Thai Immigration Introduces Jail Time For Overstayers

[onlooker]

This is strange. First Badbankers original post made last night which confirmed there had been absolutely no changes disappears from this thread.

Then when I reposted his comments they disappeared too.

So why is Thaivisa deleting these comments? There is nothing in them against forum rules and BB was asked by a Thaivisa moderator to find out what was going on.

What's the hidden agenda?

[sevenhills]

This is strange. First Badbankers original post made last night which confirmed there had been absolutely no changes disappears from this thread.

Then when I reposted his comments they disappeared too.

So why is Thaivisa deleting these comments? There is nothing in them against forum rules and BB was asked by a Thaivisa moderator to find out what was going on.

What's the hidden agenda?

Yes the unsubstantiated garbage news that is written in the Pataya one leaves a lot to be desired. Their reporting is atrocious and should be considered as humor at best.

[george]

This is strange. First Badbankers original post made last night which confirmed there had been absolutely no changes disappears from this thread.

Then when I reposted his comments they disappeared too.

So why is Thaivisa deleting these comments? There is nothing in them against forum rules and BB was asked by a Thaivisa moderator to find out what was going on.

What's the hidden agenda?

When you copy content and repost it, it sometimes get flagged as duplicated content and removed. It's better to link to a specific post in another thread instead of reposting it. Sorry for the inconvenience.

[george]

This is strange. First Badbankers original post made last night which confirmed there had been absolutely no changes disappears from this thread.

Then when I reposted his comments they disappeared too.

So why is Thaivisa deleting these comments? There is nothing in them against forum rules and BB was asked by a Thaivisa moderator to find out what was going on.

What's the hidden agenda?

Yes the unsubstantiated garbage news that is written in the Pataya one leaves a lot to be desired. Their reporting is atrocious and should be considered as humor at best.

Thanks for your feedback. We are expecting an update from Pattaya One soon, please be patient. Thanks.

[Tafia]

There is little to be gained discussing the rights and wrongs of this issue.

The facts are simple and straight forward.

The Thai authorities are entitled to make their own laws and rules all we have to do to avoid penalty is comply.

Tourist visas are free...for me its a no brainer......

The law stipulates (and always has) as a penalty a fine upto 20,000 Baht and can imprison for up to 2 years. The warning is clear !!

Now it's up to the individual to follow whatever line he or she wishes, comply and play safe.... or.......overstay and take the chance!

If as many seem to be reporting that overstayers are currently being treated as before.. ie...the fine and no imprisonment, it may be that Imm are giving some initial flexability since we heard of this change of policy...maybe / maybe not....... who knows?

Maybe its time for overstayers to consider their options.

We all have the choice !!

[Badbanker]

Great post...well done...I personally don't see what the big fuss is with foreigners getting pissed off with other foreigners for overstaying. It's not as if these 'criminals' are a burdon on Thai taxpayers or anything. Don't get me wrong, laws should be obeyed, but I think foreigners lambasting these people, is quite pathetic.

Oh finally a good news! i was so concerned about going out at night time (but even during the day for that matter), knowing that i might eventually came across one of the very feared "overstayers" , i can cope with almost any sort of issues or dangers, but having to deal with a man/woman which is not a "quality tourist" is already bad enough, leave alone someone which break this vital law! is just too much, nevermind the killers, scammers, abusers,cheaters,thiefs around us, the constant chronic break of safety standards and human rights, etc.., go and get the overstayers that's the real crime in this country, the main priority for the resolution of all major problems affecting the country for sure, thank you amazing Thailand!

I will say that there are over 1,000 serious international fugitives from justice that are here in Thailand. Every major crime you can think about. Many of them entered on fake passports and have now overstayed and continue to break the law and are wanted on multiple charges.

This may be a reason why for some time the Police Special Branch is looking at cracking down. Remember Hambali entered Thailand on a fake Spanish passport and then overstayed!

BB

[Maestro]

Another member, HC82, has invited members with an overstay who after October 1 go directly to the airport to report in this topic how they were processed for the overstay. The idea is to limit posts in that topic exclusively to overstay reports. Any discussion on a report (without flames or berating, of course) can be done here with a link to the post in question. To give a link, in the post with the overstay report click on the post number, copy the URL that pops up and paste it in your post here, with your comments, like I am going to do in the post below this one.

