Thailand Immigration confirms new overstay rules are now official

[hobobo]

Why do people think the new rules are harsh and "tuff"? That the law, and people ought to abide by it. To illustrate the point, some years back I overstayed my visa in an African country by two weeks. On my way out, I was arrested at the airport by the Immigration police. After an hour long "court case" (at the airport), I was deported and banned from that country for 10 years! How's that for comparison?

[Timwin]

I can see already the economic consequences of the new visa rules at my street. Three houses are empty, when in the past any house coming to rental markets was taken within a couple of weeks. Not even foreigners driving by to check out for rentals. Especially for condo owners the situation must be quite bad.

Edited July 22, 2014 by Timwin

[LivinLOS]

I can see that more people will be asked to show their passports when stopped by the police , at least for a while...

It's already happening

From another forum I'm member of. Some bikers got stopped to show passport

Two expat riding buddies fined by immigration 3600 baht for not having passports with them. They were south of Surin.

Strange I was riding a big bike recently between udon and Nong Khai.. Got stopped at a roadblock and initially the focus was on our bikes (buddies ducati had no plate as it was new and waiting one.. They were cool with that as it was 1000 kms on it).. Mine the tax was under the seat under the bags and again, they were friendly and cool and once I started to be willing to unstrap my luggage, said ok..

He then asked for my passport and when travelling I just carry Thai DL.. He wanted the passport (assuming I guess nong khai) and it took a bit of explaining and a white lie that it was with my lawyer in Chiang Mai to do some legal work.. To make them happy. I always understood if you had a Thai DL the carrying of your original passport was not required.

Only stramge that the demand also happened while riding bikes around.

[LivinLOS]

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.

Your offer is just under 50% of the required number Thailand has set.

Having a company and the costs involved with it is about 100.000/year.

What did you refer to?

Thailand elite works out at 83xxx a month no ??

[OmarZaidMD]

look folks, it's their country. We're just guests.

[baneko]

Will there be problems for old overstays paid already? 93 day in April. I've been out and back in since then but not with the new rules.

[silent]

Does seem a bit harsh on those that get apprehended on the way to the airport with say 10 days of overstay and wont be allowed into Thailand for 5 years.

The list of penalties is applicable only to overstayers of more then 90 days.

So it should have read overstay over 90 days - 1 year - forbidden 5 years.

Thank-you. I was beginning to think that I'm the only one reading it that way. (What? Overstay one day after a 90 day and be banned for how long?) Truly TVers common sense.

[John1thru10]

Will there be problems for old overstays paid already? 93 day in April. I've been out and back in since then but not with the new rules.

I think it might well affect how an officer views you, when entering again. Recently I caught holy-hell for a 2 month overstay from years ago. No one had ever cared about it before, to where I had almost forgotten about it.

Edited July 22, 2014 by John1thru10

[KarenBravo]

They are tuff new regulations , This could do more harm than good .

Oh yeah? How?

[empireboy]

I suspect an increase in marriages. Good for Celebrants business I guess.

[Johnnie99]

Does seem a bit harsh on those that get apprehended on the way to the airport with say 10 days of overstay and wont be allowed into Thailand for 5 years.

Simple to fix ... DO NOT OVERSTAY.

Could it be more clear?

[John1thru10]

They are tuff new regulations , This could do more harm than good .

Oh yeah? How?

I'm sure we'll hear you describe them at length, once they affect you, Karen.

[jacko45k]

So, no 20,000 baht fine then any-more????

When you do your 90 day reporting at Jomtiem, you now have to sign a paper confirming you understand these penalties.

[carstenp]

I can see that more people will be asked to show their passports when stopped by the police , at least for a while...

It's already happening

From another forum I'm member of. Some bikers got stopped to show passport

Two expat riding buddies fined by immigration 3600 baht for not having passports with them. They were south of Surin.

Strange I was riding a big bike recently between udon and Nong Khai.. Got stopped at a roadblock and initially the focus was on our bikes (buddies ducati had no plate as it was new and waiting one.. They were cool with that as it was 1000 kms on it).. Mine the tax was under the seat under the bags and again, they were friendly and cool and once I started to be willing to unstrap my luggage, said ok..

He then asked for my passport and when travelling I just carry Thai DL.. He wanted the passport (assuming I guess nong khai) and it took a bit of explaining and a white lie that it was with my lawyer in Chiang Mai to do some legal work.. To make them happy. I always understood if you had a Thai DL the carrying of your original passport was not required.

