8 years overstay cleared without any problems

[heroKK]

I managed to legalize my situation of 8 years overstay in Thailand and I didn't had any problems with the immigration officers at the nongkhai land border crossing.

first I went to the overstay reporting office located behind the passport counter and I noticed that they were a lot of Laotian citizens who were also on the overstay situation I was asked to sign on two forms and were presented to pay the fine of 20K,

later on I arrived at the Laos crossing checkpoint and paid the fee of 1,500bht for the VOA.

then I went straightaway to apply for a double entry TV at the Thai consulate and the guy rejected my demand after looking at my passport pages, he asked me if I could provide a bank statement which i did not had so he said he could only issue me a single entry and I was told that I should not come here again to apply for any visa.

picked up my passport next day and crossed back to Thailand without any problems, my question could I apply for DB entry at different consulate using a new passport or was I blacklisted somehow at the consular level.

[ChrisNew]

Get a new passport. You wont be blacklisted. Go back to Lao and you'll get a double entry tourist visa no questions asked.

[heroKK]

Get a new passport. You wont be blacklisted. Go back to Lao and you'll get a double entry tourist visa no questions asked.

Thanks but will I have any criminal records with the Thai Police ??? because I had to sign on a form indicating police offense etc... and i was stamped by the police officer and not by the IO.

Edited July 11, 2015 by heroKK

[ChrisNew]

Its done and dusted. Just don't do it again.

[paz]

Thanks but will I have any criminal records with the Thai Police ??? because I had to sign on a form indicating police offense etc... and i was stamped by the police officer and not by the IO.

You don't have a criminal record. You have cleared your immigration infraction according to the Immigration Act, that is well separated from the Criminal Code. By the way, Immigration is a dept. of Royal Thai Police. All Immigration officers are police.

[jspill]

'Crime' or 'misdemeanour' is debatable. It doesn't come with jail time, only detention time (not the same thing) until you pay for a flight ticket out, if you have the funds you are out in 24 hours, they even have VIP rooms with Wifi and pizza delivery, a ThaiVisa poster who went to IDC wrote a full report on that.

Not that I recommend it, but doesn't calling someone a 'lawbreaker' in this spot make light of actual harmful crimes, like drug dealing etc. Save your vitriol for someone else.

[Maestro]

Removed off-topic posts and replies to them.

[IMA_FARANG]

I believe you were told previously that if you paid the 20K baht fine you would be clear by people on this forum. You see we don't lie now.

We have seen it before.

Your problems do not come from outside, they come from yourself and what you choose to do to yourself and others. Been there before myself.

Learn that lesson and it is the start of a new way of life.

Make your own choice sand live honestly with your choices

[Nerone]

Nice, you are my HERO!

Anyway, yes the advice to get a new passport makes sense...

[gemguy]

'Crime' or 'misdemeanour' is debatable. It doesn't come with jail time, only detention time (not the same thing) until you pay for a flight ticket out, if you have the funds you are out in 24 hours, they even have VIP rooms with Wifi and pizza delivery, a ThaiVisa poster who went to IDC wrote a full report on that.

Not that I recommend it, but doesn't calling someone a 'lawbreaker' in this spot make light of actual harmful crimes, like drug dealing etc. Save your vitriol for someone else.

Now there you go.

The Thai immigration authorities have always been more or less very gracious in the manner that they handle foreigners that overstay and violate their immigration laws.

I for one, am very happy that the immigration authorities have never turned over zealous and or nasty relative to the possible ways and means of enforcing their immigration laws while being amongst the most liberal of nations concerning their immigrations laws and how they deal with foreign nationals that at one time entered the country legally but eventually violate those laws....in several ways...without any harsh reprimands occurring.

And let us hope it stays that way.

Cheers

[SGX]

What motivated you to come clean after 8 years?

[misterphil]

Why do you want another visa?

Just stay for another 8 years like you did last time. It only cost 20,000 and a signature.

Genuine people like me have to jump through hoops just to live here with my Thai wife. And the amount of money I pump in to the Thai economy is ridiculous, and some of thats supposed to go to immigration etc to prevent over stayers.

[sead]

Well i agree he got away too easy for this. Some has to go and do border runs and report all the time. The timeconsuming effort, money and problems for the guys that follow the rules are ofc the reason why he gets flamed. I would also be happy if i had 8 years overstay and got away with 20k thb. But be assured that he didnt have it easy either thinking of , that he can get caught every day. Should have fined him atleast 500k Thb, but gz for the success.

