Visa overstayers get a watery warning from Immigration

[Yann55]

The publicity about the perfectly reasonable set of new over-stayer rules is beginning to look excessive and seems to be moving into the realms of subtle intimidation. The implicit suggestion is that all foreigners are a risk to internal security and the peace/happiness of Thais.

Well, it IS a major change of game, and if to judge by the many overstay stories here on TV (never the members of course, always their cousin, friend, friend of a cousin and sometimes even cousin of friend...) there seem to be many many many over stayers.

Now, if there was just 1, 2 or 10 announcements about the new rules, i guess all those friends and cousins of the over stayers would complain there was no real warning and they didn't know they'd better clear their status before the specific date..........

Or a cousin of a friend of their wife who has a university degree ...

[soc]

lt seems like a lot of people are outraged by what the THAI government are implementing in THAILAND.

Its their country & we are guests.

lf you don't like it & don't want to abide by their rules-

Then LEAVE & stop whining, moaning & complaining.

Can't be any clearer than that.

I hope you don't treat your 'guests' as poorly as the Thais do. Note to self; politely decline an invitation to stay at your grotty shack.

How would you know if my "shack"(lol!), is grotty or not?

The Thais have a right to decide who they want in THEIR country, wouldn't you agree?

Do you have a problem with that?

[Thaidream]

Overstays are no threat to anyone. they are mostly skint and down on their luck. real criminals have valid visas as do terrorists. All the 9/11 terrorists in America entered on valid Visas. If the issue is terrorism- then the police and Thai intelligence agencies need to coordinate their efforts. How many Western terrorists travel the world ? Most terrorists are either Middle Eastern or of Chinese origin. Police checking Westerners in the entertainment sections is a waste of time and effort and casts a shadow on legitimate tourists and expats. If there are any real terrorists in the Kingdom or plan on coming- they now know how futile the authorities are.

[gk10002000]

Right now personally i think they are not targeting people from the west as it may look towards people..? But more likely from neighboring countries like people who work in construction and tourism .. At the end of the day immigration detention centres are out number by people from neighboring countries or africa then from people in the eu or the states .. In my opinion also we do see people in the news but 9 out 10 it's people on the run ?

Your view is a distinct possibility. By the numbers, I would have to believe that there are more undocumented or improper Visas from neighboring countries, but I am not sure. Could be a labor initiative.

[Merylhighground]

lt seems like a lot of people are outraged by what the THAI government are implementing in THAILAND.

Its their country & we are guests.

lf you don't like it & don't want to abide by their rules-

Then LEAVE & stop whining, moaning & complaining.

Can't be any clearer than that.

I hope you don't treat your 'guests' as poorly as the Thais do. Note to self; politely decline an invitation to stay at your grotty shack.

How would you know if my "shack"(lol!), is grotty or not?

The Thais have a right to decide who they want in THEIR country, wouldn't you agree?

Do you have a problem with that?

Why should Thailand be one of the few nations on Earth to have the right to choose? Virtually every other nation on Earth has no choice in the matter; Thailand no exception, no matter how precious they think they are...

How would you know if my "shack"(lol!), is grotty or not?

You preach the tired old vernacular of the shack dweller; namely one on the verge of 'going native' or 'full apologist' after a few weeks living 'Thai Style' in one of those foul estates where the houses are crammed in like sardines, who has just mastered a few key phrases of Bar Girl Thai (to be repeated at full volume in earshot of anyone who may be impressed - very few in reality) and has a Buddha amulet hanging between their Moobs and above their beer gut....

[dageurreotype]

Overstays are no threat to anyone. they are mostly skint and down on their luck. real criminals have valid visas as do terrorists. All the 9/11 terrorists in America entered on valid Visas. If the issue is terrorism- then the police and Thai intelligence agencies need to coordinate their efforts. How many Western terrorists travel the world ? Most terrorists are either Middle Eastern or of Chinese origin. Police checking Westerners in the entertainment sections is a waste of time and effort and casts a shadow on legitimate tourists and expats. If there are any real terrorists in the Kingdom or plan on coming- they now know how futile the authorities are.

