Recently robbed, losing all cash & cards.

My visa expired yesterday, and as I had a flight to Malaysia, didn't make it due to the lost in funds.

I am now trying to get back to America, but as my bank is a small credit union in middle America, they are literally of no help. I have approval on my account for a family member to use my account, as they do my accounting for my business.

Hypothetically, I could have them Western Union to me (and buy me a flight back to America), but I'm worried about the expired visa and whether or not WU will confiscate my passport. Would it be better to do the WU transaction at a post office?

I've thought about going to the embassy, which would require a domestic flight from Samui to Bangkok, and this makes me nervous, as well. As soon as I can find a way to get funds to me, I can leave the country.

Any advice on doing this without getting caught on overstay? Thanks.

Western union doesn't care about your overstay, it is not their business.

If money is send to you to buy a ticket make sure you have some left to pay for the overstay at the airport. Don't worry about that since it happens all the time and has no consequences for returning to the kingdom.

Costs will be B 500.- a day, with a maximum of B 20.000.

Do you have a police report about getting robbed, since that would help in the event of getting stopped or whatever.

Just relax, get the money send over, and leave by air, make sure to do an early check-in so you have enough time to deal with the overstay. For going from Samui to Bangkok by air, it is a domestic flight, and if you have proof of leaving the country they will not be bothered by an expired visa.

Western union won't care about your overstay so have the money sent and buy a ticket ASAP.

Overstay is 500 baht/day to a maximum of 20000 baht.

You have your passport so the Embassy can't/won't be able to do anything for you.

Keep your head low and don't give the BIB any reason to stop you and ask for your passport. You coulg end up in jail and be deported. You could even get stopped at a random checkpoint on the bus to the airport and having a ticket out won't do you any good if caught on overstay.

IMHO, the safest, but most likely not the cheapest, way would be to arrange your fight back to the US through Singapore. You can fly directly from Samui ti Singapore and pay the overstay fine at Samui airport rather than going through the BS in Bangkok.

Not a pleasant way to end your holiday. Good luck!

Did you make a police report of the robbery?

As said Western Union will not care about your overstay.

You could go to immigration today and apply for a 7 day extension and just pay one day for overstay (500 baht) plus the fee of 1900 baht. Having a police report to show them would make things go smoother

No police report. I guess that wasn't so smart, but I grew up in a world where no one called the cops for anything.

So, WU is okay? I thought so, until I read some forums that mentioned they were asked to confiscate passports for overstays. Forums were a year to two years old though.

Thanks.

You could still make the police report. Just go to the tourist police station.

I suspect that thing about western union was just rumors.

You should try to get a little money to hold you over. Western Union is located at banks and the Thai post office. Bangkok Bank is one of the banks.

The embassy would loan you funds for room and board but you would have to go to Bangkok to get it.

I have money coming to WU by tomorrow morning (it's Sunday and where my bank is, WU isn't open on Sunday). I have a flight itinerary for the next day I've got someone setting up.

I tried Samui to Singapore to America, and found a bunch of '2 seats left' tickets, however, upon purchase, they vanished. So it looks like I have to go through Samui to Bangkok to America.

You could still make the police report. Just go to the tourist police station.

I suspect that thing about western union was just rumors.

You should try to get a little money to hold you over. Western Union is located at banks and the Thai post office. Bangkok Bank is one of the banks.

The embassy would loan you funds for room and board but you would have to go to Bangkok to get it.

I would be careful now... OP clearly states she is on overstay at present, so the police station reporting could get her into trouble... paying overstay is pretty easy at the airport when leaving, but not when caught on overstay within the country - or so I read on here everytime...

The police will help. It is not his fault he is on overstay by one day now.. His flight out was scheduled and he missed it because of being robbed.

He does not need to wait to pay his overstay at the airport he could get a 7 day extension.

So, I have money arriving tomorrow morning.

