My experience at IDC for overstaying

[IMA_FARANG]

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.

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As I said before on the topic, I always carry my passport around when I go out in Bangkok.

This comes as a habit from the years I have worked and lived in countries where the law requires you to have either a passport or a residence card if you are a foreigner living and working there.

Work in some of the middle eastern countries, and you will have the same experience.

Thailand is nothing compared to some of them.

But carrying my passport in my shirt pocket is so common by now, I actually feel wrong when that weight is not in my pocket.

[billd766]

One thing of interest has come out of this for me.

I got a new passport in March and reading about the Thai DL has reminded me to get new licences with updated passport info next time I go to tax my motorbike and pickup.

[mahjongguy]

..reading about the Thai DL has reminded me to get new licences with updated passport info next time I go to tax my motorbike and pickup.

If you have a bank account here you should go to the bank right away. Take your old and new passports with you.

[OJAS]

I have a wife and a small kid here, and have stayed legally in Thailand for more than 10 years. But being under 50, and without the proper marriage paper, it has been hard to obtain visas lately. I went on overstay last year, after being denied new visas. I have never worked here.

People can overstay for numerous of reasons, don`t be too quick to judge. Now I have passed 50, and can finally get a vise for longer stay than just a few months. Also I can get a longer visa this time for being father to a child in Thailand.

Which types of visa were you unsuccessfully attempting to apply for? Seems to me that you were already eligible for a non-O visa akin to the one you are now entitled to through being over 50, by virtue of being the parent of a Thai child.

[keestha]

I can confirm sometimes immigration officers carry out checks randomly. It happened to me about 2 years ago when walking on the street in Phuket Town, suddenly a car stopped next to me, the guy showed his immigration ID and asked to see my passport, and I am not looking like I am at the end of the road.

[Jdiddy]

Would this happen if your on 2-3 days over stay with a ticket home the next day?

[ubonjoe]

Would this happen if your on 2-3 days over stay with a ticket home the next day?

You probably would not have a problem it you had your passport with you when asked for it.

Not having your passport just makes it worse.

[zoza]

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 "

I beg to differ on your sweeping statement that "there is no excuse for overstay"

I have a friend who went to an agency to obtain a visa and after a while received

his passport all visa completed.

during the next few weeks the visa agency was raided by police and there were

lots of stories going round about forged documents ect so as my friend was due

to go to the airport he decided to get his visa checked by the immigration there

and after having it checked by the man at immigration and then his superior he

was assured his visa was legit and told "enjoy your stay"

two months later he was phoned by Bangkok immigration that there was a problem

with his visa and because the three thai people who he trusted had let him down

he was now liable for 20,000 bht overstay fine.

there were about 7/8 others who had been given dodgy visa's but what happened

to them is unknown,

[thaibreaker]

Would this happen if your on 2-3 days over stay with a ticket home the next day?

That`s a good question. You won`t get a straight answer on this, but as our Ubonjoe wrote, having a passport with you, makes your chances better.

But in the end of the day, it will be up to the officer in charge, and he was not especially pleasant in my case.

When you think of it, there are reports about "border run" vans on their way to borders being stopped and checked for visas, and they are even closer to the finishing line. That makes no sense for me, but even in those cases we don`t know what 2-3 days mean for the officer in charge.

[thaibreaker]

I have a wife and a small kid here, and have stayed legally in Thailand for more than 10 years. But being under 50, and without the proper marriage paper, it has been hard to obtain visas lately. I went on overstay last year, after being denied new visas. I have never worked here.

People can overstay for numerous of reasons, don`t be too quick to judge. Now I have passed 50, and can finally get a vise for longer stay than just a few months. Also I can get a longer visa this time for being father to a child in Thailand.

Which types of visa were you unsuccessfully attempting to apply for? Seems to me that you were already eligible for a non-O visa akin to the one you are now entitled to through being over 50, by virtue of being the parent of a Thai child.

Now I am entitled to the non-O visa, when over 50. And my kid is just a few months old.

The refused visas were in the end tourist visas and ordinary border runs, i just have my passport full of them over the years.

