Overstaying in Thailand costs 500 baht for every day past the date in your entry stamp, up to a maximum of 20,000 baht (as of October 2026). An overstay of more than 90 days also brings a re-entry ban of one to ten years, and anyone arrested for overstaying, even briefly, can be detained, deported and banned for five years.
Your permitted stay is the date immigration writes or stamps in your passport when you arrive, not the number of days you think your visa or exemption gives. Since the visa exemption went back to 30 days on 15 September 2026, travelers who remember the old 60-day rule are at real risk of overstaying by mistake. This page explains the fine, the ban rules set by the Ministry of Interior, what happens if you are arrested, and the legal ways to stay longer.
Overstay rules in Thailand (checked October 2026)
- Fine
- 500 baht per day
- Maximum fine
- 20,000 baht (reached after 40 days)
- Re-entry ban, leaving on your own
- None up to 90 days; 1 to 10 years above that
- Re-entry ban, if arrested
- 5 years (under 1 year overstay) or 10 years (over 1 year)
- Legal basis for bans
- Ministry of Interior Order No. 1/2558, in effect since 20 March 2016
- Immigration Bureau call center
- 1178 (English available)
The fine: 500 baht a day, capped at 20,000 baht
The UK Foreign Office, in its Thailand advice updated in September 2026, gives the overstay fine as 500 baht a day up to a maximum of 20,000 baht. The Royal Thai Embassy in Bucharest gives the same figures and adds that the maximum is reached for overstays of 40 days or longer. A one-week overstay therefore costs 3,500 baht; anything from 40 days upward costs 20,000 baht.
If you leave by air, you normally pay at the immigration counter at the airport when you depart. The Bucharest embassy advises explaining your situation to the officer, who will direct you to a nearby counter to pay, and warns that if you cannot pay, you may be held until you can raise the money. Carry enough cash in baht on your last day.
The same embassy says that an overstay of a few hours, for example after a flight delay, is usually waived. Do not plan around that: it is at the officer's discretion, and the date in your stamp is the legal limit.
Re-entry bans by length of overstay
The fine is only part of the cost. Under Ministry of Interior Order No. 1/2558 ("Classes of Aliens Ineligible for Admission to the Kingdom of Thailand"), in effect since 20 March 2016, foreigners who overstay are barred from returning for a period that depends on how long they overstayed and whether they left on their own or were arrested. The Tourism Authority of Thailand published the tiers when the order was announced:
| How you leave | Length of overstay | Re-entry ban |
|---|---|---|
| You report yourself and leave | Up to 90 days | No ban under the order (fine only) |
| You report yourself and leave | More than 90 days, up to 1 year | 1 year |
| You report yourself and leave | 1 to 3 years | 3 years |
| You report yourself and leave | 3 to 5 years | 5 years |
| You report yourself and leave | More than 5 years | 10 years |
| You are arrested | Less than 1 year | 5 years |
| You are arrested | More than 1 year | 10 years |
The bans do not apply to people who left Thailand before the age of 18. The difference between the two halves of the table is the point: someone who overstays 20 days and is stopped at a police checkpoint faces a five-year ban, while someone who overstays 20 days and pays at the airport normally does not. The Bucharest embassy adds that repeated overstays, even short ones, can lead to a stamp in your passport marking you as having violated Thai immigration law.
A short overstay becomes a five-year ban if you are caught inside Thailand. If you realize you have overstayed, do not wait: go to the airport or an immigration office yourself and pay. Being found at a hotel check, a road checkpoint or an immigration raid turns a fine into arrest, detention and a ban.
What happens if you are arrested
The UK government's guide to visa overstay and deportation describes the process for British nationals, and it applies broadly to everyone:
- You are held at the nearest police station and taken to court within 48 hours.
- The court is likely to fine you. If you cannot pay, a judge may sentence you to up to 20 days in a prison or detention facility.
- You are transferred to an Immigration Detention Centre, usually in Bangkok. People arrested elsewhere may wait weeks at a police station for a group transfer.
- Your fingerprints go to the Royal Thai Police for a criminal-record check before deportation is approved. The time in detention is typically between two weeks and three months.
- You pay for your own flight, plus the Immigration Bureau's fees for taking you to the airport, and you are deported to the country of the passport you entered on.
The guide describes the centers as overcrowded, with detainees often in their cells for up to 22 hours a day and without their phones. Your embassy can visit and contact family, but it cannot pay your costs or stop the deportation.
Common ways people overstay by accident
- Counting the old 60 days. The 60-day visa exemption ended on 15 September 2026; most visitors now get 30 days. Check the date in your stamp, and read our guide to the current visa exemption.
- Counting days yourself. Different counting methods give different answers. The only date that matters is the one immigration stamped in your passport, so put it in your phone calendar on arrival.
- A visa-on-arrival stay. It gives only 15 days and generally cannot be extended; see visa on arrival.
- Cancelled flights or illness. If you cannot leave on time, go to an immigration office before your stamp expires, with your booking or a doctor's letter, rather than waiting it out.
How to stay longer legally
Extend your stay at an immigration office. Visa-exempt and tourist-visa stays can usually be extended once inside Thailand, at the officer's discretion. Before the 2026 change, Thai embassies said a visa-exempt stay could be extended by 30 days. We could not confirm the current length and fee for the new 30-day exemption on an Immigration Bureau page, so ask at the office or call 1178. Apply well before your stamp expires.
Make sure your address is registered. Immigration offices often check that your accommodation has reported you before they process an extension. Hotels do this automatically; private landlords often do not. Our article on the TM30 address notification explains how to fix that before your appointment.
Get the right visa for a long stay. If you plan more than a month or two, a visa applied for from abroad on the official Thai e-Visa portal is safer than extensions and border runs. Options include the tourist visa, the Destination Thailand Visa and retirement visas. Our older overview of visas and retirement in Thailand discusses why visa runs have become risky. Holders of long-stay visas must also keep up with 90-day reporting.
Chinese citizens have an extra limit: 30 days per entry and no more than 90 days in any 180-day period under the bilateral agreement. See our page on Thai visa rules for Chinese citizens.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fine for overstaying in Thailand?
500 baht per day, up to a maximum of 20,000 baht, according to the UK Foreign Office and Thai embassies. The maximum is reached after 40 days. You normally pay it at the immigration counter when you leave the country.
Will I be banned from Thailand for overstaying a few days?
Not if you leave on your own and pay the fine: Ministry of Interior Order 1/2558 sets bans only for overstays above 90 days when you report yourself. If you are arrested inside Thailand, however, any overstay under a year brings a five-year ban.
What if my flight is cancelled and I overstay by one day?
Explain the situation at departure immigration with your airline's cancellation notice. The Thai embassy in Bucharest says very short overstays caused by such problems are usually treated leniently, but this is at the officer's discretion, so expect to pay 500 baht.
Can I pay the overstay fine before going to the airport?
Most people pay at departure immigration at the airport. If your overstay is long or you are unsure of your status, contact an immigration office or the Immigration Bureau call center on 1178 first, rather than risk being stopped inside Thailand.
Sources
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – Thailand entry requirements (checked October 2026)
- UK government – Thailand: visa overstay and deportation guide (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Thailand to reinforce re-entry ban on overstay foreign visitors (checked October 2026)
- Royal Thai Embassy, Bucharest – Overstaying in Thailand (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – New 30-day and 15-day visa exemption rules from 15 September (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Entry reminder on proof of funds (Immigration call center 1178) (checked October 2026)
- Royal Thai Embassy, Budapest – Types of visas and application fees (checked October 2026)