[Maestro]

One overstay report has already been posted here. Three months overstay, went directly to Samui airport, was detained, ordered to pay 6,000 Baht, left two days later.

I am waiting for clarification whether the overstayer was sent to court and the money he paid was a fine, perhaps fine plus court fees, not bail. That would be the usual procedure when an overstayer is not let go by immigration at the border point with a summary fine of 500 Baht per day, maximum 20,000 Baht.

Had this overstayer gone to the local immigration office before going to the airport, he probably would have had to pay the maximum fine of 20,000 Baht but would not have been detained for a court hearing and would not have missed his flight.

P.S. It was bail, after all. Court hearing will be later.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

From the topic "Report Your Overstay Experience Here"

Danish 25 yrs old with an overstay of 165 days off 3 years spent in LOS, went to check in at Suvarnabhumi 4 of October and told them about my overstay.

Got checked in and proceeded to passport control were i told the officer about the overstay as well and got accompanied by another officer who took me to his desk.

There we chatted for 5 minutes while i paid the 20k and signed some papers before continuing to my gate.

Really polite officers, we sat and joked over my situation before i waid them and left them them smiling at their desks.

Did the Immigration staff give you a receipt for the baht 20k?

In any case, a happy departure.

Mac

[TCW]

One overstay report has already been posted here. Three months overstay, went directly to Samui airport, was detained, ordered to pay 6,000 Baht, left two days later.

I am waiting for clarification whether the overstayer was sent to court and the money he paid was a fine, perhaps fine plus court fees, not bail. That would be the usual procedure when an overstayer is not let go by immigration at the border point with a summary fine of 500 Baht per day, maximum 20,000 Baht.

Had this overstayer gone to the local immigration office before going to the airport, he probably would have had to pay the maximum fine of 20,000 Baht but would not have been detained for a court hearing and would not have missed his flight.

P.S. It was bail, after all. Court hearing will be later.

Could you then clarify why Badbanker said in another thread:

Sadly this story is dead. I respect this forum, but quoting unconfirmed Pattaya One sources is irresponsible and has caused panic. Since this story broke embassies have been inundated with requests for confirmation or denial of the "supposed new policy"!

Every embassy I have spoken to has confirmed business as usual with overstays at the moment.

By "business as usual" does it mean overstayers have always been imprisoned?

I also read a Drew Noyes newspaper piece saying anyone overstaying UNDER 365 day would be allowed to leave without imprionment. Is this also wrong?

A confusing state of affairs really.

[Maestro]

We shall just have to wait and see what happens, shan't we? I guess overstayers who go directly to an airport or a land border crossing without first clearing their overstay situation at the local immigration office are not a dozen a day and most of them probably are not ThaiVisa members, who by now know better. I wish we could get lots of first-hand reports, both from people who were let go with a fine and from others who got detained and sent to court. However, also in the past there were few posts a year of this kind. It would be nice if immigration published statistics, but they don't.

[Badbanker]

Actually about 4 an hour at Suwanapum from my personal observation on multiple occasions!  Sometimes up to 10 an hour.

[Maestro]

It looks like I could not have been any wider off the mark.

[tijnebijn]

Actually about 4 an hour at Suwanapum from my personal observation on multiple occasions!  Sometimes up to 10 an hour.

If I calculate it correctly if we count 24 hours it would be between 96 and 240 overstayers a day , not sure what you mean if they are short or longtime overstayers alltogether or not . And its only at Suwanapum , not all of the other places , imagine how many it's total .

In a year at Suwanapum , its between 35.040 and 87.600 overstayers the year !

If what you state is accurate .

Would be a massive task if this detention story is true , very unlikely , if not enforcebale I guess for very long .

[powderpuff]

This story stinks like week old fish.

But the 2 co-conspirators TV & Pattaya One stick to it.

New Coke Classic Coke.

[dakos]

Did the Immigration staff give you a receipt for the baht 20k?

In any case, a happy departure.

Mac

Got a receipt plus a stamp with the amount of overstay days and the fine amount in my passport.

[Maestro]

Dakos, thank you for your report.

[SanukMahk]

If we remember that little glassed in office at Don Muang it seemed to be busy as the hamburger line outside Nana Plaza! Always full an no real profile to the occupants (unlike the Nana Burger Queen). I well remember catching a 6am as there were many other expats departing being qued to the payoff hut!

