Thinking about overstaying - only for just a few days? Read this

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Gaybutton
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Thinking about overstaying - only for just a few days? Read this

Post by Gaybutton »

What's the harm? Just pay the fine at the airport, right? WRONG!
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German national arrested on five day overstay in Pattaya

By Adam Judd

November 27, 2019

Naew Na reported that a team of five Chonburi immigration officers arrested a 45 year old German national outside a hotel in Pattaya.

Bert E. was on overstay of five days and was handed over to the custody of the Pattaya police.

The arrest team was led by Pol Capt Prasert Chaiwong with four other colleagues.

They were sent into action by the chief of Chonburi immigration Pol Col Samphan Leuangsajjakun who in turn was acting under orders from national immigration chief Lt-Gen Sompong “Big Oud” Chingduang, said Naew Na.

The media said that the arresting officers were following the strict policy of the chief. They stated that it was not about the length of the overstay but the principle of the rule. The German man is expected to spend some time at the immigration detention center and then be blacklisted for up to five years and deported.

Naew Na urged the public to continue making calls to the immigration police on 1178. They stated that the vast majority of overstays being caught were concerned citizens being good Samaritans and reporting those on overstay.

Naew Na did not give the name of the hotel outside which the arrest took place but said it was in the Na Klua area.

https://thepattayanews.com/2019/11/27/g ... n-pattaya/
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Re: Thinking about overstaying - only for just a few days? Read this

Post by werner99 »

I wonder if the German tourist did something wrong -- or terrible -- in addition to overstaying the visa.
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Re: Thinking about overstaying - only for just a few days? Read this

Post by Gaybutton »

werner99 wrote: Thu Nov 28, 2019 4:08 pm I wonder if the German tourist did something wrong -- or terrible -- in addition to overstaying the visa.
My guess is if he did, the article would have mentioned it. I think somebody knew or strongly suspected he was overstaying and for whatever reason notified immigration. And you don't have to overstay by 5 days to get into this kind of trouble. If you are caught overstaying at all the penalties are the same.

The question I would ask is why did he overstay? Why didn't he get an extension, do a visa run, just leave, or something else?

Look where overstaying got him - Jail, deported, and blacklisted for 5 years. And people are not deported for free. People to be deported are kept in jail until they come up with the money to pay for their airfare and the fees involved in the arrest and incarceration.
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Re: Thinking about overstaying - only for just a few days? Read this

Post by Dodger »

It's obvious that they wanted to make an example of someone, and this unfortunate German guy got nominated.

The arrest seemed more focused on media coverage than anything else, and of course, highlighting Police names to create a perception that they are actually doing their jobs, i.e. The arrest team was led by Pol Capt Prasert Chaiwong with four other colleagues. They were sent into action by the chief of Chonburi immigration Pol Col Samphan Leuangsajjakun who in turn was acting under orders from national immigration chief Lt-Gen Sompong “Big Oud” Chingduang.

Let's see: An arrest for a 5 day overstay involves a Police Captain, four additional Police Officers, a Chief of Immigration/Police Colonel, and an Immigration Lt. General. Considering the fact that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of overstayers in Thailand, some overstaying for months, years, and even decades, one would have to ask, why all the spotlights on this one trivial case. Spotlights can be blinding, which is probably the true intent.
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Re: Thinking about overstaying - only for just a few days? Read this

Post by Gaybutton »

Dodger wrote: Fri Nov 29, 2019 9:35 am Spotlights can be blinding, which is probably the true intent.
While what you say is probably true, the point is the penalties if caught. It's not a risk I would want to take. And no matter how much of an example they used this guy for, that doesn't alter the fact that he did overstay. If he hadn't done that, nothing would have happened to him.
ISAC69

Re: Thinking about overstaying - only for just a few days? Read this

Post by ISAC69 »

In the past you just paid couple of hundred a day fine and problem solved. Immigration has become impossibly annoying nowadays. No wonder tourist numbers are falling dramatically.
windwalker

Re: Thinking about overstaying - only for just a few days? Read this

Post by windwalker »

werner99 wrote: Thu Nov 28, 2019 4:08 pm I wonder if the German tourist did something wrong -- or terrible -- in addition to overstaying the visa.
It does seem that there is more to the story than meets the eye. An overstay costs 500 Baht/day up to 20,000 max. Any overstay less than 90 days does not incur a banning for any period of time. Maybe we will never know!
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Re: Thinking about overstaying - only for just a few days? Read this

Post by gerefan »

Was this guy leaving the hotel with bags packed and going to the Airport?
Of course not! He was caught outside his hotel...but going where?
It doesn’t matter.
The fact that we all miss is that he probably had no intention of overstaying 5 days and was probably going to stay a lot longer...

I bet he upset someone in the hotel. Who else would see his visa and report him??

Which hotel was it?
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Re: Thinking about overstaying - only for just a few days? Read this

Post by Gaybutton »

gerefan wrote: Sat Nov 30, 2019 9:37 pm It doesn’t matter.
That's right. It doesn't matter. None of the "more to the story" speculation matters either. Again the only thing that matters is the penalties if caught overstaying. Maybe something similar would happen and maybe it wouldn't.

Anybody here fool enough to want to take that chance and find out the hard way?
windwalker

Re: Thinking about overstaying - only for just a few days? Read this

Post by windwalker »

There are many fools in Thailand, but this is the first one I read of getting caught for a five day overstay.
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