#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Thai Visas and Visa Runs >  >  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

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## mykthemin

About time?

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## DrB0b

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

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## harrybarracuda

Should get shot of some of the riff raff eh?

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## 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.

 :Smile:

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## 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?

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## Dragonfly94

Nail the bastards up I say

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## boloa

> Originally Posted by harrybarracuda
> 
> 
> 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 !

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## 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

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## 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.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## 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?

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## bowie

:Wink: 


> 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.  :Wink:

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## 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 permitGet 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.

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## 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..

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## Pragmatic

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

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## 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?

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## 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'?

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## rickschoppers

^
They wont be IMO. 

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

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## 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.

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## 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.  :bananaman:

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## rickschoppers

So are you one of those that like a challenge Bowie? :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## 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...    ::chitown::

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## 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.

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## 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.

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## 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.

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## jphripjah

This will mean more dodgy expats forced to move to Cambodia.

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## toddaniels

> This will mean more dodgy expats forced to move to Cambodia.


Yeah, because all the foreigners in Thailand with Thai wives, kids and businesses wanna move to a far more fucked up country than this one. 

Just a quick question there "jphripjah" <-which BTW is a great user name (did you get that off a random key generator or what?), are you on medication for ANYTHING?
OR
Are you an idiot savant, without the savant part?? 

Keep up the great posts!

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## Gazza

> Just a quick question there "jphripjah" <-which BTW is a great user name (did you get that off a random key generator or what?), are you on medication for ANYTHING? OR Are you an idiot savant, without the savant part??





> 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..


Says the idiot who not only uses his real name but pisses people off while working under the radar himself and, under the very noses of the immi-fuckin-gration of all people.

Deep down, you really do want to get caught don't you, Tod? Do the right thing and turn yourself in.

 :Smile:

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## nigelandjan

There is a geezer lives near to mein the UK  ( I do not know him ) but know someone who does .

He has not worked in the UK for years and years , drawn the dole , on top of this he works 6 months a year every year in his mates bar in Pattaya , this has been going on for years .

I have no idea about how he does it or what visas etc he uses and how the fuk he explains to the UK where he is for 6 months of the year .

People like this piss me off no end and if stepping up the regime to weed idiots like him out , so much the better , because these twatts are making it bad for the genuine ones who do want to do things correct to stay

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## Pragmatic

^ I think I met the guy. :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):  To cut it short, 10 years ago I got into talking with a guy on a Songtaew in Pattaya. I told him I'd moved out here permanently due to early retirement through ill health. He asked me if I claimed sickness benefits. I said no as I'd reported my move to all government departments.
He told me I was a fool and I should have waited until I was on long term sick whereby you only had to report every 6 month. He then went on to brag that he did 6 months in Pattaya, flies back and signs on, then straight back out here.
Hopefully that scam has been plugged?

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## toddaniels

I don't know where you get off calling me: 


> the idiot who not only uses his real name but pisses people off while working under the radar himself and, under the very noses of the immi-fuckin-gration of all people.


About the only thing you got right was I use my name. I don't routinely piss people off, although I won't take shit off them either.I follow the rules and try to make the officers do it too.I don't "work under the radar".The people at Thai Immigration's out at Chaengwattana have seen me hundreds of times out there. Certainly IF they thought I was working, one of them woulda called me on it by now. It's not like I'm tryin' to fly under the radar, wearing a KISS t-shirt, ball cap, Levis and walking with a big cane. Even though I have found 'hiding in plain sight' is the best place to hide..

In completely unrelated news;
I need to revise my earlier comment (from some thread about the METV).. 
I did see in the thread on T/V about the METV that people are getting them in their own country..  So far no reports from any gotten in S/E Asia, but I know an American who holds P/R status in Hong Kong.. He's gonna try to get one there next  week.

