Friend Overstayed

[TheLairdofCockPen]

Hello

 

I have a friend who has overstayed for about 3 years now. She is 87 and doesn't have any money apart from what a few friends donate.

She has been living in Thailand since the early 70's and was ripped off of her savings by some scumbag.

She is happy living here but I am worried about what happens is she is ever caught by the immigration police.

 

Any advice welcome,

 

Thanks

 

The Laird

[darrendsd]

The Legal solution would be to surrender herself at the Airport (not at a Immigration office as this would lead her to being locked in a cell) pay the overstay fine and accept the overstay ban that would come her way, probably 5-10 years

 

If she has no desire to return home for good or return after her ban her only other option is to do nothing, hope for the best and hope that she is never caught

 

Sounds like she is not in a good position, I wish her well

 

[lostinisaan]

 

 If she's really your friend continue to help her out and let her pass away here.

 She wouldn't be able to live at a place for homeless people and the whole procedure might kill her.

 

     I don't think that she wants to go back wherever that was. You could try to find some relatives who send her some cash from time to time.

 

      Please leave the Immigration where it is. 

 

           

        

[darrendsd]

Considering her age and the length of time she has been here Immigration may be more sympathetic to her than the normal overstayer but as the above poster said avoid Immigration, 

[A1Str8]

54 minutes ago, darrendsd said:

The Legal solution would be to surrender herself at the Airport (not at a Immigration office as this would lead her to being locked in a cell) pay the overstay fine and accept the overstay ban that would come her way, probably 5-10 years

 

If she has no desire to return home for good or return after her ban her only other option is to do nothing, hope for the best and hope that she is never caught

 

Sounds like she is not in a good position, I wish her well

 

She would surrender herself to who at the airport if she wanted to avoid immigration? 

[sanemax]

7 minutes ago, A1Str8 said:

She would surrender herself to who at the airport if she wanted to avoid immigration? 

 

  Think they meant internal immigration officers and not the border control ones

[darrendsd]

11 minutes ago, A1Str8 said:

She would surrender herself to who at the airport if she wanted to avoid immigration? 

 

I meant Immigration at the Airport as opposed to a Immigration office within Thailand

 

Although not clearly stated I would have thought that  "pay the overstay fine and accept the overstay ban that would come her way, probably 5-10 years" would make it clear she would be dealing with Immigration at the Airport as it would be them that deal with the fine and the ban

 

Hope this clears things up for you

[ratcatcher]

Fortunately, there have been some sympathetic and helpful replies to the O.p.. At 87 years of age, the dear old soul deserves to be able to spend her late twilight years  without the nightmare of IDC and a massive fine. Sh'e very poor, and I, along with many would feel sorry for her. Perhaps she's fallen on hard times after 40 years in the Kingdom.  Maybe the General Prime Minister can have a whip round at the next session, I'm sure they could raise a few thousand baht to assist the old girl. 

Good luck to her I say. Let's hope the quality of Thai mercy is not strained.

[Andyswiss]

Lose her passport

Take care she...

[darrendsd]

27 minutes ago, Andyswiss said:

Lose her passport

Take care she...

 

Losing her Passport would only create more difficulty's and expense and more time in IDC if she were to get caught

[Andyswiss]

Yes this I true

Pray nothing happen her

[tubby johnson]

If someone nasty or spiteful turns her in, she'll be in real trouble. Financially, she has few options. But as long as she keeps a low profile, she runs no risk of ever getting caught.

 

Continue enjoying life in Thailand.

[NancyL]

Oh my goodness, let's get a few facts established first.  What is her nationality? Where does she live?  How is her health, i.e. can she travel.  Does she have a valid passport?  And, this is a BIGGIE what does SHE want to do?

 

Frankly, the OP seems rather meddlesome.  It's his first post after all.  If she's here for over 20 years and at nearly 90 years of age isn't fussed by her current condition, then perhaps the OP should take some lessons.

 

I've assisted many elderly expats here and have learned that "the authorities" know about all of them and if they aren't causing problems (like unpaid medical bills or getting arrested), they can stay where they are.  It's only when someone turns on a spotlight that there's a problem.

[Rc2702]

I reckon this old birds a tough nut and has another 10 years or so to crack on with and I doubt anyone would deport her if she's no trouble. 

[berybert]

Has she got health insurance ?

[BritTim]

While no one can help with her immigration issues (the advice already given to keep a low profile and do nothing is the best that can be done) I wonder if everything has been done to check her eligibility for financial assistance. Depending on her nationality, she might have an automatic right to some state assistance.

[SoFarAndNear]

Unfortunately this is a fate which awaits many of the first expat generations in Thailand. Especially if you don't have any Thai relatives. The government made it officialy clear that they don't want any of these in their country. There is also no law which could make any exceptions like Extraordinary circumstances if you live here already for decades and have no other home. Just can only hope that the immigration lets you walk on if they find out. But if you get into any legal troubles you would always end in IDC or deport back to that far planet where your passport is from.

[TheLairdofCockPen]

8 hours ago, NancyL said:

Oh my goodness, let's get a few facts established first.  What is her nationality? Where does she live?  How is her health, i.e. can she travel.  Does she have a valid passport?  And, this is a BIGGIE what does SHE want to do?

 

Frankly, the OP seems rather meddlesome.  It's his first post after all.  If she's here for over 20 years and at nearly 90 years of age isn't fussed by her current condition, then perhaps the OP should take some lessons.