Only stramge that the demand also happened while riding bikes around.

I can only tell what they was writing.

But here in udon, there was crackdown resenly in the farang area. About 20 police and immigration officers surrounding the area and everybody has to show passports.will not accept copies and people there not having passport was asking to go and get them. Bar owner was told to get copies of there fast customer to next time.... I will try to find the tread later in udon talk or udon map

Ohh forgot. A thai DL don't have the visa.. That's why. If you have 5 year DL, they can't se what type of visa you have

Edited July 22, 2014 by carstenp

[Johnnie99]

We seem to be accepting that any overstay is accidental or unavoidable.

Is it really hard to respect some of the most simple of laws here?

[Pattaya Pat]

I suspect an increase in marriages. Good for Celebrants business I guess.

celebrating? It will be a trip to the amphur or us and then a quiet night out for dinner

[Pattaya Pat]

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

[Lockind]

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.

What a bigoted thing to say. How you dress or what you look like does not define you as a person and everybody should be treated impartially. I learned this in primary school, how old are you?

[BudRight]

Why do people think the new rules are harsh and "tuff"? That the law, and people ought to abide by it. To illustrate the point, some years back I overstayed my visa in an African country by two weeks. On my way out, I was arrested at the airport by the Immigration police. After an hour long "court case" (at the airport), I was deported and banned from that country for 10 years! How's that for comparison?

Okay, I'll explain.

1. Just because something is a law does not mean that it is just. They are separate concepts.

2. By your reasoning, you were actually treated fairly in that African country. Why? Because somewhere, someone was treated worse. Maybe they were tortured. There being a more unfair place somewhere out in the Universe does make any Thai or African law any more or less reasonable.

Even if such a comparison could be a made, then the manner in which it is generally done so here is faulty. Thai liquor taxes are compared to Finland, smoking laws to Australia, immigration to the UK, prices to Moscow, taxes to Italy, corruption to Afghanistan and cleanliness to India.

The only standard that makes sense is to compare Thailand to itself. That requires a bit of predictive thinking - and sometimes criticism.

[LivinLOS]

I can see that more people will be asked to show their passports when stopped by the police , at least for a while...

It's already happening

From another forum I'm member of. Some bikers got stopped to show passport

Two expat riding buddies fined by immigration 3600 baht for not having passports with them. They were south of Surin.

Strange I was riding a big bike recently between udon and Nong Khai.. Got stopped at a roadblock and initially the focus was on our bikes (buddies ducati had no plate as it was new and waiting one.. They were cool with that as it was 1000 kms on it).. Mine the tax was under the seat under the bags and again, they were friendly and cool and once I started to be willing to unstrap my luggage, said ok..

He then asked for my passport and when travelling I just carry Thai DL.. He wanted the passport (assuming I guess nong khai) and it took a bit of explaining and a white lie that it was with my lawyer in Chiang Mai to do some legal work.. To make them happy. I always understood if you had a Thai DL the carrying of your original passport was not required.

Only stramge that the demand also happened while riding bikes around.

I can only tell what they was writing.

But here in udon, there was crackdown resenly in the farang area. About 20 police and immigration officers surrounding the area and everybody has to show passports.will not accept copies and people there not having passport was asking to go and get them. Bar owner was told to get copies of there fast customer to next time.... I will try to find the tread later in udon talk or udon map

Ohh forgot. A thai DL don't have the visa.. That's why. If you have 5 year DL, they can't se what type of visa you have

I didnt mean strange I doubted you.. I meant strange that such a similar experience also happened riding big bikes.. And really, its not 'that' strange..

I always carry my Thai DLs.. and I also have on my phone, photographs of my passport, visa, entry stamp and card.. I realize technically these are not the legal way, but also seems to be practical as the reality of carrying your passport everywhere everytime for years on end is simply not realistic.

So far, this hasnt let me down.. Tho I am aware that this has a risk. I dont lose sleep over it.

Edited July 22, 2014 by LivinLOS

[ukrules]

Does seem a bit harsh on those that get apprehended on the way to the airport with say 10 days of overstay and wont be allowed into Thailand for 5 years.

The list of penalties is applicable only to overstayers of more then 90 days.

So it should have read overstay over 90 days - 1 year - forbidden 5 years.

Really, that's nice but it's not what it says is it.

[transam]

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.

What a bigoted thing to say. How you dress or what you look like does not define you as a person and everybody should be treated impartially. I learned this in primary school, how old are you?

