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.
Hello.
I arrived in Thailand from Switzerland in December with the Test & Go program. My visa was from 4th December until 2nd January 2022. Due to new covid restrictions in Switzerland I was allowed from my bosses to travel from our location in Thailand for 1 week. I was thinking of extending the visa, but the fact that the cost was higher than the overstay fee for 7 days made me decide not to do it… Bad decision….
Last Saturday I was diagnosed positive with Covid, and so I couldn’t go back to the airport to take my plane back to Switzerland. Now I’m quarantined in a hotel/hospital: what can my girlfriend do to extend the duration of my visa? What does she need to prove that I am in quarantine due to Covid? Can she go to the immigration center to do the procedure?
Thank you in advance for your reply.
Different immigration offices have different procedures. Some are more relaxed than others. So it’s best if your girlfriend goes to your local immigration office and explains the situation.
Thank you for your quick reply. Have a good day.
I overstayed my visa by just under 2 years and got a 3 year ban. Would be so great if I can go back now, is there any way?
You can contact a lawyer and appeal your ban. But that’s unlikely to work if you don’t have a legitimate reason for over staying 2 years.
Respected Sir/Madam,
I am a student living in Thailand from last 4 years and always had 90-day reports and Visa extensions on time, except for this time.
Last time I extended was in May and the university took my passport from then. Usually, they inform the students before the due date to go for extension, but this time, I only got the information on 4th January saying that my Visa was already expired on 31st December.
I immediately went to immigration office and paid the overstay fine and got my Visa extended.
Will this overstay of 4 days, which is actually not my mistake, affect any of my future travel to Thailand or any other country?
And will I still be eligible for applying Thailand Elite Visa sometime in the future?
Thank you.
It shouldn’t affect you as immigration offices were closed over New Year, so you acted as soon as you could.
If we’re detected corona virus for the returning home pcr test in Bkk and our visa is expired during quarantine and hospital care
How we can solve the overstay problems when we leave bangkok??Is there any ways we don’t pay overstay penality??
Thank you for your reply in advance.
You will need a letter from your doctor or hospital confirming you are unable to leave the country due to testing positive.
Contact your local immigration office for more details
Thank you for your generous answer but I just heard one of the above cases which they had to pay overstay fine at the local immigration office after discharged from hospital regardless of paper works from doctor and embassy letter .Like you mentioned ealier some immigration offices are not relaxed about this case.
We were in Thailand on a 30 day no visa required. Took our Covid tests before flying home on day 29 and my fiancee was positive and put in quarantine which is like jail. Now she is overstaying without being able to apply for an extension. When I applied for my extension they gave a list of things i had to have to get her an extension and said she will be charged overstay penalty. One of they things they require is a medical certificate from the hospital that quarantined her which they will not give her till she is discharged. This is not right. She is overstaying through no fault of her own.
hello i overstay in thailand for 2yrs and 7 months now how much would be the fine for this one
You will have to pay the maximum overstay fine, which is 20,000 Baht.
Hello sir/madam. If I overstayed in Thailand for more than 3 years and I don’t like to go back to my country, if I get an E-visa for another country can I be allowed to go there or I must return to my country?? Please help me to know, thank you.
If you pay the overstay fine at the airport when you leave then you can go to any country. If you are arrested for overstay, then fined, you can only be deported to your own country.
My son will be turning 15 on August this year. He is under Covid visa since last year. and we pay 1,900 baht for the 60 days extension. He study here in Thailand since he was 5 years old, from time to time we go home so we did not get a Non O visa for him to save money and according to some advice it will be better to get a Non O visa before he turn 14 years old… the last time we go home was 2018 and we were not able to go home and so we did not get him a Non O visa… So we applied for Covid Visa last year and we were granted… last January 5 we went to the immigration office to renew his Covid visa and we were told that it will be the last time he can extend his Covid Visa so he is allowed to stay until March 7… can you please give us insight regarding my son case??? What shall we do since it is difficult to go for visa run and or go home….
You should ask the immigration office that processes your visa extensions. Or a reputable visa agent.
Children over 15 years old staying with their parents will get fined if they overstay but won’t be deported or banned from re-entering Thailand.
Hello I made a big mistake. I thought the Thailand pass was replacing a visa.
I planned to stay 90 days (2 month + 1 month visa extension). I have Axa Covid insurance till 1th of March.
On arrival in Bangkok I only received a visa on arrival for 30 days and just extended this with 1 month to 30th of January. I need a visarun or borderrun. But due to Covid this seems impossible.
My flight back to Netherlands is 1th of March. What can I do? I really want to stay and not buy a new flightticket. May I overstay my visa?
