Thai Immigration To Waive Overstay Fee For Stranded Foreigners

[Me&MrsJones]

"Well done"......"good move"......."good decision"....

Waiving the overstay fee, in my opinion, is only the normal thing to do. So why all the congratulations? Maybe we should all get a pat on the back when we do the normal thing by showing restraint when not getting off the motorbike to <deleted> someone for chucking rocks of ice during songkran? See me point? Why congratulate someone for doing the normal thing? It's the normal thing to do, rather than the right thing to do which warrants congratulations.

Why should Thailand have done anything other than waive the overstay fee and why should they be congratulated for doing the normal thing?

I bet if the country was booming, tourism was flying high and civil unrest was not such a major dent on the economy - they'd enforce the overstay fines instead of waiving them. A "who cares, we are booming" attitude takes front seat if the country is booming.

Call me negative, but I have lived here long enough to know that this waiving of the overstay fee is nothing other than a slippery olive branch, offered as a show of decency and not actually a genuine act of decency/doing the normal thing.

The reason India is enforcing the overstay fee is that its economy isn't in complete turmoil and they don’t need to grovel to anyone. All the same, shame on India though, they should waive the overstay fee and do the "normal thing", as too should EVERY country.

But again, I stress the point that Thailand is only waiving the fee because its economy is in deep trouble due to civil unrest. Waiving the fee is nothing other than a marketing exercise to curry favor. It is not done out of human decency or normal grounds of compassion.

I came through immigration at the airport over the weekend and I only queued for 4 minutes. It normally takes a minimum of 45 minutes when the country is not in such a mess. This confirms one thing, which we all know very well; tourists are not coming here anymore. This adds to a very important consequence; waiving the overstay fee is a dead rubber because there are hardly any fees to collect, due to the lack of tourists being in the country anyway.

[whatamidoinghere]

I love Thailand.

[syd barrett]

Too little, too late.

They could have made an announcement sooner, to relieve some of the pressure and stress on stranded passengers.

Plus the parsimonious April 30th deadline will not cover the re-booking of the backlog of passengers, even mid May is probable if flights re-started in the next few days.

I suspect that there will be a silence now from Immigration and that over-stay fees will be slyly enforced from May 1st 2010.

Edited April 19, 2010 by syd barrett

[cat5]

Where's the link (original source) for this?

[robertson468]

Well done Thailand for being so pro-active and for showing the lead in what will be a troublesome situation for many delayed Tourists. This can but do the Thai Tourist Industry good.

[JackSterling]

Great idea.. good for this start in using a wee bit of common sense..

Now can they take it further.. outlaw the wearing any colored shirt that may draw attention to the media.

I say all shirts and blouses removed from all people in or out of all public area or events.. and keep them all off during this hot and steamy season. Shorts and g-strings are optional...

Then they can start on granting pardens to all the falong in all the prisons and send them all back to their home countries.

Imagine all the money they will save.

Remove all the restrictions in buying your own home and make it easier to live here and spend all of your retirement money here and not in other countries that seem to make it easier for the westerner to live and invest there.

Go paperless.. in all government offices.

The list could go on and on... LONG LIVE THE KINGDOM and his royal highness THE KING

[beerchang]

Great idea.. good for this start in using a wee bit of common sense..

Now can they take it further.. outlaw the wearing any colored shirt that may draw attention to the media.

I say all shirts and blouses removed from all people in or out of all public area or events.. and keep them all off during this hot and steamy season. Shorts and g-strings are optional...

Then they can start on granting pardens to all the falong in all the prisons and send them all back to their home countries.

Imagine all the money they will save.

Remove all the restrictions in buying your own home and make it easier to live here and spend all of your retirement money here and not in other countries that seem to make it easier for the westerner to live and invest there.

Go paperless.. in all government offices.

The list could go on and on... LONG LIVE THE KINGDOM and his royal highness THE KING

What's a 'falong'?

[mrbojangles]

How predictable!

Immigration announces sensible and positive initiative = chance for usual suspects on TV to have a whinge about Thailand.

Yep. I was thinking the same.

Immigration didn't ask for a slap on the back about this. They are merely communicating the decision, so that nobody need worry. Don't see what's wrong with that but some will always find fault.

[mrbojangles]

Then they can start on granting pardens to all the falong in all the prisons and send them all back to their home countries.

What's a 'falong'?

Better than being "fashort"

[Stjohnm]

They should have done that when the PAD shut the Airport as well

[tomtpe]

 I was in Nathon today for my Visa - no way they give it without fee! 

