Thailand Overstay Fine: THB 500 a Day, Max THB 20,000
An overstay in Thailand costs THB 500 per day, capped at THB 20,000. Pay the fine before you leave and an overstay of under 90 days carries no ban. Surrender after more than 90 days and Order 1/2558 bans you for 1 year. Arrest after up to 1 year means a 5-year ban.
On this page
The fine is THB 500 for each day you stay past your permitted date, and it stops at THB 20,000. The ban question matters more. A fine paid before departure after under 90 days leaves no ban, while an arrest can bring 5 years even for a short overstay.
What counts as an overstay
Overstaying is staying in Thailand longer than your visa or entry stamp permits. It is your responsibility to make sure you do not overstay.
The immigration stamp in your passport shows the last date you may stay. Check that date before you leave the checkpoint.
The fine: THB 500 a day, capped at THB 20,000
The minimum charge is THB 500 per day. The total does not exceed THB 20,000. The cap is reached at 40 days of overstay.
| Overstay | Fine |
|---|---|
| A few hours | Usually waived |
| 1 week | THB 3,500 |
| 40 days or longer | THB 20,000 |
A one-week overstay works out as 7 days x THB 500 = THB 3,500. You pay before you leave the country, and it is easiest to pay when you fly out.
A few hours late
For a few hours of overstay, the THB 500 fine is usually waived. Explain the situation to the officer when you are stamped out. Treat this as practice, not a right.
The re-entry ban: surrender or arrest
Order 1/2558 of the Ministry of Interior sets the bans. It is made under section 16 of the Immigration Act. The order takes effect ninety days after its Gazette publication.
The order splits overstayers into two groups: those who surrender and those who are arrested and prosecuted. All bans run from the date of leaving the Kingdom.
If you surrender
Surrendering means you go to the authorities at an immigration checkpoint before you depart. The ban depends on the length of the overstay counted from the end of your permission:
| Overstay | Re-entry 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 |
An overstay of 90 days or less, with the fine paid before departure, carries no ban. The order has no tier for it.
If you are arrested and prosecuted
An arrest changes the arithmetic. An overstay of up to 1 year brings a 5-year ban. An overstay of more than 1 year brings a 10-year ban. The arrest tier sets no minimum overstay, so a short overstay is covered too.
Exceptions in the order
The order does not apply to an alien who left the Kingdom before turning eighteen. It also does not apply to an alien who left before the order took effect.
What happens at the airport counter
You explain the reason to the immigration officer at the airport. You are then taken to a nearby counter where you pay the overstay fine.
Make sure you have enough funds to cover the fine. A traveller without them may be taken to the holding cells until funds are raised.
The consulate pages name the airport, the land border and the seaport as the checkpoints where a person surrenders before departure. A person who surrenders pays THB 500 a day, up to THB 20,000, before being allowed to leave.
When it becomes a criminal case
Section 81 of the Immigration Act covers an alien who stays in the Kingdom without permission, or after permission expired or was revoked. The penalty is imprisonment not exceeding two years or a fine not exceeding THB 20,000, or both.
If an immigration officer catches the overstay, it can end in jail when the fine cannot be paid or the overstay is long.
Repeated overstays
After a few overstays, your passport could be stamped as in violation of Thai immigration laws. The stamp labels you an undesirable alien.
Avoid the overstay in the first place
Most overstays start with a visa-exempt entry. The exempt entry is for tourism, with a stamp date you check at the counter.
Extend before the stamp date
A visa-exempt visitor may request an extension of stay of up to 30 days. You must apply before the end of the permitted stay, and approval is at the officer’s discretion. The fee is THB 1,900.
Bring the signed Acknowledgement of Penalties for a Visa Overstay with the passport and the application. Order 12/2568 allows one grant of no more than 30 days counted from the day the permission ends.
If your application is under consideration, you may stay while officers stamp appointment dates to hear the result. The total is no more than 30 days from the day the permission ended.
If the extension is refused
A refusal means you must leave within 7 days of the day the permission ended. If you had already overstayed before filing, the 7 days run from the refusal notice.
Visa on Arrival holders
Visa on Arrival holders generally cannot file for an extension, except in special cases of illness that prevent travel. Plan the exit date at the border.
Entered before 15 September 2026
People admitted before 15 September 2026 under the previous rules may remain until the period of stay granted to them ends. Count your overstay from the date on your own stamp.
