Good day everyone... I just want to ask because my sister decided to go back home to our country, she told me that she needed to pay 20,000 baht for overstaying in Thailand. Is it really that much or she can choose not to pay and just bear being on the black list? Thank you...

Baht 500 per day for overstay, up to baht 20,000, must be paid or they'll not let her go, and if this is at Immigration at the airport, probably a trip downtown to the IDC, the Illegal Detention Center, a decidedly unpleasant to stay.  Until the fine is paid or worked off by time in the IDC.

 

Mac 

They may not allow her to leave the country if she does not pay. If she overstayed then she needs to up and bear her responsibilities to the law

• The fine is 500 baht per day up to a maximum of 20,000 baht.
• Any overstay over 40 days will be charged at 20,000 baht and if she doesn't/can't pay you will be detained still she does or sent through the legal process of deportation.
• If her overstay is between 91 days and 1 year she will be fined 20,000 baht AND banned for 1 year.  http://overstay.immigration.go.th/advice.html

Edited October 3, 20169 yr by elviajero

There is an alternative to paying the 20,000 baht fine, but I would not recommend it. The alternative is to have herself arrested for the overstay. She will be brought before a judge who will assess a fine of less than 20,000 baht. She will then be sent to the Immigration Detention Center. She can choose to remain there for a month or two, in which case her fine is reduced by 200 baht a day for every day she is incarcerated. When the fine is no longer due (because paid or worked down as explained above) she will be able to be deported if she can purchase a ticket back to her home country on an approved airline (usually the national airline, and not a low cost carrier).

 

To say this would be false economy is putting it mildly.

35 minutes ago, elviajero said:

• The fine is 500 baht per day up to a maximum of 20,000 baht.
• Any overstay over 40 days will be charged at 20,000 baht and if she doesn't/can't pay you will be detained still she does or sent through the legal process of deportation.
• If her overstay is between 91 days and 1 year she will be fined 20,000 baht AND banned for 1 year.  http://overstay.immigration.go.th/advice.html

 

Just to add if it goes to deportation she will still have to pay for her ticket. Immigration will hold her in IDC until she has that ticket. It's not a free ride home.

15 hours ago, Thanyaburi Mac said:

Baht 500 per day for overstay, up to baht 20,000, must be paid or they'll not let her go, and if this is at Immigration at the airport, probably a trip downtown to the IDC, the Illegal Detention Center, a decidedly unpleasant to stay.  Until the fine is paid or worked off by time in the IDC.

 

Mac 

 

" to the IDC, the Illegal Detention Center, "

 

I'm pretty sure the detention center is entirely legal. How about the "Immigration Detention Center."

Suradit, you're correct, my bad....

 

Mac

I overstayed for 2 Months my Apartment Manager who didn't like me found out about it and called Immigration they got me outside a 7 Eleven, IDC is a very very terrible place very big rats are everywhere, the food I try not to think about it.  You are there until you see the Judge which will charge you between 2000 to 3000 baht after seeing the Judge you will stay there until you have a Ticket home, oh I forgot the lawyer have to be paid off 1000 baht will do and the Immigration taxis to the airport (they have to drive you) 500 to 1000 baht. If you already have your Ticket home it's better to go to IDC you will save money and you will stay about 3 days unless you go on a Friday but you will feel like a dirty DOG!!! believe me no "Land of Smiles" the most hateful people in Thailand I have seen them beat people not USA or European but everyone else.  Note this happen to me before the new crazy Immigration laws came into effect.          

What is not available information in your question is how long time your sister been in Thailand, and how long time she have in overstay.

The fine she got is the maximun fine for overstaying in Thailand. That basically means that she have a minumum amount of overstaying days of 40 days,
but it does not say how much more it is. Below you can se the rules regarding overstay in Thailand:

 

Alien Surrendered to Authorities:

1. An alien who overstays more than 90 days beyond his/her permitted date will be banned from re-entering the country for 1 year, starting from the departure date.
2. An alien who overstays more than 1 year beyond his/her permitted date will be banned from re-entering the country for 3 years, starting from the departure date.
3. An alien who overstays more than 3 years beyond his/her permitted date will be banned from re-entering the country for 5 years, starting from the departure date.
4. An alien who overstays more than 5 years beyond his/her permitted date will be banned from re-entering the country for 10 years, starting from the departure date.

 

Alien Being Arrested and Prosecuted:

1. 1. An alien who is caught overstaying less than or exactly 1 year beyond his/her permitted date will be banned from re-entering the country for 5 years, starting from the departure date.
   2. An alien who is caught overstaying more than 1 year beyond his/her permitted date will be banned from re-entering the country for 10 years, starting from the departure date.

 

 

 

 

The only thing that is not certain is that you have to pay the fine. In that casr it is exactly like other people already answered, that your sister will be placed in IDC
until you, someone else or her embassy will help her home with a ticket.

Regarding if you tell the authorities that you have no money and not can pay the fine, they will usually take you to the court next day, and the judge will rule out the fine
before you are transferred to the IDC.

I hope that was clear enough.

1. . You must pay a fine of 500/day, but not exceeding 20,000 baht before you are allowed to leave the Kingdom of Thailand.

Wow kind of gives one immigration religion. 

1 hour ago, Anthony Wilson said:

I overstayed for 2 Months my Apartment Manager who didn't like me found out about it and called Immigration they got me outside a 7 Eleven, IDC is a very very terrible place very big rats are everywhere, the food I try not to think about it.  You are there until you see the Judge which will charge you between 2000 to 3000 baht after seeing the Judge you will stay there until you have a Ticket home, oh I forgot the lawyer have to be paid off 1000 baht will do and the Immigration taxis to the airport (they have to drive you) 500 to 1000 baht. If you already have your Ticket home it's better to go to IDC you will save money and you will stay about 3 days unless you go on a Friday but you will feel like a dirty DOG!!! believe me no "Land of Smiles" the most hateful people in Thailand I have seen them beat people not USA or European but everyone else.  Note this happen to me before the new crazy Immigration laws came into effect.          

Well, hopefully you will never come back to LOS!