[gilo]

Well done for getting it sorted. Been there done that. Although interestingly even with an 11 year overstay stamped into my new passport the first double tourist visa applied for and granted was in Vientiane, however I joined with a group run by Thaivisa Services so perhaps that may have made it easier? I have however been back there again alone and again was issued with a double without any problems. Although i cleared my overstay at Suvarnabhumi and came back in via swampy and got an extension on the exempt entry stamp which the consulate would have seen so perhaps that might have made the difference. But certainly in my case a walloping overstay stamp had no bearing on securing tourist visas in Laos. Quite simply despite all the screams for harsher penalties to be imposed it is apparent that the Immigration authorities are extremely reasonable and once the fine is paid they view the matter as resolved. As for those who say that being on an overstay would result in being continuously worried and constantly looking over ones shoulder, well at least in my case that wasn't true. I was never asked and have still never been asked for my passport and I am not hidden away in the back waters by any means.

Edited July 12, 2015 by gilo

[little mary sunshine]

If I was in charge..........This would be

Handled very differently....One must

earn respect not attempt purchase it!

[Thaidream]

I shall not criticise those who overstay. Most don't set out to do such things. Your life can change in an instant and those plans you had and the preparation you believe was correct gets wiped out. I am speaking from experience. While I have never overstayed- I have had a good deal of money and property wiped out because of family illness. And I had medical insurance but it was not enough. Had I been in Thailand at the time, I may have had no choice but to overstay. It is real easy to cast aspersions on people you don't know when you are sitting well off. Be careful, be nice to the people on your way up, you may see them again on your way down.

[ubonjoe]

This topic just got much shorter after I removed several posts and replies to them. OP came on this forum to ask a question and get some help not to be harangued and abused.

Posts from now on will be removed without notice.

[swampdonkey]

When does your passport expire ? Must be soon as you have been here for at least eight years.

A simple renewal would be a good option.

[gilo]

As swampdonkey suggests getting a new passport will assist greatly. However there is no coordination internationally for Thai consulates so you are not on some kind of watch-list or blacklist. The official may have been nervous as there was no record showing that you had traveled back into Thailand since you cleared the overstay. Presuming that there is nothing marked by the consulate on your passport there is nothing stopping you from going to another consulate for a visa, if you go to PP best to use an agent and you should have no problems getting another single. Or if u show 3 tickets out can get a triple in Bali. However the simplest way is to request a new passport and start afresh..

[nemrut]

I shall not criticise those who overstay. Most don't set out to do such things. Your life can change in an instant and those plans you had and the preparation you believe was correct gets wiped out. I am speaking from experience. While I have never overstayed- I have had a good deal of money and property wiped out because of family illness. And I had medical insurance but it was not enough. Had I been in Thailand at the time, I may have had no choice but to overstay. It is real easy to cast aspersions on people you don't know when you are sitting well off. Be careful, be nice to the people on your way up, you may see them again on your way down.

There probably are those who fall under such extenuating circumstances as there are likely just as many, if not more, who intentionally abuse the system give the number of farang who move to Thailand purely out of financial necessity.

Given how "casually" the op and others who have posted similar stories go about announcing - almost bragging about their situation and how trivial it was to game the system, there is no doubt more will do the same.

Thai immigration needs to crack down on those who intentionally abuse the system if they want to continue enjoying the lucrative revenue stream from farang visa renewals.

[Maestro]

Removed another off-topic post.

[Dumbastheycome]

I shall not criticise those who overstay. Most don't set out to do such things. Your life can change in an instant and those plans you had and the preparation you believe was correct gets wiped out. I am speaking from experience. While I have never overstayed- I have had a good deal of money and property wiped out because of family illness. And I had medical insurance but it was not enough. Had I been in Thailand at the time, I may have had no choice but to overstay. It is real easy to cast aspersions on people you don't know when you are sitting well off. Be careful, be nice to the people on your way up, you may see them again on your way down.

There probably are those who fall under such extenuating circumstances as there are likely just as many, if not more, who intentionally abuse the system give the number of farang who move to Thailand purely out of financial necessity.

Given how "casually" the op and others who have posted similar stories go about announcing - almost bragging about their situation and how trivial it was to game the system, there is no doubt more will do the same.

Thai immigration needs to crack down on those who intentionally abuse the system if they want to continue enjoying the lucrative revenue stream from farang visa renewals.

In reference to the above....... In spite of some opinion about Thai systems there is an increasing degree of data scrutiny. The OP may have been considered historically beneficiently.

[Maestro]

Removed a nonsensical post.

[heroKK]

Thai immigration needs to crack down on those who intentionally abuse the system if they want to continue enjoying the lucrative revenue stream from farang visa renewals.

