Blacklist for Visa Overstays to Launch in March

[Hans Mann]

BANGKOK — Harsher punishments introduced last year for foreigners who overstay their visas may actually go into effect in March.

Approved by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Nov. 27., the new system of blacklisting foreign nationals who’ve overstayed their visas from re-entering the kingdom will go into effect once announced by royal decree in March, top immigration cop Lt. Gen. Nathathorn Prausoontorn said.

Under the rules first approved in August 2014, foreigners who remain in the country more than 90 days after their visa expires are to be banned for one year. Those who turn themselves in for remaining in the country more than a year after their visas expired will be banned for three years. Those who overstay more than three years or five years will be forbidden to return for five years and 10 years respectively.

If overstayers get caught by police, the punishments will be more severe.

Immigration, a matter of cyclical enforcement and periodic crackdowns, returned to urgency after the bombing of a popular tourist attraction in August killed 20 people. Most of the suspects identified in the ensuing investigation appeared to have entered the country illegally, possibly by paying cash bribes at border checkpoints.

The authority hopes that the new policy will help control illegal visitors to the country.

Over 9,000 foreign nationals reportedly were arrested for overstay in the country in October. Police have said they want to reduce illegal immigration by 80 percent.

Blacklist for Visa Overstays to Launch in March

[mykthemin]

About time?

[DrB0b]

Can we have a blacklist for people who start new threads for topics there are already several threads about?

[harrybarracuda]

Should get shot of some of the riff raff eh?

[thaimeme]

Should get shot of some of the riff raff eh?

That would be 95% of foreign residents as well.

Good riddance to the lot.
Thailand is much more healthier without such influence.

[stroller]

Most of the suspects identified in the ensuing investigation appeared to have entered the country illegally, possibly by paying cash bribes at border checkpoints.

...and that's got what exactly to do with overstaying a visa?

[Dragonfly94]

Nail the bastards up I say

[boloa]

Should get shot of some of the riff raff eh?

That would be 95% of foreign residents as well.

Good riddance to the lot.
Thailand is much more healthier without such influence.

I would say that 95% of foreign nationals that overstay or that are illegals in Thailand are either Cambodians,Laos or Burmese ...I would have thought the number of western over-stayers was quiet small in comparison !

[nigelandjan]

Cant really understand why anyone would want to overstay , I would think for the majority of people 30 days is plenty ,, and I would think the majority of the few hardcore who want to make it their home do things properly , other than that its the illegals from Burma / Lao , not to many from the west

[stroller]

I would think the majority of the few hardcore who want to make it their home do things properly

Tell us the choices for not-married under-50s then.

[bowie]

One size does not fit all. But, I assume, for the majority of falang overstayers its merely a matter of convenience. The cost of the fine is of far less consequence than the troublesome "pain-in-the-ass" inconvenience of applying for a tourist visa and doing border runs to stay legit.

Off the books teachers - something different.

Now when the blacklisting actually does start to occur, and, is advertised and becomes a certainty, well, the "pain-in-the-ass" inconvenience will seem must less of a pain-in-the-ass and "visas" will probably become the flavor-of-the-day.

As far as the teachers are concerned - perhaps the majority of the teaching jobs will be legitimized and perhaps not. Any actual teachers care to provide their opinions on what the impact will be?

[bowie]

Tell us the choices for not-married under-50s then.

Can't you see the birth of the new "rent-a-wife" cottage industry - I'm sure the plans are already being drawn up.

[toddaniels]

I would think the majority of the few hardcore who want to make it their home do things properly

Tell us the choices for not-married under-50s then.

Hmm, stroller.. IF you're under 50, NOT married to a thai national, NOT supporting kids in Thailand and NOT working legally here, your choices are definitely limited..
At this time, you could;

• Enroll in a MOE approved language program (for any language that ain't your native tongue) and get extensions based on the number of hours you've enrolled in (although the ED visa system is now currently pretty off the rails with the crack down on spurious schools)
• Go back to whatever country issued you your passport and buy the new METV, which will give you almost 8 months in country (with border runs and a couple 30 day extensions).
• Get a real job here with a B visa and work permit
• Get one of the BIG visa businesses here to supply support documentation for you to go back to your country and pull a year long multi-entry Non-Immigrant Type-B visa based on looking at business opportunities in Thailand (that visa gives you 15 months here with border runs every 90 days)
• Get the Thai Elite Card's lowest 500K baht option (that'd give you 5 one year long visas back to back).

