Thai immigration is sometimes confusing!

In April I needed an extension as I would have 3 days overstay before my flight out. When I went to immigration in Phisanoluke the officer refused to give me an extension and told me to just pay the overstay in the airport instead as it was cheaper!

But with all the changes I feel that it might have been better if I would have pressured him to given me that extension!

Edited July 28, 201411 yr by Kasset Tak

Never heard that before. What kind of entry were you overstayed on?

My friend had a 6 month overstay (after his ED visa ran out), and last week he tried to exit by land into Cambodia, and to pay his 20k fine at that border (I don't remember which Cambodian border it was, but it wasn't Mukdahan) - and they refused him exit, and refused his offer to pay the fine. They told him to travel back to BKK, to exit by airport instead. He was surprised they didn't aprehend him, but allowed him to travel back to BKK with his group.

Maybe just because to much paperworks... and if arrested; the long way tranfer back to Bangkok, Suan Phlu IDC.

Travel to Nong Khai, Immigration in Nong Khai is still collecting the fees for overstay, even if multiple years.

The Thai Immigration in Aranyaprathet, border with Poi Pet/Cambodian usually also refuses

to accept Foreigners on Visa Run which are on Overstay.

Seams a local rule.

Thai Immigration in Ban Laem and Ban Pakkard refuse to accept overstayers if overstay is more than 4-6month.

Strangely enough, these check points do not arrest you, but expect you to return with your group to Bangkok and fly out.

Thanks, Thai Visa Service.

If I cross at Nong Khai and bus to Savannaket, and succeed in getting a visa, Should I try to enter at Mukdahan or go back to Nong Khai?

Damn.. my friend was going to go on the train with his wife and kids to Laos soon.

Why are you stuck there? Can you go to Bkk and fly somewhere?

Sorry, when I said 'stuck' I meant there are no busses back south until this evening.

However, if what Thai Visa Service says is true, that's a good thing.

I'll go look for a bus to Nong Khai.

Damn.. my friend was going to go on the train with his wife and kids to Laos soon.

Why are you stuck there? Can you go to Bkk and fly somewhere?

Sorry, when I said 'stuck' I meant there are no busses back south until this evening.

However, if what Thai Visa Service says is true, that's a good thing.

I'll go look for a bus to Nong Khai.

If you go to Nong Khai you could get a single entry non-o in Vientinae and then get a 60 day extension of the 90 entry to visit your wife and then go for the multiple entry in Savannakhet later.

As I said before they are allowing people to pay for overstays in Nong Khai. from reports I have read.

Thai immigration is sometimes confusing!

In April I needed an extension as I would have 3 days overstay before my flight out. When I went to immigration in Phisanoluke the officer refused to give me an extension and told me to just pay the overstay in the airport instead as it was cheaper!

But with all the changes I feel that it might have been better if I would have pressured him to given me that extension!

You are on overstay and are going to pressure the immigration officer?

There's no bus to Nong Khai at this hour.

Bus station is saying go to Udon Thani now and get a bus to Nong Khai in the morning.

UdonJoe, that sounds like an idea. Is that a same day service, do you know?

Thai immigration is sometimes confusing!

In April I needed an extension as I would have 3 days overstay before my flight out. When I went to immigration in Phisanoluke the officer refused to give me an extension and told me to just pay the overstay in the airport instead as it was cheaper!

But with all the changes I feel that it might have been better if I would have pressured him to given me that extension!

You are on overstay and are going to pressure the immigration officer?

No I had 7 days left on my visa exemptio when I went to immigration. I did read that you should have atleast 7 days left when applying for the extension but as my flight out out of Thailand where 10 day's later and without the extension I got 3 days of overstay.

Edited July 28, 201411 yr by Kasset Tak

For the purpose of clarity -

BKK Immigration said last week via Scott Mallon that they were aware that there was patchy understanding and incorrect enforcement of the new and proposed visa regulations by various officials.

They further said that they were working to train said officials so that everyone would sing from the same hymn sheet, but stated that they knew it would take a while to ensure compliance.

The OP was just damned unlucky -

There's no bus to Nong Khai at this hour.

Bus station is saying go to Udon Thani now and get a bus to Nong Khai in the morning.

UdonJoe, that sounds like an idea. Is that a same day service, do you know?

Udon or Khon Kaen and I think last bus from Bangkok to Nong Khai is at 22:00.

The embassy in Vientiane don't have one day service as far as I know.

There's no bus to Nong Khai at this hour.

Bus station is saying go to Udon Thani now and get a bus to Nong Khai in the morning.

UdonJoe, that sounds like an idea. Is that a same day service, do you know?

Going to Udon and then Nong Khai would work. You might even be able to get to Nong Khai today and cross the bridge in the morning.

Tuesday is a good a day in Vientiane. It will be less busy.

It is next afternoon service in Vientiane.

Is this a case of a self important official making it up as he goes along, just because he can.

Go to Nakhon Phanom and try it there next. Then, when in Lao, just take the bus south to Savannakhet.

If it still doesn't work, Suvarnabhumi.

Good luck!

flying from suvanabhumi is no problem .. i done it to pay my few year overstay on the 20th they whey polite and laughing ... coming back the imigration looked at my passport stamped me in and said welcome .. job done .. .. 7k return flights no stress no woriies no checkpoint .. u never know..

Just heard of two cases. One French and one English.

Both refused entry at Suvarnabumi because of previous overstay.

One blacklisted for one year the other one for 5 years.

