# Overstay rules to be aware of?



## Zikakuto

Hi I'm wondering about the rules for overstaying in Thailand. I've heard that if you overstay by more than 90 days you get banned for one year. I was planning on overstaying for less than that. I've previously overstayed by four days in the summer of 2014. I plan to pay the 20k baht fine for overstaying more than 40 days and I just want to know that if I turn myself in at the airport when I'm leaving will I have any problems? Can I turn myself in earlier at a Thai immigration office in one of the provinces, not a border, continue to stay in Thailand longer and then fly out of the country at later date? And as a Pakistani passport holder will the Thai immigration be more unwilling to give me a Thai tourist visa in the future? Thanks for any info !!


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## gnazi71

I think it's a bad idea, but I have no experience

The Consequences of Overstaying in Thailand | ThaiEmbassy.com


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## tod-daniels

Okay, the still not yet enacted overstay law will most likely come into effect late March or early April 2017. Prayuth signed the order, and it was alledgedly published in the Royal Gazette already (although I have yet to find it)..
The NEW overstay rules will look like this;
*IF you turn yourself in;*

Overstay more than 90 days banned for 1 year
Overstay more than 1 year banned for 3 years
Overstay more than 3 years banned for 5 years
Overstay more than 5 years banned for 10 years
*IF you are caught inside the country while on overstay*

Overstay less than 1 year banned for 5 years
Overstay more than 1 year banned for 10 years

Right now the overstay rules are still what they've been for a good while.. A 500 baht fine per day of overstay which caps out at 40 days and 20K baht. There is currently no banning, black listing or anything IF you show up at the airport and clear your overstay before your flight leaves.

*NO*, you can't go to your local immigration office clear the overstay fine and get anything more than a 7 day emergency extension AND you'd hafta show a flight out in those 7 days to get one of those too.

The real question which begs to be asked (and because I'm nosy I'll ask) is; WTF are you doin' overstaying? 

It appears from a brief google that people from Pakistan need a visa BEFORE they come to thailand (as there is no visa on arrival and no visa exempt program). That meant you at least had to gotten a 60 day tourist visa before you came here, right? That could have been extended inside thailand at ANY immigration office for an additional 30 days (for 1900baht), but if you're on overstay you can't extend it..

I'd say you're dancing with the devil on this "scheme" and it could come back to bite you.. No one knows ONCE the overstay rules come into effect IF the consulates and embassies will look at an overstay stamp in your passport with a more critical eye when you apply for another visa to thailand.. But, it sounds like you'll sure find out.

Good Luck..


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## Zikakuto

Thanks for the info guys. It's just a little difficult staying in Thailand more than two months. And for Pakistanis they can only extend the tourist visa by seven days rather than a month. I guess I'm better off just leaving and applying for a second visa. Better to play it safe. :blush:


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## tod-daniels

Sorry about that, you're right..

In Googling around I found out when they changed the extension rule back in Aug of 2014 to start giving 30 day extensions they only put 48 countries and Hong Kong on the list.. Pakistan isn't on it.. Sorry..

I know there's a list of countries where their citizens have to go back to their country and get a tourist visa from the thai embassy there. Is Pakistan like that or can you go to Vientiane or Savannakhet Lao PDR and get a tourist visa?


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## Zikakuto

With a Pakistani passport you got to go all the way back to Pakistan and reapply for a new visa from the embassy. I have heard that it might be possible to get a new one from Laos, but you have to have a Laos visa first.

It's all a little convoluted and with this passport you have to jump through hoops that a western passport holder wouldn't need to. There are also more restrictions too. The visa run is so convenient that I don't think anyone with a western passport should overstay unless they really have no choice.


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