Immigration on the Warpath Against Overstayers

[Gaybutton]

I can't imagine anyone reading this would ever be stupid enough to overstay their visa, but just in case make sure you don't, not even by one day.
Also, if you are on the retirement visa make sure you are complying with everything immigration wants, such as doing your 90-day address report before the deadline, which should be no problem since it can so easily be done online. If you use the 800,000 baht method, don't forget that piece of paper immigration gave you where you have to prove your bank account three months later. If you are hospitalized or otherwise incapacitated, make sure immigration is informed if your visa will expire while you are physically unable to leave. See that you are carrying your passport or a good photocopy of the face page and visa page.

I'm sure all of you already know all of this and don't need any advice from me, but it can't hurt to remind everyone to be certain you are in compliance.
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Thai Senior Immigration Officer Vows to Purge the Country of All Overstayers Within Three Months

By Tanakorn Panyadee

7 July, 2023

Immigration Bureau commissioner Pol. Lt. Gen. Pakphumpipat Sajjaphan held a seminar on Thursday, July 6th, to equip immigration officers with the necessary skills to effectively address the issue of overstayers.

Overstaying is when someone stays past the date of their legal visa without permission from Thai Immigration.

Within the next three months, the number of overstayers should be reduced to zero, as they are more likely to engage in criminal activities, which can adversely affect Thailand’s tourism industry, Pol. Lt. Gen. Pakphumpipat said.

He added that the immigration bureau would also develop complex investigative strategies to reach this goal of zero by focusing on dismantling networks involved in smuggling foreign individuals into the country.

Immigration officers would be deployed regularly to conduct on-site passport checks at places, especially entertainment venues nationwide, and businesses would be required to report the accommodation of foreign individuals to the officers. Thai law allows random checks of foreign nationals to ensure they are legally residing within the Kingdom. It is also the law to have legal identification on one’s person at all times.

Pol. Lt. Gen. Pakphumpipat believed that in the future, the database of the Immigration Bureau on foreign people within the Kingdom would be greatly strengthened.

This would allow immigration officers and police officers to be able to track foreign individuals whether they were lost or had committed a crime within 1-2 days, he said.

The plan will also utilize smart cars which are equipped with advanced camera face recognition technology connected to the Thai Immigration Database constantly scanning faces of pedestrians and bystanders to identify those on overstay. This technology had been utilized successfully in busy tourist areas that also had many problems with overstaying like Phuket and Pattaya.

Penalties for overstaying differ based on the period overstayed but often include deportation at the overstayers expense, fines, blacklisting, and detainment at the Immigration Detention Center in Bangkok until one is deported.

https://thepattayanews.com/2023/07/07/t ... ee-months/

[bkkguy]

The plan will also utilize smart cars which are equipped with advanced camera face recognition technology connected to the Thai Immigration Database constantly scanning faces of pedestrians and bystanders to identify those on overstay. This technology had been utilized successfully in busy tourist areas that also had many problems with overstaying like Phuket and Pattaya.

Big Brother welcomes you to Thailand

[Gaybutton]

Big Brother welcomes you to Thailand

To me it's more like Big Brother is welcoming just the right people out of Thailand. Good riddance to them. They make it more difficult for those of us who obey the rules. If that is the kind of activity Big Brother is going to engage in, then I'm happy to have Big Brother.

[gerefan]

It’s not the likes of us who are the overstayers.

They want to look at the bar workers both male and female.

Many I have spoken to openly admit they are overstayers and have been for many, many years.

[Jun]

It’s not the likes of us who are the overstayers.

I thought certain members were almost on first name terms at the Suvarnabhumi overstay payment desk

Admittedly paying for a couple of days overstay is nothing compared with certain foreign bar boys.

[Gaybutton]

the Suvarnabhumi overstay payment desk

Can people still do that without further penalties?

If the answer to that is yes, that's one thing, but I would not want to be on any kind of immigration 'shit list' at all - even something minor. So far I have never had any 'red lights' against me with immigration and I plan to keep it that way.

[Jun]

Can people still do that without further penalties?

If slightly over, I thought you just pay the 500 baht per day and that's the end of it.

I doubt immigration are going to be bothered with such people with minor overstays. The visitors still go home and Thailand has collected a nice fee as well.

Presuming that it all comes down to money, surely a bigger problem might be the overstayers who have been in Thailand for several years, without paying any fees ?

[Gaybutton]

Presuming that it all comes down to money, surely a bigger problem might be the overstayers who have been in Thailand for several years, without paying any fees ?

Definitely. When they get caught they are looking at arrest, heavy fines, deportation at their own expense, and blacklisting for 5 or 10 years or even permanently depending on circumstances. Depending on their activities within Thailand they could also be looking at prison sentences. And if they can't come up with the money to be deported, they get to stay in Bangkok's immigration hellhole prison until they can.

I believe it is permanent for those who fled to Thailand trying to avoid criminal prosecution in their home countries or committed crimes in Thailand along with overstaying. It's people like that who are in the news much more often than anyone else.

I think, but am not sure, when bar boys get caught, for them it's a slap on the wrist and immigration just sends them back to their home countries - usually Cambodia, Laos, or Myanmar. I don't think they get fined or forced to pay for deportation because immigration is well aware they don't have any money, but I'm not sure about that either.

As for the penalties for overstaying just for a day or two, I don't know if the penalties have gotten more severe than a 500 baht per day fine. I wouldn't want to be the one to find out the hard way.

Immigration doesn't play games about overstaying. In other words, don't overstay.

[Jun]

I think, but am not sure, when bar boys get caught, for them it's a slap on the wrist and immigration just sends them back to their home countries - usually Cambodia, Laos, or Myanmar. I don't think they get fined or forced to pay for deportation because immigration is well aware they don't have any money, but I'm not sure about that either.

Knowing what happens here would be far more interesting. If any other members know.

Years ago, I was speaking to one lad from Cambodia who had some kind of immigration problem. If I remember correctly, I think he entered the country legally and had a big overstay.
He didn't get caught, but was planning to exit Thailand illegally, then get a new passport in Cambodia. I think he mentioned that costs $200, without asking me for a contribution. $200 appears to be the same day fee, with $100 the standard fee.

I'm not sure how well this works, as for years, Thailand has fingerprinted people entering the country.
If the software is any good, they should be able to identify any previous offenders showing up with a new passport. However, TIT, so perhaps we should not assume good software.

[Gaybutton]

However, TIT, so perhaps we should not assume good software.

Bar boys overstaying is a different thing from farang overstaying. If a farang overstays, now he has to be on the lookout and take whatever precautions he can in hopes he won't get caught. But boys from the surrounding countries always seem to know just how they can get in and out of Thailand and avoid getting caught. Even when raids were common at the go-go bars and beer bars, if the boys got arrested it was always for failing a drug test, being in possession of illegal drugs, and being under-age. In all the years I've lived in Thailand, I don't recall a single instance when any of the boys were arrested for overstaying.

Don't forget, unless they're Thai, they're not supposed to be working in the bars at all, but I doubt anyone reading this needs me to say anything about how many non-Thai boys are working in the bars anyway.

Even when they do get caught, most of the time they're right back working again often as soon as the very next night.

I think those boys are willing to risk it because the penalties for them are not severe and they don't have much to lose in the first place. Farang, on the other hand, who get caught overstaying have a great deal to lose and they find themselves in big trouble.