Major new crackdown on visa overstay in Thailand starts today

[elgordo38]

It will be interesting to see what happens to people who accidentally overstay by just a day or two ,

It would be quite severe if a person was heading to a border and didnt make it in time before the border closed and they left first thing the next morning and they then faced a ban from re entering Thailand .

I would imagine that there would be a certain amount of grace before bans were implemented , I would imagine that the grace period would be between 1-90 days, but, only time will tell

I think the infographics tell you all you need. Under 90 days and hand yourself in = no ban. Under 90 days and get arrested = ban

Plead guilty and we will cut your sentence in half. Saves us a lot of police work. How about that.

[dageurreotype]

Immigration has said previously that the crackdown on foreigners overstaying their visas is in the interest of national security.

The age-old cry of the oppressor.

Do you know any Thais expressing pain and anguish due to a crackdown on over-stayers and illegal immigrants?

In actual fact, there were many cries of pain and anguish when similar xenophobic punitive decrees were handed down by Taksin on his being elected. Particularly by those in the tourist areas, typically those with the largest foreign communities such as Phuket where I was asked 'What will we do if the foreigners leave? All the rubber trees have gone'. So, yes, those Thais who are employed in those areas are looking on with apprehension, those of you living up country with your buffaloes, not so much.

[JAG]

Nice to see the Sunday morning do gooders out early, "you know the rules, live by them", "show me your papers". Must be a laugh a minute in their houses.

Its only a question of time before someone says: "if you can't do the time, don't do the crime..."

[JLCrab]

Brown envelope, white envelopes, pockets being lined, insider payoffs, fixers, work-arounders, what else. God my life is so boring -- I've never dealt with any of that stuff people on here seem to know so much about.

Edited March 20, 2016 by JLCrab

[Varangkul]

Goodness me. Petition to lengthen the 30 day stamp on entry to 31 days then. When asked why you want this explain to them "everyday counts and I simply won't make it to the border in 30 days"!!!

then don't wait until the last day, pretty simple

For people not on long term visas, everyday counts

The sad thing is it will be these types of excuses the police will hear all the time.

It ain't hard. We are adults. I can understand a small child not being able to do it, but we are adults.

Jamie, Are you sure "we are all adults"? Most of the comments I've been reading can only come from a teenager - fresh from his mummy's Apron strings!

[Bobotie]

You are the "Bad Guys OUT" that immigration is talking about.

I'm sure that your son will grow up proud that his criminal father is now able to stay with him in Thailand.

That isnt very nice, is it ?

No need for that

Let's get real. This guy is:

1. Bragging about the police buddies he knows

2. Spouting off on the crimes he is commiting

3. Living in Thailand against all the laws

4. Giving all of us a bad name

5. Not taking responsibility for what he has done.

Now he is a father and using that as the excuse to stay here. What benefit does he provide to Thailand if he cannot even get a long stay visa?

I know that I'm not being PC but we are being real here, telling it like we read it.

Hes stayed and taken care of his Son .

That is more important than a stamp in your passport

Overstay to take care of his son, gets banned for 10 years from visiting Thailand....yeah very mature and adult like, sure peeple like this will be good fathers

[quadperfect]

Come on how many are overstaying here. 100,000. Never but this crackdown is just so the police can flece more tourists.

Check points using visa overstay crack down excuse just lets them stop people and get them for another 500bht . I read here they stoped 30 people in feb during the no helmet crack down and then made them prove they had a visa,all 30 did have visa but now they are check pointing making tourists prove they have a visa but flecing them for no helmet or not a proper motorbike license another joke here.500 bht and if you complain i will make it 1000

Keep cracking down on youre bread and butter phuket because its getting so much better here. I feel so happy and safe every time you try to flece me for that 500 bht. I am so happy with the way you make foreign yachts have ais.so now you can protect me from myself Big brother. .

I love all those buses full of youre new chinese tourists.

Phuket sure has become a better place

Keep the crackdowns comming cause its become my pas time

Black listing yachts for no ais is also a great way to become the hub of asia. yachting.

I spent 160,000 usd in phuket on yacht maintenance from 07 to 15.this is about average for any cruising yacht of 40 feet. And what do i get for supporting the marine industry. I get black listed because i dont want to be on some monitor screen 24 7.displaying everything about my vessel.

Amd paying 1000 usd for the privelage.

Vented.

[rexall]

The real agenda here is to discourage foreigners from trying to live in Thailand. The Junta does not want foreigners as they see them as a threat to their absolute rule. They will start messing with people ant trying to make you overstay so they can kick you out.

