Major new crackdown on visa overstay in Thailand starts today

[AlQaholic]

then take the risk but don't complain when it goes wrong. you can't always get what you want

I am not complaining, I am just asking what the consequences will be for a one day overstay.

If it may result in a ban from re entering, then I will make sure that I get there on time, if its just a matter of a 500 Baht fine, then I wont be too concerned

I interpret the first post as the lowest penalty is for reporting voluntary that you have overstayed for more than 90 days is a 1 year ban. I cannot see in the #1 post that there is any penalty for overstay lesser than 90 days, other than the fine of course.

[stickylies]

I do wonder how many overstaying types are the first to attack the refugees in Europe. The few real-life overstayers or loophole abusers i met were all unempathic, unintelligent people. I kid u not...

Edited March 20, 2016 by stickylies

[Merylhighground]

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.

How is he 'giving all of us a bad name'?

Ridiculous comment of the day which having read some of your earlier stuff, takes some doing.....

It is the Fake Lawyers, pretend Rotarians, unqualified Financial Advisers, Real Estate selling con men, sexual deviant paedophile Fake Buddhist Scholars, drug dealing Hobby Bobbies, Pornographers, Sexual Predators posing as 'Businessmen' all of who play the role of, and are accepted as such by the 'expat' community at large, as 'pillars of expat society until their crimes are unearthed who us a bad name but I'd reckon you have, as have most TV members have, called one of the above a 'mate' or claimed acquaintanceship of one of the above in the past....

Not sure if you will be arrested but there will be a huge shaming campaign in all newspapers/websites/billboards, lol.

No there won't. Scaremongering BS from the realms of fantasy and stupidity.

I can't help feel that Immigration have missed a trick here.

If they were/are serious about reducing numbers of over-stayers, they should have declared a total amnesty, waiving fines, allowing offenders to clear big overstays at any border; if, as many cite, financial problems are a main reason for overstaying then under an amnesty, most offenders could merely have hobbled to their nearest border, cleared, then began to actively address their situations in Thailand with one major worry removed. Now all they'll get is an increase of foreigners choosing not to leave the country ever for fear of a ban and be saddled with an increase of foreigners dying in the Kingdom.

[bazza40]

Some prolonged overstayers seem to wear it as a badge of honor. As I read it, one can overstay for up to 90 days without being banned from Thailand.

If you can't get your butt to an immigration office inside three months from visa expiry, IMHO you shouldn't be here on the grounds of incompetence.

[Bender]

with all these crackdown against westerner,

i start to get the feeling, these thai people, they dont like farang

[teatree]

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?

He did didn't he? Or at least he did ultimately.

He paid the fine at the airport, as per Thai law. He can now return to Thailand in full accordance with Thai law.

He broke the rules and was dealt with by the system.

Edited March 20, 2016 by teatree

[JLCrab]

<snip>

I can't help feel that Immigration have missed a trick here.

If they were/are serious about reducing numbers of over-stayers, they should have declared a total amnesty, waiving fines, allowing offenders to clear big overstays at any border; if, as many cite, financial problems are a main reason for overstaying then under an amnesty, most offenders could merely have hobbled to their nearest border, cleared, then began to actively address their situations in Thailand with one major worry removed. Now all they'll get is an increase of foreigners choosing not to leave the country ever for fear of a ban and be saddled with an increase of foreigners dying in the Kingdom.

While I'll guess there are persons who overstayed due to hardship financial or otherwise, a large component of the over-stayers are those who take the Thai Immigration regulations as a big joke and you are suggesting now that the Thai Immigration officials prove them correct.

[SoFarAndNear]

Ok, now give foreigners who are married or have a child the right to stay and legally earn money without restrictions that you have to feed mouths of other Thai's.... lawyers, employees, corrupt officers.....

Edited March 20, 2016 by SoFarAndNear

[Merylhighground]

While I'll guess there are persons who overstayed due to hardship financial or otherwise, a large component of the over-stayers are those who take the Thai Immigration regulations as a big joke and you are suggesting now that the Thai Immigration officials prove them correct.

