Thai Tourist Police beginning crackdown on 200,000 over-stayers

[Machiavelli]

22 minutes ago, NextStationBangkok said:

I feel local citizens should be vigilant, and report the suspicious people to police.

 

I hope Thai TV's should create a promotional video about illegal stay, and how to check  valid visa etc.

 

Otherwise there is no way this country will safe while insurgents are attacking the Army in the south.

Over-stayers have turned to insurgents! Gents, someone been smoking.

[richard_smith237]

7 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Ignoring for a moment how people get into overstay, Thailand has itself largely to blame for the amount of long term over stayers. Once someone has gone into overstay, they have no attractive options. Face jail, get blacklisted etc. If they were to offer a short window, no questions asked, amnesty, many people would take the option to leave, either permanently, or long enough to obtain the correct visas. This would be far cheaper and efficient than the current, largely incompetent efforts, that barely scratch the surface of the problem and free the police up to actually target serious criminals. And God knows, there are plenty of them around.

A short window was and is being offered. 

The Policy of strict enforcement and penalties was announced well in advance (a year?) before the enforcement commenced. 

Overstayers also have a 90 day Window within which to rectify their overstay without facing more severe consequences such as a year ban. 

 

Additionally so local illegal laborers have also been offered an amnesty (which has currently lasted approximately 6months) in which they can get their affairs in order. This has allowed us sufficient time to employ our maid/nanny directly rather than through an agency who did not provide sufficient documentation and apply for and provide a work permit ourselves. 

 

In short, Thai Immigration have offered sufficient clarity and sufficient time for anyone on overstay or working illegally to sort out their affairs. 

 

If someone continues to work illegally or overstays more than 90 days the seemingly harsh response seems somewhat justified. 

 

[HHTel]

1 hour ago, overherebc said:

Way more than just a few months. It was discussed for over a year before the grace period came into force.

My son overstayed for more than 6 years at the time.  Paid his 20,000 at the airport, got a valid visa and returned the next day.

 

Currently you are given a 90 day window which will only get a 20,000 fine at the point of exit.  BUT if you're caught with even 1 day overstay whilst still in the country, you will be jailed.

[observer90210]

Fantastic news !!!.....Good to see the priorities tackled !!!...now that all the high profile over-stayers are rounded up, the

 

Thai roads will be safer as obviously the road carnage was their fault ?!!

[overherebc]

18 minutes ago, HHTel said:

My son overstayed for more than 6 years at the time.  Paid his 20,000 at the airport, got a valid visa and returned the next day.

 

Currently you are given a 90 day window which will only get a 20,000 fine at the point of exit.  BUT if you're caught with even 1 day overstay whilst still in the country, you will be jailed.

When we, wife and self go to UK she gets a six month visa. If we/she puts dates showing 4 weeks stay while in UK and we decide to stay to for 10 weeks or until the end of her 6 month visa and we don't contact UK authorities and send a confirmation e mail saying we are going to stay longer there is a good chance she will be refused a visa for UK the next time she applies.

Believe it.

It's the responsibility of the tourist/visitor to make themselves aware of the conditions that apply to them in any country, not the responsibility of Thai Immigration to sit down and share a coffee with everyone to explain everything in detail to everyone who arrives here.

PS.

Been here since early 90's so know the rules.

[wavemanwww]

5 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Ignoring for a moment how people get into overstay, Thailand has itself largely to blame for the amount of long term over stayers. Once someone has gone into overstay, they have no attractive options. Face jail, get blacklisted etc. If they were to offer a short window, no questions asked, amnesty, many people would take the option to leave, either permanently, or long enough to obtain the correct visas. This would be far cheaper and efficient than the current, largely incompetent efforts, that barely scratch the surface of the problem and free the police up to actually target serious criminals. And God knows, there are plenty of them around.

I agree with your philosophy regarding amnesty for punishment but ensure they never return again. Of course depending on the seriousness of the crime as whether or not they serve time.

[Airbagwill]

200.000 where do thy get these figures????

If they only get a couple of hundred poor souls, then they'll look really inept, won't they?

[jippytum]

5 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Ignoring for a moment how people get into overstay, Thailand has itself largely to blame for the amount of long term over stayers. Once someone has gone into overstay, they have no attractive options. Face jail, get blacklisted etc. If they were to offer a short window, no questions asked, amnesty, many people would take the option to leave, either permanently, or long enough to obtain the correct visas. This would be far cheaper and efficient than the current, largely incompetent efforts, that barely scratch the surface of the problem and free the police up to actually target serious criminals. And God knows, there are plenty of them around.

