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.
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 you pay the fine and 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.
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.