Hello!

I have been in Thailand for 2 months and 2 weeks and I'm going home in about 2 weeks to Sweden. Yesterday I heard about something called "visa run" I have never heard of a visa run before and was shocked when my friends said that they must renew their visa after 1 month stay in Thailand.

Since this is the first time I traveled by myself, I was completely inexperienced, I had not a single clue that the laws were such that you must renew your visas, even though I wrote that I'll be in Thailand for 3 months and train Thai boxing.

So now it's 2 weeks left until I go home and I was wondering how I should fix this properly? My so-called "over stay" will be for 60 days and my friends said it was 500 bath / day in the bill, so there will be a total of 30 000 bath. I have the money to pay this bill, but I also read this in this forum that the maximum bill was 20 000 bath, is that true?

How do I solve this the best way? Should I go to an embassy, immigration office, or should I wait until I get to the airport? I have announced two Thai friends about the situation, so two Thai-speaking people will follow me to the place where I will try to resolve this.

Someone who can help me here? I'm very confused!

Thanks in advance.

Did you have a visa or not? Only 30 day visa exempt entry is for 30 days. What does the stamp in your passport say as your permitted to stay until date? A tourist visa would allow a 60 day stay and a non immigrant visa a 90 day stay.

If you have only a 30 day visa exempt the fee for overstay is indeed 500 baht per day up to 20k baht. You are also subject to arrest but normally will not have any issues just leaving by airport and paying the fine (but your passport will be stamped as overstay). You can only resolve this by payment and immediate departure after doing so.

And maximum overstay is 20.000 baht

Did you have a visa or not? Only 30 day visa exempt entry is for 30 days. What does the stamp in your passport say as your permitted to stay until date? A tourist visa would allow a 60 day stay and a non immigrant visa a 90 day stay.

If you have only a 30 day visa exempt the fee for overstay is indeed 500 baht per day up to 20k baht. You are also subject to arrest but normally will not have any issues just leaving by airport and paying the fine (but your passport will be stamped as overstay). You can only resolve this by payment and immediate departure after doing so.

I checked my passport today and it said from 1 April - 30th of April, so I was only allowed to stay for one month.

So your tip is to go to the airport, pay the 20k fine and leave the country with a "over stay" stamp in my passport?

If I get arrested, what happens then? Will I do jail time!? Or will they just make me pay and then realize me?

Will the over time stamp make me banned from some states, and such? Or what does it do?

Thanks for the quick answer!

Arrest could result in a day or two in jail awaiting judge and fine and then having to leave but is not likely unless caught in a police check of some kind. Overstay stamp should not be a problem as in Thai and not designed to be punitive - you are welcome to immediately return or obtain a new visa.

Arrest could result in a day or two in jail awaiting judge and fine and then having to leave but is not likely unless caught in a police check of some kind. Overstay stamp should not be a problem as in Thai and not designed to be punitive - you are welcome to immediately return or obtain a new visa.

Alright, so if I make it to the airport check-in for my flight, I will be alright? They will over-stay stamp my passport and let me come aboard, and maybe tell me to pay the 20k fine to them? But if I accidentally get caught by a police officer somewhere it will be jail-time for 1-2 days in a holding cell for illegal immigrants? And then they will make me pay the 20k fine and let me go to the airport and get me a flight home?

You will be fine, you will just have to pay a fine. Just avoid the police at all costs and if you do come across them DO NOT SHOW THEM YOUR PASSPORT. Tell them it's in your room or at the hotel. Make up a reason why you don't have it, show them a drivers license instead. I never travel with my passport and have never had an issue even when coming through random police stops.

If you flew to Thailand in the first place then I'm surprised you were even alowed to board the plane.

Stay out of trouble until your flight home then head to the airport early with 20k in your pocket. Be very polite, say sorry and the chances are very high that they will just take your money, stamp your passport as an overstay and they will then say see you next time. Be prepared to be laughed at as immigration will see you as a silly farang who threw away 20k for no reason.

If you are not the kind of person who likes to 'wing it' then you could pop over to Cambodia (for example), pay the overstay at the boarder and get a 15 visa exempt by re-entering the country, which from what you say would match up with your flight home.

The problem with a land crossing is that police checks are much more likely than downtown Bangkok so there is a slightly higher risk involved. There is also the second country issue as on a bad star day the new country could look at that overstay and say no entry and that would mean you had to return to Thailand as illegal entry and would be detained for deportation. Again not likely but more of a risk than leaving by airport.

I just got this email from a thai friend that I contacted for help.

5 minutes ago from C

• 
  Now I am asking someone who organize a visa-run in ranong and I will let you know as soon as possible. I also try to contact Swedish consulate here in Phuket and see how they can solve your problem OK. Don't worry. Today I am going to Phuket-when I get the answer I will visit you at the hotel OK.
  C
  You think she can fix this? Or should I tell her to just follow me to the airport and try to help me there?
  

The problem with a land crossing is that police checks are much more likely than downtown Bangkok so there is a slightly higher risk involved. There is also the second country issue as on a bad star day the new country could look at that overstay and say no entry and that would mean you had to return to Thailand as illegal entry and would be detained for deportation. Again not likely but more of a risk than leaving by airport.

That was why it was my second option. If the OP is heading home then it negates the issue of being refused entry into Cambodia as per my example. Love the 'bad star day', awesome.

I'm trying not to make the OP overly worried about what could happen in the worst case. It's just a matter of playing the odds so while the cops or some such could turn up (with a film crew in tow no doubt), smash down the door and arrest the OP. Chances of that happening are very slim but cannot be disregarded. The first of my two options is what I would do but I'm a well seasoned traveller while the OP has stated they are not.

