I thought I had it all figured out when I booked my trip to Thailand. On July 15th, the country introduced visa exemptions for 93 countries and territories, including my homeland of Croatia, for stays not exceeding 60 days. To max out this opportunity, I planned a trip to Phuket on October 2nd and was so happy to score a “cheap” flight from Chiang Mai to the Philippines on December 2nd. What could go wrong, right? Well, apparently my math. I willingly nominated myself for my first visa overstay in Thailand.
Overstaying your visa in Thailand can lead to fines, detention, deportation, and even bans from reentering the country
Everyone knows, 60 days and two months are not the same (especially when one of those months is not February in a leap year). October has 31 days, so my privilege of staying in Thailand visa-free was actually expiring two days before my purchased flight.
Knowing that I bought this ticket mainly so I could show my intentions for exiting the country if asked by Thai immigration, makes the thing even more silly. Now, I was actually lucky that the officer in training who welcomed me at Phuket Airport didn’t ask for proof of exit. As, if they did, I wouldn’t be able to present one – my flight ticket to the Philippines was only proof that I didn’t plan to leave on time.
As I gazed dully at my passport, learning that my 60-day visa exemption runs out on November 30th brought sinking feelings. Facing this eye-opener stamp, I was hitting my head and questioning my intelligence. Now, I’m stuck in the “what do I do?” zone regarding my Thailand visa overstay.
Overstaying your visa in Thailand can lead to fines, detention, deportation, and even bans from reentering the country. To avoid entering panic mode, I immediately started considering – and possibly overthinking – my options.
Comfort yourself: there are worse things than miscounting your travel days. Like some less fortunate travelers, you could have made an entire destination mix-up!
Visa Overstay in Thailand – What to do?
Option 1: The 30-Day Visa Extension (a.k.a. Extending My Stay Just for Two Extra Days)
Cost: 1,900 THB (~€53)
Process: Easy-peasy. Just head to the nearest immigration office, fill out a TM.7 form, a passport-sized photo, and pay the fee. You’ll get 30 more days in Thailand.
Where: Immigration offices can be found in Phuket, Krabi, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, and other tourist-heavy spots.
This is the most straightforward, safest, and drama-free option for avoiding a Thailand visa overstay. No hassle at the airport, no awkward conversations with immigration officers.
It does, however, come at a cost of 1,900 THB. That’s a lot of mango sticky rice! And technically, it covers only that 48-hour gap, just to make sure I don’t get fined or cause problems for future visits. But spending so much on two days is not the most thrilling way to burn through my baht.
Option 2: The Border Run (a.k.a. The Not-So-Wet-Dream of Malaysia)
Cost: Flights, accommodation, and food – basically the cost of a mini-vacation you didn’t plan.
Process: Fly to Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur is the easiest and cheapest from most Thai cities), stay some days (or not), fly back, and boom – a new passport stamp on re-entry.
Where: Flights from Phuket to KL run frequently, and a visa to Malaysia is not needed for Croatians.
At first, this sounded like a mini-adventure. Get a stamp, maybe grab some delicious Malaysian street food, and return with extra days. But after factoring in flights, accommodation, and poor weather in October, it’s starting to look more like an over-complicated solution for my 2-day visa overstay in Thailand. And let’s be real: I’m not going to sightsee in a downpour.
As for other Thailand’s neighbors – Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar? They’re off the table as they all require a visa. Paying for that just to pop in and out doesn’t feel worth it. In that case, I might be better off just purchasing a visa extension in Thailand.
Option 3: Change The Flight (a.k.a. The Miles and (Nothing) More)
Cost: Supposedly, 50 euros for the change fee, plus any fare differences.
Process: You’d think this would be simple, but you’d be wrong. I booked my flight using miles, and changing it has become a headache. I’ve spent weeks trying to get a response from customer support.
The flight operator, Thai Airways told me to contact Lufthansa, as I purchased the ticket through them. Lufthansa told me to reach out to Miles & More, as that’s how I paid for it. And Miles&More told me… Nothing. Zero replies to my support tickets. I’ve been literally ghosted, as this seems to be a “take the miles and run” business.
Where: I wonder too.
Here’s a tip: if you ever book with miles and need to make changes, try tagging the airline on social media. It’s not promised, but sometimes a public shoutout can work wonders. Or, if you can, head to the airline’s help desk at the airport – yes, in person – and see if they can resolve it right there.
For now, this option feels like a long shot, but it’s still in play. If I get lucky and someone at Miles&More finally responds, changing my flight could be my golden ticket to avoiding a visa overstay in Thailand.
