Will I Get Arrested At Immigration?

[DegenFarang]

I have a letter from three different doctors that I should get an extension on my current visa. I would like to take these to immigration to ask for the extension. The problem is that I am currently overstaying by about 8 days. If I show up tomorrow at immigration to apply for this extension are they going to arrest me for being overstay? Is it possible to apply for an extension once you are already overstaying?

TIA!

[opalhort]

IF the doctor letters are dated before you went on overstay AND you have been hospitalized since then or certified that you can not move around AND at least one of the letters was issued by a doctor at a government hospital I don't think there is much chance of an extension.

The best would probably be to get to the airport ASAP, pay the fine and come back with a new visa.

opalhort

[DegenFarang]

The letters are all dated after my overstay started and are all from private hospitals. Does this help my cause?

[DegenFarang]

Also my main question is whether or not they will instantly arrest me at immigration for being on overstay. I'm confident the medical visa extension will be approved.

[lopburi3]

I would be prepared to pay 4,000 baht plus 1,900 baht and if not approved ready to fly out when you visit. They are not likely to throw you into the dungeon but you might have to make a hasty retreat to the border if your letters do not carry the day.

[opalhort]

I'm confident the medical visa extension will be approved.

I wouldn't be so sure about that unless your letters come from certified doctors/hospitals. Even Imm knows how easy it is here to obtain certificates from doctors/hospitals!!!

No they won't arrest you and if you are lucky you'll get 24 hrs to get out of TH after paying the fine.

As Lopburi said, if you dare to go to Imm be prepared to make an hasty exit. My suggestion is to go to the airport, pay fine, get out and come back with new visa.

opalhort

Edited July 19, 2009 by opalhort

[DegenFarang]

"

I wouldn't be so sure about that unless your letters come from certified doctors/hospitals. Even Imm knows how easy it is here to obtain certificates from doctors/hospitals!!!

"

I dont get my medical care in massage parlors. The letters are from some of the top private hospitals in Bangkok.

Thanks for the advice though.

[thaiphoon]

You are going to have to pay the overstay fine whatever happens. Then maybe 1900 as well for extension if approved. If not, then as other posters have said, be prepared for a hasty border run.

[Mario2008]

The top private hospitals have liasons with immigration. Bit surprised they don't take care of it for you, but that might be because of the overstay.

[opalhort]

I dont get my medical care in massage parlors. The letters are from some of the top private hospitals in Bangkok.

Thanks for the advice though.

Sorry, DegenFarang, I did not intent to imply that you are using shady services. Please accept my apologies if if you took my post in this way. But Imm is aware of the practice and that's why they are tough to issue extensions under Para.:2.25 of the new rules 777/2551 especially because you are already on overstay.

The new rules can be found here on TV somewhere in Thai and English. Please do a search.

opalhort

[opalhort]

The top private hospitals have liasons with immigration. Bit surprised they don't take care of it for you, but that might be because of the overstay.

Thant's exactly what I thought as well

opalhort

[Lite Beer]

Yes. 2.25 is the rule

[DegenFarang]

Yes. 2.25 is the rule

Yes what. Yes I will be arrested??

[thaiphoon]

Yes what. Yes I will be arrested??

You are unlikely to be arrested. But expect to pay the overstay fine because you said in earlier posting that the letters you have from hospital are dated after your visa expired, so you should have left the country.

[Mario2008]

Yes. 2.25 is the rule

Yes what. Yes I will be arrested??

Yes, it is rule 2.25 as stated in the earlier post by Opalhort.

[Lite Beer]

Yes. 2.25 is the rule

Yes what. Yes I will be arrested??

Yes, it is rule 2.25 as stated in the earlier post by Opalhort.

And No you will not get arrested.

[torrenova]

I was done for 17 days years ago at Bt200 a day and they didn't care about anything, just the Bt3400.

[bjhabal]

I understand your fear, and yes it is a dangerous to stay illegally in Thailand, but if no one arrested you on the street, then no one will arrest you when you go to pay the fine.

