Thai Immigration Introduces Jail Time For Overstayers

[wintermute]

I bet the same people whining about having to follow immigration law in Thailand are the same people who would start ranting about "pakis" and "mexicans" in their country at the first opportunity.

This thread is full of irony and hypocrisy.

[Eureka]

No mention of Law.

No mention of "something bad" preventing travel.

No mention of "demand for immediate service".

Well, the Law once said you had to notify authorities of Jews hiding... Laws are written by humans and sometimes those laws are bad. This particular law is nothing but another method of extracting more money out of farangs. Farangs are not exactly competing with Thais to get jobs or get allowance money out of Thai government. No, you are on your own here, unlike in the West where you will get government money in many cases as foreigner or at least health care.

Thailand would benefit greatly by allowing foreign ownership at least smaller companies and making immigration laws much more clear. Visa runs are totally useless, another method of extracting money out of farangs, in a way another broken window fallacy. For example in Mexico, if you can show 1000 dollars per month income coming abroad, you can stay. Easy and simple. No hassle with this mammoth bureaucracy for the benefit of that same bureaucracy.

If you wish to quote me then please have the courtesy to relate your reply to the quote.

When was this a law in Thailand and how is it relevant?

There are numerous VISA posibilities available in Thailand also but again that does not address the "OVERSTAY" issue of this forum. Regardless of the VISA you could still overstay so listing another country's VISA does little to address the Overstay issue.

[bangkokrick]

By the number of posts this subject has hit a nerve

Agreed, looks like it's going to affect quite a number of TV members. I doubt that anyone who is legal in Thailand would complain about the Thai's enforcing their existing immigration laws. This loop hole has always been around and I believe abused by those who can not afford or can not be arsed to jump through the hoops to get legal.

Rick

[phuketrichard]

hey, if u can't follow simple rules..then its ur own fault.

How difficult is it to look at your stamp when u come in and see the date u must leave. make a note on ur calander and also on ur smart phones.

then when the date is due...leave and come back.

not really rocket science,

to all u that bring up , "i have a friend, I had to go hosptial blah blah blah.. find out what to do BEFORE and do it...

otherwise dont come here.

its their country not ours

25 years here and never had all these problems so many of u all seem to have and I am NOT a model citizen or do gooder but i can folllow simple rules

[DickFarang]

Does the rule apply to Russian prostitutes too ?

[neal]

Verry strange talk on this topic. what i don't understand is why people talk bad or think bad about the people who overstay. As if they are criminals!? why should people who overstay do this for a bad reason.. i always overstay because i simply dont see the need of going to the embassy in my country, takes time and that time i dont want to spend on bureaucracy. i arrive and get a 30 day visa. then i have a wonderfull holiday of 60 or 90 days. i pay my 20.000 bath (that is the punishment i get) and i fly home. Why is this so bad?? i dont care the 20.000, and for thailand it is 20.000 extra. if all would do like me, thailand would allready be a rich country. but people on this blog seem to think that they are very nice and honest people by doing a visa run. Sounds more like saving a poor 20.000 bath and not willing to support this beautiful country with a 20k goodbey gift when they leave for going to work at home again.

[wintermute]

Does the rule apply to Russian prostitutes too ?

Maybe you should try asking the next one you're with?

[bangkokrick]

Verry strange talk on this topic. what i don't understand is why people talk bad or think bad about the people who overstay. As if they are criminals!? why should people who overstay do this for a bad reason.. i always overstay because i simply dont see the need of going to the embassy in my country, takes time and that time i dont want to spend on bureaucracy. i arrive and get a 30 day visa. then i have a wonderfull holiday of 60 or 90 days. i pay my 20.000 bath (that is the punishment i get) and i fly home. Why is this so bad?? i dont care the 20.000, and for thailand it is 20.000 extra. if all would do like me, thailand would allready be a rich country. but people on this blog seem to think that they are very nice and honest people by doing a visa run. Sounds more like saving a poor 20.000 bath and not willing to support this beautiful country with a 20k goodbey gift when they leave for going to work at home again.

You are breaking Immigration laws by over staying so you are therefore a criminal. To do this intentionally is even worse, as you are knowingly flaunting the Thai Immigration laws.

Rick

[jucel]

Verry strange talk on this topic. what i don't understand is why people talk bad or think bad about the people who overstay. As if they are criminals!? why should people who overstay do this for a bad reason.. i always overstay because i simply dont see the need of going to the embassy in my country, takes time and that time i dont want to spend on bureaucracy. i arrive and get a 30 day visa. then i have a wonderfull holiday of 60 or 90 days. i pay my 20.000 bath (that is the punishment i get) and i fly home. Why is this so bad?? i dont care the 20.000, and for thailand it is 20.000 extra. if all would do like me, thailand would allready be a rich country. but people on this blog seem to think that they are very nice and honest people by doing a visa run. Sounds more like saving a poor 20.000 bath and not willing to support this beautiful country with a 20k goodbey gift when they leave for going to work at home again.

good point!!

