Overstay fines to start Tuesday, says Phuket Immigration

[Peterphuket]

5 hours ago, vandeventer said:

It's like being at the train station wondering which one will come in first? Will it be the Amnesty train or will it be the overstay train? Maybe you should leave before one gets there?

As long it is not the train to the east....it will be okay.

[Cranky]

I don’t get. Why don’t they just clear off home?  Must be ways to get back by now or am I missing something?

[lopburi3]

1 minute ago, Cranky said:

I don’t get. Why don’t they just clear off home?  Must be ways to get back by now or am I missing something?

1.  Some have personal relationships in Thailand, including marriage and children but unable to legalize stay with closed borders.

2.  Some have homes here and normally live here most of year.

3.  Some have drained available funds and can not afford the costs involved for transportation that may be totally lost without any travel.

4.  Some are very concerned about moving from a low COVID location to extreme pandemic areas.

5.  Some have normal employment here but unable legalize due border crossing issues.

6.  Some just like Thailand.

7.  Some are probably eating the wrong berries.

8.  Some live only for today.

[rucker4012]

Soon has so many meanings in Thailand.

[Ken]

11 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

1.  Some have personal relationships in Thailand, including marriage and children but unable to legalize stay with closed borders.

2.  Some have homes here and normally live here most of year.

3.  Some have drained available funds and can not afford the costs involved for transportation that may be totally lost without any travel.

4.  Some are very concerned about moving from a low COVID location to extreme pandemic areas.

5.  Some have normal employment here but unable legalize due border crossing issues.

6.  Some just like Thailand.

7.  Some are probably eating the wrong berries.

8.  Some live only for today.

Very well said!

 

[Rockbottom]

6 hours ago, Dialemco said:

All these stories make me so sad does it really matter in these difficult time whether or not a few remaining foreigners stay or leave Thailand. What about the forgotten poor Thais reliant upon tourism now without any means to support them selves or their Children. 

Hey now...hasn't there been enough confusion? Don't confuse IOs with the facts and common sense issues. Their head might blow up.

[connda]

Good guys turn into bad guys Tuesday for those caught between Covid and an inflexible xenophobic nation.  As the good guys are increasingly fined and criminalized and possibly jailed, any goodwill that has been generated by the amnesty will quickly evaporate.  What will be left are tourist who when they finally return home relate their tale to friends and family, who in turn will tell their friends and acquaintance. Bad treatment will beget bad press.  And all of those people will probably never get on a jetliner bound for Thailand.

C'est la vie. 

[connda]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

However, any foreigners who arrive at the office tomorrow (Sept 29) or later to file their applications will be fined B500 a day for overstay, Lt Col Worapol Panpetch, Inspector at Phuket Immigration, told The Phuket News this morning.

And by immigration's estimates approximately 150,000 still remain within the borders?
They are going to start generating a whole lot of badwill internationally.  Better start building bigger immigration detention centers.  This is gonna get ugly methinks.

[fangless]

1 hour ago, lopburi3 said:

1.  Some have personal relationships in Thailand, including marriage and children but unable to legalize stay with closed borders.

2.  Some have homes here and normally live here most of year.

3.  Some have drained available funds and can not afford the costs involved for transportation that may be totally lost without any travel.

4.  Some are very concerned about moving from a low COVID location to extreme pandemic areas.

5.  Some have normal employment here but unable legalize due border crossing issues.

6.  Some just like Thailand.

7.  Some are probably eating the wrong berries.

8.  Some live only for today.

So they are not tourists and have not bothered to attempt to legitimize their near permanent residence in Thailand,

Edited September 28, 2020 by fangless

[A512]

5 hours ago, EricTh said:

It has to be in a Thai bank of course.

 

where else would that be? ????

[fangless]

8 minutes ago, connda said:

And by immigration's estimates approximately 150,000 still remain within the borders?

What date is that figure based on and how many of them are not on legitimate/amnesty extensions now?

 

Edited September 28, 2020 by fangless

[fangless]

1 hour ago, Cranky said:

I don’t get. Why don’t they just clear off home?  Must be ways to get back by now or am I missing something?

NO!

[abonsa]

10 hours ago, darksidedog said:

What happened to the amnesty extension supposed to be being announced today then?

 

it is confirmed already but announced tomorrow ????

 

 

[abonsa]

1 hour ago, fangless said:

So they are not tourists and have not bothered to attempt to legitimize their near permanent residence in Thailand,

 

How much is it a problem for you ?

