Going on the run and hiding in Thailand

Thailand is Cambodia's neighbor to the West, and this forum is dedicated to Thai news, stories, reviews, blogs, videos, Thai people and anything else related to the country. A lot of expats have both lived and worked in Cambodia and Thailand, and this area is a place to discuss all aspects of life in Thailand and what's going on there. Most topics are about Bangkok and Pattaya because of their larger populations of expatriates and tourists in those cities, but this is for all things Thai.
SiemReapRoddy
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Going on the run and hiding in Thailand

Post by SiemReapRoddy »

I think I will post this here because I don't think it would be allowed to be discussed on a forum like ThaiVisa.

Let's say this thing keeps on getting worse and worse each month, so in the end we're talking about 6 months until everything returns to normal.

That equals 1,900 baht x 6 immigration visits, transport to immigration 6 times, and finally around 30 hours (5 hours each visit) wasted in immigration.

Total = roughtly 12,000 baht + so many hours of your life you'll never get back.

Or just go somewhere it's unlikely you'll be caught and live there for 6 months. 20,000 baht fine when you leave, but it's only really 8.000 baht when you take away the above.

The worst thing here is the fact you can't make any plans in month because you're living 30 days at a time.

It could actually be worse because I heard they only give you 20 days on a first visit + extra 10 on the second.

Now you would be banned from Thailand for a year if you're not caught. There are places where this would be easy.

And you would have to pay around $300 on the way out. Spend the next year 6 months in Cambodia + 6 months in Sri Lanka/Bali

Would you take the chance for some normality?

Even if they would just give out 3 month visas for 1,900 x 3 it would be so much easier.

I've heard Philippines, Indonesia, and other countries are giving expats a free pass until this world pandemic is over. Get your act together Thailand, even if it's just so having thousands of foreigners stuck together every day at immigration could help save Thai lives.
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phuketrichard
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Re: Going on the run and hiding in Thailand

Post by phuketrichard »

ur forgetting, if ur Caught, ( vs turning urslef in for overstay) you go to immigration lock up till you pay ur fine and get deported or sit there till someone else pays it, plus ur ticket out

They give you 30 days each time but each time u need a letter from ur embassy (can be done by email)

Dont like it here? fucking leave, (if u can) go home
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
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yongchi
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Re: Going on the run and hiding in Thailand

Post by yongchi »

As @phuketrichard has pointed out, that is not a good idea.

Also, overstaying (and in particular that long) might make you ineligible for obtaining a Thai Elite visa in the future.
You may say, "I will never need that."
But, as others have found out, things can change.

An intact reputation is worth a lot more than the savings on visa extensions.
hunter8
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Re: Going on the run and hiding in Thailand

Post by hunter8 »

If this goes on for 6 months, don’t you think it will be a Mad Max reality show? I very much hope that by the end of April the world powers will have understood that shutting down blood flow to kill the virus much less deadly than humanity had coped with in its history will finish off the host for good. I expect they start opening up everything no later than June, otherwise the worst chaos will descend.
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Cowshed Cowboy
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Re: Going on the run and hiding in Thailand

Post by Cowshed Cowboy »

Offering a 3 month extension option in the current climate should really be a sensible option. I doubt many who took advantage of it would be too disappointed if it turned out it wasn't fully utilised.

Prohibiting mass gatherings everywhere and ignoring the crowding issue at immigration offices needs addressing and shouldn't be that difficult to improve if there is a will to do so.
Yes sir, I can boogie, I can boogie, boogie, boogie all night long.
SiemReapRoddy
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Re: Going on the run and hiding in Thailand

Post by SiemReapRoddy »

yongchi wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 7:51 pm As @phuketrichard has pointed out, that is not a good idea.

Also, overstaying (and in particular that long) might make you ineligible for obtaining a Thai Elite visa in the future.
You may say, "I will never need that."
But, as others have found out, things can change.

An intact reputation is worth a lot more than the savings on visa extensions.
Yeah, I was just thinking it does sound a bit stupid long-term.

