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The overstayers at Chalong Police Station on Phuket today

European Expats Arrested for Overstaying

Saturday, August 24, 2013
PHUKET: Three European expats were arrested on Phuket today as the campaign against overstayers went into overdrive.

Two Frenchmen held by Immigration officers had been on Phuket since January but the third expat arrested, a Swiss man, had been living on the island without a visa update since December, 2010.

The arrests came at 10am at a petrol station in southern Phuket as Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Pracha Promnok was briefing police from four top tourist provinces about the need for added security.

Extra checks already in place have been redoubled with the disppearance of 300 visa entry forms from the Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

The three men arrested today at a PTT petrol station in Chao Fa Road West, southern Phuket, are:

Damien Yann Minnig 31 from Switzerland, who arrived at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport on December 3, 2010, and whose visa expired on January 1, 2011;

Frank Georges Vincent Fechant 50 from France, who arrived via Phuket International Airport on January 19, 2013, and was due to leave before February 17;

Soulimant Loic Yves Bartholemy 23 from France, who arrived via Suvarnabhumi airport on January 24 and was due to leave on February 22.

The men were taken to Chalong Police Station for questioning. If standard proceedure is followed, they will appear in court at the first opportunity and be fined before being deported at their own expense.

The fine for overstaying in Thailand is 500 baht a day but the maximum fine is usually set at 20,000 baht.

Today Deputy Prime Minister Pracha told senior police and Immigration officers from four provinces - Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga and Surat Thani, home to Samui and Phangan islands - that all foreigners are coming under greater scrutiny for the safety and protection of Thailand's tourists.

''Resorts will be expected to provide more thorough details about the movements of their guests,'' a large meeting of police heard on Phuket today.

Comments

Comments have been disabled for this article.

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If Immigration is reading this, all they have to do is go to Rawai and have a field day on Overstays + No work permits.

For Clarity

"have a field day"
to have an opportunity to do a lot of something you want to do

Posted by Ham Sandwich on August 24, 2013 13:06

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Oh yess !! Every tourist is soooo scared of overstaying foreigners. All safety and protection concerns lie among overstaying foreigners.

Posted by chris on August 24, 2013 13:12

Editor Comment:

More expats have been murdered by other expats than Thais lately. chris. The problem is that more and more arrivals from overseas these days are extortionists, thieves, drug dealers and criminals of all kinds. Yourself excluded, of course.

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In fact, South-East-Asia is flooded by many youth students, economic refugees from the recession and lack of jobs in Europe and around the world.
Also foreign criminals know that in Thailand with little money and bribes to civil servants (Police, Labour Department, etc...) with the help of rogue lawyers or accounting offices, it is possible to hide from police in their home countries by setting up a Ltd Part with Thai nominees to get a valid work-permit and a VISA valid for one year.
Many are working in bars, restaurants, guest-houses, yachting industry, dive centers, language schools, boxing training centers as well as time-share touts.

Posted by Whistle-Blower on August 24, 2013 13:48

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OK I am not going to gain support on this but if people overstay as long as they are not hurting anyone or any Police issues in Thailand especially the older overstayers say over 60 can't they be allowed to pay a fine and stay. On the second point I really don't see people staying in resorts being a target as those people are spending more money than most which surely is what most countries want. I am spending about 4000-5000 every month flying out and would much prefer to go to Immigration and get a stamp for say 1900 which is the extension fee. Lastly are you allowed straight back in if you are deported for overstaying as opposed to a more serious offence. PS I am not over 60.

Posted by Fiesty Farang on August 24, 2013 14:12

Editor Comment:

You're attempting to make distinctions for leniency that don't exist, FF. Relatively rich people can be criminals, too. The reason why international police spend a lot of time looking at tourist destinations is because they make perfect places for seriously bad criminals to hide, especially those places where enforcement is lax. Two of the most notorious killings of expats on Phuket in recent times were committed by expats following their victims from other tourist destinations in Thailand. One of those killings took place at a five-star Phuket apartment block. It's not worth taking risks.

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Pro tip: Check the muay thai camps

Posted by Ham Sandwich on August 24, 2013 14:32

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"I am spending about 4000-5000 every month flying out "

Get a visa instead of visa exempt entries.

