My experience at IDC for overstaying

[thaibreaker]

I am writing this to warn people about immigration officers` aggressive way to catch overstayers at the moment, and to describe the conditions inside the IDC in Bangkok.

I had overstayed for more than a year, for reasons I will not discuss here. Those are beside the point I am trying to make.

I finally got my ticket back to my home country, and was prepared to pay the 20.000 bath fine at the airport. But my unfortune was that the day before my departure, I was walking along a pavement in Bangkok, when a white pickup stopped close to me, and out came two men walking towards me. They showed their immigration IDs, and asked for my passport. And I just knew what would happen to me there and then.

I tried to get out of that predicament, and even showed them my ticket for the next day. But no chance. I was handcuffed and put into the pickup. Then I realised it was actually two cars, one larger behind this one, full of cuffed farangs. But into the pickup I was stuffed, along with 5 other farangs.

It turned out they were checking every farang they saw on the street, and everyone who couldn`t show either a copy of, or their passport, were arrested. No exeptions.

I was told later that this is how they aggressively go out and do it in Bangkok at the moment, so people, please be aware. Whatever reason you have for overstaying, if you get caught now, it is definitely not worth it.

We were brought to the IDC in Bangkok, an hour`s drive away, and then the nightmare started. You could hang on to your phone during the transportation, and a few minutes after that, but then you were stripped of it. And you will never see it again before the day you check out. Of course no internet options whatsoever inside. If you think you can fix anything at all by internet or phone inside, think again. It`s not gonna happen.

During your transportation, you better contact a friend of yours, who can visit you there (there is an hour visiting time every day), and bring your luggage or bags. For you have no chance to fix or get that by yourself.

But be aware, there are no touching contact, you are one meter apart, and you have to speak very loud, because it is actually a chaos every visiting hour there. Just too many people.

When settling in (that means locked up in an overcrowded room, with no blankets or anything the first night). You will be taken to court the next day, or the 3rd day (happened to me), and will be fined, usually between 3-6000 bath. No passport means 6000 bath, overstay of visa but with passport, means 3000 bath.

If you can pay it, you will be sent back to the IDC, instead of doing time (15-30 days) in a thai prison, together with thais. At IDC, there are of course only foreigners. But also neighboring countries of course. At the moment they are "cleaning up" overstayers from Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and so on, as well. Complete families are brought in to IDC, and kept there, sometimes for a long time.

You better have cash on you when you are at the courthouse, but outside it you can also take out money at an ATM, Krung Thai Bank, when an officer follows you there.

Well back at the IDC, you will be settled in a big room, that takes about 70-80 people. But be aware, if they need 90 people to stay in every room, they have no problem doing that. You will get an about 40 cm wide space, sometimes less, with one thin blanket to sleep on. If you are lucky, your legs can be streched fully. If you didn`t bring anything with you, you will definitely have severe problems sleeping. The lights are on all the time, and in this room you have to stay 24/7. Except 2 hours you will have the chance to get down for a little excersise and a little bit open air, twice a week. 4 hours a week are all you get outside of these walls.

Your embassy will show up eventually. For me it took almost 10 days before they came. I heard much complaining from citizens of embassies of most countries. English and German people were disappointed of the help they got, or the lack of it. USA citizens were more satisfied, and the only country (I think) where they could borrow money to get out and home.

If you think you can borrow your way out from the embassy if you are from other countries, think again. You are stuck there, if you don`t have any friends to bail you out. But the embassy will help you to contact family or friends. But that is all they do in most countries.

Apropos stuck, there were people in there that had been there for years. One Korean guy had been there for 14 years. Two chinese guys for 8 and 10 years, but they have another story. Overstayers usually get home somehow, and usually after a few weeks, but there are exceptions. Many of them have been there for months. But it will take years if you don`t have the contacts to get out.

I hope the nigtmare of staying there for just the short time I was there (a couple of weeks), will make someone think again before they overstay.

Any overstay, for whatever reason, is just not worth this experience. It is a nightmare, the food is awful, the same thing is served all the time, 3 times a day. Some rice and the same cucumber stuff, tasting nothing. Just enough to keep people alive. If you look on the bright side, you will lose some kilos inside. If you have any to lose, that is.

Inside there were all kinds of people with all kinds of overstay (and not only overstay), from just a few days, to 17 years. Everyone are treated equally inside, as criminals.

I strongly recommend all of you to have your visas in order, it is just not worth the chance of ending up in the IDC.

Finally, I was not banned from entering Thailand again, when I finally left Thailand. A bit uncomfortable to come to the airport handcuffed and followed by a police/immigration officer though, followed all the way to the gate.