There was an extended period for people to clear overstay before the present blacklist came in .How many do you want ?

[Rangerdriver]

While rounding up the remaining 199,911 overstayed and criminally active foreigners maybe the police will evidently stumble across non foreign criminals too. Like the massive UFUN scam criminals who have all obviously had their assets seized and are all in prison, are they not?

Sent from my ASUS_Z002 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[seancbk]

5 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Ignoring for a moment how people get into overstay, Thailand has itself largely to blame for the amount of long term over stayers. Once someone has gone into overstay, they have no attractive options. Face jail, get blacklisted etc. If they were to offer a short window, no questions asked, amnesty, many people would take the option to leave, either permanently, or long enough to obtain the correct visas. This would be far cheaper and efficient than the current, largely incompetent efforts, that barely scratch the surface of the problem and free the police up to actually target serious criminals. And God knows, there are plenty of them around.

They get that now.   You can overstay upto 90 days without any real issue, the chances of being caught before you get to the airport or a border to clear the overstay are very very slim usually.   

90 days leeway is surely enough time for someone to fix their visa issues.  

[impulse]

1 hour ago, car720 said:

5 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Ignoring for a moment how people get into overstay, Thailand has itself largely to blame for the amount of long term over stayers.....

Well thought out but it overlooks the fact that overstayers are a good source of revenue.  Having paid overstay fines on several occassions myself and my money being receipted with the broadest of smiles.

 

In that respect, I agree with darksidedog that Thailand largely has itself to blame for years (decades?) of letting people overstay with no more than a $600 fine upon leaving, then allowing them to re-enter the very same day- even after many years and many times on O/S.   Lots of people established entire lives and families based on the ease of clearing an overstay, and now find themselves in no-possible-win situations with the new rules and enforcement. 

 

I certainly have empathy for the guy who can't stay legally, and can't afford to take his family with him.  (But that's not the same as encouraging anyone to try it...)

 

[Sempy]

Send them to the USA.  We want to give overstays and illegals citizenship, entitlements and the right to vote.

[impulse]

8 minutes ago, seancbk said:

They get that now.   You can overstay upto 90 days without any real issue, the chances of being caught before you get to the airport or a border to clear the overstay are very very slim usually.   

90 days leeway is surely enough time for someone to fix their visa issues.  

 

Not if you have no savings left, make $1,000 a month and support a family (or drinking habit) on it.  I'm not passing judgment on anyone's situation (there but for the Grace of God...).  But there are lots of guys in situations where they cannot possibly afford get legal and stay that way for more than a single visa validity. 

 

 

[cmrichsw]

Sounds like a cash grab to me

[Docno]

6 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Ignoring for a moment how people get into overstay, Thailand has itself largely to blame for the amount of long term over stayers. Once someone has gone into overstay, they have no attractive options. Face jail, get blacklisted etc. If they were to offer a short window, no questions asked, amnesty, many people would take the option to leave, either permanently, or long enough to obtain the correct visas. This would be far cheaper and efficient than the current, largely incompetent efforts, that barely scratch the surface of the problem and free the police up to actually target serious criminals. And God knows, there are plenty of them around.

Well, Bangkok is the only place where I remember seeing an overstay-fine-payment office just past immigration... where people can pay a small fine for their over-stay and come back to the country again a few months later. I doubt that there's such leniency in Singapore, the US, Oz, etc...  

[bkkcanuck8]

1 hour ago, NextStationBangkok said:

Police need excuses to enter Nana for raid the Lady-Boy bars and pubs, and take money from them. How can someone be hiding behind the bikinis ?

 

In fact Police don't arrest the over-stayers, they just give stickers for few thousand baht/month, so that they are having a standard income per month and let them stay happily.

 

They are not serious about cracking down the over stayers.

Police don't need excuses to enter Nana etc.  All that has to happen is that if the command comes from high enough -- the local police division gets shunted aside as a more dedicated police force is brought in from outside (maybe special division).  I remember a many years ago when they did a serious sweep for underage workers in bars and a police sweep occurred -- and I jokingly made a comment to one of the waitresses that they should just offer them some "beers" and "beer money" so they can have fun instead of being so serious.  She made the comment that they were not the same police, and it would not work.... the local division was not included in the loop -- these were special police. 

[overherebc]

14 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Not if you have no savings left, make $1,000 a month and support a family (or drinking habit) on it.  I'm not passing judgment on anyone's situation (there but for the Grace of God...).  But there are lots of guys in situations where they cannot possibly afford get legal and stay that way for more than a single visa validity. 

