53-Day Overstay

[lannarose]

My friend, an EU citizen, would have overstayed his 15-day visa exempt pass (from a land border I think) by 53 days by the time he leaves Thailand on 3 June. He wanted to know if he should go to a Thai immigration office now and pay the overstay fine and get a 7-day extension or simply pay the overstay fine at the airport on his way out of the country? He says he has heard that an overstay exceeding 42 days will incur mandatory jail time. Can anyone advise on this? Thanks.

[Mario2008]

He can go to the airport and pay the fine there when he leaves.

He should check in and go to immigration early.

[lannarose]

Thanks, Mario. What if he has to take a connecting flight to Bangkok from his local airport? Will the check-in people at his local airport give him any trouble? He will be flying by two different airlines which are not affiliated to one another and therefore he can't exit his local airport as an international passenger.

[Jawnie]

There's no way to know what will happen to your friend on a domestic flight. Immigration authorities any where inside of Thailand can inspect his visa status, as could any police officer, government official, etc. Your friend is currently in violation of Thai Immigration law and could go to jail any where and at any time his status is discovered. 53 days is a long overstay, he should expect to meet some unfriendly people at whatever immigration point he encounters. I don't think domestic flights need to see the visa but nothings to stop them, either. He has a problem. Perhaps going to an immigration office asap would be helpful. Waiting for the day of the flight is a little risky simply because of the length of the overstay.

[lannarose]

Thanks, Jawnie.

[monekyface]

don't show the passport for the domestic flight- problem solved. well, part of it!!! LOL (laughing with concern for your friend of course)

[gerrymac]

Thanks, Jawnie.

Why not forget the internal flight - make his way to Swampy by bus or train for flight out.

This would avoid any problem at first flight.

[lannarose]

Thanks, Jawnie.

Why not forget the internal flight - make his way to Swampy by bus or train for flight out.

This would avoid any problem at first flight.

I thought police/immigration checks were more likely on bus/train routes?

Edited May 29, 2011 by lannarose

[PoorSucker]

don't show the passport for the domestic flight- problem solved. well, part of it!!! LOL (laughing with concern for your friend of course)

Everyone has to identify them self, even for domestic flight.

A Thai driving licence works fine, else passport (but only ID page).

Just bring 500 baht / day to swampyboom in overstay fine and go two hours earlier.

[tombkk]

Unfortunately, it's as easy as paying Thb 500/day in most cases over here. In other countries (Europe comes to mind), he would have more serious problems.

What is he thinking, overstaying his permission to stay by 53 days? I fail to understand the mindset.

[highonthai]

The fine for overstay should be on a sliding scale or something.

I'd like to see it as 500 per day for the first 5 days,then doubles every day until the exit. And then blacklisted.

I can understand that things happen and a few days overstay can be forgiven, but 53? This is just a blatant disregard for the law and should be punished severely.

[Mario2008]

Domestic flights are not cheked for immigration status, only a perosns ID is ckecked by the airline.

In any case, it is unlikely they will arrest someone on his way out of the country.

[tombkk]

Mario, if detected by law enforcement, although unlikely, I don't think they have a choice. I believe he will indeed be arrested.

[Falcon]

Hi,

He wont have any problem whatsoever if a friend of mines case is anything to go by.

My friend was 3 years overstay, started when he lost everything and spiralled from there. He finally managed to get some money together for a local flight and when he got to the airport he was simply shown to the overstay desk, asked for 20,000 baht and then stamped overstay and stamped out. He asked if any problem coming back they said, "No, you are welcome any time"!!! To make matters worse (as I would have thought), he was on a new passport issued here, he forgot to take the letter from the embassy with him, he didnt have the TM form or anything else to show he had actually arrived in to the country. All they did was to ask about when he arrived and then they looked on the computer and found his arrival picture (the one they take when you come in to the country) and that was it.

For me, I think its a joke as it just encourages people to overstay and pay a pittance when they want to leave. As a couple people already said, if it was the UK, US or anywhere else similar and the person overstayed so long they would be banned from the country for at least 10 years with no option of getting or applying for a visa to enter.

This is Thailand I suppose but its vertainly no deterrent!!

Falcon

[true blue]

dont no about you but 400 quid is a big enough deterant,for starters,suppose its easy enough to fall in to overstay,miss a couple of border runs and your there,propaly if they made it easier to renew visas people may be would buy what ever the cost,instead of long winded border runs,and breaking the law.

[ALFREDO]

-true blue-

I agree with you full. The system of renewing a visa for cash, even more convinient with the help of an agent-not necessary to go yourself to Immigration, same its practised in Cambodia, is a much better way to solve that issue than it has to be done in Thailand.

[meatboy]

53days overstay was she worth it?

[catlover]

The fine for overstay should be on a sliding scale or something.

I'd like to see it as 500 per day for the first 5 days,then doubles every day until the exit. And then blacklisted.

I can understand that things happen and a few days overstay can be forgiven, but 53? This is just a blatant disregard for the law and should be punished severely.