Edited November 28, 2014 by thaibreaker

[Jingthing]

Wow.

Thanks for your report.

Glad you survived it.

What time of that day and what place did this happen?

Did you have your passport on you?

I think most people walk around without their passport .. have it at home or hotel.

Are they arresting people for not having their passport?

Do you think they would be convinced with a copy of passport and current legal stay stamps?

[ukrules]

If a tourist leaves his passport in the hotel, is it instant imprisonment for a few days followed by a court appearance ?

Please confirm this.

[konying]

Wow.

Thanks for your report.

Glad you survived it.

What time of that day and what place did this happen?

Did you have your passport on you?

I think most people walk around without their passport .. have it at home or hotel.

Are they arresting people for not having their passport?

Do you think they would be convinced with a copy of passport and current legal stay stamps?

Jing, i think OP likes to exaggerate a little.

If they just drove around asking all foreigners for passport and arrest those who failed to produce original , cars and detention centers would be packed.

Yes they can ask for your passport and may detain you or follow you or have you to call someone to bring your passport.

I am certain they will not throw you in IDC if you had valid passport and visa.

OP's experience sounds scary, but what did he expect for breaking the law? a nice 5 star hotel with breakfast in bed

Its common knowledge Thai jails are not the nicest place in the world, more reason NOT to break the law in Thailand or have enough money to avoid seeing the cells.

There is no excuse to justify over stay.

There is a good old saying" do not do the crime if you not prepared to do the time "

[konying]

If a tourist leaves his passport in the hotel, is it instant imprisonment for a few days followed by a court appearance ?

Please confirm this.

Of course NOT.

When clubs are raided, sometimes foreigners are arrested for not having passport. They are taken to police station and later either escorted back to hotel to produce passport or have hotel or friend bring over passport.

[David48]

Thanks for sharing ...

[ukrules]

If a tourist leaves his passport in the hotel, is it instant imprisonment for a few days followed by a court appearance ?

Please confirm this.

Of course NOT.

When clubs are raided, sometimes foreigners are arrested for not having passport. They are taken to police station and later either escorted back to hotel to produce passport or have hotel or friend bring over passport.

Well this is what I figured but he did suggest in his post that people were taken straight to the IDC an hours drive away and the people with no passport were fined 6000 Baht when they eventually got to court.

I guess that means they are aggressively targeting any foreigner who is not carrying their passport.

I never carry my passport so I'd like to know if it's open season on foreigners at the moment...

I've long suspected that pollitically motivated people within government institutions will do anything they can to make the current administration look bad on an international level.

[Fatty123]

Unless things have changed, this shouldn't happen if you have a valid visa with no overstay. A mate of mine a few years back didn't have his passport on him in BKK. He was in a taxi and was stopped. He had a valid visa and work permit, but not on him. He was taken to the police station while they let his wife go home and return with his passport. He was fined (I think it was 1,000B, my memory is hazy on this) and allowed to go home.

Still, good to see you're not bitter about the experience. If they do start rounding up tourists that have left their passports in a safe at their hotels (can't see it to be honest)...Thailand will lose what remains of its tourist industry.

[konying]

If a tourist leaves his passport in the hotel, is it instant imprisonment for a few days followed by a court appearance ?

Please confirm this.

Of course NOT.

When clubs are raided, sometimes foreigners are arrested for not having passport. They are taken to police station and later either escorted back to hotel to produce passport or have hotel or friend bring over passport.

Well this is what I figured but he did suggest in his post that people were taken straight to the IDC an hours drive away and the people with no passport were fined 6000 Baht when they eventually got to court.

I guess that means they are aggressively targeting any foreigner who is not carrying their passport.

I never carry my passport so I'd like to know if it's open season on foreigners at the moment...

I've long suspected that pollitically motivated people within government institutions will do anything they can to make the current administration look bad on an international level.

OP does not have a clue what they target or look for. His post is based on hearsay.

For all we know, he was targeted, could have been reported, just as others were.

OP states, he was walking, and car followed him and they came straight at him.

What are the chances of this being random.

Courts can not fine you for crime you did not commit and police can not charge you for crime you did not commit.

Thai law is very unclear if you suppose to have original passport or present original passport in timely manner(this has been discussed on many threads)

If you were to be stopped, just ask officers to follow/escort you to your hotel so you can show them the original,

Just imagine how pissed off judge would be, if they took everyone to court charged with overstay but all people had valid visa

[konying]

Unless things have changed, this shouldn't happen if you have a valid visa with no overstay. A mate of mine a few years back didn't have his passport on him in BKK. He was in a taxi and was stopped. He had a valid visa and work permit, but not on him. He was taken to the police station while they let his wife go home and return with his passport. He was fined (I think it was 1,000B, my memory is hazy on this) and allowed to go home.

