Overstayers with Family

[AlexDorneles]

Since getting married to a Thai doesn't give you the right to work in Thailand this could very well happen. I think it is ridiculous that even after marring a Thai and having kids this government doesn't let the foreigner work to support his family.

[ubonjoe]

Since getting married to a Thai doesn't give you the right to work in Thailand this could very well happen. I think it is ridiculous that even after marring a Thai and having kids this government doesn't let the foreigner work to support his family.

A person married to a Thai or that is the parent of a Thai child can get a work permit and work with a non-o visa or an extension of stay based upon marriage.

[larsjohnsson]

Since getting married to a Thai doesn't give you the right to work in Thailand this could very well happen. I think it is ridiculous that even after marring a Thai and having kids this government doesn't let the foreigner work to support his family.

Of course you can work and support your family. The problem is that many people here with wife and children are too lazy to work. You can do it if you like to work

[JLCrab]

Since getting married to a Thai doesn't give you the right to work in Thailand this could very well happen. I think it is ridiculous that even after marring a Thai and having kids this government doesn't let the foreigner work to support his family.

A person married to a Thai or that is the parent of a Thai child can get a work permit and work with a non-o visa or an extension of stay based upon marriage.

I will guess here he was not referring to the work permit issue but that so many occupations are prohibited to non-Thais.

[smotherb]

Overstayers are in a no win situation as it appears even if your honest enough to give yourself up you will still be deported and not allowed back in for a couple of years so I would imagine those who are on overstay will hope that they will not be caught. I would have thought that the Government would have given a 60/90 day period for all those on overstay to come forward ,pay the fine of 20,000 and apply for a new visa sadly this does not appear to be the case. Not everyone arrives in the Kingdom to overstay sometimes due to circumstances it happens . I have no doubt that there are those who know longer have a valid passport as they have been here so long on an overstay, I would suspect there are many 1,000s in the Kingdom who should not be here !

It has not started yet. They are awaiting approval form the interior ministry.

It seems they are giving a lot of advance notice and it may still have an effective date that will be announced later after approval.

A contact with Thai immigration says there is renewed discussion to increase the B20k fine for overstay--this was said over a few beers, so just add it to the pot

[MJCM]

Since getting married to a Thai doesn't give you the right to work in Thailand this could very well happen. I think it is ridiculous that even after marring a Thai and having kids this government doesn't let the foreigner work to support his family.

Of course you can work and support your family. The problem is that many people here with wife and children are too lazy to work. You can do it if you like to work

I would work, but no-one will hire me

[ubonjoe]

A contact with Thai immigration says there is renewed discussion to increase the B20k fine for overstay--this was said over a few beers, so just add it to the pot

That would require changing the immigration act that sets the max fine of 20K baht.

I don't think that is going to happen anytime soon since it has not been changed since 1979 when it was made a law.

[swissie]

There are many options for a person with a Thai family to avoid going on an overstay.

As mentioned there is the non-o multiple entry from Savannakhet.

Or the 60 day extension that be obtained with any entry including one from a border crossing.

Even a single entry non-o with the 60 day extension added on to the 90 day gives almost 5 months without needing to leave.

That will give him 5 months. After that? As I gather, this is exactly the type of visa, that immigration wants to phase out. Right?

Correct me if I am wrong, For the average retiree/long-term Farang there are only 2 Visa's that will hold water: Marriage or Retirement.

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Btw: The financial requirements = 400'000 Bht marriage / 800'000 Bht retirement have been in place for many a years. Inflation has not stood still. I would not be surprised, if the benchmark would be raised in the near future. If that should be in the pipeline = more grief on the way for a good number of Farangs.

Cheers.

[FritsSikkink]

I think some of the comments are not really fair. You can have a reasonably good pension – more than enough to look after your family without having 400,000 in the bank. Especially if you have a mortgage free property a paid car ,etc.

You don't need the 400000 in the bank, there is an option for reasonably pension too.