Not confirmed: No later amendment to the Interior Ministry order on re-entry bans has turned up, but no official amendment index is available. Ask the immigration office before relying on a ban tier for your own case. A waiver of the THB 500 fine for a few hours of overstay is usual practice, not a written rule.
Common questions
How much is the overstay fine in Thailand?
THB 500 per day, to a maximum of THB 20,000 for an overstay of 40 days or longer. The total does not exceed THB 20,000.
Is a one-day overstay fined?
The THB 500 fine is usually waived for a few hours of overstay, so explain to the officer when you are stamped out. A longer overstay is charged per day.
Will I be banned from Thailand if I overstay more than 90 days?
If you surrender, Order 1/2558 bans you for 1 year from the day you leave. If you are arrested and prosecuted, the ban is 5 years for an overstay up to 1 year.
Will a short overstay get me banned?
Not when you pay the fine before departure after an overstay of less than 90 days.
Where do I pay the fine?
Before you leave, at the immigration checkpoint: the airport, the land border or the seaport. At the airport you are taken to a nearby counter to pay.
What if I cannot pay the fine?
A traveller without enough funds may be taken to the holding cells until funds are raised.
Can overstaying lead to prison?
Section 81 allows imprisonment not exceeding two years or a fine not exceeding THB 20,000, or both.
Can I extend a Visa on Arrival stay to avoid an overstay?
Visa on Arrival holders generally cannot file for an extension, except in special cases of illness that prevent travel.
How do I avoid overstaying a visa-exempt entry?
A visa-exempt visitor may request an extension of up to 30 days. File before the permitted stay ends.
Does the ban apply if I left Thailand as a child?
Order 1/2558 does not apply to an alien who left the Kingdom before turning eighteen.
Read next
General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.
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Comments (6)
Konoha7Slaw3
I just found out my American friend has overstay since April They had something happen with their bank and are trying to recover lost funds since. Will this be taken into account when trying to leave Thailand? They want to go to Lao next. I was looking into their problem for them and it looks like you get sent back to your home country whether you like it or not. Is this always the case? They also have two little kids with them. What will happen with their situation? Can a lawyer help them avoid getting blacklisted or banned from Thailand?
ssantos88
I had a friend on a longer overstay than that, a lawyer accompanied him to immigration to pay the overstay, plus a 7 day extension on top of that to give him time to sort things out and leave the country.
aww4hn
Forgetfully overstayed for 3 months, cuz I thought it was 3 months and not 1 month. Realised, panicked, packed up, made a run to KL for 6 hours and was itching to go back. So went back this time with a return ticket just to clear my future visits. Immigration asked me ZERO questions while leaving, paid 20k THB as penalty though. In and out in under 12 hours.
error-177
No, financial issues won’t be taken into account. And yes, they’ll get deported back to America, fined and banned from entering Thailand for a set period of time, and the flights back to America will NOT be borne by the authorities. Getting a lawyer doesn’t help as well as these rules were clearly stated upon arrival into Thailand. I suggest you tell them to either head to the American Embassy in Bangkok and seek help there, or surrender to the authorities at either the police station or airport. I strongly discouraged them going to Laos next as the authorities there really take a no-nonsense approach to overstayers there as well. Just a few questions, why are your ‘friends’ halfway across the world from home ‘having financial difficulties’ with 2 kids in tow? Do you know how irresponsible that is? Going to Laos will not solve any of their problems, it will only aggravate it.
Tawptuan
For 20 years, I’ve understood, crystal-clear, that if caught on even a 1-day overstay, it can land you in a detention center (nightmare on its own), and possibly deportation. Because of that, I start my visa extension process a month early, do all my 90-day reports on time, and always carry at least a copy of my passport, etc. To do any less, is flirting with disaster for anyone who wants to enjoy life in Thailand. The guy was dealt his just karma.
Black_stranger
I had one day overstay once because I was leaving on the last day of my extension stamp. Thai immigration officers at the Malaysian borders refused to let me LEAVE Thailand because they were concerned I would immediately come back, and if I did, they wouldn't stamp me back in. They had some VVIP visitors that day and didn't want to deal with foreigners, I got unlucky, normally people went through that immigration checkpoint without issues. Had to drive back and find a flight the next day but had \~18 hours of overstay at that point... The officers at the airport acted like I'm some big criminal lol. So yeah, sometimes shit happens...