Another "retirement" Threat

[bubblegum]

Hi to all you experts hope there is one of you who can actually help me in a clear, understandable way.

I've been reading and reading about the retirement visa and nowere can I find a definate answer. This is my case;

I've always been in Thailand for a long, long time but...without a visa.

I know the risks I'm taking so don't need any comments on that thank you.

After a live time of doing this and that and screwing around I'm finally in a position where I would like to settle down and be legal

much to do with my wifes to be piece of mind.

I have all the requerements to obtail a Non O, retirement visa (over 50 and income is enough)

So what do I do from here? I only know the fist step for sure the rest ???

1 Buy a ticket to... whatever KL or some nice place

2 Pay a 20.000-- bath fine at the airport.

????

[TommoPhysicist]

Buy a ticket to K/L.

Go to the airport and pay 20k fine on leaving.

While in K/L apply for VISA to visit wife ....... not sure if 60 or 90 days

Return and apply for married person extension of stay (400k in bank or income of 40k/month)

[lopburi3]

He does not have a wife yet in my reading. As said you need to take care of the overstay and an air exit is the best choice. A single entry non immigrant O visa to check on retirement options may be available or just a tourist visa or even visa exempt could be used as it can be converted at immigration in the retirement extension process.

[TommoPhysicist]

Well spotted LB, I missed 'wife to be'.

[uptheos]

He does not have a wife yet in my reading. As said you need to take care of the overstay and an air exit is the best choice. A single entry non immigrant O visa to check on retirement options may be available or just a tourist visa or even visa exempt could be used as it can be converted at immigration in the retirement extension process.

OP says; "I've always been in Thailand for a long, long time but...without a visa".

At what point does the 20,000 Baht become a much stiffer penalty, with perhaps a persona non grata stamp?

[lopburi3]

Normally only when arrested for another matter. But there are exceptions and crackdowns.

[hgma]

I am very reluctent to post, since i do not want to incite anything, so upfront, just for the record......

but are you all telling me that by living in thailand illegal , say for years.....is "punished" by a max? penalty of 20.000 bath at exit border post?

I wont go any further

[endure]

I think that's only true at the airport. If you get caught at a border post or in country you're in for a world of pain.

[IMA_FARANG]

Currently the maximum fine for overstay is at 20,000 Baht.

Just have a good attitude, keep a cool head, be courteous, and have the money ready to pay

There is no penalty for a long overstay ... and usually being ready to pay the 20k fine is all that they really want.

However, this is Thailand, and nothing is absolutely certain, but having a polite attitude, not bring confrontational, and paying the fime as asked is normally all that's required.

They will put a stamp in your passport and write on that stamp in Thai that you overstayed .... but that's all.

Oh, and you may have to listen to a little speech from the supervisor about not overstaying again. Just smile and be polite to everything he says.

Then pay and go.

Once you're in the neighboring country get a Non immigrant O visa to re-enter Thailand to start the rest of your life legally.

[lopburi3]

One post containing mis-information and a replay removed.

[pnustedt]

A friend of mine who was on a long overstay (10 years) and wanted to get legal went to the Thai immigration office in Bkk. He was fined the Bt20K and deported. He had to take a direct flight to his home country and was escorted to the airport by immigration police. After a short time in his home country he applied for and got the necessary visa, came back to Thailand and has been living legally in Thailand ever since (for a couple of years) as far as I know.

[jamhar]

thank you for confirming that this forum will be valuable to me

A "Nicely done" to all with concise, critical information to share.

Thanks!

[JennieRoengmueang]

i can see a lot of you dont know much about overstay in my country,my friend came overland and got 15 days,he didnt know about this he overstayed extra 15 days,when he was going home he was asked for 7.500bht overstay he thought he was being ripped off so he refused,2 hours later he was in a police cell in chiang mai,he phoned me i phoned the british consul but it was 17.30 and every body gone home,i managed to get him out for 10.000bht he was told he must come to police station for 9 on monday,i got the 10.000bht back he was taken to court and fined 1000bht and told he will be deported to the uk, he didnt have to pay the 7.500bht overstay just 1000bht and deported,he was escorted to the airport and told he can come back any time.

[bubblegum]

Currently the maximum fine for overstay is at 20,000 Baht.

Just have a good attitude, keep a cool head, be courteous, and have the money ready to pay

There is no penalty for a long overstay ... and usually being ready to pay the 20k fine is all that they really want.