[ubonjoe]

There are many options for a person with a Thai family to avoid going on an overstay.

As mentioned there is the non-o multiple entry from Savannakhet.

Or the 60 day extension that be obtained with any entry including one from a border crossing.

Even a single entry non-o with the 60 day extension added on to the 90 day gives almost 5 months without needing to leave.

That will give him 5 months. After that? As I gather, this is exactly the type of visa, that immigration wants to phase out. Right?

Correct me if I am wrong, For the average retiree/long-term Farang there are only 2 Visa's that will hold water: Marriage or Retirement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Btw: The financial requirements = 400'000 Bht marriage / 800'000 Bht retirement have been in place for many a years. Inflation has not stood still. I would not be surprised, if the benchmark would be raised in the near future. If that should be in the pipeline = more grief on the way for a good number of Farangs.

Cheers.

After that 5 months they could do it all over again. Single entry non-o and 60 day extension.

I have heard or read nothing stating they are going to phase out any visas. What I suggested are all visas and extensions based upon marriage.

As far as the financial requirements being raised I doubt that very much they are both still well above what is really needed to live on.

[FritsSikkink]

If someone had a wife, and say three children, his house and car paid for, and a pension of 40.000 Baht per month, he would not meet the marriage extension requirements, don't forget, there is no combination, but could quite easily live on 40.000, per month.

Also, his wife could work, and as far as I know, any wage his wife was bringing in would not make any difference to the requirements for marriage extensions.

If he have 40k in pension he will meet the requirement

OK, even 30K would be enough living up country, don't forget there is no debt involved.

If you never have medical bills in the rest of your life, your children go to a government school (and learn not much), you don't have to repair the car (house) or buy a new one.

[Kaymcdonnell]

REmortgage the house

Well its not so cut and dried...

Lets say the person has worked fulltime on a work permit for a few years and then due to a fallout, lost his job and started just eeeking out a living that paid the rent and put food on the table with nothing left to do any form of travelling, let alone pay for a visa. He also had no outside family that gave a damn and friends who would occasionally help them out when even the food was hard to put on the table?

A situation like that could not be predicted and as much as many here would like to condemn a person like this... He has lived by the rules, got screwed by the rules and is in a dire situation due to the rules....

I would say that if that person doesn't have a "plan B" he shouldn't have a "few kids" and buy a house for a wife. There's always something that can go wrong with "Plan A."

[swissie]

There are many options for a person with a Thai family to avoid going on an overstay.

As mentioned there is the non-o multiple entry from Savannakhet.

Or the 60 day extension that be obtained with any entry including one from a border crossing.

Even a single entry non-o with the 60 day extension added on to the 90 day gives almost 5 months without needing to leave.

That will give him 5 months. After that? As I gather, this is exactly the type of visa, that immigration wants to phase out. Right?

Correct me if I am wrong, For the average retiree/long-term Farang there are only 2 Visa's that will hold water: Marriage or Retirement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Btw: The financial requirements = 400'000 Bht marriage / 800'000 Bht retirement have been in place for many a years. Inflation has not stood still. I would not be surprised, if the benchmark would be raised in the near future. If that should be in the pipeline = more grief on the way for a good number of Farangs.

Cheers.

After that 5 months they could do it all over again. Single entry non-o and 60 day extension.

I have heard or read nothing stating they are going to phase out any visas. What I suggested are all visas and extensions based upon marriage.

As far as the financial requirements being raised I doubt that very much they are both still well above what is really needed to live on.

Quote: "What I suggested are all visas and extensions based upon marriage."

Now I am a little bit confused. So far, I always thought, that when the term "marriage" enters a visa request, there would be no way around the 400'000 / 40'000 Bht per month minimum requirements

I may stand corrected.

Btw: The Savannakhet version of "no funds required" may well be history come tomorrow. = TIT.

Cheers..

[larsjohnsson]

There are many options for a person with a Thai family to avoid going on an overstay.

As mentioned there is the non-o multiple entry from Savannakhet.

