Overstay 1 Year +

[shadiadi]

Quick question I have a friend who has just over 18 months of over stay.

Can he leave and then come back?

[kuifje]

Unbelievable, where did he hide ?

No any authority checked he passport ever in 18 months.

He not drives any vehicle ?, he is not staying in hotels or other accommodations.

Should he be allowed to come back.?

He is a guest in this country, he should follow the laws laid out for foreigners.

[shadiadi]

Not really hiding he has lived in the Soi Suan Phlu area for years.

[SiangDeeMahk]

18 months? Wow. That's a pretty good strech of the rules.

I wonder, did he "donate" something horrifically expensive to the local police station, or the Poo Yai?

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

He will need to exit country, pay maximum overstay fine of 20,000 baht. They may ask him if he has been working. He can re-enter Thailand immediately after he passes through bordering country immigration. Safest way to do it is to pay fine at the airport, take a flight out of the country, and then return, as he is subject to arrest if he should get stopped before he leaves Thailand and is asked for his passport.

While we all need to obey the laws here, overstay is a common violation, and the comments above are rather inappropriate. I know people who have cured as much as 12 year overstays. As long as you stay out of trouble, the odds of an arrest are low.

[hotpotato]

He will need to exit country, pay maximum overstay fine of 20,000 baht. They may ask him if he has been working. He can re-enter Thailand immediately after he passes through bordering country immigration. Safest way to do it is to pay fine at the airport, take a flight out of the country, and then return, as he is subject to arrest if he should get stopped before he leaves Thailand and is asked for his passport.

While we all need to obey the laws here, overstay is a common violation, and the comments above are rather inappropriate. I know people who have cured as much as 12 year overstays. As long as you stay out of trouble, the odds of an arrest are low.

Very well put, it's the facts.

[Tbone]

He will need to exit country, pay maximum overstay fine of 20,000 baht. They may ask him if he has been working. He can re-enter Thailand immediately after he passes through bordering country immigration. Safest way to do it is to pay fine at the airport, take a flight out of the country, and then return, as he is subject to arrest if he should get stopped before he leaves Thailand and is asked for his passport.

While we all need to obey the laws here, overstay is a common violation, and the comments above are rather inappropriate. I know people who have cured as much as 12 year overstays. As long as you stay out of trouble, the odds of an arrest are low.

Very well put, it's the facts.

Is this B20,000 arrangement still valid? I have heard today, from a source close to an Embassy, that the rules have changed and that you cannot pay at the airport any more - long overstays incur a fine of B6,000 + one night in the immigration lock-up followed by deportation!

Any truth in this? Any first hand experiences?

[kuifje]

He will need to exit country, pay maximum overstay fine of 20,000 baht. They may ask him if he has been working. He can re-enter Thailand immediately after he passes through bordering country immigration. Safest way to do it is to pay fine at the airport, take a flight out of the country, and then return, as he is subject to arrest if he should get stopped before he leaves Thailand and is asked for his passport.

While we all need to obey the laws here, overstay is a common violation, and the comments above are rather inappropriate. I know people who have cured as much as 12 year overstays. As long as you stay out of trouble, the odds of an arrest are low.

Very well put, it's the facts.

Yes, it is probably correct, but....

This person is living here for more than 18 months, maybe working here or spending money which came from abroad.

Even if you very low on budget, you can still obey the laws, they where giving free tourist visa for some time now.

If you want to travel cheap, it is possible to do your visa runs on a shoestring.

Most of the foreigners living here follow the rules and do their paperwork, and it doesn't matter if that is based on tourist visa, connecting 15 or 30 days stays, non immigrant regulation (many different systems) or working permit regulation. Depositing funds in Thai banks and reporting back to immigrations office and so on.

All this cost money, but it is still only a relative small portion of what we spend on our monthly expenditures.

So I think is very unfair that this person, did not obey the law, spend his money for something else (instead of obeying the law) and now ...

For the price of only a return ticket in and out of the country and a fine of 20 K can come back and maybe do the same again.

Generally I think this give a very bad impression for all the others, who are following the rules.

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Is this B20,000 arrangement still valid? I have heard today, from a source close to an Embassy, that the rules have changed and that you cannot pay at the airport any more - long overstays incur a fine of B6,000 + one night in the immigration lock-up followed by deportation!

