Portuguese woman detained in Phuket after 1,807-day overstay

Immigration officers in Phuket detained a Portuguese woman at a restaurant in Ko Kaeo after finding that she had overstayed her permission to remain in Thailand by 1,807 days, or nearly five years.

An investigation team from Immigration Division 6 inspected the restaurant in Mueang Phuket district at about 1.30pm on 13 October. The woman was found inside learning to cook and was unable to produce her original passport, showing officers only a photograph of it on her mobile phone.

Authorities checked her details through the Immigration Bureau’s biometric system and identified her as a Portuguese national. She entered Thailand through Suvarnabhumi Airport on 20 March 2020 under a 30-day visa exemption and later received extensions from Phuket Immigration. Her last extension expired on 11 January 2021.

She did not apply for further permission to stay after that date, according to the immigration investigation. Officers charged her with remaining in the Kingdom after her permitted period had expired, informed her of her legal rights and transferred her to investigators for further proceedings. Authorities will also process her for deportation.