First reports of new overstay crackdown

[arisaje]

The same kind of strict "need permit for this and that" visa systems were in place in western European countries in the 1970's. It was no good for anybody except for the army of useless government officials, stamping metric ton of permit papers every day. What makes you think this strict system is good for Thailand when it certainly was not good for western Europeans?!

Do you actually have a point your trying to make Timwin ?

@Timwim from the tone of your emails, you are obviously concerned about this clamp down, so i presume you don't have the correct visas to be in Thailand?

If you are, but you are a law abiding person with great character and love Thailand so much....go to Singapore or HK and get a visa.

As mentioned before this is good for Thailand, because genuine tourists, visitors, businessmen and women will still come. The Thai authorities will be able to track 'properly' all the people entering the country and will also make some money from fees at the same time, to pay for their embassies and consulates.

Unfortunately for all the 'unwanted people' they will not get into Thailand, criminals, drifters etc. will have to find some other place to go hang out.......i hear Somalia is quite nice in the summer!

[Shot]

^{Phuket Town Immigration today. The form was the first thing they had me read and sign.}

[carstenp]

So .. looks like they've started requiring more paperwork for retirement extensions. I saw that one coming.

The marriage extension is a bit of a hassle with all the paperwork, but luckily the papers needed don't change that often. I expect photos of the house, same day copies of bank books, etc come into the retirement regime as well.

Now it seems just a matter of time before they start cracking down on the schools used to get an ED visa. The army is putting on the squeeze.

What more paperwork?

When i extended my non o to retirement i had to do this

1. My passport

2. Statement from my ambassade with income over 65000 bath Month

3. Draw map to my place where i live

4. One Photo

5. 1900 baht

6. had to sign 2 places, the rest was done by the immigration officer

About 30 min and i was out. absolutely good service

Edited July 8, 2014 by carstenp

[mataleo]

Looking at the document: If I had 10 years overstay and I surrendered myself, I would be barred from entering for life. But if I i got apprehended with 10 years overstay then I would only get a 10 year ban?

That's what it looks like. So if you are over 10y of overstay, better to wait until you get caught

Looks like it's a product of one or only a few officers. A mistake like that should have caught someones eye.

555

Thats funny

Someone call them

It looms like if some dude on lunch break comes up with immigration law...

[DrTuner]

So .. looks like they've started requiring more paperwork for retirement extensions. I saw that one coming.

The marriage extension is a bit of a hassle with all the paperwork, but luckily the papers needed don't change that often. I expect photos of the house, same day copies of bank books, etc come into the retirement regime as well.

Now it seems just a matter of time before they start cracking down on the schools used to get an ED visa. The army is putting on the squeeze.

What more paperwork?

When i extended my non o to retirement i had to do this

1. My passport

2. Statement from my ambassade with income over 65000 bath Month

3. Draw map to my place where i live

4. One Photo

5. 1900 baht

6. had to sign 2 places, the rest was done by the immigration officer

About 30 min and i was out. absolutely good service

Apparently the map is new in some immigration offices, introduced recently. Well and this new paper to sign, of course.

BTW the reason a retirement extension can be had in 30 mins and it takes 30 days to get one for marriage is because in the marriage case the papers get routed to BKK for rubber stamping. Let's hope that won't happen to the retirement extensions, it would completely clog the system.

Edited July 8, 2014 by DrTuner

[Chao Lao Beach]

I think this is great news, it cost many folks more than 20,000B a year to do it legal. 90 days is enough for people who slip up with double entry tourist visas..

[jpeg]

To obtain a Non-Imm "O" visa based on marriage, you've always had to provide a map of your house and photos of yourself and wife outside it, clearly showing the house number. Morons on this site do not read the post properly. LEGAL stay is allowed, OVERSTAY is not. How difficult is this to understand???

I.Didn't.

[umbanda]

Sorry to go off at a slight tangent guys, and apologies if this has all been covered elsewhere, but here is my question.

I have a retirement extension from Chonburi (Jomtien) and currently report my address in Pattaya. I intend to move to Bangkok soon.

Where do I do my 90 day reporting in future? At the office that issued the visa extension or the nearest office to my new address?

