Authorities bust yet another overstayer on Koh Samui

Surat Thani immigration officers busted yet another overstayer on Thailand’s island paradise of Koh Samui, The Phuket Express reported yesterday.

The British man, 74 year old Dennis Robert Desmond, had overstayed his visa by 38 days. Officers arrested Desmond in front of a hotel in Koh Samui’s Bo Phut sub-district, on Choeng Mon-Chaweng Road.

The officers brought Desmond to Bo Phut Police station to face overstaying changes. It was unclear why he had overstayed his visa.

Desmond certainly isn’t the only overstayer busted on Koh Samui recently. At least two other overstayers have been caught on the holiday hotspot island this month.

Last week, immigration officers busted a Norwegian man on Koh Samui. The man, 43 year old Jan Banan Thalmann, was caught at a house in the Mae Nam sub-district. Police said Thalmann had overstayed his visa by 15 days. Like Desmond, his reasons for overstaying were unclear.

On December 8, police arrested a Polish man in Koh Samui. The man, 37 year old Michael Karim Wielebinski, was 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.

Deputy Police Chief and former Chief of Immigration Pol. Gen. Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn ordered a crackdown on foreign visa overstayers in Thailand last month. The crackdown followed the recent case of 41 year old Ren Haibo. A Chinese gang kidnapped and tortured Ren in Chon Buri province. The gang cut off Ren’s little finger and sent a video to his girlfriend requesting a staggering ransom of 150 million baht.

Surachate said it is common for foreign criminals escaping prosecution to come to Thailand on a tourist visa and bribe their way onto a student visa. He then instructed immigration officers at the borders and at all offices to clamp down on overstayers.

The penalties for overstaying in Thailand are divided into two main types below…

Overstaying foreigners surrender themselves to the officers:

• • Overstaying less than 90 days will result in a fine of 500 baht/day (maximum 20,000 baht)
  • Overstaying more than 90 days will result in a one-year ban from entering the country and a fine of 20,000 baht
  • Overstaying more than one year will result in a three-year ban from entering the country and a fine of 20,000 baht
  • Overstaying more than three years will result in a five-year ban from entering the country and a fine of 20,000 baht
  • Overstaying more than five years will result in a 10-year ban from entering the country and a fine of 20,000 baht

Overstating foreigners who are caught by the officers:

• • Overstaying from one day to one year will result in a five-year ban from entering the country and a fine from 500 to 20,000 baht
  • Overstaying more than one year will result in a ten-year ban from entering the country and a fine of 20,000 baht