Please Help! Visa overstay!

[bnzgrl]

Hello,

 

I'm on a SETV (60 days) and I forgot to extend for additional 30 days at Immigration.  The stamp in my passport when I re-entered Thailand says "admitted 13 May 2016 UNTIL 11 Jul 2016".

 

I kept thinking I had until 11 Aug 2016 for 90 days; I completely forgot I had to extend the additional 30 days.  I kept looking at the Visa itself where it said "Enter Before" which I know is the wrong date to look at.  I think also what confused me is for some reason the Immigration officer stamped my "admitted until date" at the beginning pages of my passport (used pages) and not toward where my new visa was, so I didn't see it to remind me.

 

Regardless, I've overstayed.  Immigration is closed today (Sat).  I've already booked a bus to go this Tuesday to Vientienne for a new SETV.  By the way, I'm in Chiang Mai.

 

I will go to Immigration on Monday, but my question is is there no way to avoid the penalty?  And is the penalty 500 Baht per day?  What will happen to me at Immigration?  If I pay the fine, can they still give me a 30 day extension?

 

Any information would be so appreciated.  Thanks!

 

[ubonjoe]

I suggest you stay away from immigration and just pay the 500 baht a day overstay fine on departure from the country.

If you go to immigration they might arrest you for the overstay and detain you until you pay the fine and have a ticket out of the country.. It is way to late to try and get the 30 day extension or any other type of extension.

[bnzgrl]

Thanks Ubonjoe.  So when I depart country this Tuesday at Nong Khai, will the officer at the window at that time catch it?  So I can pay right there?

[ubonjoe]

The officer will notice it and you will be taken to the overstay desk to pay the fine.

It might be worth the trouble and possible extra cost to change your trip to an earlier day.

[bnzgrl]

I'm not sure what you mean?  Today is Saturday.  My trip is Tuesday.  I can only go 1 day earlier Monday.  Since the embassy is closed on the weekend in Vientienne.

 

I can change to Monday if that would help.

Edited August 6, 2016 by bnzgrl

[ubonjoe]

Are you getting a daytime or overnight bus?

If overnight you could leave tomorrow night and do he application on Monday morning.

[charliebadenhop]

Wow, am I calculating correctly?

 

Maybe about $1,600 as a late fee?

[ubonjoe]

11 minutes ago, charliebadenhop said:

Wow, am I calculating correctly?

 

Maybe about $1,600 as a late fee?

I think you left a zero off.

Monday would be 14,000 baht.

[Macthehat]

 

Sanctions

It is illegal to overstay your visa as it is a violation of immigration rules. Needless to say, you are also breaking the thai law. Overstaying is sanctioned under thai immigration procedures. Even if you overstay for just one day, legal actions could be taken up against your person. Usually though when you overstay for one day, it doesn’t carry a fine with it. The fine of 500 baht per day of overstay only begins after the second day, so if your stay expired on the 15th of March and you only reported to the immigration by the 20th, your fine will only be 4 days of overstay or 2,000 baht.

However, just avoid getting yourself caught by the immigration police at all means. If by any reason they will stop you in a random check-up on your way to the airport, they will imprison you regardless of the length of time you overstayed, even if it’s just one day! You’ll be confined in a jail until you can secure your flight outside Thailand or you can provide the money in payment for the fine. It remains a question though about you fixing things up when you’re actually inside the jail, in that case just keep hoping that some friend or lawyer might assist you through the ordeal. Amnesty International observed that thai jails are “cruel and degrading”, so as much as you can do not attempt to overstay in the first place.

 

 

Looks like you will be held in custody until all monies and exit flight is paid.

[TerryLH]

"Usually though when you overstay for one day, it doesn’t carry a fine with it."

 

That's only at the airport.

 

 

"The fine of 500 baht per day of overstay only begins after the second day, so if your stay expired on the 15th of March and you only reported to the immigration by the 20th, your fine will only be 4 days of overstay or 2,000 baht. "

 

Not true.  Once you reach the 2nd day, every day, including day 1, carries a fine.  So in the scenario described above, it would be 500 baht x 5 days = 2500 baht.