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## Phuketrichard

why would an American living in HK want/desire one?
I assume he is working so sure cant get more than 2-4 weeks off at a time
he can fly in an get 30 days and extend that 30 days more
much easier/cheaper than getting a metv

It does seem to be workig in ones home country whic is what it was designed for

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## Seekingasylum

> There is a geezer lives near to mein the UK  ( I do not know him ) but know someone who does .
> 
> He has not worked in the UK for years and years , drawn the dole , on top of this he works 6 months a year every year in his mates bar in Pattaya , this has been going on for years .
> 
> I have no idea about how he does it or what visas etc he uses and how the fuk he explains to the UK where he is for 6 months of the year .
> 
> People like this piss me off no end and if stepping up the regime to weed idiots like him out , so much the better , because these twatts are making it bad for the genuine ones who do want to do things correct to stay


Under the current rules, somewhat tightened up now and which has seen the numbers of British untermensch stealing from the taxpayer cut down significantly,  a benefit recipient who has been absent from the UK for more than four weeks and fails to qualify for continued support under certain specific conditions will lose his entitlement.

Dob him in to the DWP. Simple really.

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## taxexile

as a taxpayer it is your civic duty nigel.

you can do it here, phone or online.


https://secure.dwp.gov.uk/benefitfraud/

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## toddaniels

Oh, that American who has P/R in Hong Kong has a job which gives him the freedom to travel and waste time in Thailand to his hearts content.. He used to be on double/triple entry tourist visas, but is gonna get the METV and try it out.

As an aside, I ran into a couple of guys who work offshore but come here regularly on 30 day visa exempt stamps. They were both grilled comin' into Suvarnabhumi about the number of visa exempt stamps they had in their passports, even though none of those stamps were back to back. It was strongly suggested to them they get a 'visa', but they were let in no problems.

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## stroller

Weeding out the undesirables and dodgy expats - sure.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):  

There's an amazing amount of idiotic comments here...

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## stroller

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


Of course, specially when real options are severely limited.

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## toddaniels

I don't believe "real options are severely limited", I believe instead thailand is tryin' to stop foreigners from living here on back-2-back tourist visas and/or visa exempt stamps.

From reading the forums it'd seem that most "under 50", "not married to a thai", "not raising kids" and "not working" here foreigners don't seem to be in the cash-poor, unwashed masses living in a hostel on KhaoSan road. In fact, if the inter-web is to be believed, they all say, they've got plenty of money to live here.

Yet, it would appear that none of them seem to be ponying up the 500K baht for the entry level 5 year Thai Elite Visa. Doin' the math it works out to about 275baht ($7.60US) a day over the 5 years for the 500K baht ($13,888US) program. 

Governments have came and gone yet the Thai Elite Visa program is still here. Until the 'powers-that-be' come up with an alternate visa program which addresses the 'digital nomad' demographic, it is clearly the easiest, fastest, most reliable and trouble free way to stay long term, IF you can't get visas or extensions by any other means. 

I think it comes down to how much do you really wanna live here?

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## rickschoppers

Todd, I think most people that are still working do not want to commit to a 5 year 'Elite' visa. You would lose flexibility of staying in other countries during down time. It would make sense if Thailand is the only country they want to chill in, but I don't really think that is the case.

When will the government realize that by making things difficult for visitors to spend more than 3 or 6 months here, it only hurts their delicate economy? By giving off shore workers a hard time coming in, it may just make them think about spending their cash somewhere else. Why not make it easier and more inviting like the TV commercials?

Also, when will the government learn that all their statistics about how much foreign money is actually spent in Thailand is pure BS. In my case alone, millions of baht have passed from my hands to my wife's. On the books, it appears she is supporting the economy while, in fact, I am. There are thousands, maybe millions, like me that give cash to a Thai national for land, vehicles or other big ticket items and it always appears they are making the purchase. This cash cow has now been damaged by tightening visa requirements or giving visitors a hard time at the border. Does that really help or hinder the Thai economy?

Thailand should be seriously thinking about making visitation or long stays easier, not more difficult through increased requirements or harassment.

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## Phuketrichard

even if i was a filthy rich I  would never waste 500,000 baht for  a visa for thailand.
fuck u could set up a legit corporation, pay tax's and get a non B visa for less

limiting those wishing to stay more than 6 months does fuck all ,as there so very very few compared to the 26 million " real " tourists.

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## toddaniels

I agree with what you're saying rick, but I think you totally over-estimate the contributions you and other foreigners with thai significant others and families here make in the grand scheme of things "according to the thais" <- the operative phrase in that sentence.