 

I've assisted many elderly expats here and have learned that "the authorities" know about all of them and if they aren't causing problems (like unpaid medical bills or getting arrested), they can stay where they are.  It's only when someone turns on a spotlight that there's a problem.

Sorry, I didn't know I needed to be a poster of the year to post here.

 

Her nationality is not your concern and doesn't matter.

She is very healthy and can travel.

Her passport is valid but she doesn't want to go anywhere. Al three of her husbands have died and she has no relatives left abroad.

 

There's a few friends give her an amount of cash every month. Frankly, you should learn from us and look after your friends. this includes finding out how she could be saved from possible jail or deportation.

 

She;s an old friend of 20 years and has lived here for over 40 years.

 

Thanks to all the positive replies.

[SaintLouisBlues]

16 hours ago, A1Str8 said:

She would surrender herself to who at the airport if she wanted to avoid immigration? 

Doesn't she just check-in in the usual way and when she attempts to pass through the Immigration checkpoint she'll be apprehended? At that point she has a ticket out of the country and a boarding pass, so it then gets to be an over-stay issue

[true blue]

Do hope the elderly lady in good health propally best to let sleeping dogs lie.just let her enjoy her life here less stress the better.keep ones head down.and carry on as usual.

 

[true blue]

And as a rider I think it would be a good idea not to puplices about people's situation especially on the Internet.and tv in peticular.

[roo860]

Sorry, I didn't know I needed to be a poster of the year to post here.
 
Her nationality is not your concern and doesn't matter.
She is very healthy and can travel.
Her passport is valid but she doesn't want to go anywhere. Al three of her husbands have died and she has no relatives left abroad.
 
There's a few friends give her an amount of cash every month. Frankly, you should learn from us and look after your friends. this includes finding out how she could be saved from possible jail or deportation.
 
She;s an old friend of 20 years and has lived here for over 40 years.
 
Thanks to all the positive replies.

Well said mate!!!!!!

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[lostinisaan]

3 hours ago, TheLairdofCockPen said:

Sorry, I didn't know I needed to be a poster of the year to post here.

 

Her nationality is not your concern and doesn't matter.

She is very healthy and can travel.

Her passport is valid but she doesn't want to go anywhere. Al three of her husbands have died and she has no relatives left abroad.

 

There's a few friends give her an amount of cash every month. Frankly, you should learn from us and look after your friends. this includes finding out how she could be saved from possible jail or deportation.

 

She;s an old friend of 20 years and has lived here for over 40 years.

 

Thanks to all the positive replies.

 

 

     A good one and I fully agree.

 

I do some voluntary work for an organization that helps certain nationals in emergency situations but I haven't seen anything that she needs a babysitter. 

 

 Reading the OP, I don't want to know her nationality. That would only be of interest if she'd need immediate help. 

 

    Can you imagine- if American- she might be sent to a "concentration camp" in the States by the helpful poster? 

 

    Or they might convict her to become a Mormon or similar? Let it be.....

 

"Take your time for your friends before time's taking them away from you." 

 

    

[humqdpf]

23 hours ago, darrendsd said:

 

Losing her Passport would only create more difficulty's and expense and more time in IDC if she were to get caught

I am not suggesting that anyone do anything illegal in the land of smiles but . . . it could be possible that an old lady of her advanced age could suffer from dementia or forgetfulness of old age, not remember where her passport is, everyone in the area knows her as Nana (or whatever) but no one knows her home country or last name, she cannot put her hand on her passport just this minute as she is a bit confused (but it has not been lost or stolen), she has no extra money but enough to get by and everyone in the area including the local cop loves her . . . A few more stories about how much she has respected Buddhism and the Thai culture etc. It would be a hard nut in the police/immigration who would try to take her case on . . .  Just saying . . . 

[BWPattaya]

It is a shame that you can't identify her on here but I for one would like to offer her some assistance. Some food and sympathetic companionship in her old age perhaps.

[sandgroper2]

23 hours ago, darrendsd said:

The Legal solution would be to surrender herself at the Airport (not at a Immigration office as this would lead her to being locked in a cell) pay the overstay fine and accept the overstay ban that would come her way, probably 5-10 years

 

If she has no desire to return home for good or return after her ban her only other option is to do nothing, hope for the best and hope that she is never caught

 

Sounds like she is not in a good position, I wish her well

 

She has no money,  read again.

[NoshowJones]

12 hours ago, berybert said:

Has she got health insurance ?

Has anybody that age got health insurance? Only the very rich I would think, I do not know the full facts, but this being Thailand, I would think any health insurance company would keep increasing her annual payments until she could not afford it any more.

If she is from the UK, which from the OP it doesn't look like, what was the state pension for a woman thirty odd years ago?

[bermannor]

Normally, when you start early with health insurance, the company put aside some money so at old age the fee increase is minimal. May be not in Thailand. But saying, only the "very" rich can afford health insurance, is nonsense. That might be valid only when you are 70 years or older if they take you at all.

[true blue]

1 minute ago, bermannor said:

Normally, when you start early with health insurance, the company put aside some money so at old age the fee increase is minimal. May be not in Thailand. But saying, only the "very" rich can afford health insurance, is nonsense. That might be valid only when you are 70 years or older if they take you at all.

A high percentage of posters propally fall in to that category.or not far of it

[Rc2702]

If she was english she may be entitled to a pension and if she was truly in need I reckon some brits might help her out. But if she is not fretting why should the OP?