Is it a coincidence that they've just last night been raiding 'entertainment venues' (interestingly purportedly first reported by Stick's sex tourist site) in concert with this new dictat? Is it possible they've finally woken up and realised what their precious little country is world renowned for and they want to be rid of the mongers? Predominantly White men? Oh and please spare us the Thai on Thai spiel *yawn*. They don't parade their ho's in public. Hypocritical but very much in line with the culture.

Edited March 20, 2016 by dageurreotype

[soc]

Well Meryl, you couldn't be more wrong.

l don't drink,

l don't have a beer belly or moobs(do you mean man-boobs?),

l'm certainly not going "native" as you put it.

l live in a very nice condo.

True, l don't speak much Thai yet, but l am fluent in Spanish, French, Tagalog & of course, English.

l have a smattering of German, mostly technical terms & some of the Shanghai dialect of Mandarin.

l am a retired Mechanical Engineer, who just thinks that as visitors & guests of this country you moaning Farangs have no right to criticize.

lf you don't like Thailand's laws, fellow non-citizen, then just LEAVE & quit whinging.

You sound like one of those people who complain about muslims moving into western countries & then expecting changes to be made to suit them.

Don't you see that that puts you into the same category?

Happy now?

[Don Mega]

Still no info on those caught or surrendering with less than 90 days.

The implication is 1 day of overstay can result in a five year ban if caught? That is an easy mistake for anyone to make and if this is enforced as implied - then way over the top.

Seems to be perfectly clear to me. You overstay for less than a year and get caught, you get banned for 5 years.

What part of that is causing you confusion ?

[stevenl]

Still no info on those caught or surrendering with less than 90 days.

The implication is 1 day of overstay can result in a five year ban if caught? That is an easy mistake for anyone to make and if this is enforced as implied - then way over the top.

Seems to be perfectly clear to me. You overstay for less than a year and get caught, you get banned for 5 years.

What part of that is causing you confusion ?

I very much doubt a one day overstay will lead to a 5 year ban.

[malagateddy]

lt seems like a lot of people are outraged by what the THAI government are implementing in THAILAND.

Its their country & we are guests.

lf you don't like it & don't want to abide by their rules-

Then LEAVE & stop whining, moaning & complaining.

Can't be any clearer than that.

as someone who moved from Glasgow UK, to Thailand 18 months ago, I'd just like to say that I agree 100%

with the above article.

I just wish that the UK powers that be would be as strict as Thailand.

Just look at the utter shambles the UK is now, ...

[chilli42]

lt seems like a lot of people are outraged by what the THAI government are implementing in THAILAND.

Its their country & we are guests.

lf you don't like it & don't want to abide by their rules-

Then LEAVE & stop whining, moaning & complaining.

Can't be any clearer than that.

I hope you don't treat your 'guests' as poorly as the Thais do. Note to self; politely decline an invitation to stay at your grotty shack.

When the guests who have come to visit for three days are still there three weeks later I would be a lot less hospitable than the Thai authorities ... and so would you.

[hawker9000]

This Forum being called Thai Visa Forum, I guess the focus on overstay issues is to be expected, but I wonder how accurately it reflects the actual concerns of Thai authorities.

Now, if said authorities are as obsessed as this website is with the overstay issue, and are somehow making a wild link between overstay and terrorism, then it proves how remote their brains are from the reality of the terrain.

It's kind of like saying : "OK, we need to adress the terrorist threat seriously, therefore and from now on, we're going to closely monitor the whereabouts of hairdressers".

Hairdressers, you've been warned !

Looking at all the great many topics and debates that are going on now, and go on regularly, on TVF, in what sense is TVF "focused on" or "obsessed with" overstay issues? Or is this just your hyperbolic way of defending illegal overstayers and trying to suppress the topic completely? And who the heck cares whether the opinions expressed mirror, or even should mirror, your supposed intensity of "concern" of Thai authorities?

[timewilltell]

Still no info on those caught or surrendering with less than 90 days.

