Immigration police to tighten visa overstaying from March 20

[jucel]

But [immigration Bureau commissioner Pol Lt Natthorn Prohsunthorn] said the tougher law enforcement was intended to tackle foreigners entering the country illegally, working without work permits, and transnational criminals, while those entering legally and work legally won’t be affected.

I guess that the Commissioner spoke in Thai and unless there has been an error in translation it would seem that the Commissioner said that this new, tougher law enforcement will not be applied to foreigners who overstay after having entered Thailand legally. I doubt, though, that this is how it will work out. Time will tell.

This is a very important piece of info which has appeared to have been overlooked in the usual stampede of those waiting to pounce on their fellow farang with their condemnatory posts. How many 'overstayers' entered the country illegally? Quite possibly a mere handful. But as you say, this may be interpreted differently by Immigration Offices with their hands out. As usual.

So many frothing at the mouth like Cujo.

Self righteous saints who have never broken a law, opining about overstayers in one of the most lawless countries in the world!

I find it is much better to go through life without judging people.

[dageurreotype]

I wonder if immigration etc will actively go out and check passports for overstay etc.

Interesting times ahead maybe.

Oh I believe the police getting off their <deleted> and enforcing what? 50,000 + Arrest Warrants should be given priority don't you? All this Nationalistic tubthumping is making this insular little country even more backward, and this posted on the same day Prem has come out and told Thais they should be ashamed as being perceived as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Priorities are not a, er, priority here in LaLaLand.

Do people on here believe that Immigration/Police have the manpower & willpower to spend vast resources chasing down people on overstay?

If all the people on overstay are on the poverty line, as is often 'stated' on here, then they will not be able to shake them down for tea money, which is the M.O. of every BIB here.

Exactly my point. There's money in 'overstayers', criminals who haven't been picked up, not so much

[Time Traveller]

I did my 90 day report last week and the office is normally very quiet ..this time thousands of old applications papers on all the desks (really very high piles of paperwork) ..... ALL WERE BEING INSPECTED by immigration staff...something is coming and i dont think its this on 20 March

90 day report has nothing to do with visas or extension of stay. You can still do 90 day report when you are on overstay and the overstay would not be picked up

Wrong !

I will leave it to others to explain !

AFAIR from a couple of months ago I went to the Immigration office in Nakhon Sawan with my passport and previous 90 day report. They put my passport into a scanner and that updated the computer which printed out the 90 report form. All I did was sign their copy and it was done.

Perhaps I could have done it by post or possibly by going online. By post I would need to send a copy of my passport and a copy of the last 90 report. On line I have no idea.

In any case either the original or a copy of the passport needs to be seen, so if you are on overstay and have no current visa in your passport then you cannot do a 90 day report either.

I had no visa only extension of stay in my passport and either they didn't check their own computer or did that after they gave me back the passport. Annoying that they didn't pick it up, but it did happen

[wobalt]

I wager that this new crack down on visa overstayers is going to last no more than 6 months. By that time the officials are fed up dragging elderly(?) guys to the slammer with no money or means to pay the penalties and a ticket home where they have nothing. They will find out that these 'international criminals' are not-so-well-off-guys that simply can't afford paying the fees of visa business.

That's what I think.

BTW, waiting these holier-than-thou people, when I came here first time a decade and a half ago, I needed just to fill an application and got a Non-O next day. So, to all that say one needs to jump all the hola-hoops, it used to be more simple and much easier. What has changed? Not much except the level of nonsense. Those were the times.

Simpleton's analysis

"...............when I came here first time a decade and a half ago, I needed just to fill an application and got a Non-O next day."

Really?.........................Lucky duck, just like that?

Yes just like that. At those days I remember that the Immigration ask me why I only want a 3 months visa, we give you 1 year ,no problem.

Clearly the memory must be failing after all those years !

One year "VISAS" have never been provided by Immigration.

Sorry, this has been done at the one stop service center in Bangkok at this time. They offered me a WP for 1y as well even my contract was only 3 month.

I arrived with a tourist visa which was changed to Non o. My work was government to government related

[sunnyjim5]

I wager that this new crack down on visa overstayers is going to last no more than 6 months. By that time the officials are fed up dragging elderly(?) guys to the slammer with no money or means to pay the penalties and a ticket home where they have nothing. They will find out that these 'international criminals' are not-so-well-off-guys that simply can't afford paying the fees of visa business.

