Crack-down On Overstay In Koh Samui

[george]

I got this email from a concerned member, who want to remain anonymous

/George

QUOTE:

Crack-Down on overstay in Koh Samui

This Wednesday morning at about 0400 am. the immigration of Samui were present at Nathon Pier to crack-down on overstay for all customers going on the 5 am. ferry Samui-Donsak. 2 minibuses from a travel agency doing visa runs, were stopped and 5 people arrested for having overstay (3 had only 5 hours overstay...). First they were brought to the immigration office, at about 9 am. they were brought to the police station. At 11 am. they were let out on bail 10,000 Baht per person. In few days they will have to meet for the court and will get a final fine and have to meet for the immigration office again for being deported to their homecountry.

This Thursday morning the immigration personell were again present at Nathon Pier and another 2 persons were arrested for having overstay.

All 7 people were on their way to Padang Besar to get new visas. All the people who got stopped were travelling on arranged tours made by local travel agencies (=Visa Run One Day Trip).

--snip ---

There will be another crack-down for overstay at Nathon Pier tomorrow, Friday, before the 5 am. Seatran ferry from Samui to Donsak!

All people in Koh Samui with overstay are hereby advised to contact the immigration office in Nathon for clearing the overstay! No "Visa Run Agencies" starting at 5 am. in the morning will accept customers with overstay anymore.

Overstay is illegal according to Thai law.

END QUOTE

Edited April 29, 2004 by george

[george]

Narathiwat ‘still safe for visa runs’

NARATHIWAT: Visa-run businesses are still operating normally to Narathiwat despite the outburst of violence in the South yesterday, which resulted in more than 100 deaths. Those who organize the visa-run services say that foreigners are safe.

Kanitha Saelao, Manager of the Patong branch of Royal Silk Travel, which organizes visa trips to Kota Bahru via Narathiwat, told the Gazette that the situation in the three southern provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala has not significantly affected business.

“We still have customers who want to get new visas from [the Thai consulate in] Kota Bahru [in Malaysia]. The number has fallen but that is because Thai Airways [THAI] canceled its Phuket-Haad Yai service about a month ago [the Phuket-Narathiwat flights ended considerably earlier] and some customers don’t want to take the eight-to-nine hour bus ride from Phuket to Narathiwat.

“I’ve heard that THAI suspended the flights because they were not profitable,” she added.

K. Kanitha said she speaks frequently with companies she deals with in the South and “there are no problems”. Foreigners, she pointed out, have never been targets of the violence in the South.

Vilai Wongpuvarak, an employee of travel company Business & Leisure 2003, in Narathiwat, confirmed that it was business as usual there.

“We still have customers coming every day from Bangkok and Phuket to renew visas in Kota Bahru, even though the bus takes them through Pattani province. No one has called us to ask about [the violence],” she said.

Most of yesterday’s killings took place in Pattani, but not in the areas the buses pass through, she stressed.

“The things that happened yesterday, resulting in many deaths, were in Pattani but the targets of the attackers were police, army or government officers. Tourists and foreigners were not involved at all. It’s fine to come here by bus; I still see foreigners traveling here,” K. Vilai added.

--Phuket Gazette 2004-04-29

[maerim]

I still see foreigners traveling here,” K. Vilai added.

Any mention of which way they were travelling?

[taxexile]

from the bbc website today.

Bersatu, an umbrella group for separatists in the region, issued a statement warning visitors not to travel to Thailand's south.

"Patani people are not responsible for anything happens to you after this warning," the statement said, carried on the website of one of its member groups, the Patani United Liberation Organisation (Pulo).

The statement listed Thailand's Muslim-dominated southern provinces as well as tourist spots further north like Phuket and Krabi.

"I would say the military phase has just started," General Pallop Pinmanee, who presided over a bloody shoot-out at a mosque in Pattani on Wednesday, told Bangkok radio.

"Our current estimate is that the strength of their armed men and recruits is in the thousands," he said.

OR

from the bus company and visa shop owners

K. Kanitha said she speaks frequently with companies she deals with in the South and “there are no problems”. Foreigners, she pointed out, have never been targets of the violence in the South.

Vilai Wongpuvarak, an employee of travel company Business & Leisure 2003, in Narathiwat, confirmed that it was business as usual there.

“We still have customers coming every day from Bangkok and Phuket to renew visas in Kota Bahru, even though the bus takes them through Pattani province. No one has called us to ask about [the violence],” she said.

Most of yesterday’s killings took place in Pattani, but not in the areas the buses pass through, she stressed.

you pays your money and you takes your choice.

[astral]

It has always been a grey area.

Will they be arresting overstayers at the airports?

