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15 replies to this topic
stellablue373
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Posted 2012-09-19 22:14:52
Hi I really need some advice,
Basically I am in a pretty bad situation. I came to Thailand to work as a nanny a couple of months ago. I stuck with it for a while becaude I really wanted for it to work out but it didn't so I left the position before I had a chance to obtain my work visa. Anyway I took a trip to the islands before going home and I had my passport stolen. Because I have been waiting on a new passport I am now on an overstay I thought you know not a huge deal I will just pay a fine at the airport. But when I collected the passport the officials at the embassy said that this would not be possible as I don't have an entry stamp in my passport. They told me I would have to volunteer to go to the IDC and pay a fine and then be deported. This is a pretty intimidating prospect. I am English,22, female and travelling alone. I was wondering if anyone knows anyone who has been in a situation like mine. I know it's wrong to overstay and I actually travelled in Thailand for a year about 3 years ago and have never overstayed before not even for a day, but this has all been circumstancial. Very inconveniently circumstancial. What would be my chances if I just turned up at the airport. Basically I need to make this flight I am moving to Brazil at the end of the month and really have to get back home. So any advice or knowledge of similar experiences would be a massive help.
Posted 2012-09-19 23:21:15
With a new passport you must go to immigrations to get a stamped in from your old passport.
Don't worry to much , if you have a ticket out the same day day just will collect the overstay fine and let you go.
Whatever you do, do not mention you have been working as a nanny without a work permit.
That will land you in IDC (Immigrations dentition center)
Basically, don't worry to much.
Immigrations in Bangkok have several cases like you every day.
Posted 2012-09-19 23:22:44
Do you have a receipt from airline shows the day you came in and where you came in from - that should help.
Posted 2012-09-20 00:00:03
I've always wondered about this myself , as I have a curiosity attitude toward corner cases like your, please forgive it. You will show at the airport with a valid ticket within say three hours, and a new passport with no entry stamp, and in contingency situation. You can show 'proof' of your entry date with a incoming ticket receipts and pay overstay, say 30 days x 500 = 15,000 bath fine , be reassured that they can find your entry date form their database if they really want. You can also say that having got everything stolen from you (by all means have a Thai police report about it), you have no money to pay, all that is actually very plausible. At the end of the day (actually the flight boarding time), the officer in charge has to make a choice, let you go and being banned from entering again (for a period of time) or have you detained, fill a ton of paperwork, then fly you out at Kingdom's expense on a later date. And of course have you suffer indignity and rough treatment, a punishment that I think will not be given lightly to a young lady unless to their eyes you have behaved badly. My feeling, is that they will very hard to have you pay the overstay, but if honestly you can't, they will choose to let fly you out. The other thing that you can try is a previous visit to Immigration, but I wouldn't be very optimistic about the outcome. I wouldn't like to be in your situation even as an adventurous aged male, so whatever you choose go do, good luck and for Christ sake, when in Brazil be more careful and plan ahead.
Edited by paz, 2012-09-20 00:04:43.
stellablue373
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Posted 2012-09-20 00:34:33
Thanks everyone for your input. I know it is pretty bad. Someone broke into my hut on the beach and stole it. It's crazy I was in Mexico for a year for a year and travelled a lot of places and I have never had any issues at all, I always travel safe this is just a really unfortunate one off which has had a bad domino effect of problems 
So I should show up with receipt of my ticket, flight and money for the fine? I have a police report already. I won't get arrested etc ? The IDC is a bad idea? I don't know why my embassy gave that advice they basically said it was my only option but a lot of expats I've met told me otherwise as you guys have.
But thanks for replying, you have given me some peace of mind. Needless to say I've been pretty stressed out!
Posted 2012-09-20 00:59:40
Please report back after your departure as to what you eventually did and how it worked out. Confirmation of this kind of thing is alway useful to somebody.
Posted 2012-09-20 01:12:04
No you will not be arrested. Also because you're willing to pay a fine for leaving a country where you've been victim of a crime. You could have got your flight scheduled and unable to take it because the burglary that happened shortly before, then needed a reasonable time to receive money from your home country, a new passport, and purchase a new ticket at the lowest possible cost.
As you should have noticed now, Western Consulates are often unable to give truly practical advice, maybe because they try to go by the letter of law, that they may not even understand. Like if a night or two in a detention center would be nothing.