[Maestro]

Got a receipt plus a stamp with the amount of overstay days and the fine amount in my passport.

Dakos, who made this overstay report in the topic "Report Your Overstay Experience Here",

kindly sent me copies of the receipt and the note with permission to post them here.

  

[sexy man]

sounds like he is deliberately abusing the system need a short stay at bangkok hilton to pull him into line. he is the reason for tighter rules[6th consecutive overstay]

[Forkinhades]

Danish 25 yrs old with an overstay of 165 days off 3 years spent in LOS, went to check in at Suvarnabhumi 4 of October and told them about my overstay.

Got checked in and proceeded to passport control were i told the officer about the overstay as well and got accompanied by another officer who took me to his desk.

There we chatted for 5 minutes while i paid the 20k and signed some papers before continuing to my gate.

Really polite officers, we sat and joked over my situation before i waid them and left them them smiling at their desks.

Summary:

- Nationality: Danish

- Length of overstay: 165 days

- Where you/they attempted to leave Thailand: Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

- Showed up at departure immigration on: 04 OCT 2010

- What was done by the immigration authorities: fine 20,000 Baht, with receipt; had to sign some papers, got a note of the overstay in the passport.

like to see some pics of that

[Maestro]

...

- What was done by the immigration authorities: fine 20,000 Baht, with receipt; had to sign some papers, got a note of the overstay in the passport.

like to see some pics of that

The underlined text passages are links to the two images.

[stevenl]

- Nationality: ???

- Length of overstay: 3 months (a friend)

- Where you/they attempted to leave Thailand: Samui Airport

- Showed up at departure immigration on: ???

- What was done by the immigration authorities: Spent 2 days in jail, out on 6,000.00 Baht bail until the court hearing.

When was this?

Did he/she have money to pay the fine on the spot?

[Maestro]

Sept posted here about another stayer who was let go at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport after paying the overstay fine of 20,000 baht.

[Lite Beer]

Inflammatory post deleted.

[surayu]

Wildpuppet72...a possible translation: " Sir, i have reasons to put in doubt your statement about the 10 days in jail or 2000 baht fine, i would however be extremely gratefull to you if you could quote the source of your information so we can be reassured, in the mean time please let me express my personal esteem to you for the time you have taken to share this precious few words"

[SanukMahk]

There are people who overstay unintentionally. If they are sick or misunderstand the requirements of their visa for example. However, I can understand why Immigration has tightened the laws.

If you are sick there is a medical needs point to work with Immi. If you a scofflaw, off with their heads. You see, these scofflaw people just give us bad and creat a more negative enviro for the farang! Off with their heads!

[orang37]

... snip ... If you are sick there is a medical needs point to work with Immi.

If you are going to use "being sick" as an excuse, you better show up with some real documentation from a real Thai public hospital. Make sure the letter inside contains a letter signed by a Thai doctor, and is on hospital letterhead, and includes your full name and passport number, and explicit reasons for why you required prolonged treatment and were unable to report to immigration.

best, ~o:37;

[lopburi3]

From the topic "Report Your Overstay Experience Here":

A friend of mine recently finished working in Pattaya, went to Chonburi to cancel his WP and then on to Jomtien to have his Non B visa canceled a few days ago. Having read the new regulations he was unsure what 24 hrs was being defined as by Immigration. When his Visa was canceled he was asked if he was flying out that day and when he replied that he was leaving early the next morning , the immigration official told him he would be fined for not 1 but 2 days ie 1000 Baht. Despite many questions to Immigration, they could not explain why it was 2 days, canceling the visa at say 3 pm and flying out at 6 am next day should be 1 day 500 baht.

He went to the airport with 1000 baht in hand, but immigration said nothing and he sailed through no fine at all.

...

There is no overstay fine at airports for one day and that is all it was until midnight the next day.

Am sure immigration officer was counting as they count entry with day of entry being one rather than zero. But for exit you have until midnight on last day of stamp without being overstay.

[michael123456]

on jan 15 after about six months overstay moved to laos, as read here about cheaper visas,live now in vietane.

paid fine 20000 baht at friendship bridge no other questions about air ticket or tea money or jail.

was not alone somebody where lived beore together was with me. and they reported they wanted to call he immigration hotline and no answer.

fine was paid after ten minutes, only one man was in the office.

greetinx michael