The implication is 1 day of overstay can result in a five year ban if caught? That is an easy mistake for anyone to make and if this is enforced as implied - then way over the top.

If you know the Law Like Normal people Th

an there is NO excuse for overstay,you know what to do ,,Use you're noggin and check ,,

As The Bottle states (and I think, likewise, the law), you must overstay 90+ days before you are banned from Thailand.

Those who overstay be 1 day or 1 week or anything less than 90 days, will get the traditional fine, and I suspect a stern warning regarding the new rules.

The new law is not trying to make criminals out of everyone, or unreasonably punish those who make simple mistakes regarding the calendar, or run into some issue that delays their departure by a few days or a week. But an overstay more than 90 days, without any effort to obtain an extension, seems like a reasonable point at which to apply the law.

I think people are failing to realize that the fine only unishment for overstays under 90 days is not the same f you self report or happen to get found out where even a 1 day overstay results in a ban so far as the published rules state. So if you are in a accident or get caught in a passport check having overstayed a day then you will get a ban it seems.

People should abide by the rules but they are constantly changing the requirements and paperwork which make an oversight very easy. There needs to be some written leeway in the punishment because things are not always black and white.

[Lamphen]

I agree with soc.

And, I totally support the new rules.

I'm also in favour of stricter border controls.

[stevenl]

Still no info on those caught or surrendering with less than 90 days.

The implication is 1 day of overstay can result in a five year ban if caught? That is an easy mistake for anyone to make and if this is enforced as implied - then way over the top.

If you know the Law Like Normal people Th

an there is NO excuse for overstay,you know what to do ,,Use you're noggin and check ,,

As The Bottle states (and I think, likewise, the law), you must overstay 90+ days before you are banned from Thailand.

Those who overstay be 1 day or 1 week or anything less than 90 days, will get the traditional fine, and I suspect a stern warning regarding the new rules.

The new law is not trying to make criminals out of everyone, or unreasonably punish those who make simple mistakes regarding the calendar, or run into some issue that delays their departure by a few days or a week. But an overstay more than 90 days, without any effort to obtain an extension, seems like a reasonable point at which to apply the law.

I think people are failing to realize that the fine only unishment for overstays under 90 days is not the same f you self report or happen to get found out where even a 1 day overstay results in a ban so far as the published rules state. So if you are in a accident or get caught in a passport check having overstayed a day then you will get a ban it seems.

People should abide by the rules but they are constantly changing the requirements and paperwork which make an oversight very easy. There needs to be some written leeway in the punishment because things are not always black and white.

"So if you are in a accident or get caught in a passport check having overstayed a day then you will get a ban it seems."

I don't believe that will be the case.

[Jonmarleesco]

About time they got serious on overstayers.

There is no excuse to break the law and if you flaunt the laws of a country then you should be banned from re-entering it for the time prescribed by the law.

They should be as unforgiving as Australia.

I always go to immigration if I am held back and ask for extensions. My wife friend is the immigration chief in Khon Kaen and has told me that it would cost less for me to pay the fine at the airport than pay for the 14 day extension at the immigration office.

I still pay it of course.

What a credit you are to foreign residents. No doubt your wife's connection(s) help(s).

[Jonmarleesco]

Well Meryl, you couldn't be more wrong.

l don't drink,

l don't have a beer belly or moobs(do you mean man-boobs?),

l'm certainly not going "native" as you put it.

l live in a very nice condo.

True, l don't speak much Thai yet, but l am fluent in Spanish, French, Tagalog & of course, English.

l have a smattering of German, mostly technical terms & some of the Shanghai dialect of Mandarin.

l am a retired Mechanical Engineer, who just thinks that as visitors & guests of this country you moaning Farangs have no right to criticize.

lf you don't like Thailand's laws, fellow non-citizen, then just LEAVE & quit whinging.

You sound like one of those people who complain about muslims moving into western countries & then expecting changes to be made to suit them.

Don't you see that that puts you into the same category?

Happy now?

'You sound like one of those people who complain about muslims moving into western countries & then expecting changes to be made to suit them.' Are you sure this is what you meant to say?