That's what I think.

BTW, waiting these holier-than-thou people, when I came here first time a decade and a half ago, I needed just to fill an application and got a Non-O next day. So, to all that say one needs to jump all the hola-hoops, it used to be more simple and much easier. What has changed? Not much except the level of nonsense. Those were the times.

Simpleton's analysis

"...............when I came here first time a decade and a half ago, I needed just to fill an application and got a Non-O next day."

Really?.........................Lucky duck, just like that?

Yes just like that. At those days I remember that the Immigration ask me why I only want a 3 months visa, we give you 1 year ,no problem.

Clearly the memory must be failing after all those years !

One year "VISAS" have never been provided by Immigration.

Sorry, this has been done at the one stop service center in Bangkok at this time. They offered me a WP for 1y as well even my contract was only 3 month.

I arrived with a tourist visa which was changed to Non o. My work was government to government related

You were given a one year Visa + a 12 month work permit on the back of a 3 month contract ? Really ?

[wobalt]

I wager that this new crack down on visa overstayers is going to last no more than 6 months. By that time the officials are fed up dragging elderly(?) guys to the slammer with no money or means to pay the penalties and a ticket home where they have nothing. They will find out that these 'international criminals' are not-so-well-off-guys that simply can't afford paying the fees of visa business.

That's what I think.

BTW, waiting these holier-than-thou people, when I came here first time a decade and a half ago, I needed just to fill an application and got a Non-O next day. So, to all that say one needs to jump all the hola-hoops, it used to be more simple and much easier. What has changed? Not much except the level of nonsense. Those were the times.

Simpleton's analysis

"...............when I came here first time a decade and a half ago, I needed just to fill an application and got a Non-O next day."

Really?.........................Lucky duck, just like that?

Yes just like that. At those days I remember that the Immigration ask me why I only want a 3 months visa, we give you 1 year ,no problem.

Clearly the memory must be failing after all those years !

One year "VISAS" have never been provided by Immigration.

Sorry, this has been done at the one stop service center in Bangkok at this time. They offered me a WP for 1y as well even my contract was only 3 month.

I arrived with a tourist visa which was changed to Non o. My work was government to government related

You were given a one year Visa + a 12 month work permit on the back of a 3 month contract ? Really ?

Yes, I was invited by the Thai government as an expert at that time.

[billd766]

Wrong !

I will leave it to others to explain !

AFAIR from a couple of months ago I went to the Immigration office in Nakhon Sawan with my passport and previous 90 day report. They put my passport into a scanner and that updated the computer which printed out the 90 report form. All I did was sign their copy and it was done.

Perhaps I could have done it by post or possibly by going online. By post I would need to send a copy of my passport and a copy of the last 90 report. On line I have no idea.

In any case either the original or a copy of the passport needs to be seen, so if you are on overstay and have no current visa in your passport then you cannot do a 90 day report either.

I had no visa only extension of stay in my passport and either they didn't check their own computer or did that after they gave me back the passport. Annoying that they didn't pick it up, but it did happen

How long ago was that?

At Nakhon Sawan the computer checks have been running for me than a year now.

[JAG]

How many posts will we see '' help i've overstayed, i didn't know ''

i'm not even in the country and i know

What's it to you?

They're here, he's not but probably wishes he was.

I think the expression is "schadenfreude"/

[fey]

So what happens if you overstay for one or 2 days now?

Why try to blow this into something it is not ?

1-2 day overstays will be dealt with by levying a fine of 500/Bht/day.

Nothing will change !

only if you are exiting at airport or land border you jellyfish! Edited March 13, 2016 by fey

[juice777]

So what happens if you overstay for one or 2 days now?

Why try to blow this into something it is not ?

1-2 day overstays will be dealt with by levying a fine of 500/Bht/day.

Nothing will change !

only if you are exiting at airport!

So if you overstay for one day and then you get your passport checked that day yoy will get banned for five years?