But an adventure short-term for sure lol

Maybe I will want to come back next year.
SiemReapRoddy
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Re: Going on the run and hiding in Thailand

Post by SiemReapRoddy »

Cowshed Cowboy wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 7:59 pm Offering a 3 month extension option in the current climate should really be a sensible option. I doubt many who took advantage of it would be too disappointed if it turned out it wasn't fully utilised.

Prohibiting mass gatherings everywhere and ignoring the crowding issue at immigration offices needs addressing and shouldn't be that difficult to improve if there is a will to do so.
I agree with what you and hunter8 are saying.

A 3 month option would be good even if it turns out it's not fully needed.

The UK are reporting they will probably be on lockdown until June, so it sounds like a decent amount of time. Plus I'm sure those poor immigration staff would enjoy the break lol
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phuketrichard
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Re: Going on the run and hiding in Thailand

Post by phuketrichard »

Cowshed Cowboy wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 7:59 pm Offering a 3 month extension option in the current climate should really be a sensible option. I doubt many who took advantage of it would be too disappointed if it turned out it wasn't fully utilised.

Prohibiting mass gatherings everywhere and ignoring the crowding issue at immigration offices needs addressing and shouldn't be that difficult to improve if there is a will to do so.
sensible? Thai immigration? Surely you jest> (you like to jump on me when i make stupid comments ) LOL

Look bottom line, everyone can get back to their own country. The only ones stuck, are ones with not enough $$, (how will they survive a few more months in Thailand and what were they doing here in the 1st place) or the ones not creative.

Bangkok airports are open for flights out
Friend of mine just flew home to Germany via Finland & Switzerland 3 days ago
booked his flight last week
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
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Cowshed Cowboy
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Re: Going on the run and hiding in Thailand

Post by Cowshed Cowboy »

phuketrichard wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 8:40 pm
Cowshed Cowboy wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 7:59 pm Offering a 3 month extension option in the current climate should really be a sensible option. I doubt many who took advantage of it would be too disappointed if it turned out it wasn't fully utilised.

Prohibiting mass gatherings everywhere and ignoring the crowding issue at immigration offices needs addressing and shouldn't be that difficult to improve if there is a will to do so.
sensible? Thai immigration? Surely you jest> (you like to jump on me when i make stupid comments ) LOL

Look bottom line, everyone can get back to their own country. The only ones stuck, are ones with not enough $$, (how will they survive a few more months in Thailand and what were they doing here in the 1st place) or the ones not creative.

Bangkok airports are open for flights out
Friend of mine just flew home to Germany via Finland & Switzerland 3 days ago
booked his flight last week
Yeah I didn't say I expected them to do it but hope springs eternal. I genuinely feel sorry for those that have to visit Chaeng Wattana immigration in Bangkok but the Pattaya office was also absolute chaos last week.

Too simplistic to say it's only people without $$'s that remain, I know several people whose flights to the UK were cancelled who decided to stay here rather than the much stricter confinement back home, money was not the issue. I contemplated bringing forward my May flight but I stay with my elderly mother so that introduced potential risk to her, money was not the issue. My best friend was reluctantly leaving on the last BA flight but would have stayed if a longer visa had been guaranteed. I'd imagine many people didn't like the thought of potential exposure on the flight home so have remained. Just as an aside 2 friends flew out with rearranged BA flights on Friday and a couple who pitched up at the desk in an attempt to get on paid £2,000 each

I don't really care about their reasoning for staying but it's created a situation where a visit to the immigration office is the riskiest exposure potential for those of us taking sensible day to day precautions. Not something I'm particularly looking forward to even though it's a couple of months away.
Yes sir, I can boogie, I can boogie, boogie, boogie all night long.
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John Bingham
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Re: Going on the run and hiding in Thailand

Post by John Bingham »

Wow, there have been many times over the years where I've been called a dumb ass on forums because I went to the bother of getting all my paperwork in order. Look what happened to the people who thought they were above this and could just pay a little baksheesh, all banished forevermore.
Silence, exile, and cunning.
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