As they see it tourism is the grease for the thai economic wheel. Tourists by their very definition, come here, "tour" (aka; spend money) and then leave.. It is not foreigners married to thais funneling money thru the accounts of their thai in-laws and out-laws (no matter how significant those contributions are). It's also not people living here by bouncing to Vientiane/Savannakhet for tourist visas or back-2-back visa exempt stamps. 

Year long extensions of stay for foreigners over 50, married to a thai, raising kids, or legally working here aren't fraught with peril or all that hard to pull off (although the hoops Phuketrichard's significant other had to jump thru to garner her Non-B visa was a total crock 'o shit).

I do believe the powers-that-be need to come up with a way for people who currently 'fall thru the cracks' to stay here IF they have the financial means to do so. 

Now whether that's by this new METV (which more and more reports are sayin' ain't all that hard to secure despite the scary requirements in the application), or maybe by making a special class of visa extension where the financials are much higher or some other permutation, I dunno.  

It is also NOT that hard for the average foreigner to waltz into any one of the big business/visa/law companies here and secure paperwork whereby that company sponsors said foreigner for a year long multi-entry Non-Immigrant Type-B visa. Although in the same breath, those visas can't be had at any Thai Embassy I know of in S/E Asia, but they can be had in the EU, Oz, or the US pretty easily.

Until such a time that the country starts getting "hurt financially" by their erratic visa process, I doubt they'll do any thing to change it.

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## stroller

> ...
> 
> Yet, it would appear that none of them seem to be ponying up the 500K baht for the entry level 5 year Thai Elite Visa. Doin' the math it works out to about 275baht ($7.60US) a day over the 5 years for the 500K baht ($13,888US) program. 
> 
> Governments have came and gone yet the Thai Elite Visa program is still here. Until the 'powers-that-be' come up with an alternate visa program which addresses the 'digital nomad' demographic, it is clearly the easiest, fastest, most reliable and trouble free way to stay long term, IF you can't get visas or extensions by any other means. 
> 
> I think it comes down to how much do you really wanna live here?


Or how willing one is to waste 500k to support some odd scheme. 
I'd guess folks rather do visaruns combined with a bit of exploring while it's still possible.

Also, I didn't know the much ridiculed Elite card is still available. Sent an inquiry a few years ago and never received an answer... didn't appear like a sound company.

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## jamescollister

> Also, I didn't know the much ridiculed Elite card is still available. Sent an inquiry a few years ago and never received an answer... didn't appear like a sound company.


Still going, get FB ads for it, except for a few perks, limo service etc, doesn't really offer much.

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## Hans Mann

_The Immigration Bureau shows about 100 foreigners rounded up for overstaying visas in a news conference in Bangkok on Monday. (Photo by Wichan Charoenkiatpakul)_

Immigration police rounded up more then 100 foreigners who overstayed their visas, including an American Muay Thai fighter who once went toe-to-toe with Thai boxing legend Buakaw Banchamek.

Immigration police commander Nathathorn Prausoontorn told a news conference on Monday that the Immigration Bureau recently arrested 50 Pakistanis, 15 Indians, eight Somalis, three each from Guinea, Nigeria and Vietnam; two each from Mali and Liberia, one from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and 22 from other countries.

The American captured was apprehended by immigration police in Chon Buri province: Malik Naeem Watson-Smith, 23, who once was an opponent of Buakaw's in well-promoted Muay Thai bouts.

The boxer, also known as Malik "Perfect Boy" Watson,  was charged with overstaying his visa for 691 days.

He previously was charged with assault and, on May 19, 2010, the Bangkok South Municipal Court released him temporarily, but prevented him from leaving the country.

He did not attend Monday's news conference.

Another notable arrest was that of 37-year-old Russian fugitive Evgeniy Gubarev. He is wanted by Russian police and Interpol for a large-scale fraud and money laundering and had overstayed his visa while hiding out in Thailand.

Pol Lt Gen Nathathorn said immigration police intended to round up more than 20% of foreigners who overstayed their visas in Thailand.

