25 days overstay

[cocopops]

When you check in on leaving they will inform you you have overstayed.

You will then go to a little open office where you will be among fellow over stayers.

The office is staffed by Thai police.

You will be polite and civil and you will pay 500 baht for each day overstayed.

They will make out a receipt for you and when you have paid you are on your way.

This in no way will affect any future visa applications or entry into the country.

If for some reason you are stopped by the police before you exit the country and they find you have overstayed, then you are in trouble and will be put in the monkey house.

I would add that if the OP does try his luck at Mae Sai and gets stopped by the cops on the way up (which is not unlikely at all) he should keep his cool. I've never seen them check a permission to stay stamp - just that the picture matches the bearers head.

[bobthomas]

When you check in on leaving they will inform you you have overstayed.

You will then go to a little open office where you will be among fellow over stayers.

The office is staffed by Thai police.

You will be polite and civil and you will pay 500 baht for each day overstayed.

They will make out a receipt for you and when you have paid you are on your way.

This in no way will affect any future visa applications or entry into the country.

If for some reason you are stopped by the police before you exit the country and they find you have overstayed, then you are in trouble and will be put in the monkey house.

"This in no way will affect any future visa applications or entry into the country."

Are you sure about that?

Theoretically, any questionable activity in your passport could be grounds for refusal of a Visa and/or inability to enter Thailand.

Immigration officers have complete discretionary powers- They are within their rights to refuse entry to any individual they deem suspect.

Generally there needs to be an some impetus or a command directive for them to exercise these powers.

This happened in 2006 with the, (too many) 30 day Cambodian Visa stamps in the Thai passport- thing.

At that time I entered Thailand from Cambodia and the Immigration Official refused to let me in, even though I had a valid One year, Non immigrant O, class "B" business Visa, issued in the USA. I tried to rectify the situation to no avail. It was only after closely scrutinizing every page in my passport that he stumbled upon an older marriage Visa, and he began to calm down, asked me about my children and Thai wife- then he took a deep breath, smiled with a sigh of relief, and stamped me through.

Everything in your passport is important. It is often the only information available to the immigration official while deciding your case.

While an overstay stamp in your passport isn't that big of a deal- it could be, if say next year they decide to make it one. Then everyone will make a mad scramble to their respective Embassies for a new passport.

Their is absolutely no reason anyone that has been to Thailand a few times should have an overstay in their passport. You should be responsible enough to make plans before the Visa is expired and not after. That said, lots of people come here and lose all track of time and they wake up one day and think, "gee.... overstay. oops

Personally I would rather use the overstay fee for an airplane ticket/hotel stay/ and vacation, a week before my Visa expires rather than after.

Edited August 13, 2013 by bobthomas

[lopburi3]

Just to avoid any panic posting asking: O and B are different types of non immigrant visas - there is nothing called non immigrant O class B. Suspect you had a B visa and as this is often based on suspect paperwork questions were being asked.

As for overstay stamp it has not been reported as a factor for anyone that I have seen. Once paid it is over unless there are other factors. Yes the world could end next year - but I suspect it will not.

[shocky2004]

Thanks everyone for the great advices!

So i guess my best bet would be to take a plane from Bangkok airport to Cambodia and make a visa from there?

But is there any other alternative that i could do by going to border? (I mean if Mai Sai is dangerous, is there any other borders that you can recommend me that would be safer?)

Or is there any compagny that i could take that could go to Mai Sai with me and reduce my chance of having trouble with the police?

Thanks again

[GirlDrinkDrunk]

If you leave Thailand via air, make sure you allow for PLENTY of time at the airport. The Immigration fine collectors do love to keep you waiting. They won't care that you have a flight to catch.

i paid my 20k and was through in 15 minutes.

they gave me mango and sticky rice while i was waiting though

[renesfr]

A few years ago I 'was in overstay 41 days at the time it was 100 baht I paid the overstay at the airport tax, I've never had a problem after that but it was good long ago. You also have the solution to take a plane from Chiang Mai to Kuala Airsia cheap. Chiang Mai Airport is internationnal you pay tax at the airport and you will benefit of a visa to travel to Kuala. Good luck.

