mrkohtaodiver Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Hey everyone. I am a US citizen and have been living in Koh Tao, Thailand for about a year now. I go on visa runs and stay legal but this last time i tried for a 30 day extension in koh samui by travel agency and it didnt work. anyway, I am about 20 days overdue and am flying to hawaii in a few days. the problem is, I had a small savings of about 12,000 baht for travel/Emergencies etc and as I checked out of my bungalow (same place for 11 months) the owner (mama) made me pay 11000 baht plus she kept my 2000 baht deposit because i painted my kitchen "golden yellow". The thing is I had her permission to paint it but she said she didnt know it would be yellow and doesnt like the color. after her sons came and yelled at me, I paid in fear. Here is my question: How do I exit thailand without the overstay fee money? before you go suggesting to call friends and family, this is simply out of the question. I am in bangkok now at a cheap hostel with about 400 baht in my pocket, an empty bank account and a one way ticket to honolulu. PLEASE. no life advice or hindsight mantras, I just need practical advice on what to do. Thank you for your time and advice. Also, I was working as a divemaster and we make practically ZERO dollars, I am headed to hawaii for a better paying job, and in the future I will try to be better prepared. Still cant believe after all that time in my beautiful bungalow, they do a total 180 on me and rip me off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Overstay is 500 baht a day, with a maximum of 20,000. There is no way around it. If you can't pay, immigration will lock you up and bring you before a judge. Normally the judge will sentence you to a smaller amount. If you can't pay that either, you will have to do time. And if that means you lose your ticket, you have to buy your own ticket again also before they will release you. Family or the embassy are your only options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lite Beer Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 As said your fine will be 500 Baht a day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thailand4life Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Sell your stuff, ask friends or family for help.. anything is better then going into the slammer in thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RKASA Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 File a police report about the fee and rent issue and ask them to get your money back - i.e. your suing them - tell them you can't afford to leave without the funds. The deposit would have re painted several rooms. Go ahead and tell them about your overstay issue its not like they won't find out anyway. Tell them you want to pay your fines and leave - they might take a cut but hay what you got now.:jap: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 File a police report about the fee and rent issue and ask them to get your money back - i.e. your suing them - tell them you can't afford to leave without the funds. The deposit would have re painted several rooms. Go ahead and tell them about your overstay issue its not like they won't find out anyway. Tell them you want to pay your fines and leave - they might take a cut but hay what you got now.:jap: That would be a civil lawsuit, which in the end will cost a lot more and doesn't help him in the short time he has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechboy Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 (edited) File a police report about the fee and rent issue and ask them to get your money back - i.e. your suing them - tell them you can't afford to leave without the funds. The deposit would have re painted several rooms. Go ahead and tell them about your overstay issue its not like they won't find out anyway. Tell them you want to pay your fines and leave - they might take a cut but hay what you got now.:jap: That would be a civil lawsuit, which in the end will cost a lot more and doesn't help him in the short time he has. Get to your embassy, pronto, my friend. They should lend you the money. Get a motorbike there to save money. Take your passport of course and ALL other papers relevent to yourself and your predicament. Edited June 29, 2011 by Beechboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveyravey Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Same thing happened to my mate. Just explain the situation when you get to the airport and they will let you out with no fine. They are not as bad as some would have you beleive! Dont worry mate just explain it to them when you leave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechboy Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Same thing happened to my mate. Just explain the situation when you get to the airport and they will let you out with no fine. They are not as bad as some would have you beleive! Dont worry mate just explain it to them when you leave. I, personally would not risk the above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mario2008 Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Same thing happened to my mate. Just explain the situation when you get to the airport and they will let you out with no fine. They are not as bad as some would have you beleive! Dont worry mate just explain it to them when you leave. I, personally would not risk the above. Me too. His friend may have gotten lucky, but there are enough foreigners in the immigration detention centre that where not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnog Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Feel sorry for you... US Embassy is the best bet. Take all your documents and explain your situation. The very best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamluan Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Dont take a risk and get that 20.000 bath overstay money... at the other side...if you try it whitout money atleast they will have a place to stay for you ..free food and water and many falang to talk whit.... Only getting the fee before go to the airport..if no money.....maybey 2%chance they let you go whitout a fine.....maybey half %.