Someone is a bit trigger-happy here?

Just heard of two cases. One French and one English.

Both refused entry at Suvarnabumi because of previous overstay.

One blacklisted for one year the other one for 5 years.

Someone is a bit trigger-happy here?

Did they try to return to Thailand with a visa or without?

And is this rumors or do you know them personally? A lot of hearsay going around which would be good to be labeled as such if referred to

how can they stop you from leaving Thailand, i can understand them stopping you returning but I would get it in writing from the immigration stating i tried to leave the country but was not permitted to do so

Just out of Interest where you directed to the office to talk about this or was it done in the walk through booth area? I recall one extremely jaded guy who works on the desk and he was just plain rude to everyone. I had reason to go into the office once, without going to the desk as I wanted to check on a re-entry permit and the two younger, more senior guys in the there were great - a great credit to the Immigration Police in their attitude. This was about a year ago in the office, but the older attitude guy was there about 3 months ago when I used the Mukdahan crossing coming back from Laos - he seems to work mornings.

Just heard of two cases. One French and one English.

Both refused entry at Suvarnabumi because of previous overstay.

One blacklisted for one year the other one for 5 years.

Someone is a bit trigger-happy here?

Did they try to return to Thailand with a visa or without?

And is this rumors or do you know them personally? A lot of hearsay going around which would be good to be labeled as such if referred to

Yes please clarify.. People entering with cleared overstay should not be facing retroactive blacklisting.

Thanks, Thai Visa Service.

If I cross at Nong Khai and bus to Savannaket, and succeed in getting a visa, Should I try to enter at Mukdahan or go back to Nong Khai?

A. Why would you go to Savannaket and not get a visa in Vientiene after crossing from Nong Khai?

B. What makes you think you will be allowed re-entry even with a new visa considering your history?

Sucks being trapped in the LOS (Land of OverStay)

Very strange.

If you front up at a border in any country as an overstayer you would be:

1. allowed to depart with whatever sanctions are in force for that country or,

2. detained as someone without current permission to be in the country.

To refuse them permission to depart and then send them back into the community without a valid visa or permit seems ludicrous.

He has been told to leave, by air, from Bangkok, to where ever he wants to go, and pay the 20,000 baht overstay fine.If he stays until 12th august bigger penalties, seems easy, unless i have missed something

Yes, seems straight forward.

send them back into the community

It's not as though the "community" was being put at risk by this individual.

without a valid visa or permit seems ludicrous.

He's the one who's been staying in the country without a visa or permission to stay. Trying to make that the fault of immigrations is an attempt to shift blame and a tad ludicrous.

Without sufficient information it's hardly appropriate to make the people at the border the guilty party. They may have been ordered to send people to Bangkok where detailed information about the overstayers could be properly entered into computers or they may not want all these Baht 20,000 fines being collected all over the place.

In another case(s) someone was allowed to leave at a border either despite overstay or despite abuse of visa exempt entries and then he was not allowed back into Thailand and the Thai Visa Choir got their knickers in a knot about that as well.

There may have been some sympathy for a few special case situations where someone over-stayed because of illness or whatever, but not everyone can expect the "poor me, I have a wife and kids" defense to transform themselves into the victims of "nasty old Immigrations." It's the over-stayer who's at fault no matter at what angle you look at this.

Farang need to man-up and accept the consequences of their behavior ... how often has that sort of comment been made here regarding locals who break some law.

Edited July 28, 201411 yr by Suradit69

Where did you get the August 12th date from?

When i new Thai law is passed there is a 60 day period until it is enforced.

Around the 1st week in October then..

This isn't a new law, it's a dictum interpreting the law how they like.

Edited July 28, 201411 yr by wilcopops

At Mukdahan I also find them very unfriendly, I always feel like to disturb their quiet life when going there...

Nong Khai has always been the best.

There may have been some sympathy for a few special case situations where someone over-stayed because of illness or whatever, but not everyone can expect the "poor me, I have a wife and kids" defense to transform themselves into the victims of "nasty old Immigrations." It's the over-stayer who's at fault no matter at what angle you look at this.

Especially since overstayers with wives and kids here could easily have trotted along to their local immigration office for annual extensions of stay on one or other of these bases before their permissions to stay expired. All the more inexcusable for them to overstay, therefore, IMHO.

I notice that the OP has (conveniently?) not yet responded to the question I put to him in post #27 in this connection!

Edited July 28, 201411 yr by OJAS

Is this a case of a self important official making it up as he goes along, just because he can.

Same as tourists making up their own visa rules and now the chickens have finally come home.

Is this a case of a self important official making it up as he goes along, just because he can.

Same as tourists making up their own visa rules and now the chickens have finally come home.

As time passes I think you'll find this isn't such a "paltry" affair. It looks like a new general attitude towards foreigners in Thailand. I hope for the country's sake the government doesn't proceed down an isolationist road.

Edited July 29, 201411 yr by wilcopops

Is this a case of a self important official making it up as he goes along, just because he can.

Same as tourists making up their own visa rules and now the chickens have finally come home.

As time passes I think you'll find this isn't such a "paltry" affair. It looks like a new general attitude towards foreigners in Thailand. I hope for the country's sake the government doesn't proceed down an isolationist road.

Enforcing immigration rules isn't isolationism - it's applying the law. I have lived here, legally, for 25 years and have yet to encounter any negative attitude from Thai officials or Thai people generally. Stick within the law, behave correctly, remember this is Thailand - and hey presto! You'll be OK.