Overstay Of 25 Years

[billd766]

Sorry to hear of your problems Billd.

You do know that on a retirement extension you can also opt for a combination of money in the bank and yearly income, as long as they are together at least 800,000.

Thanks Mario

I have no problems really yet unless the GBP gets to less than 42 at the time I renew my retirement extension in July.

If it does I can go with the Thai family extension as that is still OK on my pensions.

If however the GBP gets to less than 26 baht to the GBP I have a problem as I suspect 60 or 70% of all expats would.

Yesterday the Kbank exchange rate was 49.09 in a nicer creeping upwards mode.

[sirchai]

Can I just say.....WOW

25 years is a long fuc_king time of overstay. Sorry, but there's no excuse like your parents passed away a.s.o.

People like you're making it much harder to live here, working, paying tax and trying to be a good father.

What would you think about Thais who'd overstay their Visa back in the UK, when you'd have to pay taxes for them?

You shouldn't be legal here, even when people accepted you. Why don't you let them know what's up......?:jap:

[Tolley]

What springs to mind first of all is that you have stayed so long in Thailand without leaving the country.

I don't think many people could do that.

Secondly you have lived with that nagging feeling for 25 years that one day you might actually get in trouble for not being legal.

You have demonstrated reserves that far outweigh what most normal individuals could endure.

As to what you should do I think you know the answer to that one yourself otherwise you wouldn't have posted.

Good luck.

[H2oDunc]

Can I just say.....WOW

25 years is a long fuc_king time of overstay. Sorry, but there's no excuse like your parents passed away a.s.o.

People like you're making it much harder to live here, working, paying tax and trying to be a good father.

What would you think about Thais who'd overstay their Visa back in the UK, when you'd have to pay taxes for them?

You shouldn't be legal here, even when people accepted you. Why don't you let them know what's up......?:jap:

Firstly have you read any of the prior postings here ? It seems not. Just how yet again is this guy making it harder for you to stay here ? He has no bearing on your visa status. ABSOLUTELY NONE!

In the same way a guy not wearing a crash helmet has no effect on the fact that I choose to wear one.

I was having a drink with an immigration officer the other night. He said it was a GOOD thing when Farang overstayed as it meant Thailand got big baht in fines. Having just returned form Penang with a guy that had 3.5 years overstay and found the immigration department had no concerns at all and the consulate then gave the same guy a FREE tourist visa the very next day it seems the only people that are bothered are the so called " Drama queen, outraged Farang "

[Richard4849]

Do you think visa rules are getting progressively stricter because people are obeying the rules, or flouting them? Similarly, why do you think it is so difficult for Thais to get visas to the US and the UK? Does the fact that so many of them overstay and work illegally have zero to do with it?

[Naam]

He would need to enter another country, who would be looking for a stamp from Thailand that he leaved there. Saying that he came from a ship from the UK would indeed strech it.

my wife and i have been travelling for years, each with two (legal) passports, using one to exit one country and using the other passport to enter another country. nobody ever looked or asked us why we don't have an exit stamp from the country we arrived.

the reason for using two passports was to use them up (filled with stamps) equally.

[lopburi3]

That does not work at sea/land entry to Thailand because they indeed do check for stamps. By air that is not an issue.

[happyrobert]

Here is the link for Guinness Book of World Records page for submitting, what surely must be the longest overstay in Thai history. Perhaps you might win a prize which would help pay for the fine.

http://www.guinnessw...ster/login.aspx

[Jingthing]

Do you think visa rules are getting progressively stricter because people are obeying the rules, or flouting them? Similarly, why do you think it is so difficult for Thais to get visas to the US and the UK? Does the fact that so many of them overstay and work illegally have zero to do with it?

You would have a point if that kind of thing was very widespread. However, I don't think it's all that widespread in Thailand, not compared to the risk a Thai overstaying a tourist visa in the US anyway ...

[katabeachbum]

He would need to enter another country, who would be looking for a stamp from Thailand that he leaved there. Saying that he came from a ship from the UK would indeed strech it.

my wife and i have been travelling for years, each with two (legal) passports, using one to exit one country and using the other passport to enter another country. nobody ever looked or asked us why we don't have an exit stamp from the country we arrived.

the reason for using two passports was to use them up (filled with stamps) equally.

Yepp

I have a couple of times left Phuket on a full passport and arrived KL on a brand new one or another (legal) passport. If question, whats your port of departure? Phuket

To OP, make sure you have a plan and funds to remain legal if you choose to go legal.

