Overstaying your visa is illegal. If you overstay for a short period you will have to pay a fine. However, if you overstay for more than 90 days then it is a serious offence and the result will be you are deported from Thailand and banned from visiting again. The length of the ban depends on how long you have overstayed your visa.
If you are caught overstaying by an Immigration officer, then it can result in being taken to jail if you are not able to pay the fine or have a long overstay.
From 20th March 2016, if you are caught overstaying by even one day, you will face a ban from re-entering Thailand of five years. If you have overstayed by more than one year, you will face a ban of ten years.
If you have a very long overstay and turn yourself in to the authorities you will have to go before a judge in court. The overstay fine is usually waived and in it’s place a smaller fine imposed. You will then be held in the IDC ( Immigration Detention Center ) until you can arrange for a ticket on a direct flight back to your own country. You will then have to pay a small fee to the immigration officers to take you to the airport and accompany you through Immigration, where you will get the blacklist stamp in your passport, and to the gate. Your passport will be given to a steward on the flight and they will return it to you when you land in your home country.
How much is the fine for overstaying?
The fine depends on the number of days you have overstayed. The minimum charge is 500 Baht per day. This goes to a maximum of 20,000 Baht for overstays of 40 days or longer.
The good news is that if your overstay is under 90 days and you pay the fine then leave the country then you won’t have any problem returning to Thailand at a future date. There won’t be any black mark next to your name.
What is overstaying?
Overstaying is when someone resides in Thailand for a period exceeding the length of time they are permitted to do so by their visa or entry stamp.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you do not overstay.
However, the Thai Immigration officials realise that sometimes people make mistakes and book a flight a day too late or their plans change, a flight is cancelled and they have to leave a day late. In cases such as these, with a few hours overstay, the 500 Baht overstay fine is usually waived.
If you are in a situation like this, don’t panic. Just explain to the immigration officer when you are being stamped out of the county. Apologise and you will be treated fairly.
If you have a longer overstay, for example, 1 week, then you will be required to pay this ( 7 days x 500 Baht = 3,500 Baht ) before you can leave the country. It is easiest to pay when you fly out. Again, explain the reason to the immigration office at the airport, then you will be taken to a nearby counter when you can pay the overstay fine. Please ensure that you have enough funds to cover this. If not, then you may be taken to the holding cells until you can raise funds.
Children under the age of 15 are not charged a fine for overstaying but still get overstay stamps when they leave the country. Being exempt from the fine does not make them exempt from needing a valid visa entry or extension to stay in the country.
Consequences of overstaying your Thai visa
Please note that repeated violations of overstaying can hold serious consequences. In the event that you have had a few overstays, your passport could be stamped with a stamp declaring you in violation of the immigration laws and regulations of Thailand.
This stamp will label you as an “undesirable alien”, which could make travel and obtaining entry to other countries much harder than it should be.
Where is the Immigration Detention Centre?
The IDC is located in central Bangkok at the Immigration Office on Soi Suanplu, Bangkok. This is where anyone who has been arrested for overstaying will be held prior to attending court and then whilst waiting for their flight back home to be arranged.
You can call on: 02 213 2369 but it is better to go in person. Go to Building 5 at the IDC. You will need the overstayer’s details: Name, nationality, age, arrest date and location.
*** Correcting my previous message***
Hello. My visa to Thailand was accepted the 26th June 2023 and it should be used by 23th September 2023, it also says “Length to stay in Thailand 60 days”. My inicial plan was to stay in the country from 30th June to 14th August, but changed my plans and changed my flight back home to the 29th September. I thought I should pay 500 baht for 6 days (23-29 September) but today (15th September) I realised I should have done the 30 days extension at the end of August. What should I do? I thought about going on Monday to the immigration office in the island to explain my situation, recognize that it was my mistake and that I didn’t want to brake the law, and if possible to apply for the 30 days extension even though I should have done it 15 days ago. Do you think I will have immediate problems with police? What will happen? =( Thanks in advance!
That depends on your Immigration office Some might be lenient and allow you to extend your visa but pay the overstay fine (15 days). Others might say that you are too late and will have to pay all the fine up until the date you leave.
Hello
I have my visa until 17.9.
after I extend it for a month ones in the immigration office.
And I have a flight on 21.9,
Is it ok? can I get a ban or only a fine?