Next March the government will impose new immigration regulations that impose lengthy entry bans on overstaying foreigners. Immigration police said Monday that most of those who exceed their legal time in the kingdom are running from legal problems at home.

US boxer among about 100 foreigners nabbed for visa overstay | Bangkok Post: news

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## toddaniels

"Serve with Standard, Safeguard with Integrity" <-words to live by..

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## rickschoppers

Arrested 100 out of how many in Thailand? The American probably thought when he was told to not leave the country, that meant forever. :smiley laughing:

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## boloa

> Arrested 100 out of how many in Thailand? The American probably thought when he was told to not leave the country, that meant forever.



In the UK they say there is about 1 million, which works out at about 1 in 63 shouldn't be there !!!......Beat that Thailand   :St George:

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## rickschoppers

This article suggests 2 million illegal immigrants in Thailand, but I bet it is more than that.

A deadly cocktail | The Economist

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## boloa

> This article suggests 2 million illegal immigrants in Thailand, but I bet it is more than that.
> 
> A deadly cocktail | The Economist


as I have said before on this thread 




> 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 !



your link seems to prove this  :Smile:

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## Hans Mann

Foreigners targeted as police raid Pattaya nightclubs...

Foreigners targeted as police raid Pattaya nightclubs | Bangkok Post: news

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## jamescollister

> Originally Posted by rickschoppers
> 
> 
> This article suggests 2 million illegal immigrants in Thailand, but I bet it is more than that.
> 
> A deadly cocktail | The Economist
> 
> 
> as I have said before on this thread 
> ...


Cheaper for illegal workers then legal, no need to pay tax or health insurance, no paper work needed.

Know Thais in the south who use Burmese rubber tappers, they pay immigration 500 Bt a month per tapper to look the other way.

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## ChiangMai noon

Overstayers nabbed: Immigration cops arrest 108 offenders

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## boloa

> Know Thais in the south who use Burmese rubber tappers, they pay immigration 500 Bt a month per tapper to look the other way.






> Overstayers nabbed: Immigration cops arrest 108 offenders


The link of ChiangMai noon's and others in English Papers like The Bangkok Post about western over-stayers are  just nonsense in comparison to the Illegal's in Thailand. If they were to chuck out all over-stayer then a lot of Thai Industry would come to a stand still. I can't see many of the village layabouts wanting to peal prawns/tap rubber or work in construction, working up to ten hours a day, seven days a week for minimum wages like the Burmese do !! Round up a few 1000 African/Indians and Westerners is just an ruse to make it look like the Police/Immigration are doing something about it !!!

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## Stinky

> finding many tourists not carrying their passports as legally required. Anyone unable to produce their immigration paperwork was taken to Pattaya police station for questioning.


I don't know anyone who habitually carries their passport, it's just too valuable to risk loosing it in a short time room

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## rickschoppers

^^
Boloa, you pretty much nailed it. Just a token roundup to cover the truth which is SOP and peanuts in the grander scheme of things. Why do you think the ex-chief of human trafficking is running for his life?

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## rickschoppers

> finding many tourists not carrying their passports as legally required. Anyone unable to produce their immigration paperwork was taken to Pattaya police station for questioning.
> 			
> 		
> 
> I don't know anyone who habitually carries their passport, it's just too valuable to risk loosing it in a short time room


As has been mentioned before, copies will suffice or just being able to present the passport in a reasonable amount of time will meet the requirement.

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## Hans Mann

The Immigration Police Bureau yesterday announced cases of foreigners caught for overstaying their visas and committing crimes.

So far, 108 foreigners have been rounded up for overstay after authorities decided to conduct regular checks on foreign visitors from 19 to 25 of every month. Those caught so far are eight Somalis, three from Papua New Guinea, three Nigerians, a Mali national, a Liberian, 50 Pakistanis, 15 Indians, a Sri Lankan, a Bangladeshi, three Vietnamese and 22 other nationals.

Immigration Bureau chief Pol Lt-General Natthorn Praosunthorn said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had issued an order banning those who overstay for more than a year from entering the country for three years. If they overstay their visa for three years, they will be banned for five years, while a five-year overstay carries a ban of 10 years.