[elviajero]

7 minutes ago, Macthehat said:

It is illegal to overstay your visa as it is a violation of immigration rules. Needless to say, you are also breaking the thai law. Overstaying is sanctioned under thai immigration procedures. Even if you overstay for just one day, legal actions could be taken up against your person. Usually though when you overstay for one day, it doesn’t carry a fine with it. The fine of 500 baht per day of overstay only begins after the second day, so if your stay expired on the 15th of March and you only reported to the immigration by the 20th, your fine will only be 4 days of overstay or 2,000 baht.

However, just avoid getting yourself caught by the immigration police at all means. If by any reason they will stop you in a random check-up on your way to the airport, they will imprison you regardless of the length of time you overstayed, even if it’s just one day! You’ll be confined in a jail until you can secure your flight outside Thailand or you can provide the money in payment for the fine. It remains a question though about you fixing things up when you’re actually inside the jail, in that case just keep hoping that some friend or lawyer might assist you through the ordeal. Amnesty International observed that thai jails are “cruel and degrading”, so as much as you can do not attempt to overstay in the first place.

Looks like you will be held in custody until all monies and exit flight is paid.

• I think you mean overstay your permission to stay.
• A one day overstay does carry a fine. It is only waived if leaving through the major airports.
• If permission to stay expired on the 15th, and the person left the country on the 20th, they would have overstayed for 5 days and would be charged for all 5 days, even at an airport, at 2,500 baht.
• "they will imprison you". It is possible that someone with a one day overstay that is on route to the airport, could be arrested and put through the legal system, but t's not definite.
• They would usually be held at the IDC until they've been to court, paid the fine, AND confirmed a flight has been booked and paid for.
• Staff at the IDC are available to help people organise flights etc.

[tomwct]

You will pay the fine and have a 1 year no re-entry. Enjoy Laos for the next 12 months! Good Luck!

[elviajero]

6 minutes ago, tomwct said:

You will pay the fine and have a 1 year no re-entry. Enjoy Laos for the next 12 months! Good Luck!

They will not be banned for 1 year because the overstay is under 90 days.

[Yahooka]

1 hour ago, tomwct said:

You will pay the fine and have a 1 year no re-entry. Enjoy Laos for the next 12 months! Good Luck!

Uncorrect !!

[blackcab]

3 hours ago, Macthehat said:

 

Sanctions

It is illegal to overstay your visa as it is a violation of immigration rules. Needless to say, you are also breaking the thai law. Overstaying is sanctioned under thai immigration procedures. Even if you overstay for just one day, legal actions could be taken up against your person. Usually though when you overstay for one day, it doesn’t carry a fine with it. The fine of 500 baht per day of overstay only begins after the second day, so if your stay expired on the 15th of March and you only reported to the immigration by the 20th, your fine will only be 4 days of overstay or 2,000 baht.

However, just avoid getting yourself caught by the immigration police at all means. If by any reason they will stop you in a random check-up on your way to the airport, they will imprison you regardless of the length of time you overstayed, even if it’s just one day! You’ll be confined in a jail until you can secure your flight outside Thailand or you can provide the money in payment for the fine. It remains a question though about you fixing things up when you’re actually inside the jail, in that case just keep hoping that some friend or lawyer might assist you through the ordeal. Amnesty International observed that thai jails are “cruel and degrading”, so as much as you can do not attempt to overstay in the first place.

 

 

Looks like you will be held in custody until all monies and exit flight is paid.

 

If you are a cut and paste merchant, it's good practice to say where you obtained your information from:

 

http://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand/overstay-visa-thailand.php

[elviajero]

3 minutes ago, blackcab said:

 

If you are a cut and paste merchant, it's good practice to say where you obtained your information from:

 

http://www.thaiembassy.com/thailand/overstay-visa-thailand.php

That explains why the information was wrong!

[dazzz]

13 hours ago, Macthehat said:

 

Sanctions

It is illegal to overstay your visa as it is a violation of immigration rules. Needless to say, you are also breaking the thai law. Overstaying is sanctioned under thai immigration procedures. Even if you overstay for just one day, legal actions could be taken up against your person. Usually though when you overstay for one day, it doesn’t carry a fine with it. The fine of 500 baht per day of overstay only begins after the second day, so if your stay expired on the 15th of March and you only reported to the immigration by the 20th, your fine will only be 4 days of overstay or 2,000 baht.

