Caution for all tourists. . .

You make a person rethink going to thailand.

All this happened because you went past the date on your visa? How many days over were you?
Do you have any history with the authorities  before this that would make them target you or do they do this on everyone?
Thanks

Come on mate.

You stay illegal in Thailand and want  Thailand to be nice to you ?
You make it sound like it is Thailand fault that YOU don´t have the Visa / Extension to be here.
Everyone fault you Don´t have the money to pay for you own mistakes. Overstay and plane ticket.

Only one person to blame here, and that the person thinking they can stay in Thailand without proper Visa / Extension.
It is good that Thailand finally start doing something about overstay and more..

Thailand have giving a long time now, tell everyone get out of Thailand, pay you overstay, get a Visa, then come back.
Thailand be more the fair i think.

And why people think there Embassy shall help one, when one have broken the law.
Not the Embassy job to give money to pay fine and plane ticket  home.
I can not understand why people think that the Embassy job to do.


Proandgo why rethink come to Thailand ?
Are you plan to come here and stay illegal ??
If you plan to come here and stay legal, Then no problem, Don´t get scare by people not follow the Immigration law,and want "special" treatment.

I do not plan on doing anything illegal but I have accidentally missed a deadline before. I have no desire to end up in a jail because I forgot to " check in".

@Asheef

As you are a mariner I suspect you have been coming and going from Thailand for a long time now and tend to regard it as home.
However, as you have flouted the laws you should expect some sort of retribution from the Thai authorities.

Thailand has been very tolerant of over stayers for many years now and the new govt is cracking down on this.
Your Embassy is not there to get you out of prison or to pay for airfares. 

There is more to your story than you are telling us.

@Proandgo 

Do not let  this put you off Thailand. If you do the right thing you will not have any problems at all.  I have been coming and going in South East Asia for over 40 years and have yet to encounter any problems with immigration or any authorities at all.

Proandgo wrote:

I do not plan on doing anything illegal but I have accidentally missed a deadline before. I have no desire to end up in a jail because I forgot to " check in".

You would not be on "overstay" if you miss a 90 day report(for extension of stay) since you still have a valid permission to stay.

That said missing a 90 day report can attract a ฿2000.00 fine which may or may not be applied-depends on the officer/immigration office.

It really is quite simple to "diary" your 90 day report days- since you have a slip in your passport telling you the next report date.

@Proandgo...Sir! I am still staying in Pattaya in khao Talo (Soy 89) with work permit. As a mariner (Ship Mechanic) I got 1 years of work permit, which is still Valid. The Story I told you about BKK IDC and Banglamung Prison, I heard from my Filipino Friends still staying in Those Prisons. They also came here in Thailand with working visa. Police caught 4 of them. I just go to visit them in prison every week.

Also I understood that cannot renew my work permit here. Because I already renewed it Twice. So I must have to Return Back in my country before December. Wish I could get married here, with my Girlfriend. Also need to show 4,90,000 Baht in Bank Account, for marriage registration, which is not possible for me now.

I really love this country. I live in Thavee Apartment in Khao Talo. My Apartment Owner is a Thai lady. She is like my mother. We all are family members now. After leaving Thailand, I will miss my family and friends Thai a lot.

Thanks for replying my post. God bless you.

@Stumpy....Obviously you are right. I consider Thailand my home. As a mariner, I cannot still remember exactly how many times I came here with my ship. Because our ''Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC)'' allows us to go EVERYWHERE IN ASIA WITH SHIP, WITHOUT A VISA. And we are allowed to stay as long as our Ship stays in the Sea-port in Thailand.

Now my problem is, I AM NOT A SEAMAN ANYMORE. I am living in Pattaya, doing Shore-Based Jobs, NOT WITH CDC or SEAMAN BOOK, with Regular Work Permit. Which I CANNOT RENEW ANYMORE, AS PER NEW IMMIGRATION LAW. Because I already renewed it twice. Need to leave this country soon as I can.

Stumpy, you should not hate those people who overstay here and gets the lebel ''ILLEGAL''. MOST of them are Innocent, who spends too much money in their travel period and gets empty here. They are from all over the world, not Seaman like me, NORMAL TOURIST LIKE OTHERS, who come here BCAZ THEY LOVE THAILAND. Remember that.

Thanks

It should go without saying that one shouldnt test the authorities around SE Asia, whether police, immigration, etc. Its highly possible that they would use their authority to detain you for any reason at all and embassies and courts cant help. Long time ago on a 90-day visa, i left on Day 82 and was accused of overstaying. I got huffy and the immigration officer said he could detain me and, is that what i wanted, he asked? I didnt think that an an american I should have any special treatment but i know I didnt deserve this. Officers in general are underpaid and dont like foreigners. Why shouldnt he, in even plain envy, show you who really is boss? They can and will. Do the right thing at all times and keep a low profile.

@Asheef.

So if people like to stay in Thailand, you think they should be able stay here, with no Visa / Extension, simple because they like Thailand ??
And overstay is fine fine ?

So a person spend he/she money, and therefor Thailand have to say, never mind the few rules/law to stay, you are welcome to stay as long as you want, really ???   He he he

The person use he/she money is to blame here, NOT Thailand, NOT Thai Immigration, But the person being irresponsible.

Why do you think Thailand now have a Visa / Extension and overstay crack down ?

If you answer is because to many people have exploits Thailand kindness for years and years, Then you are correct.
Work here on VOA, boarder run, on Tourist Visa, and so many many on overstay, people being work here and no legal work permit.

Let change it around, do you wish every people if the world to come to your country and stay and don´t have the correct paper ?
I sure don´t  want people in My country back home, if they don´t have the correct paperwork, follow our country immigration law.