[GirlDrinkDrunk]

Thanks everyone for the great advices!

So i guess my best bet would be to take a plane from Bangkok airport to Cambodia and make a visa from there?

But is there any other alternative that i could do by going to border? (I mean if Mai Sai is dangerous, is there any other borders that you can recommend me that would be safer?)

Or is there any compagny that i could take that could go to Mai Sai with me and reduce my chance of having trouble with the police?

Thanks again

i would personally take an international flight out of chiang mai, where depends on what kind of visa i was hoping to achieve when i got there.

[harrry]

When you check in on leaving they will inform you you have overstayed.

You will then go to a little open office where you will be among fellow over stayers.

The office is staffed by Thai police.

You will be polite and civil and you will pay 500 baht for each day overstayed.

They will make out a receipt for you and when you have paid you are on your way.

This in no way will affect any future visa applications or entry into the country.

If for some reason you are stopped by the police before you exit the country and they find you have overstayed, then you are in trouble and will be put in the monkey house.

I would add that if the OP does try his luck at Mae Sai and gets stopped by the cops on the way up (which is not unlikely at all) he should keep his cool. I've never seen them check a permission to stay stamp - just that the picture matches the bearers head.

I think coming back is where he is much more likely to be checked. They are mainly looking for drugs and illegal immigrants comming into thailand so going north to MaeSai I have never been stopped at a checkpoint.

Edited August 13, 2013 by harrry

[bobthomas]

Just to avoid any panic posting asking: O and B are different types of non immigrant visas - there is nothing called non immigrant O class B. Suspect you had a B visa and as this is often based on suspect paperwork questions were being asked.

As for overstay stamp it has not been reported as a factor for anyone that I have seen. Once paid it is over unless there are other factors. Yes the world could end next year - but I suspect it will not.

Oh yeah- I guess I forgot. Thanks. It was a non-immigrant class B.

I think "O" is the marriage Visa I had- if I remember correctly but thanks for the clarification- don't want to confuse the TV readers- but that was 7 (one year) non- immigrant Visas ago and I was replying to the post from memory. But I agree, the overstay thing has not come back to bite anyone, probably because there are so many people that have overstayed. -

I had the B Visa when I was working for a Thai Company in Bangkok. but the Immigration official stated clearly that the problem was the numerous Cambodian Visas. He explained it in Thai and In English so I don't think there was any confusing that part. He hadn't even seen the "B" visa yet when all these problems were occurring. In those days B Visas were given primarily to people that had authentic letters of invitation to work at business' or schools in Thailand- or attend the latter after (or shortly before) enrolling. I wasn't aware about any of them being based on "suspect paperwork" but I guess anything is possible. After I showed the Immigration officer my "B" Visa he was still perplexed. This might have been due to the multiple entry codicil on the B Visa and my many (about 20) trips in and out of Cambodia over a 2 year period. That can be a red flag.

-and while the overstay stamp might never become an issue, I think we can agree that there has been a general trend in the last 15 years for immigration officials to follow and enforce the Visa rules more judiciously. I remember in the 90's if you had applied for and received a Marriage Visa, subsequent marriage Visas required little to no paperwork at all. If the trend continues, (and I have no reason to believe it won't), it might not be a bad idea to avoid things like overstays, if at all possible.

[bobthomas]

Thanks everyone for the great advices!

So i guess my best bet would be to take a plane from Bangkok airport to Cambodia and make a visa from there?

But is there any other alternative that i could do by going to border? (I mean if Mai Sai is dangerous, is there any other borders that you can recommend me that would be safer?)

Or is there any compagny that i could take that could go to Mai Sai with me and reduce my chance of having trouble with the police?

