Swedish Youth Sentenced For 1 Month In Jail For Overstay

[blows]

The law is the law. Whether you choose to obey that is a different matter.

If you risk a long overstay and make it to the airport and pay your way out of trouble, then you have been very fortunate. The consequences of not making out of the country cleanly are serious. I have seen the holding 'cage' at the back of immigration on Soi SuaPlu, and I have seen westerners handcuffed to the chairs in the payment office above the cage.

There weren't many happy faces up there.

You pay your money-you take a chance...

As for the OP I think there could be more to the story.

And why is it you are NOT arrested at the airport if it is against the law? Since "The law is the law."

Or is it just another BIB shakedown for farang tea money?

[Petesear]

Blows...

I believe it is because when you pay the fine at the airport you are already leaving the country and have a ticket to do so.

When you are caught anywhere else you are not and you have not.

Rocket science?

Edited February 27, 2012 by Petesear

[lopburi3]

Flame and multipule replies removed. We do not need name calling in the visa section.

[ludditeman]

Is it true that the clone regime like the Thaksin regime are anti farang and they tighten up on VISA of any kind?

Every country in the world keeps tightening up Visa regulations.

When the world should be getting more open, the governments force it to be more restrictive.

[Maestro]

So their work permits were all in order then? That wasn't an issue with this overstay?

No work-permits yet, it was one of those things they were now going to be able to do, i.e. go fully legal and leave everything gray behind. But now it looks bleak.

Just a reminder. As TAWP's post quoted above shows, the Swedish person in question was working in Thailand without a work permit and in addition to that he was overstaying. He violated two laws, each providing for a legal maximum sentence for his transgressions.

Alien Working Act B.E. 2551 (2008)

Section 51: An alien whoever working without a Work Permit shall be liable for punishment of imprisonment not exceeding five years or a fine from two thousand Baht up to one hundred thousand Baht or both.

Immigration Act B.E. 2522

Section 81: Any alien who stay in the Kingdom without permission or with

permission expired or revoked shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding

two years or a fine not exceeding 20,000 Baht or both.

In other words, the topic title is not just misleading, it is outright false. Unless and until we see an English translation of the full text of the judgement, with the exception of the accused's name blacked out, we cannot possibly know for what transgression the Swede was sentenced to how many days imprisonment. I posit that we are wasting our time and energy if we continue to discuss this topic in the absence of accurate information and that we should instead write it off as unsubstantiated scaremongering.

[Petesear]

Is it true that the clone regime like the Thaksin regime are anti farang and they tighten up on VISA of any kind?

Every country in the world keeps tightening up Visa regulations.

When the world should be getting more open, the governments force it to be more restrictive.

A consequence of terrorism, or at least the fear of it?

It does appear big brother is not doing its best to keep us all safe..

[Rosco911]

Overstaying is not a serious offence.. keep paying your 20k fine and you will be alright.. Ive had a 1 year overstay and went to a border crossing and paid my fine and walked straight back in....

would you mind posting the official receipt for payment of 20,000thb I would really love to see what it actually looks like. You of course have the receipt right?.. I have mine for my 2 day overstay from 3 years ago... wow that taught me a lesson

Good Point, where did the 20K go I wonder.

[Mario2008]

Several inflametory post have already been removed in this thread.

The next one to flame will earn a suspension.

[SouthernMan3]

Several inflametory post have already been removed in this thread.

The next one to flame will earn a suspension.

That works for me.

Thank you.

Sometimes I just can't help myself when people are so obviously disrespectful.

If I was in any way, I'm sorry.

[TAWP]

So their work permits were all in order then? That wasn't an issue with this overstay?

No work-permits yet, it was one of those things they were now going to be able to do, i.e. go fully legal and leave everything gray behind. But now it looks bleak.

Just a reminder. As TAWP's post quoted above shows, the Swedish person in question was working in Thailand without a work permit and in addition to that he was overstaying. He violated two laws, each providing for a legal maximum sentence for his transgressions.

Alien Working Act B.E. 2551 (2008)

Section 51: An alien whoever working without a Work Permit shall be liable for punishment of imprisonment not exceeding five years or a fine from two thousand Baht up to one hundred thousand Baht or both.

Immigration Act B.E. 2522

Section 81: Any alien who stay in the Kingdom without permission or with

permission expired or revoked shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding

two years or a fine not exceeding 20,000 Baht or both.

In other words, the topic title is not just misleading, it is outright false. Unless and until we see an English translation of the full text of the judgement, with the exception of the accused's name blacked out, we cannot possibly know for what transgression the Swede was sentenced to how many days imprisonment. I posit that we are wasting our time and energy if we continue to discuss this topic in the absence of accurate information and that we should instead write it off as unsubstantiated scaremongering.

Uhhh, the sentencing was for overstay.

The courts have no idea they worked here (and technically they weren't for the past months, but did before) and nothing was ever said during the trial. It is also the reason his friend, that only got caught 'the first time' at the exact same incident only got deported.

Calling the topic title outright false is surely a flame?

[Maestro]

Uhhh, the sentencing was for overstay....

As I said: "Unless and until we see an English translation of the full text of the judgement..."

Until then, I don't see how it can be considered anything but hearsay. Sorry about that.

[oops]

I just read that this was false....which was what I thought it to be. Had this been true the Embassy would of most l likely made a public announcement.

Beings how they didn't one would have to assume there was a real issue on the youth's part.

[oops]

Perennial overstay should be met with consequences. Blacklisting, however, seems a bit out of character for the good folks over at immigration. In my 5 years in Thailand I've never met anyone who had first hand knowledge of the practice. Has anyone out there had any first hand experience in this matter?

Unfortunitly for me I have an son who is a habitual procrastinator which led to many overstays...it was my understanding they give you a choice. No 1. pay the fine. No 2. Don't pay the fine and go to jail. In either case I myself seem to have many issues in my life and don't need something like this to F&^%^ a last minute decision to leave if I want. My son in back in my home country and I don't want him to come back. While he is an adult as a father you still feel the burden of reasponsiblity. I know some people just get caught by accident which can happen but my thoughts are if you can prevent then do it, because we all know that it can turn very serious or deadly in a mater of secounds here.

[lopburi3]

Actually nobody is saying it is false; but can not be proven without official documents which are not available to us. Embassy is not likely to make such routine matters public unless very much an exception and jail time is not that much of an exception as there are always a number of foreign persons in IDC and other jails here for all kinds of reasons (although for those able to pay fine for overstay it is much less common).