Overstay

[jamesjdaly]

I was scheduled to fly out of BKK on Wed 26th November to the UK for a wedding this Friday (the 5th). Obviously, there is no way I am going to make it to the wedding and my 90 days were up (Non O multi) on Friday 28th November.

If I cancel the flight to LHR completely, get a refund and book a new flight to KL (for the border run), will Immigration accept this, or will they state that I should have kept my original booking to LHR as it would have departed much earlier than my new booking to KL with Air Asia after the backlog clears?

I'm worried that they may say that as I didn't get out at the first opportunity, they will fine me!!

[Maestro]

From the website of the Tourism Authority of Thailand:

… for any tourist whose visa has expired since 26 November, 2008, till the airport reopens, there will be no penalty or charge for overstay from the Immigration Bureau. However, tourists must show their original tickets to avoid being charged.

Source: www.tatnews.org/tat_release/detail.asp?id=4071

In your case this means that you must keep the original ticket with the cancelled flight to show to immigration.

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Maestro

[jamesjdaly]

From the website of the Tourism Authority of Thailand:

… for any tourist whose visa has expired since 26 November, 2008, till the airport reopens, there will be no penalty or charge for overstay from the Immigration Bureau. However, tourists must show their original tickets to avoid being charged.

Source: www.tatnews.org/tat_release/detail.asp?id=4071

In your case this means that you must keep the original ticket with the cancelled flight to show to immigration.

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Maestro

Yes, Maestro, but will they accept the original ticket 2-3 weeks after the backlog clears?

[Crossy]

Yes, Maestro, but will they accept the original ticket 2-3 weeks after the backlog clears?

I would be getting out as soon as reasonably possible otherwise fines could be order of the day.

Why not do a border run for a 30 day stamp?

[jamesjdaly]

Yeah Crossy, but why fly all the way to the UK for a border run (the wedding will be over this Friday) when I could do KL or Singapore?

[Crossy]

Yeah Crossy, but why fly all the way to the UK for a border run (the wedding will be over this Friday) when I could do KL or Singapore?

Er, I was actually advocating hopping on one of the border run buses to Cambodia or somewhere similar for a 30 day (or 90 if your visa is still active) stamp before your current stay expires

[phaethon]

Yeah Crossy, but why fly all the way to the UK for a border run (the wedding will be over this Friday) when I could do KL or Singapore?

I think he means take a bus to Poipet or the like, with your original ticket in hand. When you get back to BKK with a shiney 30-day exemption then cancel your original flight and arrange the KUL or wherever exit at your leisure.

[jamesjdaly]

Would Aranyaprathet charge me for overstay if I produced my original ticket (26th Nov)?

[Crossy]

Would Aranyaprathet charge me for overstay if I produced my original ticket (26th Nov)?

Bl00dy good question and to be honest nobody knows.

By rights NO, but of course TiT

Fancy being the guinea-pig?? (take enough cash just in case)

[phaethon]

The sooner you try the less the fine will be. I don't think they will,but if they do send a copy of the receipt to ToT and kick up a fuss on the Internet and every journalist you can find.

[Mario2008]

No overstay for people who are stranded due to the closure of the airport, according to both Thourist Authority and the Immigration websites.

[PoorSucker]

No overstay for people who are stranded due to the closure of the airport, according to both Thourist Authority and the Immigration websites.

Yes, in English but is there any information in Thai?

[Maestro]

On the immigration website, in Thai:

www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/base.php?page=readmore&id=683&section=notice

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Maestro

[Sheikhan]

I have issue that my original flight back to Europe was on 29 Nov. I knew before this airport closure started that I will not go for that flight and i will book new flight to KL. Anyways, last week when i was about to buy that ticket to KL Suvannabum was closed down.. so i did not get any ticket. My original flight back to Europe was canceled too by myself.

Today is my first overstay day and i just called few mins ago to immigration. I explained my situation that i dont have any tickets to anywhere. My original flight is refunded and i cannot get ticket to KL because airport is closed. Some lady which one i talked with said that there will be no overstay charges in my case. She just said that keep that original ticket and show it when you will leave.

I told her that my ticket is piece of paper without any means, but still she said that with that paper everything is ok.

I also asked that can i wait here until airport is open and i will not charged anything. Answer was yes and also she told that i should contact some air line company that i want to be first in line when airport opens because i am allready on overstay.

So.. although someone changes destination from original during this mess should not pay any overstay fees.

[Maestro]

Keep the ticket with that original flight on 29 November that you cancelled and you won't have to pay an overstay fee when you leave Thailand as soon as you can get a flight. See here:

www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=readmore&id=683&section=notice

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Maestro