3 day overstay - risky?

[Konini]

Due to an unbelievable piece of miscalculation, the 30 day extension I got on my final tourist visa today expires on 6th February and we leave the country on 9th - I booked the flights months ago, didn't check the dates and actually thought we were leaving a week earlier. I've never had an overstay before, 3 days shouldn't really be a problem (and would be cheaper and more importantly a lot more convenient than having a day out to Mae Sai) but I'm going to be applying for a Non Immigration-O (dependant spouse) in Melbourne a few days after leaving Thailand.

Is being cheap and lazy now going to cause problems for me in the future, or more particularly with the application for the Non-O?

[ubonjoe]

Any overstay has the risk of being caught with it.

You could apply for a 7 day extension at immigration, pay the 1900 baht fee and be given 7 days to leave.

[spartanmatt]

Any overstay has the risk of being caught with it.

You could apply for a 7 day extension at immigration, pay the 1900 baht fee and be given 7 days to leave.

Hello,

i would like to check with u ubonjoe about overstay fees. I heard that there is no more limit max 25.000 now is per day 500? Is that truth?

Thank You for info.

[Mario2008]

The fine is 500 a day, with a maximum of 20,000 baht.

[murphya33]

You might be able to get an extra 7 days. Bring your airline ticket along with you to the immigration office. It is at their discretion. Otherwise, as you leave, you will have to pay 1500. Its no big deal. Don't worry about it.

[gandalf12]

Whilst it shouldnt be a problem it my be in the future. I have never over stayed in Thailand as I work on the basis that at some point I will apply for something and then the over stay will be raised

[spartanmatt]

The fine is 500 a day, with a maximum of 20,000 baht.

thanks for info so i guess not truth what i heard. any idea of plans of changing that? by imigratin or whatever?

[ubonjoe]

The 20k baht max fine is set by the immigration act of 1979. Until it is amended or a new one is written it will not be changed.

[chrisinth]

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The fine is 500 a day, with a maximum of 20,000 baht.

thanks for info so i guess not truth what i heard. any idea of plans of changing that? by imigratin or whatever?

What is being proposed now is that unlike before, pay your 20,000 bahts and that is it, is that bans on entry to Thailand (timespan of ban related to the length of overstay) will be imposed on the offender.

This is not yet law, but is in process. Advice would be, if you currently have an overstay issue, get it sorted out now if you want to come back to Thailand in the near future.

[gk10002000]

I highly recommend paying the 1900 baht and getting a 7 day extension, or 30 day for that matter. The cost is the same. Otherwise you run some risks. At the airport, assuming you get there with no hassles you will have to wait in a separate line and pay 3 x 500 = 1500 baht for the 3 day overstay.

[JDGRUEN]

It is never a good idea to have any sort of overstay on your passport for any reason. As suggested - go to immigration at the appropriate time - take your departure ticket info -- ask for a 7 day extension... Yes for 7 days the fee is high - 1900 Baht -- BUT you will not taint your passport

[Konini]

I've just done a 30 day extension to my tourist visa though - can I apply for a 2nd extension?

[ubonjoe]

I've just done a 30 day extension to my tourist visa though - can I apply for a 2nd extension?

Yes you can apply for a 7 extension but it is not truly an extension. They give you 7 days to leave the country after denying the extension.

[spartanmatt]

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The 20k baht max fine is set by the immigration act of 1979. Until it is amended or a new one is written it will not be changed.

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

The fine is 500 a day, with a maximum of 20,000 baht.

thanks for info so i guess not truth what i heard. any idea of plans of changing that? by imigratin or whatever?

What is being proposed now is that unlike before, pay your 20,000 bahts and that is it, is that bans on entry to Thailand (timespan of ban related to the length of overstay) will be imposed on the offender.

This is not yet law, but is in process. Advice would be, if you currently have an overstay issue, get it sorted out now if you want to come back to Thailand in the near future.

Thanks for all the info...not on overstay but was curious about those changes. Thanks

[BudRight]

In all likelihood, nothing bad will transpire from three days overstay either in your passport or when you leave. That said, the price difference is 400 baht and some hassle. If someone paid you 400 baht to be stressed out on vacation, would you take the money? If not, go to immigration and get the extension.