[Richard4849]

Well, I happen to think you're wrong, Jingthing. Illegal immigrants of all nationalities is a growing concern. The immigration lock-up on Suan Plu is chock full.

It is a fact that things are getting stricter, and it's neither due to xenophobia or to the fact that people are behaving themselves.

[Badbanker]

WOW 25 years!

It is not too hard to clear but as posters have said you got to plan well before you do it.

First you are going to need a lawyer or an influential person to assist you to do the clearance. If you do not you may just be locked up on sight. They can and do in this sort of case!

You are going to need to get your original entry verified and a new stamp put in your new passport and are going to need to clear things at immigration. You should not just turn up at the airport as this WILL be frowned on. Even if they can see your original passport and entry stamp of the last time you entered Thailand, they WILL want to check that you are listed on their microfiche entry records and this entry stamp is not a fake. Even if your original passport and entry stamp is available it is still classed as a complex overstay .

If for some reason you are not listed, or they can't find you, you will be classed as having illegally entered Thailand and will go to court within 48 hours. This normally means a fine not over 5,000 baht! and deportation but no black listing!

I was in court the other day when the man who has been talked about in the press a lot recently as having overstayed/enslaved for 14 years came to clear the overstay. He was fined 10,000 baht!

So you are going to have to get a new passport! Hopefully you still have the original one.

Be prepared for a balling out by immigration officers for doing this but........I think you are expecting this. Probably also good to take your family members along with you to vouch for your standing in the community and that you are a good parent.

Once you get your clearance and stamp or deportation come on back, but this time stay legal!

BB

Edited January 29, 2011 by Badbanker

[Richard4849]

No lawyer or influential person required. Just go out, pay your 20K, and come back in with an appropriate visa. Immigration won't care if you've overstayed six months, a year, or 25 years.

[Badbanker]

No lawyer or influential person required. Just go out, pay your 20K, and come back in with an appropriate visa. Immigration won't care if you've overstayed six months, a year, or 25 years.

You obviously do not know what you are talking about!

Please explain where he going to get a new stamp in his new passport?

The airport or border check point will not do it!

When he gets his new passport from the British Embassy they will also give him a letter to immigration explaining his situation and direct him there.

Please do not mislead the forum. I do this for a living!

BB

Edited January 29, 2011 by Badbanker

[mommysboy]

Fundamentally it's not right to prevent someone from walking on any piece of land in the world at will, I mean really what an audacity to claim one can own part or all of a planet.

But then again there are the practicalities, ie, UK would sink under the weight of a billion people.

Full marks to OP. Just leading a life on this earth! Anything wrong with that really? I mean as if us humans don't jump through enough hoops already.

[klikster]

Sorry,

but i take that as an absolute insult to me AND all the others in thailand that keep their visa`s up to date and often loss intrest on money we have to bring in and show in our thai bank accounts for visa`s.......SHAME ON YOU SIR

Please don't speak for me. I'm fully capable of speaking for myself. I find the OP's situation interesting .. and I am not the least bit insulted.

[Richard4849]

I have no doubt you "do this for a living". This is not a situation that requires a lawyer or "influential person", though I recognize there are lots of people who "make a living" convincing people that they do.

[wolf5370]

Fundamentally it's not right to prevent someone from walking on any piece of land in the world at will, I mean really what an audacity to claim one can own part or all of a planet.

But then again there are the practicalities, ie, UK would sink under the weight of a billion people.

Full marks to OP. Just leading a life on this earth! Anything wrong with that really? I mean as if us humans don't jump through enough hoops already.

Yes agree with this. What right has anyone really to "own" the land? Really countries are people - citizens. COuntries with genrous benefit systems are abused by immigrants n(legal and otherwiser - even people on simple work permits get health care on the state etc). This is a failing of the state to find a way of ensuring that taxes raised by the citizens covers only the citizens and no one else. Then there would no be a clamour to get their. Of course, this falls down with mineral (and oil) rights as nations want these (even if they do diddly for the man in the streets!) - oh well, there goes utopia.

[XXpate48USA]

Sorry,

but i take that as an absolute insult to me AND all the others in thailand that keep their visa`s up to date and often loss intrest on money we have to bring in and show in our thai bank accounts for visa`s.......SHAME ON YOU SIR

Thank you so much for your iron clad integrity! We need more of you here.

You do know you can not find any loose change looking upward all the time!

