Thailand Immigration confirms new overstay rules are now official

[John1thru10]

Funny how people like to point out western countries blacklist over stayers too but never mention you CANNOT over stay a visa if you are married to a citizen in the west because you don't need one. You will be given residency.

Furthermore, if we are now into obeying laws, there is a little matter of international human rights law and not splitting up families. That would be a good law to start obeying.

I overstayed a year and half in France - I went to turn myself in, and they said they couldn't care less. No fines, no anything. I was brought to Paris as a guest of the mayor's office - even they didn't bother to get me the right visa to begin with, because they said it didn't matter.

I overstayed in Berlin (Schengen region) a year, and traveled all over Europe from there by airport the whole time. No fines, no anything.

I overstayed in Poland by 4 months, the officer said when I was leaving, 'What were you doing here all this time?' (4 months + 3 months automatic), and I explained I was working as an artist. Ok. No fines, no anything.

Thailand visa rules are what they are. We get it. But it's so tiresome to read that false meme here, that 'all other countries are stricter!'...it's just not true.

What a wonderful story, and that's all it is

Ha ha yes we are many people thinking the same. 3-4 stories like this in every thread....ha ha

I'm sorry that you guys are so bitter, but that's just the facts as I've experienced them. You wanna' know what Uma Thurman is like when she's drunk off her ass? Not everyone works all their life at some boring desk job, and then retires to SE Asia for the rest of it.

Edited July 22, 2014 by John1thru10

[beautifulthailand99]

Normally immigration will not check on the way to the airport. But I suspect that if they see that you have a ticket out and plan to leave and deal with the overstay they will just allow you to go to the airport.

Deportation would be a lot of unnesecarry paperwork.

While I strongly agree that you should always keep a low profile if you are an overstayer, since when is Thailand a police state that performs random inspection of foreigner's documents like during the Nazi Germany era or the Cold War? What do ordinary police know about reading a foreigner's passport stamps with everything in English (why aren't Thai stamps in Thai when English isn't the local language - Chinese stamps are in Chinese so why don't the Thais do the same with their stamps)? Go figure that one out...anyway, I digress.

Not to mention that the vast majority of local police aren't immigration officers nor do they have the same powers as immigration officers (please correct me if I'm wrong, but I would be highly surprised if I were). As I said I understand the need to be careful when one has overstayed, but please tell me an instance of random passport inspections? All I can think of IF they happened is that racial profiling would be used as the motive and that's a dangerous precedent that Thailand should not start following - many of us have heard about the outrage a law in Arizona has made on this issue. The reality of course is that random inspections DON'T commonly occur in Thailand - they may legitimately occur as part of an immigration sweep where someone made a tip-off to immigration (and that's when they can be justified). This is the normal procedure in most normal countries - you can't just hassle foreigners and ask them for ID without good cause to suspect they have done something wrong. I know this principle is not followed down in lower Suk, although with the number of drug traders, foreign prostitutes down there plying their trade, that's not unexpected but elsewhere I think it's unacceptable and unjustifiable.

Fortunately however, it's mostly scaremongering expats that try to get us all to believe that all police everywhere throughout the country are going to ask for our passports. As you say they aren't going to check on the way to the airport - besides, when was the last time you saw a roadblock on the Bangkok-Chonburi motorway with the specific task of asking to see everyone's passport to catch potential overstayers?! And even if there was ever a time when police would ask to see a passport, most likely they won't be able to read your name, look at anything than the front page of your passport to ascertain your identity and ask a Thai speaking person nearby for an explanation of what's contained within.

In the last 20 years I've stayed something like 2 years in Thailand and never been subject to a stop and search EVER.

[paz]

Is this rule going to apply for children as well?

The law for children over seven is the same as adults.

No, it is not. There is no fine for kids under 15, and there is to see if there will be ban.

[Pattszero]

Is this rule going to apply for children as well?

The law for children over seven is the same as adults.

No, it is not. There is no fine for kids under 15, and there is to see if there will be ban.

The last time Iooked it was no fine under seven.

[paz]

Am I reading this correctly...if apprehended on even a 1 day overstay, in land, you will be banned for 5 years?

Your reading it incorrectly. As are many others.

He's reading correctly. You're the one unable to understand it.

