Immigration Chief: Good Guys In, Bad Guys Out
“Good Guys In, Bad Guys Out”, those were the words of the Immigration Bureau Commissioner Pol Lt Gen Nathathorn Prausoontorn as the campaign to inform illegal aliens of the impending new blacklisting penalties gets underway.
Sunday 20th March 2016 is D-Day for long stay visa violators and visitors coming to Thailand who choose to remain in the country beyond their permission to stay.
The homepage of the official Immigration Bureau website immigration.go.th has been updated with a full-page warning outlining the penalties for those who knowingly choose to break the law.
There’s even a cartoon infomercial from the Immigration Bureau that leaves no doubt about the type of people being targeted.
A new advice page warns those currently in Thailand on overstay to get themselves sorted before March 20th.
If you have already overstayed beyond your permitted date before the order’s enforced date (20 March 2016), you may surrender to the authorities at the Immigration Checkpoint (land border, seaport, and airport). You must pay a fine of 500/day, but not exceeding 20,000 baht before you are allowed to leave the Kingdom of Thailand.
Reading through the penalties leaves a few unanswered questioned including do those facing blacklisting still need to pay a fine of 500b a day maxing at 20k?
The 5 year ban for anyone arrested and prosecuted on an overstay of less than one year seems pretty harsh, however, I’m assuming this one is aimed at criminals and not tourists from the use of the word “prosecuted” but I could be wrong.
RTP Spokesman Pol Gen Detnarong Sutthicharnbancha told reporters earlier this week there are over 100,000 visa overstayers in Thailand and efforts would be made to catch and kick them out.