If you overstay there is a 500 Baht / day fine ( maximum of 20,000 Baht ) And if you are caught overstaying there is a chance you will be fined and deported. Ideally change your flight and return home as soon as you can. Or contact a visa agent and see if they can offer some assistance.
Thank you for your reply. Do I have any chance of another extension if I go to the Thai immigration office in Chiang Mai and explain my situation?
Thailand pass and Axa insurance is valid till 1th of March. Visarun is impossible. I have all the PCR testing done. I just made the mistake of not getting my visa before traveling to Thailand.
Thank you
You might be able to get a covid extension. That will depend on the office you are dealing with. Call or go to Chang Mai immigration is the best option.
Hi,
thanks in advance for your help! You are doing a great job here.
So here is my situation:
I have overstayed long time once and got a 3 year ban after exiting, which is lifted now. I have 2 more instances of overstaying, each of 1 day bc of messing up scheduling my visa renewal on the correct day. Haven’t been back to Thailand since my ban was lifted.
Will these records of overstay be lifelong linked to me or are they deleted at some point? I am asking, bc I am interested in obtaining an elite visa after the Covid-19 situation has eased and I’ve read, that it will be denied, if one has overstayed more than once.
Thanks again!
Overtstays will show up on the Immigration database. But if your long overstay was over a few years ago then it shouldn’t be any problem getting an Elite Visa. But it’s best just to contact Thailand Elite and explain your situation.
I have the Thailand Pass and wish to stay 45 days. Is it possible to extend this pass for 15 days or should I overstay and pay the fine.
Finest regards
The Thailand pass isn’t a visa. If you got a 30 day permission to stay stamp in your passport when you landed or have a Tourist Visa that you got in your home country, then you can extend that for another 30 days at any immigration office. The cost is 1,900 Baht. Much cheaper than overstaying 15 days
Dear Trat Immigration, I was advised that as of NOV`1 overstay blacklisting is changing, is this true fact? The woman in charge tells me that if I have overstay under 1 year it becomes a 3 year ban, versus before it was 1 year ban for under 1 year. I have to leave through airport anyway to pay my fine of 20000 baht. Do you see any other problems on exiting the country?
No changes have been announced.
Good night,
In2018 I was convicted of a crime I didn’t commit. I spent 12 days in Samut Prakan prison, until I went to the judge and awaited trial in freedom. I was sentenced to 18 months of suspended sentence. I had to wait in Thailand for another 30 days to get my passport back. However, the lawyer that I hired, managed through various payments, that I did not wait at the IDC, and that I only showed up there on the day of my flight, which was booked through the Idc. I only spent a few hours there before being taken to the airport and deported, will I be blacklisted? if yes for how long?
since now my sincere thanks for your reply
Your lawyer will be able to confirm the length of blacklist, if any.
I had an issue in Phuket where I was driving a motorbike and ran into a dog that just darted out onto the road
I had a foreign passenger with me we both fell to the ground he needed to be hospitalized… After his hospitalization he had a bill of $50,000 baht… then he orchestrated something with the police in Phuket in one of his friends who was friends with one of the police officers to attempt to extort money from me for his hospitalization plus an additional 10,000 for the officers inconvenience they told me if I didn’t pay this that would have something on my record they did have a photocopy of my passport and I’m just wondering how could I verify if I have any type of warrants under my name here in Thailand… I’m overstayed by 32 days and I was also wondering if I can pay the exit stamp fee at the airport… thank you
You, or your lawyer, can contact the police in Phuket. They will verify if there is a warrant for your arrest.
You can pay the overstay fine at the airport when you leave Thailand.
How do I report someone who is on a overstay ? Is there a hotline.
You can contact the Immigration office in the province where they live.
Sawadee Khap,
I’m an American citizen staying in Thailand on a sixty-day Covid extension visa, and I was going to renew my Covid visa today (October 22, 2021) because it expires tomorrow, which is a Saturday) . Then I discovered that immigration is closed today (national holiday), and so I will return to immigration to process the request on Monday, two days late. Is immigration likely to renew my visa under the circumstances if I pay the overstay fine?
Thank you…..
It will be OK to go on Monday. If the Immigration office is closed on the last date you have to renew, you can do it the next day it is open.
If let’s say someone is banned for one year and receives a one year ban stamp on a passport but that person carries another passport (duo citizen), could that person return to Thailand on a different passport where there is no ban stamp?
The Immigration system is computerized and uses biometrics. So if you try reentering using the same name, date of birth, fingerprints and facial appearance you will be caught and denied entry.
