How Long Do I Have?

[Rachaman]

I'm desperately trying to avoid going on overstay due to financial difficulties but if overstaying is a route that I may have to eventually take, how long would it be before the immigration comes knocking on my door?

Brief info. Been here 20 years and all my bridges have been burnt back home a long time ago so returning back home is not an option for me anymore. I've my own house (severely flood damaged and so hard to sell in an area worst affected by the recent flood. Re-locating isn't an option to me at present) Recently had 1 year multi non imm 'o' visa so home address is linked to visa. Also home address is on last TM card.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[Soutpeel]

Immigration typically dont go knocking to doors due to an overstay unless someone informs immigration on you.

At present you can only be fined a maximum of THB 20,000 at the airport, but if for some reason you get picked up by Thailands finest and they determine you are on an overstay you could find yourself as a guest of the BiB/Immigration.

Do a bit a of research on TV, there is a topic on the length of time various people have been on an overstay and what the outcome was...

[bobl]

Tricky situation indeed. You say you "recently" had a 1 year multi non-o. It can't be that recent, if you're worried about what will happen when it expires?

You'll find everything here from people who think a few years overstay is an acceptable risk, to foaming at the mouth xenophobes who think you should be shot on sight for a 1 day overstay.

Also, your question's impossible to answer, you will only get "personal" opinions. Fwiw mine is that you'd be damned unlucky to get a visit, and it sounds like you've already reached your fair quota of bad luck. More likely to get nabbed by a BiB on a routine stop - but if you've been there for 20 years without incident you're probably invisible to the local BiB - as in they're so used to seeing you around the likelihood of them wanting to see your passport is slim. Same goes for the people around you, assuming you haven't pissed anybody off - you're part of the furniture...

I'd say keep your head down, but get the problem solved as soon as humanly possible - the last thing you need if you're insolvent is getting 500 baht a day deeper in debt... On reflection I think I'd rather find 5,000 baht a month to jump in and out on 30 day exemptions than risk overstay, but that's just me. It's not easy to imagine what I'd do in your shoes to be honest.

[Briggsy]

Go to Vientiane and get a double entry tourist visa.

[lovelaos]

After 20 years in Thailand you still have to get a yearly visa????? Amazing eh?

[Soutpeel]

After 20 years in Thailand you still have to get a yearly visa????? Amazing eh?

and your point is ?

[lovelaos]

After 20 years in Thailand you still have to get a yearly visa????? Amazing eh?

and your point is ?

That after living in and presumably paying taxes, contributing to society etc etc for 20 YEARS you are still not accepted. I just find it quite amazing that there isn't a way to obtain some kind of residency status after two decades of living in a country.

[beechguy]

After 20 years in Thailand you still have to get a yearly visa????? Amazing eh?

and your point is ?

That after living in and presumably paying taxes, contributing to society etc etc for 20 YEARS you are still not accepted. I just find it quite amazing that there isn't a way to obtain some kind of residency status after two decades of living in a country.

There is, but one would have to apply for it.

[lopburi3]

One would also have to qualify for it; which is not possible for many.

[lopburi3]

If you have departed for a new entry this month you may be able to obtain a new 60 day extension of stay for that entry.

[NewlyMintedThai]

After 20 years in Thailand you still have to get a yearly visa????? Amazing eh?

and your point is ?

That after living in and presumably paying taxes, contributing to society etc etc for 20 YEARS you are still not accepted. I just find it quite amazing that there isn't a way to obtain some kind of residency status after two decades of living in a country.

What kind of PR and citizenship tracks do Laos offer, lovelaos?

[Soutpeel]

After 20 years in Thailand you still have to get a yearly visa????? Amazing eh?

and your point is ?

That after living in and presumably paying taxes, contributing to society etc etc for 20 YEARS you are still not accepted. I just find it quite amazing that there isn't a way to obtain some kind of residency status after two decades of living in a country.

What kind of PR and citizenship tracks do Laos offer, lovelaos?

After 20 years in Laos they give you a complementary little red book with the selected works of Marx and Lenin

[lovelaos]

After 10 years living here you can obtain citizenship. You don't have to leave the country every month, 3 months, 6 months etc to obtain visas. Of course, educated and well informed posters like Soutpeel will always believe that you don't have the same 'freedom' you enjoy over the other side of the river.

[Soutpeel]

After 10 years living here you can obtain citizenship. You don't have to leave the country every month, 3 months, 6 months etc to obtain visas. Of course, educated and well informed posters like Soutpeel will always believe that you don't have the same 'freedom' you enjoy over the other side of the river.

Dont believe anything...I was taking the p*ss....Lao's is it not a communist country ?

I actually lived and worked in China before it opened up in the early 90's and even then IMHO there were more "freedoms" in China than is currently the case in Thailand for expats

[NewlyMintedThai]

After 10 years living here you can obtain citizenship. You don't have to leave the country every month, 3 months, 6 months etc to obtain visas. Of course, educated and well informed posters like Soutpeel will always believe that you don't have the same 'freedom' you enjoy over the other side of the river.