I fail to see how showing some common sense, a little mercy or leniency to those in genuine hardship while trying to rid Thailand of a problem would make a 'big joke' out of the system. I'm also a little sceptical to your unfounded claim that 'a large component' of over-stayers are merely scoff-laws.

[JLCrab]

As you said: You fail to see.

But you can always go to the Bureau of Immigration HQ in Bangkok and look for this:

Edited March 20, 2016 by JLCrab

[Merylhighground]

Ok, now give foreigners who are married or have a child the right to stay and legally earn money without restrictions that you have to feed mouths of other Thai's.... lawyers, employees, corrupt officers.....

Nice idea on paper as it were, though in reality, all that would lead to is a huge number of deadbeats knocking up the nearest bar girl they came across, filling the orphanages and temples as soon as they'd got their 'right to stay' nailed down.....

Edited March 20, 2016 by Merylhighground

[Wilsonandson]

Warnings about this have been out for so long now that anyone who still has not taken care of their overstay is a fool who deserves to be punished and banned.

No excuses.

Punished in the Immigration Detention Center if the person arrested on overstay cannot pay for a flight home.

[stickylies]

merylhighground is right. At least half the guys I met here with wife or gf and kids by themself are total marginal figures in the west. No offense to the exceptions but farang geniuses in los are very hard to find. White trash, losers and freaks unfortunately make up the majority here. It goes without saying that I am one of the geniuses 555 hence I left and live peacefully elsewhere now ???

[Chalard]

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

TROLL.

Can't you read the 1st picture in post 1.

You need to go to Specsavers...

Edited March 20, 2016 by Chalard

[stickylies]

Fake Lawyers, pretend Rotarians, unqualified Financial Advisers, Real Estate selling con men, sexual deviant paedophile, Fake Buddhist Scholars, drug dealing Hobby Bobbies, Pornographers, Sexual Predators posing as 'Businessmen' -> excellent analysis! Dont forget the wife-haters, wife-beaters, alcoholic retirees who see women as objects and buy company slash obedience here which they cant get in developed west where women laugh with them...

[aripengu]

No big incentive in turning yourself in.

[Merylhighground]

As you said: You fail to see.

But you can always go to the Bureau of Immigration HQ in Bangkok and look for this:

You failed utterly to back up your spurious claim in your earlier post that;

"a large component of the over-stayers are those who take the Thai Immigration regulations as a big joke"

But carry on making things up and trying to put words into my mouth as it were......

[lkv]

Warnings about this have been out for so long now that anyone who still has not taken care of their overstay is a fool who deserves to be punished and banned.

No excuses.

Punished in the Immigration Detention Center if the person arrested on overstay cannot pay for a flight home.

I don't know where you got that beautiful picture with nice beds and aircon, maybe VIP in IDC or we are not talking about IDC in Suan Plu.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r-A9fCWKkA

Edited March 20, 2016 by lkv

[Caitrin]

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.

This claim is questionable.

Now if you had said meaningful citizenship, you'd be right. Under current law (which, of course, could change at any time), it is my understanding that you can naturalise to Thailand, but there'd be few benefits we generally equate with nationality: you cannot vote for five years, you cannot stand for election to the House or the Senate, and you must give up your other nationality. It also requires a very good knowledge of the Thai language, and significant knowledge of Thai history, custom, political science (distinct, I assume from immediate political situations), and can take many years and must be countersigned by the King himself. This after, of course, the obvious of a period of so many years (five? I think?) in Thailand and a very stable income. You needn't have a spouse or children who are Thai, but it can make the period shorter.

That literally means you'd be giving up your current jus soli or jus sanguinius nationality just to trade it for a second class citizenship. But at least I guess you get absolute right of return, which means you can't be deported unless you do something to cause a loss of nationality?

Point is, to claim there is no path to citizenship is not correct. To say it comes with very serious downsides, however, is probably very accurate.

[Chalard]

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

Just get a spouse visa... Easily solved

[JLCrab]

As you said: You fail to see.

