3 British citizens arrested for overstaying on Phuket

[bkk_mike]

To be honest, I'm more interested in how one of them appears to have got a 5 month entry.

i.e. entered August 12th, permitted to stay until January 9th

If he entered on a tourist visa, that would be two months. even if extended it's 3 months, extend again to get 3 months and 7 days.

The only thing that makes sense is either he entered on a business visa - and then lost his job, OR he entered on a non-O visa, and was able to extend it for two months (which usually requires having a wife or kids here...)

If he has a wife and kids here and he simply couldn't get an extension because he doesn't have the income (or the cash in the bank), I would actually hope he avoids blacklisting.

[Beng]

Difficult to conjure up much sympathy for them.

I think we would all be surprised to learn how many foreigners have overstayed ....

There are certainly quite a lot of folks on overstay. Getting caught means you'll end up in prison, passport will be confiscated and send to one's embassy. Finally deportation. Not worth it.

[NamKangMan]

Why the f... don't they just do the required run. Sigh.

Why the f.... can't they just make "the run" to the nearest Immigration Office to keep extending, for a fee, of course?

Why the f.... does Thailand have to make a whole industry out of getting another tourist visa?

It's not enough that a nearby Thai Embassy gets your visa fee, but they make it so that you have to get taxis, planes, minibuses, overnight accommodation etc etc to get a new visa.

They have no problem extending a 60 day visa by another 30 days, why not put a similar policy in place, but for another 60 days, and just keep allowing extensions? If you've been a naughty boy, you are arrested at the Immigration Office, when extending, instead of the border.

Thai tourist visas is just a money spinning industry.

Before anyone asks, I'm under 50 years of age and self funded.

Edited September 21, 2013 by NamKangMan

[seasia]

So crime of the century, i would happier if they cleaned up some more important issues

I agree with you.

I have never been on overstay here, not even 1 day.

I make the effort to comply with the law/rules but a few people overstaying doesn`t trouble me.

If they`ve fallen on hard times, maybe that is their only choice

Serial over stayers/scammers etc., a different matter.

Someone could be here legally and be a " bad " person or someone could be here illegally and be otherwise OK.

Thai rules and they should be observed but yes, not crime of the century.

More important issues need sorting out as you say but perhaps that doesn`t make for such a good headline as" bad" foreigners staying here too long/illegally.

[farangbanok]

Well I cannot criticise them, having yesterday paid a THB 17,000 fine for 34 days overstay.

Mislaid my passport so couldn't go to do the appropriate at Immigration.

There can be many reasons for overstay, some of them genuine (me! me!), some of them with criminal intent.

I must add that I do try to "behave" with regards to Immigration laws.

[oops]

I can't help to think about when it wasn't really a big deal to overstay. Now we have fools like this; who laugh at their own stupidity and fail to see that because of people like them that press the envelope making problems for the rest of us. I have been here many years and never overstayed once. I not saying it doesn't happen, what I am saying is for those who mistakenly over looked their stay will eventually become a victim to stricter rules regarding overstays because of idiot like this.

[Wildliferescue]

How are we supposed to know who the arrested people are in the photo? Nobody is pointing a finger at the suspect.

[rotary]

There was a time if a child was born, and the father was a foreigner, it was a bit of a run around to get Thai citizenship for that child. Believe it or not things were worse many years ago.

[sandhurstmolonski]

I agree with clockman. The cops, the media, are fascinated with high profile trivia. If I have to read another 'royal baby' story I will puke, but maybe no, as someone would post a pic on their facebook. Anyway, these guys broke the law, they deserve a fine, deportation, and a talking to, but are they bad people? Probably not. I read today that the Indon gov is embarking on a massive child immunisation program. How about the Thai gov doing the same? That would be worthy news, one we could feel good about.

Agree ... Hardly the Worst Crime .

And Really , who would ever be constantly travelling with a Passport while on a Bus ? ( Or Whatever ) , keep it locked up .

Sure they have overstayed , and will suffer because of it .

But hardly a major piece of information .

[lifeincnx]

Ever notice how stupidity wears such an ear-to-ear jackass grin? Ship 'em home

[little mary sunshine]

Two of them look like a couple of drunks on the run from "child support" in their home country....

[MobileContent]

I agree with clockman. The cops, the media, are fascinated with high profile trivia. If I have to read another 'royal baby' story I will puke, but maybe no, as someone would post a pic on their facebook. Anyway, these guys broke the law, they deserve a fine, deportation, and a talking to, but are they bad people? Probably not. I read today that the Indon gov is embarking on a massive child immunisation program. How about the Thai gov doing the same? That would be worthy news, one we could feel good about.

The Public Health Ministry has been doing that for many years actually.

[Alwyn]

So crime of the century, i would happier if they cleaned up some more important issues

A foreigner overstaying means loosing track!

remember next time a Grenade trowing foreigners is on the loose.

Wake up....and respect the law!!

can you get lessons for trowing?

[SOTIRIOS]

........and this is a crime.......

...what an unbalanced society after all...