[dick turpin]

who cares man....... I mean really......... thanks for that Thailand!!

Have to wonder though.... what foreign advisor is on the payroll...

you wouldn't think the local government came up with that on their own..... who do I send the thank you note to??

Better yet, can i get the email of the English ambassador who put this in affect...

Hey bro you ain't takin no personal messages...you scared of the white boy

[cheshiremusicman]

This absolutely makes total sense. However this is Thailand so it may be some kind of late April Fool's Joke or some low level employee was thinking way out of the box and has yet to tell his boss.

I didn't see any of this 'compassion' shown when I was at the Hua-Hin immigration offices some months ago when a very smartly dressed and polite young man was refused an extension of stay as he could not get a flight home to Chile because of the disaster in his home country caused by the devastating earthquake. The hard faced cxws gave not an inch and they didn't even tell him that he would have to pay 500B per day for the 'luxury of his overstay extension' - I did that, which seemed to pixx them off big time! Mindless blxxdy morons, even refused him the right to speak to the head of department. I just wish that some of them were stranded in europe at the moment and found out what it is like.

[thaiphoon]

One post removed - please keep politics out of this thread.

[Lite Beer]

 I was in Nathon today for my Visa - no way they give it without fee! 

Nathon do not issue Visa's. They issue extensions and they are never free.

[mataleo]

I am stuck here, on my own, bit worried.

Had flight 18 april, canceled, from Jet air, now not know when next

[MB1]

When you think about it, with all the derisiveness that foreigners, including myself, say about Thailand, this really says:

1. Amazing Thailand

2. Someone has thought this out rationally and probably thought, this may bring these tourists back next time with better thoughts about the LOS.

I congratulate the Immigration Department on their forethought. It truly is a good decision and shows that someone is thinking.

Maybe someone from TAT or Immigration actually do read Thai Visa and take note, anyway congrats to Immigration for the correct decision, they love us really..

For those from Europe, what have your own governments done to help???

Just hearing on News that 3 British naval ships are going to Europe to help stranded UK passengers.

Edited April 19, 2010 by MB1

[brommers]

So much for the overstay waiver. Friends of mine stuck in Bangkok because they cannot get to London Via Bombay went to the main office today & were charged 2000 baht, & told that after 4 days they have to pay 500 baht per day or do a border run. What the hel_l is going on? Does the right hand know what the left hand is doing or should we simply do the usual, throw our hands up and say This is Thailand?

[davee58]

For those from Europe, what have your own governments done to help???

Breaking News in the Times:

Live: Royal Navy called in to rescue stranded Britons

9.48am Gordon Brown is speaking from Downing Street, following a meeting of the Cobra comittee. Two Royal Navy ships have been deployed to help get stranded travellers back to the UK, he said.

HMS Ark Royal and HMS Ocean will be made available for the relief effort.

Strange, there must be an election or something.

[frankthetank]

who cares man....... I mean really......... thanks for that Thailand!!

Have to wonder though.... what foreign advisor is on the payroll...

you wouldn't think the local government came up with that on their own..... who do I send the thank you note to??

Better yet, can i get the email of the English ambassador who put this in affect...

You could probably send any e-mail for the ambassador to this address:

[email protected]

As to whether he had any input into this concession! Well, lets just say that my experience of foreign office staff has not been good.

[ukrules]

So much for the overstay waiver. Friends of mine stuck in Bangkok because they cannot get to London Via Bombay went to the main office today & were charged 2000 baht, & told that after 4 days they have to pay 500 baht per day or do a border run. What the hel_l is going on? Does the right hand know what the left hand is doing or should we simply do the usual, throw our hands up and say This is Thailand?

This is a little concerning. Which main office did your friend go to and why did he go to a main office ? Was it an immigration office ?

I would expect someone who has a cancelled flight to next see an immigration officer when the flights eventually restart and they are leaving via the airport, these people will be well informed once the flights start and there are plenty of people turning up who were on cancelled flights.

[scubarick]

It's basic common sense..(OMG am i really saying that!).. A 'cheep' pro tourist move to cast an international image of a stable country that cares about you..... and a flourishing haven for all Farang!! GO Amazing Thailand!!

[Maestro]

So much for the overstay waiver. Friends of mine stuck in Bangkok because they cannot get to London Via Bombay went to the main office today & were charged 2000 baht, & told that after 4 days they have to pay 500 baht per day or do a border run. What the hel_l is going on? Does the right hand know what the left hand is doing or should we simply do the usual, throw our hands up and say This is Thailand?

