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[fauxie]

So...

Oh, it's not that bad. Really, you're treated excellently. But don't go there unless you'd enjoy the company of some big, burly sweaty criminals. Who are treated well and aren't that bad. But still, don't overstay, it's not worth it. Being treated well, that is, which they are. But don't overstay.

[Sunderland]

Hex, on 2007-08-22 14:08:30, said:

I heard of a guy that was put into IDC where he was raped and got HIV.

You heard wrong. It was a gay in the CID who was into rapping and got hit.

[ifonlyalabama]

Badbanker thank you for your really useful information. The most disconcerting part to me was that you have seen people arrive at IDC with 20,000 baht and their airplane ticket in their hand. As this is basically what I'm planning to do after now overstaying for 2 months.

I've already been to the immigration centre with a letter saying that I was hospital for 1 month of that, but they had no time for it and said to pay the fine at the airport. (Then my overstay was compounded because the next country I am going to took another 3 weeks to give me a visa (usually takes 24 hours))

I understand to keep my head low and be humble and just pay the fine. My question is am I better to do this at the immigration office in bangkok before I go, or at the airport, do you know?

Many thanks in advance, I'm really anxious about it all!!

[Strap]

Try your best to get to the AIRPORT
smile and tell them you have a small overstay at the immigration counter , they usually will just bring you over to the office and let you pay the fine and be on your way.

The worst thing you could do is go to immigration office as you would still be illegal until you depart from the airport,
I don't think they will give you a visa extension now or you would have gotten one already.

just keep your head down till you leave.

[Badbanker]

Small overstays are not an issue and can be dealt with at the airport simply!

The big issue is here is that with a BIG overstay (more than 60 days) you will need to get a clearance and a exit stamp before you leave the country. Yes this can be done at the airport and yes it can be easy most times. If you go to Suan Plu and take an immigration lawyer or an influential person with you, you are some what in control of the process and can ensure that the process turns out the way you want it to!

The Immigration Police can and do run background checks on big overstayers to see if there are any OTHER cases that pertain to you and need to be dealt with before you leave!

I suggest you get your exit stamp before you go to the airport. They will only give you an exit stamp until midnight on the same day you want to leave. So if you want to get on a plane up till midnight you could do that. Of course as long as you clear immigration before midnight of the day of the clerance you should also be OK. This is for people that have a 1 or 2 am flight.

Good luck!

Badbanker

Edited by Badbanker, 2008-05-05 07:33:22.

[ifonlyalabama]

I'm so grateful for the swift replies. Thank you so much.

I was pretty anxious as my visa expired on 5 March!! So I hopped to it and booked flights to leave today, hoping that they would equate 5 March-5 May as being roughly 60 days (and not more). I couldn't go to the immigration office because it's a public holiday.

As it turns out I have now checked in and passed through immigration. The immigration desk stamped my departure card and didn't mention going to an overstay office. Did he mistake my 5 Mar for a 5 May??

I still have my departure card and have to go through hand luggage checks etc. At what stage do they take your departure card off you?

Have I just been incredibly lucky?? Or if I don't say anything, am I running the risk of REALLY pissing them off if they notice? Or could it be logged against me for future trips to Thailand?

Please help - I don't know what to do and time's short!!

Thanks and eternal gratitude!!!!

[Crossy]

The airline staff take your departure card when you enter the gate, they are unlikely to notice (or worry about) your overstay.

I suppose that if immigration notice on a future entry there could be problems, honestly not something I've thought about. Perhaps a new passport would be a good idea.

[Krub]

I don't think it is a problem.
Maybe make sure that on a future visit you do not go over the 90 days within 180
The departure card is stamped from today's that is all the airlines staff will check.
Pray that your flight is not cancelled and you have to go through immigration again and leave tomorrow
Good luck !

Edited by Krub, 2008-05-05 17:09:19.

[jstumbo]

90 days in 6 months is only when you enter on a visa exempt entry. If you have a visa, you can come in any time.

[Badbanker]

I think ifonlyalabama has another problem! That is the immigration computer system will get you one day and then I think you will have a very high probability of going to the IDC while they sort out and investigate why you where allowed to leave and not pay the 20k to immigration. They can think in many way about what really happened!