[Guest chingy]

if you don't over stay it wouldn't be a problem

[MadFrankie]

(3 had only 5 hours overstay...). First they were brought to the immigration office, at about 9 am. they were brought to the police station. At 11 am. they were let out on bail 10,000 Baht per person. In few days they will have to meet for the court and will get a final fine and have to meet for the immigration office again for being deported to their homecountry.

lol.. bit harsh!

[tess79]

Just wonder why they forgot the expiration of their visa????? or they intend to forget about it

[billd766]

About a year ago i got confused with the 90 rule and applying for a Thai wife support visa and overstayed by about 6 weeks. I went to Suan Plu and the staff there were polite and helpful and sent me to another building where I pais a fine (and I apologised for the overstay).

Since then I have been very careful about the 90 reporting period and I usually go 4 or 5 days early. I am reasonably dressed and polite and I have no problem.

Perhaps I am lucky.

[Bonkers]

I cannot fathom these people who overstay. The rules are quite clear. Their choice entirely. One benefit I guess is they see a little more of 'Unseen Thailand' although I doubt police holding cells figure in the TAT campaigns.

[penzman]

The walls of a jail cell can also be part of the great "Unseen Thailand".

[Basher]

if you don't over stay it wouldn't be a problem

Chingy is right

Rules are Rules, don't overstay, don't do drugs, don't shag children, etc.

This isn't your home country, you can't just get away with things without a penalty.

May seem harsh but rules is rules

Bash

[Foggy Bottom]

Hmm Guess I was lucky - day before Songkran Immigration at Krisda Plaza ordered me into overstay because work permit section were being grumpy about one word of a job title - was ordered to report back 6 days after visa would have expired (with new documents) and then the work permit section tried to refuse the application again by saying I had to apply in the province I lived in.

Eventually sorted it out and now have new one year visa and workpermit - Immigration were actually very helpful and pointed out that gouing into overstay avoided me leaving the country and having to begin the whole process again out of country.

Felt a bit stung by the fine in these circumstances, but it was the labour section that caused it, not Immigration. Have complained to Ministry of Foreign Affairs about it - waiting for response.

[mitmig]

After the shooting in the south and outbraking of sars in china, I think the gouverment of thailand shoul'd be thankfull for the people who overstay in thailand. Because the touristic days are over for the next years in thailand.

cheers mitmig

[yaya2]

It has always been a grey area.

Will they be arresting overstayers at the airports?

if you can pay the fine you wont get arrested. 200 Baht a day but not more then 20,000 Baht. Sometimes they give you the full bill (which could be more then 20,000 if more then 100 days...)

[dr_Pat_Pong]

It has always been a grey area.

Will they be arresting overstayers at the airports?

if you can pay the fine you wont get arrested. 200 Baht a day but not more then 20,000 Baht. Sometimes they give you the full bill (which could be more then 20,000 if more then 100 days...)

Not quite true. If you are caught in a raid they will not accept the fine. You will be locked up and deported.

[Snark]

deleted

[Up2U]

Just wonder why they forgot the expiration of their visa????? or they intend to forget about it

If you're staying on Koh Samui things go a little like this ........

Hmmmm, I've been here a couple of weeks, feels good. Puff, puff, suck, hold, exhale, suck, hold, exhale, suck, hold, exhale, suck, hold, exhale, ........ Is it really Thursday? suck, hold, exhale, suck, hold, exhale, suck, hold, exhale, ........ which Thursday? suck, hold, exhale, suck, hold, exhale, suck, hold, exhale, ....... Oooooh, sh1t !!!!! But it's good sh1t suck, hold, exhale, suck, hold, exhale, ........ better go for a visa run ...... suck, hold, exhale, suck, hold, exhale,

[lopburi3]

About a year ago i got confused with the 90 rule and applying for a Thai wife support visa and overstayed by about 6 weeks

You did not "overstay". You forgot about the 90 day report and received the normal fine. These folks are trying to stay longer in Thailand than their permission to stay stamp allows (to save a day or a few baht) and got caught before they got to a border where they assumed they would only have to pay a fine at most. Now they are in more serious trouble. They gambled and lost.

[Pi Sua]

Just wonder why they forgot the expiration of their visa????? or they intend to forget about it     

If you're staying on Koh Samui things go a little like this ........