[MJCM]

Is this rule going to apply for children as well?

The law for children over seven is the same as adults.

No, it is not. There is no fine for kids under 15, and there is to see if there will be ban.

The last time Iooked it was no fine under seven.

Looked where?

Look here.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/666482-where-is-the-law-about-kids-overstay/?p=6803403

Sent from my iPad so Please excuse any typos

[BradinAsia]

In the case that alien is being apprehended

Overstay less than 1 year forbidden 5 years

Overstay more than 1 years forbidden 10 years

So,,, a 1 day overstay, aren't you technically, "apprehended" by immigrations at the airport?,, You're banned for 5 years?

Evidently, you havent read most of the preceeding 26 posts...

Edited July 22, 2014 by BradinAsia

[Bulldozer Dawn]

So I am on a B visa or an O visa, have a wife and kids, house, business, cars and motorbikes and have lived here for more than twenty years with a perfect and compliant visa history.

I am driving to the airport to fly out and fall violently ill with food poisoning, or have an accident, or there is a traffic jam, or a vehicle breakdown, or a protest or (insert any one of a million other things that can cause you to lose a day in Thailand).

I finally arrive at airport immigration with a one day overstay and the officer that I have to deal with is behind on the repayments on his gik's fortuna and has a sizeable lingering debt owed to a loan shark because he backed Brazil against Germany. He asks for 50,000 THB to deal with the overstay. I refuse and am subsequently apprehended and barred from seeing my family for five years.

Am I missing something?

[toooa]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Normally immigration will not check on the way to the airport. But I suspect that if they see that you have a ticket out and plan to leave and deal with the overstay they will just allow you to go to the airport.

Deportation would be a lot of unnesecarry paperwork.

If, some how, someway, the person is stopped by the police and it is seen in their passport they have overstayed then the police can and will often enough make the arrest right there.

However , everyone knows that money talks so get ready to pay your way out of it...although it may be a heftier sum as compared to the lax rules of yester year.

Cheers

I don't imagine anyone with a massive overstay would make a habit of bringing their passport everywhere with them....

[MJCM]

So I am on a B visa or an O visa, have a wife and kids, house, business, cars and motorbikes and have lived here for more than twenty years with a perfect and compliant visa history.

I am driving to the airport to fly out and fall violently ill with food poisoning, or have an accident, or there is a traffic jam, or a vehicle breakdown, or a protest or (insert any one of a million other things that can cause you to lose a day in Thailand).

I finally arrive at airport immigration with a one day overstay and the officer that I have to deal with is behind on the repayments on his gik's fortuna and has a sizeable lingering debt owed to a loan shark because he backed Brazil against Germany. He asks for 50,000 THB to deal with the overstay. I refuse and am subsequently apprehended and barred from seeing my family for five years.

Am I missing something?

If you have a business, cars etc you could easily pay the 50k is my guess.

But in whole honesty, that scenario isnt likely to happen if you arrive at airport immigration, but could happen if you get caught before reaching the airport

Sent from my iPad so Please excuse any typos

Edited July 22, 2014 by MJCM

[Pattszero]

@paz - Comical that you post to a link where the member states that the "internal regulation" has never been published.

Go find a link that states it's over fifteen and you'll get a shock when you discover the truth.

[Tomtomtom69]

Normally immigration will not check on the way to the airport. But I suspect that if they see that you have a ticket out and plan to leave and deal with the overstay they will just allow you to go to the airport.

Deportation would be a lot of unnesecarry paperwork.

While I strongly agree that you should always keep a low profile if you are an overstayer, since when is Thailand a police state that performs random inspection of foreigner's documents like during the Nazi Germany era or the Cold War? What do ordinary police know about reading a foreigner's passport stamps with everything in English (why aren't Thai stamps in Thai when English isn't the local language - Chinese stamps are in Chinese so why don't the Thais do the same with their stamps)? Go figure that one out...anyway, I digress.