Thanks again

i would personally take an international flight out of chiang mai, where depends on what kind of visa i was hoping to achieve when i got there.

I think what the TV posters are getting at here is to er on the side of caution. The general knowledge being, that by flying out of an International airport- it is less likely that you will encounter any hassles beyond the paying of the overstay fee- That doesn't necessarily mean that you will encounter any hassles at the land border but merely that the odds are just slightly less in your favor if you choose that route. It has been my experience that when you get in a bind in Asia, it is best to to get yourself out calmly but expediently. That means, don't be cheap!! There will be plenty of time to be cheap after you get your stuff sorted properly.

[Andre0720]

I believe that legally you cant be arrested if you are in the process of rectifying the situation, ie on the way to an airport or border or immigration

They can.

Remember the Visa Run bus to Ranong that was stopped by police some years ago.

Police were on orders to stop illegal immigrants reportedly coming from Myanmar. When police could not find any illegal Burmese, they decided to stop the Visa Run bus. They just wanted to show success to their superiors.

Those tourists on overstay were trucked to Bangkok, and jailed while waiting to appear before a judge. One of them on a one day overstay, and indicated that he was on advice form immigration to just go for a visa run, pay the fine and everything would be ok.

To no avail.

Embassies got involved, which resulted in some leniency.

But the likelihood of being arrested while on overstay is very small.

The Phuket Gazette

February 10, 2006

Overstay 12 still in jail, face deportation

RANONG - A group of 12 foreign tourists arrested for overstaying their visas have spent their second night sleeping on the floor of a jail cell at Ranong Police Station.

Ranong Immigration Police, who have announced that they will deport the group, say they are only following “standard procedures” and will send the 12 to an Immigration detention center in Bangkok “soon”.

The group were arrested by a team of six Highway and Tourist Police officers at about 11 on Wednesday morning while on their way to Ranong and Burma for a “visa run” in the well-known “Big Bus”.

The bus was in Kapoe District, just 40 kilometers from the Ranong Immigration office, when it was stopped and the 12 were separated from the other passengers on board and placed in custody.

The most that any of the 12 had overstayed was six days.

Speaking from his prison cell, one of the detainees, a 31-year-old Australian man on his second trip to Thailand, told the Gazette:

“I can’t believe what has happened. The want to send us to the Bangkok Detention Center, from where they will deport us to our home countries – all because of a one-day overstay [in my case].

It was our second night sleeping on the dirty floor, with mosquitoes. I am black and brown from dirt.”

Some members of the group had contacted their embassies, he said, but been told, “Sorry. You are being deported – there is nothing we can do, it’s all part of ‘due process’.”

He said the group members had thought they would be released after paying 1,000-baht fines at Ranong Court yesterday. But they had been misled.

“The public prosecutor told us that if we just admitted to the Court what we did and paid a 1,000-baht fine, they would let us go to Immigration and we could complete our visa trip. We paid, but when we got to Immigration they fingerprinted us and said, ‘You’re being deported – immediately’.

Jutarat Payonchart, an employee of Phenpat Co Ltd, which runs the visa run service, told the Gazette from the Ranong courthouse yesterday afternoon that the police had overreacted in incarcerating the visa runners.

“Why did they have to keep them overnight in a cell? These aren’t illegal aliens trying to hide out in the country,” she said, adding that most had overstayed by just one or two days

Really frightening, on the other hand a good advice ! I certainly wont forget this article .

See my last post.

How many years exaclty is a few. I mean exactly.

Oh my, these mathematicians...

Even though I wonder if there is a point to this post..

[MikeandDow]

Dear Mat

Be careful if you need to move. You are in illegal situation, if the police control you they will arrest you. The sentence is 500 per day of overstay and direct in jail.

I suggest you to go faster in the immigration checkpoint to pay with apologizes but I think they ask you to go back in your country.

