Russian man arrested for 332-day overstay in Phuket
Officers from the Phuket Provincial Immigration Bureau arrested a Russian man yesterday for overstaying his visa by nearly one year.
Immigration officials yesterday, April 8, informed Phuket Hotnews that they were conducting a crackdown on foreign criminals in the province from April 7 to 11. The operation is targeting foreigners who are residing in the province illegally, as well as those with outstanding arrest warrants.
As part of the operation, officers apprehended 30 year old Russian national Sergey at a luxury hotel in central Phuket. He was found to have overstayed his visa by 332 days.
The Russian man admitted to his wrongdoing, confessing that he frequently changed accommodation to avoid detection and arrest. The report did not disclose how he earned a living in Thailand.
Sergey was charged under Section 81 of the Immigration Act for remaining in the kingdom with an expired visa. The penalty includes up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both. He will subsequently be deported and banned from re-entering Thailand.
This arrest follows the detention of two other foreign nationals in Phuket for visa overstays four weeks ago. One was an Indian man who overstayed for 668 days, and the other was a Pakistani man with a 92-day overstay.
In March, a German man was arrested in Maha Sarakham province, in the Isaan region, for overstaying his visa by 377 days. Authorities also discovered methamphetamine, commonly known as yaba, in his possession.
In February, immigration officers in Chiang Mai apprehended a British man who overstayed his visa for over 25 years. He reportedly lived in Bangkok for 13 years before relocating to Chiang Mai. Officials did not disclose his occupation.
Another foreign national, an Uzbek man, was arrested at Phuket International Airport in January for overstaying his visa by only six days.
The purpose of his visit to the airport was not mentioned in the report, and it remained unclear whether he intended to relocate to another province or return to his home country.
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