Major new crackdown on visa overstay in Thailand starts today

[JLCrab]

Maybe they think if they allow a 7-day grace period, there will be folks coming in and saying: But I only overstayed for 8 days!

Edited March 21, 2016 by JLCrab

[Phantom4]

"Good guys in, Bad guys out" Got to love Thailand

[lkv]

Maybe they think if they allow a 7-day grace period, there will be folks coming in and saying: But I only overstayed for 8 days!

So how do you think that would be abused? Serial overstayers taking advantage of the 7 day grace period? It would still cost them 3,500 baht, the grace period would only apply to bans.

They would still be sent to IDC if caught on the street and deported unless they opt for various other arrangements. Nothing new there.

Edited March 21, 2016 by lkv

[JLCrab]

Beats me but if there is a 7-day grace period some will say but I was only one day late and if there is a 30-day grace period some will say but I was only 31 days late ...

[lkv]

And now there is a zero day period so someone caught in the street can be taken to IDC. Nothing different than before, only more under the table money or rigurous enforcement to prove to their bosses they are dealing with transnational crime.

[JLCrab]

And now there is a zero day period so someone caught in the street can be taken to IDC. Nothing different than before, only more under the table money or rigurous enforcement to prove to their bosses they are dealing with transnational crime.

Such is life.

BTW this is the new Ministry Order . Maybe they will implement some of the 'common sense' suggestions voiced in this topic for version /2.

http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/overstayorderE_1.2558.pdf

Edited March 21, 2016 by JLCrab

[Moti24]

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.

"I figured since I paid the fine, I might as well get my money's worth and stayed for an additional 20 months."?

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

Please explain what hoops you have to jump through in order to extend your annual visa?

Is it because of people on overstay that Thaksin raised the retirement amount from 400000b to 800000b, I think not. Is it because of overstayers that your are required to have an income of 65000b if you don't have the 800000, I think not. Is it because of overstayers that you are required to have photos with you and your wife if on a marriage extention, I think not. Is it because of overstayers that teachers' now require a criminal background check, I think not. Should I go on? Please do enlighten us on how an individual on overstay has had any real effect on you getting your annual extension. I can bet in reality you can't because, it hasn't.

Rayk - You seem to be doing a lot of thinking. I think you are missing the point. "People like you", does not refer to overstayers alone, but to all foreigners that abuse the Thai immigration regulations. I have been here for 12 years, first with a non-b visa, and now on my fourth extension based on marriage. Every immigration office appears to make their own regulations as they go along, partly because of the problems within their own area due to the blatant disregard of regulations by foreigners. I have extended based on marriage at 2 different immigration offices. Each time, different rules apply. On my second extension, I was told to bring a neighbour to confirm that I lived there with my wife, and yet the previous year, that was not needed; the reason - I was told that there were too many foreigners not living at their designated addresses. I also have a yellow house book, but they won't accept that; when I submit the paperwork, the book and photo copies are given back without even looking at them. I could go on...

Since yesterday, road blocks have been set-up to check foreigners' passports. A friend of mine confirmed that when he was in Bangkok yesterday, he was stopped at 2 seperate road blocks within 1 hour of each other, and passports of all vehicle occupants were checked. Overstayers may well not be responsible for the changes you mentioned, but they are sure as hell responsible for the roadblocks in Bangkok, and no doubt other areas not yet come to light.

Perhaps you need to look at the bigger picture before you make future comments. I'm sure there are reasons behind all the changes you mentioned, unknown to the likes of us pesky foreigners.

[lkv]

And now there is a zero day period so someone caught in the street can be taken to IDC. Nothing different than before, only more under the table money or rigurous enforcement to prove to their bosses they are dealing with transnational crime.

Such is life.

BTW this is the new Ministry Order . Maybe they will implement some of the 'common sense' suggestions voiced in this topic for version /2.

http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/overstayorderE_1.2558.pdf

I'm kind of starting to get a "saturation" feeling with whatever they want to implement. It's not about overstaying, 5 years ago I felt like a guest, now I feel "farang".

[55Jay]

I would like to see a period, perhaps one week, that would be exempt from the "banishment" penalty. There ARE unforeseen and unforeseeable circumstances that arrive. There are also instances of honest error as opposed to felonious intent.

If the purpose really is to weed out the bad guys, why needlessly penalize the hapless occasional senior moment prone individual who's only crime was miscounting the days, or losing track of the calendar and running into one of the fairly numerous holidays in conjunction with a weekend?