Of course if you don't plan on coming bank to Thailand then just forget it!

BB

[ifonlyalabama]

Badbanker, on 2008-05-06 06:35:59, said:

I think ifonlyalabama has another problem! That is the immigration computer system will get you one day and then I think you will have a very high probability of going to the IDC while they sort out and investigate why you where allowed to leave and not pay the 20k to immigration. They can think in many way about what really happened!

Of course if you don't plan on coming bank to Thailand then just forget it!

BB

dam_n - that was my biggest worry.

I'm definitely going back to Thailand. Do you think there's any chance if I go to Thai embassy here (in Australia) and pay overstay fine or something, it could be okay?

I guess this is all unchartered territory...! It's good to know that your opinion is the computer system would catch it. I wondered if it would be automated or more manual entry, if you know what I mean.

Thanks everyone.

[lopburi3]

My advise is not to worry about it. Very unlikely to ever be questioned and you would not be put in jail in any case.

[inthepink]

From my personal experience the advice on this thread for anyone with a long overstay may be erroneous. I took this advice and went to Suan Phluu with a lawyer and was told to clear my overstay at the airport. They were not interested in me clearing it there at all. Luckily the lawyer was a personal friend or I would have been out of pocket as well as having wasted my time going there.

[bjhabal]

mikethevigoman, on 2007-10-14 10:36:46, said:

Jimjim, on 2007-08-22 14:16:39, said:

Hex, on 2007-08-22 14:08:30, said:

I heard of a guy that was put into IDC where he was raped and got HIV.

And I'm sure that's true, since you heard of it somewhere.

Which bar was that in ? the dogs bollocks ?

I must be very outdated man, or maybe the rules has been really changed dramatically? Although I am very straightforward in following immigration laws and staying legally in Thailand for the past few years, I have been a wild rules breaker before and I have paid the maximum fine two or three times at a land boarder and return in visa exemption less than half an hour later, not to mention the tens of time, in which I have paid less for a lesser length of over stay. The times I have paid the maximum fine, were the times that I over stayed for a longer than one year, and the only question that I answered was my father name in order to comlete the immigration form's record, followed by see you soon, don't be late!!

Life in Thailand was easier and smoother, and I think the immigration got tired of the increasing of law breaker guys these days?

[kuntakinte]

Dear everyone/anyone, but particularly badbanker as he seems to know what he's talking about...

I have overstayed on my visa by almost 2 months now. I intend to leave Thailand through a land border into Laos, I could (just about) pay the 20,000 baht fee - what are my chances of ending up in the IDC? secondly, if i did, and got deported, could I choose to fly to china rather than britain (im a UK citizen) - as thats where id planned to go next - rather than just getting sent back home? are they as strict at land borders as they are at airports?

also, and this is much more of a concern really...the ex-girlfriend of my dad (a chinese citizen), who in the last month gave birth to my half-sister, has also overstayed on her visa, by over 4 months. she intends to fly back to china in a months time - presumably she is likely to be sent to the IDC as well (she does not know this yet). Her mother (also chinese) is also in thailand at the moment (and has a valid visa) so could in theory take my baby sister to china on her own, but would, understandably, hate to leave her only daughter rotting in the IDC. is there any way of preventing her from being sent there? i wouldnt want to be sent there myself, and im hoping i wont be, but im certain id be able to deal with incarcaration a lot better than she would, especially as she has had to put up with a lot already...what are conditions like for women there?

as im sure you can understand, i really need some advice here, for myself, but more importantly for my ex-step-mother - as im very fond of her and would hate to see anything horrible happen to her

as a side note, i would just say that we were both given assurances from my dad, who insisted that overstaying on our visas is no problem at all as he has a friend in immigration...do you think "a friend in immigration" could realistically get us out of this mess? im sceptical to say the least, especially after reading this thread.

oh bugger.

yours worryingly,
kuntakinte

[thaiphoon]

kuntakinte, on 2009-10-19 18:19:55, said:

I have overstayed on my visa by almost 2 months now....