Hmmmm, I've been here a couple of weeks, feels good. Puff, puff, suck, hold, exhale, suck, hold, exhale, suck, hold, exhale, suck, hold, exhale, ........ Is it really Thursday? suck, hold, exhale, suck, hold, exhale, suck, hold, exhale, ........ which Thursday? suck, hold, exhale, suck, hold, exhale, suck, hold, exhale, ....... Oooooh, sh1t !!!!! But it's good sh1t suck, hold, exhale, suck, hold, exhale, ........ better go for a visa run ...... suck, hold, exhale, suck, hold, exhale,

Couldn't have said better! It remind me when I was in Koh Samui in my 20's

[ChiangMaiThai]

Just wonder why they forgot the expiration of their visa????? or they intend to forget about it

The fact that one can consistently overstay by a few days, pay a small fine and then return to the country, probably has something to do with it. If a 2 hour overstay is such a terrible thing, why don't the police go to the borders and deport all those showing up on 2 or 3 day overstays with a few hundred baht in hand?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Just wonder why they forgot the expiration of their visa????? or they intend to forget about it     

The fact that one can consistently overstay by a few days, pay a small fine and then return to the country, probably has something to do with it. If a 2 hour overstay is such a terrible thing, why don't the police go to the borders and deport all those showing up on 2 or 3 day overstays with a few hundred baht in hand?

Logic is not permitted CMT.

[Snark]

deleted

[ChiangMaiThai]

(why don't the police go to the borders and deport all those showing up on 2 or 3 day overstays with a few hundred baht in hand?)

Is this a complaint about tolerance and lenience?

As Dr. Pat Pong touched on, its more a comment about the complete lack of logic being employed by Thai Immigration. They do 5am raids on Samui to catch people in the first hours of their overstay. Meanwhile, you've got others who have overstayed for days or weeks at the border paying a $5 a day fine before crossing over and crossing back. If overstay is such a crime, DEPORT THE FUC#KERS AT THE BORDER. But they don't, do they? So one could be forgiven for being a little confused. I don't think Immigration even understands their own laws.

[dereklev]

For those of us who maintain our lives within a foreign country, obey the rules, and simply get on with things, this is only beneficial.

That quote is certainly true. I, like many others here, do not understand people who overstay their visas and then gripe when caught.

This is Thailand the clue is in the name!!! It is their country and they are very liberal about letting falangs live here. All they ask in return is you obey their laws, what is wrong with that?

[chuckygobyebye]

Once again it's two pages of posts smug oldies, sitting at their keyboards and thinking "Unlike my good self," while missing any insight.

Why do people overstay? Because they're doing visa runs and it's pretty easy to miss a day because they're working, sick, whatever.

Usually this isn't a problem as long as you're going straight to the border, you just pays your Bt200 per day -- I've done it plenty of times myself.

As for the crackdown, notice it's only in Samui? Samui is a mafia-run island full of crooked cops. Anyone ever suspect that this may be a shakedown exercise?

[Kiko]

(3 had only 5 hours overstay...). First they were brought to the immigration office, at about 9 am. they were brought to the police station. At 11 am. they were let out on bail 10,000 Baht per person. In few days they will have to meet for the court and will get a final fine and have to meet for the immigration office again for being deported to their homecountry.

lol.. bit harsh!

Overstay is overstay !!!

Whenever you people will learn ???

[Kiko]

Once again it's two pages of posts smug oldies, sitting at their keyboards and thinking "Unlike my good self," while missing any insight.

Why do people overstay? Because they're doing visa runs and it's pretty easy to miss a day because they're working, sick, whatever.

Usually this isn't a problem as long as you're going straight to the border, you just pays your Bt200 per day -- I've done it plenty of times myself.

As for the crackdown, notice it's only in Samui? Samui is a mafia-run island full of crooked cops. Anyone ever suspect that this may be a shakedown exercise?

Bullshit !

Accept the rules and you will be accepted !

[Kiko]

Just wonder why they forgot the expiration of their visa????? or they intend to forget about it     

The fact that one can consistently overstay by a few days, pay a small fine and then return to the country, probably has something to do with it. If a 2 hour overstay is such a terrible thing, why don't the police go to the borders and deport all those showing up on 2 or 3 day overstays with a few hundred baht in hand?

Logic is not permitted CMT.

Because Thai - side is still harmless.

In my opinion : Either you can accept the rules or you should be punished.

Some people claim and seem even to be proud of to have overstayed many times.

That are people who really should not be allowed to come back for the rest of their life

[Axel]

Once again it's two pages of posts smug oldies, sitting at their keyboards and thinking "Unlike my good self," while missing any insight.

Why do people overstay? Because they're doing visa runs and it's pretty easy to miss a day because they're working, sick, whatever.

chuckygobyebye, in a sense I do agree to what you say. Still, don't <deleted> with immigration and keep your papers in order.

Yeah, I know, I been there, I done it.

I mentioned before, not in Thailand, it was in Taiwan. Just plain forgot the date for wife and son. OK, sent to police station, apologized, no problem paid abt. Baht 50 fine for 10 days overstay.

Next time in HKG tried to get a visa to go back 3 days later. "Sorry, no visa because blacklisted as fined for overstay. You now can apply and come back in two

weeks after w have a decision from the headoffice".

I do not say, this will happen in Thailand, I only say this happened for Taiwan.