Overstay Fee Hassle

[Anokanite]

I alway's bring some Baht back for the next trip. Would have saved lots of hassle in this case.

[Scuzz]

We got charged for a 3 day overstay on a 2 day.

We screwed up on on the 31 day month thing, and had saved a few

bux on plane tickets by picking a particular day to leave.

I had read somewhere that when you are in immigration checking out of the country

then that is when you check out.

They took a look at my ticket and charged me for an extra day because

my plane left after midnight even though it was well before midnight when I did Immigration.

I guess they needed the 500 baht.

[AceFromNJ]

Hey guys, cut the OP a break here. He's new and it's nice to be nice.

[brewster]

You main mistake was not arriving at the airport early enough.

[Scumbag]

They took a look at my ticket and charged me for an extra day because

my plane left after midnight even though it was well before midnight when I did Immigration.

I guess they needed the 500 baht.

What they did was correct by Thai law. It is when the plane departs that is important not when you turn up at immigration.

[Nausea]

1-day overstaying they should not charge anything.

 

2-day they should charge double though.

3-day they charge normal.

4-day normal...

5-day normal...

 

etc etc...

 

(I called thai embassy in my country and asked)

Note: this is what they should do, not what they always do!

[pubstud]

What they did was correct by Thai law. It is when the plane departs that is important not when you turn up at immigration.

 

 

They're still miserable pricks for doing that because after you've been stamped out of immigration you are technically out of the country and in a kinda no mans land.

[cariden]

"They're still miserable pricks for doing that because after you've been stamped out of immigration you are technically out of the country and in a kinda no mans land. "

 

 

 

This is the attitude i don't understand, you don't follow their rules and you get a fine for breaking the rules that is the right fine, and they are the pricks..Hey STAY home, no one will miss you.

[pubstud]

No need to get nasty and personal mate: in my opinion they are miserable pricks for splitting hairs because his flight was actually a couple hours past midnight, sounds like they just looking for lame excuses to fleece a bit more dosh out of a tourist. OK. Just my opinion. I'm entitled to an opinion aren't I?

Edited June 30, 2011 by pubstud

[Kandinski]

I overstayed my 60day tourist visa by two days. The line for immigration was over an hour long, and having arrived to the airport about 90 minutes before my flight, I found myself with 10 minutes left to flight time and I didn't even pass the ~20 minute security check line yet. I was ordered to go to the overstay counter where the flight attendants were waiting to escort me to the front of the security line. There was another lady in front of me in the line which got into a verbal confrontation with the overstay official when she seized her passport. This lady instead just forcefully took her passport back and pretended to go back out of immigration, when in reality she just walked by the overstay desk and passed through security. The overstay fee was 1000 baht, but I only had about 700 THB. I started explaining myself to the overstay official, saying that I would give her the 700 baht, as well as 20 USD note (600baht), or pay with credit card. At that point, her nightmarket salesman mentality took hold and she started yelling at me "I no pay for your vacation", "this is my country", "you need my stamp". I was respectful up to that point and thought I was offering her a good deal (my 20 USD for her 300baht). Heck, she could have politely declined and sent me to the exchange place. Instead she took my passport out of my hands, put it in her desk drawer and told me to get the rest of the money. At that point, I lost my temper and demanded my passport back (even the exchange counter at the airport wants to see the passport) because I didn't want this cunt to have my most precious document. The flight attendants were getting angry that this was taking so long and encouraged me to just exchange the money. I had to go back past the immigration line and get the money exchanged, getting hassled by the exchange counter for not having my passport. Upon coming back, I understandably am not in the best mood and demand that this filthy whore stamp my passport and let my on my way. Apparently she didn't like the way I signed the receipt, so she made me do it again twice. Then she gave me some more lip and demanded that I tell her "Yes, I need your stamp". At that point, I already made up my mind to tell her "I need your stamp just as much as you need me to barfine your daughter 3 times a week so she can send you money for your somtam", but decided that speaking my mind probably wasn't worth getting assraped in thai prison. Instead I did an exaggeratedly prolonged sawatdeekap bow and ran to my gate.

 

I felt disrespected as a spending tourist in this country. I understand that rules are rules, but what is the point of being condescending and saying that "she wont pay for my vacation?" and then seizing my passport?

 

 

From what I can figure out the plane must have waited 30-60 minut and the airline assigned flight attendants to escort you, that's what I call service. Which airline are we talking about?

[BradleyTheBuyer]

From what I can figure out the plane must have waited 30-60 minut and the airline assigned flight attendants to escort you, that's what I call service. Which airline are we talking about?

 

 

China Airlines (not to be confused with Air China) assigned flights attendants with walkies talkies to go through the whole process with me and my friend (took us out of the immigration line, waited at the overstay desk, went with me to exchange money and explain why i didn't have my passport, allowed me to cut in front of immigration line again, waited while i got the stamp, escorted my in front of the security check, and to my gate). The plane departed about 20 minutes later than scheduled, almost immediately after this other couple boarded right after us. I don't think they held the plane just for us because there were quite a few other people that were fast tracked through the immigration line because of the delays.

[Edge]

......................, upon rethinking the situation and getting some more info on the topic, there was clearly no value in showing an attitude to the official, regardless of my opinion on the matter.

 

There you have it - nothing more need be said.

 

 

Hey guys, cut the OP a break here. He's new and it's nice to be nice.