It is difficult to make a judgement based on hearsay. Did you see the arrival stamp in their passports? What was the "until" date?

--

Maestro

[Mario2008]

Might be that because they have a ticket to Bombay, they are supposed to use it. No flight restrictions to Bombay.

[kevozman1]

How generous.

[ukrules]

Might be that because they have a ticket to Bombay, they are supposed to use it. No flight restrictions to Bombay.

Good point, I hadn't considered that. I have read elsewhere that people are being refused boarding on flights which go via India. If they don't have Indian Visas then they are not allowed into the country and with no onward connecting flights I guess they don't want lots of 'illegal immigrants' hanging around their airport.

It could be worth getting an Indian Visa prior to travelling, here's some information :

INDIA VISA APPLICATION CENTRE (IVAC)

1, 15th Floor, Unit 1503,

Glas Hauz Building, Sukhumvit 25,

Sukhumvit Road,

Bangkok-10110.

TEL: 02-6652968 / 69 (0830-1630 HRS)

FAX: 02-2605829

Email: [email protected]

www.ivac-th.com

EMBASSY OF INDIA

46, Prasarnmitr Sukhumvit, Soi 23

Bangkok 10110

Tel : 02-2580300-5

Fax : 02-2584627/2621740

I have someone staying with me at the moment in Bangkok. She's meant to be flying back to the UK via India in a couple of days time.

This is worth considering.

[syd barrett]

How predictable!

Immigration announces sensible and positive initiative = chance for usual suspects on TV to have a whinge about Thailand.

Yep. I was thinking the same.

Immigration didn't ask for a slap on the back about this. They are merely communicating the decision, so that nobody need worry. Don't see what's wrong with that but some will always find fault.

If you read the original post again, the visa waiver is only valid until April 30th.

With Qatar Airways unable to guarantee re-booking until upto May 31st then it is not much help is it?

Many people will be low on funds and unable to pay the 500 baht per day overstay fines.

Link: Qatar Re-Booking Flights Until May 31st 2010

[MB1]

How predictable!

Immigration announces sensible and positive initiative = chance for usual suspects on TV to have a whinge about Thailand.

Yep. I was thinking the same.

Immigration didn't ask for a slap on the back about this. They are merely communicating the decision, so that nobody need worry. Don't see what's wrong with that but some will always find fault.

If you read the original post again, the visa waiver is only valid until April 30th.

With Qatar Airways unable to guarantee re-booking until upto May 31st then it is not much help is it?

Many people will be low on funds and unable to pay the 500 baht per day overstay fines.

Link: Qatar Re-Booking Flights Until May 31st 2010

Op's opening post states that..

* As of now, the waive will apply till 30 April 2010

-- Thai Immigration Bureau 2010-04-19

Lets hope that the "As of now " means that the visa waiver fee will be extended to those who are stranded beyond the date first given.

Edited April 19, 2010 by MB1

[george]

Thanks George, do you have a link to the Thai immigration on this statement.

No link yet, I got it confirmed via phone with the Immigration Commissioner.

[YouYouYou]

Well, good of the immig. to make a sensible gesture and to those that cant get out B4 30th ..let's hope they sensibly extend for those genuine cases.

Mmm, it seems people hate the Thai immig. ...okay and fair enough, but do you think 'aliens' in the UK like it any more? Ans: Nope and I know as many years ago I was a courier for visa services and had to attend the queue along with many 'aliens' at the Croydon office (this may have moved as was 1995). Turn up at 6-7 am ...max 500 seen, anymore than that in queue (yes including the visa couriers ; me) and yer turned away; if yer not and it's winter, you guessed it, the queue is outside (no fun). Average time to get it done was @9.30 -10. 00 am, and the doors didn't open until 8.00AM. Lots of sad faces and unhappy refusals abound.

When I go to immig. here. I walk in to a nice air con office, smile, wait 10 or so mins, give em all my stuff, p/copy of TL, WP, passport etc. and around 30 mins more its done and 1900 baht is given. Except on one occasion in some 10 years, the staff are nice, helpful and try to process it even if the odd bit of paperwork is missing. Yes, the rules can be overbearing at times (for some) but I know the score and it seems relatively easy from one year to the next.

So, okay keep bashing Thai immig. but from where I stand, they are a far fairer and nicer bunch than UK immig. enuuf said.

I like Thai immigration 9/10.