CHIANG MAI — Immigration police in Chiang Mai have arrested a British national who had been living in Thailand with an expired visa for 25 years, following directives from Police Lieutenant General Phanumas Boonyalak, Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, to strictly enforce laws against illegal entry and overstay.
The investigation team from Chiang Mai Immigration, led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Sutheerthep Phonaruemit, apprehended a 52-year-old British man identified only as “John” (pseudonym) on February 24. Authorities discovered he had been evading immigration checks for a quarter century.
John confessed to entering Thailand on January 9, 2000, under a visa exemption (ผ.30). When his authorized stay expired, he failed to apply for an extension. He initially lived in Bangkok for 13 years before relocating to Chiang Mai for the next 12 years, during which time he obtained a new passport.
Officials charged him with “being a foreigner entering and staying in the Kingdom after permission has expired (9,135 days).” After being informed of the charges and his legal rights, he was handed over to Chiang Mai City Police Station for legal proceedings and is awaiting deportation to his home country.
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