Thailand to blacklist foreigners who overstay their visa

[buksida]

THE Thailand Immigration Bureau has announced plans to crackdown on foreigners overstaying their visa that will take effect from March 2016.

This week Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha approved the Thai bureau’s proposal of November 27 to ban overstaysers from re-entering the country depending on the length they had overstayed, and if they turned themselves in or were arrested.

Bangkok Post:
For cases of surrender, those who overstay their visa by up to one year will receive a one-year re-entry ban, and for more than one year they will be banned from re-entering Thailand for three years. Those with more than three years’ overstay will blacklisted for five years. Excessive overstay of five years or more will result in a re-entry ban of 10 years.

In cases of arrest, those who overstay their visas by up to one year will be banned from re-entering Thailand for five years and those with more than one year’s overstay period will be blacklisted for 10 years.

Bureau chief Pol Lt Gen Nathathorn Prausoontorn said he expected a large number of foreigners would turn themselves in.

The Nation:
This will facilitate the authorities’ monitoring of foreigners and screen quality visitors, he said.

“The existing law is weak, with fines of only Bt20,000,” he said.

Current rules allow European, American and Asian visitors a 30 day arrival visa, renewable for 30 days, while those with prior-arranged visas can stay 60 days and extend for 30 days.

The Nation said about 1,100 foreigners in Greater Bangkok had asked to lengthen their stay in the last 12 months, or 280,000 in total. Outside Bangkok, over 900,000 submitted applications between October 1 and November 30, 2015.

Source: Asian Correspondent

[Pleng]

Seems reasonable enough... can't see anybody having a genuine reason for overstaying for a over a year!

[Name Taken]

I sure hope this website/forum does not become like that other Thailand website/forum that I will not name and just starts posting news articles to wind people up.
There needs to be more professionalism and discretion with regards to Thailand focused websites/forums and journalism. These Thailand websites/forums don't need to be an online version of The Jerry Springer Show.

[lomuamart]

Not sure what's wrong with the OP. It's from a reputable source that cites two Thai English language newspapers and refers to Immigration developments that have been in the news for some time now.
The only anomaly I can pick up on is where the BP say that anyone overstaying up to one year will receive a year's re-entry ban.
When this was first mooted some time ago, I'm pretty sure that the year's ban related to those who overstayed from 90 days to a year, not from day 1 to 90.
However, earlier in the year, this was all just a proposal that might be enacted into law and obviously things can and do change. I guess we'll have to wait until next March to see the final version.

[Lev]

Not sure what your issue is Name Taken, the source is reputable (we dont "create" stories like other forums) so if you have an issue with it we suggest you contact the publication directly. Our moderators only post what is relevant to Thailand to generate discussion on this website.

[Name Taken]

Okay, No problem.
My mistake.

[Chazz14]

I'm pleased that this Forum does not seem to attract the "I've overstayed for three and a half years - please help me!" type of desperados that appear regularly on some others...

[VincentD]

Think they're starting to crack down on back-to-back visas as well. Someone very close to me was stopped at the airport just before Christmas and was queried on the nature of these visas. He was eventually let in, but was told not to come back for a year once he leaves.