I can cope with either situation, but don't want to make a long treck and then get 'bounced'.

All information/advice gratefully received. Thanks in advance.

The nearest office will be the next stop for any thing related with immigration...starting with the registration of your new address ASAP.

[jpeg]

I think this is great news, it cost many folks more than 20,000B a year to do it legal. 90 days is enough for people who slip up with double entry tourist visas..

And that affected you how? Exactly?

[metisdead]

Troll posts and replies have been removed.

[thaibeachlovers]

So what happens if you just overstay for 3 days, due to travel delays or some unforeseen circumstances? Can you still pay 1500 baht fine and re-enter?

Or is a 1 day, or 2 day overstay deemed as a major issue and results in a 1 year ban?

Good question. I have asked this question on other threads and forums, haven't had an answer yet, despite all smug guys saying stuff like íf you can't do the time, don't do the crime. Easy to imagine an emergency situation where you can't get that flight on a Sunday or a Friday, I see no appeals process, and nobody has seen fit to answer this matter either, if there was I can imagine that if there were you would find yourself in an immigration cell for at least a few days, if you didn't have any money (which would be another reason why some people are on over stay) even longer, no bail. So some people on overstay will be in constant dread of betrayal, not wishing to get a 5 or 10 year ban obviously, leaving their lady, home, children, animals, life style behind from one day to the next.

I am thinking that more crack downs are on their way and that a lot of hitherto smug people aren't going to like them very much.

It's only a crime if you don't report in that you have overstayed. If you do report in, no "penalty" applies till you reach 90 days, when it's 5 year ban.

( According to post on Lonely Planet Thai forum ).

[jpeg]

As mentioned before this is good for Thailand, because genuine tourists, visitors, businessmen and women will still come.

[MJCM]

So what happens if you just overstay for 3 days, due to travel delays or some unforeseen circumstances? Can you still pay 1500 baht fine and re-enter?

Or is a 1 day, or 2 day overstay deemed as a major issue and results in a 1 year ban?

Good question. I have asked this question on other threads and forums, haven't had an answer yet, despite all smug guys saying stuff like íf you can't do the time, don't do the crime. Easy to imagine an emergency situation where you can't get that flight on a Sunday or a Friday, I see no appeals process, and nobody has seen fit to answer this matter either, if there was I can imagine that if there were you would find yourself in an immigration cell for at least a few days, if you didn't have any money (which would be another reason why some people are on over stay) even longer, no bail. So some people on overstay will be in constant dread of betrayal, not wishing to get a 5 or 10 year ban obviously, leaving their lady, home, children, animals, life style behind from one day to the next.

I am thinking that more crack downs are on their way and that a lot of hitherto smug people aren't going to like them very much.

It's only a crime if you don't report in that you have overstayed. If you do report in, no "penalty" applies till you reach 90 days, when it's 5 year ban.

( According to post on Lonely Planet Thai forum ).

LINK please.

Sent from my iPad so Please excuse any typos

[stoli]

When you make an extension of stay being Retirement,Married with thai lady etc.Between the paper work you have to have a map pointing to where is your house.

It have been for ages this requirement

Nonsense. Never had to do this for my Retirement renewals. Just renewed it again 6 days ago.

Edited July 8, 2014 by stoli

[MJCM]

When you make an extension of stay being Retirement,Married with thai lady etc.Between the paper work you have to have a map pointing to where is your house.

It have been for ages this requirement

Nonsense. Never had to do this for my Retirement renewals. Just renewed it again 6 days ago.

It used to be for marriage extension only but it seems to be that it is coming into effect for other extensions (like retirement) also

And nowadays 6 days in Thailand seems ages ago, with all the changes going on

Sent from my iPad so Please excuse any typos

Edited July 8, 2014 by MJCM

[chrisinth]

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So what happens if you just overstay for 3 days, due to travel delays or some unforeseen circumstances? Can you still pay 1500 baht fine and re-enter?

Or is a 1 day, or 2 day overstay deemed as a major issue and results in a 1 year ban?