[Badbanker]

I have no doubt you "do this for a living". This is not a situation that requires a lawyer or "influential person", though I recognize there are lots of people who "make a living" convincing people that they do.

Let me clarify a couple of things. I do this for a living and I do not charge for it. I was in court last with 2 people on the same day. One was the American Jan Morton Heger that was extradited to the US for allegedly imbezzling USD 3 mil who was fined 5,000 baht overstay. The other was the 14 year slave who got a 10,000 baht court fine that was paid by a charity. The American did not have any money to pay the fine and so as I did not want to see a 68 year old frail old American man go to jail for 25 days I paid the fine! I will never see the money back and I have done this many times in the past 25 years I have lived here and will continue to do this many times in the future.

The last time I saw and was involved with a long overstay it was for 12 years. The person arrived at immigration at 8 am with his lawyer and had a huge problem as he did not have his original passport with the original entry stamp even though he knew his original date of entry. He had the 20 k and he had a new passport, embassy letter and the police report stating he had lost his passport and he had a ticket to his home country. It took until 3pm and they really wanted to lock him up for a couple of days and declare him an illegal entrant. The lawyer was able to convince immigration not to lock him up! At the lawyers request they had to scan microfiche files for literally 4 hours to find his old TM card number and then stamp his passport.

All the time immigration was berating him for doing this and of course his lawyer was keeping things calm.

Next case was a British man who was 7 years overstayed and had lost his passport and just continued living like many do. He got the new passport and ticket and went to the airport by himself. No stamp so they sent him to immigration IDC and spent about 20 mins looking for his original entry on the computer. Could not find it so he was charged with illegal entry and detained sent to court and as no one was there to pay his fine and so got 2 months at Pathumthani Jail before being returned to the IDC awaiting deportation assistance from his embassy.

Also please understand even though I do not charge, many people that I help, offer me money to pay for my time. Frankly I spent a huge amount of time and personal money helping people paying court fines and getting cleared of overstay. It is only recently that private expat citizens and several wealthy Thais have come forward offering me money to pay for things like court fines. A complex overstay is one that is at least 5 years and the person does not have the passport they entered on.

Since the "Pattaya One" article many people have become mega paranoid about clearing their overstay and now it seems due to the backlash of the realisation of the simple nature of clearing an overstay, some well intentioned people are thinking any overstay is just a trip to the airport with cash and new passport in hand. IT ISN'T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

25 years IS a complex overstay!

I will say again, Richard4849 please do not spread misinformation and mislead this forum!

BB

Edited January 30, 2011 by Badbanker

[h5kaf]

Sorry,

but i take that as an absolute insult to me AND all the others in thailand that keep their visa`s up to date and often loss intrest on money we have to bring in and show in our thai bank accounts for visa`s.......SHAME ON YOU SIR

You are insulted?, Why should he feel shamed ? From the brief details that has been given ,he has a family which he has been with for 20+ years, So he didn't have a visa ,maybe he could not afford the expense . Given what he has said ,he only has his family here . If I was in his position I would of probably done the same , So what he has not got a visa ,that don't make him a bad person just a guy that has put roots down & probably contributed to his new (30yr +) homeland .

Has to what he should do now , well I would say unless he is really planning on going places just do more of the same . However if he goes the other way I would advice him to just turn up with a ticket pay the fine . If they mark your passport then get a new one.

Good luck to him & I hope it all works out fine for him & his.

As to you feeling insulted , maybe you should consider getting a new life if something like this cuts you so much. I don't feel insulted in any way so there is 1 of all the others that keep their visa's up to day that you are not speaking for .

You have no right to speak for all the others as you put it.

Well said. I am another who is up to date in all respects but in no way feel insulted - good luck to you. Logically why bring problems to yourself and your family if you do not need to leave the country. Just carry on as you have been for the last 25 years. You are cherished and respected by your family and in your community and are a credit to Thailand in the way in which you have integrated. My advice would be not to get involved with the greedy and corrupt immigration people - enjoy the rest of your life with those you love and forget the visa rules.

[moto77]

Can I just say.....WOW

25 years is a long fuc_king time of overstay. Sorry, but there's no excuse like your parents passed away a.s.o.

People like you're making it much harder to live here, working, paying tax and trying to be a good father.

What would you think about Thais who'd overstay their Visa back in the UK, when you'd have to pay taxes for them?