 

That's all good and I did read your earlier post - which I think was off the mark.

 

However nice it is to be nice (and I was) it would IMO be wrong to encourage any other newbies reading this that the OP's way of dealing with a problem he created was correct.

 

As he has reflected and posted, "there is no value in showing an attitude to the official" - no value at all.

 

 

 

[pubstud]

"there was clearly no value in showing an attitude to the official, regardless of my opinion on the matter."

 

Too true, they can become infuriating at times but we can never win if it comes to a locked horns situation, they hold the power over us, they can refuse to give the stamp or return the document and they know that will fuck up our plans big time. Even though you may feel intense hatred for the cunt it's wiser to smile and be polite and cooperative and get outta there as fast as possible.

 

Some years ago a Thai mate of mine who worked at an airline check-in counter told me when he gets these angry tourists who start abusing him and swearing at him bacause of some screw-up that's not his fault, then he smiles and talks polite and says Yes Sir - No Sir. But all the time he's thinking - you just shouted and swore at me asshole, so you will not be getting on this flight. I will see to that.

[Gator001]

Lesson learned so probably enough said

 

The far east does not babysit westerners like in the west

 

Very simple, check your dates, if you stuff up pay the fine, if you are exiting through the airport give yourself plenty of time, everything is your responsibility, no one elses. The comment that got me was the one about the OP paying immigrations wages. This is called delusion, your purchase of cheap beer and a room at a guest house puts absolutely zero into the 'official' thai economy

 

ALthough most on here I assume know it, for those that maybe dont, if you get pulled by the BIB before you get to the airport and you are over by even one day you are off to the immigration detention centre and from all accounts that I have heard it is definitely somewhere not to end up

[Edge]

..............................................The comment that got me was the one about the OP paying immigrations wages. This is called delusion, your purchase of cheap beer and a room at a guest house puts absolutely zero into the 'official' thai economy................

 

Of course the same is true of the bulk of the P4P money.

 

Although the cash does go into the Thai economy somewhere, BGs don't pay Income Tax and much of the BF money may go in bribes.

 

ALthough most on here I assume know it, for those that maybe dont, if you get pulled by the BIB before you get to the airport and you are over by even one day you are off to the immigration detention centre and from all accounts that I have heard it is definitely somewhere not to end up

 

You would hope they know it, but you may be wrong in many cases.

 

I know there are some of guys in New Plaza right now who went into overstay almost 6 weeks ago and are thinking it doesn't matter how long they stay now as they're up to the 20k max fine.

As you say, that can change dramatically if they get the attention of the BiB any time along the way. It would take another lump on top at the very least.

[BradleyTheBuyer]

 

The comment that got me was the one about the OP paying immigrations wages. This is called delusion, your purchase of cheap beer and a room at a guest house puts absolutely zero into the 'official' thai economy

 

 

I maintain my position. My purchase of cheap beer and a room at a guest house allows the small business to pay income tax, property tax, employee wages, etc. Look at how many beerbars are for sale somewhere like Samui. These places remain open because of tourists buying cheap beers or staying in their upstairs rooms. Ok, a single tourist's contribution is a drop in an ocean but if you adopt unfriendly policies, the bigger spenders or investers who do fuel the economy will be discouraged. Operations like the jetski scams or Phuket tuk tuk monopoly at least have some benefit to the involved locals at the expense of tourists, but airport officials being dicks reaps no benefits for anyone involved. If the last interaction a person has in thailand is a negative one, it will leave a lasting impression.

 

obviously from my end, i needed to have stfu and follow the protocol, but all i am saying is that the implementation of the overstay rule could be better. thats all.

[pubstud]

I maintain my position. My purchase of cheap beer and a room at a guest house allows the small business to pay income tax, property tax, employee wages, etc. Look at how many beerbars are for sale somewhere like Samui. These places remain open because of tourists buying cheap beers or staying in their upstairs rooms. Ok, a single tourist's contribution is a drop in an ocean but if you adopt unfriendly policies, the bigger spenders or investers who do fuel the economy will be discouraged. Operations like the jetski scams or phuket tuk tuk monopoly at least have some benefit to the involved locals at the expense of tourists, but airport officials being dicks reaps no benefits for anyone involved. If the last interaction a person has in thailand is a negative one, it will leave a lasting impression.

 

obviously from my end, i needed to have stfu and follow the protocol, but all i am saying is that the implementation of the overstay rule could be better. thats all.

 

There's also your departure tax, and no doubt some other taxes/charges built into your airfare that contributes towards the airport operating costs, which I should imagine includes immigration.

[maimeepanhaa]

I appreciate your thoughtful replies. Thanks for not jumping on the "i am so worldly, original and intellectual by being the 15th person to criticize the American for having an opinion". While, I don't think that the official is there to serve me, the fact of the matter is that tourists like myself keep her in a job. Its not a matter of opinion; north korea probably doesn't have tourist visa overstay officials. Much like your "interests" implies, tourism is a big factor in improving Thai people's lives and I think that airport policies can reflect that. With that said, upon rethinking the situation and getting some more info on the topic, there was clearly no value in showing an attitude to the official, regardless of my opinion on the matter.

 

This is where Thais get calling farang kee nok or kee niow from and in your case rightly so.

 

 

I'd have more to say but we'll keep it nice.