No Khun HighOnThai!Overstay is very serious crime against beaurocrazy and should be punished by mandatory death.Hang him high!

[true blue]

The fine for overstay should be on a sliding scale or something.

I'd like to see it as 500 per day for the first 5 days,then doubles every day until the exit. And then blacklisted.

I can understand that things happen and a few days overstay can be forgiven, but 53? This is just a blatant disregard for the law and should be punished severely.

bit over the top isnt it son,be interesting to see your views on someone who has done somet really serious,or our you just having us all on.????

[highonthai]

No, not having you on.

I happen to feel that the people that abuse the immigration laws here (Thailand) or anywhere else for that matter, just make it more difficult in the long run for us that play by the rules.

I see no excuse for long term overstay.

Maybe the government would relax some of the requirements for a long stay visas if so many were not blatantly abusing it.

My opinion.

[lannarose]

I thought I'd update you guys on my friend's situation. He left Thailand last week after a 60-day overstay. As his flight was at 1 AM, he was told to come back the next day as the immigration office at the Bangkok airport was closed - not too clear about this as his English is not very good. The airline allowed him to change his flight. Anyway, he came back the next day, was slapped with the 20k Bt fine and stamped out of the country with no hassle. Was told he could come back to Thailand anytime. I'm happy that everything worked out for him as he had had a rough time in Thailand but I wouldn't advocate anyone overstaying. It IS against the law and not worth wasting 20k Bt and risking jail time for. By the way, he had overstayed on a 60-day tourist visa which he was too lazy to extend (don't ask!).

[Thanyaburi Mac]

I thought I'd update you guys on my friend's situation. He left Thailand last week after a 60-day overstay. As his flight was at 1 AM, he was told to come back the next day as the immigration office at the Bangkok airport was closed - not too clear about this as his English is not very good. The airline allowed him to change his flight. Anyway, he came back the next day, was slapped with the 20k Bt fine and stamped out of the country with no hassle. Was told he could come back to Thailand anytime. I'm happy that everything worked out for him as he had had a rough time in Thailand but I wouldn't advocate anyone overstaying. It IS against the law and not worth wasting 20k Bt and risking jail time for. By the way, he had overstayed on a 60-day tourist visa which he was too lazy to extend (don't ask!).

Good to know that the Immigration OFFICE, not the in and out stampers, sometimes closes. Seems logical but would be good to have the times and days for this.

Mac

[barakla]

I thought I'd update you guys on my friend's situation. He left Thailand last week after a 60-day overstay. As his flight was at 1 AM, he was told to come back the next day as the immigration office at the Bangkok airport was closed - not too clear about this as his English is not very good. The airline allowed him to change his flight. Anyway, he came back the next day, was slapped with the 20k Bt fine and stamped out of the country with no hassle. Was told he could come back to Thailand anytime. I'm happy that everything worked out for him as he had had a rough time in Thailand but I wouldn't advocate anyone overstaying. It IS against the law and not worth wasting 20k Bt and risking jail time for. By the way, he had overstayed on a 60-day tourist visa which he was too lazy to extend (don't ask!).

Good to know that the Immigration OFFICE, not the in and out stampers, sometimes closes. Seems logical but would be good to have the times and days for this.

Mac

I actually cannot believe that a immigration office at an international airport ever closes.

Not even in Thailand,i would love to have that confirmed.

I am pretty sure there was some kind of misunderstanding,but i really would like to know as i have a friend in the same situation that is going to leave thailand back to his homecountry in few weeks!

[lopburi3]

There has not been a normal immigration office at the airport for the last several years. There is the checkpoint entry operation and expect a long overstay such as 60 days might require a check with main immigration/police officials for police warrants prior to allowing exit (at least in some cases) and suspect this may have been the reason. The procedure at one time was detention and jail for a day or two until this was cleared but current policy seems to be much less harsh.

[swillowbee]

Hi,

He wont have any problem whatsoever if a friend of mines case is anything to go by.

My friend was 3 years overstay, started when he lost everything and spiralled from there. He finally managed to get some money together for a local flight and when he got to the airport he was simply shown to the overstay desk, asked for 20,000 baht and then stamped overstay and stamped out. He asked if any problem coming back they said, "No, you are welcome any time"!!! To make matters worse (as I would have thought), he was on a new passport issued here, he forgot to take the letter from the embassy with him, he didnt have the TM form or anything else to show he had actually arrived in to the country. All they did was to ask about when he arrived and then they looked on the computer and found his arrival picture (the one they take when you come in to the country) and that was it.

For me, I think its a joke as it just encourages people to overstay and pay a pittance when they want to leave. As a couple people already said, if it was the UK, US or anywhere else similar and the person overstayed so long they would be banned from the country for at least 10 years with no option of getting or applying for a visa to enter.

This is Thailand I suppose but its vertainly no deterrent!!

Falcon

... approximately when was it that your friend successfully avoided more serious consequences?

... as I understand, Immigration has gotten more strict on enforcement "recently", as in the last 1-2 years, I am unsure.