[jucel]

to all you self righteous high and mighty folks out there! have you ever had sex with a bar girl/prostitute in thailand? if you answer yes then you have broken the law and are no better than the overstayers. tut tut !!!!!!

[kaonoister]

if you have too much overstay,let the thai court rule.not the immigration.

cheaper and easier.

[HardenedSoul]

What crap.

It will be interesting to see what happens to the next few long overstay farangs who attempt to exit the Kingdom.

No. It WON'T be interesting.

Well not to anyone who has some semblance of life away from a computer screen

[neal]

to all you self righteous high and mighty folks out there! have you ever had sex with a bar girl/prostitute in thailand? if you answer yes then you have broken the law and are no better than the overstayers. tut tut !!!!!!

very true and good point. i think i am a very bad person, done both

[bangkokrick]

to all you self righteous high and mighty folks out there! have you ever had sex with a bar girl/prostitute in thailand? if you answer yes then you have broken the law and are no better than the overstayers. tut tut !!!!!!

Can we take it from that comment that you are an over stayer? Don't see the correlation between sex with a hooker and over staying other than both are illegal.

Rick

[nithisa78]

I had an overstay, year before last. Thought I had cleared it with down town. There was illness with Thai family. Explained it to officer. He wasn't smiling and all the paper work from the doctors were in checked baggage. Had no baht as was going to pay in dollars U.S. 3cheers ATM and that was about it. The overstay was less than one month.

Be polite and mouth mostly shut and the grumpiest Thai is easy to deal with and visa v. Government people are no different than we are. Keep that in mind.

Edited September 24, 2010 by nithisa78

[mrtoad]

to all you self righteous high and mighty folks out there! have you ever had sex with a bar girl/prostitute in thailand? if you answer yes then you have broken the law and are no better than the overstayers. tut tut !!!!!!

That's like comparing apples to oranges, and there are no real clear definitions around what would be constituted as a person paying for sexual services - hence the ambiguity on the way those laws are enforced , a little different from deliberately breaking an immigration law, which to be fair is reasonably clear.

[wintermute]

to all you self righteous high and mighty folks out there! have you ever had sex with a bar girl/prostitute in thailand? if you answer yes then you have broken the law and are no better than the overstayers. tut tut !!!!!!

So if you have done some wrong things in your life you should ignore everything else that's wrong around you or actively participate in it?

Wow, that's an awesome world philosophy! You should put that up on a plaque and petition the Nobel institute with it.

[mrtoad]

to all you self righteous high and mighty folks out there! have you ever had sex with a bar girl/prostitute in thailand? if you answer yes then you have broken the law and are no better than the overstayers. tut tut !!!!!!

Can we take it from that comment that you are an over stayer? Don't see the correlation between sex with a hooker and over staying other than both are illegal.

Rick

Considering his continual whines about this, I'd suspect that he is, and doesn't fancy a few nights with Bubba in IDC.

[nithisa78]

to all you self righteous high and mighty folks out there! have you ever had sex with a bar girl/prostitute in thailand? if you answer yes then you have broken the law and are no better than the overstayers. tut tut !!!!!!

good choice of words ' self righteous'.

[Xircal]

Verry strange talk on this topic. what i don't understand is why people talk bad or think bad about the people who overstay. As if they are criminals!? why should people who overstay do this for a bad reason.. i always overstay because i simply dont see the need of going to the embassy in my country, takes time and that time i dont want to spend on bureaucracy. i arrive and get a 30 day visa. then i have a wonderfull holiday of 60 or 90 days. i pay my 20.000 bath (that is the punishment i get) and i fly home. Why is this so bad?? i dont care the 20.000, and for thailand it is 20.000 extra. if all would do like me, thailand would allready be a rich country. but people on this blog seem to think that they are very nice and honest people by doing a visa run. Sounds more like saving a poor 20.000 bath and not willing to support this beautiful country with a 20k goodbey gift when they leave for going to work at home again.

Individuals like yourself who abuse the system are the very same people who cause laws like this to be implemented in the first place.

Also, it only takes two days to obtain a Tourist Visa and you can apply for one up to three months before you propose to arrive in the country. So please, let's not have any silly excuses that you don't have time.

I would imagine that this change of heart by Thai immigration whereby the hapless individual unexpectedly gets to extend his or her vacation in the Bangkok Hilton for a few weeks has come about because the 20K fine doesn't cover the administration costs involved. Either that, or the numbers abusing the system are so colossal that immigration simply doesn't have the manpower available to process them all efficiently.

Edited September 24, 2010 by Xircal

[bangkokrick]

What crap.

It will be interesting to see what happens to the next few long overstay farangs who attempt to exit the Kingdom.

No. It WON'T be interesting.

Well not to anyone who has some semblance of life away from a computer screen

It will be interesting to see if the Immigration authorities actually impose this law. So how are you posting if not in front of a computer screen?