 

 

So that's Thailands fault then ?

[bkkcanuck8]

4 minutes ago, Docno said:

Well, Bangkok is the only place where I remember seeing an overstay-fine-payment office just past immigration... where people can pay a small fine for their over-stay and come back to the country again a few months later. I doubt that there's such leniency in Singapore, the US, Oz, etc...  

Well -- since neither Canada or the United States have official exit immigration processing -- both overstay and official exit would not necessarily be recorded in a manner that would legally stand up.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

6 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

The numbers have doubled overnight ?

 

 

Nah.. The 200,000 were illegal  Africans. The 100,000 was added the other day. Confusing? 

[overherebc]

1 hour ago, HHTel said:

My son overstayed for more than 6 years at the time.  Paid his 20,000 at the airport, got a valid visa and returned the next day.

 

Currently you are given a 90 day window which will only get a 20,000 fine at the point of exit.  BUT if you're caught with even 1 day overstay whilst still in the country, you will be jailed.

Out of interest why did your son overstay 6 years ?

[ttrd]

6 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Can't say I get quite the link between one Chinese boiler room bust in Nonthaburi and an alleged 200,000 overstayers.

Right - 200k persons in just 2 rooms seems to be a bit overcrowded...;)

[overherebc]

1 hour ago, Machiavelli said:

Over-stayers have turned to insurgents! Gents, someone been smoking.

It's happened before. Not sure of the name but check out HamBalli? 2003 in Thailand.

[moe666]

6 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Ignoring for a moment how people get into overstay, Thailand has itself largely to blame for the amount of long term over stayers. Once someone has gone into overstay, they have no attractive options. Face jail, get blacklisted etc. If they were to offer a short window, no questions asked, amnesty, many people would take the option to leave, either permanently, or long enough to obtain the correct visas. This would be far cheaper and efficient than the current, largely incompetent efforts, that barely scratch the surface of the problem and free the police up to actually target serious criminals. And God knows, there are plenty of them around.

Put your thinking cap on these are not people who overstay by accident and then one thing leads to another and it is 3 0r 4 years. The people they are going after appear to come in with the intent of over staying while they run a illegal business. They have offered plenty of time for over stay people to come clean but many do not. I believe last year amnesty was on offer. 

Also how do so many here comply with the regulations and stay legal over the years, you are making excuses for deadbeats

[overherebc]

2 minutes ago, ttrd said:

Right - 200k persons in just 2 rooms seems to be a bit overcrowded...;)

Never been to China then???

[ttrd]

1 minute ago, overherebc said:

Never been to China then???

Yes, you may have right - the actual size of the rooms are yet to be mentioned...

[lamyai3]

1 hour ago, HHTel said:

My son overstayed for more than 6 years at the time.  Paid his 20,000 at the airport, got a valid visa and returned the next day.

 

Currently you are given a 90 day window which will only get a 20,000 fine at the point of exit.  BUT if you're caught with even 1 day overstay whilst still in the country, you will be jailed.

Your son would have been jailed if he was caught and one day over back then as well, as opposed to presenting himself at the airport.

 

The difference now concerns the period of  blacklisting before being able to come back. . 

[hotchilli]

200,000 over-stayers is an embarrassing admission.

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, NextStationBangkok said:

I feel local citizens should be vigilant, and report the suspicious people to police.

 

I hope Thai TV's should create a promotional video about illegal stay, and how to check  valid visa etc.

 

Otherwise there is no way this country will safe while insurgents are attacking the Army in the south.

Um, those are Thai citizens not illegal overstayers.

[overherebc]

16 minutes ago, lamyai3 said:

Your son would have been jailed if he was caught and one day over back then as well, as opposed to presenting himself at the airport.

 

The difference now concerns the period of  blacklisting before being able to come back. . 

I believe blacklisting may actually have also been an option back then but it would have taken a lot of push from Imm' and a lot of paperwork so it was generally forgotten about.

Not 100% sure but can remember some mutterings about it.

[connda]

6 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

The numbers have doubled overnight ?

 

 

You noticed too, 'eh!    In a few days it will be a half a million overstayers or more - many ISIS of course.  Immigration will need massive infusions of cash, personnel, and resources to stop the evil foreigner invasion.  No doubt to be transferred from the Traffic Police division to the Immigration Police.  They have the Number One Roads in the World now.  No need for Traffic Police anymore.