Portuguese woman arrested in Phuket after nearly five-year overstay, police say

Phuket — On Tuesday, Immigration police apprehended a Portuguese woman in Muang Phuket after biometric checks revealed she had overstayed her authorized stay in Thailand for 1,807 days. Officers from Immigration Division 6 conducted the arrest at a restaurant in Koh Kaew while as part of a crackdown on foreign nationals suspected of immigration offenses.

The woman was reportedly enrolled in a cooking class at the establishment. She was unable to present her original passport, instead providing a photograph of it on her phone. Using the Immigration Bureau’s biometric system, authorities confirmed her identity, nationality, and passport information. The woman entered Thailand via Suvarnabhumi Airport in March 2020 under the previous 30-day visa exemption scheme and received an extension from Phuket Immigration.

Her most recent authorization to remain in the country expired on January 11, 2021. She has been charged with being a foreign national who entered and stayed in Thailand after her permission had lapsed. Under Thailand’s Immigration Act, Section 81, a foreign national who enters and remains in the country without permission, or after their permission has expired or been revoked, can face up to two years' imprisonment, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both.

Additionally, Section 54 empowers immigration officials to deport a person whose permission to stay has expired. The arrest was prompted by intensified efforts to scrutinize foreign nationals suspected of immigration violations, according to police.