Foreigners who overstay their visas for more than 90 days could soon be blacklisted and banned from re-entering the country, it was reported Monday.
Immigration authorities are cracking down on those who make regular visa runs.
A police proposal setting out tough new measures on overstayers was due to be signed imminently, according to Thaivisa.com, although the report has yet to be confirmed by the Immigration Bureau.
Under the new rules, foreigners who overstay their visas for more than 90 days could be barred from re-entering Thailand for a period from one year to life, depending on how long they have overstayed. Those who surrender voluntarily will face lighter penalties than those apprehended by the authorities, the report said.
The Immigration Bureau has announced that from mid-August, foreigners will no longer be able to make multiple ‘visa runs’ that allow them to stay in the country long-term without a proper visa.
This followed the news that two foreigners who acquired stolen passports in Pattaya were on the missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, sparking a crackdown by immigration authorities.
Currently, visa overstayers face a fine of 500 baht per day, up to a maximum of 20,000 baht.