregular, and I'm surprised the agent didn't raise this issue with Immigration. I fear there is something untoward and you've not been given the full facts.

8 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Am I correct in assuming that in addition to the fine, there will be an overstay stamp put in her passport on exit?

And for overstay fine, does the day of departure count? Her permission of stay ended 10 July, she will depart about 3 PM on 23 July.

Yes, the fine will be inclusive of the day of departure, and most probably an overstay stamp.

2 hours ago, Caldera said:

There will be an overstay stamp indicating an overstay of 13 days, including the day of departure.

I'm very sorry to hear the unfortunate conclusion of this attempt to get an extension as a dependent. With the benefit of hindsight and for the reasons you've already mentioned, getting a visa and extensions based on education may have been a safer bet.

We looked into that but were told she would have to return to Cambodia and get an Education visa first.

Her dependent visa is O-LA as it is issued based on her mother's L-A visa. These are a special kind of visa issued under bilateral agreements with neighboring countried. There is no way to change visa type of reason for extension under them.

I will try applying for either a new dependrnt visa or new education visa once she is back in Cambodia but as the Thai Embassy there is closed I am not very optimistic.

1 hour ago, Liquorice said:

I find the whole situation of how this application was handled bizarre.

You state her re-entry permit was stamped as used, but there should have also been an entry stamp noting the date she was permitted to stay until.

It's standard practice if refusing an application to grant a 7 day extension, allowing time to pack and sort affairs out before departing.
The fact this young girls POS had already expired whilst in the hands of Immigration and they didn't grant her an extension to avoid overstay is highly irregular, and I'm surprised the agent didn't raise this issue with Immigration. I fear there is something untoward and you've not been given the full facts.

Yes, the fine will be inclusive of the day of departure, and most probably an overstay stamp.

Of course she has an entry stamp showing date allowed to stay. It is located on same page as the re-entry permit.

It is bizarre, I am wondering if when agent is used they do not log the application into their system initially? Perhaps the officer who initially received the application somehow misplaced the passport or just put off processing it then realized the POS had meanwhile expired with the application not yet logged into the system....?

Who knows.

Agent is not the brightest bulb in the candleabra (though she did get the mother's extension OK after first untangling a work permit problem 2 other agents couldn't solve).

Migrant worker visas are a special category and the usual visa agents will not handle them or anything related to them. Have to use an agent who does only these and they are a pretty limited bunch in all respects.

Separate question: does snyone know if the Fast Track drparture area has its own desk for collecting overstay fines? I am thinking of paying for Fast Track as this girl is unfamilar with airports.

11 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Separate question: does snyone know if the Fast Track drparture area has its own desk for collecting overstay fines? I am thinking of paying for Fast Track as this girl is unfamilar with airports.

I've gone through Fast Track multiple times, but unfortunately it's not something I've ever taken notice of. Now that they've switched to e-gates, there's barely even immigration officers around that area anymore. They have to have some procedure for overstay through fast track, but I don't know if they can handle it right there or they take you over to the main line. I asked TVC and they weren't sure either.

59 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

We looked into that but were told she would have to return to Cambodia and get an Education visa first.

Yes, I mean when she applied for her visa in Phnom Penh, it's not possible to switch in Thailand. I realize that's not helping now in any way, as she'll need to clear the overstay first and then start over anyway. Quite a mess, that's actually what people pay agents for hoping to avoid that.

7 hours ago, Caldera said:

Yes, I mean when she applied for her visa in Phnom Penh, it's not possible to switch in Thailand. I realize that's not helping now in any way, as she'll need to clear the overstay first and then start over anyway. Quite a mess, that's actually what people pay agents for hoping to avoid that.

Indeed. ☹️

7 hours ago, BrandonJT said:

I've gone through Fast Track multiple times, but unfortunately it's not something I've ever taken notice of. Now that they've switched to e-gates, there's barely even immigration officers around that area anymore. They have to have some procedure for overstay through fast track, but I don't know if they can handle it right there or they take you over to the main line. I asked TVC and they weren't sure either.

Thanks for trying. Seems to be a moot point as I am being told the Fast Track services have all been suspended. Probably related to the crack down on Safe Entry as both arrival and departure services are done by the same people and arrival services include "safe entry".

Will she be fined for overstay at the age of 16?

10 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

Will she be fined for overstay at the age of 16?

Overstay fines begin at age 15. But you cannot be banned until you are 18.

Some additional information: we got back the passports and documents. While nothing is stamped in the passport, on the plastic folder covering the supporting documents there is something handwritten in blue ink. An abbreviation of some sort I can't make out followed by "= 98."

98 is Immigration code for people suspected of working/intending to work illegally.

So no relationship at all to the nonsensical verbal explanation about re-entry visas.

I think they did not review the supporting documentation or process the application at all. Just saw 16 year old Cambodian girl seeking dependent extension and decided that equals someone who will work illegally (knee jerk reaction).

In retrospect when they returned it the first time citing lack of documentation of relationship to the mother, that was also probably BS and they had already decided as above. Then when we re-submitted it someone just shoved it aside. And kept telling the Agent to "wait" before finally just returning it unstamped. ☹️

She returns to Cambodia by plane tomorrow with 13 day overstay, money for the fine. If she were not a Cambodian I would think nothing of that but in the current political climate I will not rest easy until she has safely boarded the plane.....

Will attempt to get new ED visa in Phnom Penh. Hope the overstay stamp in her passport won't be an issue. Would it be advisable to get a new passport first? Her current passport ends in July 2028 so she'd be needing to do that in about a year anyhow. I know the overstay will still be in the Imm system but not sure the Embassy accesses that when deciding on visa applications. On the other hand, they will know she has already been living in Thailand from the school records and letter, so might expect to see that reflected in passport.

Advice??

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

She returns to Cambodia by plane tomorrow with 13 day overstay, money for the fine. If she were not a Cambodian I would think nothing of that but in the current political climate I will not rest easy until she has safely boarded the plane.....

Will attempt to get new ED visa in Phnom Penh. Hope the overstay stamp in her passport won't be an issue. Would it be advisable to get a new passport first? Her current passport ends in July 2028 so she'd be needing to do that in about a year anyhow. I know the overstay will still be in the Imm system but not sure the Embassy accesses that when deciding on visa applications. On the other hand, they will know she has already been living in Thailand from the school records and letter, so might expect to see that reflected in passport.

I don't think an overstay would have any effect on the visa application. It can't hurt to get a new passport, but that's potentially adding time to the process of returning. If getting back as quickly as possible is a concern, I think it can be skipped.