Umm, other than those, as I said, your options are severely limited.

[toddaniels]

Can't you see the birth of the new "rent-a-wife" cottage industry - I'm sure the plans are already being drawn up.

They already cut that "rent-a-wife" option out of the mix with the 30 day under consideration stamps for year extensions based on marriage to a thai, the photo support documentation which accompanies the application and the home visits during that 30 day under consideration to make sure the marriage is "real" and you indeed co-habituate..

[Pragmatic]

But a 'Marriage Extension' is still on the cards in Pattaya even if you aren't married.

[toddaniels]

MANY options for extensions of stay are "still on the table" or "still in the cards" (don't mix your metaphors dude) at different Immigration Offices scattered around the country. That doesn't make them legal or legit even if the stamps are real.

All it'd take is a cursory document check (especially given thai officialdom's love of paperwork) to show that the extension was garnered under false pretenses. I think we're going to see a tightening up on these "wink-n-nod, say-no-more" visas gotten under the table or via the back door here in this coming year.. Let's wait 'n see shall we?

[Pragmatic]

Even with this Under Consideration and a home visit it still isn't hitting the people who aren't legit. We now get the home visits. For the last approximate 8 years we also get a local police check and it still hasn't prevented abuse of the system. So how are things going to different 'this coming year'?

[rickschoppers]

^
They wont be IMO.

There will always be those trying to cheat the system, but maybe just in smaller numbers.

[Pragmatic]

They wont be IMO. There will always be those trying to cheat the system, but maybe just in smaller numbers.

I agree. And as long as Immigration doesn't clean up its own house life in Thailand goes on.

[bowie]

Don't really matter how many "checks and balances" are put in place. Human beings are inventive by nature and will easily (or perhaps not so easily) find a way to circumvent the obstacles.

Life is a game and there is a select group who will view the new rules as nothing more than a challenge of their skill(s).

And, being blacklisted... of what real consequence. You can always slip into Thailand unannounced (same as with any other country) and live under the radar.

Some folks just love a challenge.

[rickschoppers]

So are you one of those that like a challenge Bowie?

[bowie]

In my younger and invincible years, without cares, when only I had to pay for my discretions, perhaps...

Today, longer-in-tooth with dependents and responsibilities, no...


spectator...

[toddaniels]

You are all correct to one extent or another.. I believe there will be an house cleaning or at least a pretty harsh shake up this next year. Time will tell, we will see..

People who are illegal or get those "wink-n-nod, say-no-more" under the table or back door extensions are still gonna find a work around albeit at a higher price than the going rates for them currently.

Humans are inventive by nature
BUT
So far not one person that I can find has been able to pull a METV from a thai embassy in a neighboring country.. Now an intelligent person might have thunk that the visa run gods who control most of that business woulda found a "work around" by now, but it appears to not be the case. I can't even find a post anywhere of anyone getting an honest to goodness METV even in their country.. Or if they did, they ain't posting about it on the inter-web.

You can only live under the radar in today's day and age for so long, borders are tightening up, people talk, loose lips sink ships.. All it takes is getting one person (the wrong person) mad, they'll rat you out and the jig would be up..

While it appears from everything I have read that Prayuth did indeed sign the proposal on the overstay penalties on the 27 of Nov or so, it has yet to be even slated to be published in the Royal Gazette, so that's why they are saying March or April.

I too don't have a dog in this fight. I am also a spectator, albeit an interested one..

In completely un-related news. I was at Chaengwattana at 8:00AM and there were already 150+ people in the queue outside the doors to Immigration's. The guy I was with pulled number 40 for a yearly extension, then after that, he was number 240 for a re-entry permit.. Took a full 7 hours out there to get thru it.

[rickschoppers]

So I guess I will continue obtaining my one year multiple entry based on marriage from LA. It has been easy up till now and I hope nothing changes there.

[Pragmatic]

Until the shit is sorted out at Kap Cheong I will revert back to a 'Marriage Extension' as there's now no difference with getting a 'Retirement Extension'. Except I only show 400,000.