Phuket Immigration: No Change In Visa Overstay Rules

[Foggy Bottom]

“All have assured me that they are still following all the terms of the Immigration Act 1979, enacted on February 29 that year,” he said.

1979 was a leap year?

Well spotted!

Seconded

[writeshack]

The answer is simple. Don't overstay. I've no sympathy at all for those who think they can stay forever and just pay a fine when they leave. Other people can't do it your country.

[nikkoid66]

shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding two years

This means that if you overstay by one day, they can jail you for 2 years? Wonderful!

[Mario2008]

shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding two years

This means that if you overstay by one day, they can jail you for 2 years? Wonderful!

Get real, it is the maximum that a judge can sentence you for. 1 day overstay is not advisible, but it is also nt a big problem.

[LivinLOS]

shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding two years

This means that if you overstay by one day, they can jail you for 2 years? Wonderful!

Get real, it is the maximum that a judge can sentence you for. 1 day overstay is not advisible, but it is also nt a big problem.

But the problem is, when officialdom has this discretion, its often abused to make money through bribery..

[katabeachbum]

shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding two years

This means that if you overstay by one day, they can jail you for 2 years? Wonderful!

Get real, it is the maximum that a judge can sentence you for. 1 day overstay is not advisible, but it is also nt a big problem.

But the problem is, when officialdom has this discretion, its often abused to make money through bribery..

The Big Bus Phuket-Ranong I believe had 14 overstayers when they where pulled over a few years ago. As I recall some of them only one day overstay, all jailed in Ranong, transfered to jail in BKK. Where they all deported?

[Arkady]

I don't think the other thread suggested there had been a change in the law, just a change in the way it would be implemented. The Immigration Act can only be amended by act of parliament and there has been no debate in parliament about a new act. At any rate the up to two years jail sentence would have to be imposed by a court but Immigration can levy the B20,000 fine on its own authority. Where it gets nasty is that Immigration has the authority to arrest and jail people pending trial. That means they could put overstayers in jail awaiting trial and apply an informal bail system. Anyway overstaying more than 42 days is a fairly serious offence in most countries and the policy of applying a fixed rate penalty for lengthy overstays doesn't make much sense. Apart from being in a coma or having dementia there is not much excuse.

[TAWP]

“All have assured me that they are still following all the terms of the Immigration Act 1979, enacted on February 29 that year,” he said.

1979 was a leap year?

No, 1980 was...so...um...

[TAWP]

So you mean to say that, I have thrown my girlfriend out in the street, burnt down my house and swallowed two packets of Paracetamol for nothing?

If I survive, I'm suing.

Had two girls close to me swallow that amount of paracetamol. Fairly common misconception amongst Thai's that you can commit suicide with it. In most cases one will survive the immediate poisioning (24h) but can suffer liver failure a couple of days later or get permanent necrosis of the liver...forcing a need for a transplant some time further down the line...