However, just avoid getting yourself caught by the immigration police at all means. If by any reason they will stop you in a random check-up on your way to the airport, they will imprison you regardless of the length of time you overstayed, even if it’s just one day! You’ll be confined in a jail until you can secure your flight outside Thailand or you can provide the money in payment for the fine. It remains a question though about you fixing things up when you’re actually inside the jail, in that case just keep hoping that some friend or lawyer might assist you through the ordeal. Amnesty International observed that thai jails are “cruel and degrading”, so as much as you can do not attempt to overstay in the first place.

 

 

Looks like you will be held in custody until all monies and exit flight is paid.

WRONG WRONG WRONG AGAIN . Why so much misinformation on this forum .? 
 I read this before about 1 days grace and as my visa run out on a sunday i thought i would got to vientiane on the monday . Arrived at the crossing 7 am . 7 hours after my visa ran out . Was arrested and put in a room with about 5 other guys who had done the same thing . Was kept for 5 hours , Paid 500baht given a right rollocking by a thai cop who told me you only get 1 days grace at the airport as sometimes your flight is after midnight but your visa can run out before midnight .
 Arrived to late at the consul  ( which is why the obnoxious cop kept us there )and had to spend an extra day. GET your FACTS right before you post as it can  make it bad for somebody who follows your advice as in my case .

[Suradit69]

11 hours ago, elviajero said:

That explains why the information was wrong!

 

Yes, despite the impressive sounding site title ... Thai Embassy.com ... it has nothing to do with any embassy and is not a government website. It's just a commercial site and its information is often outdated or simply wrong.

 

Also agree that whenever someone copies "information" and pastes it here, it is only fair (and often revealing) to cite the source and/or provide a link.

Edited August 7, 2016 by Suradit69

[phutoie2]

The info and advice on TV is usually spot on, to say "so much misinformation" is harsh criticism. Maybe the two posts concerned are a deliberate duff gen attack from a competing forum.

Edited August 7, 2016 by phutoie2

[puukao]

i am sorry and i do feel your pain......i never really checked my visa from laos until i was already 1 week overstay (this was 6 years ago)......i paid the fine and learned a big lesson.  such an easy and important thing to know (like when your flight takes off), but sometimes our minds don't work....

 

 

[Deepinthailand]

Dazzz said

"Arrived to late at the consul  ( which is why the obnoxious cop kept us there )"

 

Nothing to do with the fact it was your fault the policeman kept you there then. All the cops fault as usual. Poor farang victimised by thai police

[ericthai]

On 8/6/2016 at 9:23 AM, tomwct said:

You will pay the fine and have a 1 year no re-entry. Enjoy Laos for the next 12 months! Good Luck!

Why do you guys post information on TV when you dont know what you are talking about!!!

Same for poster " Macthehat" with incorrect information. 

 

People come to TV looking for answers from members with experience, not someone guessing or looking things up on the net, but from people you have been there done that!!  

It always seems to be newbies giving incorrect info, dont understand why!!!

 

OP listen to what UbonJoe has said he is well respected on TV and always giving correct information. Good Luck!!

[koo]

I really do hope that the police roadblocks are all closed during your travel to Nong Khai. There is at least one between Udon and Nong Khai, where they stop all traffic and check everyone's ID/passport. There is a chance that they will look at the stamps as well and arrest you for overstay.

 

I know there are such checkpoints also near CM, they all are 20-100 km from Burmese and Laos borders. Mainly the officers are looking for illegal immigrants from these two nations and drug trafikers, but really will check everyone, on buses, vans, private cars.

 

But as I said, hopefully they are not active tomorrow. Best of luck!

[JackThompson]

23 minutes ago, koo said:

I really do hope that the police roadblocks are all closed during your travel to Nong Khai.

... but really will check everyone, on buses, vans, private cars.

 

But as I said, hopefully they are not active tomorrow. Best of luck!

In my experience, they have never looked at my passport, and only checked locals IDs. 

 

That said, I would use the airport to avoid the chance - not only of arrest, but of a ban, since arrest at a checkpoint would not count as "turning oneself in."

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Koo

 

When did you encounter this Check Point between Udorn and Nong Khai?