Not to mention that the vast majority of local police aren't immigration officers nor do they have the same powers as immigration officers (please correct me if I'm wrong, but I would be highly surprised if I were). As I said I understand the need to be careful when one has overstayed, but please tell me an instance of random passport inspections? All I can think of IF they happened is that racial profiling would be used as the motive and that's a dangerous precedent that Thailand should not start following - many of us have heard about the outrage a law in Arizona has made on this issue. The reality of course is that random inspections DON'T commonly occur in Thailand - they may legitimately occur as part of an immigration sweep where someone made a tip-off to immigration (and that's when they can be justified). This is the normal procedure in most normal countries - you can't just hassle foreigners and ask them for ID without good cause to suspect they have done something wrong. I know this principle is not followed down in lower Suk, although with the number of drug traders, foreign prostitutes down there plying their trade, that's not unexpected but elsewhere I think it's unacceptable and unjustifiable.

Fortunately however, it's mostly scaremongering expats that try to get us all to believe that all police everywhere throughout the country are going to ask for our passports. As you say they aren't going to check on the way to the airport - besides, when was the last time you saw a roadblock on the Bangkok-Chonburi motorway with the specific task of asking to see everyone's passport to catch potential overstayers?! And even if there was ever a time when police would ask to see a passport, most likely they won't be able to read your name, look at anything than the front page of your passport to ascertain your identity and ask a Thai speaking person nearby for an explanation of what's contained within.

I agree with you too on the IDC issue and that is certainly one mess of a place where no one wants to end up. However, the point I was trying to make is what does it take to even get to the point of being caught and then arrested for being on overstay? It is legitimate to tip-off the authorities about a suspected overstayer (just watch Australia's Border Security to see what I mean - in at least one episode some Thai illegal workers and/or overstayers were caught in Adelaide I believe), but I think there has to be some kind of oversight to prevent random, unsolicited inspections of foreigners documents for no other reason other than to suspect them of something they most likely haven't committed. Relatively few foreigners (with the possible exception of Burmese, Lao and Cambodians) are overstayers though with the many confessions and reports on TV you'd almost think otherwise.

And OK there is always the possibility that one or two foreigners will actually be an overstayer in such instances of random checks (if they occur), but to go to the trouble of spending time and resources on using racial profiling to pull over foreigners and checking their documents is nothing more than racist and needs to be condemned in the strongest terms. Note that I am not accusing Thailand of operating this way on a regular basis because out of all my experiences here, including very regular travel by road to all corners of the country (almost always by car) i have very, very rarely come across any sort of random checks like that. The vast majority of road blocks anywhere in the country are to check for drugs; occasionally for drivers licences, random breath tests and generally other contraband.

That being said DON'T go on overstay because by doing so you have broken a law and could be caught out. Even though it's unlikely you'll be randomly inspected, in the end if you show up at say a land border (or perhaps even an airport) with an overstay at this sensitive time with martial law and a coup in place and everything you could find yourself arrested right then and there. But in doing so you will have voluntarily presented yourself to the authorities, rather than being profiled for a random inspection especially since in most parts of the country outside of the tourist/expat areas, foreigners, although not uncommon are still not around in such large numbers to the point that the police would be expecting them to come through town, ready for them to catch you and say: "ah, we've been expecting you!"

[MJCM]

@paz - Comical that you post to a link where the member states that the "internal regulation" has never been published.

Go find a link that states it's over fifteen and you'll get a shock when you discover the truth.

Paz didnt post it, I did.

Lets see some links, as you said you seen them.

And here a quote from another post from that link

"We overstayed 2 days last visit. I asked if there would be trouble in future and he was nice enough. "Only if you don't pay fine, and two days is not very much" "And my daughter?" "No fine for children, not their fault if they over stay, parents fault"

And another one

"kids under 15 years dont pa any fine for overstay, i just bring my son to airport he had 20 days overstay and even the flight accompaniment who take over him, told me no problem, he went thru imigration took, 1 minute, my son is 12 years old, "

Sent from my iPad so Please excuse any typos

[zydeco]

Thank God! Finally the rule of law in Thailand. I have been here 6 years and many years in other countries and never missed a filing for 90 day residency or renewal of my Retirement Visa and nobody else should be exempt as well. Every other country provides even stiffer penalties for overstays, like being Blacklisted. Play by the rules of law or suffer the penalties. We are a "guest" in Thailand so it is their rules and not ours. Don't like it, then move. Simple.

Well, you're a good boy, aren't you? Wanna cookie? --I'm trying to read this thread for information, and it's so full of people like you bragging on themselves that it's getting tiresome. Give yourself a gold star or something and pipe down.

