British Man Arrested in Thailand After Overstaying Visa by 25 Years
Authorities detain a 60-year-old who reportedly lived in Thailand without valid visa since 2000.
Thai police have arrested a 60-year-old British national for overstaying his tourist visa by a record 25 years.
The individual, who has not been publicly identified, entered Thailand in the early 2000s on a 30-day tourist visa and has remained in the country ever since.
The arrest took place in Chiang Mai following a targeted operation by immigration officials aimed at foreign nationals who have exceeded their allowed stay.
Authorities reported that the suspect avoided previous checks by claiming he was in the process of extending his visa.
He was ultimately apprehended on Monday during an immigration crackdown aimed at identifying individuals who had overstayed their visas.
Records indicate he has been in Thailand for over 9,135 days without obtaining any extensions or re-entry stamps.
During the operation, police focused on areas frequented by foreigners.
The British man reportedly did not present any identification when approached.
Upon interrogation, he admitted to having entered Thailand with a 30-day visa but had not left since.
A senior police official noted that upon checking the individual’s name in the immigration system, it was confirmed that he had entered Thailand in 2000 and had no exit stamps recorded.
His length of stay surpasses the previous record held by a Pakistani man who had remained in Thailand for 10 years after exhausting his visa.
Authorities indicated that the man renewed his passport in 2018, which was devoid of any immigration stamps.
Furthermore, it was disclosed that he had resided in Bangkok for 13 years and had a child with a Thai woman before relocating to Chiang Mai for economic reasons approximately 12 years ago.
The police stated that the man currently has no registered employment and relies on family funds from the UK.
The individual is set to be deported back to the United Kingdom.
During his questioning, he expressed that he had managed to evade previous arrests by claiming he was seeking a visa extension, a statement that can only be verified by the immigration office.
The individual, who has not been publicly identified, entered Thailand in the early 2000s on a 30-day tourist visa and has remained in the country ever since.
The arrest took place in Chiang Mai following a targeted operation by immigration officials aimed at foreign nationals who have exceeded their allowed stay.
Authorities reported that the suspect avoided previous checks by claiming he was in the process of extending his visa.
He was ultimately apprehended on Monday during an immigration crackdown aimed at identifying individuals who had overstayed their visas.
Records indicate he has been in Thailand for over 9,135 days without obtaining any extensions or re-entry stamps.
During the operation, police focused on areas frequented by foreigners.
The British man reportedly did not present any identification when approached.
Upon interrogation, he admitted to having entered Thailand with a 30-day visa but had not left since.
A senior police official noted that upon checking the individual’s name in the immigration system, it was confirmed that he had entered Thailand in 2000 and had no exit stamps recorded.
His length of stay surpasses the previous record held by a Pakistani man who had remained in Thailand for 10 years after exhausting his visa.
Authorities indicated that the man renewed his passport in 2018, which was devoid of any immigration stamps.
Furthermore, it was disclosed that he had resided in Bangkok for 13 years and had a child with a Thai woman before relocating to Chiang Mai for economic reasons approximately 12 years ago.
The police stated that the man currently has no registered employment and relies on family funds from the UK.
The individual is set to be deported back to the United Kingdom.
During his questioning, he expressed that he had managed to evade previous arrests by claiming he was seeking a visa extension, a statement that can only be verified by the immigration office.