Rick

[wintermute]

to all you self righteous high and mighty folks out there! have you ever had sex with a bar girl/prostitute in thailand? if you answer yes then you have broken the law and are no better than the overstayers. tut tut !!!!!!

Can we take it from that comment that you are an over stayer? Don't see the correlation between sex with a hooker and over staying other than both are illegal.

Rick

Considering his continual whines about this, I'd suspect that he is, and doesn't fancy a few nights with Bubba in IDC.

Yeah I suspect he's one of those clowns that has serious overstays and now his starfish is puckering at the thought of what may happen on the way out.

[jucel]

to all you self righteous high and mighty folks out there! have you ever had sex with a bar girl/prostitute in thailand? if you answer yes then you have broken the law and are no better than the overstayers. tut tut !!!!!!

So if you have done some wrong things in your life you should ignore everything else that's wrong around you or actively participate in it?

Wow, that's an awesome world philosophy! You should put that up on a plaque and petition the Nobel institute with it.

thats a great idea, thanks!!

[mrtoad]

to all you self righteous high and mighty folks out there! have you ever had sex with a bar girl/prostitute in thailand? if you answer yes then you have broken the law and are no better than the overstayers. tut tut !!!!!!

Can we take it from that comment that you are an over stayer? Don't see the correlation between sex with a hooker and over staying other than both are illegal.

Rick

Considering his continual whines about this, I'd suspect that he is, and doesn't fancy a few nights with Bubba in IDC.

Yeah I suspect he's one of those clowns that has serious overstays and now his starfish is puckering at the thought of what may happen on the way out.

Or possibly on the way in

[phuketrichard]

to all you self righteous high and mighty folks out there! have you ever had sex with a bar girl/prostitute in thailand? if you answer yes then you have broken the law and are no better than the overstayers. tut tut !!!!!!

You have broken no laws by having sex with a bar girl

now if u paid her thats a diferent matter :-)

As George Carlin said;

Sex is legal

Selling is legal

so why is selling sex Ilegal?

[jucel]

to all you self righteous high and mighty folks out there! have you ever had sex with a bar girl/prostitute in thailand? if you answer yes then you have broken the law and are no better than the overstayers. tut tut !!!!!!

Can we take it from that comment that you are an over stayer? Don't see the correlation between sex with a hooker and over staying other than both are illegal.

Rick

Considering his continual whines about this, I'd suspect that he is, and doesn't fancy a few nights with Bubba in IDC.

Yeah I suspect he's one of those clowns that has serious overstays and now his starfish is puckering at the thought of what may happen on the way out.

i've not whinged about the penalty, just trying to justify my extenuating circumstances. i'll just pay the additional tea money on departure, when i've sorted my complications/

[mrtoad]

i've not whinged about the penalty, just trying to justify my extenuating circumstances. i'll just pay the additional tea money on departure, when i've sorted my complications/

Bubba is waiting.

[neal]

Individuals like yourself who abuse the system are the very same people who cause laws like this to be implemented in the first place.

Also, it only takes two days to obtain a Tourist Visa and you can apply for one up to three months before you propose to arrive in the country. So please, let's not have any silly excuses that you don't have time.

I would imagine that this change of heart by Thai immigration whereby the hapless individual unexpectedly gets to extend his or her vacation in the Bangkok Hilton for a few weeks has come about because the 20K fine doesn't cover the administration costs involved. Either that, or the numbers abusing the system are so colossal that immigration simply doesn't have the manpower available to process them all efficiently.

read well before you comment. i dont say i dont have time. i say i dont want to spend that time on bureaucracy. thats something completely else. And 20k doesn't cover hahahahaha. they simply want more now because we should be scared to go into jail. so they are going to ask much more then 20k. so it realy seems you dont understand it here.

[Tafia]

Here we go again,yet more greed,

20,000 baht is not enough to be milked,from Foreigners?

No doubt there will be more stories of outrageous extra charges to keep out of Jail.

We hope you enjoyed your stay in Thailand,and spent all your money,

now get your Credit Cards out!

Where do you see foreigners getting milked here?

The fine is for breaking the law, its well known as already pointed out was only part of the penalty, imprisonment was always an option.

The point is its easy to stay ~ tourist visas are free..just have the correct visa and dont overstay the date..it's hardly rocket science.

I cant understand why everyone is making a big deal of it...unless there are some guilty and concerned consciences about on this forum??

[mrtoad]

to all you self righteous high and mighty folks out there! have you ever had sex with a bar girl/prostitute in thailand? if you answer yes then you have broken the law and are no better than the overstayers. tut tut !!!!!!

You have broken no laws by having sex with a bar girl

now if u paid her thats a diferent matter :-)

As George Carlin said;

Sex is legal

Selling is legal

so why is selling sex Ilegal?

But paying for her Taxi fare is not a crime.