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrkohtaodiver Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share Posted June 29, 2011 I am seriously freaking out. Will the embassy help me with this? Truth be told I dont have any real family. I left home at 14... Thats over 15 years ago now. Im just an independent nomad who is now caught in a web that seems impossible to escape from. Are there any other ways out of the country without a border? I cant even stand the thought of Prison. My flight leaves in 2 days and I have to be on it. I feel like I have no control of this situation. I just want to rewind to a week ago and be sat on the beach with a Singha. There is absolutely no way on earth to raise that kind of money in 2 days. I will have to go to the embassy tomorrow and pray my ass off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdinasia Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 (edited) I am seriously freaking out. Will the embassy help me with this? Truth be told I dont have any real family. I left home at 14... Thats over 15 years ago now. Im just an independent nomad who is now caught in a web that seems impossible to escape from. Are there any other ways out of the country without a border? I cant even stand the thought of Prison. My flight leaves in 2 days and I have to be on it. I feel like I have no control of this situation. I just want to rewind to a week ago and be sat on the beach with a Singha. There is absolutely no way on earth to raise that kind of money in 2 days. I will have to go to the embassy tomorrow and pray my ass off. I doubt that the embassy will help, but they might. Won't your former employer or co-workers ( from the dive shop in Thailand) help? I have heard of the embassy paying for a flight home in the past but not paying for an overstay fine. I wish you good luck. (In the cases that I have heard of the US Embassy paying for a flight home, they have cancelled the recipient's passport until the debt was repaid.) Edited June 29, 2011 by jdinasia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geekfreaklover Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 The way I would play it... Get yourself to the embassy and rant about it to them. When they tell you they can't help, act insane. Sit on the desk. Refuse to budge until they give you an emergency lone. US embassy is subject to US law and if they take action which could lead to a USA subject being locked up in a physcotic state and potentially killing himself or endagering others they may be looking at a lawsuit that would cost more that the immigration fine you have to pay. Make yourself a problem that is worth paying to get rid off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfgangbkk Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 You should have notified police about that travel agent who caused you overstayed. You should ask the money from that travel agent, not the embassy not your friends or family. I don't believe immigration let anyone leave on overstay without paying the fine, even you pay the fine at the airport you will be detained until they check on you and your profile to make sure you don't have any criminal records in the kingdom. Once you pay the fine and you are clear they will let you leave the kingdom without any problems. I don't think you should take any risk going to airport without fine. wish you good luck! WG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merijn Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 As said before many times its 500 baht a day and no way around it unless you get yourself arrested and go to court. But this will create new/more possible problems with tickets and so on. Don't count much on the embassies as they normally don't help much financially and then only in case somebody can pay them back from your home. Maybe the US embassy is easier but i don't think so ) But i don’t understand what you are doing in Thailand if you don’t have any ways to support yourself. But this is another question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geekfreaklover Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 ...Or the only other option is to miss your flight and try and get the cash together. The fine is capped at 20k, so you can take as long as you like, another diving job, teaching....But that will probably be digging yourself a deeper hole if you can't make it work. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrjlh Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Got a credit card? Use it. Maxed out? Call them and get an emergency loan or extension. If you don't have a CC WHY? I my mind the dumbest thing for a person to do is to travel to a foreign country without at least one credit card as backup in emergencies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdinasia Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 The way I would play it... Get yourself to the embassy and rant about it to them. When they tell you they can't help, act insane. Sit on the desk. Refuse to budge until they give you an emergency lone. US embassy is subject to US law and if they take action which could lead to a USA subject being locked up in a physcotic state and potentially killing himself or endagering others they may be looking at a lawsuit that would cost more that the immigration fine you have to pay. Make yourself a problem that is worth paying to get rid off. Extremely bad advice ---- (particularly if you ever plan on having a passport again!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrjlh Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 The way I would play it... Get yourself to the embassy and rant about it to them. When they tell you they can't help, act insane. Sit on the desk. Refuse to budge until they give you an emergency lone. US embassy is subject to US law and if they take action which could lead to a USA subject being locked up in a physcotic state and potentially killing himself or endagering others they may be looking at a lawsuit that would cost more that the immigration fine you have to pay. Make yourself a problem that is worth paying to get rid off. Extremely bad advice ---- (particularly if you ever plan on having a passport again!) Agreed...who let this idiot in? Worst thing you can do is to make a scene. Just like the idiots on an airplane that throw temper tantrums. How far does it get them?