[humbug]

i really dont understand posters who dont understand the op or that immigration stops people like this

i stayed for a short spell in rama 2 in bangkadi and immigration not police were always stoppibg people at bus stops or in taxis etc mostly looking for loas cambodians etc as that area had alot of factories

holidays were the worst you would see many immigration cars stopping people

even now i see immigration cars stopping people in udom suk

i think people have to wise up after reading this op as this is real bangkok and most foreigners wont see this side of living here

[thaibreaker]

i really dont understand posters who dont understand the op or that immigration stops people like this

i stayed for a short spell in rama 2 in bangkadi and immigration not police were always stoppibg people at bus stops or in taxis etc mostly looking for loas cambodians etc as that area had alot of factories

holidays were the worst you would see many immigration cars stopping people

even now i see immigration cars stopping people in udom suk

i think people have to wise up after reading this op as this is real bangkok and most foreigners wont see this side of living here

Thanks, mate.

As uncomfortable it is to realize, it is not a very rare sight anymore, and especially not after the last military coup.

And what you say about Cambodians, Laotians and/or Burmese, are very real and true. It all mainly seems as a Bangkok phenomenon, probably because the short way to IDC in Bangkok, where they end up. They are holding overstayers or missing passport holders several places in the country, but immigration seems more active in Bangkok.

They actually ship Cambodians (and probably also Burmese) out by buses or vans (driven by the police), there are that many of them in IDC. They are in fact also raiding construction sites, and rounding up a large number of them.

Edited November 29, 2014 by thaibreaker

[koolbreez]

With the new foreign worker laws in place, and the long grace period they gave those regional immigrants to comply, they have in deed actively pursued overstay by foreign workers. What is surprising is that they never imposed the new reentry restrictions on you, that have been in place for almost a year, with big signage posted at all immigration offices frequented by foreigners. With a one year overstay you should have been barred from entry for 10 years. This new overstay restriction starts at 90 days of overstay being barred for 1 year, and progresses up to the max of a 10 year ban at one year or more overstay.

[Evilbaz]

With the new foreign worker laws in place, and the long grace period they gave those regional immigrants to comply, they have in deed actively pursued overstay by foreign workers. What is surprising is that they never imposed the new reentry restrictions on you, that have been in place for almost a year, with big signage posted at all immigration offices frequented by foreigners. With a one year overstay you should have been barred from entry for 10 years. This new overstay restriction starts at 90 days of overstay being barred for 1 year, and progresses up to the max of a 10 year ban at one year or more overstay.

A very good point.

Maybe every cloud has a silver lining.

The OP has saved about 15,000 baht and isn't banned from seeing his "wife" and child here for 10 years.

[thaibreaker]

With the new foreign worker laws in place, and the long grace period they gave those regional immigrants to comply, they have in deed actively pursued overstay by foreign workers. What is surprising is that they never imposed the new reentry restrictions on you, that have been in place for almost a year, with big signage posted at all immigration offices frequented by foreigners. With a one year overstay you should have been barred from entry for 10 years. This new overstay restriction starts at 90 days of overstay being barred for 1 year, and progresses up to the max of a 10 year ban at one year or more overstay.

These new rules of black listing made this year, are not in effect yet. They have to be approved by the government first.

People apprehended and deported (by their own tickets) from the IDC, are not usually black listed, even for longer overstays. Unless you have a very severe long time overstay, or long history of overstaying. There was a danish man in my room who had been to IDC 3 times already before, for overstaying about a year each time, but was still not black listed.

Btw, I have never worked in Thailand.

Edited November 29, 2014 by thaibreaker

[billd766]

..reading about the Thai DL has reminded me to get new licences with updated passport info next time I go to tax my motorbike and pickup.

If you have a bank account here you should go to the bank right away. Take your old and new passports with you.

Sh1t. I had forgotten about that but I was going to the bank on Monday anyway.

Thank you for a timely reminder.

Now where else have I forgotten to go to?

[Evilbaz]

AIS or other telephone/internet providers - ID

Direct debits to overseas?

AirAsia booking info.

Anywhere else you had to provide ID

[NativeSon360]

Thanks for sharing your Jailhouse Rock experience. Being forewarned is definitely being fore-armed.

I can't speak to Europe or the UK, but It is a crime (albeit a misdemeanor) in both the U.S. & Canada, NOT to have appropriate ID in your possession, while in public places. And, the police will detain you, until your identity is verified.

The new Thai government is simply enforcing the (already established) "uniform" Immigration statutes. No surprise there, especially if you're already in the habit of keeping some form of ID on your person, @ all times.

[BaldPlumber]

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.

You are required by law to carry your passport at all times. A copy is acceptable for the moment.

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

Very useful post, I've never heard of this before. A copy you say? some sort of laminated version? from any Kodak outlet? about 40 baht? well I never, you live and learn. Oh wait a moment, wasn't that contained in the post you quoted?

