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Thailand Visa Overstay Guide : Rules, Fines, Deportation, Bans

If you’re new to Thailand, you might not know much about the concept of overstaying your visa.

Even if you’ve made a few trips back and forth already, you may have heard the term but might not fully understand the rules or consequences.

Either way, it’s an essential topic that every visitor should take the time to understand. Overstaying your visa can lead to fines, penalties, or even serious complications with future travel plans, so it’s worth being well-informed.

In this post, I provide a comprehensive breakdown of the visa overstay rules in Thailand. I’ll also share practical tips to help you avoid the hassle, stress, and potential issues that can arise from overstaying.

Immigration Thailand

A real picture I took outside the airport. It had two foreigners on visa overstay charges in the back, ready to be taken to the detention center.

What Does Overstay Mean?

Overstay refers to remaining in Thailand beyond the period permitted by your visa or entry stamp.

For example, staying more than 30 days on a 30-day exemption stamp constitutes an overstay.

Similarly, exceeding 60 days on a single-entry tourist visa or staying beyond 90 days on a single-entry Non-Immigrant O Visa would also be considered an overstay.

Is Overstaying Illegal?

It is illegal to overstay your visa in Thailand, but overstaying by a small number of days does not carry a serious penalty.

However, overstaying for a long period of time could land you in serious trouble. The penalty is significantly more severe if you are caught by authorities rather than self-declaring your overstay at immigration.

What Are the Current Overstay Ban Rules?

  • Overstay more than 90 days: 1 year ban from Thailand
  • Overstay more than  1 year: 3 year ban from Thailand
  • Overstay more than  3 years: 5 year ban from Thailand
  • Overstay more than  5 years: 10 year ban from Thailand

How Much Is the Overstay Fine?

The fine depends on the number of days you have overstayed. The minimum charge is 500 Baht per day. This goes up to a maximum of 20,000 Baht for overstays of 40 days or longer.

What Happens If I Am Arrested by Immigration?

If you are arrested by immigration for overstaying your visa, the penalty is far worse.

It is likely that you will be taken to an immigration detention centre. After this, you will be subject to the following ban:

  • Overstay less than 1-year: 5 year ban from Thailand
  • Overstay more than 1-year: 10 year ban from Thailand

Where Is the Immigration Detention Center?

The IDC (Immigration Detention Center) is located at the Immigration Office on Soi Suanplu, Bangkok. If you are arrested for overstaying, you will be held there while awaiting a court date. If deportation is ordered, you will remain in the center until your flight home.

As we've seen reported in the news multiple times, conditions at the IDC are notoriously harsh. The facility is often overcrowded, unhygienic, and infested with cockroaches. Meals are poor in quality, and there is typically no bedding provided. These grim conditions highlight the importance of staying within the legal limits of your visa to avoid such consequences.

Note that the IDC is generally somewhere a serious overstayer will be taken. We're talking months and years, not days.

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Will I Be Banned If I Overstay by a Few Days?

No, overstaying your visa in Thailand does not automatically result in a black mark against your record. Many foreigners pay overstay fines every day without lasting consequences.

The easiest place to pay your fine is at the airport, as you depart Thailand. However, the official legal stance is that anyone on overstay should immediately report to an immigration office to settle the fine.

You may have noticed overstay booths located past passport control at airports offering international flights. These booths are specifically set up for paying overstay fines.

Overstaying by a day or two is quite common, often due to unforeseen circumstances like feeling unwell and unable to travel. In such cases, you can pay the 500 Baht per day fine at the airport's overstay counter.

For example, if you overstay by 4 days, the total fine would be:
4 days × 500 Baht = 2,000 Baht.

That said, don't make a habit of overstaying your visa. While a short overstay due to illness or a lost passport is understandable, overstaying just to extend your trip—like spending an extra day with a friend or partner—is not a valid excuse.

If you're a frequent visitor to Thailand, it’s wise to maintain a clean immigration history by always leaving on or before the date specified on your visa. A good track record ensures smooth future visits.

What If I Over Stay by More Than a Few Days?

If you find yourself in a situation where you have overstayed your visa by more than five days, it is best to visit the nearest immigration office and explain your circumstances. You will most likely be required to pay the fine there.

Depending on your situation, you may also be allowed to apply for an extension of stay. This extension would grant you the legal right to remain in Thailand for a specified period of time.

For those who have overstayed by more than 90 days, it is highly advisable to seek legal advice to assist with preparing your exit as soon as possible. Legal assistance can help reduce the risk of detention. Keep in mind that in such cases, you will likely face a one-year ban from re-entering Thailand.

What If I Overstay in Thailand More Than Once?

Overstaying your visa once or twice by a day or two is unlikely to cause any significant issues. However, repeated or continuous violations of immigration laws can create problems for you.

Your passport could be stamped with a notice of your violation, which may complicate future travel to Thailand and make obtaining visas for other countries more challenging.

It’s always best to stay on the right side of the law to avoid unnecessary complications.

