Thai Immigration Introduces Jail Time For Overstayers

[alstaxi]

What crap.

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

They will pay a bribe and go home, jail will make the bribe larger,and more urgent, not that interesting.

[BWPattaya]

Hello!

what whould happen,when someone,short before the visa is runing out and the person have to go to hospital?

same then normal overstaying,or how then will be the diffrence in the visa law?

who have the be informed first?

when it should not posible after a acsident or whatevver-?

is a blacklist forever,or can also be removed,after a couple of years?

on internet i read some reports,that planing in the future,a visa for all countrys,like here in eu!

If you are genuinly in hospital you won't have a problem as the hospital will inform immigration.

What is "normal overstaying?" Is that like "normal burglary" or any other "normal" crime?

[dudeinthailand]

Would this not make the overstayers decide to stay even longer instead of actually leaving. If you had an overstayer that was planning to leave and go home, what incentive does he/she have to leave now? Amazing how people react to these things. People act as if Thailand is the only place on earth that has people overstay their visa. Lets see this for what it is...BS! Could you imagine if the UK or USA jailed an illegal immigrant as he was trying to LEAVE with the fine money in hand. A society is judged on how they treat the poor and incarcerated.

[Murf]

Imagine the Uk being able to charge 500baht a day for illegals? Or get thrown in prison?

It would be a good way to get out of the credit crisis!

Although i am sure most would prefer prison...

[BuPattaya]

This is just an open invitation for Thai Immigration officers to extort foreigners $$ upon their departure. $$$ and Thai Corruption go hand in hand. The penalty should be cut and dry across the board for everybody, depending on the length of their overstay. It should not be up the the officer that detains you. This is just like saying to the Thai Immigration officers. Up to you, whatever you can get from their wallets. If your happy with the amount. Then let them leave the Country, but if they don't have enough cash to satisfy you. LOCK EM UP! This is just typical of Thai Laws. Leave the Door open for more CORRUPTION...

[smartecosse]

good, i hope that they stick with it

massive overstays and 20,000 baht fines are a joke.

break the rules and get what you deserve.

[thelegend]

[i have no problem with the tightening of these regulations but I do wish the Thai Govt would wake up and make it really simple to extend a tourist visa.

It is so stupid to force people to do Border runs and pay a wedge to another Govt. for a ten second visit, as well as all the other travel costs etc. Get sensible !! Make it possible for a visa to be extended at any police station or other suitable govt. office, for anyone up to a max stay of say 6 months [in 2 month tranches], provided that person has committed no serious offence. thus the Thai govt would be on a nice little earner, and the whole thing would be both sensible and convenient. i for one would happily pay say 1000baht for this service.

But then, I guess this probably makes too much sense to be "Thai".

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[beano2274]

Immigration gets the overstay money and then shares it amongst the other immigration offices, but the majority will go to the Central Immigration office. So if an Immigration officer at a Land border wants to take care of his own, he does not report it.

Just a note - Immigration at Swampy closes for in the evening, after this time it is overtime for the officers. Each passenger who comes after that time is logged using arrival cards and a bill presented to the Airline, at a price of 10 baht per passenger. This is also done for those passengers departing Thailand. This money is then kept in a pot and all those who did overtime split it, less money to the boss, dependent on the hours of overtime they did.

Please do not think this is shit, I taught an Airport Immigration officer, and this is what I was told.

So the best way for a Border Immigration Officer is to catch the culprit but not report it, keep the money for the guys you work with, maybe try and get more out of the overstayer.

Edited September 24, 2010 by beano2274

[Colabamumbai]

Lets just pretend for the sake of argument that there were never any overstays allowed ever in Thailand. The day that you have to leave is the day that you have to leave, the idea of letting you overstay was surely based on monetary necessity by the powers that be, not in doing you some kind of favor or giving you some kind of leeway.

[KunMatt]

Why give an amnesty - if you overstay then you have broken the law. You do not do it accidentally you set out to do it so take the punishment. I am all for the law being applied fairly and firmly. A period in the slammer would at least go some way to making sure these people do not do it again but I think it should be a day for day punishment overstay 50 days then 50 days inside. Blacklisting is pointless as it only ensures that the passport does not return to the kingdom it does nothing to stop the person getting a new passport and re-entering under a new name etc etc.

As soon as Thailand does something positriver everyone thinks they do it for money - well I can asure you that most countries have strict immigration laws and they apply them - Thailand tolerates foreigners and we should never forget we are mere visitors in the kingdom and should act accordingly.

Put them in the slammer day for day.

Well God forbid you are ever at the mercy of someone as heartless as yourself! Overstaying is hardly at the top of the crimes that frequently happen in Thailand, is it?