The order, announced in the Royal Gazette, will go into effect in March.

Visitors whose visas have expired are encouraged to turn themselves in or they will face heavy penalties when caught. Natthorn said the crackdown was part of a move to boost security in the country as many foreigners who overstay their visas are involved in crimes.

Separately, a French man was arrested and charged with attempted murder, detention and robbery, police said yesterday. Kraiba Safy, 26, was arrested on December 11 in Bangkok's Bang Rak district. It has been alleged that Safy and two other men had been trafficking drugs in France, and had fled to Spain and Thailand after getting into conflicts. French police nabbed two suspects in Rayong, who then implicated Safy as being the mastermind.

In a second case, American boxer Malik Naeem Watson-Smith, 23, who once fought Thai boxer "Bua Kao", was caught on December 14 in Chon Buri for overstaying his visa. He had earlier been charged with assault and was granted bail on May 19, 2010, under condition that he could not leave the country without court permission.

Eveniy Gubarev, 37, a Russian national, was arrested on December 17 for overstaying, and is also wanted on charges of fraud and laundering money.

An unnamed 47-year-old Belgian was arrested on December 20 for overstaying by 305 days. He arrived on January 20 and was allowed to stay until February 18.

Thailand police nab 110 foreigners in overstay, criminal cases, AsiaOne Asia News

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## toddaniels

I have been to the Royal Gazette website and checked but it appears the order has yet to be announced.. 
Once it is I believe it's 90 days after that when it becomes a "real law".. 
I'll keep lookin' for it though..

That old wive's tale of "foreigners must carry their passport all the time" has been repeated so many times people believe it's a law. IT IS NOT..

As rick said, copies usually suffice but being able to produce it in a reasonable amount of time also works. 

Even Thonglor Police District put out a flyer a while back which said foreigners weren't required to carry their passports, just copies of the picture bio page, current entry stamp and current permission to stay until stamp.

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## bobo746

Who gets asked to produce their passport.
Never been asked once.
Maybe if i was a Nigerian drug dealer ??

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## toddaniels

FWIW: I still have been unable to find the overstay rules published in the Royal Gazette. 

Even though Prayuth signed them already, until they don't take effect until 60 days AFTER they're published. 

I have googled every permutation of the title of the act in thai and just can't find it.

This leads me to believe that it has YET to be published and that's the reason they're saying end of March or early April.

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## mykthemin

sooner the better.

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## navynine

I believe they should ban the over stay folks for a bit and then give a look at rewards for the by the book folks such as increasing the 90day reports too 1yr

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## toddaniels

> sooner the better.


So you say until you "come off the rails". You'll be singing a different tune about then, believe me! :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): 

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for "getting legal", just that this seems like a typical thai knee-jerk reaction to a problem that's gone on for eons.

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## Pragmatic

> I believe they should ban the over stay folks for a bit and then give a look at rewards for the by the book folks such as increasing the 90day reports too 1yr


 They should set up a hotline that allows reporting of wrong doers. I'm totally fed up with the shit KCI dish out to legals when it's the illegals that are causing the problems here. Let's get rid of the dross.

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## mykthemin

> Originally Posted by mykthemin
> 
> 
> sooner the better.
> 
> 
> So you say until you "come off the rails". You'll be singing a different tune about then, believe me!
> 
> Don't get me wrong, I'm all for "getting legal", just that this seems like a typical thai knee-jerk reaction to a problem that's gone on for eons.


No do not agree they are criminals illegal immigrants and should go home now, I am fed up with all the do gooder bull shit.

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## toddaniels

Well it would appear mykthemin your wish has been granted.

The overstay rules will evidently come into effect March 20, 2016

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## mykthemin

Excellent news!!!!!!

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## bobo746

^ I don't see how people overstaying their visas affects anyone but themselves.
I have a life i don't need to give it any thought.

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## OhOh

I visited Europe for Chritsmas and had a very trouble free journey.

Until I arrived at swampy. It appears that a late afternoon arrival is not the best of times.

After queuing for a while I approached the immigration officer and handed him my passport and entry card. After a minute or two of him perusing a number of pages, he proudly held my passport over his head and announced to all within 20 metres, "Your visa is invalid". I quietly walked to his side and asked for my passport. I then showed him my 12 months extension of stay stamp and my re-entry stamp.