And it is problem to fly from kho samoi to Bangkok without visa?
And how much time I need to be In the airport before the flight in order to pay the fine?
Thank you very much
You don’t have to show your passport at Immigration in Samui as you’re on a Domestic flight. You pay the overstay fine at the immigration counter after you have checked in and cleared security in Bangkok. It is quick to do. For a short overstay you wont be banned, just fined. Although you will have an overstay stamp in your passport.
Hello admin. I’m in a difficult situation. I got scammed into taking a fake job here with the promise of a work visa which I never got. I’ve been here for almost a year and now I’ve realised that I don’t have an entry stamp from the Bangkok airport. I believe the official there was paid by this company to let me and some others through without following the proper channels. I’m finally being allowed to go home because I refused to keep working. What should I do to make sure I can eventually get home safely? please advise. I’m terrified
You should report the company you have been working for to the police. And also contact your embassy so they are aware of the issue. If you don’t have a stamp into Thailand then you won’t be able to simply pay a fine at the airport and leave.
Hi. My visa was gonna expire on Sept 26,2023 and I have plans to fly out from Thailand to Malaysia on Sept 18 to apply for.a dependent visa following my husband’s
Regrettably, I cancelled my work permit a little early (Sept 14) with which the immigration officer also cancelled my visa the same day.
Should I wait until I fly out and pay the 4-day overstay penalty at the airport? Or must I go back to the immigration office tomorrow (15th), pay a 1-day penalty and ask for an extension of stay in the kingdom? I’m not sure if it is allowed. Please help
Try to go back and apply for a visa extension. This will probably be denied, in which case you will get stamp that gives you 7 days in which to leave the country. (So , in effect an extension.)
Hi, Im leaving on saturday and will have to pay overstay but I dont have my credit card or cash, I would like to pay via wire transfer, would it be possible ?
Thx in advance
Only cash is accepted. You’ll need to make other arrangements.
hello sir…I have been overstay for 4 month but I have no money to pay for my fines…I bought the airline ticket but ticket is expired because imigratiom at the airport won’t let me board because of the unpaid fines so I end up with no ticket and with unpaid fine and I don’t really have more money to spent. what is the next action for me to do? thank you Martin
Your only option is to ask friends, family or your embassy to assist you with money. As you won’t be able to leave until you have paid the overstay fines.
1. I overstayed one day, I paid fine 500 and planning to reenter Thailand with another tourist visa. After the, planning to change visa type from tourist to dependence visa. Is there any concern issue?
2. To legalised document in Chaeng Wattana and then to change visa type, how many days should my visa remains?
A previous one day overstay shouldn’t be an issue. According to the official Immigration Rules you need to apply for the Non immigrant visa at least 15 days before your current tourist visa ends.
Hello,
if I overstay 95 days and I appear at the airport with a flight ticket back home and ready to pay a fine, will I be transfered to IDC? Or I only get a ban and will be free to get on the plane?
If, in the meanwhile, I am caught by the Immigration Police, they will transfer me to IDC, I will stay there until I pay the fine and buy a flight ticket back home?
Thank you.
Yes, you shouldn’t have any problem if you pay the fine at the airport when you leave Thailand. That is the best option.
If you are caught before you get to the airport, then it’s more serious. You’ll have to wait in IDC until a court date is set, then the judge will order you to pay a fine. You pay that, buy your plane ticket and then will also have to pay for IDC staff to escort you to the airport when you leave.
Hello Sir, I had lost my passport in Cambodia. After I crossed the border from Cambodia into Thailand illegally. I have now received a new passport from my embassy in Bangkok. I want to go home (Germany) what should I do? Do i have to go to Jail?
You can’t travel internationally without a passport. So the first thing to do is get a new passport or emergency passport from your embassy.
Then surrender to immigration and explain the situation. You’ll probably have to spend time in the detention center and appear in court as you’ve entered Thailand illegally. But should be deported quickly. You’ll need funds to pay for any fine plus plane ticket.
If you try to leave at any border you’d be detained as there’s no record of you entering the country.
OK thank you Sir,
Just one more question, will I get blacklisted for the illegal entry?
Yes, almost certainly blacklisted. Unless you have a very good reason for entering illegally – eg you’re a refugee, you were trafficked against your will etc
My visa Will end on september 5 2023
And Iam leaving Thailand ok the same date at morning IT is over stay I wonder cause I Never try this before
That is no problem. You aren’t overstaying if you leave on the day your visa expires.