I accidentally overstayed my visa due the holidays. Can I still get an extension? Or another visa because I would like to stay longer if possible
That depends on what visa you have. Go to your local immigration office and see if they can help.
Hi, If I have overstayed under one year eight month because of covid and I want to go back my country how can I go back how much I need to pay and if I will pay 20k bath in airport then what about my flight ticket please explain me. I need your help
Buy a ticket and arrange to go home, you might also need a negative PCR covid test, depending on the airline regulations. Check in for your flight. Go through security. When you are at Immigration, tell them you have overstayed. You will then be able to pay the fine and get your passport stamped. Then you fly home.
Fine amount can i pay by cash?
Yes, you can pay in cash
If you supposed to pay your 1 day overstay today but it’s holiday and next day is Saturday and Sunday should I still need to pay 3 more days?
Waiting for response thank you
Yes you should pay. It is not the Immigration Bureau’s fault if you overstay or don’t renew your visa before it expires.
Hi, If I have overstayed under one year and have my flight tickets out of the country to my home and my 20,000 baht, can i leave simply upon exiting immigration? There is no lockup stage as some have mentioned? Please elude to any situations that may arise.
Assuming you have money for the fine and a ticket back to your home country, there’s no reason why you’d have any problems at the airport.
But note that if, for some reason, you were picked up by the police in the time between now and when you check in for your flight, then you would probably be detained and deported.
Hi I overstayed my visa /landing card by two days only back in January 2020, I went straight to immigration control & paid my overstay fine 1000thb, this is my first & only time, of a 2 day over stay, can I renter Thailand without any problems next time I visit Thailand?
Don’t worry. It won’t be a problem. Lots of visitors overstay a couple of days due to changed flights or miscalculated travel dates.
Only people who have overstayed a long time and received a ban on re-entering Thailand will have problems.
Sorry to bother you once again, so YOUR ANSWER IS YES I CAN, ENTER BANGKOK THAILAND without any stress or worry on my return trip in a few months time, like I’ve mentioned in my last email, it’s the first & only time this as ever happened, so rentering Thailand won’t be a problem for me??? After only two days overstay, which I correctly paid my fine, when @ imaginations
If you only overstayed a couple of days and paid a small fine then you won’t have any problems returning to Thailand for your next visit.
Hello I’m Stephen, My question is:
If I overstay for 3 years and I want to return to my country,
1. am I allowed to take my luggages?
2. how much is the fine?
3. Must I have my air ticket ready?
Please help me.
You can pay the overstay fine at Immigration at the airport. The fine will be 20,000 Baht. This is the maximum fine. You can take your luggage.
One of my friends on overstay recently reported himself, went into detention, and got a 5 year ban. He says immigration authorities kept him in a detention cell for 10 days and then he paid for his flight and left. I’m not even sure he paid the 20,000 overstay fine. IS this lockup scenario happening only if you turn yourself in voluntarily to authorities and not at the airportT?
Yes, if you report yourself (or someone else reports you and you are apprehended by the police) then you will be detained at the CDC and then will have to wait to appear in court to receive a fine and ban from re-entering Thailand. You can then buy a plane ticket and will be taken by the police to the airport and deported.
OK Thank you Admin, is it necessary to have an attorney on hand with overstay do you think?
That is up to you. It will make it easier for you if you don’t speak Thai.
Hi there, hope my experience with the Thai immigration at Suvarnabhumi helps some of you who have long overstay.
I went with close to 2 years of overstay to my judgment call.
They were friendly and professional. I apologized, paid my 20k THB , signed a few forms, got my 3 year ban stamp into my passport and was send on my way. Sitting bored at the Gate right now lol.
What I wanna say is, that you should be polite on any possible way, especially when you are the offender. I dunno if apologizing helped but it surely didn’t worsen my situation.
I think as long as you have your ticket and be able to pay the fine, they’re glad to have you out of the country.
Still saying, that if u have the choice, you shouldn’t overstay, as if u get caught they send you to jail and I imagine that’s not pretty in Thailand. It’s just sad that Thailand strictened it’s Visa policies but it was inevitable.
Sorry for my bad written english and the wall of text. Good luck!
Thank you for the report.
Hi Sir,
I was fined in a Thai court 2500 Baht for a small ganja law issue and was put in the IDC for a 1Month 15 day then deported. My 2-year ban officially finished yesterday.
My questions are,
Is my ban automatically removed or must I apply for remove
Can I enter on Thailand again?
Yes, the ban is automatically removed.
If someone have a e-visa of a country but overstayed in Thailand, can they travel to that country after paying the fine, or they must go back to their home country?