 

Mac

[dazzz]

16 hours ago, Deepinthailand said:

Dazzz said

"Arrived to late at the consul  ( which is why the obnoxious cop kept us there )"

 

Nothing to do with the fact it was your fault the policeman kept you there then. All the cops fault as usual. Poor farang victimised by thai police

Can you read ?   I never said it was their fault . It was my fault for believing the info on this forum was correct . I have read lots of times that you are allowed one days grace ON THIS FORUM . It is incorrect  . You are only allowed 1 day at the airport not at border crossings .
 It was only 7 hours since my visa ran out , hardly an overstay !I have seen people at the airport pay 20,000 baht and get through in 10 minutes . There was no need to keep me there for 5 hours while he played with his phone .He told us he would keep us there until it was to late to go to the consul. Paying 500 baht and getting a receipt took about 2 minutes. He then gave us a lecture telling us how bad we were and that we were ciminals and thailand did not want people like us in the country.
 At that time i had been in thai for 7 years . married wth a son, never been without a visa except that 7 hours . Never been in any trouble in my life but was being called a criminal. Yes he was obnoxious the same as you . I think you have been to deep and need to surface for a while

[Franky Bear]

The only person you should listen to in this post is Ubon Joe.


You can take his advice to the bank and back again when it comes to this stuff. The rest replying are chancers and attention seekers.

[dazzz]

6 hours ago, koo said:

I really do hope that the police roadblocks are all closed during your travel to Nong Khai. There is at least one between Udon and Nong Khai, where they stop all traffic and check everyone's ID/passport. There is a chance that they will look at the stamps as well and arrest you for overstay.

 

I know there are such checkpoints also near CM, they all are 20-100 km from Burmese and Laos borders. Mainly the officers are looking for illegal immigrants from these two nations and drug trafikers, but really will check everyone, on buses, vans, private cars.

 

But as I said, hopefully they are not active tomorrow. Best of luck!

WRONG , WRONG WRONG AGAIN . I live on the road between nong khai und udon . I pass that fixed road checkpoint at least twice a month for the last 8 years and have never been stopped. They do not usually stop vehicles going north to laos but stop the vehicles coming from laos looking for smuggled goods . They never stop buses or any public transport and i have rarely seen them stop anyone except laos plates . I went to nong khai yesterday and nobody at the checkpoint both ways

[dazzz]

Dont know what happend there . Clicked once  but saved for 10 minutes than gave me 5 posts the same ?
maybe but i have just been to the thai visa homepage and clicked on overstay . First the info is so out of date ! Why is it not updated ? It says posted by egroeg 14 /12 2006 i copied this from the page
" If you overstay by one day, there is no charge. After that, it’s 500B per day, so 2 days is a 1,000B fine, 3 days 1,500B etc… " 
It again fails to stress this is only at the airport not at a border crossing and says there is not charge for the first day . 
" Paying the fine is simple. When going through Immigration, they will notice the overstay and take you to a desk to pay it, taking about 5 minutes in all. Fines can also often by paid in advance at any Immigration bureau. You will not be jailed it you volontarily clear up your overstay. "

 Took me 5 hours and i dont think it is a good idea to go to immigration to pay in advance . This is massive misinformation which could lead to the arrest of people

[koo]

3 hours ago, dazzz said:

WRONG , WRONG WRONG AGAIN . I live on the road between nong khai und udon . I pass that fixed road checkpoint at least twice a month for the last 8 years and have never been stopped. They do not usually stop vehicles going north to laos but stop the vehicles coming from laos looking for smuggled goods . They never stop buses or any public transport and i have rarely seen them stop anyone except laos plates . I went to nong khai yesterday and nobody at the checkpoint both ways

 

Well, I have sat on a bus from Udon to Nong Khai at least a dozen of times. About half of the times the bus has been stopped at the checkpoint and everyone on it had to show ID/passport. They flip through the passport, but I am not sure if they actually check the stamps.

 

But as I said, they mainly are looking for drugs and illegal immigrants, so it makws sense that they raid the south going vehicles more often. Also, to be honest, I think they are doing this more rarely nowadays. I recall a weekend, when I had to pass the checkpoint 4 times (2 on motorbike, 2 on bus) and got checked every single time), but now maybe 2 years without any checks...

 

Anyway, good luck to the OP.