Option 4: Buy a New Ticket (a.k.a. Throwing Money at the Problem)
Cost: The most affordable option I found is a Cebu Pacific flight from Chiang Mai to Manila for 146 euros on November 29.
Process: Book a new ticket to the Philippines or anywhere else that suits my fancy before November 30th.
Where: A quick online search shows plenty of options – if you’re willing to forfeit your original flight.
This option means I’d lose the Chiang Mai-Manila ticket I already bought for December 2nd, which cost me 17,000 miles plus 83 euros in taxes. If I’m willing to throw cash to the wind, I could find a ticket that gets me out before overstaying becomes an issue.
It’s definitely the most costly option, but it does allow me to sidestep the headache of fines, extensions, or border runs. Plus, I could still make it to my original destination, provided I can swallow the loss of my current ticket.
Option 5: Just Pay the Overstay Fine (a.k.a. The Low-Key Rebel Choice)
Cost: 500 THB per day of overstay (1,000 THB total for two days or ~€28)
Process: Show up at the airport on December 2nd, look sheepishly innocent, and when they notice I overstayed, smile apologetically, pay the fine, and board the flight. Simple enough?
Where: Thai immigration will handle the fine payment right at the airport.
This is by far the cheapest solution to a potential Thailand visa overstay, and while it feels a little rogue and premeditated (especially if you write an article about it first), it’s definitely legal. If I overstay by two days, the fine is 1,000 THB – far less than the visa extension or a border run.
But here’s what everyone really wants to know: Will this affect my future trips to Thailand?
From what I’ve learned, short overstays usually don’t land you in hot water – just a polite lecture and a lighter wallet. Your honest mistake might be even completely forgiven. There’s no ban, no scary “overstay” stamp in your passport. However, do it repeatedly, and immigration might not be so lenient toward your overstaying habit in the future.
It’s tempting to take this option – minimal cost, minimal hassle, and I’m not too worried about a two-day blip on my record. But if you’re the type who likes to play it completely by the rules and prefer not having last-minute airport dramas, this option might leave you feeling a bit uneasy.
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Thailand Visa Overstay Options – What Would You Do?
With all these options on the table, I’m still torn. The visa extension seems like the easiest route, but is it worth 1,900 THB for just two extra days?
The overstay fine is tempting – affordable and straightforward – but do I really want to risk even a minor immigration hiccup?
A Malaysia border run could be fun…
And changing my flight? Well, I might as well keep dreaming about an actual response from Miles&More customer service.
Did you experience visa overstay in Thailand on your skin? Drop the helpful advice in the comments, please!
If you’ve ever found yourself in a similarly sticky (and slightly embarrassing) situation, I’d love to hear your advice. What did you do?
Do you have any tips for playing the system (legally, of course)? Do you have a suggestion for a clever loophole I haven’t thought of yet?
Or should I just cut my losses and prepare to fork over the cash? Drop your comments below and help a fellow traveler out.
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Interesting dilemma, and very helpful to know all the options. I’m surprised miles and more hasn’t responded. I’ve never tried to change a miles ticket with them, though I have cancelled one, got the credit back, and booked a new one. Not sure if you have enough time for that approach. I’d probably end up paying the extension fee if I couldn’t get the ticket changed.
Thanks, Sonia!
Glad you found the options helpful!
Yes, the lack of response from Miles & More has been a bit of a surprise (and frustration!) — especially since I hoped it would be straightforward. In the meantime, they did answer my ticket, and said I should give them a phone call, as they can’t do that support over e-mail. Of course, Miles & More phone in Thailand is not operating. So we’re stuck again.
Canceling and rebooking is a smart idea, but I’m definitely on a time crunch here, and that’s the part that’s tricky.
Paying the extension fee may be the simplest route, but I may just go with paying the fine in the end, as everyone I talked to convinces me there would be no further repercussions besides losing those 1.000 baht… Fingers crossed! 🤞
Our situation was not nearly as sticky as yours. We booked a trip from the US to CDG, and when we logged on to verify some details, we found out they added TWELVE layovers. We had no choice but to cancel our trip. Even the customer service agent was stumped as to why this happened.
In your situation, I think I’d choose the Malaysian border run. It seemed like the option with the fewest issues.
Wow, Kelly, twelve layovers? That’s next-level!
It sounds like the airline was trying to turn your trip into a world tour!
It’s almost so intriguing I would have accepted to do it haha.
I understand your view on Malaysia as the “cleanest” option.
Just hop over, get a fresh stamp, and be back on Thai soil.
I was considering it seriously, but am now at the airport, waiting for my flight – to Bangkok.
So it seems I am heading north after all, and crossing Malaysia option.