Good question. I have asked this question on other threads and forums, haven't had an answer yet, despite all smug guys saying stuff like íf you can't do the time, don't do the crime. Easy to imagine an emergency situation where you can't get that flight on a Sunday or a Friday, I see no appeals process, and nobody has seen fit to answer this matter either, if there was I can imagine that if there were you would find yourself in an immigration cell for at least a few days, if you didn't have any money (which would be another reason why some people are on over stay) even longer, no bail. So some people on overstay will be in constant dread of betrayal, not wishing to get a 5 or 10 year ban obviously, leaving their lady, home, children, animals, life style behind from one day to the next.

I am thinking that more crack downs are on their way and that a lot of hitherto smug people aren't going to like them very much.

It's only a crime if you don't report in that you have overstayed. If you do report in, no "penalty" applies till you reach 90 days, when it's 5 year ban.

( According to post on Lonely Planet Thai forum ).

So, according to that (from what i can read) we have gone from a possible 5 year blacklist for being 1 day overstay if apprehended (taking the words literally) to a 90 day grace period for anyone who wants to overstay that long and doesn't get stopped?

I think i will wait for the fine tweaking of the actual procedure before commenting further.................

[chrisinth]

I can't quite figure out why this (so far) has been addressed to people who have been following the immigration rules anyway for extensions of stay. Basically, to people who do have a basic clue as to what is right and what is wrong with visa issues in Thailand.

I can forsee this being an additional document given by embassies and consulates for any visa issued and retained with the application papers. How they will get the signature from people arriving on visa exemption, i don't know how they would go about that.

I know it is early days, and the full picture isn't yet available, but it seems strange how they are going about it, IMHO. If the purpose of the exercise is to stop long term overstayers, I think they are addressing the wrong audience.

Just Sayin'........................

[score keeper]

$400/year no further BS involved cambodian visa is becoming more and more attractive by the day

Edited July 8, 2014 by score keeper

[MJCM]

$400/year no further BS involved cambodian visa is becoming more and more attractive by the day

Because of that the government are implementing a Ban when overstaying your visa, Cambodia seems like a good idea ???

No Thanks.

Ps: I am paying 1900 THB (and some photocopies which I do for free at home) and for that amount I can stay a whole year legally in Thailand

Sent from my iPad so Please excuse any typos

[Suradit69]

Sorry to go off at a slight tangent guys, and apologies if this has all been covered elsewhere, but here is my question.

I have a retirement extension from Chonburi (Jomtien) and currently report my address in Pattaya. I intend to move to Bangkok soon.

Where do I do my 90 day reporting in future? At the office that issued the visa extension or the nearest office to my new address?

I can cope with either situation, but don't want to make a long treck and then get 'bounced'.

All information/advice gratefully received. Thanks in advance.

You can do your 90 day report at any office BUT you need to advise the "new" Immigration Office of your change of address in a timely manner or they will fine you for failing to do so.

You should do the report at the office that services your area of residence. You need to supply proof of residence, in some cases when doing the report and in some cases when you apply for your next extension. Once you have proof of your new address, you should use that and report to the office that services your area.

If your legal address is in Bangkok and you have proof that your address is in Bangkok, you will not be dealt with at Jomtien. If you carry on using your old, no longer valid address in order to report at Jomtien, then you are submitting false information.

Edited July 8, 2014 by Suradit69

[cmiuc]

I wonder how all this will be when ASEAN Comunity begins to run in 2015...

BKK IMMIGration lines will grow longer with all of these procedures... seems like they should do a bit more online reporting, specially on this 90 day thing..they can get all the info they need and want without having all the tie ups at these offices.

[FredNL]

It's gonna be pretty quiet in Thailand with all the overstaying foreigners deported.

[atsiii]

My confusion and question relates to accidental overstay of just a few days. Once it happened to me that my re-entry was mis-stamped, and as I was leaving at the airport I was fined 1000 baht for two days overstay. My mistake was to have not checked the date at the Cambodian border because I had done all the mental math and knew I was okay. Lesson learned. The two day fine was incidental and there were no negative ramifications.

But in reading the first article about this crackdown, it shows that if you "present" yourself and the overstay is less than 90 days, there is no blacklisting. So my question is: if you are leaving at the airport and don't realize you have overstayed two days, does that count as being "apprehended" and result in an automatic blacklisting, or does it count as "presenting oneself?"