[Jonmarleesco]

Still no info on those caught or surrendering with less than 90 days.

The implication is 1 day of overstay can result in a five year ban if caught? That is an easy mistake for anyone to make and if this is enforced as implied - then way over the top.

If you know the Law Like Normal people Than there is NO excuse for overstay,you know what to do ,,Use you're noggin and check ,,

You're in Thailand. Which law and which normal people are you referring to?

[timewilltell]

Still no info on those caught or surrendering with less than 90 days.

The implication is 1 day of overstay can result in a five year ban if caught? That is an easy mistake for anyone to make and if this is enforced as implied - then way over the top.

If you know the Law Like Normal people Th

an there is NO excuse for overstay,you know what to do ,,Use you're noggin and check ,,

As The Bottle states (and I think, likewise, the law), you must overstay 90+ days before you are banned from Thailand.

Those who overstay be 1 day or 1 week or anything less than 90 days, will get the traditional fine, and I suspect a stern warning regarding the new rules.

The new law is not trying to make criminals out of everyone, or unreasonably punish those who make simple mistakes regarding the calendar, or run into some issue that delays their departure by a few days or a week. But an overstay more than 90 days, without any effort to obtain an extension, seems like a reasonable point at which to apply the law.

I think people are failing to realize that the fine only unishment for overstays under 90 days is not the same f you self report or happen to get found out where even a 1 day overstay results in a ban so far as the published rules state. So if you are in a accident or get caught in a passport check having overstayed a day then you will get a ban it seems.

People should abide by the rules but they are constantly changing the requirements and paperwork which make an oversight very easy. There needs to be some written leeway in the punishment because things are not always black and white.

"So if you are in a accident or get caught in a passport check having overstayed a day then you will get a ban it seems."

I don't believe that will be the case.

Well that is the meaning of the wording I have seen relating to overstayers who are caught. Of course the Thai wording may not have been completely translated and there may be other mitigating circumstances but these are yet to he shown

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[stevenl]

Still no info on those caught or surrendering with less than 90 days.

The implication is 1 day of overstay can result in a five year ban if caught? That is an easy mistake for anyone to make and if this is enforced as implied - then way over the top.

If you know the Law Like Normal people Th

an there is NO excuse for overstay,you know what to do ,,Use you're noggin and check ,,

As The Bottle states (and I think, likewise, the law), you must overstay 90+ days before you are banned from Thailand.

Those who overstay be 1 day or 1 week or anything less than 90 days, will get the traditional fine, and I suspect a stern warning regarding the new rules.

The new law is not trying to make criminals out of everyone, or unreasonably punish those who make simple mistakes regarding the calendar, or run into some issue that delays their departure by a few days or a week. But an overstay more than 90 days, without any effort to obtain an extension, seems like a reasonable point at which to apply the law.

I think people are failing to realize that the fine only unishment for overstays under 90 days is not the same f you self report or happen to get found out where even a 1 day overstay results in a ban so far as the published rules state. So if you are in a accident or get caught in a passport check having overstayed a day then you will get a ban it seems.

People should abide by the rules but they are constantly changing the requirements and paperwork which make an oversight very easy. There needs to be some written leeway in the punishment because things are not always black and white.

"So if you are in a accident or get caught in a passport check having overstayed a day then you will get a ban it seems."

I don't believe that will be the case.

Well that is the meaning of the wording I have seen relating to overstayers who are caught. Of course the Thai wording may not have been completely translated and there may be other mitigating circumstances but these are yet to he shown

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Short overstays so far have been ignored in the new regulations, so I don't share your opinion. On top of that I don't think short unreported overstays will be dealt with as harshly as you think.

[CoreanoOzzie]

The publicity about the perfectly reasonable set of new over-stayer rules is beginning to look excessive and seems to be moving into the realms of subtle intimidation. The implicit suggestion is that all foreigners are a risk to internal security and the peace/happiness of Thais.

The majority of foreigners are...

[CoreanoOzzie]

Get stricter and stay stricter Thailand. Good.