More than 150,000 foreigners need to have their tourist visas renewed by Sept 26 or face a charge of overstaying, warned the Immigration Bureau.
"Overstaying the tourist visa is punishable by both a jail term and fine under the Immigration Act," said Pol Col Pakpong Sai-ubol, deputy spokesman of the Immigration Bureau (IB), adding offenders would also be deported.
According to the law, anyone who has overstayed their visa for more than 90 days is barred from re-entering the kingdom for one year. The blacklist extends to a lifetime if the overstaying period exceeds 10 years.
Many foreign visitors were stranded in Thailand at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in late March when international flights were suspended and borders closed to slow transmission of the virus.
The visitors were given a reprieve where they were able to remain in the country even after their visas had expired.
But the grace period ends on Saturday which has also been set as a deadline for having their visas renewed.
A source in the IB said some stranded tourists fear they might be sent home to their Covid 19-ravaged countries.
