Staying past the date in your passport is an overstay. The Immigration Bureau states a fine of 500 baht a day, up to 20,000 baht, and a ban on returning for longer overstays. Official pages do not agree on the length of the ban, so this page gives both statements with their sources, and how to avoid an overstay.
Last updated 13 November 2026
At a glance
The fine
The Immigration Bureau states: “The fine for overstaying is 500 Baht per day, reaching a maximum fine of 20,000 Baht” (Division 1 FAQ, no date shown). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also gives 500 baht for each day of overstay (page updated 2022, no ceiling stated there). The Royal Thai embassies in Washington, D.C. (page updated 2023) and Ho Chi Minh City (page updated 2022) give the same 500 baht a day and 20,000 baht ceiling. The Washington page adds that an overstay of a few hours is usually waived. No 2026 text repeats these points. Confirm with Phuket Immigration or a Royal Thai embassy.
Bans on returning to Thailand
Two official statements give different figures.
1. The Immigration Bureau’s table (Division 1 FAQ, no date shown), “according to the Ministry of Interior Order No. 1/2558”:
If you come forward to the authorities:
| Overstay | Ban |
|---|---|
| More than 90 days | 1 year |
| More than 1 year | 3 years |
| More than 3 years | 5 years |
| More than 5 years | 10 years |
If you are arrested and prosecuted:
| Overstay | Ban |
|---|---|
| 1 year or less | 5 years |
| More than 1 year | 10 years |
The table lists no ban for those who come forward after an overstay of 90 days or less. The Royal Thai Embassy in Ho Chi Minh City (page updated 2022) repeats the 1-year line for an overstay of more than 90 days, counted from the departure date.
2. The Royal Thai Embassy in London (page updated 2 November 2026) states that an overstay brings a fine of 500 baht a day and an entry ban of at least 5 years.
The Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C. (page updated 2023) says only that the length of the ban depends on how long you overstayed.
Reader note. Length of an entry ban after an overstay, to be confirmed, 13 November 2026. The Thai embassy in London states a ban of at least 5 years. The Immigration Bureau’s published table gives from 1 year to 10 years, depending on how long the stay was exceeded and on whether the person reported or was arrested. The two do not agree, so this page gives no single figure. Until this note is removed, confirm with a Royal Thai embassy or Phuket Immigration before you travel.
Paying an overstay fine
When. The Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C. (page updated 2023) says it is easiest to pay when you fly out, and that at the airport you are taken to a nearby counter to pay. The embassy in Ho Chi Minh City (page updated 2022) says the fine is settled before you are allowed to leave Thailand. No 2026 text repeats this. Confirm with Phuket Immigration.
At an extension. The Immigration Bureau handbook for an extension of stay for tourism (dated 2019) lists a form called “The Acknowledgement of Penalties for a Visa Overstay” among the documents to bring.
Reader note. Paying an overstay fine at Phuket airport, to be confirmed, 13 November 2026. Thai embassy pages dated 2022 and 2023 say the fine is settled when you leave Thailand, but no official page found describes payment at Phuket airport or the methods accepted. Until this note is removed, confirm with Phuket Immigration or a Royal Thai embassy before you travel.
Longer overstays: deportation and prison
The Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C. (page updated 2023) says:
- an overstay of more than 90 days means deportation from Thailand and a ban;
- a person who cannot pay the fine is taken to the holding cells until they can raise the funds;
- a person who cannot pay, or who has overstayed for a long time, can be taken to jail.
Section 81 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (undated copy on Phuket Immigration’s site) sets, for staying without permission, imprisonment not exceeding two years or a fine not exceeding 20,000 baht, or both. The Act is the legal ceiling. The embassy page describes the practice. Neither is dated 2026. Confirm with a Royal Thai embassy or Phuket Immigration.
How to avoid an overstay
- Check the date stamped in your passportwhen you arrive. That is your last day. Arriving in Thailand: visa exemption and visa on arrival
- Want to stay longer? Go to Phuket Immigration before that date.A 30-day visa-free stay can be extended by up to 30 days, say three Royal Thai embassies, and the Doha embassy (page updated 16 September 2026) says to apply before the permitted stay ends. Phuket Immigration: office, hours and what to bring
- Leaving and coming back?Get a re-entry permit before you leave. Staying longer in Thailand: extensions and re-entry
- If you have overstayed, do not wait.In the Immigration Bureau’s table the ban is longer for those who are arrested than for those who come forward.
Reader note. Overstay while an extension request is pending, to be confirmed, 13 November 2026. No embassy or Immigration Bureau page found covers this case. The Immigration Act says an alien may be permitted to stay while waiting for directives, and a Thai embassy page says to apply before the stay permit expires. Until this note is removed, confirm with Phuket Immigration or a Royal Thai embassy before your permitted stay ends.
Fines
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Overstay, per day | 500 baht |
| Overstay, maximum (Immigration Bureau) | 20,000 baht |
| Staying without permission, legal ceiling (Immigration Act, s.81) | Up to 20,000 baht or up to two years in prison, or both |
| Late 90-day report (separate fine) | 2,000 baht |
Sources
- Immigration Bureau, Immigration Division 1, FAQ “Rate of overstay fine and penalty” (no date shown).
- Royal Thai Embassy in London, validity of visa and permitted length of stay (updated 2 November 2026).
- Royal Thai Embassy in Ho Chi Minh City, Thailand overstay measures (updated 2022).
- Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C., advice on Thailand visa overstay regulations (updated 2023).
- Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C., visa exemption page (updated 17 September 2026).
- Royal Thai Embassy in Doha, tourist visa exemption and visa on arrival (updated 16 September 2026).
- Royal Thai Embassy in Brussels, visa exemption (updated 10 November 2026) and FAQ (updated 2025). Read on 12 and 13 November 2026.
- https://brussels.thaiembassy.org/en/page/faq-about-thai-visa
- Royal Thai Embassy in London, visa exemption and visa on arrival (no date shown).
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Questions and Answers on Thai Visa (updated 2022).
- Immigration Act B.E. 2522, copy on Phuket Immigration’s site (undated).
- Immigration Bureau, public handbook, extension of stay for tourism purpose (dated 2019).
- Immigration Bureau, Division 1 re-entry page (no date shown) and notification of staying longer than 90 days. Read on 12 and 13 November 2026.
- https://www.immigration.go.th/en/?page_id=1666
