Quote:
Originally Posted by themandude
can't you just stay as long as you want past the expiry and they will charge you a max of 21k? (700$)
Yes and no.
If you get caught, chances are very good that you will spend some time in thai jail and they will probably deport you without you even being able to go home and pack. In BKK they do have ID/drug tests at clubs/etc sometimes so the risk is possible. You can get out of a lot things by throwing around a little money, but I haven't read of anyone getting out of being deported and continuing to stay here illegally... this could be because most people are OK doing the legal steps and only the real low lifes that are completely broke are staying here illegally? Not sure...
Outside of BKK in the boonies the risk is very low. But let's say you get into a fender bender or something - then you will have problems.
Lastly, while the fine is capped at 21K, you will also get a stamp saying you overstayed in your Passport. This will negatively affect your future visa applications, particularly when they see you just totally ignored their rules and overstayed for a very long time. But again, it's hard to gauge how bad this will be for getting future visas...
My point is that I wouldn't look at the max fine and think this is a convenient way to extend your stay.