I know it cost money to stay here, and i do think the requirement are very low, and the numbers are very old for the Married / Retirement Extension 40k / 65k, 400k / 800k.

There is the Ed-Visa/Extension all so for a person to chose. and yes, it is still good.

But if one can´t meet the requirement to stay legal in Thailand, well i am sorry to say, Then Thailand is not the country to stay for that person, and that person have to look into other option.

And last, if the police catch 4 of you friends and they in jail, well, then they didn´t have the correct Visa / extension and work permit simple as that.

Where i live before here in Thailand i talk to a lot of Philippines women living here in Thailand, some on wrong Visa and working, some no Visa / Extension and working. Some on ED-Visa/Extension and working ( That all so ILLEGAL)
Not one of them have correct paper work, and if they tell the truth, they know it before arrival here as it is "the plan" from the people sell the service / work back home to them, to come here and work.

@never done that     Your post says it all.

Immigration is in Soi 5

you should put in your smart phone or computer when to report to Immigration

if you overstay then yes it is serious now

Well, sorry to say so, but it is obvious no country want 'unwanted' and 'unregistred' guests!

Not where you are coming from, but in my own country things are similar (maybe even worst for some nationality) and I do strongly support my government to do so.

Technically, a tourist is an adult person (or a minor under an adult responsability) who is coming from a foreign country, will stay a well limited and defined time in the country for and ONLY for the purpose to visit it. TEchnically, even the whores monger in Pattaya could be arrested as non genuine tourist (in thailande whoring is illegal, and that is a difference with my country, where you can ask a tourist visa with the purpose to met Bois de Boulogne prostitutes!).

I hope you enjoyed your stay in IDC, and next time you will not overcome your welcome in a foreign country.

May God bless you on your way home (قد بارك الله فيكم as they use to say in Woran, Algeria, the city where I grew up).

TRY TO NOT BEING DEPORTED. BCAZ IF YOU GET DEPORTED, NO MATTER WHAT THE REASON IS, NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO COME BACK IN THAILAND IN LIFETIME!!!

I personally consider this to be a good thing...there are so many more places which do not hassle tourist the way the Thais do...good bye...good riddance Thailand...

cvco are you sure it was a 90 day visa? Sure it wasn't a 60 day visa which you can then extend by a further 30 days at an immigration office?

IMHO:

Overstaying is wrong but being treated like an animal, not given basic human rights to proper food, clothing and housing is FAR WORSE.

There is absolutely no excuse for any country, under any conditions, for any reason, to violate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Detention for crimes, including overstay, is reasonable.

Inhumane conditions are NOT!

[moderated]

I don´t think i every get it, that people so negative about Thailand, Never understand why !!!

First if people don´t like that, they free to move away from Thailand.

Second, there are so few rules / law to apply to for us to stay here, it is so simple when compare to my country Denmark.

The Thai people in general are very open for foreign, so kind, so help full, all ways ready to assist you.
And that even on the first day they every meet you (Well talking about my self here of-cause) 

First day move into the street when rent a townhouse, got invited to join food on street, a few beers or Cola.
Every week-end i got invited over and over.
Thai want me to "love" Thailand and me to think Thailand best country after Denmark.
They come and take my on trip, show me Tourist place, show me Thai place (i love that more)
Help any way they can.
If i need something "big" from shop, they take time of work and help me. and never want any baht for the time off work.
As they say, we friends, and friends help !!!!

Sure i don´t live in a Big Tourst City, but i live in a Big city, compared to where i live back in Denmark.
I don´t spend my time hang on a bar, and learn nothing about Thailand and Thai.

I try to learn as much as i can, i try to understand why Thai think like they do, sure i never understand thai 100%, as they never understand a Danish man 100%

I am very relax about Thai people do thing other way, then i have learn.


A small tip for people, try get out of Tourist City and out of the Bar, try learning the "Thai Way".
Try seeing with Thai eyes. Try to understand people can think other thing matter more, then you learn back home.

Sure many thing is still strange, even stupid for me, But after all, i am the "guest" in Thailand, And i never expect it be Thailand and Thai that have to change there way of living / doing thing, BUT ME !!!

I might be wrong, but that how simple it is for me. And it working out Super great for me...

I love this country, the people, and the Food, he he

Soon 4 years, and the only bad things have come for Fa-Rang, yea that right...Something to think about !!!

Good post Never done that, nice to read a positive outlook. Don't understand your last sentence though.

BODARK how many days have you spent in Pattaya and how long ago?

Thanks Lancashire Lad

Is it the word Fa-Rang you don´t understand ??

Fa-Rang is a word use in Thailand for a foreigner with white skin.
It is not a negative word at all.
But a easy word to say "white foreigner"

Sorry for that, it is normal word here for us.

Yes I'm familiar with "farang" the slang term for a white foreigner. Originally it applied to the French, but has evolved over time to cover all white westerners. I agree its not really a derogatory term, but you're unlikely to hear a polite middle/upper class Thai use it.

number one rule is never drink with the locals
everything else is OK

Don´t see why never drink with local, never have a problem with it.

If one have problem when drinking with local, maybe it is not the local people that the problem, but the one self ??

sorry
been here 15 years and see it all the time
thais cant handle drink
the 35 baht stuff rots the brain

I learnt that lesson over 30 years ago

I am 16 days over and all I'm doing is booking a flight to Laos and paying my overstay at airport so don't no what ya on about

Please do come back here and let us know how you get on at the airport.

well good luck with that
let me know how much the fine is

The fine is 500bt a day

looks like the new rules havent come in as stated