May 9, 201213 yr Well some good news to pass along about immigration on my departure from Phuket the other day, My 30 day entry stamp expired on May 5th, My departure flight to China time was 02:00am on May 6th, so I figure I get to airport at 11pm on May 5th figure check in get stamped out of Thailand all before midnight so no overstay fine. But Shanghai airlines counter (all thai airways staff) not open until 12:15am on May 6th, Girl at counter tells me I need pay 1 day overstay, I say i here but you not open she say I need pay grrrrr..... Get to immigration departure stamp area Mr smiley face (not) tells me go over and pay 1 day fine... Don't I get a 1 day grace period? "No Go Pay Fine" Proceed to fine pay area,man there VERY NICE as was I and after a bit of a high level conference was returned passport, With smile and handshake he say ... "You not need pay overstay only 30 minutes you not need pay" and was sent on my way...good news for sure...
May 9, 201213 yr Well done! I'm not sure if the 1 day grace on airport departure is actually on the statutes or just some sort of unwritten law. All I can confirm is that on the 2 occasions I've overstayed one day (both around 18 hours) I've had a stamp placed in the back of my passport but not fined.
May 9, 201213 yr Yes, 1 day will normally not be charged. Your date of departure is deciding for the overstay BTW. not the day of checkin/clearing immigration. So earlier opening of the counter should not have made any difference.
May 17, 201213 yr Are you sure about that Steven? If you have a 1 am departure, for example, and hit immigration prior to midnight, the stamp in your passport would have to be for the current date (being prior to midnight). Since you are airside, and don't need a visa to be airside, common sense suggests you should be okay in all respects. (I used to do the same regularly quite a few years ago and never had a problem. Perhaps I was just lucky.)
May 17, 201213 yr Are you sure about that Steven? If you have a 1 am departure, for example, and hit immigration prior to midnight, the stamp in your passport would have to be for the current date (being prior to midnight). Since you are airside, and don't need a visa to be airside, common sense suggests you should be okay in all respects. (I used to do the same regularly quite a few years ago and never had a problem. Perhaps I was just lucky.) I think same. A few months ago, I had a 2 am flight. I cleared immigration at 11pm the same day my visa expired and had no problems.
May 18, 201213 yr Are you sure about that Steven? If you have a 1 am departure, for example, and hit immigration prior to midnight, the stamp in your passport would have to be for the current date (being prior to midnight). Since you are airside, and don't need a visa to be airside, common sense suggests you should be okay in all respects. (I used to do the same regularly quite a few years ago and never had a problem. Perhaps I was just lucky.) Yes, sure. But as you mention, they normally won't make a problem out of this (plus there is of course the 24 hour grace period normally applied anyway).
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