koolkat

Hi all

Has anyone had any recent experiences overstaying visa for over 6 months and turning them self in at the Immigration Detension Centre Bangkok?

I heard its pretty straight forward als long as you have the money and turn youself in they stamp your passport and then take you to airport to be deported.

My friend has a new passport with no stamps on it now (got new one due to lost old one) and overstayed for about 7 months.

thanks

nonthaburi

A good friend of mine is having this problem at the moment. We tried to help him out and after speaking to the immigration police on his behalf we were told that as long as the overstay is less than one year and you have the 20,000 baht fine then you can just pay when you leave Thailand after having a bit of a chat in a private room about the seriousness of it all. Best to fly out as they may not let you leave by land and you could end up in jail. DO NOT go to the IDC at Saan Plu. Avoid it at all costs because you will be banged up until you go.

koolkat

I cant belive some of the advice on this forum. You just told me the opposite to what the British Embassy Consulate has told me!

The consulate told me to go there with the money, they detain you until they stamp your passport and escort you to the airport. As long as you have enought money for a plane ticket (IDC can get you one or you can bring ticket for that day with you) everything is not that bad. You dont even pay the 20,000 baht, they only charge you 11,000. This is what the consulate told me yesterday.

nonthaburi

Up to you mate , but do you really want to be " detained " until they let you go to the airport. We're not talking a quick half hour. Thai time, things take time and it might be a few days or more. As for the British Embassy, believe what you like. My opinion of them is not exactly high as they are only here to make money from visas and passports and promote UK companies. The last thing they do is actually help anyone so why I would think they know what they are talking about is beyond me. See their response to tsunami victims in Thailand . Take your chances at the IDC if you will but why bother when you can just go to the airport !

Kooky.

There's gratitude for you

Why ask for other posters' experiences if you don't want to believe them? Especially if you got advice from the consulate?

koolkat

Thanks for that mate.

Im just getting confused of all this advice I get. Some 'thai visa expert' company said same things as you just go to airport with money. But embassey was saying stuff like the only LEGAL place to get it done is at idc. The airport cant stamp it. Because the passport is empty at the moment. Also depends on the guards at airport they if they are in bad mood....

Im just more confused now.

nonthaburi

I'm just going by what I have known to happen to people over the many years that I have been in Thailand and MY OWN recent experiences trying to help out a friend of mine talking to the THAI IMMIGRATION POLICE. As I am sure you are well aware the law is very flexible in Thailand as long as you have one vital thing ; MONEY . And the bottom line at the end of the day is that if you have the money ( or connections ) you can get away with it pretty much .
Even if I am wrong ( and I don't think I am ) what is the worse thing that can happen to you at the airport ? They will just send you to the IDC for processing. PLEASE do not voluntarily send yourself to this place. You do not want go there.
I know it's what the embassy told you but so what ! They are not very good IMO.

p.s. overstay is 500 baht a day to a maximum of 20,000 or two years in prison or both. Not 11,000. Why are the Thai authorities going to take 11k when they can take 20K. Think about it.

koolkat

Thanks a lot for your advice.

Do you know anything about not having any stamp in passport. Because its a new one from the embassy. The old one has been ripped up to the point where you can not really find the last entry stamp. I dont think they will like that at the airport.

Thanks again.

nonthaburi

Not having a stamp does not matter at all. You will be on a computer somewhere with your last date of entry. All you have to do is just tell them your old passport number and when you arrrived. They will write something in your new passport that explains what has happened and there will be a stamp in there about the overstay. You will then get an exit stamp. It's kind of the same as when you have a new passport anyway. They don't physically transfer the visa to the new passport but make a note of the visa number and old passport number in the new passport.
Good luck with it, and don't worry too much. Like I said before, at the airport they will take probably take you into a room and talk to you about why you have overstayed so you want to sound sorry and have some sort of an excuse. But at the end of the day it's all for show and they don't really care. THEY JUST WANT YOUR MONEY !!

p.s. and there is nothing too stop you coming right back either. You will not be blacklisted or anything like that. crazy people, crazy country.

GraniteGuy

Koolkat - listen to Nonthaburi. He has nothing to gain other than the joy of helping someone out. Believe me, the rest will tell you anything, especially if there is a few Baht in it for them.

The British Embassy are there to shaft you - not help you. I've seen things happen in there that make me embarrassed to be British.

bakedbean

I agree with Graniteguy. Thailand is Thailand, and best take advice from those living there.