What If I Overstay by a Few Hours, Will I Be Fined?

Probably not. Immigration understands that flights can be canceled or delayed, or that unforeseen circumstances like traffic may cause you to miss your flight.

When situations beyond your control lead to overstaying, there is usually no issue. Even if you are charged for a day of overstay, it’s generally not a big deal.

Can Children Be Fined for Overstay?

Children under the age of 15 are not fined for overstaying but will still receive an overstay stamp if they overstay when leaving the country.

Please note that being exempt from the overstay fine does not exempt children from needing a valid visa to enter the country or a valid extension to stay in the country. More on child visas here. 

In Summary

The overstay rules in Thailand are stricter than they used to be, but they are still relatively reasonable, especially considering how the system has been abused over the years.

Paying 500 Baht per day for a couple of extra days in Thailand is not a significant expense, and it's reassuring to know that if you're ill and need to rearrange your flight, you can pay your overstay fine at the airport.

That said, the easiest way to avoid overstaying is to be organized. Plan your trip to ensure you have a visa that adequately covers the amount of time you want to stay in Thailand.

If you think you might need more than the 30 or 15 days granted upon arrival (depending on your nationality), make sure to obtain the appropriate visa before you arrive.

+ Find out what visa you need here

Rather than think; “If I need more time, I will just do a visa run“, instead apply for a single or multiple-entry tourist visa before you leave your home country. That way you will have the extra time you need.

A visa run means traveling across the border by land or air to a neighboring country and usually returning the same day. This gives you a new entry stamp in your passport and resets your stay.

If you do need to do a visa run, check out the fastest and cheapest option here.

Also remember that you can always extend your stay in the kingdom by visiting an immigration office. So if you are three quarters of the way through your holiday and think you might want to stay longer, take the afternoon out and go to immigration to extend your visa.

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Comments Sort by : newest | oldest

  1. huss says

    Good day,

    second time overstay,

    Sorry for Overstay, 1st overstayed in 2019 march 40 days, then i paid 20,000 at airport and go back my country hassle free, after i took visitor visa and arrived at suvarnabhumi airport and get 60 days entry, i stayed in kingdom 35 days and went back.

    in Nov 2019 i came again on tourist visa and get entry for 60 days, and this time unfortunately i get overstayed about 85 days , now i am planning to leave kingdom before 90 days,

    can i banned ? or just paid fine and can leave without ban??

    please share your expertise.
    Reply

      • Claire says

        I overstayed in January 2019 111 due to passport being stolen, getting new passport and advice and assistance from my country's Consulate. I honestly had no idea I would be detained.

        I am back home but want to go back to Thailand but noone is able to assist me with any information with when I can go back. My country's Consulate at the time said 5 years but since then, they said it's not up to them and check with Thai Immigration which we all know is quite impossible!
        When IDC released me they never gave me any information and at the time going back to BKK was the last thing on my mind, but the wasposters on the walls there that stated clearly I recall that my category was that I could go back in 3 years.
        I just need clarification and confirmation before I go back as getting detained and sent back home is the last thing I want to happen.
        Who can assist me?
        Reply

        • Max says

          An overstay because of a stolen passport is no excuse. You should have reported it to the police at once and showed the report at the local immigration office and to your embassy/consulate. If you report an overstay >90 days up to 1 year, you're banned 1 year + a 20,000 baht fine. If you get caught or being arrested for some reason and on an overstay up to 1 year you'll be detained, deported and banned up to 5 years.
          Reply

          • Claire says

            Okay whatever. I actually did and followed the procedures as per guidelines. I don’t need a lecture ad you don’t know the situation.

            I’m not here asking for your approval I am asking for information if you can provide it?
            Reply

          • Claire says

            Okay whatever.

            It’s not clear at all hence why I am asking.
            I actually did and follow as guided by the Consulate guidelines. I don’t need a lecture ad you don’t know the situation.

            I’m not here asking for your approval I am asking for information if you can provide it?
            Reply

        • TheThailandLife says

          Hi Claire,Usually your passport is stamped with the blacklist. It would be a red box with red writing in the middle and the number of years you are banned for written in pen. If you didn't get a stamp you would have been given a letter. That said, it is possible to be blacklisted and have neither. The only way to fully confirm this would be through a lawyer. Your consulate, assisting you at the time, should have told you if you were. My assumption is that you were not blacklisted because you had a valid reason for overstay and were being officially assisted by your consulate, so you were transparent about your overstay. Were you detained at the airport? How any days did you overstay?
          Reply

          • Claire says

            Please don’t lecture- there is no need. I am here for information as it’s hard to obtain.
            I need to go back to work there to travel and it’s been almost 4 years.
            I presented to to Immigration as directed by the Consulate. I went to the Police snd presented by police report and all docs etc but they didn’t accept snd just looked online at my passport snd ignored new passport.

