Phuket: 4 foreigners arrested for overstaying visas by up to 5 years

Immigration officers in Phuket apprehended four foreign men for overstaying their visas, with periods ranging from 234 days to over five years, during random inspections yesterday morning.

Police conducted passport checks at locations known for harbouring visa overstayers as part of the ongoing Operation X-ray, targeting individuals violating visa regulations.

Among those arrested were two Egyptians, one Pakistani, and one Russian. Mohamed, an Egyptian, had overstayed for 1,898 days, while Zubair, a Pakistani, had a 1,734-day overstay. Another Egyptian, Haitham, was found to have overstayed by 234 days, and a Russian named Dmitrii had a 413-day overstay.

The full names of the individuals were not disclosed.

Following their arrest, all four men were charged and handed over to local police for further legal proceedings, reported Bangkok Post.

Property owners where these individuals were staying received fines for failing to report the presence of foreign guests within 24 hours of their arrival, as mandated by Section 38 of the Immigration Act.

In related news, police arrested an anti-social Austrian man for overstaying his visa by more than two years in the Isaan province of Buriram on May 8 after locals complained that the foreigner repeatedly harassed locals and behaved erratically.

Thai people in the Non Din Daeng district and nearby districts of Buriram filed a police report that the foreign man, later identified as 48 year old Austrian national named Harald Rothauer, was annoying residents in the areas.

According to locals, Rothauer frequently vented his anger on bystanders, damaged property, and engaged in other disruptive behaviour for a long time. They believed his actions stemmed from mental illness.

Immigration Bureau officers investigated and discovered that Rothauer frequently changed accommodations, typically staying at hotels. He reportedly had a Thai girlfriend but her identity was not disclosed.

Officers tracked Rothauer down and arrested him at a resort in the Isarn sub-district of the province. He was unable to produce his physical passport but showed officers a picture of it on his phone.