[Thighlander]

I used to have to frequently produce my passport at checkpoints going to MaeSai from Chiang Mai. Also, was in a noodle shop in Chiang Rai, and approached by a group of Bib. They looked closely at my passport. "You're a day early!" that was in 2006, and it appears that they were looking for overstayers to squeeze. People have been sent to IDC after being dragged off the visa run bus.....rare, but it did happen. I'm 50 now, and actually have the 800K in the bank.

The thinning of the circus pants crowd has already been noticeable. Good riddance. If I was 10 years younger, I would be in Cambodia, or even Mexico. Making 20 per hour and having a paid for house in America was pretty decent, too. Those Africans need to start acting better on the bus, though.

[sickntired]

So I am on an overstay but I booked a ticket out of the country as soon as I heard about the blacklisting. Unfortunately the flight is tomorrow morning. It's probably wise to not go now right? This is rather unfortunate

[FritsSikkink]

Funny how people like to point out western countries blacklist over stayers too but never mention you CANNOT over stay a visa if you are married to a citizen in the west because you don't need one. You will be given residency.

Furthermore, if we are now into obeying laws, there is a little matter of international human rights law and not splitting up families. That would be a good law to start obeying.

I overstayed a year and half in France - I went to turn myself in, and they said they couldn't care less. No fines, no anything. I was brought to Paris as a guest of the mayor's office - even they didn't bother to get me the right visa to begin with, because they said it didn't matter.

I overstayed in Berlin (Schengen region) a year, and traveled all over Europe from there by airport the whole time. No fines, no anything.

I overstayed in Poland by 4 months, the officer said when I was leaving, 'What were you doing here all this time?' (4 months + 3 months automatic), and I explained I was working as an artist. Ok. No fines, no anything.

Thailand visa rules are what they are. We get it. But it's so tiresome to read that false meme here, that 'all other countries are stricter!'...it's just not true.

What a wonderful story, and that's all it is

Sorry you can't deal with it, but it's just factual.

No facts, just a story.

[BradinAsia]

_{You guys that overstay will not like this !!}

_{I did two Border Runs to Cambodia and one to Laos in 2004 when I first arrived.now having done that paying for the trips taking away three days from doing something else I decided it was time to go about this the right way. Got a Non-Immigrate O Visa, at the end of th a year obtained a Retirement Extension which I have done every year since. Not fun and cost 4,000THB every year.}

_{So, I guess there are a few reasons for Overstay (1) Too cheap to pay your dues for living here. (2) Can not afford to pay the fees (3) Just love running to the Border every month or two.}

_{For what ever reason you have stiffed Thailand for the fee and they are tired. Take whatever number you want, as to how many Farang live here multiply by 1,900 or 3,800THB and you see why they want to stop it.}

I would be happy to pay 4000/month or 50.000/year for a legal and hassle & worry free yearly visa, with minimum amount of paperwork.

It's not as easy for all of us as you might think.

You can do it for a lot less than 4,000 baht/month.

I'm retired, my non-Thai wife and I stay here legally with a proper visa -- Non-O visa for purpose of retirement.

Note: Most folks call this a retirement visa -- the passport has a big red "RETIREMENT" stamp in it. But some

TV members insist that technically there is no Thai retirement visa. So I don't call it a retirement visa on TV.

We don't do any 90 day reports and only go to immigration once a year. I use a reputable agency that offers

visa assistance. The agency is run by a competent and fully licensed and qualified Aussie attorney.

Contrary to the opinion of some TVers, this service is all legal and above board. The total cost including the

immigration fees, the processing, doing the 90 day reporting for us, comes to about 1,500 baht/month each.

This is what I call "minimum amount of paperwork" and minimum hassle. I pay the fees and sign my name.

[paz]

@paz - Comical that you post to a link where the member states that the "internal regulation" has never been published.

Go find a link that states it's over fifteen and you'll get a shock when you discover the truth.

I didn't post any link... but the "member" you're referring to is actually a Moderator.

Hopefully it was not an "ancient link" like you accused while climbing on mirrors to demonstrate Buddha knows what about IATA travel requirements database.

