Thailand
Man arrested for allegedly overstaying 60 day tourist visa by 7 years

Immigration police arrested a 40 year old Nigerian man for allegedly overstaying his visa by 2,683 days. The man entered Thailand in April 2014 on a 60 day tourist visa. He was arrested in in Ratchathewi district of Bangkok.
Illegal immigration is considered as a major factor of the second wave of Covid-19 after the outbreak Samut Sakhon seafood market affecting a large migrant population.
Thai Visa says immigration officers were “targeting Africans to check on their visa status as part of measures associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.”
The penalties for overstaying in Thailand are as follows…
When surrendering at airport immigration when leaving Thailand…
- Overstay less than 90 Days = 500 Thai baht/day overstay fine (maximum 20,000 Thai baht)
- Overstay more than 90 Days = 1 year ban from Thailand and 20,000 Thai baht overstay fine
- Overstay more than 1 Year = 3 years ban from Thailand and 20,000 Thai baht overstay fine
- Overstay more than 3 Years = 5 years ban from Thailand and 20,000 baht overstay fine
- Overstay more than 5 Years = 10 years ban from Thailand and 20,000 baht overstay fine
When caught while overstaying…
- Overstay of 1 day to 1 Year = 5 years ban from Thailand and 500 to 20,000 Thai baht overstay fine.
- Overstay more than 1 Year = 10 years ban from Thailand and 20,000 Thai baht overstay fine.
SOURCES: True Crime Thailand | Thai Embassy| Thai Visa
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Protests
Pro-democracy activist hit with 6 million baht fine for removal of plants at rally site

Protest leader Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, aka “Rung”, has been hit with a fine of nearly 6 million baht, after removing plants at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument. Panusaya and 5 other activists have been charged with removing plants placed as decoration around the monument, during a political rally on February 13.
She says Samran Rat police station has ordered her to pay 5.9 million baht as a result of the action. She has also been charged with violation of the emergency decree and various disease control measures. In addition, she faces the serious charge of lèse majesté, following her role in a September 19 rally at the public square of Sanam Luang in Bangkok.
The Democracy Monument rally on February 13 was organised by the People’s Movement, calling for the release of 4 fellow activists. According to a Bangkok Post report, the plants were removed to make way for the rally. Another prominent pro-democracy activist, Panupong Jadnok, aka “Mike Rayong” accuses officials of deliberately planting the trees to create an obstruction. The rally ended in skirmishes with police at the Supreme Court, near Sanam Luang. Protesters were attempting to reach the Bangkok Pillar Shrine, but had their passage blocked by police.
Meanwhile, over the weekend, the government banned mass gatherings, including political protests, ostensibly due to Covid-19 fears. The law has been published in the Royal Gazette, coming into effect on Saturday. However, activists from the People Go network defied the law over the weekend, gathering in protest at the Democracy Monument and calling for the release of the 4 activists held on lèse majesté charges.
Various groups, including Amnesty International and the UN Human Rights Committee, have criticised the government’s use of the country’s lèse majesté law, with Amnesty International describing it as an attempt to silence dissent.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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Protests
Thailand’s pro-democracy activists ignore emergency decree warnings over weekend

Ignoring a police warning not to violate the emergency decree, pro-democracy activists gathered in their hundreds at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument yesterday. Although the anti-government protests have kicked off again after a 2 month hiatus, the numbers are well down on last years crowds, now measuring more in the hundreds than the thousands.
The Bangkok Post reports that members of the People Go network came together to call for 4 fellow activists to be released from Bangkok Remand Prison. The 4… Anon Nampa, Parit Chiwarak (aka. Penguin), Somyos Prueksakasemsuk, and Patiwat Saraiyaem… are being held on charges of violating section 112 of the Criminal Code (more commonly known as lèse majesté – criticising members of the Thai royal family). All 4 have been denied bail.
Officers from Samran Rat and Songkhram police stations issued statements to say the rally was in violation of the emergency decree. On Saturday, the government used the all-encompassing Covid-19 umbrella to issue a ban on political rallies across 6 provinces, including Bangkok.
Activist Jatupat Boonpattararaksa, aka, Pai Dao Din, ignored a police order for the rally to disperse and proceeded with setting up a stage at the Democracy Monument. He also gave assurances that the gathering would remain peaceful.
“We are not fighting the police deployed in front of us. We are fighting against dictatorship.”
Activists had walked 250 kilometres, from the north-eastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima (also known as Korat), reaching Bangkok’s Kasetsart University on Saturday. Yesterday, they ended their mammoth trek with a walk to the Democracy Monument.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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Protests
Motorists told to avoid certain areas in Bangkok as protests planned for today