Still, good to see you're not bitter about the experience. If they do start rounding up tourists that have left their passports in a safe at their hotels (can't see it to be honest)...Thailand will lose what remains of its tourist industry.

I am pretty sure the 1000 was a donation, as per previous post, Thai law is not clear.

Not having any ID i think is like 100 baht fine

[thaibreaker]

Wow.

Thanks for your report.

Glad you survived it.

What time of that day and what place did this happen?

Did you have your passport on you?

I think most people walk around without their passport .. have it at home or hotel.

Are they arresting people for not having their passport?

Do you think they would be convinced with a copy of passport and current legal stay stamps?

This happened in the afternoon, about 16.00. The cars were full, so that was also the end of that day for the immigration officers.

I did not have my passport on me, so they asked for a copy. So you are safe with that.

If you cant provide either, they call your name in for a check, as they did with me. My name did not come up though, so I was arrested.

I got my passport later, because I had a wife I could ask to pick up my stuff and passport. Luckily I could do that from the car, when I still had my phone.

[thaibreaker]

If a tourist leaves his passport in the hotel, is it instant imprisonment for a few days followed by a court appearance ?

Please confirm this.

No, it is not. They asked for a copy, since I said I didn`t have my passport with me.

Since I couldn`t show that either, they called my name in, but got no answer, and then I was arrested.

[konying]

If a tourist leaves his passport in the hotel, is it instant imprisonment for a few days followed by a court appearance ?

Please confirm this.

No, it is not. They asked for a copy, since I said I didn`t have my passport with me.

Since I couldn`t show that either, they called my name in, but got no answer, and then I was arrested.

Called your name in where?

[thaibreaker]

Wow.

Thanks for your report.

Glad you survived it.

What time of that day and what place did this happen?

Did you have your passport on you?

I think most people walk around without their passport .. have it at home or hotel.

Are they arresting people for not having their passport?

Do you think they would be convinced with a copy of passport and current legal stay stamps?

Jing, i think OP likes to exaggerate a little.

If they just drove around asking all foreigners for passport and arrest those who failed to produce original , cars and detention centers would be packed.

Yes they can ask for your passport and may detain you or follow you or have you to call someone to bring your passport.

I am certain they will not throw you in IDC if you had valid passport and visa.

OP's experience sounds scary, but what did he expect for breaking the law? a nice 5 star hotel with breakfast in bed

Its common knowledge Thai jails are not the nicest place in the world, more reason NOT to break the law in Thailand or have enough money to avoid seeing the cells.

There is no excuse to justify over stay.

There is a good old saying" do not do the crime if you not prepared to do the time "

No exaggerating here.

But you are right. They will not throw you in IDC if you have a valid visa.

But they will arrest you for a few hours, and make you sit and wait in a room together with others arrested if you can`t show either a passport or a copy, or they can`t confirm your visa is valid. Then they let you go with no fine.

I dont excuse any overstay, but there can certainly be a good reason for it.

Edited November 28, 2014 by thaibreaker

[thaibreaker]

If a tourist leaves his passport in the hotel, is it instant imprisonment for a few days followed by a court appearance ?

Please confirm this.

Of course NOT.

When clubs are raided, sometimes foreigners are arrested for not having passport. They are taken to police station and later either escorted back to hotel to produce passport or have hotel or friend bring over passport.

Well this is what I figured but he did suggest in his post that people were taken straight to the IDC an hours drive away and the people with no passport were fined 6000 Baht when they eventually got to court.

I guess that means they are aggressively targeting any foreigner who is not carrying their passport.

I never carry my passport so I'd like to know if it's open season on foreigners at the moment...

I've long suspected that pollitically motivated people within government institutions will do anything they can to make the current administration look bad on an international level.

OP does not have a clue what they target or look for. His post is based on hearsay.

For all we know, he was targeted, could have been reported, just as others were.

OP states, he was walking, and car followed him and they came straight at him.

What are the chances of this being random.

Courts can not fine you for crime you did not commit and police can not charge you for crime you did not commit.

Thai law is very unclear if you suppose to have original passport or present original passport in timely manner(this has been discussed on many threads)

If you were to be stopped, just ask officers to follow/escort you to your hotel so you can show them the original,

Just imagine how pissed off judge would be, if they took everyone to court charged with overstay but all people had valid visa

Some confusion here, I see.

