News Forum - Phuket Airport: American man arrested for overstaying visa by 79 days

[Thaiger]

As dawn broke over the bustling Phuket International Airport, an American man found himself in the grip of the law. The man was apprehended by Thai immigration officials around 5.30am yesterday for overstaying his visa by 79 days, a direct violation of the country’s immigration laws. The American man’s actions had turned him into an … …

The story Phuket Airport: American man arrested for overstaying visa by 79 days as seen on Thaiger News.

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[HolyCowCm]

What happened to the days of get to the airport and you pay the fine and then get out with no arrest? Is this a PR stunt or a scare tactic? But cannot feel so bad for him as he gets what he sows. 

[Fanta]

3 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

What happened to the days of get to the airport and you pay the fine and then get out with no arrest? Is this a PR stunt or a scare tactic? But cannot feel so bad for him as he gets what he sows. 

The maximum penalty payable is 20,000 baht so that’s 40 days at 500 baht a day. I assume an overstay longer than 40 days means a court appearance.

[HolyCowCm]

13 minutes ago, Fanta said:

The maximum penalty payable is 20,000 baht so that’s 40 days at 500 baht a day. I assume an overstay longer than 40 days means a court appearance.

Yeah but they are pushing it. Normal was get to the airport and you should be ok. It looks as if no logic or maybe this is coming from the puppet master as he used to be hard on foreigners. It looks like 90 days is the break the camels back but they socked it to him.

Now this guy is totally screwed. 

[Guest1]

37 minutes ago, Fanta said:

The maximum penalty payable is 20,000 baht so that’s 40 days at 500 baht a day. I assume an overstay longer than 40 days means a court appearance.

No, it doesn´t (till now?)

40 days or 1000, it is only , was only 20k. And "free to go", if at immigration counter in the airport. I know a couple of people leaving this way with a 3 years ban  for coming back

It is really the question, if there are changes.

Or: This guys did not have the 20k in cash with them?

Cause it is "cash only". And if you cant pay at the immigration counter, you get back out of the departure area into Thailand. And that way, the "free to go-card" is waved!

 

Would be a good time, for a news outlet, to ask for the reasons, wouldn´t it?

[HolyCowCm]

2 hours ago, Guest1 said:

No, it doesn´t (till now?)

40 days or 1000, it is only , was only 20k. And "free to go", if at immigration counter in the airport. I know a couple of people leaving this way with a 3 years ban  for coming back

It is really the question, if there are changes.

Or: This guys did not have the 20k in cash with them?

Cause it is "cash only". And if you cant pay at the immigration counter, you get back out of the departure area into Thailand. And that way, the "free to go-card" is waved!

Would be a good time, for a news outlet, to ask for the reasons, wouldn´t it?

That is my take on it. They racked him up on a whim. I don’t think the guy would be stupid enough or uninformed to try to leave without having 20k on him. Some one grassing some foreigner up. And he probably got the Phuket red card in his record with his ban. Now that would be a slap to the face par for this course since they act on their own down in Phuket land.

[yselmike]

5 hours ago, HolyCowCm said:

What happened to the days of get to the airport and you pay the fine and then get out with no arrest? Is this a PR stunt or a scare tactic? But cannot feel so bad for him as he gets what he sows. 

Different rules for Phuket I guess.

[Marc26]

3 hours ago, HolyCowCm said:

That is my take on it. They racked him up on a whim. I don’t think the guy would be stupid enough or uninformed to try to leave without having 20k on him. Some one grassing some foreigner up. And he probably got the Phuket red card in his record with his ban. Now that would be a slap to the face par for this course since they act on their own down in Phuket land.

Good

 

Anyone that overstays or abuses their visas make it harder for the people who abide by the laws and do the right thing

 

So I am always happy when they get caught 

[Guest1]

1 hour ago, yselmike said:

Different rules for Phuket I guess.

Your guess is as good as mine, "not having 20k on him"

My last info about this is from a friend of mine, from over 6 month ago, Phuket international Airport:

Check in, no questions asked, Immigration counter, Passport given, 20k in envelope in the hand.

Officer checks, looks, called the other desk near the "vip coúnter", he getting picked up, some chit chat, 20k paid, red overstayed stamped and some other for the "banned for 3 years" info, and off to the departure area, leaving with the plane.

I woukd really expect, that Thaiger or other "News-sites" are following on this.

Since on almost all sites there is the story written:

"You are making it to the airport and paying (up2) 20k and off you go"

So, changes of these should be investigated.

Perhaps he had a flight from Bangkok with Thai, not direct out from Phuket?

There are several options possible, INCLUDE that one, that Phuket Immi did change rules!

[1135914801]

On 11/11/2023 at 1:24 AM, Marc26 said:

Good

Anyone that overstays or abuses their visas make it harder for the people who abide by the laws and do the right thing

So I am always happy when they get caught 

Bloody do gooder 

[1135914801]

On 11/10/2023 at 10:21 PM, HolyCowCm said:

That is my take on it. They racked him up on a whim. I don’t think the guy would be stupid enough or uninformed to try to leave without having 20k on him. Some one grassing some foreigner up. And he probably got the Phuket red card in his record with his ban. Now that would be a slap to the face par for this course since they act on their own down in Phuket land.

I overstayed 532 days once,ended up in 3 phuket hospitals,my father came over and organised a medivac and immigration made him pay the 20,000 as i went straight from hospital into a converted Learjet on the tarmac…3 year ban,however i don’t remember it. 2016.

[Marc26]

5 hours ago, 1135914801 said:

Bloody do gooder 

Has zero to do with being a do gooder 

 

It's not allowing ratbags to make it harder for others that follow the laws and rules

[oldschooler]

On 11/10/2023 at 2:24 PM, Marc26 said:

Good

Anyone that overstays or abuses their visas make it harder for the people who abide by the laws and do the right thing

So I am always happy when they get caught 

They need to be caught outside airports though. More severe bans, jail time, larger “ fines”.

Turning up for exit flights is NOT “surrendering to immigration” but treated as such with major penalty concessions for “ making it to the airport” without getting arrested.

Immigration rules all rather arbitrary and often rather difficult or inconvenient or downright stupid  ( retirement visa bank nonsense or westerners 30 days visa exempt yet dirty Russians 60 days) but there are agents to enable convenient long stay compliance with immigration helpful on tourism stays.

Personally, I maintain a spotless immigration / criminal record here, as a regular visitor with family / house I simply cannot afford any immi ban here.

I just can’t understand how people get in this position………zero excuse really.

Don't believe these isolated cases have any impact at all on law abiding visitors though.

The non- compliance records will be at individual or national level.

Mystery though why Thailand give certain passports “ Visa on Arrival” privilege when I suspect no other country admits these passports without consulate visa. Huge statistical criminality in Thailand  indicators.

 

[oldschooler]

9 hours ago, 1135914801 said:

I overstayed 532 days once,ended up in 3 phuket hospitals,my father came over and organised a medivac and immigration made him pay the 20,000 as i went straight from hospital into a converted Learjet on the tarmac…3 year ban,however i don’t remember it. 2016.

Why could you not have arranged for some type of medical tourist visa to avoid overstay & ban ? 
Curious how that works (or doesn’t) in medical cases !