You shouldn't be legal here, even when people accepted you. Why don't you let them know what's up......?:jap:

Firstly have you read any of the prior postings here ? It seems not. Just how yet again is this guy making it harder for you to stay here ? He has no bearing on your visa status. ABSOLUTELY NONE!

In the same way a guy not wearing a crash helmet has no effect on the fact that I choose to wear one.

Because people like the OP are the reason that immigration laws in Thailand are get more strict every few years. that's why. I agree--there is no excuse for this crap. He deserves to be busted and sent home.

[exbelg]

what about the universal human rights consideration that claims that everybody has the right to stay with their family in all circumstances ?

I guess he will be deported or jailed, than blacklisted for 99+ years so he can never see his family again (in Thailand) where he spend so much time and money ???

[h5kaf]

Not really proud of it, But things happen

Pinball, you have got lots of advice on your post. Some from the "hang em" "bomb em" brigade and some from "admirers". I have already posted but would add a few questions to you.

a. Do you seriously want to leave your family and friends in Thailand (especially when you have no-one in the UK left) for no good reason?

b. If you have a spare 20000 baht plus some court money and some bribe money, don't you think that would be better spent on your children and family?

c. What would happen if you had to leave and live in the UK? Your Thai family would be without you and the Uk is a very forbidding place if you have no money or family and you are British.

Do yourself a favour and forget this nonesense. Carry on the good life with your family and in the village in which you are fully integrated. Wherever you are in the world there can be no finer gravestone engraving than: 'he lived respected and died regretted'.

Finally, your behaviour in no way affects any other Farang in Thailand. Good luck in whatever you decide.

[LivinLOS]

He would need to enter another country, who would be looking for a stamp from Thailand that he leaved there. Saying that he came from a ship from the UK would indeed strech it.

my wife and i have been travelling for years, each with two (legal) passports, using one to exit one country and using the other passport to enter another country. nobody ever looked or asked us why we don't have an exit stamp from the country we arrived.

the reason for using two passports was to use them up (filled with stamps) equally.

I would imagine tho you mean by plane..

I have 2 passports and my experience is they wont let me flip flop them at the Thai border as they want to see and stamp the passport with the exit stamp from the local country. I did persuade Malaysia to stamp the fresh passport outbound and then was able to use that inbound once, trying to enter Thailand on a clean new passport once they FREAKED at me over it. Got hyper aggressive threatening the detention cells if I didnt produce the passport with the exit from Myanmaar.

[moto77]

what about the universal human rights consideration that claims that everybody has the right to stay with their family in all circumstances ?

LOL... still hungover? There is no such right--you just made it up and assume it to be true.

So "everybody has the right to stay with their family in all circumstances" huh? I suppose they should let all of the murderers and rapists out to be with their families as well then?

Or do we toss their families into jail with them? Or is your statement just nonsense?

[LivinLOS]

To the hang em high brigade.. If this country had less xenophobic naturalization laws anyone with a wife child and 25 years in the country would be a citizen of the country with nothing to fear. Its the lack of clear naturalization processes for all (not only those working) which puts people who genuinely reside here in this position.

Not that I fully believe the OP tho.. Never had to show a passport in 25 years ?? Never registered a marriage ?? Or a vehicle ?? or visited a police station ?? Or or or..

[steve187]

Fundamentally it's not right to prevent someone from walking on any piece of land in the world at will, I mean really what an audacity to claim one can own part or all of a planet.

But then again there are the practicalities, ie, UK would sink under the weight of a billion people.

Full marks to OP. Just leading a life on this earth! Anything wrong with that really? I mean as if us humans don't jump through enough hoops already.

Good point

[Pria]

Sorry,

but i take that as an absolute insult to me AND all the others in thailand that keep their visa`s up to date and often loss intrest on money we have to bring in and show in our thai bank accounts for visa`s.......SHAME ON YOU SIR

Agree with this. You deserve to be put behind bars fr a lengthy period of time, deported and blacklisted forever. No excuses, no mitigation.

[steve187]

Because people like the OP are the reason that immigration laws in Thailand are get more strict every few years. that's why. I agree--there is no excuse for this crap. He deserves to be busted and sent home.

so no grey area in your mind, you have never broke any countries laws, speeding, no seat belt,etc.

give the man a break, he has been here 25 years and has caused no hassle to anyone.

How many people are there scattered around the world, in the same situation, it can not be compared to someone overstaying in a country, where they are entitled to benefits, here he has no benefits, only a better way of life, no-one is paying for that.

Some countries give amnesty to long time overstayers/illigals