You will be fine, you will just have to pay a fine. Just avoid the police at all costs and if you do come across them DO NOT SHOW THEM YOUR PASSPORT. Tell them it's in your room or at the hotel. Make up a reason why you don't have it, show them a drivers license instead. I never travel with my passport and have never had an issue even when coming through random police stops.

Alright, I never travel with my passport either, so it's alright ..

If you flew to Thailand in the first place then I'm surprised you were even alowed to board the plane.

Stay out of trouble until your flight home then head to the airport early with 20k in your pocket. Be very polite, say sorry and the chances are very high that they will just take your money, stamp your passport as an overstay and they will then say see you next time. Be prepared to be laughed at as immigration will see you as a silly farang who threw away 20k for no reason.

If you are not the kind of person who likes to 'wing it' then you could pop over to Cambodia (for example), pay the overstay at the boarder and get a 15 visa exempt by re-entering the country, which from what you say would match up with your flight home.

Why wouldnt they let me travel to thailand from Sweden? I discovered this Visa thing when I was in Thailand..

And I will not even think of going over the boarder now when I'm here illegal, I will solve this at the airport or somewhere else.

The problem with a land crossing is that police checks are much more likely than downtown Bangkok so there is a slightly higher risk involved. There is also the second country issue as on a bad star day the new country could look at that overstay and say no entry and that would mean you had to return to Thailand as illegal entry and would be detained for deportation. Again not likely but more of a risk than leaving by airport.

Thanks!

I just got this email from a thai friend that I contacted for help.

5 minutes ago from C

• 
  Now I am asking someone who organize a visa-run in ranong and I will let you know as soon as possible. I also try to contact Swedish consulate here in Phuket and see how they can solve your problem OK. Don't worry. Today I am going to Phuket-when I get the answer I will visit you at the hotel OK.
  C
  You think she can fix this? Or should I tell her to just follow me to the airport and try to help me there?
  

Phuket.... Oh right. 3 days ago I done a 3 day overstay boarder run to Sadao (Malaysia) and aside from having to wait 5 minutes while they done the paperwork it was plain sailing.

Why wouldnt they let me travel to thailand from Sweden? I discovered this Visa thing when I was in Thailand..

Without exact details I can't be sure in your situation but airlines check if you have a Thai visa , if you do not then they 'should' not let you board the plane unless you also have a ticket out of Thailand within 30 days. Not a ticket back to Sweden but a ticket out of the Kingdom.

Why wouldnt they let me travel to thailand from Sweden? I discovered this Visa thing when I was in Thailand..

Without exact details I can't be sure in your situation but airlines check if you have a Thai visa , if you do not then they 'should' not let you board the plane unless you also have a ticket out of Thailand within 30 days. Not a ticket back to Sweden but a ticket out of the Kingdom.

This is because without a visa, you are not guaranteed an entry to Thailand, and the airline would then be responsible for flying you home. Many airlines are checking to see that you have either a visa OR a return or onward ticket out of Thailand within the 30 days allowable. Without it, Thailand has been known to reject entry, or rather use it as a pretext to deny entry, if they don't like your beard/sandals/hygiene, etc...

It's truly unfortunate that travel has become so technical, and totally understandable that someone from the EU, where travel is much easier, would be naive about the intricacies of Thailand's silly immigration rules. We all continue to learn...

It's truly unfortunate that travel has become so technical, and totally understandable that someone from the EU, where travel is much easier, would be naive about the intricacies of Thailand's silly immigration rules. We all continue to learn...

That same rule is imposed by the EU and many other counties.

It's truly unfortunate that travel has become so technical, and totally understandable that someone from the EU, where travel is much easier, would be naive about the intricacies of Thailand's silly immigration rules. We all continue to learn...

It is very understandable as long you bother to read a little bit about rules in the country before you are going there.

It's truly unfortunate that travel has become so technical, and totally understandable that someone from the EU, where travel is much easier, would be naive about the intricacies of Thailand's silly immigration rules. We all continue to learn...

What is so difficult in reading the stamp in your passport? No different to when others travel to the EU!

read the stamp folks know when it is time to leave or that you didn't just get stamped in for 30 days when you had a non-o visa or an extension of stay.

It's truly unfortunate that travel has become so technical, and totally understandable that someone from the EU, where travel is much easier, would be naive about the intricacies of Thailand's silly immigration rules. We all continue to learn...

That same rule is imposed by the EU and many other counties.

The point is that travelers WITHIN the EU don't need visas, and novice travelers to Thailand might need to become more worldly...

But ridiculing him is just as valid a response, considering the source(s) and the venue.

Thaivisa - a kinder, gentler way to learn, LOL.

Sent from my GT-P1000 using Thaivisa Connect App

Free travel within the EU is only true within the Schengen area, as they form 1 outer border. The UK is memebr of the EU for example, but not a member of the Schengen area. From France to the UK for example you still need to show a passport, and a visa if you are not a national of a EU member state.

Simpler to know all the rules for traveling through Europe it certainly has not become.

When it comes to stamps in passports "readers are leaders" is always a good maxim.

Frankly I have seen people with anything from a few days to a few months thrown out of a police station just because of the work the police will have to do preparing the court case.

One to two days in custody Lopburi3, is also a bit of an underestimation, as you can and will be held for 48 hours in a police lockup while the case is prepared, then going to court one day and IF you have the money to pay the fine be sent to Immigration the same day. Then you will have to present a ticket or pay for a ticket so that you can fly out. So normally in custody about 5 days before you get sent home to your country of origin.

Yes there are special expedited cases!

Go careful, pay the 20 k and fly out yourself is best!

Edited June 17, 201214 yr by Badbanker