BTW, I've been pretty much anywhere in Latin America and never felt an inch safer than here. All the contrary... you know that in Mexico, by law, women will not be fined if they doesn't stop at red lights a night? Personally, I wouldn't stop even at daytime in certain areas.
Edited by paz, 2012-09-20 01:18:10.
Posted 2012-09-20 01:24:24
The embassy clearly gave you wrong information. Passports get lost and stolen all the time, and in many cases this leads to an unintentional overstay. Nobody gets arrested and deported for that, and the embassy people should know better than to tell you otherwise. As soon as you get your new passport, you go to the immigration office with it and the police report and your ticket to fly out of the country. Immigration has your arrival date in the computer, will put a note of it in your new passport, and calculate and collect the overstay fine.
You say you arrived a couple of months ago. Did you come with a tourist visa and get permission to stay for 60 days? If you were not already on overstay when your passport was stolen you may, with a bit of luck, even get a 30-day extension of stay (fee 1,900 Baht) if you want it.
Posted 2012-09-20 01:37:10
You say you arrived a couple of months ago. Did you come with a tourist visa and get permission to stay for 60 days? If you were not already on overstay when your passport was stolen you may, with a bit of luck, even get a 30-day extension of stay (fee 1,900 Baht) if you want it.
I suspect that OP came on a visa waiver. In that case. only 7 days extensions are permitted, and that has to be obtained before the expiration date.
Edited by paz, 2012-09-20 01:50:34.
Posted 2012-09-20 11:15:10
The embassy clearly gave you wrong information. Passports get lost and stolen all the time, and in many cases this leads to an unintentional overstay. Nobody gets arrested and deported for that, and the embassy people should know better than to tell you otherwise. As soon as you get your new passport, you go to the immigration office with it and the police report and your ticket to fly out of the country. Immigration has your arrival date in the computer, will put a note of it in your new passport, and calculate and collect the overstay fine.
You say you arrived a couple of months ago. Did you come with a tourist visa and get permission to stay for 60 days? If you were not already on overstay when your passport was stolen you may, with a bit of luck, even get a 30-day extension of stay (fee 1,900 Baht) if you want it.
Seeing as you are a newbie here I just wanted to say that THIS poster is the advice you need to take. Many helpful people here and others that really aren't sure of the rules and regulation BUT "Maestro" is the one with the true facts. As said, you have a police report and a ticket out so chances are they won't make you pay any overstay however you should advise us on the visa you entered with. Was it the 60 day as asked?
#11
saengsureeya
Posted 2012-09-20 11:48:03
Afaik, the OP was in the process of getting a WP, but resigned her job before actually getting the WP.
That may be.......just may be a problem.
A cancellation of a WP-application is similar to a cancellation of a WP.
If the Immigration database is doing its job, this might pop-up when the old passport # is entered.
Let's just hope, that the former employer didn't cancel the WP-application.
Posted 2012-09-20 12:11:45
Immigration has nothing to do with work permits and ending of work permit has nothing to do with visa entry.
But why OP did not obtain travel documents to depart Thailand prior to overstay has not been explained. That should have been available as soon as police report was in hand.
Posted 2012-09-20 12:17:08
As has been said just to go to immigration with new passport and police report and pay the overstay (max fine is 20K baht).
They will probably give you a 7 day extension if you have a ticket out of the country.
stellablue373
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Posted 2012-09-20 14:33:05
I just came in on a 30 day visa as my employers were going to arrange my work visa a 3 weeks into the job. However I wasn't happy with the position and left before they went through with it because I didn't want to lead them on as they were the ones who would have paid for it.
I will definately post on how it all went. Before posting on here I read through a few threads and found it quite frustrating that whoever posted in a similar situation to mine never reported on the outcome.
But thanks for taking the time out to give me advice, I really appreciate it. I'll let you know how it all goes.
Posted 2012-09-20 15:26:19
Lopburi3 and Maestro are the experts in these matters and will give you good advice.
I suggest you PM them for any further information, or to answer any concerns you may still have.
Good luck.
Mobi
Posted 2012-09-20 23:52:29
Mobi, I'm sure that other members have taken an interest in this topic and there is nothing wrong for Stellblue373 to continue discussing it here.
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