[MJCM]

It's gonna be pretty quiet in Thailand with all the overstaying foreigners deported.

It already is quiet

Sent from my iPad so Please excuse any typos

[Carrerakiss]

Sorry to go off at a slight tangent guys, and apologies if this has all been covered elsewhere, but here is my question.

I have a retirement extension from Chonburi (Jomtien) and currently report my address in Pattaya. I intend to move to Bangkok soon.

Where do I do my 90 day reporting in future? At the office that issued the visa extension or the nearest office to my new address?

I can cope with either situation, but don't want to make a long treck and then get 'bounced'.

All information/advice gratefully received. Thanks in advance.

I got my retirement visa in Phuket and have done 90 day reports in Nong Khai (before Udon office was open) and recently in Udon. The Nong Khai office was a bit reluctant to accept the report and I had to talk them into it, the Udon office has never been a problem.

But, the Udon office refused to renew my retirement visa. They said I had to go to Phuket as they issued previous ones. I did go to Phuket and they said there was no reason Udon couldn't have done it. So some grey area on this and it seems to be more or less dependent on each office.

As an aside, on another occasion I went to Udon immigration for an address confirmation letter and gave them a ton of documents (Thai drivers license, utility bills, Singapore ID card) proving my address was in Phuket. They refused to issue a confirmation letter for a Phuket address and asked if I had an address in Udon. I gave them my mother in laws address and they issued a confirmation letter for that address no questions asked. Despite my having given them documents proving I lived in Phuket, just two minutes earlier!

[Carrerakiss]

I understand what is going on in terms of new forms, google maps etc.

What I don't understand is two things:

1. Why have a form that acknowledges that you understand a law? The law is the law and if you transgress you get punished. Signing a form in advance does not/ should not make any difference.

2. How does asking those who visit immigration offices in order to comply with the law, to carry out additional paperwork (however easy), help catch and punish overstayers?

Up to the Thai immigration how they want to do things, I'll happily comply. But I can't help but think they are coming at the overstay thing from the wrong angle. Not the penalties, they're fine, but in terms of catching overstayers.

[metisdead]

My confusion and question relates to accidental overstay of just a few days. Once it happened to me that my re-entry was mis-stamped, and as I was leaving at the airport I was fined 1000 baht for two days overstay. My mistake was to have not checked the date at the Cambodian border because I had done all the mental math and knew I was okay. Lesson learned. The two day fine was incidental and there were no negative ramifications.

But in reading the first article about this crackdown, it shows that if you "present" yourself and the overstay is less than 90 days, there is no blacklisting. So my question is: if you are leaving at the airport and don't realize you have overstayed two days, does that count as being "apprehended" and result in an automatic blacklisting, or does it count as "presenting oneself?"

Being apprehended would be getting caught before you got to the airport, when you arrive at the airport and present yourself at the immigration desk for stamp out of the country and they tell you you have overstayed would be classed as presenting yourself, and no problem.

[mrtoad]

There have always been issues with being apprehended as far as I understood, with the likely hood of a trip to IDC and deportation.

[paz]

I understand what is going on in terms of new forms, google maps etc.

What I don't understand is two things:

1. Why have a form that acknowledges that you understand a law? The law is the law and if you transgress you get punished. Signing a form in advance does not/ should not make any difference.

2. How does asking those who visit immigration offices in order to comply with the law, to carry out additional paperwork (however easy), help catch and punish overstayers?

Are you trying to read into or second guess Thai bureaucracy logic? Especially the one of an high rank Immigration official ? They probably tough that "is good" to let any foreigner know. And one more paper / signature won't hurt, there is no paper reduction initiative in Thai bureaucracy. By the way, by thei own immigration official statemets, it is not law yet, because it has to be approved by the Ministry of Interior (I could post links to sources but will not). May be that's the Thai way to let the ones that need to pay their fines and re-enter with no other consequence, do it right now.

Edited July 8, 2014 by paz

[george]

BREAKING

Thai Immigration officially confirms and clarifies overstay crackdown

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/741109-immigration-clarifies-and-confirms-overstay-crackdown/