They can travel to the other country, if they pay the overstay fine at the airport when they leave.
Hi
We will be forced to overstay 2 days as domestic flights are cancelled now.
How can we justify the situation to the immigration agents ?
If you show your original flight booking and explain what happened, then you won’t have any problems.
Hi, can someone take a transit flight, if he/she is overstayed in Thailand. Due to the covid situation direct flights are not available.
Please advise.
Yes, that is OK if there aren’t any direct flights due to covid.
According to https://suvarnabhumi.airportthai.co.th/flights
Most flights are canceled 95%+ will there be a new free extension (for those that stayed legal so far) till international travel runs? Many thanks in advance.
The covid extensions have been extended until late September.
Means automatically seeing current situation?
No. You have to go and apply at your local Immigration office. The fee is 1,900 Baht. The automatic extensions ended several months ago.
With the flight cancelations and travel restrictions Thailand immigration has gotten out of control. They want to go back to business as normal buts its not. Other countries immigration services have extended people who are stranded visa automatically every 30 days, but Thailand started this 60 day Covid-19 visa for 1900 Baht.
It’s not unreasonable at all. If you are broke, and cannot leave the country, it’s not their problem. It’s yours. Your problem is you cannot fly or drive to cheap destinations like VN, KH, LA, border, because the border is closed, and Europe and USA are too far (you don’t have enough money or don’t want pay the money to go there), so instead of blaming yourself you complain that Thai immigration rules are unreasonable. It’s not unreasonable. 60 days is a long time for a tourist. If you are staying longer, get the appropriate visa.
Hi Sir,
I was fined in a Thai court 1000 Baht for a small labor law issue and was put in the IDC for a few hours then deported. My 5-year ban officially finished yesterday.
My questions are,
Is my ban automatically removed or must I apply for removal?
Can I enter on a Non-B visa ever again or am I a tourist forever?
Thanks for your reply
Yes it is automatically approved. You can only get a Non immigrant B visa if you are working legally in Thailand. If you get a job here and your company provides the correct paperwork then you will be able to get a B category visa.
Hi Sir,
I am still having problems,
I explained the situation and showed my deportation stamp to the Thai Embassy here in my home country and got a visa and all the current entry approvals with the COE from them to enter Thailand via the Phuket Sandbox scheme.
Unfortunately I am still outside of Thailand and was stopped from boarding my flight to Phuket last night. The airline check in counter spoke to Thailand Immigration about it, and we were told that yes my 5-year Ban is finished, and I am clear, but the ban is not automatically removed, and I must apply for the Ban on my entry to be removed officially.
I can’t find any information about this anywhere.
My questions are,
How do I do this?
Who do I contact?
Any information you could pass on to me would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You.
You will have to contact the Immigration head office.
Immigration Bureau 507 Soi Suan Plu Sathorn Bangkok 10120
TEL: 1178 / 0-2287-3101
FAX: 0-2287-1516, 0-2287-1310
Monday – Friday: 08:30 – 16:30
This website helped me so I thought I’d share my experience while on my flight out of Thailand now.
Go to Suvarnabhumi airport and get your boarding pass. Ideally don’t wait around the airport…Arrive when the desks open.
Pass security.
Head to the immigration officer and just mention your overstay. They will take you to the counter to pay and stamp you out.
The immigration officers were friendly and joking around but obviously be apologetic and don’t make any jokes about overstaying else it might not be well received. Just be polite and apologetic.
I overstayed about 2 years.
Thanks for the report, Jay.
My daughter will be 15 years old this coming November 09, 2021. I’m working here in Thailand and I have work permit. I can’t process her non-o visa because of pandemic. I am planning to go back to our country on December.
My question is ….Do I need to pay her overstay in immigration when we go back to our country ?
No. Children don’t get fined if they overstay with their parents.
Can you pay your fine at the check in point? Are there going to be someone who assist you with paying the fine in case of you not knowing what to do?
You pay the fine at Immigration when you get stamped out of Thailand. An immigration officer will show you what to do.
Is the fine payable at suvarnabhumi airport 24 hours a day? In the case of a 5am flight. Or do you need to go during certain hours?
Yes. Open 24 hours. You pay the fine when you are getting stamped out of Thailand at Immigration
Where is the immigration in the airport? Is it the place where you check in your luggage?
After you check in you go through security and then to Immigration. Follow the signs.
Hello, what if I forgot to extend my covid-19 visa extension and two days overstay? I have to get additional covid-19 visa extension on July 18th, but I forgot it.
Go to your local immigration office today, apologize, pay the 500 Baht / day fine and get a new covid extension.