The Thai immigration do crack on illegals and over-stayers and I personally know 4 people whom they got (arrested & deported) inside their apartments and all of them were

either blacks or Asians, I guess I was lucky because I m a well dressed blond guy with a blue eyes for example hotels in Thailand never asked my passports and that thing happened to me in the USA too (illegal for 4 yrs there ) where the police never approached me but approached all of my friends who had darker skins.

and even some of my friends were US citizens and they got searched thoroughly and in very humiliating ways at the airports.

even worse the Thai police & security always ask for the ID of my gf (probably because she s from isaan) but never asked me so far.

the guys at immig are smart enough to spot over stayers here because they arrested my former female colleagues from Cameroon & Philippines although they overstayed less then 40 days, I m sure that I was on their radar for very long time, probably they thought i m useful to this country

Edited July 12, 2015 by heroKK

[heroKK]

Well done for getting it sorted. Been there done that. Although interestingly even with an 11 year overstay stamped into my new passport the first double tourist visa applied for and granted was in Vientiane, however I joined with a group run by Thaivisa Services so perhaps that may have made it easier? I have however been back there again alone and again was issued with a double without any problems. Although i cleared my overstay at Suvarnabhumi and came back in via swampy and got an extension on the exempt entry stamp which the consulate would have seen so perhaps that might have made the difference. But certainly in my case a walloping overstay stamp had no bearing on securing tourist visas in Laos. Quite simply despite all the screams for harsher penalties to be imposed it is apparent that the Immigration authorities are extremely reasonable and once the fine is paid they view the matter as resolved. As for those who say that being on an overstay would result in being continuously worried and constantly looking over ones shoulder, well at least in my case that wasn't true. I was never asked and have still never been asked for my passport and I am not hidden away in the back waters by any means.

Thanks, will change my passport too.

[chrisinth]

Thai immigration needs to crack down on those who intentionally abuse the system if they want to continue enjoying the lucrative revenue stream from farang visa renewals.

The Thai immigration do crack on illegals and over-stayers and I personally know 4 people whom they got (arrested & deported) inside their apartments and all of them were

either blacks or Asians, I guess I was lucky because I m a well dressed blond guy with a blue eyes for example hotels in Thailand never asked my passports and that thing happened to me in the USA too (illegal for 4 yrs there ) where the police never approached me but approached all of my friends who had darker skins.

and even some of my friends were US citizens and they got searched thoroughly and in very humiliating ways at the airports.

even worse the Thai police & security always ask for the ID of my gf (probably because she s from isaan) but never asked me so far.

the guys at immig are smart enough to spot over stayers here because they arrested my former female colleagues from Cameroon & Philippines although they overstayed less then 40 days, I m sure that I was on their radar for very long time, probably they thought i m useful to this country

Up until this post you had my sympathy and support for clearing your overstay.

This post however, to me anyway, suggests that you are/were working illegally and just flouting immigration laws, with no real justification for the overstay. Should not have mentioned the 4 year overstay in the States and not being asked for your passport (?) at hotels.

Whereas it is none of my business (or anyone else's) what you do, IMHO it shouldn't be made our business by asking advice on how to continue doing what you're doing.

Just my 2 pence worth.

[Najinsky]

Well done for getting it sorted. Been there done that. Although interestingly even with an 11 year overstay stamped into my new passport

Are you saying that when you got your new passport, an overstay stamp was somehow carried forward from the old one? Or are you just saying got the overstay stamped in a new passport which you continue using without problem?

[ubonjoe]

Well done for getting it sorted. Been there done that. Although interestingly even with an 11 year overstay stamped into my new passport

Are you saying that when you got your new passport, an overstay stamp was somehow carried forward from the old one? Or are you just saying got the overstay stamped in a new passport which you continue using without problem?

He had a new passport that was stamped when he left the country.

An overstay stamp would not be transferred to a new passport.

[Tatsujin]

Thai immigration needs to crack down on those who intentionally abuse the system if they want to continue enjoying the lucrative revenue stream from farang visa renewals.

The Thai immigration do crack on illegals and over-stayers and I personally know 4 people whom they got (arrested & deported) inside their apartments and all of them were

either blacks or Asians, I guess I was lucky because I m a well dressed blond guy with a blue eyes for example hotels in Thailand never asked my passports and that thing happened to me in the USA too (illegal for 4 yrs there ) where the police never approached me but approached all of my friends who had darker skins.

and even some of my friends were US citizens and they got searched thoroughly and in very humiliating ways at the airports.

even worse the Thai police & security always ask for the ID of my gf (probably because she s from isaan) but never asked me so far.

the guys at immig are smart enough to spot over stayers here because they arrested my former female colleagues from Cameroon & Philippines although they overstayed less then 40 days, I m sure that I was on their radar for very long time, probably they thought i m useful to this country

Up until this post you had my sympathy and support for clearing your overstay.

This post however, to me anyway, suggests that you are/were working illegally and just flouting immigration laws, with no real justification for the overstay. Should not have mentioned the 4 year overstay in the States and not being asked for your passport (?) at hotels.

Whereas it is none of my business (or anyone else's) what you do, IMHO it shouldn't be made our business by asking advice on how to continue doing what you're doing.

Just my 2 pence worth.

+1

[Siriam]

so these rules are just a joke?