BUT, you/we are not in farangland, we are in LOS where you should show respect to officials by dressing appropriately as the officials do.............

Perhaps you have a weee bit more to learn about Thai thoughts.

[LivinLOS]

What a bigoted thing to say. How you dress or what you look like does not define you as a person and everybody should be treated impartially. I learned this in primary school, how old are you?

Thailand and asia in general is a place where status and appearances are a huge part of the social contract.. where a lack of presentation is considered not giving respect to those you have to meet.. Yes as westerners we tend to be more of the 'all people are equal' mentality and at least try to consider all people equal despite dress, wealth, presentation etc.. Asia doesnt live by that standard as much.

Its not bigoted to recognize that, it merely 'is'.

[Adeeos]

Does seem a bit harsh on those that get apprehended on the way to the airport with say 10 days of overstay and wont be allowed into Thailand for 5 years.

Where does it say that?

In the case that alien is being apprehended

Overstay less than 1 year forbidden 5 years

Overstay more than 1 years forbidden 10 years

The way this reads,,, technically, if you're on a SINGLE DAY overstay, (even 12 HOURS is overstay,, less than a year), and are APPREHENDED,,, you could be banned for 5 years,,,

Edited July 22, 2014 by Adeeos

[Tanlic]

They are tuff new regulations , This could do more harm than good .

Oh yeah? How?

It depends what he means by harm but my first thought was anyone who is on overstay at the moment and for whatever ever reason can't afford the fine may never clear up their overstay.

There are several ways it could do a lot of harm to individuals even if it is their own fault.

There no doubt will be situations where couples who live together are torn apart .

An unmarried couple with a child could just be getting by and no more and they can't afford the fine and she could end up with a broken heart and the child without a father.

I am saying these things could happen but whether they would implement the law or give someone a second chance or not I don't know.

That said every law that was ever passed has a downside and that's where discretion comes in.

I doubt if Immigration are targetting these type of people but as the law stands all it takes is a bit of bad luck and anyone on ovestay's life could be over as they know it.

Nothing new I suppose, the poor always suffer more than the rich, it's the law of the jungle

Edited July 22, 2014 by Tanlic

[Carrerakiss]

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

You misunderstand your position.

In the west, government employees work for the people and provide a service to their " customers".

In Thailand, Government officials rule the people, who should know their place as being ruled over.

As a farang in Thailand, your personal position is somewhere below that of the ruled over peasants.

Get with the program please and stop whinging.

[Guest]

Thailand elite works out at 83xxx a month no ??

You had one extra x. 8333B/month or 274B/day. That's still a bit hefty and requires 5 years commitment to living here.

However that might be one way to go forwards once I turn 45 so that it would be my last visa before being able to apply for retirement visa.

[stephenwithaph]

They are tuff new regulations , This could do more harm than good .

Oh yeah? How?

It depends what he means by harm but my first thought was anyone who is on overstay at the moment and for whatever ever reason can't afford the fine may never clear up their overstay.

There are several ways it could do a lot of harm to individuals even if it is their own fault.

There no doubt will be situations where couples who live together are torn apart .

An unmarried couple with a child could just be getting by and no more and they can't afford the fine and she could end up with a broken heart and the child without a father.

I am saying these things could happen but whether they would implement the law or give someone a second chance or not I don't know.

That said every law that was ever passed has a downside and that's where discretion comes in.

I doubt if Immigration are targetting these type of people but as the law stands all it takes is a bit of bad luck and anyone on ovestay's life could be over as they know it.

Noting new I suppose, the poor always suffer more than the rich, it's the law of the jungle

In regards to current overstayers I totally agree it will do more harm. Many people now will basically not leave.

In regards to future policy I think it is a very good thing for Thailand immigration.

Just needs to be an amnesty period...easy !

[eric c]

I have a friend who had an overstay of over a year.Last week he paid the penalty and left for a neighbouring country to obtain a visa. Unfortunately he did not have the correct paperwork and is currently awaiting this paperwork. Now that the new penalties are in force, is he likely to have a problem on his return to Thailand?

[baneko]

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Will there be problems for old overstays paid already? 93 day in April. I've been out and back in since then but not with the new rules.

I think it might well affect how an officer views you, when entering again. Recently I caught holy-hell for a 2 month overstay from years ago. No one had ever cared about it before, to where I had almost forgotten about it.

But you were allowed in?