Check-in staff checking for overstay

[Briggsy]

I recently flew out of Suwannaphoom with Etihad. I was surprised that the check-in clerk went through my passport to check my permission to stay date. She even read it back to me. It was fine. I was within the regulated period.

I have flown out of many airports and flown out of Bangkok on numerous occasions and never before were the check-in staff looking for this.

I should add that, of course, the same permission to stay date was checked again when I passed through immigration control on the way out.

I was slightly concerned in that it adds a new layer of checking and in Thailand that tends to mean a new opportunity for confusion and a new and different interpretation of the rules. Fortunately there was no such confusion for me.

[55Jay]

That is odd. I wonder what their protocol is for an over stayer?

Deny boarding? That doesn't make sense.

Hand over to Immigration where one is headed to next anyway?

[baboon]

The same happened to me last week on an Mrats flight, so it does look like this is a new policy...

[johnatong]

It depends !

At least one SE Asian country is refusing entry to overstayers arriving by air from Thailand.

The airlines do not wish to be stuck with having to remove those denied entry.

[55Jay]

It depends !

At least one SE Asian country is refusing entry to overstayers arriving by air from Thailand.

The airlines do not wish to be stuck with having to remove those denied entry.

Is that Laos? Thought I read that in the last week.

But they were flying Middle East airlines - Etihad/Emirates.

[elviajero]

That is odd. I wonder what their protocol is for an over stayer?

Deny boarding? That doesn't make sense.

Hand over to Immigration where one is headed to next anyway?

Laos Airline has been reported as not allowing anyone with an Thai overstay to check-in/fly on the instructions of Laos Airport Immigration.

[BritTim]

Understandable for flights to a neighboring country (Laos) but a surprise for flights further afield. It seems unlikely anyone would be using Ethiad for a quick border hop. No doubt we will find out what is going on in due course.

[johnatong]

It depends !

At least one SE Asian country is refusing entry to overstayers arriving by air from Thailand.

The airlines do not wish to be stuck with having to remove those denied entry.

Is that Laos? Thought I read that in the last week.

But they were flying Middle East airlines - Etihad/Emirates.

Maybe other countries are also refusing to admit overstayers from Thailand .

That would force the overstayer into making very careful choices about where to fly other than directly back home

[KamnanT]

Emirates has been looking at permission to stay dates in Bangkok for a few years. I did ask once why they did this and was told it was to ensure that passengers on overstay had sufficient time to clear immigration and pay fines before departure.

[johnatong]

Emirates has been looking at permission to stay dates in Bangkok for a few years. I did ask once why they did this and was told it was to ensure that passengers on overstay had sufficient time to clear immigration and pay fines before departure.

Do they hold flights for those who are late checking in and who also have overstays to clear ?

[gk10002000]

Regardless of the check-in people checking, how would one get past Thai immigration if leaving with an overstay? Don't the Thai people give your passport a going over when you get over in the departure section? They collect the arrival card, etc.

[johnatong]

Regardless of the check-in people checking, how would one get past Thai immigration if leaving with an overstay? Don't the Thai people give your passport a going over when you get over in the departure section? They collect the arrival card, etc.

Immigration do check but they do not collect an "arrival" card on departure !

[Briggsy]

Just to add some more detail. I am a UK citizen flying on a UK passport and I was returning to the UK with a plane change in Abu Dhabi.

[gk10002000]

Regardless of the check-in people checking, how would one get past Thai immigration if leaving with an overstay? Don't the Thai people give your passport a going over when you get over in the departure section? They collect the arrival card, etc.

Immigration do check but they do not collect an "arrival" card on departure !

Fine. Quibble as you usually do. Whatever that form is that they staple onto the passport when I arrive and that somebody collects when I leave is what I meant. It has been a year since I traveled but I thought the departure card was on the reverse side of the arrival card. If it is a separate card, fine.

[GanDoonToonPet]

I'm confused. Previously, could you fly back to your home country & they didn't check for overstay?

[ukrules]

Quite a few years back I was departing Bangkok on an EVA airways flight to London and the checkin guys pointed out my overstay, I was well aware of it at the time but they checked for it and noticed it.

The interesting thing is I hold a British passport and was flying direct to London where I would never be refused entrance so there's no real reason to check if I had overstayed.

Unless maybe they wanted to make sure I got through immigration just in case they had to remove my bags from the plane if I was detained due to not paying the fine.

[bkkcanuck8]

The checking of overstay might be a good thing for some:

- If there is not enough time to get through immigration and pay the fine and thus you miss the flight, you would have to be escorted back to immigration and they would have to cancel your exit so that you could book another flight and checkin.... of course if that happened you could end up in a little bit of a pickle with immigration since I don't know how they would handle an overstayer in that situation.

- If checkin warned you (and you were not aware) - there might be cases where people don't have sufficient funds for the fine when you reached immigration.

In either of those cases - making sure people are prepared ahead of time can save on headaches of getting caught in never-never land....

[FritsSikkink]

Emirates has been looking at permission to stay dates in Bangkok for a few years. I did ask once why they did this and was told it was to ensure that passengers on overstay had sufficient time to clear immigration and pay fines before departure.

Do they hold flights for those who are late checking in and who also have overstays to clear ?