Anyway, we won't tamper again with you infinite knowledge... that is in fact show wrong just two posting above this.

[paz]

No facts, just a story.

A true story. EU doesn't care about overstay.

[John1thru10]

Funny how people like to point out western countries blacklist over stayers too but never mention you CANNOT over stay a visa if you are married to a citizen in the west because you don't need one. You will be given residency.

Furthermore, if we are now into obeying laws, there is a little matter of international human rights law and not splitting up families. That would be a good law to start obeying.

I overstayed a year and half in France - I went to turn myself in, and they said they couldn't care less. No fines, no anything. I was brought to Paris as a guest of the mayor's office - even they didn't bother to get me the right visa to begin with, because they said it didn't matter.

I overstayed in Berlin (Schengen region) a year, and traveled all over Europe from there by airport the whole time. No fines, no anything.

I overstayed in Poland by 4 months, the officer said when I was leaving, 'What were you doing here all this time?' (4 months + 3 months automatic), and I explained I was working as an artist. Ok. No fines, no anything.

Thailand visa rules are what they are. We get it. But it's so tiresome to read that false meme here, that 'all other countries are stricter!'...it's just not true.

What a wonderful story, and that's all it is

Sorry you can't deal with it, but it's just factual.

No facts, just a story.

No, it's not a story. It's just what happened. But hey, I get it. You're really angry old guys.

Edited July 22, 2014 by John1thru10

[John1thru10]

No facts, just a story.

A true story. EU doesn't care about overstay.

I don't understand why some of these guys are so bitter about it. I just mentioned it in response to someone saying that 'all countries are much stricter!' repeatedly. I don't understand why they're so paranoid like that.

Edited July 22, 2014 by John1thru10

[BradinAsia]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

i understand the overstay penalty's but surly there are many valid reasons that need to be investigated, I think people being too lazy or runaways are basically a very minute amount

Also if immigration are monitoring these websites ..here a suggestion after my visit to immigration yesterday

WE ARE CUSTOMERS ...SO TREAT US WITH RESPECT...I was treated with contempt yesterday and my questions were more of an irritation to the officer he was more interested in trying to rip my passport apart....all I wanted to know what they exactly required for a 1 year extension of stay,,,,,,,,,i was the only CUSTOMER in there and 12 officers sitting looking bored.....

Thai Visa should start a link...GOOD AND BAD OF THAI IMMIGRATION

Treat Immigration Officers with respect and you will get respect in return. Having resided in Thailand for ten years and made sure that I am properly attired and behave appropriately when visiting Immigration I have never had a problem. All too often I have witnessed multi-tattooed individuals with numerous rings in various parts of the body, dressed in sleeveless singlets, shorts and flip-flops arguing with Immigration Officers and bemoaning the fact they think they are being treated unfairly. We are visitors in Thailand and if you do not like the rules then go somewhere else.

@glasswort, you took the words right out of my mouth. That's exact what I wanted to say, but was unable to find a civilized way to say it.

When I see these grubby-looking guys in public offices wearing beachwear type T-shirts showing their hairy armpits, I have to thank heaven

I'm not an immigration officer. And if I were an immigration officer I think I would call security and have them escorted out to the parking lot.

Thanks!

[larsjohnsson]

_{You guys that overstay will not like this !!}

_{I did two Border Runs to Cambodia and one to Laos in 2004 when I first arrived.now having done that paying for the trips taking away three days from doing something else I decided it was time to go about this the right way. Got a Non-Immigrate O Visa, at the end of th a year obtained a Retirement Extension which I have done every year since. Not fun and cost 4,000THB every year.}

_{So, I guess there are a few reasons for Overstay (1) Too cheap to pay your dues for living here. (2) Can not afford to pay the fees (3) Just love running to the Border every month or two.}

_{For what ever reason you have stiffed Thailand for the fee and they are tired. Take whatever number you want, as to how many Farang live here multiply by 1,900 or 3,800THB and you see why they want to stop it.}

I would be happy to pay 4000/month or 50.000/year for a legal and hassle & worry free yearly visa, with minimum amount of paperwork.

It's not as easy for all of us as you might think.

You can do it for a lot less than 4,000 baht/month.

I'm retired, my non-Thai wife and I stay here legally with a proper visa -- Non-O visa for purpose of retirement.