Any truth in this? Any first hand experiences?

Still 20,000 baht maximum fine, which can be paid at border control, or at the airport, regardless of length of overstay, as of June 4, 2010. That's the most recent experience of which I am aware. I haven't heard anything about a change in rules for overstay.

[Lite Beer]

Still 500 Baht a day with a max of 20,000 Baht.

[guavagirl]

As far as I know with an overstay of that length you must be out of the country for 6 months minimum before you can re-enter. But the rules constantly change, and it also depends on each individual immigration office and officer....Yes still 500 per day with a max of 20,000.

[lopburi3]

I have never heard of any such requirement. You can always come to Thailand if not blacklisted.

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

As far as I know with an overstay of that length you must be out of the country for 6 months minimum before you can re-enter. But the rules constantly change, and it also depends on each individual immigration office and officer....Yes still 500 per day with a max of 20,000.

I don't think that's correct. I know people who have paid overstays at the border control near Cambodia, paid an agent to get a Cambodian visa, entry and exit stamp, and got their 15 day exempt entry visa from the same Thai border agent who identified their overstay violation less than 20 minutes after paying the overstay fine. These overstayers never even left the country. They stayed right at the border control station in Thailand. I'm unaware of any law or regulation which requires you to wait 6 months after paying an overstay fine, before you are allowed to re-enter.

[midas]

Is this B20,000 arrangement still valid? I have heard today, from a source close to an Embassy, that the rules have changed and that you cannot pay at the airport any more - long overstays incur a fine of B6,000 + one night in the immigration lock-up followed by deportation!

Any truth in this? Any first hand experiences?

Still 20,000 baht maximum fine, which can be paid at border control, or at the airport, regardless of length of overstay, as of June 4, 2010. That's the most recent experience of which I am aware. I haven't heard anything about a change in rules for overstay.

Yesterday i saw what i thought looked like an extremely silly situation.

A Thai person with two passports ( Dutch and Thai ) had used his EU passport to

enter Thailand 3 months ago. So he overstayed and was charged

20,000 baht.

Surely he could have entered using his Thai passport and still gone back to

Europe where he lives using his EU passport instead of bothering with thai visas ?

Edited June 27, 2010 by midas

[My Friend Same]

overstaying is normal for many falongs. They just leave and pay 20K when they need to and come back after

[My Friend Same]

As far as I know with an overstay of that length you must be out of the country for 6 months minimum before you can re-enter. But the rules constantly change, and it also depends on each individual immigration office and officer....Yes still 500 per day with a max of 20,000.

totally false info regarding the 6 month thing. wherever you got that info, scrap them as a source

[Mario2008]

Yesterday i saw what i thought looked like an extremely silly situation.

A Thai person with two passports ( Dutch and Thai ) had used his EU passport to

enter Thailand 3 months ago. So he overstayed and was charged

20,000 baht.

Surely he could have entered using his Thai passport and still gone back to

Europe where he lives using his EU passport instead of bothering with thai visas ?

Correct, enter and leave Thailand with the Thai passport and enter and leave the EU with the Dutch passport and no problems regarding visa. Just show both passporrt at checkin at the airport so the airlines knows no visa is required.

[moe666]

But we all know the rules change on a daily basis. hahah

[My Friend Same]

But we all know the rules change on a daily basis. hahah

not this rule. Ha

[Badbanker]

Immigration are aware of this "loophole" of people undertaking loooooong overstays and then coming back straight in. Several senior people at Immigration have mentioned to me, they are discussing regulations, that would ban long overstayers from the country for a period of time, similar to the way other countries practise!

Keep your nose clean folks or you could get hit with a stealth new immigration law that no one knows about till it is promulgated with no amnesty period.

The law is the law like it or not. We are guests and should act like it by respecting the law.

Edited June 27, 2010 by Badbanker

[kuifje]

Immigration are aware of this "loophole" of people undertaking loooooong overstays and then coming back straight in. Several senior people at Immigration have mentioned to me, they are discussing regulations, that would ban long overstayers from the country for a period of time, similar to the way other countries practise!

Keep your nose clean folks or you could get hit with a stealth new immigration law that no one knows about till it is promulgated with no amnesty period.