[Huggybearman]

You never know when a seemingly 'trifling' overstay may come back to haunt you. The Thai authorities may treat them leniently but if you apply for a visa to another country that might take a dim view of your overstay, you could be in for a nasty surprise!

Don't risk it, is my advice.

[Konini]

Thank you everybody for your help and opinions. I don't want to risk having the extension denied at immigration as that will probably leave some kind of red stamp in my passport, so we've decided to hire a car and have a day out to Mae Sai. It's actually quite a pleasant drive, and we've got almost 4 weeks to decide when we want to go.

I hadn't even considered what UbonJoe said in the first reply - that I may be caught out before I get to the airport, after which I would be deported. Definitely not worth the risk.

[nithisa78]

I think it will be okay. However, TV friends, we break the law, there will be risk.

[Tomtomtom69]

Whilst it shouldnt be a problem it my be in the future. I have never over stayed in Thailand as I work on the basis that at some point I will apply for something and then the over stay will be raised

There have been various recent reports making the rounds about persons who have overstayed just a few days being taken aside by immigration upon their next trip to Thailand.

I wouldn't recommend overstaying even by one day. As Ubonjoe stated, a 7-day extension is in order and only costs 1900 Baht.

[Tomtomtom69]

Thank you everybody for your help and opinions. I don't want to risk having the extension denied at immigration as that will probably leave some kind of red stamp in my passport, so we've decided to hire a car and have a day out to Mae Sai. It's actually quite a pleasant drive, and we've got almost 4 weeks to decide when we want to go.

I hadn't even considered what UbonJoe said in the first reply - that I may be caught out before I get to the airport, after which I would be deported. Definitely not worth the risk.

That's fine but the chances of getting your extension denied are much less, and without any consequences compared to say overstaying. Going for a visa run is OK but keep Chiang Khong in mind in case Mae Sai asks you questions. However, if asked, just state you want to visit the market and are leaving Thailand soon anyway. Bring along your airline ticket as that might help; the officials in Mae Sai will let you leave if you are admissible on your return.

[GOLDBUGGY]

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You might be able to get an extra 7 days. Bring your airline ticket along with you to the immigration office. It is at their discretion. Otherwise, as you leave, you will have to pay 1500. Its no big deal. Don't worry about it.

What is no big deal is paying the 1,900 Baht for the extension, then have a worry free vacation.

You are taking a chance that you may be spot stopped and checked, by the police, and if it happened to be on you first Overstay Day the treatment you may get could be far different and shock you.

Why take the risk when you have plenty of time now to change that and not have to?

[kanook]

Thank you everybody for your help and opinions. I don't want to risk having the extension denied at immigration as that will probably leave some kind of red stamp in my passport, so we've decided to hire a car and have a day out to Mae Sai. It's actually quite a pleasant drive, and we've got almost 4 weeks to decide when we want to go.

I hadn't even considered what UbonJoe said in the first reply - that I may be caught out before I get to the airport, after which I would be deported. Definitely not worth the risk

You may have trouble at Mae Sai. I lived in Chiang Rai for 1 1/2 yrs and know the border crossing well, friendly with some of the immigration staff at the border as well. I am now on a triple entry tourist visa from my home country. Two weeks ago I activated my 2nd entry by crossing over and back and thought it was a good idea to see what my options were when I used my final entry plus extension. I was told I wouldn't be able to exit and re enter on a visa exempt. Another resident of CM from a G7 nation was denied exit while I was at the border chatting with immigration. He was trying to cross over to Tachilek and back into Thailand on a visa exempt after his double entry tourist visa had expired. He was told to get a 7 day extension. That said the border staff is very friendly and in the past (before Aug 2014) flexible, at least with me, so they may allow you to cross, but don't be surprised if they don't. Mae Sai has gone from one of the most flexible crossings to apparently, zero tolerance recently.

[jspill]

What is being proposed now is that unlike before, pay your 20,000 bahts and that is it, is that bans on entry to Thailand (timespan of ban related to the length of overstay) will be imposed on the offender.

This is not yet law, but is in process. Advice would be, if you currently have an overstay issue, get it sorted out now if you want to come back to Thailand in the near future.

If 'in process' implies it will happen, that's only your assumption, no one has that info. Mods here think the proposals have been shelved - http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/781882-overstay-on-3-month-non-b-am-i-in-trouble/#entry8767022

That wouldn't apply to overstays of less than 90 days either.