Yep. Guilty, yer honour, of a four day overstay, resulting in a 2,000 baht fine when I "turned myself in", and also had to exit the Kingdom to get a thirty day extension in order to apply for a ninety day visa, in order to apply for a one year permission based on retirement.

I can understand wanting to crack down on all who, for whatever reason, deliberately circumvent the rules.

Da' Man, especially the current lot in charge, really don't like young, punk a** foreigners flipping them the bird.

We'll all have to endure potential, over-the-top zeal these crack downs bring. Imm pretty much knows who/what they are looking for though. The tossers will try to avoid the drag net with desperate efforts like taking a shower, shaving, possibly cutting off their top knot "man bun". Won't work, lads. This is the real deal, the mother of ALLLLL Crack Downs!

Go live in your mom's basement for a while. 5 years aint' so bad.

[dabhand]

I overstayed once. I was due to leave but fell ill enough to require a few days in hospital during which time my visa expired. When I eventually left with a 17 day overstay, I paid the then Bt200 a day fee, received a little stamp in my passport and was on my way.

On another day some years later, I was on my way to the airport when we were stopped on the road and the highway shut for hours until a 30 second convoy of some royal or other was waved through. it then took hours for the road to re-open. Now I wasn't on overstay but I did miss my flight to Hong Kong.

Had I therefore been forced into overstay, to whom should I have complained ?

Me too, although I had actually cleared immigration and boarded the plane in time - i.e. my last day - but due to a technical fault with the aircraft we had to 'de-clear' immigration in order to be put up in a hotel for the night. Upon going back through immigration the next day I copped a one-day overstay fine...

Mental note: if that ever happens again, DO NOT go to a bar the extra evening.

Are you really sure that you 'copped a one-day overstay fine'? I have had one-day overstays in the past but have never paid any fine.

I am sure that no fines are applicable if departing by air and overstaying by one day. Possibly for the very reason noted in your post - aircraft technical issue with the passenger clearly not at fault.

[jamesbrock]

Are you really sure that you 'copped a one-day overstay fine'? I have had one-day overstays in the past but have never paid any fine.

I am sure that no fines are applicable if departing by air and overstaying by one day. Possibly for the very reason noted in your post - aircraft technical issue with the passenger clearly not at fault.

Oh I'm fairly certain I'm not one to make things up...

Like you, I was fairly certain that the overstay fine wasn't going to be applicable in that particular case - and I did protest - but, alas, it was applicable, and my (albeit brief and polite) protest fell on deaf ears.

[Maestro]

I would like to see a period, perhaps one week, that would be exempt from the "banishment" penalty...

A period of not one week but of 90 days was granted. The Ministerial Order was published in the Royal Gazette on 21 December 2015, then widely announced in various English-langage media, and implemented only starting yesterday.

[puukao]

we should stage an overstay protest!!! get 9 people to really show them!!!

we could get 1 million blacklisted and 10 million more Chinese will rush in..

tourists expected to increase by 298% per month over the next 23 years

then it will REALLY get busy

[sunnyjim5]

we should stage an overstay protest!!! get 9 people to really show them!!!

we could get 1 million blacklisted and 10 million more Chinese will rush in..

tourists expected to increase by 298% per month over the next 23 years

then it will REALLY get busy

An overdose of Chang ?

[lkv]

we should stage an overstay protest!!! get 9 people to really show them!!!

we could get 1 million blacklisted and 10 million more Chinese will rush in..

tourists expected to increase by 298% per month over the next 23 years

then it will REALLY get busy

Meanwhile, an etiquette course will take place in Phuket in wake of Chinese tourist prawn gorging according to yesterday's headlines. Or shall I say breaking news.

Edited March 21, 2016 by lkv

[SteveB2]

So...

As I understand the new regulations - for someone handing themselves in to the authorities (Immigration assumed, but the Police?), you must do this either at an inland immigration office, a border checkpoint, or be through the doors at the usual Thai international airports.

So i wonder what happens if someone is picked up on the way to the airport or border?

For example:- I have done dozens of airport and land border runs during the last 20 years with no overstay - but have personally experienced police passport spot checks of folks on the minibus with overstay just a mile or so from the border, or on the often long airport approach roads. These folks are NOT YET in the immigration office - and thus can not be considered to have 'handed themselves in'

In the instances of folks on the minibus being caught with overstay on the way to the border or airport they were removed from the minibus, the rest of us then continued to the border and I have no idea what happened to them - perhaps someone would like to explain what fate awaits these 'on the way to the airport/border' overstayers under the new rules, since it seams apparent that they are in a very dodgy position.

