The arrest was conducted at around 2pm yesterday (Feb 16) at the Three Plus One Hotel in Patong, local police reported in a Facebook post today (Feb 17). The Phuket office of the Immigration Bureau did not report anything on the case.
Patong Police stated that the 35-year-old Russian man was arrested in front of room 34 of the Three Plus One Hotel but did not clarify whether he were staying there.
The suspect was taken to Patong Police Station for legal processing. The Russian man’s name, the type of visa he held, and the length of his overstay were not disclosed.
According to Immigration Bureau regulations, the fine for overstaying is B500 per day. However, the "Good Guys In, Bad Guys Out" policy, implemented in 2016, stipulates that any foreigner arrested for overstay should be banned from re-entering the country.
Foreigners arrested for an overstay of less than one year should be deported and blacklisted from re-entering the country for five years. Those arrested for an overstay of more than one year should face deportation and a ten-year re-entry ban.
Foreigners who voluntarily surrender for overstaying receive relatively lenient punishments. In addition to the daily fine, those who surrender for an overstay of more than 90 days but less than one year will be deported and blacklisted for one year. Overstays of more than one year but less than three years lead to a three-year ban, while overstays of more than three years but less than five years result in a five-year ban. Overstays of more than five years attract a ten-year ban.