I doubt very much that "a friend in immigration" is going to help you. You are on overstay. Your best plan is to leave the country by AIR immediately. Pay the 20,000 baht fine at the airport, passport will be marked, but it does not prevent you from returning to the country or obtaining another visa. If you get stopped by the police between now and arriving at the airport you will be taken to IDC pending sentencing by a judge and deportation. You have a greater chance of being stopped on your way to a land border which is why I suggest you leave by AIR as soon as possible.

The ex-gf of your Dad is also on overstay. There may be humanitarian grounds she can stay short term on basis of recent baby and unable to travel. The birth will need registering at her embassy if not already done. The child will also need a passport to leave the country. How the process with immigration works (I guess the child will need permission to stay stamp in passport) I am not sure.

Edited by thaiphoon, 2009-10-19 19:46:09.

[lapamita]

dont cross landboarder, take the airport to leave,pay 20k and be friendly,tell them a firendly story and i think thats it.
landboarders are a little more difficult,,and officerss more c........ and as well sometime controlls on checkpoints near boarder

[kuntakinte]

first..thanks to those who have already replied (I only wrote that a few hours ago!)

i forgot to mention...Im actually 19 - and as far as i know, the legal age of maturity in thailand is 20 - making me legally a child. are the rules the same for minors? if i get sent to the IDC, do they have a child section? are they as strict?

thanks again

[RubbaJohnny]

kuntakinte, on 2009-10-19 22:55:57, said:

first..thanks to those who have already replied (I only wrote that a few hours ago!)

i forgot to mention...Im actually 19 - and as far as i know, the legal age of maturity in thailand is 20 - making me legally a child. are the rules the same for minors? if i get sent to the IDC, do they have a child section? are they as strict?

thanks again

NB its only 20 if still unmarried
I advise see an immigration lawyer as 3 lives involved

[kuntakinte]

RubbaJohnny, on 2009-10-20 14:22:03, said:

kuntakinte, on 2009-10-19 22:55:57, said:

first..thanks to those who have already replied (I only wrote that a few hours ago!)

i forgot to mention...Im actually 19 - and as far as i know, the legal age of maturity in thailand is 20 - making me legally a child. are the rules the same for minors? if i get sent to the IDC, do they have a child section? are they as strict?

thanks again

NB its only 20 if still unmarried

yeah, i am unmarried (im stupid enough to overstay on my visa, but not stupid enough to get married at 19!!) - another consideration is as im half thai - is im eligible for a thai passport - if i can get one, presumably i can just leave on that?

[Lite Beer]

kuntakinte, on 2009-10-20 23:24:20, said:

yeah, i am unmarried (im stupid enough to overstay on my visa, but not stupid enough to get married at 19!!) - another consideration is as im half thai - is im eligible for a thai passport - if i can get one, presumably i can just leave on that?

It would help if you would submit all the facts at the beginning , instead of adding new items every day.
If you are Thai you should get a Thai Passport and have no need for Visas.

[visarunner]

Lite Beer, on 2009-10-21 09:33:17, said:

kuntakinte, on 2009-10-20 23:24:20, said:

yeah, i am unmarried (im stupid enough to overstay on my visa, but not stupid enough to get married at 19!!) - another consideration is as im half thai - is im eligible for a thai passport - if i can get one, presumably i can just leave on that?

It would help if you would submit all the facts at the beginning , instead of adding new items every day.
If you are Thai you should get a Thai Passport and have no need for Visas.

Get your Thai Passport .
Leave the country by Air with your current Passport , pay the Overstay at the Airport ,fly to a destination which is Visafree for Thai , enter and depart this country with your Thai Passport and return to Thailand with your Thai Passport.
For your Chinese friend it's best to return to China to apply for a new Visa .

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Leave on your Aussie passport so that you have cleared up your overstay problem. Re-enter Thailand on your Thai passport next time. End of problem.

[Mario2008]

To get a Thai passport you need a Thai birth certificate, if you don't already have one. If you where born outside Thailand, you need to get it at the Thai embassy for the country where you were born.

[buckeye]

Hi
Quick question in reading these comments, Does Immg hav no way of tracking these overstayers down? Also I now a guy who overstayed a Year paid 20000B and a 3000B fine. Came back to Thailand again on the same passport now has overstayed again 120days and really does not care. Why should they give him Free Visa to come back ??