            I have seen the information however there is no stamp. And it was 111 days snd because I went to Immigration I obviously turned myself in. And went to Court etc.
            is it 3 years OR 5 years it’s not really clear.
            Reply

            • TheThailandLife says

              Hi Claire, I didn't lecture and don't intend to; I'm just providing information and trying to understand exactly what happened. It is likely your ban is 5 years because you were arrested and detained. If you had presented yourself to immigration at an office prior to going to the airport it would have been a 1-year ban.That being said, I can't understand why your consulate didn't advise you to notify immigration via an office as soon as possible after losing your passport, rather than going to the airport to declare overstay. They caused a much bigger problem for you. Personally, I would contact a company like Siam Legal and explain what happened. They will charge a fee to find out what your official immigration status is. Then you will know for sure whether you can return yet or not.
              Reply

          • Claire says

            I was assisted by my Consulate. They were asissting me from the moment my passport was stolen with all that I needed to do including Police Report, getting a new passport, etc and what to do. When I got a new temporary passport they told me to go to Immigration with my documents and I should not have to pay the overstay fine- which is what I was concerned about.
            I was not aware that I would be detained- they never informed me this was a possiblity and they said I should not have to even pay that when I provided all my forms ie police reports. However, Immigration said different and they did not accept my new passport and looked at my old passport on the computer and ignored my other information incl. Police Report.
            One Officer said its a shame I came into Immigration as otherwise easy fixed with a fine but too many eyes on this now. My Consulate said opps , depends who you get bad luck basically.
            I was detained, and went to Court and deported.
            I have seen all the rules you are quoting and because I turned myself in it should be 3 years right? Not 5 years.
            But I cant really confirm and I dont want to go to BKK and be detailed in IDC.
            I was given a letter by my Consulate that said 5 years I cannot return however as I said above, that is inconsistant with the rules that were in IDCa nd the ones you state. And I have since spoken to the Consulate and they said this was just advice to help, I have to speak with Immigration as it has nothing to do with them.
            There is no stamp in my passport!
            Reply

    • Max says

      Don't you know anything about extensions at the local immigration office and border runs? If you extend a 60 days tourist visa 30 days,then do a border run for another 30 days and then extend it another 30 days then you've got 90 extra days.
      Reply

  3. Matthew says

    I overstayed my visa of 96 days I paid at the airport 20,000 baht I was given a red stamp ,with a number 1 in Blue ink in the middle of the red stamp ,is that a 1 year ban
    When the ban is finished can I go back two thailand
    Reply

    • Max says

      Yes, your ban is 1 year and you can come back. My advise is, don't do it again. If you had overstayed 89 days, you would have been ok,no ban. Some will say that getting a new passport is a good idea,they might be correct.
      Reply

  4. Linda says

    Hi,
    We have a tight schedule here in Thailand. If everything goes well we will not overstay, but if one of us gets ill and won't be able to travel we might have an overstay of one or two days. We plan to cross to border to Laos near Chiang Rai. Do the same rules apply? Do we just pay the fine there and everything is okay?
    Reply

  5. Steve says

    Hey, if my baby overstay for 30 days? my wife have extension for 30 days because she has Ukrainian passport, but we could not make same extension for baby girl, because she has Russian passport and it is just 7 days extension for Russians
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      You can get a visa extension for a child of any age. If you don't, your child will not be fined because children are exempt from fines in Thailand. They will still put an overstay stamp in the child's passport, but there will be no fine or ban.
      Reply

  6. Cyril says

    hello, i come regularly in thailand with 30 days stay. This year i realised that next week when i will come back to BKK, i already stayed a total of 178 days this year. So should i leave the next day to not stay over 180 days? or can i stay until my return flight ticket that will be beginning of december, then i guess pay a fine?
    Reply

    • Max says

      There's no fine for staying more than 180 days,but you might have a problem entering Thailand at the airport. There's been a lot of reports this year about people being denied to enter because of to many 30 days visa exempts and to many days in Thailand as a tourist. You might be asked to show an outbound ticket and 20000 baht or equal in other currency in cash.
      Reply

  7. Sarah says

    I overstayed by 15 days on a 60 day tourist visa - I found out when I went to go get the 30 day extension. I had stupidly mistaken my visa's validity date for the amount of time I could be in the country. The fine is paid and the extension was approved. When I leave though, can I apply for another 60-day tourist visa or is this going to be a problem?! (I am eventually getting an ed visa)
    Reply

  9. Nick says

    Hello. I’m from Russia. I overstay 4 month. I want to fly to Vietnam don’t comeback to my country. So If we deduct 500 baht per day, it would be 60,000 baht. but can I pay 20,000 baht? will i have no problem? how much should I pay at least for 4 months For fly to other country?
    Reply

  10. Elaine blowers says

    I have unintentionally booked a flight from uk landing in Bangkok midday 6th November and departing Bangkok 6th December at 20.30pm.
    I thought I was in Thailand for 30 nights and 30 full days but revisiting my ticket I’m there 30 days 20 hours .
    Will I be stopped entering Thailand as I will have completed a landing card with my departure dates as the 6th dec?
    Reply

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