Thai immigration at a land border is quite likely to refuse to clear a long overstay. Usually, they will tell the traveler to exit through an airport, though arrest and deportation is an option for them.

I agree, though, that there are many uncertainties. My post above is only an educated guess.

Although it does not affect me, I find the possible implications of that logic worrying to say the least.

Then again, I only overstayed 3 days in 7 years by mistake. Perhaps people overstaying years did not calculate this risk or cost to begin with when they thought it was cheaper to live on 20K for years.

Even so, flying to their own countries and changing the passport in case of a long overstay will probably work out cheaper than anyone on all sorts of visa variations that did not want to overstay.

It's completely logical that land borders would not let an overstayer leave. Any overstayer is supposed to be arrested, prosecuted and deported back to their home country.

I did not say it was illogical, I said I find the implications of that logic worrying Thai logic used to function differently in the past. Actually we are using too much Western logic here.

"No good".

I was reading the other thread about LoS and how Thai people think in the News section. I find it fascinating.

Edited March 2, 201610 yr by lkv

I did not say it was illogical, I said I find the implications of that logic worrying Thai logic used to function differently in the past.

I did not say that you said it was illogical Just commenting on why land borders might not let an overstayer leave.

Lao Airlines are not cheap, so I hope the OP got a full refund for his flight!

Lao Airlines are not cheap, so I hope the OP got a full refund for his flight!

Being refused boarding would not necessarily trigger a refund if there was reason for the denial.

Unless the OP read and understood All the terms and conditions associated with the ticket he most likely would be on very weak ground attempting to claim a refund.

Not sure that I follow Transam, after he checked in to fly out of the Kingdom his next contact with officialdom would be a Thai Immigration Officer who would have picked up that he was an over stayer and taken any appropriate action.

She prevented the guy going to the IO, how is that doing her job?

Maybe he had a return ticket and she was thinking that as an over stayer he wouldn't be allowed back in, which I don't think is the case.

I can see many of these instances coming along during the next few weeks.

No I didn't have a return ticket she was saying I would get refused at the airport in LaoI understand her logic

I understand her logic.

If you are a documented flake in Thailand trying to shirk your responsibility by leaving the country,

Why would the people of Lao want you to be a flake there as well.

I am assuming since she is a Lao citizen.

Immigration has been Systematically cracking down on cheaters like fake ED visas and back to back to back tourist visas for a while now.

Why have so many overstayers waited so long to clean up their act?

I'm sorry, but overstayers on this forum acting like they are being abused when it is they who have abused the system and broken the law is getting very old.

Edited March 2, 201610 yr by willyumiii

fly to cambodia. did it yesterday and the immigration officer at don muang was actually apologetic and very nice.

We are all guessing here why the check-in staff of Laos Airlines took that action, ie refused to check the OP in, so let me add my own guess, based on the information so far provided by the OP in this topic:

Somebody in the upper echelons of the Thai branch of Laos Airlines got the mistaken impression that the new Thai re-entry ban rules for overstayers took effect already on 1 March and gave preventive instructions to the staff to refuse check-in if it was evident or probable that a passenger with a ticket to Laos and an overstay of more than 30 days should not be checked in, because of the perceived risk that the passenger would turn around in Laos and fly back to Thailand, be denied entry by Thai immigration, and Laos Airlines would have to fly him somewhere, perhaps his home country, at their own expense.

If the OP had an onward ticket, would he have been allowed to fly? After all, if I try and fly from any country to Thailand, without a visa and without an onward ticket, I will be refused boarding and I'm certain Laos is the same.

book a flight with thai to laos or fly to penang.

something is wrong or being misinterpreted.

i have never seen a check in attendant look past the first page of my passport.

i suspect the lack of return is the issue, not sure why the op would not have booked a return.

anyways as i have said, I would do penang.

Let us hope this airline policy does not become widespread ahead of the implementation of the 20th March overstay/ban rules and an expected rush of people flying out and in with 20,000 baht in their pockets.

I know this is not about why it happened, but from a ethical viewpoint, why should another foreign country let this guy into their country after he has blatantly broken the law in the country his is trying to leave? Not just a few days, but 1 year living illegally in another country! Then he turns up with a one way ticket asking to be let in. Any sensible country would say no thanks and stop him arriving.

So why are we spending time trying to fix a problem the original poster created all by himself. The issue should be you knew you were doing something illegal and now people will not do what you want and help you. When you try to abuse the system then you hope others will stick to the system what do you expect?

Sorry for your hassle but it's a case of it's your bed, you made it, you lie in it.

I know this is not about why it happened, but from a ethical viewpoint, why should another foreign country let this guy into their country after he has blatantly broken the law in the country his is trying to leave? Not just a few days, but 1 year living illegally in another country! Then he turns up with a one way ticket asking to be let in. Any sensible country would say no thanks and stop him arriving.

So why are we spending time trying to fix a problem the original poster created all by himself. The issue should be you knew you were doing something illegal and now people will not do what you want and help you. When you try to abuse the system then you hope others will stick to the system what do you expect?

Sorry for your hassle but it's a case of it's your bed, you made it, you lie in it.

Totally agree with you but at least he was trying to solve the issue.

something is wrong or being misinterpreted.

i have never seen a check in attendant look past the first page of my passport.

i suspect the lack of return is the issue, not sure why the op would not have booked a return.

anyways as i have said, I would do penang.

When you take a flight to Thailand from any country, the check in staff look to see if you have a visa (or an onward ticket).

same thing, same airline happened to my friend last month and he had a member of immigration from where he lives in thailand with him (came in the taxi with him to the airport for a fee of course)

he booked a flight to Singapore instead and got a thai visa there

So an immigration officer traveled to the airport with a person which he knew was illegal in the country?

