Criminal background checks

[cdnmatt]

Yes, I do have a new passport without a single stamp in it. Howeever, I don't have a new name or date of birth. They will be able to call me up in the computer without issue.

It'll be fine. They're not going to throw me in prison. If they do, I'll just go out of my way and throw a tantrum within the media about how inhumanely the Thai government treats blind Canadian citizens due to a simple overstay.

Anyway, guess I have a house in Vientiane now, so that's cool. 20,000 baht/month I've been told, so that's fine. I don't really care. As long as it has a large gated yard for the dogs, and I have my own bedroom with A/C, I'm happy. We'll worry about a more permanent, long-term home later once I'm there and we have time to scout out the city together.

[francois]

At least matt, you will have your imagination left in tact!

[justaguy]

Yes, I do have a new passport without a single stamp in it. Howeever, I don't have a new name or date of birth. They will be able to call me up in the computer without issue.

It'll be fine. They're not going to throw me in prison. If they do, I'll just go out of my way and throw a tantrum within the media about how inhumanely the Thai government treats blind Canadian citizens due to a simple overstay.

Anyway, guess I have a house in Vientiane now, so that's cool. 20,000 baht/month I've been told, so that's fine. I don't really care. As long as it has a large gated yard for the dogs, and I have my own bedroom with A/C, I'm happy. We'll worry about a more permanent, long-term home later once I'm there and we have time to scout out the city together.

"a simple overstay" ? You by your own admission are on an extensive overstay. A simple overstay is a few days, an overstay of years is not a simple overstay. But keep throwing a tantrum, it won't really help you at all. You will not be the first and you will not be the last that sees the inside of the IDC, until such time that you can be deported to Canada in your case. By the way, there is no such thing as a one year prison sentence for overstaying, there is nothing in the law that claims that, the punishment if you will is 500 baht a day, up to a 20K maximum and blacklisting + deportation. The only way to avoid deportation in your case, is either going to the airport (the surest way) or trying to cross at Nong Khai, as I already said, the last option is full of uncertanties.

But keep ignoring the advice, you seem to know it better.

[justaguy]

Don't you have a new passport? What happens if you turn up at the border with just the new passport and play dumb about the lack of an entry stamp?

They can match his entry/exit history by matching on name, DOB, and country, so that will not work.

[cdnmatt]

here is nothing in the law that claims that, the punishment if you will is 500 baht a day, up to a 20K maximum and blacklisting + deportation. The only way to avoid deportation in your case, is either going to the airport (the surest way) or trying to cross at Nong Khai, as I already said, the last option is full of uncertanties.

But keep ignoring the advice, you seem to know it better.

Read the new laws again. If I get checked by immigration before voluntarily turning myself in (ie. getting to that Nong Khai border), then yes, it's one year in Thai prison. If I hit a checkpoint on the way to Nong Khai, then I'm fucked. That's why I'm trying to take care of it here locally first.

And don't be stupid, this is hardly an egregious offense. Yeah, if I was selling drugs, or fucking children or something, then sure, throw me in jail. An overstay though? Hardly a big deal. The only reason those laws are currently in place is because there's a xenophobic general who conducted a military coup, appointed himself as Prime Minister, as has yet to hold elections.

[scottish-guy]

The unfortunate thing Matt is that you don't get to decide what is or is not an egregious offence, nor is there often any logical basis for how the justiciary sees things - that's why in the UK for example a bank robber usually gets a longer sentence than a rapist or even a murderer

[justaguy]

Read the new laws again. If I get checked by immigration before voluntarily turning myself in (ie. getting to that Nong Khai border), then yes, it's one year in Thai prison. If I hit a checkpoint on the way to Nong Khai, then I'm fucked. That's why I'm trying to take care of it here locally first.

And don't be stupid, this is hardly an egregious offense. Yeah, if I was selling drugs, or fucking children or something, then sure, throw me in jail. An overstay though? Hardly a big deal. The only reason those laws are currently in place is because there's a xenophobic general who conducted a military coup, appointed himself as Prime Minister, as has yet to hold elections.

Can you please quote the relevant Thai law, that imposes a one year prison sentence on overstay ?, I have never heard about that one, anywhere. Until such time that you can quote the relevant law I call utter and utter bullshit.

I will just quote the relevant state agency and note how it nowhere talks about a one year prison sentence:

https://www.immigration.go.th/read?c...71e02b9c9be114

How am I being stupid, I merely pointed out to you what the consequences of your overstay could be, not that I agree with them, I personally find the Thai way to hung up over these minor issues. But what you or I think does not really matter, the law is the law, and will be applied, even to blind people.

And again, if you choose to take care of it locally, there is a very, very high chance, you are going to be deported. Only if you are extremely Lucky, they will tell you to run for the airport, or go to Bangkok, in the worst case, you end up in the IDC on your way to Canada, not Lao PDR. You have now sufficiently been warned.

You can't fix stupid. But do keep us posted, dying to find out how you end up

[cdnmatt]

I tried to Google it, but can't find that law anymore. Maybe it's changed, but I'm sure it was in there when the new black listing laws came out. Nonetheless, without question it's better I surrender myself to immigration instead of being caught by them beforehand.

I'm hoping to get a 72 hour VISA by local immigration, giving me safe passage across that Nong Khai border. Then if I get really lucky, what I'd really like is find an immigration officer at the local office here who has a pickup truck, and wants to make some extra money for a day road trip to Vientiane. Helps make me feel safe, plus those dog carrier cages weight about 30kg, and so do the dogs. That's two cages @ ~60kg each, so having someone willing to drive us all the way through the border to the new house in Vientiane would definitely be an added bonus, as walking those cages through immigration walk-in lines will be a pain.

[Smiles]

" ... It'll be fine. They're not going to throw me in prison. If they do, I'll just go out of my way and throw a tantrum within the media about how inhumanely the Thai government treats blind Canadian citizens due to a simple overstay... "

God, you are such a massive simpleton. The tantrum will of course get you precisely nowhere ... they will sit and laugh at you. And rightly so.

Actually, this sentence from Justaguy sums you up to a tee:

" ... You can't fix stupid. But do keep us posted, dying to find out how you end up ... "

I think I've said this more than once ... i.e. I don't believe anything you say/write. Yep, the Board troll rolls on.

[justaguy]

You are just making this all up. Your last remark clearly gave that away