Seems a but harsh if that is true

But i suppose it's there rules (even if the Pepole making the rules are unelected)

I messed up once years ago its easy done, I just paid 500THB when I left

But if I made the same error now and I have my passport checked before I leave I could be banned for five years

Also if my memory is correct didn’t they change it to if you overstay for one day it was no charge, but if you overstay for 2 days it was a 1000THB and the 1500THB for 3 days and so on, is that not the case now?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Edited March 13, 2016 by juice777

[sunnyjim5]

So what happens if you overstay for one or 2 days now?

Why try to blow this into something it is not ?

1-2 day overstays will be dealt with by levying a fine of 500/Bht/day.

Nothing will change !

only if you are exiting at airport!

So if you overstay for one day and then you get your passport checked that day yoy will get banned for five years?

Seems a but harsh if that is true

But i suppose it's there rules (even if the Pepole making the rules are unelected)

I messed up once years ago its easy done, I just paid 500THB when I left

But if I made the same error now and I have my passport checked before I leave I could be banned for five years

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Don't be ridiculous !

No one with a 1-2 day overstay will be banned, taken to court or deported.

[macgver]

The main priority is to clear the asylum seekers and refugees in Thailand. All of them are overstayed since years.

Not the same thing at all.

Last year, they arrested more than 500+ asylum seekers in Bangkok and the NGOs were knocking the Thai Government. Till todate, there are 200,000+ asylum seekers and refugees in Bangkok.

[juice777]

So what happens if you overstay for one or 2 days now?

Why try to blow this into something it is not ?

1-2 day overstays will be dealt with by levying a fine of 500/Bht/day.

Nothing will change !

only if you are exiting at airport!

So if you overstay for one day and then you get your passport checked that day yoy will get banned for five years?

Seems a but harsh if that is true

But i suppose it's there rules (even if the Pepole making the rules are unelected)

I messed up once years ago its easy done, I just paid 500THB when I left

But if I made the same error now and I have my passport checked before I leave I could be banned for five years

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Don't be ridiculous !

No one with a 1-2 day overstay will be banned, taken to court or deported.

"But for those failing to report overstaying and are caught, they face five year ban for less than a year of overstaying, and 10 year ban for over a year overstaying"

What dose that say then?

It dose not say how long in the sentence just if you get caught overstaying

Loads of things are ridiculous in this country

Especially the overstay rules before you could overstay for 2 years pay 20000THB leave and Come back!!! Now that was ridiculous

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Edited March 13, 2016 by juice777

[sunnyjim5]

The main priority is to clear the asylum seekers and refugees in Thailand. All of them are overstayed since years.

Not the same thing at all.

Last year, they arrested more than 500+ asylum seekers in Bangkok and the NGOs were knocking the Thai Government. Till todate, there are 200,000+ asylum seekers and refugees in Bangkok.

Where do you get those figures from ?

http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e489646.html

NGO's , generally speaking , create noise and pay big salary's to their employees but actually achieve very little !

edit

remove typo

Edited March 13, 2016 by sunnyjim5

[Strangebrew]

What's the deal if you follow the rules then non issue Or you could go to the Philippines and do this crapola every 2 month's and pay 500 pecos once a year to fly out once a year for a day return and start over. Oh did I mention the 50.00USD every 2 months plus the 50.00 USD just to start the process plus 3000 pecos for your stupid tourist card.

[elviajero]

So if you overstay for one day and then you get your passport checked that day yoy will get banned for five years?

Seems a but harsh if that is true

But i suppose it's there rules (even if the Pepole making the rules are unelected)

I messed up once years ago its easy done, I just paid 500THB when I left

But if I made the same error now and I have my passport checked before I leave I could be banned for five years

Also if my memory is correct didn’t they change it to if you overstay for one day it was no charge, but if you overstay for 2 days it was a 1000THB and the 1500THB for 3 days and so on, is that not the case now?

Possible under the rules but unlikely. I'm sure immigration will have a certain amount of discretion and I would imagine that people caught on short overstays will be treated the same as they are now. However that is.

They don't charge for an overstay less than 24 hours at the airport but you do get charged at land borders.

The law currently allows for someone to be in prisoned for up to 2 years for a 1 day overstay, but that doesn't happen even for long overstays (that I know of). And immigration could charge any overstayer 20,000 baht, but they don't. So I doubt they are going to start getting heavy handed on people that overstay a few days. IMO if you get caught with over a week there's a good chance you'll get a ban.