[sunnyjim5]

So...

As I understand the new regulations - for someone handing themselves in to the authorities (Immigration assumed, but the Police?), you must do this either at an inland immigration office, a border checkpoint, or be through the doors at the usual Thai international airports.

So i wonder what happens if someone is picked up on the way to the airport or border?

For example:- I have done dozens of airport and land border runs during the last 20 years with no overstay - but have personally experienced police passport spot checks of folks on the minibus with overstay just a mile or so from the border, or on the often long airport approach roads. These folks are NOT YET in the immigration office - and thus can not be considered to have 'handed themselves in'

In the instances of folks on the minibus being caught with overstay on the way to the border or airport they were removed from the minibus, the rest of us then continued to the border and I have no idea what happened to them - perhaps someone would like to explain what fate awaits these 'on the way to the airport/border' overstayers under the new rules, since it seams apparent that they are in a very dodgy position.

Those such as you describe will be detained and bought before a court. After the court hearing they will be further detained until fines are paid and an air ticket out of the country is purchased. They will then be escorted to the airport and put on the plane.

The updated overstay rules may also result in them being banned from entering Thailand for a period dependent on the length of overstay

[SteveB2]

So...

As I understand the new regulations - for someone handing themselves in to the authorities (Immigration assumed, but the Police?), you must do this either at an inland immigration office, a border checkpoint, or be through the doors at the usual Thai international airports.

So i wonder what happens if someone is picked up on the way to the airport or border?

For example:- I have done dozens of airport and land border runs during the last 20 years with no overstay - but have personally experienced police passport spot checks of folks on the minibus with overstay just a mile or so from the border, or on the often long airport approach roads. These folks are NOT YET in the immigration office - and thus can not be considered to have 'handed themselves in'

In the instances of folks on the minibus being caught with overstay on the way to the border or airport they were removed from the minibus, the rest of us then continued to the border and I have no idea what happened to them - perhaps someone would like to explain what fate awaits these 'on the way to the airport/border' overstayers under the new rules, since it seams apparent that they are in a very dodgy position.

Those such as you describe will be detained and bought before a court. After the court hearing they will be further detained until fines are paid and an air ticket out of the country is purchased. They will then be escorted to the airport and put on the plane.

The updated overstay rules may also result in them being banned from entering Thailand for a period dependent on the length of overstay

Yes - this is as I understand things. Being caught on a public road is obviously not considered as handing yourself in at an immigration office, even when you're on the airport approach road or a mile from the border.

Thus with 'airport entrance road' and 'mile from the border' police check points being so common place nowadays - folks with under 90 day overstay would be best to 'hand themselves in' at their local Immigration Office (I.O.) to clear the overstay rather than chance a border run or minibus/taxi to their nearest international airport, since one would have a better chance of entering a local I.O. without getting caught in a police check point. .

[jspill]

Thus with 'airport entrance road' and 'mile from the border' police check points being so common place nowadays - folks with under 90 day overstay would be best to 'hand themselves in' at their local Immigration Office (I.O.) to clear the overstay rather than chance a border run or minibus/taxi to their nearest international airport, since one would have a better chance of entering a local I.O. without getting caught in a police check point. .

Actually from most reports, those checkpoints before borders are very rarely an issue for overstayers. They're looking for e.g. Burmese migrants on the buses, they're not checking the visa pages of your passport, if they even ask farang at all, it's to look at the ID page.

People may have been caught on overstay at those checkpoints in the past but the few very rare instances became exaggerated and blown out of proportion.

It's also not recommended to go to an immigration office, that would be even more likely to end up in arrest and being detained.

The best course of action is taxi to the airport and fly out, or border run with a visa run company - they take everyone's passport to do the paperwork while you're in the van anyway.

[sunnyjim5]

Thus with 'airport entrance road' and 'mile from the border' police check points being so common place nowadays - folks with under 90 day overstay would be best to 'hand themselves in' at their local Immigration Office (I.O.) to clear the overstay rather than chance a border run or minibus/taxi to their nearest international airport, since one would have a better chance of entering a local I.O. without getting caught in a police check point. .

Actually from most reports, those checkpoints before borders are very rarely an issue for overstayers. They're looking for e.g. Burmese migrants on the buses, they're not checking the visa pages of your passport, if they even ask farang at all, it's to look at the ID page.