Edited January 8, 2015 by jspill

[Konini]

You may have trouble at Mae Sai. I lived in Chiang Rai for 1 1/2 yrs and know the border crossing well, friendly with some of the immigration staff at the border as well. I am now on a triple entry tourist visa from my home country. Two weeks ago I activated my 2nd entry by crossing over and back and thought it was a good idea to see what my options were when I used my final entry plus extension. I was told I wouldn't be able to exit and re enter on a visa exempt. Another resident of CM from a G7 nation was denied exit while I was at the border chatting with immigration. He was trying to cross over to Tachilek and back into Thailand on a visa exempt after his double entry tourist visa had expired. He was told to get a 7 day extension. That said the border staff is very friendly and in the past (before Aug 2014) flexible, at least with me, so they may allow you to cross, but don't be surprised if they don't. Mae Sai has gone from one of the most flexible crossings to apparently, zero tolerance recently.

Thank you for that info Kanook, I would be doing the same as you - I've used the 3rd entry of my triple entry tourist visa and extended it by 30 days. Maybe I'll be better to apply for the 7 day extension, it's a long way to go if it's for nothing. If it is denied and they give me 7 days to leave the country and put something horrible in my passport, I can always get my spouse non-o visa using my Australian passport, or maybe just get a tourist visa in Melbourne as we're going to Vietnam in April and England in May. I'd rather keep it on my UK passport for all sorts of complicated reasons, but I'm luckier than most people as I have an alternative I can utilise.

As Huggybearman mentioned, getting a little black mark in my passport may be insignificant now, but it might come back to haunt me at some later stage, which is why I was favouring doing a border run. I wish I was in Bangkok instead of Chiang Mai - return tickets to Singapore and KL are really cheap. I suppose that would be my last option, but I would be loath to waste 10,000 baht or so just to turn around and come back.

[kanook]

You may have trouble at Mae Sai. I lived in Chiang Rai for 1 1/2 yrs and know the border crossing well, friendly with some of the immigration staff at the border as well. I am now on a triple entry tourist visa from my home country. Two weeks ago I activated my 2nd entry by crossing over and back and thought it was a good idea to see what my options were when I used my final entry plus extension. I was told I wouldn't be able to exit and re enter on a visa exempt. Another resident of CM from a G7 nation was denied exit while I was at the border chatting with immigration. He was trying to cross over to Tachilek and back into Thailand on a visa exempt after his double entry tourist visa had expired. He was told to get a 7 day extension. That said the border staff is very friendly and in the past (before Aug 2014) flexible, at least with me, so they may allow you to cross, but don't be surprised if they don't. Mae Sai has gone from one of the most flexible crossings to apparently, zero tolerance recently.

Thank you for that info Kanook, I would be doing the same as you - I've used the 3rd entry of my triple entry tourist visa and extended it by 30 days. Maybe I'll be better to apply for the 7 day extension, it's a long way to go if it's for nothing. If it is denied and they give me 7 days to leave the country and put something horrible in my passport, I can always get my spouse non-o visa using my Australian passport, or maybe just get a tourist visa in Melbourne as we're going to Vietnam in April and England in May. I'd rather keep it on my UK passport for all sorts of complicated reasons, but I'm luckier than most people as I have an alternative I can utilise.

As Huggybearman mentioned, getting a little black mark in my passport may be insignificant now, but it might come back to haunt me at some later stage, which is why I was favouring doing a border run. I wish I was in Bangkok instead of Chiang Mai - return tickets to Singapore and KL are really cheap. I suppose that would be my last option, but I would be loath to waste 10,000 baht or so just to turn around and come back.

No problem, Konini, Your posts on the Chiang Mai forum are always pleasant, wanted to let you know what Immgration told me.

[bigt116]

Thank you everybody for your help and opinions. I don't want to risk having the extension denied at immigration as that will probably leave some kind of red stamp in my passport, so we've decided to hire a car and have a day out to Mae Sai. It's actually quite a pleasant drive, and we've got almost 4 weeks to decide when we want to go.

