Swede With Heart Disease Thrown In Thai Prison: Overstay In Paradise

[phutoie2]

What do you suppose would happen in all of your home countries if you walked into a police station and announced that you were an illegal alien?

If a Thai walked in to Police station in my country with his passport and told the Police he had overstayed his Schengen visa because of hospitalization he will be issued an emergency visa.

In ours the duty officer would probably bruise a couple of ribs laughing if you walked in and described yourself as an alien.

[crazykopite]

Lost in translation i think.

What I do not understand , the swede is 52 spent 10 years before in Thailand so I presume he had a work permit and did visa runs . I have to ask why he would go to the police all he had to do was go to immigration and pay for his overstay which I think is 500 baht per day up to a max of 20,000 thai baht someone correct me if I am wrong When I read stories like this it does put the sh-t up me and I and my wife who is also farang have been living over here on retirement for the last 5 years infact we will be reporting in to immigration in the next few days to confirm our address etc .

[renaissanc]

"knew that his visa expired. One week after discharge, he went to the police station "

4 years ago I overstayed my visa in India by 2 weeks. I had been training staff in a palace hotel in Jaipur. I hadn't noticed the overstay. Had I noticed, the hotel owner would have sorted it out at once. But I arrived at Delhi airport at about midnight on Friday morning from Jaipur, and I was told I couldn't leave. I had 1,500 Baht and very flimsy clothing only because of working for 2 months at the palace hotel.

Having little money, I got a taxi to the cheapest area by the railway station to look for a cheap place to stay, but not even the cheapest guest house would take me in as I didn't have a valid visa. So, as it was 4 degrees Celcius and I was so cold, I went to a police station and asked if I could stay in a police cell. The police were very courteous and helpful, and after they had stopped laughing, they let me stay in an interview room on a bed.

The next morning.they put me in a taxi and sent me off to Special Branch. the driver couldn't find it, and left me in the middle of nowhere in town. A kind, poor, Indian student helped me out by taking me to Immigration, which was closed, being Saturday. I would have to sleep in the streets until Monday morning.

I was lucky in that I could call the owner of the palace hotel, who was a billionaire, and he put me up in a friend's condominium in Delhi, full board and with a limousine driver.

The problem with overstaying in India is not the police, nor Immigration, but the bureaucracy. There is an expression that the English created bureaucracy, but the Indians perfected it. The procedure for getting an exit stamp is extraordinarily bureaucratic, and it took me 3 days to get it. If a lady in Immigration hadn't told the old man in charge of the cash box in a fierce voice to take my payment after the office hours, I'd have missed the night flight back to Bangkok.

Had I not had the palace hotel owner to help, I'd have had to sleep in the streets in 4 degrees Celcius from Friday night to Wednesday before being able to leave. All of the officials were very helpful and courteous, but the Law does not help by not allowing people to stay in a guest house while waiting to leave. I was much luckier than the Swedish gentleman.

[Briggsy]

This is one side of the story. Most hospitals will want the passport of foreign patients and will certainly extend the visa if a foreign patient is in for a while.

Also the bloke had been in Thailand for 10 years.

I assume the Swedish paper has simply printed what Mr Melmblom maintains. I feel Mr Melmblom is being a tad disingenuous.

Still I wouldn't wish the horror of Thai prisons and the vicissitudes of the Thai legal system on anyone.

[brianb1944]

I cant decide whats worse, the thailand bashers, or the "holier than thou" poster bashers

[Lizard2010]

Its like when you buy something, " Buyer Beware "

So if your Visa is expired, "Expect To Be Treated Like <deleted>, Typical Thai Style "

[Nisa]

I enlarged the picture of his passport and it looks like the page has a simple (non-visa) Thai entry and exit stamp along with the stamp showing an overstay was paid.

Edited September 3, 2011 by Nisa

[Orac]

Lost in translation i think.

What I do not understand , the swede is 52 spent 10 years before in Thailand so I presume he had a work permit and did visa runs . I have to ask why he would go to the police all he had to do was go to immigration and pay for his overstay which I think is 500 baht per day up to a max of 20,000 thai baht someone correct me if I am wrong When I read stories like this it does put the sh-t up me and I and my wife who is also farang have been living over here on retirement for the last 5 years infact we will be reporting in to immigration in the next few days to confirm our address etc .

If he had been here to 10 years as a 'tourist' then you would have thought he would know better.

"Immigration Visa requirements can be dealt with at the Immigration satellite office in the hospital foyer."

Taken from the BPH website.