The conspiracy theory here may be a little bit paranoid, but the basic premise is not. Thailand simply does not allow immigration in the sense of a path toward citizenship or even toward (meaningful) permanent residency.

[gerry1011]

I'm waiting for the first reports of new "businesses" that can get these rules waived. For a fee of course.

Cheers.

You have made a good point I will be waiting as well. Opportunity is surely knocking. If they find and deport the supposed 100,000 it will be a miracle. This rule seems to be the flavor of the month.

It is only natural to see these "new businesses" come up in the future.

If some allow themselves to abuse the visa system, they would surely not mind having others abusing them.

Both sides are winning. The overstayer has a way out, and the helper can soon build himself a new house and buy a Benz.

Personally I would put the basic "overstay fixing fee" at 150,000 (up to a million for long overstays) (discounts would apply for Asians).

Edited March 20, 2016 by gerry1011

[dieseldave1951]

written by a native i suspect,

I doubt you have ever experenced the UK immigration system, granted a visa for one year no 90 day reporting.

maybe the UK should adopt the same rules as the host country the visitors come from so they can experience the hassle

lets hope when the authorities have finished cleaning up this act by falangs (i hate that word) i agree if you flout the laws then reap the whirlwind.

But i hope they put as much vigour in cleaning the wide spread abuse of the laws pepretrated by the indigionious peoples

Good to hear that from a "big-wig" that the fines are "weak".

Maybe this will spread to other departments of setting the fines.

No mention though of the fine for overstaying 1-89 days. Will this "weak" fine be raised ? I hope so.

Outrageous that foreigners abuse the system in such a manner.

[Benmart]

Compliance of any law is voluntary. The consequences of non-compliance is compulsory.

"We are the Borg. You will be assimilated.Resistance is futile". - The Borg

[wobalt]

The real agenda here is to discourage foreigners from trying to live in Thailand. The Junta does not want foreigners as they see them as a threat to their absolute rule. They will start messing with people ant trying to make you overstay so they can kick you out.

The conspiracy theory here may be a little bit paranoid, but the basic premise is not. Thailand simply does not allow immigration in the sense of a path toward citizenship or even toward (meaningful) permanent residency.

Exactly, this is in fact the "strategy" since centuries. Thailand has not a "change mind" philosophy at all and foreign influences or ideas are seen as a threat

[little mary sunshine]

FritsS...... Should have gone to jail for 1 year and deported; never been

Allowed to reenter-the Kingdom...blatant disregard for laws of a host

Country does not deserve to ever reside in Kingdom.

[jucel]

FritsS...... Should have gone to jail for 1 year and deported; never been

Allowed to reenter-the Kingdom...blatant disregard for laws of a host

Country does not deserve to ever reside in Kingdom.

Jail? Are you <deleted> bonkers?

A crime has a perp & a victim

Who is the victim in this case you obtuse creature?

[THAIPHUKET]

TO PUT OVERSTAY INTO PERSPECTIVE

The unlicensed teen driver who killed nine people

in a crash on Don Muang tollway has been accused of

breaching her community service order.

Todays BKK Post

[Bobotie]

Come on how many are overstaying here. 100,000. Never but this crackdown is just so the police can flece more tourists.

Check points using visa overstay crack down excuse just lets them stop people and get them for another 500bht . I read here they stoped 30 people in feb during the no helmet crack down and then made them prove they had a visa,all 30 did have visa but now they are check pointing making tourists prove they have a visa but flecing them for no helmet or not a proper motorbike license another joke here.500 bht and if you complain i will make it 1000

Keep cracking down on youre bread and butter phuket because its getting so much better here. I feel so happy and safe every time you try to flece me for that 500 bht. I am so happy with the way you make foreign yachts have ais.so now you can protect me from myself Big brother. .

I love all those buses full of youre new chinese tourists.

Phuket sure has become a better place

Keep the crackdowns comming cause its become my pas time

Black listing yachts for no ais is also a great way to become the hub of asia. yachting.

I spent 160,000 usd in phuket on yacht maintenance from 07 to 15.this is about average for any cruising yacht of 40 feet. And what do i get for supporting the marine industry. I get black listed because i dont want to be on some monitor screen 24 7.displaying everything about my vessel.

Amd paying 1000 usd for the privelage.

Vented.

Your vessel is obviously foreign registered, and all they have done is followed the AIS requirement Singapore introduced in 2012, and Europe is considering introducing the same thing on vessels less than 300 gross tons, from a safety point of view AIS is a good thing

[little mary sunshine]

Premium Lane...Never Happen...I live by the a laws of my

Host Country, unlike the deadbeat illegals=overstays!!