[jacko45k]

All very nice and we can all play the card of innocense meanwhile sometimes the laws are not as clear as they can be. Besides, which foreigner in the UK or the rest

of Europe needs to show either 800.000B or has to get married to stay longer than a little while. I still feel a lot for the eye for an eye policy: If you can't own a house here. Thais should not be able to own one in your country until they change the law. If you can't stay here for a prolonged holiday unless you pay through your nose for it, do the same to the Thais abroad. If you can't own a car on a tourist visa, do the same abroad to the Thais. If you need to report every three months to police....etc etc. See how that feels. We all know that lots of Thais own numerous houses (read: Villas) and cars in our countries of origin. But that all seems to be ok and fine.

I really do not feel paying 1900 baht/year is paying through the nose.

And it is quite difficult for Thais to get visas for many Western countries.

Why on earth should a tourist need to own a car?

In our countries we are greedy for anybody's money.. hence foreign ownership is rampant, in Thailand they are protecting the market for their own people, otherwise prices would soon be out of their range.

Well done Thailand catching foreigners who break their laws.... I would feel better if the UK would make it easier for Thais to visit the UK for tourism, and if they do overstay, make a better Thai style job of catching, punishing and chucking them out... not only Thais of course.

[Alwyn]

Looking at the smirks on their faces I don't think they're particularly bothered.. got away with it for as long as possible, they will go back to a nice welfare handout no doubt, paid for by those who stay home and work for a living as apposed to being on an overstay/permanent holiday!!

Good riddance to bad rubbish!!

I don't understand people like you. So quick to comdemn and to make and pass judgements. You know nothing about these people yet you are here telling the World they will be going back to welfare handouts etc. You label them as 'rubbish' on the grounds of an overstay? Weird to say the least.

[InTransit]

Great mug shot

[Alwyn]

All very nice and we can all play the card of innocense meanwhile sometimes the laws are not as clear as they can be. Besides, which foreigner in the UK or the rest

of Europe needs to show either 800.000B or has to get married to stay longer than a little while. I still feel a lot for the eye for an eye policy: If you can't own a house here. Thais should not be able to own one in your country until they change the law. If you can't stay here for a prolonged holiday unless you pay through your nose for it, do the same to the Thais abroad. If you can't own a car on a tourist visa, do the same abroad to the Thais. If you need to report every three months to police....etc etc. See how that feels. We all know that lots of Thais own numerous houses (read: Villas) and cars in our countries of origin. But that all seems to be ok and fine.

Geez it is nearly impossible for a Thai to travel to the US unless of course they have big bucks and family connections, Plan old Somchai isn't coming to America or Great Brittan. Do a bit of research on the drivel you posted before posting

You're the one talking drivel mate. It might be difficult to travel to the US or the UK for Thais but that doesn't make what he wrote wrong. A Thai can buy freehold in the UK, he can buy what he likes more or less without having to have special visas etc. And he won't be victimized to paying 'farang fines' ie; double price in restaurants or taxis, back handing police at every turn etc

[johnlandy]

Difficult to conjure up much sympathy for them.

I think we would all be surprised to learn how many foreigners have overstayed ....

Yes, but how can someone not be picked up by the radar what with all this 90 day bullshyt.

I have always maintained that they don't have the systems in place, the manpower to load and track it, nor the intelligence to be able to do it.

Add to that the 15 - 20 million tourist arrivals p/a as they claim and every hotel, guest house, condo etc., has to advise immigration of all arrivals.

Then they (the guest-s) move to another hotel, guest house etc., (remember they are tourists and here to see the wonders of Amazing Thailand (sic)

Or is it the "kitchen of the world" Gaw'd what are they gonna think of next?

Thailand is the most xenophobic country on the planet, they are frightened of their own shadows and they lack the mental acuity to realize it.

Edited September 21, 2013 by johnlandy

[stoli]

So crime of the century, i would happier if they cleaned up some more important issues

Maybe you could write a list of laws that they could ignore so that your living here could be easier. Or, you could just follow the laws like you would at home.

[NamKangMan]

All very nice and we can all play the card of innocense meanwhile sometimes the laws are not as clear as they can be. Besides, which foreigner in the UK or the rest

of Europe needs to show either 800.000B or has to get married to stay longer than a little while. I still feel a lot for the eye for an eye policy: If you can't own a house here. Thais should not be able to own one in your country until they change the law. If you can't stay here for a prolonged holiday unless you pay through your nose for it, do the same to the Thais abroad. If you can't own a car on a tourist visa, do the same abroad to the Thais. If you need to report every three months to police....etc etc. See how that feels. We all know that lots of Thais own numerous houses (read: Villas) and cars in our countries of origin. But that all seems to be ok and fine.

I really do not feel paying 1900 baht/year is paying through the nose.

And it is quite difficult for Thais to get visas for many Western countries.

Why on earth should a tourist need to own a car?

In our countries we are greedy for anybody's money.. hence foreign ownership is rampant, in Thailand they are protecting the market for their own people, otherwise prices would soon be out of their range.

Well done Thailand catching foreigners who break their laws.... I would feel better if the UK would make it easier for Thais to visit the UK for tourism, and if they do overstay, make a better Thai style job of catching, punishing and chucking them out... not only Thais of course.

