Visa Service Thailand

Visa overstay Clearance in Thailand

Visa Service Thailand is aware that some foreigners have visa overstay issues. People can find themselves overstaying in Thailand for a number of different reasons. Some foreign nationals do so by mistake, by miscalculating their given visa days against the length of their stay, or by simply forgetting their visa expiration date. We understand the possible reasons and consequences of this type of occurrence, and we want to share the knowledge with you. Visa Service Thailand will help you out to find the right solution to your problem.

If a foreigner does not leave Thailand by the expiration date in their passport or on their visa, they are considered to be in the country illegally and have "overstayed". Overstay Clearance implies that the foreigner will be required to pay a fine when leaving Thailand.

Thailand Visa Overstay - Don't Panic

It is important that you do not panic whenever you find yourself in an visa overstay situation. Everybody makes mistakes, and there are possible solutions to every problem. At Visa Service Thailand, we are here to help you navigate through your options. Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about overstaying in Thailand.

How to clear a Visa overstay?

Technically, "overstaying" is illegal, but it's not a major criminal offence in Thailand. If you have managed to accidentally overstay for 2 to 5 days, you shouldn't worry too much. Pay the fine imposed by the immigration officer in the airport or the point of exit from Thailand.

BUT if you are caught by police on the way to the airport or in the airport you can be taken straight to jail. You should strongly avoid overstaying in Thailand.

That's right, you can go to prison if you are caught by an immigration officer & in some cases even jailed fined & deported from Thailand. To resolve that problem, the Immigration officer in Thailand allows those who have a visa overstay to pay the fine. After that, you can go back to your normal life and stay in the country as long as you have the correct visa.

Serious Overstay Rules

The overstay rule depends on the number of days you overstayed in Thailand. The minimum charge is 500 Thai Baht per day with the maximum of 20,000 Thai Baht if you overstayed for 40 or more days.

Fines & Penalties

If you are NOT caught by Immigration officers or Police overstay clearance fines amount to 500 Thai Baht per day of overstay, up to a maximum of 20,000 Thai Baht. And as long as your overstay does not exceed 90 days you can avoid the dreaded Black List.

BUT if your overstay exceeds 90 days, you will be banned from entering Thailand and the length of the ban is related to the length of the overstay.

Avoid Overstaying

In the case that you have a visa and you are applying to extend it and in order to avoid a fine, the application to extend the visa must be made no later than the next working day before the expiration date of the visa.

If a foreigner is arrested and found not to have a valid visa, the person is considered as being in the country illegally and faces not only a significant fine, but may be incarcerated in the Immigration Detention Center before being deported

Summary

Visa Service Thailand is well-versed in providing legal advice and offering support to clients, including cases that require overstay clearance. Due to the potential consequences for foreigners who have overstayed their visa for a long period, or who have overstayed numerous times, the assistance of an lawyer can be vital. Our attorneys can accompany the client to the airport or to the Immigration Office to resolve the issue.