I accidently overstayed for 40 odd days recently as the immigration didn't apply my O visa and gave me a 30 day entry stamp instead (check the archive in the Visa forum). Of course it was as much my fault for not checking it until near the end of what I thought was my 3 month Visa but by your reasoning I should have been jailed for 6 weeks for this error. To be honest, I was bricking it at the time I discovered I was on overstay but if they were to follow your "hang 'em all high" attitude I might have pursued a different solution than trying to rectify it legally...

It seems pretty obvious that the reason they are doing this is to generate money. If not then why under these new extreme rules can you still overstay up to 21 days? Do you think it's because 21 days will still cost you 20,000THB? This just looks like they are not happy that there are people getting more overstay days for their 20,000THB.

I pretty much stopped reading the article at the part "immigration are tired of tourists turnng up at the aiport with a valid ticket and 20,000THB overstay fine". Yes, I'm sure they must be sick of all that free money. I wish I owned a business where I had zero expenditure, did not need to produce anything at all and I could just sit in a room and thousands of people I didn't know, or need to have any prior business with, would turn up and give me 20,000THB for nothing.

[Teddy3943]

How about if you overstay the 90-days report to the immigration office, having a one-year visa? Is there a fine too if you forgot to report after 90 days, let's say two weeks too late?

[damian7000]

The question then becomes, how many weeks will they keep this up?

There is a better chance of them being pulled to the side to pay yet another fine, than actually going to jail.

this is exactly what it is.... i love how people are applauding this move.

all it is is another squeeze and they'll be coming up with new ones for us everyday. you'll be feeling it sooner rather than later.

[Mario2008]

People who become sick and can't travel always have been able to get an extension of stay. This is also one of the reasons why immigraiton has discretion in cases of long overstay and it is not automatically that you will be taken in for further investigation.

[Tirconaill]

Why should thistightening of the law bother any legitimate person? It affects only those that givelegitimate travelers / residents a bad reputation. If someone does not have theresources to comply with the laws ofThailand then they probably should not be here.

[hardy1943]

Call me a cynic but it sounds like a nice little earner for someone.

just going to say it, for a price they be saying Mai bin rai

[Mario2008]

How about if you overstay the 90-days report to the immigration office, having a one-year visa? Is there a fine too if you forgot to report after 90 days, let's say two weeks too late?

That is a different subject, but yes, if you do your 90 day report late you can be fined. The norm is that you are fined 2,000 baht.

[LivinLOS]

a 20,000 baht overstay fine is a lot cheaper then having 400/800k in a Thai Bank for extensions, or for some that have to go to places like 'Hull' or there home Country for a yearly '0' + 4x boarder runs..

Rubbish.. its cheaper than 20k for immigration to overlook / bent lawyer to provide the bank money..

One even advertises blatantly in our local paper.. Visas no money required... But hes Thai so it must be a restricted profession.

[damian7000]

they're not tired at all of it. my buddy used to overstay all the time. they welcomed him with open arms whenever he was leaving. they loved the guy.

so in the last year or 2, just off the top of my head beyond the strength of the baht...

land entry - 2 weeks

150 baht ATM fees

prison if you overstay

.... more is coming.

[andygunther]

I think they're doing right ...

Do not think this will affect many of us.

There is no reason to run up long overstays.

I have had at most 10 days.

But also I think they have discovered a new way to make money.

[LivinLOS]

Hello!

what whould happen,when someone,short before the visa is runing out and the person have to go to hospital?

same then normal overstaying,or how then will be the diffrence in the visa law?

who have the be informed first?

when it should not posible after a acsident or whatevver-?

is a blacklist forever,or can also be removed,after a couple of years?

on internet i read some reports,that planing in the future,a visa for all countrys,like here in eu!

If you are genuinly in hospital you won't have a problem as the hospital will inform immigration.

What is "normal overstaying?" Is that like "normal burglary" or any other "normal" crime?

Thats not actually true.. It 'should be' but routinely immigration simply dont care about hospital letters and declarations that you are an inpatient.. Seen it myself.

[Mario2008]

Well God forbid you are ever at the mercy of someone as heartless as yourself! Overstaying is hardly at the top of the crimes that frequently happen in Thailand, is it?

I accidently overstayed for 40 odd days recently as the immigration didn't apply my O visa and gave me a 30 day entry stamp instead (check the archive in the Visa forum). Of course it was as much my fault for not checking it until near the end of what I thought was my 3 month Visa but by your reasoning I should have been jailed for 6 weeks for this error. To be honest, I was bricking it at the time I discovered I was on overstay but if they were to follow your "hang 'em all high" attitude I might have pursued a different solution than trying to rectify it legally...

It seems pretty obvious that the reason they are doing this is to generate money. If not then why under these new extreme rules can you still overstay up to 21 days? Do you think it's because 21 days will still cost you 20,000THB? This just looks like they are not happy that there are people getting more overstay days for their 20,000THB.

