Over Staying In Thailand...

[NewLifeNY]

So I moved here aboutt a year and a half ago, I am working for a American company, I am on my second work permit and it ends in September.

My question is for my friend, he wants to stay in Thailand longer, he doesnt want to leave every few months and get another stamp (I think he is on a Non B visa, or sometimes in a Tourist visa)he saids he is not getting or cant get work permit(he teaches) etc etc. We both want to know what would happen if he over stayed here? I have heard different accounts on this matter, some say that you have to pay 500b each and every day you over stay here, but the maximum they can charge you is 20,000b. Is there any other legal action that can be taken besides monetary payment? Can you just walk up to the airport ticket and money in hand and just hand it to the imigration officer (office) and leave? I dont know Thai law about this subject. I have heard of people staying here for 15 years or so and just paying on their way out,can they arrest you? has anyone been arrested and paid?

Please le me know what problems he might encounter if he stays...thank you.

[Mario2008]

Overstay is 500 baht a day with a maximum of 20,000. Yes, they can arrest you when you are on overstay. They will then keep you in immigration jail till you have paid the fine and can show a ticket out of the country. if nobody notice your overstay you can indeed just pay at immigration at the airport and be on your way.

However, you are saying your friend is teaching illegaly. That is a much more serious matter and can result in criminal charges and jail time. Normaly they will give a fine and he then has to leave the country.

[NewLifeNY]

Overstay is 500 baht a day with a maximum of 20,000. Yes, they can arrest you when you are on overstay. They will then keep you in immigration jail till you have paid the fine and can show a ticket out of the country. if nobody notice your overstay you can indeed just pay at immigration at the airport and be on your way.

However, you are saying your friend is teaching illegaly. That is a much more serious matter and can result in criminal charges and jail time. Normaly they will give a fine and he then has to leave the country.

Thank you for your reply, so it seems easy to just over stay and pay the fine when you are ready to leave, yes? and about teaching illegaly, well I think he is on a NON B visa for now, he just does not want to leave after it runs out, the school seems not to mind this he said, either way, he has enough money not to work for a while, just concerned about wether or not he should over stay. Thank you

[Lite Beer]

You friend is working illegally as he does not have a Work Permit.

Yes. Ok to pay overstay fines at the airport provided that you are not found out before hand. The IDC Detension Center is not a very pleasant place to find yourself while waiting deportation.

[NewLifeNY]

You friend is working illegally as he does not have a Work Permit.

OK, again....this has not to do with him working legally or illegaly, its to do with what will/can happen if a person decides to over stay in Thailand, wether its for a month to years....lets just say that he dosent have to work, but he does not want to leave for his tourist or NON B visa every other month or whatever either, what can happen if he stays longer....pls, stop with the illegal work thing, I am sure there are hundreds of "foreingners illegaly working" here.

[Crossy]

Why can you your friend not simply do the legal thing, it's not like it's difficult or particularly expensive? And if he has enough money not to work he really has no excuse.

Overstay is never wise. As other have noted, make it to the airport and you're home free (well home 20,000 Baht) but get caught before hand and it's off to the IDC for you. It only takes a cop to ask for ID (that would be your passport) and you're entering a world of sh1t

Whilst deportation for overstay does not normally preclude re-entering Thailand that nasty stamp in your passport could cause issues when entering other countries. IMHO it's just not worth the potential bovver.

And yes, people DO get caught and the DO get jailed and deported.

[NewLifeNY]

Why can you your friend not simply do the legal thing, it's not like it's difficult or particularly expensive? And if he has enough money not to work he really has no excuse.

Overstay is never wise. As other have noted, make it to the airport and you're home free (well home 20,000 Baht) but get caught before hand and it's off to the IDC for you. It only takes a cop to ask for ID (that would be your passport) and you're entering a world of sh1t

Whilst deportation for overstay does not normally preclude re-entering Thailand that nasty stamp in your passport could cause issues when entering other countries. IMHO it's just not worth the potential bovver.

And yes, people DO get caught and the DO get jailed and deported.

OK, thank you, i will let him know the replies. But has anyone evern known someone to stay and just pay and leave?

[JUDAS]

After 10 years in Thailand I've never overstayed and can't understand anyone who would deliberately do so. The minimum penalty as already stated is 500 Baht per day up to a maximum of 20k but getting caught before you reach the airport can lead to an unpleasant stay at the immigration detention centre. I for one would not be comfortable living here knowing that at any time I could end up in jail. Tell your friend to get off his ass and do his visa runs, not exactly a major hardship.