It's really that easy to obtain a Lao passport? Do many foreigners have it?

[lovelaos]

After 10 years living here you can obtain citizenship. You don't have to leave the country every month, 3 months, 6 months etc to obtain visas. Of course, educated and well informed posters like Soutpeel will always believe that you don't have the same 'freedom' you enjoy over the other side of the river.

It's really that easy to obtain a Lao passport? Do many foreigners have it?

No, it's a bit more difficult than that. You have to be fluent in the language, pass a cultural awareness test and have a bit of wedge (prices vary depending on who you know) I know a few who have qualified.

There is a pinned post in the SEA forum with more detail.

Sorry to OP for hijacking your post btw.

[Rachaman]

Thanks for the advice guys, especially from bobl. I was kind of expecting the lynching mobs and drama queens to be out in force, or people making assumptions appear to be fact.

The flying in and receiving 30 days just totally escaped my mind and may be better for me than leaving every 2 weeks as my passport has only got 3 more clear pages left. So the less stamps the better until I can get the money for a new PP.

Thanks again all.

[wayned]

I've read through the thread numerous times and although it went south at about post #5 you said that you have been here a long time on a multi Non-O. What was the reason that you were issued the multi Non-O? Are you married to a Thai? Do you have Thai family? If so you can extend your stay for 60 days at immigration for 1900 baht.

[Rachaman]

I've read through the thread numerous times and although it went south at about post #5 you said that you have been here a long time on a multi Non-O. What was the reason that you were issued the multi Non-O? Are you married to a Thai? Do you have Thai family? If so you can extend your stay for 60 days at immigration for 1900 baht.

My non-imm visas have always been given to me for being married to a Thai. My last non-imm expired early November and I planned to get another from Kuala Lumpur. But due to the uncertainty of whether Suvannabumi would be flooded or not I didn't risk flying out in case there were delays/cancellations trying to fly back in to Thailand if the airport was to get flooded. I extended the non-imm and received 60 days with the help of my 18 yo daughter because my wife was at that time out of the country.

Since then I've received two 15 day stamps from Nong Khai and Ranong.

[bobl]

[My non-imm visas have always been given to me for being married to a Thai. My last non-imm expired early November and I planned to get another from Kuala Lumpur. But due to the uncertainty of whether Suvannabumi would be flooded or not I didn't risk flying out in case there were delays/cancellations trying to fly back in to Thailand if the airport was to get flooded. I extended the non-imm and received 60 days with the help of my 18 yo daughter because my wife was at that time out of the country.

Since then I've received two 15 day stamps from Nong Khai and Ranong.

If I haven't read it wrong, you might be able to get another 60 day extension based on marriage, even with a 15 day stamp.

Coincidentally someone's started talking about doing exactly that, here... although there seems to be some disagreement over it...

[lopburi3]

In that case you are not yet overstay and could try for a new 60 day or even try Savannakhet for a multi entry non immigrant O visa (people are getting there without proof of bank balance currently - so it might be best to do soon). At worst you would get a single entry.

[wayned]

I would try ro get another 60 day extension, but there are no guarantees so I would leave myself enough time to either do another border run or go to Savannakhet and get a non-O for visiting your wife. You might be able to get a 1 year multi without proof of income. Border runs do get expensive doing them every 15 days.

Be truthful and tell then that you have to use the money rhat you had put away for your normel extension to repair your house due to flood damage.

[Rachaman]

It's great to read that I've got a couple of options open to me now. 60 days on a 15 day stamp or applying for a non-imm, either multi or single, any of which will give me breathing space to get another British passport that can take upto 4 weeks to receive.

Wayned, thanks for your help. I'll certainly tell them the truth if I apply for the visa. I can back up the truth with showing them my house papers and rental agreement on my family's shop that was in the basement floor in a nearby mall. Even though no real damage was done to the shop as we'd removed all stock and fittings, the real damage is the lack of customers. Some of our regular customers lost earnings because of the flood and are still in debt from borrowing money to survive. Many people think that because the flooding has gone, everything is back to normal. Things may appear normal to many but i'm experiencing the fact that they're not.

Thanks again all,

[wayned]

I re-read the thread and there is no mention of your passport expiring soon. If it does it will limit the options that you have about visas. When does your passport expire?

[Rachaman]

I've still got a few years before it expires. I've got to get a new PP soon because I've only got 3 more clear pages left (post#17)

So the new options that i have is more than good news because if i had to leave every 15 days, my PP would've filled up quickly.

[wayned]

Blind in one eye and can't see out of the other. Since you just entered on a 15 day visa exempt entry, it is a new entry so I would try to extend for 60 days. The worse that they can do is say no and it won't cost anything but the trip to immigration.