[Bluespunk]

The main priority is to clear the asylum seekers and refugees in Thailand. All of them are overstayed since years.

Not the same thing at all.

Last year, they arrested more than 500+ asylum seekers in Bangkok and the NGOs were knocking the Thai Government. Till todate, there are 200,000+ asylum seekers and refugees in Bangkok.

Refugees/asylum seekers are not the same thing as someone who is overstaying because they work here, want to live here or are here for criminal purposes.

Refugees and asylum seekers are fleeing terror and persecution, overstayers are not.

The actions of anyone arresting a genuine refugee or asylum seeker and treating them as an overstayer is contemptible and beyond belief.

Those who see the two as the same thing are lower than pond scum.

[ubonjoe]

Several off topic bickering posts started by a comment on spelling have been removed.

[fey]

So what happens if you overstay for one or 2 days now?

Why try to blow this into something it is not ?

1-2 day overstays will be dealt with by levying a fine of 500/Bht/day.

Nothing will change !

only if you are exiting at airport!

So if you overstay for one day and then you get your passport checked that day yoy will get banned for five years?

Seems a but harsh if that is true

But i suppose it's there rules (even if the Pepole making the rules are unelected)

I messed up once years ago its easy done, I just paid 500THB when I left

But if I made the same error now and I have my passport checked before I leave I could be banned for five years

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Don't be ridiculous !

No one with a 1-2 day overstay will be banned, taken to court or deported.

umm, you would need to goto idc in bkk though. i dont believe officers have much discretion if your caught with sn expired visa

[JSN777]

So what are the consequences if your overstay is less than 90 days ? http://overstay.immigration.go.th/advice.html

[elviajero]

So what are the consequences if your overstay is less than 90 days ? http://overstay.immigration.go.th/advice.html

If you surrender at the airport it is a maximum of 20K baht fine. No ban.

If you are caught on overstay you can be arrested, detained at the IDC, sent to court who decide the fine, deported back to your home country and, after March 20th, banned for 5 years.

[sunnyjim5]

So what are the consequences if your overstay is less than 90 days ? http://overstay.immigration.go.th/advice.html

If you surrender at the airport it is a maximum of 20K baht fine. No ban.

If you are caught on overstay you can be arrested, detained at the IDC, sent to court who decide the fine, deported back to your home country and, after March 20th, banned for 5 years.

You may be right but I want (until it is proved otherwise) to believe that small 1-2-3 day overstays will not be pushed through the IDC and the Courts leading to deportation (and Ban after March 20) .

People will, however, need to be more cognisent about their "admitted until" date in future.

[elviajero]

So what are the consequences if your overstay is less than 90 days ? http://overstay.immigration.go.th/advice.html

If you surrender at the airport it is a maximum of 20K baht fine. No ban.

If you are caught on overstay you can be arrested, detained at the IDC, sent to court who decide the fine, deported back to your home country and, after March 20th, banned for 5 years.

You may be right but I want (until it is proved otherwise) to believe that small 1-2-3 day overstays will not be pushed through the IDC and the Courts leading to deportation (and Ban after March 20) .

People will, however, need to be more cognisent about their "admitted until" date in future.

I agree which is why I said "can be". But the fact remains that based on the raw rules deportation and bans are possible.

As I said earlier I think short overstays will be treated as they are now. What I don't know is how these short overstays are currently dealt with. Corruption aside.

[CoreanoOzzie]

I wonder if immigration etc will actively go out and check passports for overstay etc.

Interesting times ahead maybe.

Oh I believe the police getting off their <deleted> and enforcing what? 50,000 + Arrest Warrants should be given priority don't you? All this Nationalistic tubthumping is making this insular little country even more backward, and this posted on the same day Prem has come out and told Thais they should be ashamed as being perceived as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Priorities are not a, er, priority here in LaLaLand.

time to jump ship then for you eh?

[Time Traveller]

Wrong !

I will leave it to others to explain !

AFAIR from a couple of months ago I went to the Immigration office in Nakhon Sawan with my passport and previous 90 day report. They put my passport into a scanner and that updated the computer which printed out the 90 report form. All I did was sign their copy and it was done.