But you can always go to the Bureau of Immigration HQ in Bangkok and look for this:

You failed utterly to back up your spurious claim in your earlier post that;

"a large component of the over-stayers are those who take the Thai Immigration regulations as a big joke"

But carry on making things up and trying to put words into my mouth as it were......

No worries -- they said it, not me.

https://youtu.be/NQkaE2aido4?t=16

Edited March 20, 2016 by JLCrab

[stickylies]

Who wants to be Thai except for some hilltribes or tennasserim Thai who are better off here than in Myanmar OR some hiso top executive farang with a local business imperium ? Farang becoming thai seems nothing more than an endurance sport to me...

[Merylhighground]

As you said: You fail to see.

But you can always go to the Bureau of Immigration HQ in Bangkok and look for this:

You failed utterly to back up your spurious claim in your earlier post that;

"a large component of the over-stayers are those who take the Thai Immigration regulations as a big joke"

But carry on making things up and trying to put words into my mouth as it were......

No worries -- they said it, not me.

https://youtu.be/NQkaE2aido4?t=16

Ah you source your arguments or garner your information from fictional cartoon characters do you?

[JLCrab]

Yes -- straight off the Immigration Bureau website.

[Caitrin]

Who wants to be Thai except for some hilltribes or tennasserim Thai who are better off here than in Myanmar OR some hiso top executive farang with a local business imperium ? Farang becoming thai seems nothing more than an endurance sport to me...

Let's say, in theory, I had a successful and lucrative arrangement in Thailand, spoke Thai well enough (I actually have studied the history, customs, and political system in detail, as my graduate work is in comparative government, and I teach social studies), and was very happy in Thailand, I can tell you right now, the inability to vote for five years and the inability to ever run for the legislature would absolutely be a non-starter. I'm far too overtly political for that... which is probably why Thailand is a leisure and medical destination for me, not a residency destination. I care about Thailand for very specific reasons, so I pay attention.

All of that stuff, however, is true for Japan (I'm successful, I speak Japanese, most of my graduate work was specifically Japanese social studies, and my thesis is on Japanese constitutionalism in the 1920s, and I'm very happy here), so my acquisition of Japanese nationality makes sense. But of course voting right is automatic, and a naturalised Japanese has the same legal rights as a native-born Japanese. Even America won't let you be POTUS or VPOTUS if you are naturalised. In Japan, you can't be the monarch, of course, but you could be Prime Minister.

I can't imagine naturalising to a country where your franchise is so restricted.

[lkv]

Yes -- straight off the Immigration Bureau website.

Does that open in all browsers or only Internet Explorer?

Should be on *.bns domain as in Bananastan as previously commented.

Edited March 20, 2016 by lkv

[MadDog2020]

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?

He did didn't he? Or at least he did ultimately.

He paid the fine at the airport, as per Thai law. He can now return to Thailand in full accordance with Thai law.

He broke the rules and was dealt with by the system.

No, he continues to flaunt that he Overstayed and only paid a fine. That his buddy policeman knew about his status and did nothing. And when confronted about his criminal behaviour he resorts to offering "english" lessons. Once again against the law since obviously he doesn't have a work permit.

His type is the reason the Thai Government is making it more difficult for all of us. Defend the criminal if you want, that's up to you but the rest of us can also have our opinion.

[JLCrab]

Youtube direct from IMMigration -- seems THEY think heretofore too many thought overstay was a big joke:

Edited March 20, 2016 by JLCrab

[Caitrin]

Youtube direct from IMMigration -- seems THEY think heretofore too many thought overstay was a big joke:

So they think making a funny cartoon about the new crackdown is the best way to dispense with that image?

[Maestro]

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.

The penalty for overstaying stipulated in section 81 of the Immigration Act and the provision for a summary fine - currently 500 Baht per day, maxium 20,000 Baht - as per the settlement rule issued under section 84 remain unchanged.

The overstay ban as per Order No. 1/2558 of the Ministry of Interior is a being applied by immigration in addition to the aforementioned penalties.