Or the 60 day extension that be obtained with any entry including one from a border crossing.

Even a single entry non-o with the 60 day extension added on to the 90 day gives almost 5 months without needing to leave.

That will give him 5 months. After that? As I gather, this is exactly the type of visa, that immigration wants to phase out. Right?

Correct me if I am wrong, For the average retiree/long-term Farang there are only 2 Visa's that will hold water: Marriage or Retitement

You also have the non Immigrant O-A and O multiple visas. They are 12 months visas

[MJCM]

There are many options for a person with a Thai family to avoid going on an overstay.

As mentioned there is the non-o multiple entry from Savannakhet.

Or the 60 day extension that be obtained with any entry including one from a border crossing.

Even a single entry non-o with the 60 day extension added on to the 90 day gives almost 5 months without needing to leave.

That will give him 5 months. After that? As I gather, this is exactly the type of visa, that immigration wants to phase out. Right?

Correct me if I am wrong, For the average retiree/long-term Farang there are only 2 Visa's that will hold water: Marriage or Retitement

You also have the non Immigrant O-A and O multiple visas. They are 12 months visas

And on what basis can you get those visa ?

Sent from my iPad so Please excuse any typos

[larsjohnsson]

Just lok at any Thai embassy visa site and you get the qualification

[DrTuner]

Falling ill for extended period of time, losing a job, getting scammed .. lots of ways to lose the 40k/month / 400k/y funds, even after prolonged periods of living in Thailand. What happens then is you're doing visa runs until they too get banned, after which you're screwed and have to move out. Never run out of cash.

Unless you're a woman married to Thai. No financial requirements. So much for equality.

[MJCM]

Just lok at any Thai embassy visa site and you get the qualification

Marriage / Family and Retirement (and 1 for Voluntary work)

[moe666]

I guess if he can't afford to the stay in the country he should take his wife and kid home with him..? But yeah, I guess I agree with the OP's general point that too many people have kids without ever considering the long-term financial cost and the fact they will have to provide for them.

People do that every day world wide, I am back in the states at present and I see the have babies without thinking, oo for got thinking with the little head.

[moe666]

Falling ill for extended period of time, losing a job, getting scammed .. lots of ways to lose the 40k/month / 400k/y funds, even after prolonged periods of living in Thailand. What happens then is you're doing visa runs until they too get banned, after which you're screwed and have to move out. Never run out of cash.

Unless you're a woman married to Thai. No financial requirements. So much for equality.

Yes, there are lots of excuses for not planning ahead and using your head only for a hat rack

[DrTuner]

Falling ill for extended period of time, losing a job, getting scammed .. lots of ways to lose the 40k/month / 400k/y funds, even after prolonged periods of living in Thailand. What happens then is you're doing visa runs until they too get banned, after which you're screwed and have to move out. Never run out of cash.

Unless you're a woman married to Thai. No financial requirements. So much for equality.

Yes, there are lots of excuses for not planning ahead and using your head only for a hat rack

If you've never had a plan go wrong, you're very young or very lucky. I'm fairly lucky myself, but I'm not getting any younger.

[Brunus]

To the OP

The Human Rights Declaration states " The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State." Basically kicking you out of the country because you got no money is against your wife's and children's rights, because they have the right to stay in their country with their husband/father even if you are not able to economically support them.

You can find more details about the meaning of this in here http://www.hrea.org/index.php?base_id=158

Maybe some Human Rights organizations can help you.

In any case good luck to you and your family

[JLCrab]

The above link mentions:

The family unit can be made vulnerable to social, economic, and political pressures. Human rights law seeks to bolster the family unit by specifying state obligations to keep families together and to reunify them when they have become separated e.g. as a result of refugee crises ...

So while one can maybe make a case that one is being separated from one's family due to economic pressures, one might have a hard time making a legal/diplomatic case that one is being deprived of basic human rights because one cannot meet the minimum financial requirements offered to those aliens who wish to remain in another country with one's family while getting in queue behind those who are refugees, falsely arrested and imprisoned, deported for political opposition, etc.