Other solution, see my private message

Good luck

This is Incorrect They do NOT ask you to go back to your country just a bullshit statement just go to the boarder pay fine and come back no big deal

@MikeandDow sorry mate but your advice is both wrong and potentially very dangerous. If anyone is found to be on overstay by the police they are arrested and passed to immigrations. Its only 'no big deal' if you don't get stopped AND the immigration officer at the border accepts your reason for overstay.

another incorrect statment quote: and the immigration officer accepts your reason for overstay end quote, what aload!!! you do NOT have to give ANY reason, just pay the money NO BIG DEAL

[Eneukman]

I believe that legally you cant be arrested if you are in the process of rectifying the situation, ie on the way to an airport or border or immigration

They can.

Remember the Visa Run bus to Ranong that was stopped by police some years ago.

Police were on orders to stop illegal immigrants reportedly coming from Myanmar. When police could not find any illegal Burmese, they decided to stop the Visa Run bus. They just wanted to show success to their superiors.

Those tourists on overstay were trucked to Bangkok, and jailed while waiting to appear before a judge. One of them on a one day overstay, and indicated that he was on advice form immigration to just go for a visa run, pay the fine and everything would be ok.

To no avail.

Embassies got involved, which resulted in some leniency.

But the likelihood of being arrested while on overstay is very small.

I remember that incident though not the full details. I would suggest the OP goes to his local Immigration officer with proof of onward travel out of Thailand and pays the overstay fine. I think he will he given 7 days in which to leave the country.

Alan

[harrry]

I believe that legally you cant be arrested if you are in the process of rectifying the situation, ie on the way to an airport or border or immigration

They can.

Remember the Visa Run bus to Ranong that was stopped by police some years ago.

Police were on orders to stop illegal immigrants reportedly coming from Myanmar. When police could not find any illegal Burmese, they decided to stop the Visa Run bus. They just wanted to show success to their superiors.

Those tourists on overstay were trucked to Bangkok, and jailed while waiting to appear before a judge. One of them on a one day overstay, and indicated that he was on advice form immigration to just go for a visa run, pay the fine and everything would be ok.

To no avail.

Embassies got involved, which resulted in some leniency.

But the likelihood of being arrested while on overstay is very small.

I remember that incident though not the full details. I would suggest the OP goes to his local Immigration officer with proof of onward travel out of Thailand and pays the overstay fine. I think he will he given 7 days in which to leave the country.

Alan

Very dangerous advice. Immigration do not have the authority to do this. They will either tell him just to go to airport and pay as he leaves, or detain him until he leaves and that then would have to be to his own country.

[joepattaya1961]

Hitherto I have been labouring under the impression that overstayers who were caught by the BIB were automatically handed over to their immigration colleagues and banged up in the Immigration Detention Centre until they could produce the necessary resources to pay for both the overstay fine and a one-way ticket back to their home country. Is this not, in fact, the case?

That's a possible scenario.

Totally depends on your attitude, the officers' mood, the day of the week, the weather, etc.

[harrry]

Hitherto I have been labouring under the impression that overstayers who were caught by the BIB were automatically handed over to their immigration colleagues and banged up in the Immigration Detention Centre until they could produce the necessary resources to pay for both the overstay fine and a one-way ticket back to their home country. Is this not, in fact, the case?

That's a possible scenario.

Totally depends on your attitude, the officers' mood, the day of the week, the weather, etc.

Not quite...immigration will take them to court which decides the fines and in the meantime keep them in detention.

[IMA_FARANG]

It is best to fly out of country.... assuming you can afford the flight. There is no need to go "home" to your home country, any out-of-country destination is fine.

All they will do is take the money for you overstay fine, and put a note in your passport in Thai that you overstayed and paid the fine.

This will not affect your re-entry into Thailand.

You may get a comment on your first return back to Thailand, something on the nature of, please don't overstay again.

Just smile and ignore that, it won't stop you from returning, as long as you paid the fee.

