We understand it. Thailand is a beautiful country and anyone who’s been in the country always feels like not leaving. So naturally, it is but normal for anyone visiting to consider overstaying their visa. Overstaying is fun when done legally, but when done without the proper visa it could lead to one trouble after another. So much so that you’d quickly realize that the length of thailand stay without a visa is not worth the trouble at all. Just so you know how troublesome the experience can get, read on. The following are the consequences that you would have to deal with if you will overstay your visa in Thailand:
1. Fines
Overstaying will cost you money. You will be subjected to daily fines for every day that you overstay your visa. You would want to prevent this as such fines can easily balloon as they will accumulate by the day. You would not want to lose money for the rest of your travel itinerary. Not having money while in a foreign country can be a very tricky situation.
2. Detention and Deportation
The Government of Thailand has the right to detain overstayers. This will especially be the case for people who have overstayed for too long and were caught at a random immigration check. Do you have plans of experiencing being detained in a foreign country? If it’s not part of your bucket list at all, then it’s best if you will simply not overstay. Detained individuals are deported back to their home countries after legal proceedings. They will be fully responsible for all the expenses.
3. Bans and Blacklisting
If you have plans of returning to Thailand, then it’s best to not consider overstaying at all. Overstaying can lead to being blacklisted or banned from ever visiting the country again. The duration of the ban will depend on the length of your overstay. If you love Thailand and you want to visit it again and again, it’s best to not even consider overstaying. Don’t play with fate as bans could last for a year to a lifetime.
4. Loss of Legal Status
Foreigners who overstay in Thailand also lose their legal status. This means that they will be vulnerable to being arrested or deported at any given time. This is not good if you have a business in the country or have plans to build one. You may also lose employment if you have been actively employed in the country.
5. Employment Issues
As already mentioned in the previous paragraph, overstaying in Thailand can lead to employment troubles. It will be especially tricky for foreigners who are gainfully employed in Thailand who overstay. This is because it will become hard for them to renew their work permits. They may also have a hard time obtaining new ones in the future. Not only this, their employers may also be penalized on the ground that they hired illegal workers. This is because overstayers are considered as illegal workers.
6. Damage to Reputation
The consequences of your overstaying will not be limited to your Thailand plans. It will also greatly affect your reputation as a person and as a citizen of your country. Being detained and deported in Thailand will affect your personal and professional relationships. It may be harder for you to look for employment as you have a record that says that you acted in an unplanned, unorganized, and illegal way. To avoid this, just simply avoid overstaying.
7. Financial Consequences
You will lose big amounts of money once you’re caught as an overstayer. Apart from fines that would be computed on a daily basis and would accumulate, you would also have to spend for:
Deportation – you will shoulder all the expenses for your flight back to your home country. The Thai Government will not shoulder the deportation costs.
Legal Fees – you would have to hire a lawyer and pay for necessary fees during legal proceedings
Once caught as an overstayer, you may also lose your assets and investments in Thailand.
8. Difficulty Obtaining Future Visas
If caught as an overstayer, it would already be hard for you to apply for future visas to Thailand. What’s worse is, it will also be harder for you to apply for visas to other countries. This is because your record as an overstayer will be considered in all your visa applications. Countries will be wary of giving you the right to visit their territory once they gather data that you disobeyed the local laws of the country that you visited.
9. Travel Plan Delays
As you may be fined, detained, or even deported, you will have to deal with delays in your travel plans. This is because you will not be immediately allowed to leave Thailand once you’re caught as an overstayer. Your schedule will be delayed and your planned activities may even be postponed. This, in turn, would lead to additional financial concerns.
10. Mental Health
You will be extremely stressed if you choose to overstay. This is the most natural consequence as you will be well aware of the fact that you are doing something wrong. What is the point in overstaying if you won’t feel at peace and joyful at all? Traveling with constant fear and anxiety about being possibly caught is simply not the way to go. Living in a state of uncertainty and continuous stress is not good for your health. It’s simply not a way to enjoy traveling. It’s simply not a way to live.
Reference:
Thailand Overstaying Regulations
tratimmigration.com/thailand-visa-overstay-regulations