The law is the law like it or not. We are guests and should act like it by respecting the law.

Your correct, if sometimes, somebody has a short overstay, its ok, and the law is laid out for this.

People who, know the law, but for some reason, ignore them, because they know it will cost them only the 20 K, they should be banned from returning immediately.

(waiting period of 6 month or 1 year should be force). The fine also should be amended in different categories which should reflect the willingly wrongdoers.

Every country in the world has its own laws, the law in Thailand are not better or worse than other countries, you are a guest, so obey them.

[My Friend Same]

 Immigration are aware of this "loophole" of people undertaking loooooong overstays and then coming back straight in.  Several senior people at Immigration have mentioned to me, they are discussing regulations, that would ban long overstayers from the country for a period of time, similar to the way other countries practise!

Keep your nose clean folks or you could get hit with a stealth new immigration law that no one knows about till it is promulgated with no amnesty period.

The law is the law like it or not.  We are guests and should act like it by respecting the law.

I believe in the law and have abided by it to the letter from day 1; however, I'll believe this stealth change when I see it

[tombkk]

He will need to exit country, pay maximum overstay fine of 20,000 baht. They may ask him if he has been working. He can re-enter Thailand immediately after he passes through bordering country immigration. Safest way to do it is to pay fine at the airport, take a flight out of the country, and then return, as he is subject to arrest if he should get stopped before he leaves Thailand and is asked for his passport.

While we all need to obey the laws here, overstay is a common violation, and the comments above are rather inappropriate. I know people who have cured as much as 12 year overstays. As long as you stay out of trouble, the odds of an arrest are low.

Very well put, it's the facts.

Is this B20,000 arrangement still valid? I have heard today, from a source close to an Embassy, that the rules have changed and that you cannot pay at the airport any more - long overstays incur a fine of B6,000 + one night in the immigration lock-up followed by deportation!

Any truth in this? Any first hand experiences?

I have first-hand experience. Not for myself, but for the son of my friend, who I assisted.

There are two choices:

1. Pay up at the airport when you depart. Bring some time and a lot of cash.

2. Report to Immigration. This is what we did:

I took him to the imnmigration office (at Soi Suan Plu at the time) a week before his departure. He had the ticket in hand. They took his details, including finger prints, and then released him into my custody. I was required to send him back to immi the day before his departure. They took his passport and ticket, and he went to court that day and was fined THB 3,000 and one night in jail. Financially, this was far cheaper than paying up at the airport, and I am not sure what the current fine would be. They suggested for him to have no valuables with him when staying in jail that night.

I met him and the police officer at the airport the next day, having his baggage with me. He was checked in and accompanied to the gate ("deported") , and all was fine.

A bit later I realized that I didn't get a receipt for the transportation from the immigration jail to the airport, which at THB 3,000 struck me as an expensive taxi ride.

All of this was maybe 12 years ago, so things may have changed in the meantime.

[Mario2008]

That might have been more attractive financially, but did result in him having a criminal record.

I have seen reports of people being turned away at immigration to be told to just pay at the airport when leaving. This includes someone on a 2 year overstay.

[tombkk]

That might have been more attractive financially, but did result in him having a criminal record.

I have seen reports of people being turned away at immigration to be told to just pay at the airport when leaving. This includes someone on a 2 year overstay.

Are you sure about that criminal record? In some countries I know, anything below 30 days of jail (or equivalent) doesn't enter the records.

[shadiadi]

My friend gets a small pension from his government doesn't work pays for his other halfs child to go to school and the rent definately drinks a few changs a day. My question is what's the best way for him to leave? What are the chances of getting blacklisted for overstay when leaving?

[Mario2008]

Just buy a ticket out of the country and go to the airport with enough money to pay the 20,000 baht fine. After checking in with the airline he proceeds to immigration as soon as possible and the will flag him for his overstay. They might ask him few questions and he will have to pay 20,000 baht. Next they will stamp his passport stating he had an overstay and he will be on his way.

He will not be blacklisted and can come back the same day if he wants to.

[bangsaenguy]

That's illegal is it not? Moderators should close this thread immediately.

[lopburi3]

Paying overstay is not illegal.

[bangsaenguy]

The thread is about overstay, not paying overstay