[normac44]

Wow believe it or not!! I personally think it is a fabrication of the truth. Two years ago I was admitted to the same hospital in Pattaya after being bitten by a wild dog and required a bit of treatment over a couple of days.

I can always remember the reception desk asking about my Visa and was it due to expire as they arrange an extension for me.

For a person to have lived in LOS for ten years he would be pretty savvy about the rules etc. Maybe I will keep an open mind until we learn more.

I don't think Pattaya Police are that bad.

[MILT]

His story is like a piece of Swiss cheese or should I say Swede cheese. The police in Thailand are what they are and the Swede living here for 10 yrs. + should know how things work here.

[tombkk]

I enlarged the picture of his passport and it looks like the page has a simple (non-visa) Thai entry and exit stamp along with the stamp showing an overstay was paid.

Thanks for this info. It clarifies how immigration let him out of the country. Good to know that he had enough money with him to pay the fine.

Edited September 3, 2011 by tombkk

[rich54321]

I wonder if the new prime minister gets to hear of these things and acts accordingly to stop the ridiculous scam by officials when he had already been released by the court and payed his fine - surely there is some paper work somewhere for being re arrested - why are those individuals allowed to give what could be such a fantastic country a bad bad name... this is a case where compensation should be paid and the individuals should be held to account

I know i know it will never happen -

Here is a question that may be answered from someone in the know!!!!! Do the consulate officials make complaints to the Thai authorities in these cases? Or do they just walk into an office and say they strongly complain then walk back out again - is there anyone who looks at official complaints?

[Thailand]

"I stank of urine, faeces and sweat"

Sorry, but so does this story.

[finnomick1]

This story need to be shown overseas, and Thailand need a serious black eye over this. I do not care what the circumstances are, this is completely unjustifiable. The only way changed happen here, is if Thailand loses face worldwide. The tourism industry is dying on the vine, and the TOT continues to spin out the false figures. An informed source told me that the island wide occupancy rate in Koh Samui in June was 20%! That is the lowest rate in the past 20 years. Something is happening, in a big way, and every Thai I talk to has their head in the sand, in regard to the issues. Where is the Anna Hazare of Thailand? Do the Thai people care, at all? Does the government care, or even acknowledge these issues, in the slightest manner? Who is going to be held accountable for this latest travesty?

Do Thai people care ? In general, no. Does the government care ? No. Thailand existed before the tourists, and it will exist after the tourists. The only difference is some Thai people will be a lot better off now than they were before. Thailand is a great experience but it is usually short-lived.

[TheWhiteFella]

This story need to be shown overseas, and Thailand need a serious black eye over this. I do not care what the circumstances are, this is completely unjustifiable. The only way changed happen here, is if Thailand loses face worldwide. The tourism industry is dying on the vine, and the TOT continues to spin out the false figures. An informed source told me that the island wide occupancy rate in Koh Samui in June was 20%! That is the lowest rate in the past 20 years. Something is happening, in a big way, and every Thai I talk to has their head in the sand, in regard to the issues. Where is the Anna Hazare of Thailand? Do the Thai people care, at all? Does the government care, or even acknowledge these issues, in the slightest manner? Who is going to be held accountable for this latest travesty?

I keep reading about the record numbers of tourists in Phuket, but it seems a record number of businesses are failing,,, how can that be?

[hotandhumid]

This story need to be shown overseas, and Thailand need a serious black eye over this. I do not care what the circumstances are, this is completely unjustifiable. The only way changed happen here, is if Thailand loses face worldwide. The tourism industry is dying on the vine, and the TOT continues to spin out the false figures. An informed source told me that the island wide occupancy rate in Koh Samui in June was 20%! That is the lowest rate in the past 20 years. Something is happening, in a big way, and every Thai I talk to has their head in the sand, in regard to the issues. Where is the Anna Hazare of Thailand? Do the Thai people care, at all? Does the government care, or even acknowledge these issues, in the slightest manner? Who is going to be held accountable for this latest travesty?

Have a listen to yourself. Go and have a lie down you old goat.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Regardless of the personal story/history with this individual, the post highlights a real truth in Thailand:

If someone overstays their visa and happens to come into contact with the police while on overstay, they do face arrest and confinement...potentially in very unpleasant conditions. That is the normal way of things here...

Apart from the issue of his apparently not bothering to have the hospital arrange for an extension of his stay, if he had simply avoided the police and gone to the airport to fly out of 'Thailand he would have been absolutely fine, apart from probably having to pay an overstay fine to Immigration at the airport...

The takeaway here: If someone is on overstay, the LAST people in Thailand you want to encounter and ask for any help are the Thai police...in Pattaya....or anywhere else.