Most of us who have visited Thailand or stayed for a few years now and then have made that same accidental overstay mistake before, myself included

The reason it is preferable to use an airport exit rather than a land border is that the immigration in the airport have usually seen it all before ... it's no big deal to them..

Just be polite and calm, and everything will go fine. The immigration MAY give you a small lecture/scolding about overstaying.

Like water on a duck's back, just let it roll off.

Edited August 14, 2013 by IMA_FARANG

[harrry]

It is best to fly out of country.... assuming you can afford the flight. There is no need to go "home" to your home country, any out-of-country destination is fine.

All they will do is take the money for you overstay fine, and put a note in your passport in Thai that you overstayed and paid the fine.

This will not affect your re-entry into Thailand.

You may get a comment on your first return back to Thailand, something on the nature of, please don't overstay again.

Just smile and ignore that, it won't stop you from returning, as long as you paid the fee.

Most of us who have visited Thailand or stayed for a few years now and then have made that same accidental overstay mistake before, myself included

The reason it is preferable to use an airport exit rather than a land border is that the immigration in the airport have usually seen it all before ... it's no big deal to them..

Just be polite and calm, and everything will go fine. The immigration MAY give you a small lecture/scolding about overstaying.

Like water off a duck's back, just let it roll off.

Yes if you leave by yourself any country is OK

If you get caught it is only your home country. Important...give yourself plenty of time to catch the plane....and make sure it is not cancelled if it is the only one that day.

[GirlDrinkDrunk]

I believe that legally you cant be arrested if you are in the process of rectifying the situation, ie on the way to an airport or border or immigration

They can.

Remember the Visa Run bus to Ranong that was stopped by police some years ago.

Police were on orders to stop illegal immigrants reportedly coming from Myanmar. When police could not find any illegal Burmese, they decided to stop the Visa Run bus. They just wanted to show success to their superiors.

Those tourists on overstay were trucked to Bangkok, and jailed while waiting to appear before a judge. One of them on a one day overstay, and indicated that he was on advice form immigration to just go for a visa run, pay the fine and everything would be ok.

To no avail.

Embassies got involved, which resulted in some leniency.

But the likelihood of being arrested while on overstay is very small.

I remember that incident though not the full details. I would suggest the OP goes to his local Immigration officer with proof of onward travel out of Thailand and pays the overstay fine. I think he will he given 7 days in which to leave the country.

Alan

worst advice yet and i find it hard to believe it was not given cynically

[roiethome]

We all know it is illegal to overstay the visa, but why do TV posters try to scare people on overstay to think they will be locked up if stopped by the police.

I have lived in Thailand, Bangkok and Upcountry for 17years and have never been asked to show my passport by police.

Unless you are doing some other illegal activity the chances of being stopped are almost zero.

If I was ever stopped I would show my Thai driving licence as ID, my passport stays locked up in the safe at home.

If you dont have a Thai driving licence just carry a copy of the data page of the passport, then the overstay does not show.

[Mario2008]

That depends on your location. I have traveled many times in border areas, where they do ask for your passport and check your permisison to stay. Most times they look for migrant workers from neighbouring countries, but often enough western foreigners are also checked.

[Para]

@MikeandDow sorry mate but your advice is both wrong and potentially very dangerous. If anyone is found to be on overstay by the police they are arrested and passed to immigrations. Its only 'no big deal' if you don't get stopped AND the immigration officer at the border accepts your reason for overstay.

another incorrect statment quote: and the immigration officer accepts your reason for overstay end quote, what aload!!! you do NOT have to give ANY reason, just pay the money NO BIG DEAL

Mike its is starting to look like your need to make yourself correct is stopping you from seeing what being posted not just by myself but by other BM's.

Read what I have written again I make no mention of Immigration Police I simply state the fact ANYONE stopped by the police that are unable to produce a valid visa will be open to arrest and detention leading to expulsion. Immigration at the airport will accept any reason for the overstay as long as you have the money to cover the fine BUT at land crossings they do on occasion refuse.

