Overstay with an Expired Passport

[omarza35]

I have overstayed for approximately 9 months and my passport expired as a consequence. I went to my embassy and got an extension (a travel document) so I can fly back home, and will be heading to the airport in less than 48 hours.

How early should I get there to clear my overstay and pay the fine? Normally, I'd get to the airport a couple of hours before my flight, but given the circumstances, should I be there 3-4 hours before? Is there a risk of being jailed/detained, or will they just let me leave if I pay the fine? Is there a potential for being blacklisted? (I haven't overstayed before, and I possess no criminal record) I am not proud of what I have done (nor am I looking for excuses), but I was short on cash after a business venture went awry and my business partner (a friend of 9 years mind you) couldn't deliver on his promises.

I have read elsewhere that I need to get my travel document stamped from immigration, but my embassy assured me this isn't necessary as I still have my original expired passport, and that going to immigration might cause more harm than good. They advised me to just go to the airport and clear everything there. Is this accurate?

Any help/advice would be appreciated, and Merry Christmas to all.

[Maestro]

What is your expired permission to stay in your expired passport? An arrival stamp or an extension of stay?

[omarza35]

Extension of stay on my Non Immigrant B, which expired at the end of March.

[Singerman]

Extension of stay on my Non Immigrant B, which expired at the end of March.

I am sure your Embassy gave very good advice.

[Maestro]

With an extension of stay, the details usually have to be transferred from the old to the new passport at the immigration office. I would imagine that this is the case also with an expired, ie overstayed, extension, so that all necessary data for the determination of the overstay fine is in the same passport.

[ubonjoe]

I would allow an extra hour to clear the overstay at departure immigration. You have to pay a fine of 20k baht for the overstay.

Since you still have your old passport it will be easy for them to transfer your permit to stay stamp to the travel document and stamp you out of the country in it.

[Evilbaz]

With a clear emergency travel document I would keep my mouth shut and the expired passport well away from view - and see what happens.

[Suradit69]

With a clear emergency travel document I would keep my mouth shut and the expired passport well away from view - and see what happens.

Not a particularly good idea. They could still pull up information about him on their computers and would expect some annotation of his current status in his new travel document if he didn't have the old passport with him. If he then pulled out his old passport it would be obvious he was trying to play games, which would just compound his problems.

Better to be upfront, pay the fine and, as his embassy suggested, hand over his old passport and new travel document when exited the country.

[bkkcanuck8]

I have always been curious - if you have an old passport with the entry stamp which is the overstay - and a new blank passport .... do they transfer the in stamp over then stamp out and another stamp for the fine on top of that in the new passport? Or do they match up on the old passport?

[omarza35]

Thanks for all the feedback. I guess all I need to do now is go to the airport approximately 4 hours before my flight to clear everything, and hope they don't detain or blacklist me (I have heard/read conflicting reports).

[ubonjoe]

Thanks for all the feedback. I guess all I need to do now is go to the airport approximately 4 hours before my flight to clear everything, and hope they don't detain or blacklist me (I have heard/read conflicting reports).

You will not be detained or blacklisted as long as you have the 20k baht to pay the fine.

[ubonjoe]

I have always been curious - if you have an old passport with the entry stamp which is the overstay - and a new blank passport .... do they transfer the in stamp over then stamp out and another stamp for the fine on top of that in the new passport? Or do they match up on the old passport?

The entry/permit to stay stamp is transferred to the new passport. They then stamp the overstay and departure stamps in the new passport.

[IMA_FARANG]

At the present time the maximum fine is still 20,000 Baht.

Just pay and leave.

You will not be blacklisted or any such thing.

They will but a note in your passport that you had an overstay but paid the fine and left.

At the present there is no penalty on re-entering Thailand.

Just pay the fine and leave.

However, you need to know that after March 2016 new overstay re-entry penalties will be in effect.

The exact date in March has not been announced yet.

So, in your case, it is important for you to leave by March if at all possible BEFORE any overstay penalties kick in, when ever that is.

[bigt3116]

At the present time the maximum fine is still 20,000 Baht.

Just pay and leave.

You will not be blacklisted or any such thing.

They will but a note in your passport that you had an overstay but paid the fine and left.

At the present there is no penalty on re-entering Thailand.

Just pay the fine and leave.

However, you need to know that after March 2016 new overstay re-entry penalties will be in effect.

The exact date in March has not been announced yet.

So, in your case, it is important for you to leave by March if at all possible BEFORE any overstay penalties kick in, when ever that is.

"so I can fly back home, and will be heading to the airport in less than 48 hours. "

Did you even read the OP's post ?

[ubonjoe]

Some off topicinflammatory posts and replies to them along some with false info have been removed. There will not further notice when posts are removed.

[lazygourmet]

With a clear emergency travel document I would keep my mouth shut and the expired passport well away from view - and see what happens.

Not a clever idea...

OP might be charged and detained for illegal entry instead of overstaying.

[gemguy]

They may ask you for your autograph or possibly ask you to join the elite over stayers club for being amongst the top 10 % of long term over stayers...lol

Back in the day ( when the self appointed experts on Thailand adamantly claim Thailand was supposedly much better than now ) I overstayed because all the Thai immigration officers I talked to said, and I quote:

"No problem...Just pay at the airport"

So I did pay at the airport because that was what was recommended to me by Thai people in legitimate positions of authority.