That the facts didn't make his day was apparent, but I just walked back to the front of the booth and waited keeping a straight face. After a few moments of glaring and loud stamping he reluctantly handed me my passport back with the correct date stamped.

A sweet ending to a long journey.



I quietly walked away without laughing in his face.

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## toddaniels

^Which is why I always tell people to put their arrival/departure card between the pages of your passport which has either you extension of stay/re-entry permit OR a valid visa. 

I know someone who used those little metal clips to hold the pages of his passport together so at first his extension/re-entry stamp page was the ONLY page the officer can see.. Then if the officer  wanted to peruse other pages he had to take the clips off!

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## Seekingasylum

Indeed Tod but even then one can never underestimate just how inept they can be. On one occasion at Swampy I presented the passport with the L/C inserted at the extension page but that didn't stop the bimbette from flicking through the document, backward and forward, for several minutes or see it seemed, before she finally looked up to tell me " You no hab entry visa". I assumed my usual avuncular manner when dealing with slightly retarded infants and lent over the desk to point at said stamp which had been entered below my retirement extension endorsement. I smiled and without a single identifiable human response she then proceeded to stamp me in. 

They really are a different species. Anyone else would have have made light of it and said something, anything, maybe a deprecatory grin, a laugh even, but no, not her, a totally expressionless blob of lard poured into a uniform.

Fucking spastics, really.

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## rickschoppers

^
But any response would have been an admission of them being wrong. That would NEVER happen.

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## toddaniels

I'm still hearing people tell me they think this blacklisting/banning for overstays is not gonna happen. Despite the fact it's been published in the Royal Gazette and Thai Immigration in Bangkok compelling every private thai language school in the city to go to a meeting last week which went over the overstay rules. 

Now you can't even get to the main Thai Immigration in Bangkok's homepage (well at least one of them) without first seeing this warning;


Note the catchy phrase: "Good guys in, Bad guys out"

This is purely conjecture on my part (so take it with a grain of salt), but I have a sinking suspicion that they're gonna do a BIG SWEEP of touristy areas right after this takes effect and make examples of the people they catch out on overstay.

I'd say, IF you're on overstay, get it sorted BEFORE the 20th of March.

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## Pragmatic

> "Good guys in, Bad guys out"


A little hypocritical on their part.

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## mykthemin

Good at last sweep out the dross.

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## toddaniels

Boy I'll give you one thing "mykthemin" you sure stick to your "party line" about overstay.

As I said, only time will tell if that shoe or (now that you've gone completely native) that cheap 60 baht flip-flop is ever on your own foot.  :Smile:

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## billy the kid

> Some folks just love a challenge.





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





> no...


Shootin the shit.

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## mykthemin

> Boy I'll give you one thing "mykthemin" you sure stick to your "party line" about overstay.
> 
> As I said, only time will tell if that shoe or (now that you've gone completely native) that cheap 60 baht flip-flop is ever on your own foot.


I hate flip flops and I have a plan B if it ever goes tits up, not like most of these losers :smiley laughing: ?

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## barrylad66

> Originally Posted by toddaniels
> 
> "Good guys in, Bad guys out"
> 
> 
> A little hypocritical on their part.


Yep, the irony is strong in that..

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## Hans Mann

*Overstaying foreigners will face ban from re-entering Thailand*

Starting March 20, foreigners who overstay in Thailand for more than 90 days will be banned from re-entering the country as part of the immigration bureau’s new measure to tighten up security against ill-intent elements.

Under the new measure, foreigners overstaying in Thailand who willingly surrender to the authorities will be treated differently from those who are arrested and prosecuted in the way that the period of banning from re-entering will be different.

In case of voluntary surrender, those who overstay for more than 90 days will be banned from re-entering for one year; overstay for more than a year, more than three years and more than five years will face a ban of three, five and ten years respectively.

In case of arrest and prosecution, foreigners who overstay less than one year will face a ban of five years and ten years for overstaying more than a year.