I pretty much stopped reading the article at the part "immigration are tired of tourists turnng up at the aiport with a valid ticket and 20,000THB overstay fine". Yes, I'm sure they must be sick of all that free money. I wish I owned a business where I had zero expenditure, did not need to produce anything at all and I could just sit in a room and thousands of people I didn't know, or need to have any prior business with, would turn up and give me 20,000THB for nothing.

21 days overstay would be 10,500 baht, not 20,000 baht.

Did you ever consider that immigration takes their job seriously and really take offense at people just ignoring the law they are to uphold.

[Tropicalevo]

This is just an open invitation for Thai Immigration officers to extort foreigners $ upon their departure. $ and Thai Corruption go hand in hand. The penalty should be cut and dry across the board for everybody, depending on the length of their overstay. It should not be up the the officer that detains you. This is just like saying to the Thai Immigration officers. Up to you, whatever you can get from their wallets. If your happy with the amount. Then let them leave the Country, but if they don't have enough cash to satisfy you. LOCK EM UP! This is just typical of Thai Laws. Leave the Door open for more CORRUPTION...

You are missing one vital point here. Corruption ONLY works, when the naughty people pay a bribe! No one pays - no corruption.

Please do not blame Thais for this - it only happens because foreigners are breaking the law (usually intentionally) and then they pay money to avoid the penalty!

As someone wrote earlier in the thread - 42 days is ridiculous. It should be automatic imprisonment after 1 week plus the fine. All that will happen now is that people will intentionally overstay either for 20 days and pay, or overstay for 40 days and bitch like hel_l

By the way - for those people who are genuine hospital cases and are unable to leave, there are procedures in place to allow for this without having to pay a fine. This is also true if for some reason your passport is being held by the Thai authorities.

[phuketrichard]

why do so many of u complain when Thailand tries to get its act togeather?

What would happen in a western country if u overstayed or even India or Nepal. Jail time-deportation and Blacklisted.

Could it be that oyu all donet wnat thailand to grow up and always remain the country where you can always buy your way out of things. For this country to join the 2nd world they must start enforcing laws, not letting them slide.

[pattayabuggy]

Ah, the usual lock em up, throw away the key, hang em high brigade are on the keyboards. Congratulations you lot, obviously you have never had a serious problem in your life, at least not yet. I don't wish any such problem on you either, but please realise that some people, and very often through no fault of their own find themselves in such a mess. 

Friendly smiling people, seems like paradise, then they lose all their money, stolen or scammed, usually, but not always by the Thai's, then they find themselves broke and on overstay.

This is not always the case, of course there are vagabonds out there, I grant you, but lets not group all overstayers together, there are genuine hardship cases.

Life is rarely black and white, I think you guys watch too many movies, goodies and baddies movies, perhaps the A Team, just grow up.

Law enforcement here, if you can call it that, is all about money, nothing else. The threat of a jail sentence can be overcome by a bigger back pocket payment and the police know that. That is the only motive. It's all about getting as much money as possible from the dreaded foreigner....as usual.

[jonclark]

What i want to know is will this be applied to other immigrants other than those whose skin is white, like Burmese and Cambodians.

And what happens if you are jailed and you miss your flight and have no wedge to buy a new ticket?? Do you stay in jail or do the authortities simply don't give a rats arse what happens to you. Thailand is increasingly becoming a less caring society with the autorities sticking two fingers up to anyone and everyone (thai and expats).

What is the point of jailing someone who wants to leave the country - A deterrent?? A better deterrent would be to have a standardized system of fines which don't stop at 20'000 baht, such as a 1'000 baht per day for every day overstayed, becuase ultimatly a long term overstayed only has to accept the invitation to stay in jail for a couple of days and pay 20'000 baht max. compared to a potentially unlimited fine.

And lets not forget that it's taxpayers money which is used to accomodate overstayers in jail.

But as with all political things here as the OP states, some new big job has taken over the reins and is putting his (shi**y) mark over it to show his power. How many times have we seen this and willcontinue to see this in the future.

[BaronCasey]

Good idea - chuck them in a smelly overcrowded prison for a while before deporting them - I only wish that the UK would adopt a similar approach.

[markokang]

Whatever they decide is up to them but... The "Grey area" is obviously an opportunity for Tea Money and more corruption. Like many Thai laws the "Grey areas" are designed to supplement officials incomes. Pity they haven't decided to clean up these areas before so many others.

[sompoo44]

well done thailand not before time.give them a day in jail for every day overstay.

[ignis]

No idea...

To me they would make more money if everyone with a Visa could pay 1,900 baht at Immigration every 90 days for an extension.. Just thinking about the 100's per day on visa runs, Immigration get Nil baht, if everyone could go to immigration they would get 1,900 baht each person.. I feel sure that would be a lot more than the 'overstay' fees per year.

[Lancelot]

I have always wondered why Thailand did not simply black listed overstayers. BL in its self would not totally cure the problem, but you would have one less