[Mario2008]

OK, thank you, i will let him know the replies. But has anyone evern known someone to stay and just pay and leave?

It would be against advice, but enough people do it with no problem.

[NewLifeNY]

OK, thank you, i will let him know the replies. But has anyone evern known someone to stay and just pay and leave?

It would be against advice, but enough people do it with no problem.

Ok, well thank you all for the replies. My guess about him not wanting to go and do his visa run is that 1) Waste of money and time he saids and 2) He has mention that he dosent want to be refused after like 10 months of back to back to back to back etc etc visa runs...I think that is the biggest problem, being refused entry and him losing what he has here already.

[Lite Beer]

OK, thank you, i will let him know the replies. But has anyone evern known someone to stay and just pay and leave?

It would be against advice, but enough people do it with no problem.

Ok, well thank you all for the replies. My guess about him not wanting to go and do his visa run is that 1) Waste of money and time he saids and 2) He has mention that he dosent want to be refused after like 10 months of back to back to back to back etc etc visa runs...I think that is the biggest problem, being refused entry and him losing what he has here already.

There is no limit on back to back Visas or Border Runs.

[Totster]

Ok, well thank you all for the replies. My guess about him not wanting to go and do his visa run is that 1) Waste of money and time he saids and 2) He has mention that he dosent want to be refused after like 10 months of back to back to back to back etc etc visa runs...I think that is the biggest problem, being refused entry and him losing what he has here already.

As long as he has a valid visa, I see no reason for him being denied.. however if he gets caught before managing to get to immigration at an airport/border then he will be sent to the detention center and deported... this WILL cause problems

It's a gamble I wouldn't be willing to take, but maybe your friend is a gambling man, likes the excitement.

Totster

[NewLifeNY]

OK, thank you, i will let him know the replies. But has anyone evern known someone to stay and just pay and leave?

It would be against advice, but enough people do it with no problem.

Ok, well thank you all for the replies. My guess about him not wanting to go and do his visa run is that 1) Waste of money and time he saids and 2) He has mention that he dosent want to be refused after like 10 months of back to back to back to back etc etc visa runs...I think that is the biggest problem, being refused entry and him losing what he has here already.

There is no limit on back to back Visas or Border Runs.

There is no limit on border visa runs? as in, they will always give you a Non B visa ( you have all the paper work) or tourist visa even though you have been doing it for a while now? Isnt there like some kind of law about a 6 month wait before you can get back to back or something? is it enforced? Thank you

[Mario2008]

There is no such requirement, you can get a visa back to back without any problem. You can also get visa exempt entries back to back without any problem.

[Lite Beer]

OK, thank you, i will let him know the replies. But has anyone evern known someone to stay and just pay and leave?

It would be against advice, but enough people do it with no problem.

Ok, well thank you all for the replies. My guess about him not wanting to go and do his visa run is that 1) Waste of money and time he saids and 2) He has mention that he dosent want to be refused after like 10 months of back to back to back to back etc etc visa runs...I think that is the biggest problem, being refused entry and him losing what he has here already.

There is no limit on back to back Visas or Border Runs.

There is no limit on border visa runs? as in, they will always give you a Non B visa ( you have all the paper work) or tourist visa even though you have been doing it for a while now? Isnt there like some kind of law about a 6 month wait before you can get back to back or something? is it enforced? Thank you

There is no limit on the amount of any kind of Visas you can get.

There is also no limit to the amount of border runs back to back. However you only get a 15 day stay if entering at a land border. So that means leaving and coming back every 2 weeks.

Get a double entry Tourist Visa from Vientienne Laos and you can get a stay of almost 6 months with extensions and 1 border run in the middle.

[NewLifeNY]

There is no such requirement, you can get a visa back to back without any problem. You can also get visa exempt entries back to back without any problem.

This is going to sound really stupid, but like i said, i never had to go through this..but what is a Exempt entrie visa?

[H2oDunc]

I was speaking to a Dutch guy he other day. He has about 18 months overstay and just intends to get to the airport and pay the fine as he flies out. Ive told him the same as the others here in that if he gets caught before hes in trouble and even if he does Immigration may hold him for a while to check to see he is not wanted here and so miss is plane ? That is what I was told anyway ? Is that about right ?