I hadn't even considered what UbonJoe said in the first reply - that I may be caught out before I get to the airport, after which I would be deported. Definitely not worth the risk

You may have trouble at Mae Sai. I lived in Chiang Rai for 1 1/2 yrs and know the border crossing well, friendly with some of the immigration staff at the border as well. I am now on a triple entry tourist visa from my home country. Two weeks ago I activated my 2nd entry by crossing over and back and thought it was a good idea to see what my options were when I used my final entry plus extension. I was told I wouldn't be able to exit and re enter on a visa exempt. Another resident of CM from a G7 nation was denied exit while I was at the border chatting with immigration. He was trying to cross over to Tachilek and back into Thailand on a visa exempt after his double entry tourist visa had expired. He was told to get a 7 day extension. That said the border staff is very friendly and in the past (before Aug 2014) flexible, at least with me, so they may allow you to cross, but don't be surprised if they don't. Mae Sai has gone from one of the most flexible crossings to apparently, zero tolerance recently.

Not a tourist are you !

[rrreeeuben]

3 day overstay should be no issue. 1500 baht to be paid at the airport. Smooth process.

If u get caught meanwhile at random police checks then it is an issue

[thaibreaker]

Thank you everybody for your help and opinions. I don't want to risk having the extension denied at immigration as that will probably leave some kind of red stamp in my passport, so we've decided to hire a car and have a day out to Mae Sai. It's actually quite a pleasant drive, and we've got almost 4 weeks to decide when we want to go.

I hadn't even considered what UbonJoe said in the first reply - that I may be caught out before I get to the airport, after which I would be deported. Definitely not worth the risk.

I will just clearify this, you will not be deported. You will be detained at the IDC until you are able to pay for your own ticket, to your home country only.

Edited January 10, 2015 by thaibreaker

[wcoast]

Kononi, you can fly from Chiang Mai to Udon cheap, and go to the Thai consulate in Vientiane. Flight leaves at 6am ish, I have made it to the consulate before 11:30am catching a taxi to bus depot #1, bus to near border, Tuk Tuk to border, and private taxi in Laos direct to consulate.

Edited January 11, 2015 by wcoast

[Tomtomtom69]

You may have trouble at Mae Sai. I lived in Chiang Rai for 1 1/2 yrs and know the border crossing well, friendly with some of the immigration staff at the border as well. I am now on a triple entry tourist visa from my home country. Two weeks ago I activated my 2nd entry by crossing over and back and thought it was a good idea to see what my options were when I used my final entry plus extension. I was told I wouldn't be able to exit and re enter on a visa exempt. Another resident of CM from a G7 nation was denied exit while I was at the border chatting with immigration. He was trying to cross over to Tachilek and back into Thailand on a visa exempt after his double entry tourist visa had expired. He was told to get a 7 day extension. That said the border staff is very friendly and in the past (before Aug 2014) flexible, at least with me, so they may allow you to cross, but don't be surprised if they don't. Mae Sai has gone from one of the most flexible crossings to apparently, zero tolerance recently.

Thank you for that info Kanook, I would be doing the same as you - I've used the 3rd entry of my triple entry tourist visa and extended it by 30 days. Maybe I'll be better to apply for the 7 day extension, it's a long way to go if it's for nothing. If it is denied and they give me 7 days to leave the country and put something horrible in my passport, I can always get my spouse non-o visa using my Australian passport, or maybe just get a tourist visa in Melbourne as we're going to Vietnam in April and England in May. I'd rather keep it on my UK passport for all sorts of complicated reasons, but I'm luckier than most people as I have an alternative I can utilise.

As Huggybearman mentioned, getting a little black mark in my passport may be insignificant now, but it might come back to haunt me at some later stage, which is why I was favouring doing a border run. I wish I was in Bangkok instead of Chiang Mai - return tickets to Singapore and KL are really cheap. I suppose that would be my last option, but I would be loath to waste 10,000 baht or so just to turn around and come back.

Getting an overstay stamp in your passport would be "something horrible". Getting an extension stamp is not - they give you 7 days almost automatically, if they don't, they'll just turn you away. In both cases this is much better than an overstay. I don't understand your concern about the 7 day extension.

I agree that past overstays have been scrutinized on returning individuals in some cases, even if they were short and happened a while ago. Those individuals that are "pushing their luck" in regards to doing a lot of in-out visa runs (but may be spending a couple of days away from Thailand in the meantime) are much more likely to be admitted than those in a similar situation or possibly even less time spent in Thailand but who have overstayed.