Bangkok motorists are being told to avoid areas where protests are planned to take place today. Kasetsart intersection, Lat Phrao intersection, Rachaprasong shopping district’s Central World shopping mall and 11th Infantry Regiment barracks in Bangkhen are the sites where demonstrators are set to infiltrate.
The Metropolitan Police Commissioner says he is most concerned about the Lat Phrao intersection, due to the Redem or Restart Democracy group planning to hold a leaderless protest, which has been prone to violence in the past as demonstrated last Sunday. The group is an offset of the Free Youth movement, which is one of the main groups that have been demonstrating against the military-backed government.
The Redem protesters plan to march from the Lat Phrao intersection to the Criminal Court on Ratchadapisek Road, despite a law announced in the Royal Gazette last night which banned protests, mass gatherings and assemblies. The law stated the reasoning was not political, citing fears over Covid-19 instead.
The newly announced law would give the government a wider range of power in enforcing such public gatherings, with law-breakers being subjected to up to a 40,000 baht fine or up to 2 years in jail. The Redem group is expected to demand the release of core Ratsadon leaders and others being held in jail without bail.
The Ratsadon group reached the outskirts of Bangkok yesterday, after a nearly 250 kilometre-long march from the Thao Suranaree statue in Korat province’s Muang district province. But they were met by police who tried to prevent them from marching further into Bangkok, but eventually allowed them to keep marching until they reached the Kasetsart intersection. The group is expected to end the march tomorrow, at Democracy Monument.
Despite the groups’ plans to ignore the recent law that bans protests, police have warned that they will face charges if they defy the new order. 32 companies of anti-riot police have been placed on standby in light of the expected protests taking place in Thailand’s capital today.
SOURCE: Thai Pbs World
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Nipral
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 2:51 pm
Targeting Africans….!!!
KP
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 3:43 pm
Targeting people who overstayed
Nipral
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 9:29 pm
…and who happen to look Africans. Amazing Thailand !!!
chupapi
Sunday, January 24, 2021 at 1:47 pm
What’s the point? If he was blue-skinned, would you accuse them to target whoever comes from Pandora? Ridiculous.
Rasputin
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 2:59 pm
A potential 5 year ban + 20,000 baht fine for a 1 day overstay if caught, seem a rather disproportionate punishment to me. Airline breakdowns/cancellations can easily put a normally ‘law abiding’ traveler in this position through no fault of their own. I happened to me when flying on Philippine airways several years ago, fortunately without getting caught while returning to the airport following 2 days delay.
Issan John
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 9:38 pm
You could have simply told immigration when first at the airport, then your maximum fine would have been 1,000 baht for your two days (IIRC actually 500 baht as the first day is / used to be “free”).
So could anyone else now …
Stupidfarang
Wednesday, January 20, 2021 at 1:42 am
I once booked at ticket for a 4am flight the date after the stamp expired. I really didn’t realize it technically was the next day. Foolish me, thinking eh 4am that’s kinda like the same day, the sun hadn’t risen yet. 500b
I forgot how dates and times work when booking the ticket.
The 500b didn’t matter, it taught me a lesson. Fml. It probably went into his pocket bad on his smile. Oh the thai smile, when you give them money.
Imherelegally
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 3:33 pm
lol go down Soi 3 and 13 in Bangkok, you’ll find dozens of them
James R
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 6:02 pm
“Them” who? People who’ve overstayed? How would you know they’ve overstayed? Or are you using “them” as a term for African expats.
No jokes please
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 7:58 pm
Yes, he is referring to Africans. What`s wrong with that? Are you trying to ‘racist’ shame him? Wrong address buddy, nobody will buy your nonsense in this country.
James Pate
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 9:09 pm
Off the radar for seven years. Wonder what really happened. Was he out for a stroll and just got pulled up by chance? I’d bet an angry Thai girl dropped a dime on him for some real or imaginary offense.
James R
Wednesday, January 20, 2021 at 12:41 am
James R
Is there another James R as I did not write the comment above?
Dim Djum
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 5:42 pm
I guess if he been staying for a few years, he have not been importing covid then…..
Issan John
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 9:43 pm
Yes … para 2 that “illegal immigration is considered as a major factor of the second wave of Covid-19 …” does seem a bit misleading unless Covid-19 has an incubation period of well over six years rather than two weeks.
Dim Djum
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 5:44 pm
A raid in Khao San road when things open again, also could find a few.
Nipral
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 9:32 pm
A few what ? Africans ? At least unlike you they usually speak English…
Sam
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 7:50 pm
Hi arrest is nothing to do with covid and illegal immigration! Been in country since 2014 ! Same old Thai brainless thaiger hack writing
Ynwaps
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 8:05 pm
Illegal immigration from 4 years ago surely doesn’t contribute to the second wave of Covid-19. Another day another photo-op.
Bill
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 9:20 pm
Nigerians are the worst. Any country you encounter them, they are criminals.
chupapi
Sunday, January 24, 2021 at 1:49 pm
A former colleague of mine from Nigeria is a well respected scientist in Australia now. Nice try but failed.
Mister Stretch
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 9:35 pm
“Illegal immigration is considered as a major factor of the second wave of Covid-19 after the outbreak Samut Sakhon seafood market affecting a large migrant population.”
Pretty sure he hasn’t brought the ‘rona with him, if he’s been in the country illegally for 7 years…so this particular witch hunt for “illegal immigrants bringing in the ‘rona” found nothing of the sort.
EdwardV
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 10:41 pm
“immigration officers were “targeting Africans” – Pretty sure this is the entire story. Anything else is just an excuse.
dispensed
Wednesday, January 20, 2021 at 10:38 am
How kind of the Lieger to erroneously associate him with other illegal migrants who spread covid in the second paragraph.
That’s some top-notch reporting there, guys.
And you wonder why Thai people are so xenophobic. Look in the mirror, boys. You did that. Yes you.
Toby Andrews
Wednesday, January 20, 2021 at 10:52 am
All this hysteria about the officials targeting Africans.
The police and authorities have the right to target whomever they think is likely to be breaking the law.
We have had this argument already in London, because young blacks were being stopped more than young whites.
The police stopped them because there were more likely to be breaking the law.
What do the blacks want a licence to state you cannot stop me because I’m black?
Bangkok Born.
Thursday, January 21, 2021 at 4:44 am
Every country have the laws if everyone respects the laws, so there is no problem.
The polices work as duty. Black or White or Asian, We are same human.
The laws support security to safety.
Social Observer
Sunday, January 24, 2021 at 6:48 am
That African guy brought Covid with him when he immigrated to Thailand 7 years ago ? Duh.