First, these people are not police, but immigration officers. They drive you directly to the IDC.

Second, in my case, I told them I had my passport at the hotel, but they did not care/or did not have time to pick it up.

When I could not provide a copy or the original, they did one more check. Called my name in. But that gave noe answer, so I was arrested.

In the car, I asked the officer if this is the way they catch overstayers now, he said yes. That is no hearsay, but a confirmed fact.

They were not targeting me, but I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

And random it was. They take this trip almost every day, to different places, rounding up farangs. This is no story that is made up.

And last, if you are brought in, they will check you out before the end of the day. If you have a valid visa, you are released, no fine, and does not have to stand before a judge. Two of the people brought in that day, was released the same evening.

Edited November 28, 2014 by thaibreaker

[thaibreaker]

If a tourist leaves his passport in the hotel, is it instant imprisonment for a few days followed by a court appearance ?

Please confirm this.

Of course NOT.

When clubs are raided, sometimes foreigners are arrested for not having passport. They are taken to police station and later either escorted back to hotel to produce passport or have hotel or friend bring over passport.

Well this is what I figured but he did suggest in his post that people were taken straight to the IDC an hours drive away and the people with no passport were fined 6000 Baht when they eventually got to court.

I guess that means they are aggressively targeting any foreigner who is not carrying their passport.

I never carry my passport so I'd like to know if it's open season on foreigners at the moment...

I've long suspected that pollitically motivated people within government institutions will do anything they can to make the current administration look bad on an international level.

They only send you to court if you actually are on overstay, or if you don`t have a passport anymore, for whatever reason.

If you have a valid visa, but don`t carry the passport with you or a copy, they let you go later the same day they catch you.

[thaibreaker]

If a tourist leaves his passport in the hotel, is it instant imprisonment for a few days followed by a court appearance ?

Please confirm this.

No, it is not. They asked for a copy, since I said I didn`t have my passport with me.

Since I couldn`t show that either, they called my name in, but got no answer, and then I was arrested.

Called your name in where?

To the immigration office I guess. They were spelling my name, but the computer gave no results. When we got there, to the IDC, there were plenty of people working, at about 17.30 or 18.00 in the evening.

Seemed like they were waiting for us.

Edited November 28, 2014 by thaibreaker

[konying]

If a tourist leaves his passport in the hotel, is it instant imprisonment for a few days followed by a court appearance ?

Please confirm this.

No, it is not. They asked for a copy, since I said I didn`t have my passport with me.

Since I couldn`t show that either, they called my name in, but got no answer, and then I was arrested.

Called your name in where?

To the immigration office I guess. When we got there, to the IDC, there were plenty people working, at about 17.30 or 18.00 in the evening.

Since when does immigration office has a database of names? if that was the case, there would not be a need to show passport, but just a call and your status is confirmed.

I do not believe it was just random, only because this is the first report of Immigration driving around and randomly picking foreigners off the street

[ukrules]

Immigration will have a database of every passport number, full name and date of birth and that system will have also have a record of the date you're permitted to stay until along with your travel history.

This is an interesting development, thanks for reporting it and clarifying.

Did you get blacklisted or just sent on your way and allowed back in ? I suspect you would have no problems coming back to Thailand if you're not here already.

Edited November 28, 2014 by ukrules

[thaibreaker]

Konying:

I couldn`t answer your post so I had to start a new one:

Of course they have a database of names. That is why they can release people who have a valid visa the same evening.

And yes, it was absolutely random. No question about it. I talked with the officer in the car a long time.

Most of the people apprehended, were Nigerians. About 7 or 8 of them were brought in, together with 3 Europeans. I was apprehended outside a mall, just on my way to my hotel. I guess they had room for one more in the car, and I was the lucky one.

I dont look suspicious in any way, but have a normal north European look.

First report you have heard of maybe. That is why I write this report. Others confirming it are maybe still at the IDC.

[thaibreaker]

Immigration will have a database of every passport number, full name and date of birth and that system will have also have a record of the date you're permitted to stay until along with your travel history.

This is an interesting development, thanks for reporting it and clarifying.

Did you get blacklisted or just sent on your way and allowed back in ? I suspect you would have no problems coming back to Thailand if you're not here already.

I have a previous history of one overstay, and this one, of more than a year. I was not blacklisted. In fact, the officer following me to the gate at Suvarnabhumi, told me to contact him next time I had trouble with a visa. He and the others involved were very helpful.