However, this is Thailand, and nothing is absolutely certain, but having a polite attitude, not bring confrontational, and paying the fime as asked is normally all that's required.

They will put a stamp in your passport and write on that stamp in Thai that you overstayed .... but that's all.

Oh, and you may have to listen to a little speech from the supervisor about not overstaying again. Just smile and be polite to everything he says.

Then pay and go.

Once you're in the neighboring country get a Non immigrant O visa to re-enter Thailand to start the rest of your life legally.

Tnx for your info, how long would it take to get a Non O in KL and what do I need to take ?

[Nana Cowboy]

I knew a guy about 10 years ago who boasted about using the 20,000 max fine as his choice of extending stay here in the kingdom. He never dealt with any visa BS and simply paid his 20K max fine anytime he needed to leave the country.

[Mario2008]

i can see a lot of you dont know much about overstay in my country,my friend came overland and got 15 days,he didnt know about this he overstayed extra 15 days,when he was going home he was asked for 7.500bht overstay he thought he was being ripped off so he refused,2 hours later he was in a police cell in chiang mai,he phoned me i phoned the british consul but it was 17.30 and every body gone home,i managed to get him out for 10.000bht he was told he must come to police station for 9 on monday,i got the 10.000bht back he was taken to court and fined 1000bht and told he will be deported to the uk, he didnt have to pay the 7.500bht overstay just 1000bht and deported,he was escorted to the airport and told he can come back any time.

If you don't pay the fine imposed by immigration you will be brought before a judge. A judge will indeed give a much lighter fine, but you will have to stay in the in jail till you appear in court,have paid the fine and have a ticket to your home country. Making it all much more inconvinient.

Most countries will offer you a fine that is lesser than when you go to court, saves on court time etc.

[phuketrichard]

Tnx for your info, how long would it take to get a Non O in KL and what do I need to take ?

Your over 50? if so apply for a non immigrant vsa and they will give ya one based on your going back to thailand and get a retirement extension,

Put ur passport in 8:30-11 am and get back next day after 2 pm

Passport, 2 photos, application

Payment

Edited January 28, 2013 by phuketrichard

[Maestro]

i can see a lot of you dont know much about overstay in my country,my friend came overland and got 15 days,he didnt know about this he overstayed extra 15 days,when he was going home he was asked for 7.500bht overstay he thought he was being ripped off so he refused,2 hours later he was in a police cell in chiang mai,he phoned me i phoned the british consul but it was 17.30 and every body gone home,i managed to get him out for 10.000bht he was told he must come to police station for 9 on monday,i got the 10.000bht back he was taken to court and fined 1000bht and told he will be deported to the uk, he didnt have to pay the 7.500bht overstay just 1000bht and deported,he was escorted to the airport and told he can come back any time.

A distinction is made between a summary fine and a court sentence. To make life easier for foreigners the police department has, under the authority of the Immigration Act, introduced a list of fixed fines for minor infractions such as overstay, late notification of staying longer than 90 days, etc. If a foreigner prefers, he still has the option of having himself detained, sent to court and be sentenced by a judge, then deported, in which case the fine is usually lower than the summary fine in the police list, but this usually entails a two or more days' sojourn at the Immigration Detention Centre, which I see is the procedure applied to your friend. If your friend had known that 7,500 Baht was the correct summary fine for 15 days' overstay, officially recorded in his passport and accounted for with an official receipt on paper, would he still have chosen the alternative route of a court sentence and deportation?

[Maestro]

JennieRoengmueang, how many days did your friend spend in IDC and/or prison?

This post by a member who deals a lot with foreigners in Bangkok IDC gives details of how a court in Bangkok metes out overstay fines. If the Chiangmai court uses the same system your friend could gave got away with paying nothing at all if he had stayed in prison an additional five days, with free food and lodging.

[inthepink]

A friend of mine who was on a long overstay (10 years) and wanted to get legal went to the Thai immigration office in Bkk. He was fined the Bt20K and deported. He had to take a direct flight to his home country and was escorted to the airport by immigration police. After a short time in his home country he applied for and got the necessary visa, came back to Thailand and has been living legally in Thailand ever since (for a couple of years) as far as I know.

Yes, don't do this. Just go to the airport, then you avoid the police escort / deportation issue.