Sometimes accidents happen. You arrive in Thailand and are enjoying your time here and suddenly you realize you have overstayed your visa. No problem and don't panic. Pack your bags and go straight to the airport. If your overstay is less than 90 days, you will pay a fine, maximum is 20,000 THB, and off you go and you avoid the Dreaded Blacklist. That is if you are not stopped by the Thai Royal Police. If you are stopped by the police, you may spend some time in the International Detention Center (IDC). It is not pleasant.
It Is Illegal To Overstay Your Visa
Simply put overstaying your visa is illegal. If you overstay more than 90 days you will also be banned from entering Thailand for a period of time. The length of the ban will depend entirely on how long you overstayed. This is Thailand's Blacklist. When surrendering at airport, Thai Immigration Officers will follow this procedure:
- Overstay less than 90 Days = Fine of 500 Thai Baht per day of overstay (maximum fine is 20,000 Thai Baht and No Ban)
- Overstay more than 90 Days = 1 year ban from Thailand and 20,000 Thai Baht fine
- Overstay more than 1 Year = 3 years ban from Thailand and 20,000 Thai Baht fine
- Overstay more than 3 Years = 5 years ban from Thailand and 20,000 Baht fine
- Overstay more than 5 Years = 10 years ban from Thailand and 20,000 Baht fine
On the other hand if your caught by the Royal Thai Police, things are a little different;
- Overstay of 1 day to 1 Year = 5 years ban from Thailand and 500 to 20,000 Thai Baht fine
- Overstay more than 1 Year = 10 years ban from Thailand and 20,000 Thai Baht fine
What happens if you get caught overstaying in Thailand?
If you are caught before reaching an international airport in Thailand or if you are caught during a random checkpoint search, you will face detainment in IDC. Just like any Thai prison, these places are dirty, unsafe, and very unpleasant places to be in. In order to get out of an immigration prison and leave the country, you will have to rely on help from friends, your embassy, and/or a lawyer, and even with this help, the process can take days, weeks or even months.
If you overstay multiple times, you may be receive a status of “Persona Non-Grata” which means you can be banned from re-entering Thailand for the rest of your life. This status can also have an affect if you plan on travelling to other countries.
Overstay Clearance
If a foreigner does not leave Thailand by the expiration date, the stamp in their passport (visa expiration date), they are considered to be in the country illegally. Visa Overstay Clearance implies that the foreigner will be required to pay a fine (overstay fee) to the Thai Immigration Department when leaving Thailand. And if they have overstayed for more than 90 days they will face a ban for re-entering Thailand. The foreigner will also have to wait until the ban has expired. Even after the ban has expired the Foreigner may still not be granted entry into Thailand. So it is suggested to have a firm, like ours, check to see if it is safe for you to re-enter Thailand before you book your ticket.
Solutions For Overstay / Banned From Thailand
(1) If you have overstayed in Thailand less than 90 days we advise that you pack your bags, get a airline ticket, put 20,000 THB in your wallet and go directly to the airport. You don't need a lawyer, just go to the airport. If you are asked why you overstayed be truthful and apologise. You will soon be on your way home, 20,000 THB lighter.
(2) If you have overstayed more than 90 days and are facing a ban, Professional Corporate Services may be able to help you. There are several other ways to obtain overstay clearance and it will depend entirely on how long the ban is for, or how long the ban can be. We have enough experience to evaluate your case and provide you with a solution. Also please keep this in mind;
- be careful not to get caught by the police - this will put you on the path to getting deported
- contact us as soon as possible so that we can review your case and offer you a solution
(3) If you have left Thailand and you have been banned and you are still under the ban but you would like to come into Thailand, here too we may be able to help. We can check with the authorities Blacklist Check to see how much time is left on your ban and if you are on the Blacklist. Then we can file a "request for forgiveness" with the Immigration Authorities. This process can take anywhere from 15 days to 90 days to get a reply. We have some significant success with this method.
(4) If you get caught by the police, follow the police process until you are able to call or contact us. Then, we can advise you of what we can do to help your situation.
Summary - Visa Overstay Clearance in Thailand
If you are nearing the overstay period be very careful talk to us first we will tell you what we think you need to do. At PCS your 1st consultation is always totally FREE of charge. Use the contact form below or call us. We are looking forward to hearing from you!
Contact PCS
Our Address
253 Sukhumvit 21 Road (Asoke), 25th Floor
Email Us
contact@pcsthai-1.com
Call Us
+66 2 109 5160