Well, I’m a rule follower, so I’d probably pay for the extension, but if that turned out to be a big hassle, I might just go with paying the fine and deal with whatever anxiety that generated. If you do pay the fine, I’d love an update on how it went!
Thanks, Darla!
I totally get the rule-following approach — I’d normally be with you there!
The fine is tempting for simplicity’s sake (no taking photos, filling out forms at the police, and so on).
If I go that route, I’ll definitely report back on how it all goes down.
Hopefully, it’s as straightforward as handing over the cash and getting a polite “Don’t let it happen again!”
Ooh yeah, it can be such a pain to try to change a flight you booked with miles through a third party! In your case since it’s only two days I would just show up and pay the fine.
I’m with you, Kristin!
Changing a miles booking has been a saga on its own! I don’t feel I have more energy for that.
They referred me to contact by phone instead of email, but their phone in Thailand is not functioning.
I don’t want to call European headquarters, just to be put on hold, and listen to long-distance elevator music.
Paying the fine for just two days might be my best bet at this point — assuming there’s no drama at the airport.
Thanks for the reassurance; it makes me feel a bit better about the “just pay it” option!
Oh yikes, that would terrify me honestly. I’m a rule follower so I would probably do the easiest, fastest option to be sure I was in the CLEAR and could exhale stress-free. A friend of mine overstayed her visa accidentally in Argentina and was fined and banned from the country for 10 years. Things that run through my mind include when they scan my passport anywhere else will this be flagged? How could this affect my travel later on? Will it come back to bite me? I do NOT want to be in ANY trouble in my own country, let alone a foreign one, and on and on and on. So you can imagine which option I would do! LOL! Good luck!
Heather, I feel you on all of this!
That’s exactly why my mind has been spiraling through every possible consequence, from passport scans to future travel bans!
Argentina’s 10-year ban is next-level, though — yikes!
Thailand’s penalty isn’t as harsh for short overstays, but there is always “what if”!
A German lady working at the Immigration Office reassured me that I should be fine with just paying the fine (fine is fine :)), and I should have no longlasting consequences.
Well, the Thai guy at the same Immigration Office said I should buy the extension, which is, I hope, just his inclination towards rule-following, and not general advice-giving.
I feel I’m gonna stick with the German employee’s reassuring words.
Thanks for the luck – definitely need it!
Another rule follower here. So I would likely pay for the two day extension. Hopefully, the airlines do get back to you and you can get resolution from that end.
Thanks, Lance!
I understand that just paying for the two-day extension (well, I would be paying for the 30-day extension really) would give some peace of mind.
Still, that same mind likes the excitement of gambling, I guess 🙂
Appreciate the support!
Interesting and scary story! Yes, Thailand is notorious for fines, detention, deportation, and bans from re-entering the country not only for overstaying but for anything suspicious and their sniffer dogs that smell for drugs – creepy. I would just pay the fine and get out of the place.
Thanks, Jan!
Thailand definitely doesn’t mess around when it comes to fines and enforcement — it’s enough to make anyone double-check their itinerary!
Thanks for the advice (and the reminder to stay on the right side of those sniffer dogs)!
Uuuh, I’d be a bit worried too.
If I had a budget I’d probably ask for the Visa Extention: but, can you get it if you don’t have a visa because Croatia isn’t obliged to have Visas?
Or pay the fine, just make sure in advance it’s going to be hassle free…
Or go to the airport on October 31st (the last day of you visa), and camp there two days 😀 I believe airports have a sort of international status (at least in some areas)
Anyway, I’ve also heard about stories of corruption and non so fine behaviour from Thailand police, so make sure the option you choose doesn’t involve having to pay some extra money that will surpass the new flight or extention.
BTW incredible story about the AirMiles office! Usually they’re great. especially with longtime clients and travellers…
Good luck!
Benedetta
Thanks, Benedetta!
Yes, even if Croats don’t need a visa, technically – this is a 60-day visa one just didn’t pay for.
So the process is the same – extending the visa.
Your idea of camping out in the airport for a couple of days didn’t even occur to me! It’s definitely a valid Option no. 6 😂
A tempting one.
But I assume it would work easily on some big airport that never closes doors. Not sure Chiang Mai is one of these.
Miles&More? Well, at this point, I don’t know. Maybe they’re on holiday!
Thanks for the luck; I think I’ll need it!
Overstaying a visa can lead to lots of complications. I accidentally overstayed a visa by one day in Bali owing to a misunderstanding and sorting it out at the Airport was not fun.
Thanks, Michael!
It’s good to know I’m not alone in these travel misadventures! 😅
Sorting things out at the airport sounds far from fun.
But I try to stay optimistic, and I hope my Chiang Mai airport experience won’t become a headache.