Hotels, apartments, hostels or house owners who rent their houses or rooms to foreigners will be asked to report the stay of foreigners to the nearest immigration offices through the internet so that officials can keep track of their stay in the kingdom.

Overstaying foreigners will face ban from re-entering Thailand - Thai PBS English News

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## toddaniels

OFF-TOPIC;
Went to Chaengwattana this morning to get a new yearly extension of stay based on being "old"..  Got there at 6:40, at 8:30 when they opened I got queue #2 and was done in just over 12 minutes.. (I timed it).. 
Unfortunately then I spent the next 2+ hours screwing around with my 90 day report and my new re-entry permit.. All in all it took 6 hours from the time I left the house until I walked back in my door. 

However, that's not why I posted this.. Here's the two new banners I saw there today

This is just a re-hash of the overstay penalties that start on the 20 of next month


This is one I hadn't seen before. 


It appears they're gonna crack down on another demographic of foreigner. Ones who 'freelance' as models here.  

Sheesh, there goes my dental clinic modeling career.. They use my teeth as an example of the "before" pictures. :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## Seekingasylum

Honestly, if one wants to understand just why Thailand is such an anachronism in a region that is fast leaving it behind, just take a look at that illegal working poster. 
Typical half-arsed, unprofessional and semi-literate crap but hey, it's our country and we don't care.

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## toddaniels

Did anyone (other than myself) notice that the guy who runs the southern division of thai immigration (Division 6) came out an announced that they're mulling over enforcing the overstay penalties against children? This despite the fact that it's written into the regulations that kids under 18 are NOT subject to these banning/blacklisting penalties?

Of course they were the ones who also came out  last year and announced that ALL foreigner must carry their passports. Something which the "powerz-that-be" in Bangkok immediately said was NOT the case at all.

Phuket officials mull including kids caught overstaying visa in blacklist ban | Coconuts Bangkok

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## rickschoppers

C'mon Tod, you know immigration just makes it up as they go along. The regs are just 'guidelines.'  :Smile:

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## toddaniels

It would seem "Fucket Officials" never did come out an clarify their statement about their mulling. 

In other news; I read the other day a foreigner who went to NongKhai (or some other equally nondescript Isaan city), checked into a hotel, only to be woken to a knock on his door in the middle of the night by not one but three immigration officers who proceeded to accuse him of being on overstay.
Turns out the hotel's "desk-cluck" had input his data incorrectly into the online immigration program hotels have to use. 

Oh, one more thing, I just had a foreigner go to the airport two nites ago with a 55+ day overstay. He paid the 20K baht fine, received the overstay stamp and was on his way.. I think he flies back today. So, the overstay rules as they are written are at least being enforced somewhere. There is NO black-listing or banning for overstays of under 90 days IF you turn yourself in, which is what I guess you're doing when you're flyin' out..

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## Scottish Gary

> ^ I think I met the guy. To cut it short, 10 years ago I got into talking with a guy on a Songtaew in Pattaya. I told him I'd moved out here permanently due to early retirement through ill health. He asked me if I claimed sickness benefits. I said no as I'd reported my move to all government departments.
> He told me I was a fool and I should have waited until I was on long term sick whereby you only had to report every 6 month. He then went on to brag that he did 6 months in Pattaya, flies back and signs on, then straight back out here.
> Hopefully that scam has been plugged?


 I used to play for a Pattaya pub in the local pool league. Four of the guys in the team were on disability benefits. All suffered from back problems.   I believe that this scam has now ended and any claimant has to see their doctor at more regular intervals.

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## birding

I have just found out a friend who was doing a masters degree which he has now completed, this was on an Ed visa, has overstayed his visa by 5 months, he has just realised this and is not sure what to do now. He is thinking of going to Malaysia either flying or by land from the south where he has been living.

A couple of questions.

Would leaving the country by either a land crossing or by air equate to turning himself in ?

Would there be a fine as well as a ban ?

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## stroller

Yes & yes.

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## CaptainNemo

gulp.

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## toddaniels

> Would leaving the country by either a land crossing or by air equate to turning himself in ? Would there be a fine as well as a ban ?


Leaving (or tryin' to leave) by land or air does count towards "turning yourself in". 