[Bobotie]

The real agenda here is to discourage foreigners from trying to live in Thailand. The Junta does not want foreigners as they see them as a threat to their absolute rule. They will start messing with people ant trying to make you overstay so they can kick you out.

The conspiracy theory here may be a little bit paranoid, but the basic premise is not. Thailand simply does not allow immigration in the sense of a path toward citizenship or even toward (meaningful) permanent residency.

Immigration policies for country are based on need, and for the most part Thailand deems they dont have a need, if your are "needed" work in Thailand, earn around 80k month and pay your taxes in Thailand and you can apply for PR.

And before the retirees kick off, name 4 countries in the world where 1 they even have retirement visas, 2. Out of those countries which ones hand out PR to retirees ? and i mean on the basis of retirement, not via some property investment either to aquire PR

[FritsSikkink]

I was on overstay for 2 years. About 5 months in, I was caught by immigration police at the airport while returning to Bangkok from Phuket. Took my dog to the ocean for her first time.

I paid a fine to the 4 immigration officers who were waiting for me, to avoid going to IDC and having to spend a load of cash buying another flight. After, I was escorted to a taxi and went home. I was told that I will need to pay the fine again when I decide to leave the country legitimately. I figured since I paid the fine, I might as well get my money's worth and stayed for an additional 20 months.

I cleared my overstay yesterday. No problems. No interrogation. The guy was whistling a song while writing my receipt.

I feel that Thai people really don't care about overstay, but they are told to care so that it can generate revenue for the country while also getting their affairs in order.

It's nice to clear up the overstay though, and now I qualify for a long term visa for when I return.

You are the type of people that give the rest of us a bad name.

Why don't you "man up" and follow the laws of this nation?

Well said!

How is it, "well said"? The guy can't even comprehend English.

Who are you really angry at? The overstayers, or the police that don't care?

I was caught red-handed in the airport by immigration police. 4 of them. If they don't care, why should I?

Does it also make you angry that I have many Thai police friends who were also aware of my visa status but they didn't care and would invite me over for bbq dinner with all their friends and family?

Thai law, and Thai reality are very different.

so why ask here, ask 1 of your many Thai police friends

Why ask what? I didn't ask anything. Did you know that Thai police are not immigration police? Educate yourself, mate.

immigration is police too, as you know so many it could be there was 1 from immi. too

[Rickster]

Maybe the UK customs should reciprocate and be more pro active on clamping down on Thai nationals working illegally and overstaying in Blighty and send them back to their precious cess pit. As much as I disagree with folk who overstay there are more less over zealous ways of dealing with it. This is just another way of saying we don't want farang, come for 2 weeks holiday spend all your money then piss off but please don't consider living here....you're not welcome!!

[little mary sunshine]

Jucel.....perp......Illegal overstay.....victim

Kingdom of Thailand .....blatant disregard

For Laws of Kingdom......any 1L would know that !

[Brer Fox]

The Thais are just emptying the overflowing garbage bin and not before time. It is partly their own fault for not having kept stricter control in the past of who they let in and who they should have kicked out but didn't. Those who are as pure as the driven snow but have overstayed unreasonable lengths of time deserve to get caught in the net and kicked out along with those overstayers many of whom could best be described as felons and deadbeats, young and old. I only hope they will not be racially selective when it comes to sorting the rubbish. For example, will Soi 3 Sukhumvit get the same random checking and inspection treatment as Soi 4.

[brewsterbudgen]

Maybe the UK customs should reciprocate and be more pro active on clamping down on Thai nationals working illegally and overstaying in Blighty and send them back to their precious cess pit. As much as I disagree with folk who overstay there are more less over zealous ways of dealing with it. This is just another way of saying we don't want farang, come for 2 weeks holiday spend all your money then piss off but please don't consider living here....you're not welcome!!

Raids on places employing illegal immigrant labour are not uncommon in the UK, and Thai restaurants are often targeted for obvious reasons.

Nothing in the new penalties indicates that Foreigners are "not welcome" in Thailand - as long as they are here legally. Just like every other country.

[Rickster]

It will be interesting to see what happens to people who accidentally overstay by just a day or two ,

It would be quite severe if a person was heading to a border and didnt make it in time before the border closed and they left first thing the next morning and they then faced a ban from re entering Thailand .

I would imagine that there would be a certain amount of grace before bans were implemented , I would imagine that the grace period would be between 1-90 days, but, only time will tell

Accidentally? They have 30 days grace period on a stamp on entry or 60 days or 90 days on certain visa's. They have a lot of time to make it to the border.

From the dead centre of Thailand it only takes one day to get to the closest border.

I'm alright Jack....