Thus I listened to their all knowing wisdom and advice and did exactly as they instructed me to do and everything turned out just as they told me:

No problem....Pay at the airport.

Cheers

[sandyf]

If your flight is shortly after midnight be careful on the timing. A friend of my had inadvertently overstayed and went and cleared it at the airport and then went and had a coffee and a sandwich as he had allowed plenty of time for his 2 am flight. When he went to pass through immigration he was told overstay, he said he had paid and showed the receipt. The IO pointed at his watch and said one more day, it was 00.20am.

My friend said he had just spent the last of his baht and had none left. The IO disappeared and came back with a foreigner that paid the 500 baht, I could only assume it was some immigration assistant that had access to the 'kitty'.

[Suradit69]

If your flight is shortly after midnight be careful on the timing. A friend of my had inadvertently overstayed and went and cleared it at the airport and then went and had a coffee and a sandwich as he had allowed plenty of time for his 2 am flight. When he went to pass through immigration he was told overstay, he said he had paid and showed the receipt. The IO pointed at his watch and said one more day, it was 00.20am.

My friend said he had just spent the last of his baht and had none left. The IO disappeared and came back with a foreigner that paid the 500 baht, I could only assume it was some immigration assistant that had access to the 'kitty'.

I thought you had to present your passport as you were passing through immigrations and they directed you to the overstay desk so that when you finished with it all you would have then cleared immigrations and would be entering the international departure lounge.?? If true, why would he pass through immigrations a second time?

Doesn't seem logical that you would pay the overstay fee but not have to complete the immigration exit procedure at the same time.

In any event, the O/P is going to pay the maximum amount. I don't think they'd add Baht 500 onto the Baht 20,000.

Edited December 26, 2015 by Suradit69

[KhunBENQ]

With a clear emergency travel document I would keep my mouth shut and the expired passport well away from view - and see what happens.

Not a clever idea...

OP might be charged and detained for illegal entry instead of overstaying.

When I first read this advice I refrained from commenting. Couldn't believe that anyone would consider such a foolish behavior.

To reach maximum attention and intensive care go the border with a blank emergency passport, no report of passport loss etc. and then hope they don't have electronic files about your entry with the data from the original passport.

How naive! Even in Thailand the 21st century has begun.

If you openly describe the situation you could still escape with the usual 20k but such a "smart" trick can bring you in much more trouble.

Edited December 26, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[StaffsShot]

I'm pretty certain the op will have to go first to immigration in Bangkok, is it Wattana ? If I remember the big hq and have the new stamp transferred onto his emergency travel document

[ubonjoe]

I'm pretty certain the op will have to go first to immigration in Bangkok, is it Wattana ? If I remember the big hq and have the new stamp transferred onto his emergency travel document

He does not need to go to an immigration office to get his stamp transferred.

Immigration at the airport will do it without a problem.

[sugarcane24]

Thanks for all the feedback. I guess all I need to do now is go to the airport approximately 4 hours before my flight to clear everything, and hope they don't detain or blacklist me (I have heard/read conflicting reports).

You will not be detained or blacklisted as long as you have the 20k baht to pay the fine.

A friend of mine overstayed for at least a year and had 20,000 Baht on him to pay the fine when going to the airport, but the official just let him go through - not sure if he picked up on the overstay or not.

[bkk6060]

From your words you don't seem like a bad guy.

But if you were short on cash, how did you live for 9 months in LOS?

I actually think the penalties for this should be harsher as it just makes things more difficult for those of us who follow the rules.

[crows]

I have a simple solution - live by the laws of the land. As you have overstayed on an expired passport I have no sympathy for you. We are guests of this country and until people like you accept this fact whether you agree or otherwise you deserve whatever happens to you!!!!!

[goonnerone]

From your words you don't seem like a bad guy.

But if you were short on cash, how did you live for 9 months in LOS?

I actually think the penalties for this should be harsher as it just makes things more difficult for those of us who follow the rules.

Yep there is always one that gets on his high horse

[Rob13]

How'd the OP make out, any news?

[omarza35]

How'd the OP make out, any news?

I am heading to the airport in 12 hours. I shall let you know how things go.

[omarza35]

From your words you don't seem like a bad guy.

But if you were short on cash, how did you live for 9 months in LOS?

I actually think the penalties for this should be harsher as it just makes things more difficult for those of us who follow the rules.

I had money coming in on regular intervals, just never enough to cover the fine and a flight back home at one time. I did finally manage to raise enough cash recently, and am on my way out of the country.

I'd also like to clarify that my emergency travel document is a one page piece of paper with photo identification issued in lieu of my passport, and not a new passport.

Once again, I'd like to thank everyone for their feedback (particularly UbonJoe), and Happy new Year in advance.

[Daryle]

I have a simple solution - live by the laws of the land. As you have overstayed on an expired passport I have no sympathy for you. We are guests of this country and until people like you accept this fact whether you agree or otherwise you deserve whatever happens to you!!!!!

Another preacher, don't we all love the self righteous among us.

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