Note: Most folks call this a retirement visa -- the passport has a big red "RETIREMENT" stamp in it. But some

TV members insist that technically there is no Thai retirement visa. So I don't call it a retirement visa on TV.

We don't do any 90 day reports and only go to immigration once a year. I use a reputable agency that offers

visa assistance. The agency is run by a competent and fully licensed and qualified Aussie attorney.

Contrary to the opinion of some TVers, this service is all legal and above board. The total cost including the

immigration fees, the processing, doing the 90 day reporting for us, comes to about 1,500 baht/month each.

This is what I call "minimum amount of paperwork" and minimum hassle. I pay the fees and sign my name.

I don't belive he is over 50. And then he can't do it

[BradinAsia]

Time to renegotiate my villa rent. This place is gonna be a ghost town soon enough. I wish I was a fly on the wall in a Khoasan Rd guesthouse today.

Seems to me the people who will be hurt worst are probably the alcoholics, the hoodlums, the scumbags, the misfits, and ne'er-do-wells.

At least we can hope for that -- and look forward to a more pleasant stay for the rest of us.

[John1thru10]

_{You guys that overstay will not like this !!}

_{I did two Border Runs to Cambodia and one to Laos in 2004 when I first arrived.now having done that paying for the trips taking away three days from doing something else I decided it was time to go about this the right way. Got a Non-Immigrate O Visa, at the end of th a year obtained a Retirement Extension which I have done every year since. Not fun and cost 4,000THB every year.}

_{So, I guess there are a few reasons for Overstay (1) Too cheap to pay your dues for living here. (2) Can not afford to pay the fees (3) Just love running to the Border every month or two.}

_{For what ever reason you have stiffed Thailand for the fee and they are tired. Take whatever number you want, as to how many Farang live here multiply by 1,900 or 3,800THB and you see why they want to stop it.}

I would be happy to pay 4000/month or 50.000/year for a legal and hassle & worry free yearly visa, with minimum amount of paperwork.

It's not as easy for all of us as you might think.

You can do it for a lot less than 4,000 baht/month.

I'm retired, my non-Thai wife and I stay here legally with a proper visa -- Non-O visa for purpose of retirement.

Note: Most folks call this a retirement visa -- the passport has a big red "RETIREMENT" stamp in it. But some

TV members insist that technically there is no Thai retirement visa. So I don't call it a retirement visa on TV.

We don't do any 90 day reports and only go to immigration once a year. I use a reputable agency that offers

visa assistance. The agency is run by a competent and fully licensed and qualified Aussie attorney.

Contrary to the opinion of some TVers, this service is all legal and above board. The total cost including the

immigration fees, the processing, doing the 90 day reporting for us, comes to about 1,500 baht/month each.

This is what I call "minimum amount of paperwork" and minimum hassle. I pay the fees and sign my name.

I don't belive he is over 50. And then he can't do it

So according to you, everyone is lying for no reason whatsoever. You're on a roll tonight.

[MJCM]

^^ @John1thru10, i think that Lars meant that the guy who asked the original question (olinki I believe) isn't 50 yet.

Sent from my iPad so Please excuse any typos

Edited July 22, 2014 by MJCM

[John1thru10]

^^ @John1thru10, i think that Lars meant that the guy who asked the original question (olinki I believe) isn't 50 yet.

Sent from my iPad so Please excuse any typos

Ah - I stand corrected there. Sorry, I get it now. Dear Lars and co. have been calling me a liar over several comments for pointing out that Europe does not usually impose black listing and fines (which they would rather call me a liar about than to just accept as reality), so I jumped too soon.

Edited July 22, 2014 by John1thru10

[sustento]

A number of people on this thread seem to be under the misguided impression that they are 'customers' and that immigration is there to serve them.

Immigration is there to protect the borders of Thailand and whenever you pitch up and ask to be let in you are a supplicant not a customer.

[paz]

A number of people on this thread seem to be under the misguided impression that they are 'customers' and that immigration is there to serve them.

Immigration is there to protect the borders of Thailand and whenever you pitch up and ask to be let in you are a supplicant not a customer.

Actually in this thread nobody said anything against Immigration and with your comment you wasted a chance to NOT look as a parrot lecturing.