[bunnaag]

Sounds nasty.... But for some reason, I can't help but think some pieces were left out of this story, perhaps a history of overstays, or something else... Either way, I am sure Mr Kent is happy to be back home again!

I think I have to agree , what do we not know ? on thye other hand I read a case of a German guy sailed his boat into Thailand was jailed for a supposed infraction of the law (because he was very wealthy ) they kept him for months just asking for more money all the time. It is sad that we have to pit up with this shit but nobody cares , only money talks here.

There was a very wealthy German in Pattaya who had many businesses.He brought a boat to Thailand and did not pay tax on it.Later on he was jailed in Germany for fraud.He collected money for an animal fund and put the money-the most part-in his own pocket.As far as I know at this time the German police already asked for his extratiction.

Edited September 3, 2011 by bunnaag

[grahamhc]

Easy to get extension based on hospitalization.

From Police order 777/2551

2.25 In the case of medical treatment or convalescence or to look after a patient:

Permission will be granted for a period of not more than 90 days at a time.

(1) Confirmation and request has been made by a physician responsible for the treatment. The Physician must describe the details of treatment and advised that the illness is a barrier for travelling.

(2) In the case of looking after a patient, confirmation and request has been made by the physician responsible for the treatment or by an embassy or consulate.

(3) Patient Carer, except parents, spouse, children, adopted children or children of spouse, shall be granted no more than 1 extra person.

I had minor heart surgery a couple of months ago (In another hospital) and when discharged, was told to stay at home for a week while the wound healed. I also lost 15+Kg in 7 days following the surgery and medication, which was normal following my surgery.

So understand why he left it a week before contacting the authorities, but WHY go to Pattaya Police Station(I presume Soi 9 Police Station - Based on numbers quoted in the Cells) and not go to the Immigration Police in Jomtien Soi 5, who deal with this type of situation.

With regard to Soi 9 Police, I doubt Mr Kent spoke Thai, so would have contacted the "Foreign Police Volunteers" desk to ask who would deal with his problem, the FPV should have referred him to Immigration.

At "Chonburi Immigration" office in Jomtien. Mr Kent said his visa expired when he was in hospital, so it would have only been by days. He would have been fined 500 Baht a day overstay and maybe a fine and normally allowed 7 day visa Extension (1,900 Baht) for him to make arrangements to leave Thailand - all dealt with over the desk.

I remember that Immigration did have a part-time desk at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, but that may have closed.

There are many loose ends with this story or unbalanced facts, but it may well be true..... - or just embellished to sell more Tabloid Newspaper copy.

[tombkk]

I wonder if the new prime minister gets to hear of these things and acts accordingly to stop the ridiculous scam by officials when he had already been released by the court and payed his fine - surely there is some paper work somewhere for being re arrested - why are those individuals allowed to give what could be such a fantastic country a bad bad name... this is a case where compensation should be paid and the individuals should be held to account

I know i know it will never happen -

Here is a question that may be answered from someone in the know!!!!! Do the consulate officials make complaints to the Thai authorities in these cases? Or do they just walk into an office and say they strongly complain then walk back out again - is there anyone who looks at official complaints?

I know that the conular offials bring legitimate complaints up to their counterparts in the host governments in an appropriate manner. However, they will first investigate and get the whole story. In this case, the whole story is not known to this forum, but it does look like the Swedish newspaper withheld some important information (or did not bother to investigate before printing). It appears it is the newspaper which gives this beautiful country, and their own country at the same time, a bad name.

[Nisa]

The tourism industry is dying on the vine, and the TOT continues to spin out the false figures. An informed source told me that the island wide occupancy rate in Koh Samui in June was 20%! That is the lowest rate in the past 20 years. Something is happening, in a big way, and every Thai I talk to has their head in the sand, in regard to the issues.

Expats and "informed" sources have been saying this same stuff now for many many years but Thai Tourism is actually doing incredibly well considering the global economy and the current strength of the baht. Thailand has incredible beaches, wonderful historical sights, is inexpensive, has very good accommodations, has great service and great people ... at least this is the case for actual tourists as opposed to those coming here to behave like morons and believe Pattaya is what Thailand is about.

[Nisa]

Is this newspaper actually a "news" paper or a Tabloid / gossip type rag?

Every time I see a story come out of Aftonbladet it always seems like a story you would read in The National Enquirer.

[dancw3]

Sounds nasty.... But for some reason, I can't help but think some pieces were left out of this story, perhaps a history of overstays, or something else... Either way, I am sure Mr Kent is happy to be back home again!

