Visa overruns tougher or not?
There were reports that the Thai Immigration Service was going to crack down on foreigners overstaying the visa regime. Now you can usually suffice with only paying the maximum fine of 20.000 Baht. This mainly concerns exceedances of more than six weeks (42 days).
The Chief Inspector of the Thai Immigration Service in Phuket, Chief Inspector Panuwat Ruamrak, contradicts the rumours. He emphasizes that changes in policy or regulations are always first posted on the official website of the Immigration Bureau: www.immigration.go.th.
Dutch tourists who Thailand visitors receive a visa (free of charge) for a stay of 30 days. This does not need to be requested. If you want to stay longer in Thailand, you will need to apply for a visa, which will incur costs.
The following regulation is in effect before the expiry of the period for which the visa is valid:
- Exceeding the length of stay 1 to 21 days: pay a fine 500 Baht per day at the airport / country border.
- Exceeding 22 to 41 days: pay a fine of 500 Baht per day, possibly arrest/detention, deportation, possible blacklisting.
- Exceeding 42 days or more: pay a fine up to 20.000 Baht, arrest/detention, deportation, possibly blacklisted.
More information about a visa for Thailand: www.thaiconsulate-amsterdam.org/visa_nl.asp
Because the economy is not doing so well, some visas are free, you can get 2 x 60 days for free. That visa mess isn't that handy anyway if you have to leave the country all the time. It is also for this reason that many who stay longer just pay the fine. It is not about the money, but for many it is a hassle to be constantly confronted with other customs officials. For example, in Cambodia I was attacked by begging kids and I stayed in a dark office for an hour. In Burma I was treated better, but I didn't find it really koser. Recently I was sent from counter to counter in Laos to pay everywhere. In the end I gave that guy a big tip to put those stamps on it. It was ready right away.
I too once had an overstay, 68 days (that's good for the lick now) while I had a year's visa! Oh… I thought I could stay for 365 days, but no, checkout for the boys.
Phuket Immigration: No change in visa overstay rules
PHUKET: — The Phuket Immigration chief today denied there have been any formal changes in the way Thai Immigration Police deal with foreigners who overstay their permits-to-stay or who are otherwise discovered to be residing in the Kingdom illegally.
Phuket Immigration Superintendent Panuwat Ruamrak admitted receiving “many” calls today following an online media report stating that foreigners who try to depart from Thailand at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport face arrest and detainment if their permits-to-stay have expired by 42 days or more.
The report said people who had overstayed by 21 to 42 days fall into a “gray area” and may face possible arrest and detainment at the discretion of Immigration officers at the intended point of departure.
Those who overstay by fewer than 22 days can pay the fine at the airport and depart without having to worry, according to the report originally sourced to Pattaya One.
Col Panuwat today told the Gazette, “I contacted the legal department at Immigration Bureau Headquarters on Soi Suan Plu in Bangkok, the Phuket Airport Immigration Superintendent and other authorities as well.”
“All have assured me that they are still following all the terms of the Immigration Act 1979, enacted on February 29 that year,” he said.
Under the Act, “any alien who stays in the Kingdom without permission, or with permission expired or revoked, shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding two years, or a fine not exceeding 20,000 baht, or both.”
“I am confused about how this kind of news is spread. It is possibly a misunderstanding,” he said.
Such misunderstandings may be the result of people who overstay not having enough money to pay the fine, a scenario that gives Immigration officers no choice but to arrest and detain them, he said.
Overstay fines in Thailand accrue at 500 baht per day to a maximum of 20,000 baht. As such, the policy does not encourage foreigners with long overstays to legitimize their immigration status once they have passed the 40-day threshold.
The alleged “Suvarnabhumi Crackdown” reportedly targets foreigners who take advantage of this by grossly overstaying their permits-to-stay and then turning up at the airport with 20,000 baht and an air ticket in hand, expecting to fly out of Thailand hassle-free.
Col Panuwat stressed that any new official changes in policy or regulations are posted on the Immigration Bureau's official website: http://www.immigration.go.th.
He encourages tourists with questions to download a copy of the Immigration Act, which is also available online there.
The Phuket Gazette notes that Immigration officers at checkpoints have always had complete discretion on what punitive measures to take with overstays, as specified above.
They can also deny entry to anyone arriving at a border checkpoint for any reason, even if the person arriving is in possession of a valid visa.
This being the case, all foreigners are strongly advised to never stay in Thailand past the date specified in their permit-to-stay and to make sure they comply with all other provisions of Thai Immigration Law.
—Phuket Gazette 2010-09-24
Interesting. I will leave on October 28 and arrive in BKK on October 29 in the afternoon. Because my return flight from EVA Air was canceled on Thursday, November 25, I have been rebooked to the flight on Saturday, November 27, so I will stay in Thailand for exactly 30 days. Do you think anyone will really give a shit about that?
No, you can stay for 30 days on a tourist visa. This is especially true for long overruns. These are people who are illegally staying in Thailand.
From what I understand it's all a storm in a teacup.
Been formally in Thailand for 31 days many times. Because I had the night flight back at ± 3:30 and passed customs after midnight, there were 31 days. Never had any problems.
Sometimes they laughed because I left the country a few hours late.
please use the RIGHT terms!@
so for 30 days you will NOT get a visa - it is called visa-exempt (= exception). you are then exempt from applying for a visa in advance! The official requirement is that you can show a ticket-out (does not necessarily have to be back to NL) within 30 days after arrival - the airlines are more inclined to check this if the Thai immigration (customs does not participating at all-but many people don't know the meaning of that word either).
And yes - this time blogger could have done some research, which is not difficult with the 100s of thai forums. There was already an arrangement for free tourist visas, which has been extended until March 2011. This only applies to TOURIST visas, which are valid for 60 days. 2x at once is also allowed. Postage (if the postal route is chosen) is extra and you must hand in a passport photo and a copy of the flight booking.
See, that's what observant readers are for now. Good addition or correction. The tricky thing is that the Thai contradict themselves, regarding the subject of this posting. Not always all that clear.
If married to a Thai you will NOT have 400.000 baht in the bank account recalled. necessary.At the Embassy in Bkk you get proof of income. Currently, the Required income is 40.000 baht per month.
In an overzealous mood I had obtained my income statement from the embassy 'too early' acc. an official at the Immigration Department in Chiangmai. This may not be more than 3 months old before the date of visa extension. So for me that meant paying twice at the embassy, where they said they found it strange that the 2-month term is used in Chiangmai while elsewhere it would be 3 months.
So don't apply for your income statement too hastily!
It is just as strange to receive an income statement at the end of 2010 based on your income in 2009, while the visa applies for 2011. So technically you can get an income statement for a year without income.
now chiang mai has a consulate….
does this mean that you can arrange the income statement and other fuss than at the consulate?
a new business passport, for example?
in France I could arrange all that at the consulate in Toulouse, so it seems to me to have to work here too, but France is EU and Thailand is Thailand…..
anyone have an idea? because a phone call to the embassy in BKK is barely honored in my experience.