I had the family member who has access to my account buy the flight back to America. They did, but without checking with me on times. I leave Samui at 10 PM. Putting me in BKK overnight, and my flight to Narita leaves at 530 AM. How does paying the overstay in BKK work with an early morning flight? I would assume they have everything set up, but I am nervous, regardless.

Thanks for all the help.

This is all so rushed, that if I need the ticket changed, I need to do it right away, considering the time difference in America and getting everything done on time.

You will have no problem paying the overstay in Bangkok. The time of your flight makes no difference.

Just allow a little extra time to pay the fine.

Thanks, to make this a bit more complicated, I pulled out my passport a few minutes ago, and my entry/departure form is not in it, as I thought it was. It's possible it's in my things and I'll find it, but as a precautionary, is this just another fine? Years ago, I lost my form, and remember that I just had to pay a fine for a few one, but the stress of my situation has me more paranoid than probably necessary. I've been in and out of Thailand for awhile, but haven't had to deal with overstay or anything crazy, except the form I lost a couple of years ago. Hopefully, I'll find it.

Thanks for all of the help.

At the airport a missing departure card is not a problem people loose them all the time. They have them at the check in counters. Just fill out a new one and give it to immigration. There is no fine for loosing one.

Sorry, but another possible issue. If your person in the US purchased your ticket online using a Credit or Debit card within the past 72 hours, the airline will probably want to see a back up card with sufficient credit before issuing you a boarding pass. The alternative is your person in the US could go to an airline office there and physically show them the card used and they can fax a verification notice to the airline here.

Go to Krungsri bank (the yellow one) to pick up your WU

Sorry, but another possible issue. If your person in the US purchased your ticket online using a Credit or Debit card within the past 72 hours, the airline will probably want to see a back up card with sufficient credit before issuing you a boarding pass. The alternative is your person in the US could go to an airline office there and physically show them the card used and they can fax a verification notice to the airline here.

That would entirely depend upon the airline you are traveling on. When buying a ticket online they will tell you that when you do it.

The only time I was asked for that was flying EVA for first and last time and the website had that as one of the requirements. And if I recall correctly it was on the flight confirmation you get by email.

Regarding the overstay issue and the concern that may or may not be shown by WU, the OP should be prepared for a possible surprise.

About 12 months ago I overstayed by a couple of days and in those 2 days I needed to replace an ATM card that I left in a cash dispenser. I went to the bank to get the replacement they obviously took a copy of my passport but when the overstay was noticed they refused to issue a new card. It was issued 2 days later without a problem after I'd done a visa run.

Regarding the overstay issue and the concern that may or may not be shown by WU, the OP should be prepared for a possible surprise.

About 12 months ago I overstayed by a couple of days and in those 2 days I needed to replace an ATM card that I left in a cash dispenser. I went to the bank to get the replacement they obviously took a copy of my passport but when the overstay was noticed they refused to issue a new card. It was issued 2 days later without a problem after I'd done a visa run.

That s a bit different than collecting money that has been sent you.

For a new ATM card or even a bank book they will look for your visa and/or permit to stay stamp as part of their normal procedures.

They make a copy of my extension of stay stamp that I have to sign every time I go in for a new bank book when it gets full.

Regarding the overstay issue and the concern that may or may not be shown by WU, the OP should be prepared for a possible surprise.

About 12 months ago I overstayed by a couple of days and in those 2 days I needed to replace an ATM card that I left in a cash dispenser. I went to the bank to get the replacement they obviously took a copy of my passport but when the overstay was noticed they refused to issue a new card. It was issued 2 days later without a problem after I'd done a visa run.

That s a bit different than collecting money that has been sent you.

For a new ATM card or even a bank book they will look for your visa and/or permit to stay stamp as part of their normal procedures.

They make a copy of my extension of stay stamp that I have to sign every time I go in for a new bank book when it gets full.

Ah..Thailand. Where even bank officers are trained as secondary immigration officers.

Before u go board there are immigration officers. They will yak yak u a bit and then charge. Tell them some story u had accident hopital and just pay.

I overstayed once just cuz missed my flight.