Edited November 29, 2014 by BaldPlumber

[konying]

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.

You are required by law to carry your passport at all times. A copy is acceptable for the moment.

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

I dare you to back it up with the exact quote from that "law"

Its been discussed too many times, there is no such law which states must carry original passport.

Phuket Immigration chief did try to pass it as a law not too long ago, but failed.

You must be able to produce original passport is the law, how its interpreted by an officer asking to see it is another matter.

[MacWalen]

So what is the moral of the story?

[Ws93]

This is some scary stuff, i wonder if i will get arrested for looking foreign.

all the times ive visited Thailand as a child and teenager, ive never seen the immigrant patrol crew, not even a police officer if i can remember.

just wondering, can you get money for reporting farangs? Ive heard many people on tgis forum mention reporting farang so i wonder if they get money for it? Seems common o report.

Edited November 29, 2014 by Ws93

[cooked]

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.

You are required by law to carry your passport at all times. A copy is acceptable for the moment.

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

I dare you to back it up with the exact quote from that "law"

Its been discussed too many times, there is no such law which states must carry original passport.

Phuket Immigration chief did try to pass it as a law not too long ago, but failed.

You must be able to produce original passport is the law, how its interpreted by an officer asking to see it is another matter.

I will try to find it. Can you read Thai? Come to think of it I can't be bothered. google it yourself. You are required by law to carry your passport. Immigration has said this many times. It has also said many times that a copy of your passport will do (they want to see your visa details). A driving license contains details of your passport I believe, so comes under the category of 'valid ID' as also was said would be acceptable. Why the denial? People have been taken out of bars to the police station because they didn't have a passport.

Edited November 30, 2014 by cooked

[chrisinth]

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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

You do not believe immigration has a database of people in the country?

Really?

When they check for passports (or copies of passports) they are enforcing current laws, ie, every visitor will carry their passports. To not do so is asking for trouble that can easily be avoided.

Not sure why you are having a go at the OP, everything he has stated could, and does happen.

[ubonjoe]

This topic just got a lot shorter after all off topic posts and replies to them were removed. Topic is not about ED visas and etc.

[konying]

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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

You do not believe immigration has a database of people in the country?

Really?

When they check for passports (or copies of passports) they are enforcing current laws, ie, every visitor will carry their passports. To not do so is asking for trouble that can easily be avoided.

Not sure why you are having a go at the OP, everything he has stated could, and does happen.

Not sure if you misunderstood or just felt like flaming.

It is not common or heard of for immigration to drive around the streets asking foreigners for passports just randomly.

OP stated they called his name in but no response so he was arrested.

Logic would suggest if such database existed, they would have received response " over stayer"

OP stated he was staying at a hotel, hotels do reports.

It is more than likely OP was targeted than randomly picked up

[konying]

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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

You do not believe immigration has a database of people in the country?

Really?

When they check for passports (or copies of passports) they are enforcing current laws, ie, every visitor will carry their passports. To not do so is asking for trouble that can easily be avoided.

Not sure why you are having a go at the OP, everything he has stated could, and does happen.

Not sure if you misunderstood or just felt like flaming.

It is not common or heard of for immigration to drive around the streets asking foreigners for passports just randomly.

OP stated they called his name in but no response so he was arrested.

Logic would suggest if such database existed, they would have received response " over stayer"

OP stated he was staying at a hotel, hotels do reports.

It is more than likely OP was targeted than randomly picked up

[jspill]

Seems if one has to overstay for whatever reason (there are legitimate reasons some get forced onto overstay) best to do so with enough money to be granted cellphone return, VIP room, food delivery, internet access, faster court proceeding, and to buy your flight ticket out after a few days.

Overstay without money and you may be there years.

[ubonjoe]

OP stated they called his name in but no response so he was arrested.

Logic would suggest if such database existed, they would have received response " over stayer"

There is certainly a data base. Just because they did find his name does not mean there is not one.

Perhaps they did not find it because of a spelling error or a mix up between first and last name.

If he had his passport or his passport number or even his arrival card number they would of found it quickly. And if they had found it they would of seen he was on overstay.

Immigration use the system frequently to recover peoples entry and permit to stay dates when a passport is lost or stolen.

[ITGabs]

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

They have a database, every immigration officer, every hotel, car/motorbike rent help to add info into that database, and it's work very well, I was surprised, I did some queries and you can get a lot info, maybe they can get info from banks also.