Visa overstayers face bans of up to 10 years

Foreigners overstaying their visa in Thailand face being banned from the country by up to 10 years.

Offenders face blacklisting whether they turn themselves into authorities or whether they get arrested, reported the Nation.

Those who come clean face a 3-year ban for overstaying one year; a 5-year ban for overstaying three years; and a 10-year ban for those overstaying five years.

However those who get arrested face harsher penalties: a 5-year ban for overstaying less than one year and a 10-year ban for overstaying more than one year.

Overstaying a visa is illegal in Thailand, with offenders currently facing a maximum fine of up to THB20,000. 

“The existing law is weak,” immigration bureau chief Pol Maj Gen Natthorn Prosunthorn told the Nation.

The new measures will take effect next March.

Photo: Reuters