[malcoml]

He could do what I did after seeing the writing on the wall.

I moved my wife and family back to my own country. Now my careers back on track, my wife has a job, and my son is in good education.

They don't want us there anymore so we need to get over that.

[manonthemon]

Me and my girlfriends, (non Thai) stay and work in Thailand legally, few years already. We earn about 40k each, rent a house, have a pretty old, second hand car. We have a young baby too.

We work quite hard and long hours and we managed to save some money, still far from what Thai immigration or many people here consider enough to live on. Yet somehow we do and quite happily.

Still, I can easily imagine a situation, when one of us loses the job or is between jobs. Then what? No more visa runs, people with tourist visas refused entrance to the country, harshly punished overstays...things get complicated.

Obey the rules people say. I do but still don't feel secure. Go back to your country they say. Not as easy as it sounds, my girlfriend wan't get a long term european visa, at least not right away, and moving from one continent to another, leaving all our lives and friends behind is not exactly what we wish for. This is all theoretical, we are good for now, but things might go south just about anytime.

[smotherb]

A contact with Thai immigration says there is renewed discussion to increase the B20k fine for overstay--this was said over a few beers, so just add it to the pot

That would require changing the immigration act that sets the max fine of 20K baht.

I don't think that is going to happen anytime soon since it has not been changed since 1979 when it was made a law.

Yes, it may take a legal change to the immigration statutes. However, what I was told was there has been renewed talk of increasing the max fine. Let's face it, B20k in 1979, is not the same as B20k today.

[ThaidDown]

A contact with Thai immigration says there is renewed discussion to increase the B20k fine for overstay--this was said over a few beers, so just add it to the pot

That would require changing the immigration act that sets the max fine of 20K baht.

I don't think that is going to happen anytime soon since it has not been changed since 1979 when it was made a law.

Yes, it may take a legal change to the immigration statutes. However, what I was told was there has been renewed talk of increasing the max fine. Let's face it, B20k in 1979, is not the same as B20k today.

Also it is not in line with the overstay rate/day. I assume that in 1979 the overstay rate was 100 baht /day ( it certainly was in the mid eighties). So at that time the maximum fine was equal to 200 days overstay. So the equivalent today would be 100,000 baht.

[lazygourmet]

A contact with Thai immigration says there is renewed discussion to increase the B20k fine for overstay--this was said over a few beers, so just add it to the pot

That would require changing the immigration act that sets the max fine of 20K baht.

I don't think that is going to happen anytime soon since it has not been changed since 1979 when it was made a law.

Yes, it may take a legal change to the immigration statutes. However, what I was told was there has been renewed talk of increasing the max fine. Let's face it, B20k in 1979, is not the same as B20k today.

They do already increased overstay fine in the past, I think that previously it was 200/day.

Regarding the maximum fine, I've heard -from time to time- that they were simply planning to set no more limit.

[Pattaya46]

They do already increased overstay fine in the past, I think that previously it was 200/day.

Right, but the limit was already 20'000 baht then.

When they increased the daily-fine to 500 baht they didn't increase the 20k limit.

A 50k limit (or 45k = 90 days * 500) would be logical today.

[swissie]

To the OP

The Human Rights Declaration states " The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State." Basically kicking you out of the country because you got no money is against your wife's and children's rights, because they have the right to stay in their country with their husband/father even if you are not able to economically support them.

You can find more details about the meaning of this in here http://www.hrea.org/index.php?base_id=158

Maybe some Human Rights organizations can help you.

In any case good luck to you and your family

Fortunately, as the OP, it does not concern me.

- Above link. Thanks. Unfortunately the Thais don't give a rat's ass about such matters.

- For official long-term visa info's go here:

http://www.mfa.go.th/main/en/services/123/15385-Non-Immigrant-Visa-%22O-A%22-%28Long-Stay%29.html

Cheers.