Did you notice these guys were all under 50 years of age? There's no "1900 baht/year" option for them.

The only two visas available to them is a tourist visa and an education visa.

So, if they chose the tourist visa method of living here, technically, they are an expat, living here on tourist visas, and possibly owning a car.

There are many people living like this in Thailand.

Edited September 21, 2013 by NamKangMan

[evadgib]

overstaying ones visa in any country is a stupid thing to do

throw them out ,confiscate their belongings /property

and dont [stupidly ] let them return

over staying ones visa is a real pi ss take ,and totally disrespectful to your host country

thailand doesn't need these people

If you ever catch dengue be sure to do so just after your last border-bounce!

[bangkokheat]

after seeing the expression on their faces two words come to mind, "dumb and dumberer"

[Benmart]

So crime of the century, i would happier if they cleaned up some more important issues

"i would happier"

No one claimed it was priority one for the police and, as far as I know, when the police make arrests it has nothing to do with making you happy.

If the police arrest someone, the whining starts. If the police have not yet arrested someone, the whining starts. I'm sure today some people were ticketed for parking in the wrong place and some others were arrested as suspects in murder or robbery cases. They are not mutually exclusive events.

I agree. Reminds me of years ago when a speeder told me that I should go after "real criminals" instead of trolling for speeders. From my experience, people likely complain when cars go speeding down "their street", but see nothing wrong when they are the speed limit violators.

[dao16]

Well, anywhere you go, the number one rule is don't f with immigration. yeah, a lot of the rules here are misguided and just plain dumb. But, you have to deal with them until they change. I suspect a lot of the people griping on this thread are the same ones who are griping about all the immigrants who go to their countries and stay illegally.

I am all for immigration enforcement everywhere (although, yeah, reform here would be nice). These guys seem harmless, but they do catch people doing sketchy things this way. Look up the "Broken Windows Theory."

[chuckd]

after seeing the expression on their faces two words come to mind, "dumb and dumberer"

Uhhhh. That's three words.

[gamini]

All very nice and we can all play the card of innocense meanwhile sometimes the laws are not as clear as they can be. Besides, which foreigner in the UK or the rest

of Europe needs to show either 800.000B or has to get married to stay longer than a little while. I still feel a lot for the eye for an eye policy: If you can't own a house here. Thais should not be able to own one in your country until they change the law. If you can't stay here for a prolonged holiday unless you pay through your nose for it, do the same to the Thais abroad. If you can't own a car on a tourist visa, do the same abroad to the Thais. If you need to report every three months to police....etc etc. See how that feels. We all know that lots of Thais own numerous houses (read: Villas) and cars in our countries of origin. But that all seems to be ok and fine.

You obviously don't know how difficult it is for a Thai to be permitted to take a holiday in Europe, let alone live there. Even if thet mange to get a tourist visa they can only stay a maximum of three months.You have probably never tried to live in another country except Thailand. Thailand is one of the easiest places to get permission to live and one of the very few places where you pay no Tax. The country imposes a reasonable minimum amount of Bt800,000 for a retirement visa because it does not want millions of "cheap charlies " coming here and sponging off the country and providing no economic benefit. Perhaps if we made things nuch easier for Thais to live in our country they might reciprocate.

[tragickingdom]

It is silly to photograph a few overstayers and it is even more stupid of Thai visa to make it breaking news. Maybe next time the men will find a way to stop a few drugs or animal smugglers, catch a few cheating thai businessmen or make even an arrest or two of their own men involved in blackmailing tourists. Well if the officers can read, just have a look at the grievances the ambassadors had about Phuket immigration.

[EricBerg]

Why not simply stick to the rules and do the borderrun thing?

About Thailand having to loosten up their rules: They sure could on some points. But if they would open up too much the country would be robbed empty. It happened many times before.

I suppose there are other priorities for Thai authorities to deal with. The massive corruption f.i.

[KunMatt]

overstaying ones visa in any country is a stupid thing to do

throw them out ,confiscate their belongings /property

and dont [stupidly ] let them return

over staying ones visa is a real pi ss take ,and totally disrespectful to your host country

thailand doesn't need these people

Just wondering if you live in Thailand full time because if you do I would bet good money that on a daily basis you break laws that are far more dangerous and detrimental to others than anyone breaking the law by overstaying.

People here speed, drink drive, openly support bars that employ prostitutes, buy alcohol between 2pm to 5pm, use VPNs to watch their home countries TV and ignore many more official laws but for some reason everyone has to be on their high horse about the overstayers purely because they ignore a silly law that you choose to follow. Good for you, but really on the scale of things here it should be the least of the things you focus on unless you just want a reason to patronise someone you don't know.

For the record, after more than 4 years of living in Thailand full time I have never overstayed even 1 day and I have no intention of ever overstaying but I would not condemn any other who chooses to not follow this year's current rule of how long hey are allowed to be in Thaialnd before they need to spend a day travelling to the border, walking 50 meters to pay money to a booth and then walking 50m back to where they were 1 hour ago just to comply with the current regulations.