The fine caps out after 40 day at 20K baht (500baht a day), 

An overstay of more than 90 days but less than a year carries a 1 year ban/blacklist when you turn yourself in but getting caught out on it carries a 5 year ban.

My question is, seeing as he'd have had to do 90 day reporting to be here, why didn't he or the immigration officers who took his 90 day report application notice his extension ran out back in August?

In only semi-related news; a foreigner I ran into on a 96 day overstay was adamant that all he had to do was show up at the airport, pay the overstay and he wouldn't be banned/blacklisted. 
He did just that, was promptly taken downstairs into the IDC, had his overstay fine processed, had his passport stamped with a one year ban, was escorted to the gate, the immigration officers gave the passport to the airlines and he was told he could collect it when he landed in the UK.

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## birding

> Originally Posted by birding
> 
> 
> Would leaving the country by either a land crossing or by air equate to turning himself in ? Would there be a fine as well as a ban ?
> 
> 
> Leaving (or tryin' to leave) by land or air does count towards "turning yourself in". 
> 
> The fine caps out after 40 day at 20K baht (500baht a day), 
> ...


Thanks Todd I have passed that on to him.

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## Bogon

> I have just found out a friend who was doing a masters degree which he has now completed, this was on an Ed visa, has overstayed his visa by 5 months, he has just realised this and is not sure what to do now. He is thinking of going to Malaysia either flying or by land from the south where he has been living.


There are 2 scenarios here why he could be on overstay.

(1) If you friend was on an extension and he completed his studies before the extension finished, then he should have gone to immigration and cancelled it within 15 days of the end of the semester. The university should have informed him of this.

For example, if he completed his studies in August, but his extension was still good until January, you still have to cancel it (which puts him on overstay).

(2) ...or as our man Tod pointed out, did his extension run out 5 months back and is on overstay?

If the problem is option #1, then I would get the university involved and plead ignorance, visit immigration and pay the fine hoping you get a slap on the wrist from the authorities. If problem #2, then I have no idea.

This is a copy and paste of the rules concerning the completion of university studies from Ramkhamhaeng Uni Facebook page...

IIS Announcement !
  IIS-RU has an update from the Immigration Office that the  international  students who have completed all required courses would  have to cancel  the ED visa within 15 days after the last day of the  semester.
 (Last day of 2nd Semester 2015 is 29 April 2016)
 (Last day of Summer Semester 2015 is 30 June 2016)
 (Last day of 1st Semester 2016 is 30 November 2016)
 Thank you for your attention.

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## toddaniels

Foreigners enrolled at most "real universities" here get a single entry 90 day Non-Immigrant Type ED visa in country issued at the local immigration office (as opposed to private schools here which send students outta the country to get that first Non-ED visa).

When that first 90 day stamp starts to wind down uni-students take documentation to the immigration office and almost all of them get a 9 month extension of stay (which gives them a year from the date they entered) 

I have seen some occasions where the documentation from the University states when the term will end and students get extensions up until that date.

Seeing as the universities rarely (as in hardly ever) submit paperwork to the immigration office requesting ED extensions be canceled for their international students when the term ends most of them who get the 9 month extension are totally fine to just remain in thailand until it winds down.

Note that the bit from Ramkhamhaeng Uni posted by Bogon says students need to cancel their extensions NOT the uni.

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## wasabi

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


94 posts and still climbing, seems like there is a demand.

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## OhOh

> Would leaving the country by either a land crossing or by air equate to turning himself in ?


Make friends with a fishing boat captain.  :Smile: 




> he was told he could collect it when he landed in the UK.


Lat's hope he did not have to change airlines in the ME.

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## toddaniels

> Lat's hope he did not have to change airlines in the ME.


The immigration officers didn't even HAVE to let him use the flight if it wasn't a direct flight. 

About 4 or 5 years ago they deported a brit, but he had a layover in India somewhere. He got off the plane and flew right to Cambodia where AFAIK, he still resides..

That's when they went to confiscating your passport, giving it to who ever is in charge on the airline and making you take a direct flight to the country your passport is from.

I don't know whether the UK guy I referred to had a lay-over or not..

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