# Visa overstay enforcement in Thailand

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/visa-overstay-enforcement-in-thailand
> Updated: 2026-10-16T03:54:53.000Z. Sources: 14. Developments: 3.

Thai immigration authorities have intensified enforcement actions against foreign nationals for long-term visa violations across multiple regions. 

In Phuket, Portuguese national and former reality TV contestant Daniela Pimenta was detained at a restaurant in Ko Kaeo while attending a cooking lesson. Biometric data confirmed she had overstayed her permitted stay for 1,807 days after entering in March 2020. In a separate Phuket operation, a 55-year-old Chinese national, Mr. Wang, was apprehended in a remote jungle hideout in Karon. He had overstayed by 1,793 days and is reportedly subject to an international arrest warrant from China regarding illegal casino operations. Additionally, a 42-year-old Chinese man, Mr. Liu, was arrested at a Bangkok hotel for living illegally since January 2020 using an expired passport.

In Surat Thani province, immigration officers arrested five African women—three Ugandans and two Tanzanians—at a hotel near Chaweng Beach on Koh Samui. The arrests followed reports of foreign women soliciting tourists for sexual services in nightlife areas. The women, whose overstays ranged from 105 to 799 days, stated they originally entered on tourist visas intending to work as English teachers but sought other employment after failing to secure teaching positions. The suspects admitted to the offenses and have been transferred to the Bo Phut Police Station.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-16: Five African women arrested for visa overstays on Koh Samui

Five African women were arrested on Koh Samui, Thailand, for visa overstays of up to 799 days following reports of solicitation in local nightlife areas.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/five-african-women-arrested-for-visa-overstays-on-koh-samui

### 2026-10-14: Thailand arrests several foreign nationals for visa overstays

Thai immigration police have arrested several foreign nationals, including a Portuguese woman and two Chinese men, for extensive visa overstays in Phuket and Bangkok.

11 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/portuguese-woman-arrested-in-phuket-for-five-year-visa-overstay

### 2026-09-25: Thai woman arrested in Japan for four-year visa overstay

A 42-year-old Thai woman was arrested in Shizuoka, Japan, after police discovered she had overstayed her visa by nearly four years.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/thai-woman-arrested-in-japan-for-four-year-visa-overstay

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Cite as: Visa overstay enforcement in Thailand. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/visa-overstay-enforcement-in-thailand