[lkv]

this is a banana republic and they keep talking about laws

there are something like 2 millions illegal burmese, you think all of them, will surrender and get banned 10 years

this country is financially bankrupt, and these monkeys certainly want to make money selling their elite visa at 1 millions baht.

a 1 millions baht visa for a third world country oh please!

Yeah good point. Many restaurants I know hire Burmese workers. I think the minimum salary to obtain an extension is 25,000 baht for Myanmar nationals?

Yes I know. Ha ha. Sorry. 555.

They make around 10K. Some perhaps more depending on the generosity of the employer. And some less.

The tea money there works just fine.

In Koh Tao the "charge" was 500 baht per month per Burmese and 500 to drive a motorbike without papers? Or I don't recall correctly?

So yeah, to all those that get irritated that the bubble they are living in bursts every time they read Thai Visa, we do apologize to you, we are simply making you aware of the bubble you live in.

Edited March 20, 2016 by lkv

[stickylies]

this is a banana republic and they keep talking about laws

there are something like 2 millions illegal burmese, you think all of them, will surrender and get banned 10 years

this country is financially bankrupt, and these monkeys certainly want to make money selling their elite visa at 1 millions baht.

a 1 millions baht visa for a third world country oh please!

if they ban those burmese the thai will have to actually WORK themselves! the horror, the horror!

i have a suggestion for the rulers of Bananastan: if u catch an overstaying alien - locally known as falang (sic) - force him/her into the same kind of job the bpama or khmen (sic) are allowed to perform illegally at some well-connected firm/factory/sweatshop

i'm sure falang will think twice then 555

[Moti24]

It's because of people like you that the rest of us have to jump through hoops in order to extend our annual visas.

Hello? Good morning.

It's not the overstayer's fault they ask you for tea money at your retirement extension or they want to see pictures of you and your wife in bed for the marriage extension or that the bank book copy is "not centered".

Stop the bashing, wake up and get a reality check of what country you're living in.

I know, it hurts.

It's not the overstayer's fault they ask you for tea money at your retirement extension or they want to see pictures of you and your wife in bed for the marriage extension or that the bank book copy is "not centered". ?

None of the above apply. However, you obviously have personal experience.

Stop the bashing. ?

Obviously you are, or have been, an overstayer, otherwise you wouldn't have made the above comments. If neither, you no doubt went to the same school of morals as one.

[lkv]

I do not obviously have personal experience. The only time I overstayed was a few years ago for 3 days and I paid 1,500 baht for that mistake.

I have encouraged posters in recent threads to go clear their overstay before March 20th, detailing the IDC conditions that I have seen because it seems that when friends are in trouble I am the first one that they call.

I also know people that have overstayed, I always told them that they are taking a risk by doing that. But at the end of the day it's their choice.

I am mature enough to realise that the fact I got stopped at Phrom Pong a few days ago has nothing to do with my overstaying friend, but with the clowns from Thonglo station, who have a good track record of being abusive.

As I said before, you're playing by their rules and they are taking a laugh.

I do wish you don't encounter the harassment others have described for annual renewals so that you continue to have a happy life.

And hey listen, if you want to blame it on overstayers and it makes you happy, then why not.

Edited March 20, 2016 by lkv

[rosst]

Good to hear that from a "big-wig" that the fines are "weak".

Maybe this will spread to other departments of setting the fines.

No mention though of the fine for overstaying 1-89 days. Will this "weak" fine be raised ? I hope so.

Outrageous that foreigners abuse the system in such a manner.

I am hoping that the 1 to 89 days will be tempered with a little judgement in case people make a mistake. I am not one bit sympathetic to overstayers, the rules are the rules are the rules.

In my country OZ, I have no sympathy and expect others to respect the rules, the same as any other country.

I am hoping that the criminal element that are already here on bogus grounds will also get tossed out.

Let us also hope that the corrupt immigration officials are also severely penalised if caught as they ARE a threat to national security.

[ratcatcher]

The Thais are just emptying the overflowing garbage bin and not before time. It is partly their own fault for not having kept stricter control in the past of who they let in and who they should have kicked out but didn't. Those who are as pure as the driven snow but have overstayed unreasonable lengths of time deserve to get caught in the net and kicked out along with those overstayers many of whom could best be described as felons and deadbeats, young and old. I only hope they will not be racially selective when it comes to sorting the rubbish. For example, will Soi 3 Sukhumvit get the same random checking and inspection treatment as Soi 4.

"For example, will Soi 3 Sukhumvit get the same random checking and inspection treatment as Soi 4. "

Those locations have their "pros" and "cons", if you know what I mean.