"Posted 2015-09-22 20:01:18

Hi all, I have a friend from Pakistan, our school wants to help him with his visa and work permit. " - overstay and working illegally it seems.

" I have a 1 year overstay" - Want to fly to Laos in the next few weeks to clear my overstay ( about 2 years)

Seems your overstay is a lot longer than you told us on this post.

I know this is not about why it happened, but from a ethical viewpoint, why should another foreign country let this guy into their country after he has blatantly broken the law in the country his is trying to leave? Not just a few days, but 1 year living illegally in another country! Then he turns up with a one way ticket asking to be let in. Any sensible country would say no thanks and stop him arriving.

So why are we spending time trying to fix a problem the original poster created all by himself. The issue should be you knew you were doing something illegal and now people will not do what you want and help you. When you try to abuse the system then you hope others will stick to the system what do you expect?

Sorry for your hassle but it's a case of it's your bed, you made it, you lie in it.

Totally agree with you but at least he was trying to solve the issue.

Totally disagree - if OP was trying to solve the issue, he would have coughed up the 20k. That's known as the KISS principle. Whilst in hospital, just before my annual retirement visa extension date was about to expire, I sent my wife to ask for an extension of the expiry date. Phuket IO stamped my passport with an extended 90 day. Misreading this, we turned up 90 days later and the fine was 20,000 baht. Upset, of course, but I didn't complain to TV. That rule has been around for a while. I have empathy for those on TV who post that they are in difficulty due to circumstances beyond their control.

I know this is not about why it happened, but from a ethical viewpoint, why should another foreign country let this guy into their country after he has blatantly broken the law in the country his is trying to leave? Not just a few days, but 1 year living illegally in another country! Then he turns up with a one way ticket asking to be let in. Any sensible country would say no thanks and stop him arriving.

So why are we spending time trying to fix a problem the original poster created all by himself. The issue should be you knew you were doing something illegal and now people will not do what you want and help you. When you try to abuse the system then you hope others will stick to the system what do you expect?

Sorry for your hassle but it's a case of it's your bed, you made it, you lie in it.

Totally agree with you but at least he was trying to solve the issue.

Totally disagree - if OP was trying to solve the issue, he would have coughed up the 20k.

That is what he was trying to do but was prevented from doing so.

Online check in?

Laos, through their state owned airline, are quite entitled to refuse uplift to a dodgy traveller who has demonstrated a distain for the rule of law elsewhere. Many people here think overstaying is no big deal, and others have boasted about saving money by not doing border runs for many years. The 20,000b fine has little deterrent value for most.

The upcoming ban on re-entry for overstayers will go some way to change the type of people who have long treated Thailand as a haven for criminal activity. There are inbuilt allowances in the new regulations for short term accidental or incidental overstay, but it is time for the others to seek fresher pastures to express their "freedoms."

Thailand will never advance in status as long as it's borders are wide open for the crap of the world to flow through.

Hopefully, those of us who live here legally will be harassed less often because of the activities of these others.

Good! Why did you overstay a year?

Laos, through their state owned airline, are quite entitled to refuse uplift to a dodgy traveller who has demonstrated a distain for the rule of law elsewhere. Many people here think overstaying is no big deal, and others have boasted about saving money by not doing border runs for many years. The 20,000b fine has little deterrent value for most.

The upcoming ban on re-entry for overstayers will go some way to change the type of people who have long treated Thailand as a haven for criminal activity. There are inbuilt allowances in the new regulations for short term accidental or incidental overstay, but it is time for the others to seek fresher pastures to express their "freedoms."

Thailand will never advance in status as long as it's borders are wide open for the crap of the world to flow through.

Hopefully, those of us who live here legally will be harassed less often because of the activities of these others.

In general I agree that remaining legal as a guest in any country is a prudent rule to follow.

However, you do your argument no service by indulging in hyperbole - how many times have you been "harassed"?

In thirty years, I have not been "harassed" once.

Why do fools keep asking why do folks overstay. They ain't got the money and shouldn't have been let in.Those dam freeloading teacher kids mainly

I think the new rule supposed to be from 1st March and not 21st, though not sure

I think the new rule supposed to be from 1st March and not 21st, though not sure

It is the 20th. Read this: New overstay rules.pdf

check in online and print a boarding pass with carry on baggage you can walk to immigration pay the fine and if OK board the flight .

check in online and print a boarding pass with carry on baggage you can walk to immigration pay the fine and if OK board the flight .

OUTSANDING

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

I know this is not about why it happened, but from a ethical viewpoint, why should another foreign country let this guy into their country after he has blatantly broken the law in the country his is trying to leave? Not just a few days, but 1 year living illegally in another country! Then he turns up with a one way ticket asking to be let in. Any sensible country would say no thanks and stop him arriving.

So why are we spending time trying to fix a problem the original poster created all by himself. The issue should be you knew you were doing something illegal and now people will not do what you want and help you. When you try to abuse the system then you hope others will stick to the system what do you expect?

Sorry for your hassle but it's a case of it's your bed, you made it, you lie in it.

Totally agree with you but at least he was trying to solve the issue.

Totally disagree - if OP was trying to solve the issue, he would have coughed up the 20k.

That is what he was trying to do but was prevented from doing so.

He could have surrendered at the airport immigration office.

Edited March 3, 201610 yr by elviajero

coming out of the woodwork now arn't they. just sayin !! 1 year overstay ? oh, it slipped my mind