Yes. I agree. I've heard of many cases where people over stayed their visa much longer. In some cases over a year and didn't go to jail and weren't even charged the maximum fine. I heard second hand recently about a guy who had been in Thailand for years without a visa, running a business. They didn't even throw him in jail, though he's apparently in big trouble, mostly for not paying taxes. I bet there is something unsaid here. One possibility is he lost his temper and was really obnoxious with the police.

[plumeria]

Amazing Thailand!

Or whatever crap they're saying now.

Hey, so cool Chuwit is here too! Love your political posters.

Immigration detention centers are NOT jail or prison and are a "no-man's land" where there are no rules or principals and anything goes.

They have been the black holes of Thailand for many decades.

Even though there may be important parts of the story left out, no Thai should think such a hole should exist in their country. They don't know or they don't care or they think it's justice?

[plumeria]

Regardless of the personal story/history with this individual, the post highlights a real truth in Thailand:

If someone overstays their visa and happens to come into contact with the police while on overstay, they do face arrest and confinement...potentially in very unpleasant conditions. That is the normal way of things here...

Apart from the issue of his apparently not bothering to have the hospital arrange for an extension of his stay, if he had simply avoided the police and gone to the airport to fly out of 'Thailand he would have been absolutely fine, apart from probably having to pay an overstay fine to Immigration at the airport...

The takeaway here: If someone is on overstay, the LAST people in Thailand you want to encounter and ask for any help are the Thai police...in Pattaya....or anywhere else.

Right! And he partied for a week before getting around to his lapsed visa.

Absolutely the perfect and correct advice for anybody who overstays! Get your ticket, get a wad of cash to pay the fine, go to the airport, check-in and then sort it out.

[frank2611]

Certainly not all the facts are being told. If he has been there for so long I agree. Pay the penalty at airport. No problems.

[jalansanitwong]

Are we getting the full story here or just the typical euro guy hard luck/sympathy story. Why was he treated so shabbly by the cops and why after many years here did he not cover his visa situation?

This story is highly suspect. Look at him ! Does he look the innocent type ?

[plumeria]

I wonder if the new prime minister gets to hear of these things and acts accordingly to stop the ridiculous scam by officials when he had already been released by the court and payed his fine - surely there is some paper work somewhere for being re arrested - why are those individuals allowed to give what could be such a fantastic country a bad bad name... this is a case where compensation should be paid and the individuals should be held to account

I know i know it will never happen -

Here is a question that may be answered from someone in the know!!!!! Do the consulate officials make complaints to the Thai authorities in these cases? Or do they just walk into an office and say they strongly complain then walk back out again - is there anyone who looks at official complaints?

I know that the conular offials bring legitimate complaints up to their counterparts in the host governments in an appropriate manner. However, they will first investigate and get the whole story. In this case, the whole story is not known to this forum, but it does look like the Swedish newspaper withheld some important information (or did not bother to investigate before printing). It appears it is the newspaper which gives this beautiful country, and their own country at the same time, a bad name.

Yes, there are plenty of nice Thai people who have ethics and most Thais do not work in the tourist traps and Thais suffer under the governments of recent decades as much as everybody else. Many Thais now believe things will only get better with their GRANDCHILDREN. They used to think things would get better with their CHILDREN. Thais have plenty of their own stories of suffering under this type of system which is aping the American system -- increasing concentration of wealth with the top 1% and to hell with the peons.

[plumeria]

The tourism industry is dying on the vine, and the TOT continues to spin out the false figures. An informed source told me that the island wide occupancy rate in Koh Samui in June was 20%! That is the lowest rate in the past 20 years. Something is happening, in a big way, and every Thai I talk to has their head in the sand, in regard to the issues.

Expats and "informed" sources have been saying this same stuff now for many many years but Thai Tourism is actually doing incredibly well considering the global economy and the current strength of the baht. Thailand has incredible beaches, wonderful historical sights, is inexpensive, has very good accommodations, has great service and great people ... at least this is the case for actual tourists as opposed to those coming here to behave like morons and believe Pattaya is what Thailand is about.

Whoa! I don't what Thailand you live in but the common man is HURTING in Thailand. Crime rates are through the roof, housing is expensive whether owned or rented, only a few hard-to-reach beaches may be "incredible", etc, etc. Life is TOUGH in Thailand for anyone except the elite.

How can anyone think things are alright in Thailand when the new PM wears clothes in one day that are worth ONE THOUSAND TIMES the current DAILY minimum wage?

[muntergok]

"Lose 16 kg in 12 days ! " There´s really no need for TAT to spend 8 bn baht on promoting Miracle Thailand . Is there a 8 kg in 6 day deal ?