[lopburi3]

Flame war removed.

[Tomtomtom69]

I believe that legally you cant be arrested if you are in the process of rectifying the situation, ie on the way to an airport or border or immigration

They can.

Remember the Visa Run bus to Ranong that was stopped by police some years ago.

Police were on orders to stop illegal immigrants reportedly coming from Myanmar. When police could not find any illegal Burmese, they decided to stop the Visa Run bus. They just wanted to show success to their superiors.

Those tourists on overstay were trucked to Bangkok, and jailed while waiting to appear before a judge. One of them on a one day overstay, and indicated that he was on advice form immigration to just go for a visa run, pay the fine and everything would be ok.

To no avail.

Embassies got involved, which resulted in some leniency.

But the likelihood of being arrested while on overstay is very small.

The Phuket Gazette

February 10, 2006

Overstay 12 still in jail, face deportation

RANONG - A group of 12 foreign tourists arrested for overstaying their visas have spent their second night sleeping on the floor of a jail cell at Ranong Police Station.

Ranong Immigration Police, who have announced that they will deport the group, say they are only following “standard procedures” and will send the 12 to an Immigration detention center in Bangkok “soon”.

The group were arrested by a team of six Highway and Tourist Police officers at about 11 on Wednesday morning while on their way to Ranong and Burma for a “visa run” in the well-known “Big Bus”.

The bus was in Kapoe District, just 40 kilometers from the Ranong Immigration office, when it was stopped and the 12 were separated from the other passengers on board and placed in custody.

The most that any of the 12 had overstayed was six days.

Speaking from his prison cell, one of the detainees, a 31-year-old Australian man on his second trip to Thailand, told the Gazette:

“I can’t believe what has happened. The want to send us to the Bangkok Detention Center, from where they will deport us to our home countries – all because of a one-day overstay [in my case].

It was our second night sleeping on the dirty floor, with mosquitoes. I am black and brown from dirt.”

Some members of the group had contacted their embassies, he said, but been told, “Sorry. You are being deported – there is nothing we can do, it’s all part of ‘due process’.”

He said the group members had thought they would be released after paying 1,000-baht fines at Ranong Court yesterday. But they had been misled.

“The public prosecutor told us that if we just admitted to the Court what we did and paid a 1,000-baht fine, they would let us go to Immigration and we could complete our visa trip. We paid, but when we got to Immigration they fingerprinted us and said, ‘You’re being deported – immediately’.

Jutarat Payonchart, an employee of Phenpat Co Ltd, which runs the visa run service, told the Gazette from the Ranong courthouse yesterday afternoon that the police had overreacted in incarcerating the visa runners.

“Why did they have to keep them overnight in a cell? These aren’t illegal aliens trying to hide out in the country,” she said, adding that most had overstayed by just one or two days

Well even a one day overstay is not worth it. Why can't people arrange their visa situations BEFORE they get to overstay? If you are fit and healthy, there is nothing stopping you from doing a visa run prior to the expiration of your stay permit and then coming straight back. It doesn't even matter where in Thailand you are located because Thailand isn't that big and most places are only a few hours drive from the nearest international crossing or an international airport. So many problems can be avoided by not being on overstay. Just sayin'

[Nana Cowboy]

Actually according to the serial overstayers of multi-years and multi passports it is us who are the fools spending thousands of dollars on visa runs, flights, hotels and everything else. A 45-55 y/o guy looked me straight in the face and said it was a total waste todo it. He said no one ever checks your passport or stops you on the way to the airport. he say that was totally ludicrous, he goes back to his country every 5 years or so and shells out the 20K fine then comes right back after his visit. He has done this at least 5 times and saved a ton of money. The vast majority of posters in this and other threads totally confirm this. We honest ones are the fools but after 10 years I'm not changing now. congrats to those who do it and no doubt have huge bank accountsrisk/reward way on the side if the overstayer. just re-read this very thread, moderators verifies also