Indian, Pakistani men latest busts in overstay crackdown

Police are continuing crackdowns on overstayers and have arrested an Indian and a Pakistani man in Patong, both with entry stamps that expired over a thousand days ago. Both were arrested on Phra Baramee Road in the popular Patong area of Phuket on Monday.

The 35 year old Pakistani man overstayed his legal visa by 3,270 days according to the Phuket Immigration Office, which means he’s been in Thailand illegally for just under nine years. The Phuket Express reports that the man gave no clear reason why he did not attempt to renew his visa during that time.

The Indian man also had a significant overstay, though not quite as alarming as the Pakistani man. The 44 year old Indian was arrested at the same time and overstayed by 1,322 days. That’s just over three and a half years since his immigration stamp expired. Similarly, there was no clear explanation given why he didn’t extend his visa through any legal means.

Both violators were taken to Patong Police Station to face legal ramifications. They will likely face deportation and a ban on re-entering Thailand.

The two busts were the latest in a string of people being arrested, fined, or deported as part of the government’s crackdown on illegal overstaying. In the past few weeks several high-profile stories have made the news:

• On November 29, a South Korean woman was arrested in Bangkok for stealing a car, bag, and watch valued at over 5 million baht from a South Korean friend. Both the Korean man and Korean woman were also on overstay. When police caught up with her, they discovered that her passport stamp had expired 2,116 days ago. The South Korean woman had illegally overstayed her permitted time in Thailand by nearly six years.
• On December 8, Immigration Police arrested a Polish man in Koh Samui, wanted on an Interpol red notice for assault and illegal possession of firearms. He had overstayed his student visa by 36 days, which was cancelled by immigration on November 3 because he didn’t attend classes.
• On December 10, a South African man was busted for an overstay of about six and a half months. The man was arrested in the Thalang district of Phuket and found to have finished the stamp on his passport 196 days ago. When captured, he gave the excuse that he did not have enough money to get back home.
• On December 12, a Norwegian man was arrested by Surat Thani immigration officers at a house in Koh Samui’s Mae Nam sub-district. He overstayed by 15 days and was taken to the Koh Samui Police Station to face charges.
• On December 18, Immigration police arrested a woman from Uganda in Pathum Thani province for overstaying by 90 days. She is banned from entering Thailand for the next five years.
• On December 21, Surat Thani immigration officers busted yet another overstayer on Thailand’s island paradise of Koh Samui. The 74 year old British man had overstayed his visa by 38 days.