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoorSucker Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 (edited) The US embassy will pay the overstay. They will also blacklist you, so that you can not travel outside the US until you have paid it back. Contact your Embassy. PS What ever you say, don't mention that you have been working. Working without a work permit is maximum 5 years in prison. You have only been on holiday practice diving. DS Edited June 29, 2011 by PoorSucker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamini Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 If you were working you must have a work permit and pay tax. If you have and did pay tax .This may help. If not it could add to your problems. You would be asked "what you were doing in Thailand" and how did you manage to stay one year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxout Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 (edited) The embassy will make it as difficult for you as possible. They will insist that you must have a friend or relative in the States who will help you out, who can wire you money through the State Department. They will be very sceptical when you claim otherwise. But if your claim is true, and convincingly so, they can provide, as part of a repatriation loan, funds to pay your overstay penalty. The relevant rules on repatriation loans specifically provide that they may cover "Visa fees, airport departure fees, and/or immigration penalties required for departure, but not funds for an improper or illegal purpose, such as payment of bribes." See http://www.state.gov...ation/86600.pdf , which will also tell you about the paperwork involved in a repatriation loan, including the requirement that you be determined destitute. (Expect some questions about how you were planning to get by for the first couple of weeks in Hawaii if you're truly destitute, etc.) Remember, they have the authority to do this, but are not obligated to do so. To repeat, it's critical that you are truthful, and convincingly so. Edited June 29, 2011 by taxout Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdinasia Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 The embassy will make it as difficult for you as possible. They will insist that you must have a friend or relative in the States who will help you out, who can wire you money through the State Department. They will be very sceptical when you claim otherwise. But if your claim is true, and convincingly so, they can provide, as part of a repatriation loan, funds to pay your overstay penalty. The relevant rules on repatriation loans specifically provide that they may cover "Visa fees, airport departure fees, and/or immigration penalties required for departure, but not funds for an improper or illegal purpose, such as payment of bribes." See http://www.state.gov...ation/86600.pdf , which will also tell you about the paperwork involved in a repatriation loan, including the requirement that you be determined destitute. Remember, they have the authority to do this, but are not obligated to do so. To repeat, it's critical that you are truthful, and convincingly so. Great post and great advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbk Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Unhelpful and rather trollish posts deleted. People come to this forum for advice and we prefer to have it remain a place where people feel they can safely ask for advice without having to deal with pointless and unhelpful snarky comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubbaJohnny Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Good luck You need to decide is losing ticket or future use passport better than Thai Prison Recommend contact embassy do nothing crazy or illegal. Lying to your embassy is counter productive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vont Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Same thing happened to my mate. Just explain the situation when you get to the airport and they will let you out with no fine. They are not as bad as some would have you beleive! Dont worry mate just explain it to them when you leave. where are you from, my friend? you ought to try it yourself first.... really now.... 99 out of 100, he will be detained.... and.... then.... what? don't you guys ever do it that way.... going to embassy would probably be the best bet at the moment.... they will contact whoever.... or even allow you to sign an iou.... but whatever you do.... do not wait til the last few days.... GET GOING Now.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ignis Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Is a problem........just an idea, how about arriving at the airport checking in, at Immigration you go to get your money out of your pocket to pay the Fine, and it has all gone, must have been stolen/pick pocket at the airport as you had it when you got the transport to the airport No idea if that would work? just may work and maybe easier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechboy Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Is a problem........just an idea, how about arriving at the airport checking in, at Immigration you go to get your money out of your pocket to pay the Fine, and it has all gone, must have been stolen/pick pocket at the airport as you had it when you got the transport to the airport No idea if that would work? just may work and maybe easier You seriously think they would swallow that. I would not risk turning up at the airport without the money in a million years. Do things correctly (100%) O/P and get to the Embassy asap. Forget daft wheezes like the above. Nobody,but nobody gets let off the overstay "fine" despite some of the nonsense in earlier posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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