[Lite Beer]

There is no such requirement, you can get a visa back to back without any problem. You can also get visa exempt entries back to back without any problem.

This is going to sound really stupid, but like i said, i never had to go through this..but what is a Exempt entrie visa?

It means entering Thailand without a Visa and getting an entry stamp for 30 days at an airport or 15 days at a land border point.

[PeaceBlondie]

I got an interesting bulletin yesterday from the American who processes paperwork for US veterans and their survivors, John B Dyste, Major, USAF, Retired. He says,

"How faithfully do United States veterans and military retirees use this form every ninthly days to report by Thai law that they are a resident? In checking their passports in providing survivor assistance, some have lived in Thailand for years and never reported. There are even those who do not have a current Thai visa or even a current US passport.

What can happen? One military retiree spent the 2008 holiday season in the Thai Immigration lockup facility as his visa had expired, and other problems. Note that I reported other problems. Trying to live on $400 retired pay a month with a wife and child was one. I have never heard of anyone incarcerated for only an expired visa or not 90-day reporting; however there is a fine to be paid. "

[siam2007]

Why can you your friend.....

by the way: some years ago, I had a friend/buddy who did teach English (illegally) in BKK. He overstayed his VISA for almost 18 months..... unfortunately, he loved the nightlife so much, and one fine day... ermm, night... there was one of those plentyful police-raids in this specific nightlife area. For a reason, he could not produce any valid passport, and after police found out he was overstaying since ages, he was sent straight back home and blacklisted until further notice (after his relatives sent money so he could pay the overstay fine plus the air-ticket).

sorry, to say, but anyone who only CONSIDERS to overstay in any form, is lacking any kind of common sense.

but as we all know: "there's a sucker born every minute".......

[lazygourmet]

I overstayed once in my life, and that was Indonesia at the end of the nineties.

During, that time, overstaying was quite common among the people who were leaving in Bali.

First, because of the "cheap" fine IDR 20,000 ($1.5) and no annoyance by immigration services; but mostly because of the hassle to have to make a visa run either to Singapore or Darwin.

The day before I was planning to leave, government changed the rules and one day overstay became charged at $25 + two year blacklisting, if you were more than 30 days overstay.

Big surprise with my 3 months over...

Hopefully, I had the money to pay for the fine; and a little bit more to avoid to be on the "list"!

Lesson learned: it is not worthy.

But then, who am I to give lesson; so, up to you...

[PhilHarries]

There is no such requirement, you can get a visa back to back without any problem. You can also get visa exempt entries back to back without any problem.

This is going to sound really stupid, but like i said, i never had to go through this..but what is a Exempt entrie visa?

It means entering Thailand without a Visa and getting an entry stamp for 30 days at an airport or 15 days at a land border point.

Assuming, that is, he is one of the nationalities for whom exemption entry is permitted. Also, particularly with a land crossing point, he'd need an onward or return ticket confirmed for a date within his permitted stay.

[NewLifeNY]

Ok, thank you for your replies. Overall statement: Not worth it> got it. I will let him know, but you never know with these Americans . Thanks.

[TJAN]

Why can you your friend not simply do the legal thing, it's not like it's difficult or particularly expensive? And if he has enough money not to work he really has no excuse.

Overstay is never wise. As other have noted, make it to the airport and you're home free (well home 20,000 Baht) but get caught before hand and it's off to the IDC for you. It only takes a cop to ask for ID (that would be your passport) and you're entering a world of sh1t

Whilst deportation for overstay does not normally preclude re-entering Thailand that nasty stamp in your passport could cause issues when entering other countries. IMHO it's just not worth the potential bovver.

And yes, people DO get caught and the DO get jailed and deported.

OK, thank you, i will let him know the replies. But has anyone evern known someone to stay and just pay and leave?

yes I know those people,and also I know people who spent two times in IDC,and it is no fun but I have the impression that you want to learn the hard way.same as you remark about illigel work.Thailand is not so easy as you think,but find out yourself but don't complain on here from inside jail,or IDC.

[rafval]

from what I can tell its pretty much as already said, the blacklisting case is unusual, I have heard of that but never actually known it to happen, maybe he broke some other law at the nightclub. the main problem I see with overstaying is that the government could suddenly raise or remove the 20000b limit

[PeaceBlondie]

Two posts deleted. Many of us have posted on behalf of friends who did not have registered niks here. Topic closed since the OP has gotten the answers he needed. Thanks, y'all.