 

 

[impulse]

3 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

1.  Some have personal relationships in Thailand, including marriage and children but unable to legalize stay with closed borders.

2.  Some have homes here and normally live here most of year.

3.  Some have drained available funds and can not afford the costs involved for transportation that may be totally lost without any travel.

4.  Some are very concerned about moving from a low COVID location to extreme pandemic areas.

5.  Some have normal employment here but unable legalize due border crossing issues.

6.  Some just like Thailand.

7.  Some are probably eating the wrong berries.

8.  Some live only for today.

 

Some have outstanding warrants in their home country, and that's the only place they can get a flight to.

 

[Hoppyone]

14 hours ago, Kaopad999 said:

Exactly, given that the Amnesty finished on the 26th, why would they suddenly extend it after the expiry date. 
People blame the Thai government for not being clear, but without mentioning any names, there are certain news reporters here publishing articles before they are even officially announced by the government which gives false hope to people and creates even more confusion. 

You just can’t trust any Thai media reports to be true or correct , many cases are guess work

[smudger1951]

14 hours ago, chilli42 said:

What am I missing?  Why not just take a flight back to the home country and come back when this mess is over and done.  Why such a priority to stay in Thailand when it’s such a hassle?

I was unaware there were any scheduled flights since March except the repatriation.

[fangless]

8 hours ago, abonsa said:

 

How much is it a problem for you ?

 

 

No. Not for me but it appears to be a problem for you. 

 

I was only making an observation!

[lopburi3]

5 minutes ago, fangless said:

No. Not for me but it appears to be a problem for you. 

 

I was only making an observation!

Below appears more of a judgement than observation as I had clearly indicted in my post that normal legalization methods for many are currently blocked by COVID restrictions. 

 

Quote

 So they are not tourists and have not bothered to attempt to legitimize their near permanent residence in Thailand,

The fact is we are living in a very difficult period and shoot to kill may not be appropriate.  No two cases are the same.  We are all humans trying to live our lives in this crazy world.

[NoshowJones]

18 hours ago, Dialemco said:

All these stories make me so sad does it really matter in these difficult time whether or not a few remaining foreigners stay or leave Thailand. What about the forgotten poor Thais reliant upon tourism now without any means to support them selves or their Children. 

That's the last thing on the soldiers list.

[vermin on arrival]

16 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

1.  Some have personal relationships in Thailand, including marriage and children but unable to legalize stay with closed borders.

2.  Some have homes here and normally live here most of year.

3.  Some have drained available funds and can not afford the costs involved for transportation that may be totally lost without any travel.

4.  Some are very concerned about moving from a low COVID location to extreme pandemic areas.

5.  Some have normal employment here but unable legalize due border crossing issues.

6.  Some just like Thailand.

7.  Some are probably eating the wrong berries.

8.  Some live only for today.

Some need to travel within the region but currently aren't allowed to due to travel and visa restrictions.

[Tony125]

On 9/28/2020 at 1:15 PM, darksidedog said:

What happened to the amnesty extension supposed to be being announced today then?

 

[connda]

16 hours ago, connda said:

Good guys turn into bad guys Tuesday for those caught between Covid and an inflexible xenophobic nation.  As the good guys are increasingly fined and criminalized and possibly jailed, any goodwill that has been generated by the amnesty will quickly evaporate.  What will be left are tourist who when they finally return home relate their tale to friends and family, who in turn will tell their friends and acquaintance. Bad treatment will beget bad press.  And all of those people will probably never get on a jetliner bound for Thailand.

C'est la vie. 

Well, it looks like Thailand has decided to avoid that Public Relations disaster until at least October 31st. 

But I still don't think these people are too smart.  Instead of trying to bring a handful of new tourist into the country by running them though a gauntlet of regulations and quarantines, why not just capitalize by catering to those who are already here?  At this point, a tourist is a tourist.  Try maximizing the head count instead to spending so much energy in attempting to expel those who are already here, Covid-free, and posing no risk to the health of the country.  Not a lot of economists in whatever ministries are attempting to get rid of the tourist who are already here.

[connda]

9 hours ago, Hoppyone said:

Exactly, given that the Amnesty finished on the 26th, why would they suddenly extend it after the expiry date. 

Culturally, Thais suck at planning.  This isn't the first time we have seen immigration orders passed after the fact.  Probably won't be the last.