[BKKSnowBird]

Are you telling me they can not call in your pp# to see if your visa is current? I know nobody who carrys their pp.

[thaibreaker]

Are you telling me they can not call in your pp# to see if your visa is current? I know nobody who carrys their pp.

I my case they called my name in to check it, but they came up empty. I dont know the reason, but for me it didn`t matter, since I was on overstay anyway.

If you are brought in to the IDC without being able to prove you have a valid visa, it will be sorted out eventually, and you will be released, but it will take a few hours, depending on how many are brought in.

Edited November 28, 2014 by thaibreaker

[BKKSnowBird]

If on overstay, why not say ok. I will leave now and pay the fine. I would pay the 20k and book a ticket on my cc before getting locked up but guess you do not get a choice?

[thaibreaker]

If on overstay, why not say ok. I will leave now and pay the fine. I would pay the 20k and book a ticket on my cc before getting locked up but guess you do not get a choice?

No, you don`t get that choice. I even had a ticket I showed them, as told above, but they didn`t care.

These are officers working at IDC, and if they smell overstay, they lock you up.

Edited November 28, 2014 by thaibreaker

[jabis]

If on overstay, why not say ok. I will leave now and pay the fine. I would pay the 20k and book a ticket on my cc before getting locked up but guess you do not get a choice?

The OP produced a ticket outbound of the country, and that didn't matter, should answer your question.

[cooked]

If a tourist leaves his passport in the hotel, is it instant imprisonment for a few days followed by a court appearance ?

Please confirm this.

Of course NOT.

When clubs are raided, sometimes foreigners are arrested for not having passport. They are taken to police station and later either escorted back to hotel to produce passport or have hotel or friend bring over passport.

Well this is what I figured but he did suggest in his post that people were taken straight to the IDC an hours drive away and the people with no passport were fined 6000 Baht when they eventually got to court.

I guess that means they are aggressively targeting any foreigner who is not carrying their passport.

I never carry my passport so I'd like to know if it's open season on foreigners at the moment...

I've long suspected that pollitically motivated people within government institutions will do anything they can to make the current administration look bad on an international level.

OP does not have a clue what they target or look for. His post is based on hearsay.

For all we know, he was targeted, could have been reported, just as others were.

OP states, he was walking, and car followed him and they came straight at him.

What are the chances of this being random.

Courts can not fine you for crime you did not commit and police can not charge you for crime you did not commit.

Thai law is very unclear if you suppose to have original passport or present original passport in timely manner(this has been discussed on many threads)

If you were to be stopped, just ask officers to follow/escort you to your hotel so you can show them the original,

Just imagine how pissed off judge would be, if they took everyone to court charged with overstay but all people had valid visa

The law is very clear that you have to carry your passport at all times. I can'tremember the reference and it is available only in Thai. It was recently stated by immigration that a copy would be acceptable. For now.

Sent from my GT-S7500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[ukrules]

The law is very clear that you have to carry your passport at all times. I can'tremember the reference and it is available only in Thai. It was recently stated by immigration that a copy would be acceptable. For now.

Sure but I'd rather be arrested than potentially lose my passport which is why I never carry it with me all the time (and I never will regardless of the law) but it's always close by at home or in a hotel in case I need it.

I wonder if they would accept a Thailand Elite membership card instead of a passport, it has a passport ID photo on the back of it so it's a kind of ID card.

[cooked]

The law is very clear that you have to carry your passport at all times. I can'tremember the reference and it is available only in Thai. It was recently stated by immigration that a copy would be acceptable. For now.

Sure but I'd rather be arrested than potentially lose my passport which is why I never carry it with me all the time (and I never will regardless of the law) but it's always close by at home or in a hotel in case I need it.

I wonder if they would accept a Thailand Elite membership card instead of a passport, it has a passport ID photo on the back of it so it's a kind of ID card.

People on Thaivisa have already asked why we can't have a simple ID card as soon as we get past the tourist visa/ extension of tourist visa stage. This would require that the police have portable devices with which they can check immediately. ...which means it isn't going to happen.

[ATF]

You are not required to carry your passport but you should have a copy of it with your visa. A DL is usually ok too. Just take a photo of your passport and visa and keep it in your phone.

The law has always been and still is overstay and pay 20k at the airport or get caught and go to IDC. If you have money Immigration will let you sleep in one of their offices and even take you to restaurants and 7-11 and let you order KFC and pizzas etc. and give you your phone back.

I've got plenty of clowns out of IDC over the years and it's always ended up costing me.

Edited November 29, 2014 by ATF