They didnt bothered and no charge..

mataleo

And carefull as frequent overstayers might get trouble getting visas

mataleo

Regarding the overstay issue and the concern that may or may not be shown by WU, the OP should be prepared for a possible surprise.

About 12 months ago I overstayed by a couple of days and in those 2 days I needed to replace an ATM card that I left in a cash dispenser. I went to the bank to get the replacement they obviously took a copy of my passport but when the overstay was noticed they refused to issue a new card. It was issued 2 days later without a problem after I'd done a visa run.

That s a bit different than collecting money that has been sent you.

For a new ATM card or even a bank book they will look for your visa and/or permit to stay stamp as part of their normal procedures.

They make a copy of my extension of stay stamp that I have to sign every time I go in for a new bank book when it gets full.

Ah..Thailand. Where even bank officers are trained as secondary immigration officers.

Unfortunately it depends on the bank, the branch and the people that you are dealing with when you go in. They seem to make up their own rules on a case by case basis. I get a new bankbook, Bangkok Bank, when full and only give them a signed copy of the bio page of my passport, nothing else, they never ask to see my passport or check the latest permission to stay stamp. The last time that I did it I had a new passport and they re-issued it four times before they got the new passport number right which is encoded in the signature area only visable under UV light!

you have a police report? that might help a lot...

You can try Korean Air from Phuket. Nice flights at good prices....

At the airport a missing departure card is not a problem people loose them all the time. They have them at the check in counters. Just fill out a new one and give it to immigration. There is no fine for loosing one.

Agree in toto happened to me filled out another one no problem

Sorry, but another possible issue. If your person in the US purchased your ticket online using a Credit or Debit card within the past 72 hours, the airline will probably want to see a back up card with sufficient credit before issuing you a boarding pass. The alternative is your person in the US could go to an airline office there and physically show them the card used and they can fax a verification notice to the airline here.

That would entirely depend upon the airline you are traveling on. When buying a ticket online they will tell you that when you do it.

The only time I was asked for that was flying EVA for first and last time and the website had that as one of the requirements. And if I recall correctly it was on the flight confirmation you get by email.

As a professional air courier, I experience this issue frequently as my tickets are generally purchased online by a 3rd party inside of 72 hours of the flight. Cathay Pacific, Thai, Lufthansa, Eva and most of the middle eastern carriers are quite adamant about it. There even have been times when we went to the trouble of having a copy of the CC faxed for the airline office to BKK only to be told they couldn't find it and as a result, being denied boarding. We have learned to always get the name of the agent who faxes the document.

This should help. It has worked for others. Thai immigration and the U.S. Embassy, they are not bad people.

Carrying zero cash and using your debit card to pay for a bottle of water is growing more and more common in the U.S., but when you're abroad, you can't count on plastic. "Credit cards are not widely accepted in some countries," Finan says. "Although it is a good idea to bring a credit card or two, leave all unnecessary credit cards at home." If you run out of cash, the U.S. Embassy can help you with everything from contacting friends and family on your behalf for wire transfers or giving you a loan to get back to the United States

I don't think you can un overstay. However, despite all the people involved, having heard every story in the book. They are human beings, with hearts. Appealing to their hearts is good approach. The U.S. Embassy is there to help in just such a case. Nothing suprises me but doesn't seem at all likely W.U. has any interest or authorized to do anything with your passport.

Regarding the overstay issue and the concern that may or may not be shown by WU, the OP should be prepared for a possible surprise.

About 12 months ago I overstayed by a couple of days and in those 2 days I needed to replace an ATM card that I left in a cash dispenser. I went to the bank to get the replacement they obviously took a copy of my passport but when the overstay was noticed they refused to issue a new card. It was issued 2 days later without a problem after I'd done a visa run.

That s a bit different than collecting money that has been sent you.

For a new ATM card or even a bank book they will look for your visa and/or permit to stay stamp as part of their normal procedures.

They make a copy of my extension of stay stamp that I have to sign every time I go in for a new bank book when it gets full.

Hopefully when those bank books get full it's from deposits.