No

[ubonjoe]

I do not find in unusual for the airline to check your permitted to stay date. If on overstay they would ask if you have the money to pay the overstay fine.

They certainly would not want to check in a person that would not be able to leave the country because the did not have the funds to pay the fine.

[BritTim]

I'm confused. Previously, could you fly back to your home country & they didn't check for overstay?

It is sometimes helpful to read the other posts in the thread. I suspect KamnanT's post is the correct explanation:

Emirates has been looking at permission to stay dates in Bangkok for a few years. I did ask once why they did this and was told it was to ensure that passengers on overstay had sufficient time to clear immigration and pay fines before departure.

[technologybytes]

Anything that could confuse them is bad, they are easily confused.

Last year I was flying to Amsterdam with my British passport from Bangkok, the checking guy was spending a lot of time looking through my passport and I asked him if I could help him, he said he was looking for my Visa. I asked, visa for what, he replied for the Netherlands. I explained that I am British and don't need a visa.. he looked confused.

"Mr" he said "UK not part of Schengen scheme, where your Visa ? " I explained again that as a British citizen I did not need one, the idiot wanted to argue with me and said that as UK is not part of the Schengen area I would need a visa... so I shouted at him to get a supervisor now and stop wasting my time.

He got a supervisor and they discussed it a bit and then he came back and said "no matter Mr, we let you go".

[HerbalEd]

It depends !

At least one SE Asian country is refusing entry to overstayers arriving by air from Thailand.

The airlines do not wish to be stuck with having to remove those denied entry.

Do you not know which SE Asian company? Do you not know the source for this "information"? How does overstay in the country you're departing affect your arrival and stay in the country into which you're flying? Doesn't make sense.

[recom273]

But .. Don't you pay for the overstay after you have checked in ? as they stamp your passport or is there an immigration office outside ?

It's just the issue of people who are not connected to immigration making decisions. Once had a hotel check my passport and didn't want to let me check in - trouble was, the visa stamp said a date but she didn't notice the extension stamp on the following page.

[ubonjoe]

It depends !

At least one SE Asian country is refusing entry to overstayers arriving by air from Thailand.

The airlines do not wish to be stuck with having to remove those denied entry.

Do you not know which SE Asian company? Do you not know the source for this "information"? How does overstay in the country you're departing affect your arrival and stay in the country into which you're flying? Doesn't make sense.

There was topic on this forum by a member who was denied check in for a flight to Vientiane Laos on Lao Airways. Apparently Lao immigration at the airport were saying they would deny entry to those overstaying here.

Bangkok Air informed another member the same thing.

[elviajero]

It depends !

At least one SE Asian country is refusing entry to overstayers arriving by air from Thailand.

The airlines do not wish to be stuck with having to remove those denied entry.

Do you not know which SE Asian company? Do you not know the source for this "information"? How does overstay in the country you're departing affect your arrival and stay in the country into which you're flying? Doesn't make sense.

Laos. Laos Airlines under orders from Laos immigration.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/899515-refused-flight/?p=10484153

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/899515-refused-flight/?p=10493224

[scorecard]

I do not find in unusual for the airline to check your permitted to stay date. If on overstay they would ask if you have the money to pay the overstay fine.

They certainly would not want to check in a person that would not be able to leave the country because the did not have the funds to pay the fine.

If such person had in fact checked-in for a flight then there were complications at passport control because of overstay, then the airline could be in a situation where they have to retrieve any checked in luggage if the person doesn't board on time.

I'm sure airlines don't want this sitution. Also if it means the aircraft is late departing then there are probably additional airport fees the airline must pay.

[MF2436]

Why would anyone overstay their visa unless it was due to accident,illness etc. Abide by the country's laws and you'll be OK!

[Stevemercer]

I had a similar experience flying Thai Air out of Melbourne, Australia, to Bangkok last weekend. At check-in the lady (Australian staff) asked me several questions about my passport, visa and 'return' air ticket. I explained I was on a Thai marriage extension with a single re-entry stamp. I had to show her the various stamps. I asked whether there was a new policy for people travelling to Thailand, but she said no, there was nothing new (I'm not so sure).

[bkkcanuck8]

I had a similar experience flying Thai Air out of Melbourne, Australia, to Bangkok last weekend. At check-in the lady (Australian staff) asked me several questions about my passport, visa and 'return' air ticket. I explained I was on a Thai marriage extension with a single re-entry stamp. I had to show her the various stamps. I asked whether there was a new policy for people travelling to Thailand, but she said no, there was nothing new (I'm not so sure).

I doubt it is new policy in this case. Airline staff (in many western countries) will typically check to make sure your return or onward flight is reserved within the visa/visa waiver period (printed on their display usually is the visa requirements for tourists). The majority are going to be tourists, so your case would not be the most common and therefore may require some explaining to demonstrate that they will not be on the hook for the return flight after you are rejected entry because of not meeting expected requirements.

[jacko45k]

Seems perhaps sensible for check-in staff to ensure you are going to be able to get to the aircraft, ie get past immigration to the boarding gates in a reasonable time.

Is it possible some carriers do not want the hassles of a passenger failing to arrive at the gate and having to remove baggage.