 

Edited September 29, 2020 by connda

[connda]

On 9/28/2020 at 2:47 PM, Dialemco said:

All these stories make me so sad does it really matter in these difficult time whether or not a few remaining foreigners stay or leave Thailand.

"A few remaining foreigners"?  By Thai immigration's estimates if articles posted on this forum are accurate there are approximately 150,000 "tourists" who got stuck here.  That about the size of a small city.
So does it matter if a small city worth of foreigners are stuck between a virus and a giant, nationalistic bureaucracy which considers all foreigners as posing a national security risk to the nation?
In my humble opinion?  Yes it does matter.  A lot.  And they should be accommodated and assisted and extended basic humanitarian consideration until this "pandemic" is declared officially over. 

 

Let's use an analogy. 
If a cruise ship is stranded at sea an unable to dock at port due to some emergency, does the captain of the ship start tossing passengers overboard or throw them into the brig because they only paid for a two week excursion that due to the emergency has become six months?  Or does the captain, the crew, and well as the passengers pull together as one and make the best out of the situation until the emergency is over?
The latter is what happens in a civilized, humanitarian society.  The former would be unconscionable.

Thailand is constantly flirting with the former as fear of foreigners trumps humanitarianism all the time.
From my observations, 'compassionate' humanitarianism in this Buddhist country barely exists.  Instead of extending a helping hand to fellow brothers and sisters of the humankind, most Thais will simply turn their backs on anyone they consider to be down on their luck because - "it's the will of Buddha's Karma!  Who are Thais to interfere with the will of Buddha's Karma!"
So they not only have no interest in providing humanitarian assistance as aid to tourists during a declared Covid State of Emergency and Pandemic, but they don't even provide basic humanitarian assistance to their own people other than lip service and a paltry amount of money distributed to a select few. 
Most tourist here simply want to be able to maintain their current status without fear of reprisal until this "declared emergency" and world-wide pandemic have been officially declared over and they are return to normal life.
That's not a lot to ask.

 

Edited September 29, 2020 by connda

[essox essox]

if extention of stay is NOW 31 October.....then how and why are people in phuket subject to being fined ????!!!

Is Phuket NOT part of Thailand????

Edited September 29, 2020 by essox essox
after thought

[connda]

11 hours ago, essox essox said:

if extention of stay is NOW 31 October.....then how and why are people in phuket subject to being fined ????!!!

Is Phuket NOT part of Thailand????

They are low hanging cash cows and immigration can just reach up and squeeze a teat and start milking.  We all know there is no consistency between regions or offices or even IOs for that matter.  They operate like individual fiefdoms. 

[Mike Teavee]

15 hours ago, essox essox said:

if extention of stay is NOW 31 October.....then how and why are people in phuket subject to being fined ????!!!

Is Phuket NOT part of Thailand????

The extension is not official/legal/binding until it is published in the Royal Gazette on Friday, therefore if somebody goes into their immigration office this week then (technically) the IO is breaking the rules by not charging the 500 THB pd overstay & putting the red stamp in your passport. 

 

Once the official announcement is made in the Royal Gazette then yes, IOs should not be charging any overstays.

 

[katatonic]

On 9/28/2020 at 2:40 PM, pubba said:

Well.. They got my 1900 baht last week and I'm 'safe' for another month.

 

If only they'd allow processing of short term to long stay visa within Thailand.. I'd just apply for a 1 year extension based on marriage and relax a little.

You can with the 60 day marriage extension plus 400k in a Thai bank. Presumably you're on the VOA 30 day + 30 day extension, so you should still have the 60 day 'family visit' one left.

 

I asked at Phuket about the 'income method' and that only applies for subsequent visas, i.e. first year 400k seasoned for the requisite period and following years 40k/month minimum income from overseas.

[Kwaibill]

On 9/28/2020 at 2:40 PM, pubba said:

Well.. They got my 1900 baht last week and I'm 'safe' for another month.

 

If only they'd allow processing of short term to long stay visa within Thailand.. I'd just apply for a 1 year extension based on marriage and relax a little.

We spied for a "non O visa" and permission to stay at Samut Prakan IO on Aug 31. Had to jump through a few hoops, but followed the instructions and got local approval of what we did.

Bottle neck re: final approval at Chang Wattena, according to immigration officer. Absent the promised call my wife said we will go to the office tomorrow (fifth time) to see if we can get any news.