People may have been caught on overstay at those checkpoints in the past but the few very rare instances became exaggerated and blown out of proportion.

It's also not recommended to go to an immigration office, that would be even more likely to end up in arrest and being detained.

The best course of action is taxi to the airport and fly out, or border run with a visa run company - they take everyone's passport to do the paperwork while you're in the van anyway.

Not possible to settle overstay while hiding in a van !

A Signature is required on the overstay paperwork and the fine handed over.

[Puccini]

I wonder if the capacity of the Immigration Detention Centre has been increased.

[jspill]

Not possible to settle overstay while hiding in a van !

A Signature is required on the overstay paperwork and the fine handed over.

What are you talking about, I mean all visa runners hand their passports to the visa run company, for example Thai Visa Service which is often recommended on this forum. By going with them, military police at checkpoints won't bother you, there's no need to carefully inspect the vehicle for migrants, and they aren't going to dig through 30 passports of people clearly proceeding to the border.

[SteveB2]

Thus with 'airport entrance road' and 'mile from the border' police check points being so common place nowadays - folks with under 90 day overstay would be best to 'hand themselves in' at their local Immigration Office (I.O.) to clear the overstay rather than chance a border run or minibus/taxi to their nearest international airport, since one would have a better chance of entering a local I.O. without getting caught in a police check point. .

Actually from most reports, those checkpoints before borders are very rarely an issue for overstayers. They're looking for e.g. Burmese migrants on the buses, they're not checking the visa pages of your passport, if they even ask farang at all, it's to look at the ID page.

People may have been caught on overstay at those checkpoints in the past but the few very rare instances became exaggerated and blown out of proportion.

It's also not recommended to go to an immigration office, that would be even more likely to end up in arrest and being detained.

The best course of action is taxi to the airport and fly out, or border run with a visa run company - they take everyone's passport to do the paperwork while you're in the van anyway.

Thanks for the clarification - That makes sense and was standard practice - however, it will be very interesting to see how the grey areas of the new regulations play out in reality from 20th March on wards.

I got to say though that I fear for the worst and also I was not aware that the visa run companies could complete paperwork that clears overstays under 90 days such as to permit a clear pass to the border/airport - I don't think they have that authority.

[Chivas]

Yep on the look out. Yesterday in road block first time ever asked for Passport. Looked at passed it back and not a word spoken. Normally its only licence asked for

[sunnyjim5]

Not possible to settle overstay while hiding in a van !

A Signature is required on the overstay paperwork and the fine handed over.

What are you talking about, I mean all visa runners hand their passports to the visa run company, for example Thai Visa Service which is often recommended on this forum. By going with them, military police at checkpoints won't bother you, there's no need to carefully inspect the vehicle for migrants, and they aren't going to dig through 30 passports of people clearly proceeding to the border.

30 people in one van ?

Really ?

Expect inspections to be more "productive" in future !

[lkv]

I would not advise a visa run company, there is also a chance they may refuse you simply because they don't want to take the risk. Taxi to airport in the morning would sound like the best option if i was in that kind of situation.

[JLCrab]

I would not advise a visa run company, there is also a chance they may refuse you simply because they don't want to take the risk. Taxi to airport in the morning would sound like the best option if i was in that kind of situation.

... or to totally avoid the problem of your taxi being stopped at a close-to-the-airport checkpoint, you can arrange for a helicopter transfer to Swampy from the Mandarin Oriental or one of the other convenient Bangkok hotels

[55Jay]

Suppose an illegal alien in the US, Mexican/Central American for example, was on the way to the border to go home to see family, and got stopped by Border Patrol. He/she would be arrested, processed and deported.

Fact they were on the way to the border is irrelevant. Like giving back the money after a robbery.

[luke000]

Suppose an illegal alien in the US, Mexican/Central American for example, was on the way to the border to go home to see family, and got stopped by Border Patrol. He/she would be arrested, processed and deported.

Fact they were on the way to the border is irrelevant. Like giving back the money after a robbery.

Not another comparison to what happens in A M E R I C A !!!!!!!

[55Jay]

Suppose an illegal alien in the US, Mexican/Central American for example, was on the way to the border to go home to see family, and got stopped by Border Patrol. He/she would be arrested, processed and deported.

Fact they were on the way to the border is irrelevant. Like giving back the money after a robbery.

Not another comparison to what happens in A M E R I C A !!!!!!!

You can strip away the America part, the point is still valid.