Perhaps I could have done it by post or possibly by going online. By post I would need to send a copy of my passport and a copy of the last 90 report. On line I have no idea.

In any case either the original or a copy of the passport needs to be seen, so if you are on overstay and have no current visa in your passport then you cannot do a 90 day report either.

I had no visa only extension of stay in my passport and either they didn't check their own computer or did that after they gave me back the passport. Annoying that they didn't pick it up, but it did happen

How long ago was that?

At Nakhon Sawan the computer checks have been running for me than a year now.

2008/2009 Bangkok. I resigned from my job in September. My employer told me that I was good to stay until the extension ended in February. I believed them without knowing the laws. Did 90 day report in December with no problem, then only in February when I was applying to extend was I told that I was on overstay from October.

Unless something has changed and I doubt it, then 90 days reports are not cross checked against anything. In effect they are pointless.

[Bobotie]

Wrong !

I will leave it to others to explain !

AFAIR from a couple of months ago I went to the Immigration office in Nakhon Sawan with my passport and previous 90 day report. They put my passport into a scanner and that updated the computer which printed out the 90 report form. All I did was sign their copy and it was done.

Perhaps I could have done it by post or possibly by going online. By post I would need to send a copy of my passport and a copy of the last 90 report. On line I have no idea.

In any case either the original or a copy of the passport needs to be seen, so if you are on overstay and have no current visa in your passport then you cannot do a 90 day report either.

I had no visa only extension of stay in my passport and either they didn't check their own computer or did that after they gave me back the passport. Annoying that they didn't pick it up, but it did happen

How long ago was that?

At Nakhon Sawan the computer checks have been running for me than a year now.

2008/2009 Bangkok. I resigned from my job in September. My employer told me that I was good to stay until the extension ended in February. I believed them without knowing the laws. Did 90 day report in December with no problem, then only in February when I was applying to extend was I told that I was on overstay from October.

Unless something has changed and I doubt it, then 90 days reports are not cross checked against anything. In effect they are pointless.

Yes they are checkednow did my 90 day report not a week ago and they look at the date on your arrival card and the date on your re-entry permit..ie "permitted to remain until"...in 2008, they were not even bothered if you reported or not

[Ks45672]

They were harassing me for passport a few weeks ago so I would be more than happy to report my next experience starting March 20th.

Can't wait!

I don't think I've ever been asked for a passport anytime in the last decade...will be very interesting times ahead if they start asking anyone who looks foreign for their passport..

If they take this seriously they could arrest dozens of people a day for years but it will probably be a 2week blitz and then forgotten about... Like all the other "crackdowns"...

[lkv]

They were harassing me for passport a few weeks ago so I would be more than happy to report my next experience starting March 20th.

Can't wait!

I don't think I've ever been asked for a passport anytime in the last decade...will be very interesting times ahead if they start asking anyone who looks foreign for their passport..

If they take this seriously they could arrest dozens of people a day for years but it will probably be a 2week blitz and then forgotten about... Like all the other "crackdowns"...

Less than 48 hours since that comment. For &lt;deleted&gt; sake. I think I am somehow attracting it. But it happens in the same area.

Today Phrom Pong BKK. Same as a few weeks ago.

Passport and bag check.

At least they had the decency to say "Thank you".

See, this s**t never happened 3 years ago I swear.

[Nemesis7]

Interesting.

[FritsSikkink]

I did my 90 day report last week and the office is normally very quiet ..this time thousands of old applications papers on all the desks (really very high piles of paperwork) ..... ALL WERE BEING INSPECTED by immigration staff...something is coming and i dont think its this on 20 March

90 day report has nothing to do with visas or extension of stay. You can still do 90 day report when you are on overstay and the overstay would not be picked up

Really sure about that ? You have to enter the date you entered the country off your arrival card and they do look at your reentry permit...of course they will see if your on an overstay

Yes, I'm sure because it happened to me. I was on overstay - although didn't realize it at the time - did the 90 day report and the overstay was not noticed by the 90 day reporting section. It was only noticed months later when applying for an extension of stay.

Was the extension granted despite "months" of overstay?

Well it's not really relevant to my point that 90 day reporting is irrelevant as they do not check anything, but yes extension was granted

sure