Posted by stevenl on August 24, 2013 16:18

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A foreign associate thinks it's ok to prepare and serve F&B, use own vehicle to ferry guest around etc etc at small resort here in Thailand. This person has been advised by Thai lawyer/accountant that these general acts are allowed.

Posted by gee on August 24, 2013 16:32

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As anywhere else in the world it is not allowed to overstay a visa, so get them out of here. If immigration really got tough on visas and work permits , then I suspect we would see hundreds of deportations every month.

Posted by Sailor on August 24, 2013 16:42

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i met an overstayer in junceylon last year a fella about 25 he told me he worked in rock city as a doorman and was on good money

Posted by ayjay on August 24, 2013 17:12

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Just look for them and deport, I pay every year for my visa and workpermit and pay taxes in thailand. Why me and not the others ? It would solve another problem of the foreigners surviving in Thailand (see the article a few days ago)who should better go back to there country and try to solve there problems with there respective social system.

Posted by Eric on August 24, 2013 17:17

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I think they should take care of the Over-stayers, but I hardly believe that this is the most important cleaning Phuket needs. Still nothing from any Tuk Tuk or Black Taxi rank so far...! On the way from patong to Chalong I noticed plenty of black Taxis still hunting for clients (they are easy to spot with their trunk lid open). Nobody goes after them I guess...!

Posted by Erwin on August 24, 2013 17:47

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Overstay is illegal as working without WP - and Charly, you miss the point ;-)
But how could the tourism business serve all the tourists coming to Thailand without foreigners working here? Locals, unofortunaltely, many times aren't capable or willing to do the jobs. Overstaying or working without permit often are a consequence of unlogic labor and visa regulations. Illegal taxis aren't, though.

Posted by Resident on August 24, 2013 19:20

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Hello Editor,

Do you know if it will be enough to show the Driving License if you become checked by the Police. On the "New" License they can see the Passport #. Do they carry a Computer with all Expats Visa Status ? Troublesome to Carry the Passport all the time ( and also risky if it get lost). Thanks for your reply

Posted by MJ on August 24, 2013 19:40

Editor Comment:

All I can say is that having been asked for both my passport and work permit at the Tungthong Checkpoint the other day, the officer was able to scan both quickly at the police centre in the middle of the road. I was then allowed to proceed. I guess it depends on whether you expect problems or not. As a photojournalist, I saw a truckload of Burmese on the pavement, and got out of the car to take photos. The officer spotted me when he turned around, and wasn't happy. He asked me to delete the photographs, taken in a public street. I am never going to do that. But when i got home, I wiped them by accident. Hey, in other circumstances, it could be different. But clearly, there are times when you may need all your documents. ''Troublesome'' could be what happens if you don't produce what's requested.

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@stevenl your right I should do but I like a day in a different country and at these prices it's a small price to pay. Maybe next time I will go to Laos and meet a lovely girl in Ubon Thani on the way who I miss. Airasia were doing 840Baht each way to UT, can't be bad at that price.

Posted by Fisety Farang on August 24, 2013 20:18

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Who says that foreign extortionists, thieves, drug dealers, etc... go together with overstay ? Most of the fellows busted overstaying live their life peacefully without harming anyone. Some are just broken because of unhappy endings with thai ladies (and in phuket we all know what we are talking about). I know a couple of them who, if busted, have nobody and nowhere to go except staying where they are. They are not criminals and do not do any harm. They live thanks to money sent by their relatives and through some generosity by fellow mates here because they earn some compassion. I can say that overstaying is against the law therefore persecuted but to link overstaying with crimes committed towards others seems to me an overstatement.

Posted by paul on August 25, 2013 10:49

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Hang here is an article I found in PW from Thu Oct 21 2010.
"wsj.com A US businessman could become the first American sentenced to caning in Singapore in 16 years if convicted of breaking the city-state's immigration laws. Kamari Kenyada Charlton, 37, has been charged for overstaying his three-month tourist visa by 169 days." Ow not good.
Make sure your visas are all up to date.

Posted by Robin on August 25, 2013 11:02


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