Possible overstay on visa. Your advice on what to do please.

[silver sea]

I am a British subject

I live on Koh Samui.

I arrived on 1st February 2013.

I had a triple visa.

The 60 days on the third visa ends on 17th September.

This week, I shall be going to the Immigration Office to seek a 30 day extension.

If 17th September is the last day, by my calculation, the 30th day will be 17th October.

My original plan had been to spend 12 months in Thailand, returning to the UK in January 2014.

When I booked my flight in January 2013 with a booking agent in the UK, however, I was advised that he could only book ahead as far as October. He suggested that I contact him again in September so that he could change the return flight date from 18th October to one in January.

I got the impression that changing the flight date would only cost me a nominal sum.

My original plan had been that once my triple visa had expired in October, I would then fly to Malaysia for a few days; obtain a new 60 day/90 day visa; return to Thailand; and then fly back to the UK at the end of the 90 days in January 2014.

I have some personal and financial matters to sort out in the UK. This should take about three weeks. I would then be ready to return to Thailand for another 12 months. Koh Samui is my home now.

I am toying with the idea of forgetting the Malaysia trip and returning to the UK in October. It's just unfortunate that the return date is 18th October and not a few days earlier i.e. before my visa expires on 17th October.

I have just been in correspondence today with the booking agency in the UK. It would seem that it will in fact cost me just under 11,200 Baht to change the date of the return flight from 18th October to, say, 14th October.

If I want to change the date from 18th October to, say, 17th January 2014, it will cost me just under 16,300 Baht.

My inclination at this stage is not to change the flight date but to return to the UK on 18th October. This means however that my visa will be out of date because it will have expired the day before.

As I understand it, being out of date by one day is not a criminal offence. Instead I will have to pay a fine and I can then take my flight.

Could someone please:

(a) confirm this is correct

(b ) confirm how much I would have to pay

(c )will it be recorded in my passport?

(d) do I pay the fine at Koh Samui airport or at Bangkok airport?

(e) who do I approach at the airport to confirm that I have overstayed by one day?

(f) how much extra time will this take? Is it straightforward or is there a lot paperwork to fill out?

I would add that on 18th October, my flight from Koh Samui leaves at 6.25 AM (it's their first flight off the island) and I arrive at Bangkok airport at 7.25 AM.

My flight to UK with Muscat Airways leaves at 9.30 AM 18th October.

As you can see I am not going to have a lot of time if the procedure for paying the fine is complicated.

Thanks for your help and advice.

[Maestro]

a. Correct. You can go and get your 30-day extension of stay already now, as the 30 days will be added on to the end of your current permission to stay.

b. Leaving Thailand through an airport, no overtime fine is collected for one day of overstay.

c. The overstay will be recorded in your passport.

d. No fine will be collected.

e. Just present your passport as usual to the immigration officer at departure at Ko Samui airport. If another officer needs to record the overstay in your passport, he will guide you where to go. Assuming that in Bangkok you arrive at and leave from Suvarnabhumi airport (BKK) and your baggage is checked through to the UK you will not pass immigration again at BKK.

f. No paperwork for you to fill out, but allow for a delay of maximum 30 minutes at Ko Samui.

[silver sea]

Hello Maestro

Thank you for your very helpful advice. I shall do as you suggest.

Best Wishes