Thank you I though its over stay cause I leave september 5 also
My visa is upto 29th August 2023. My return flight is next day morning. What should I do? Please advise.
Officially you will have overstayed. But the first 24 hours of any overstay are usually forgiven. So you probably won’t have to pay any fine.
But if you do it will just be 500 Baht and it’s not a serious problem. It won’t affect you entering Thailand in the future.
May visa is upto 29th August 2023. My etyrn flight is next day morning.
What should I do?
Please advise.
Dear Ma’am/Sir,
I stayed in Thailand for over three years in 2016; My passport was stamped for banned entry for ten years. I turned myself in to the authorities and remained in a detention centre for a few days before flying back to India. I paid for my ticket. Now I plan to revisit Thailand after reading somewhere that if I have spent five years already in my banned period, I should be allowed to enter Thailand. Please tell me if this is correct as I have already spent seven years of my forbidden period. Should I take this chance? Thanks for your help in advance.
If the ban is for 10 years that means it is for 10 years. You can try to re-enter after 7 years but will almost certainly be detained at Immigration when you arrive and deported.
It’s crucial to adhere to Thailand’s visa regulations to avoid overstay penalties. Overstaying, even by a day, can lead to fines and bans, with longer overstays resulting in more severe consequences. While minor overstay cases might see fines waived, timely payment is vital to prevent complications. Children under 15 are exempt from fines but require valid visas. Repeated overstay violations can result in being labelled an “undesirable alien,” affecting future travel prospects. Remember, the responsibility lies with you to monitor visa validity. Stay informed, follow the rules, and ensure smooth travels in and out of Thailand.
Good Morning. I hope you can assist me. I have a European passport and entered Thailand with a 30 day tourist visa on 19 May 2023, which permitted me to stay until 17 June 2023. I visited a Visa service office in Phuket on 21 June 2023, paid an overstay fine of 4 days, and obtained a visa extension for 30 days, dated and signed by an immigration officer on 21 June 2023, permitting my stay up to 17 July 2023. On 10 July 2023, I returned to the same Visa service office and paid for an additional 1 week extension, and recieved a stamp on my passport with the following language: “Application for extension of stay is not approved. Applicant must leave the kingdom not later than 24 July 2023.” My flight out of Thailand is on August 31. What will happen if I do not leave the country until then? I am prepared to pay a fine, what I want to avoid is a lifetime ban from entering Thailand. Is it imperative that I leave the country as soon as possible, or will I face the same repercussions if I leave, say tomorrow, vs if I leave in 3 weeks from tomorrow? Thank you for any information you can provide.
You won’t receive a lifetime ban. But it will be hard for you to enter Thailand again in the near future as you obviously realise you are staying in the country illegally and have chosen to ignore this fact.
If you are caught overstaying before you leave you would receive an automatic 1 year ban in addition the the 500 Baht/day fine. If you pay the fine when you are at the airport, you won’t be banned but your passport will be stamped with the overstay details. This may make it harder for you to enter other countries in the future, as Immigration officers will see you have overstayed in Thailand.
I was scammed in Thailand. They promised me a good job and a good life, but it was all a lie. I’ve been here for a year now, and they just dropped me off in Mae Sot.
You mentioned that people who have been scammed in Thailand have never been caught by the police. That might be different in my case, since I’m not Thai. So, how can I get to the airport in Bangkok without getting caught? I know there are four checkpoints between Mae Sot and the airport.
Please reply as soon as possible. What should I do in this situation? I have 20,000 Thai baht in penalty money. Should I buy my plane ticket in advance?
If you have been scammed then you should report it to the police and your embassy. They will be able to give you advice about the best way to return home.
Don’t you give me some primary suggestions to go to the embassy from Mae Sot?
You could fly from Mae Sot to Bangkok on Nok Air. That is the easiest way.
I’m banned from Thailand now and I’m not renew able my visa and I arrested by immigration office and I’m in jail for 1 month my visa is overstaying for 150 days
I’m deported for 5 year so, how can I minimum to 6 month banned visa
If you have been given a 5 year ban then the only way to try to reduce that to 6 months is to hire a lawyer and get them to appeal the decision.