I have recently been to extend my annual "permission to remain in Thailand" Retirement Visa. I was asked to sign a form informing me of the penalties for overstay. It left me wonderng....,

What if I was subject to a medical emergency immediately prior to my visa extension/renewal date and therefore could not attend immigration before running into overstay? This is a scenario that must surely happen. Is there a procedure that friends or relatives could initiate to prevent overstay and its subsequent penalties?

I am at an age and state of health where knowing what needs to be done in a worst case scenario might be very important.

Any help that fellow TV folk can offer will be greatly appreciated.

An extension up to 90 days at a time is possible for medical care.

It would also be possible for a family member or a designated person to do the extension based upon retirement for you. It would require a letter from a doctor and power of attorney for the person to do it.

The overstay penalties mentioned in the from you signed have not been approved yet. There is only a fine of 500 baht a day up to a 20k baht maximum fine at the moment.

Im not 100% sure but I think if you were to get a letter from the Doctor explaining your position and get it delivered before your extension expires.

Perhaps some other members might have some ideas.

ubonjoe posted the same time as me.

Edited March 16, 201511 yr by Jessi

Ubonjoe and Jessi,

Thanks for your very helpful replies to my enquiry.

Ubonjoe is absolutely right.

The important thing is not to go on overstay and hope to ask for forgiveness because of a medical emergency. Be sure your family is educated about the need to take care of visa extensions if you are incapacitated. Most private hospitals have customer service departments that can help your family in organizing 90 day medical extensions -- but the need to do a medical extension (or a 90 day report, for that matter) has to be brought to their attention by the family or patient, if the patient is able to communicate.

Once someone is on overstay, it's very difficult to try to "erase" the overstay due to a medical problem. You can't get a medical extension because there is nothing to extend. You're on overstay.

NancyL

Thank you for your very helpful advice.