I Know many people who have overstayed more than twenty times, and every time they just cross the boarder, pay the overstay fine and come back. Once I was with a guy who has a one year and two days overstay, and when he went to pay the fine at the border, the lady officer did not notice the year on the stamp's date and asked him to pay for only two days of overstay, but when he brought to her attention that she made a mistake and he has to pay the maximum penalty of (B20,000.00), she looked at him strangely and asked him whether he is going to be back on the same day to Thailand? his answer was positive, and then she told him well, then why are you exiting now? You can stay loner and still pay the same amount of fine.

I know its look like a joke, though it is true, but what I meant here that they are not that nasty, and with a little politeness and humble, you can always walk your way out.

My advise to you, if you are from one of the countries which are allowed to enter without a visa, just go to Aranyaphrethet border, pay the fine, exit and re-enter with 15 days stamp; if you showed them the medical letters you have in hand when they ask for the reason of the overstay, they will not check the date, and they will be more kind with you, though you still have to pay the fine.

I wish you a good luck and hope to hear from you again, to see how this worked out.

Bishop

[gmac]

Regarding being arrested the main criteria is to present yourself to immigration and own up to the overstay rather that be caught out with it. In other words if you were stopped by the police for some reason and they noticed your overstay you would in all probability be arrested held until you could arrange for a ticket to leave the country. If you go to immigration and present your case they will nearly always accept the fine and deal with your renewal on merit. If the papers are in order you should get you extension, if not then maybe 7 days to leave the country.

[CWMcMurray]

I agree with the others... since your overstay started prior to the time the letters were written immigration will almost certainly take the position that you should have left prior to the overstay "When you were ok".

If you can prove that you were hosptilized prior to the overstay starting and the letters were simply drafted after the overstay had started you may have a chance.

[thesyndicate]

I agree with the others... since your overstay started prior to the time the letters were written immigration will almost certainly take the position that you should have left prior to the overstay "When you were ok".

If you can prove that you were hosptilized prior to the overstay starting and the letters were simply drafted after the overstay had started you may have a chance.

If your are honest and you been to the hospital before the over stay then ask them to change the date. If not then you must go out as soon as possible

[blakegeee]

Sounds to me like its too late for an extension. You will just pay the overstay when you leave the country @500/day. Although somebody had a good point of having the hospital change the dates on the letters.

[Tod Daniels]

Most of the first world quality "medical tourism hospitals"; Bumrungrad, Samitivej, BNH, and even Saint Louis, have in house offices which deal with Thai Immigrations on medical extensions of stay, and or providing paperwork stating you were too ill to get your ‘normal’ extension (what ever that is, as you don’t state the type of visa you are on, or what extension of stay you are expecting).

As you clearly stated you didn't get your medical needs met in a massage parlor. I wonder why you didn't avail yourself to their services FIRST. Instead you're trying to 'wing it' with documentation which clearly show you were on overstay BEFORE you got the paperwork from the hospital? Short of going back to what ever “real” hospital you were treated at and getting paperwork which actually supports your claim of a medical condition precluding your ability to go to Immigrations, my advice:

Go to immigrations, suck it up and pay the 500 baht a day fee for your overstay and apply for what ever extension you are trying for. Two weeks ago I went with a friend to get another yearly extension for him based on retirement, although he was technically on overstay for 10 days due to an illness. They didn’t care about it, and issued the yearly extension after he paid his overstay fees. Your mileage may vary, as individual Immigrations Officers seem to have a great deal of lattitude on these matters.

However as other posters pointed out, stay well under the radar until you actually get to Immigrations to sort out what you’re doing visa wise. The Police most probably will take a far less cavalier view of the error in your ways.

Interestingly enough the person ahead of me in the queue line last time I was at Suan Plu was on overstay for 2+ YEARS!! The girl sent him to the window for the emergency 7 day extension so he could sort things out and leave the country. He paid the 20,000 baht overstay fine plus the 1900 baht for the extension. Even though he told the Immigrations Officer he “forgot” he was on overstay. .. How do you forget you’re in thailand for over 2 years? I have problems forgetting it for a single minute.

[Gonsalviz]

I overstayed by mistake once. When I discovered the lapse on a 60/90 tourist visa I went directly to the immigration office in Krabi. Paid the fine, got pictures taken and walked out with another 30 days.

All was very pleasant.