Week of Nov 1, 2026 · B.E. 2569
Immigration steps up overstay checks, and the river runs high
Immigration police have been told to step up checks for overstayers nationwide, including visits to addresses, workplaces and dormitories. Visa-free stays are now 30 days, so check your stamp date. High tides on the Chao Phraya last through Thursday (November 5), and storms are most likely Wednesday to Friday (November 4–6). Also this week: road closures in the old town for royal funeral rehearsals on November 15 and 22, landslides in Patong as Phuket's high season begins, and the viral "72-hour stockpile" message, which is fake.
Visa & Immigration
01[Reported][Important]
Immigration police ordered to track down more than 10,000 suspected overstayers
- What happened
- Bangkok · Nov 1 · Immigration Bureau chief Pol. Lt. Gen. Nopasin Poolsawat ordered divisions nationwide, around October 20, to step up sweeps for foreigners who have overstayed, entered illegally or broken other laws. Reports put the target at more than 10,000 suspected overstayers in Bangkok, tourist islands and border provinces. That figure is an estimate of the people being sought, not an arrest count. Officers are checking addresses, workplaces and dormitories, and fining landlords who failed to report foreign residents. On October 30, a pre-dawn raid on three dormitories in Pathum Thani led to four arrests and fines for two building operators.
- Why it matters
- This is a sweep, not a new rule, but it means more door-to-door and workplace checks this month. Since September 15 the visa-exempt stay for many passports is 30 days, not 60, so it's easier than before to overstay by miscounting. Overstaying brings a fine of 500 baht a day (up to 20,000 baht), and longer overstays can mean detention, deportation and a ban on returning. Landlords who don't file the TM30 residence report can also be fined.
- Who it affects
- Anyone in Thailand on a visa exemption, tourist visa or extension, especially people who entered after September 15 under the shorter stay. Also landlords and anyone hosting a foreign guest.
- What you should do
- Check the 'admitted until' date stamped in your passport (or in your e-visa record) and leave or extend before it passes. Make sure your landlord or hotel has filed your TM30 report, and keep a copy of your passport, visa page and entry stamp with you. If you've already overstayed, go to immigration yourself rather than waiting to be found. Immigration hotline: 1178.
Source: The Pattaya News · Also: Manager Online (Thai), Thai Examiner · Verified Nov 1, 2026
Bangkok
02[Reported]
Road closures near Sanam Luang for royal funeral rehearsals on Nov 15 and 22, Dec 6 and 12
- What happened
- Bangkok · Nov 1 · Rehearsals for the processions of the Royal Cremation Ceremony of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother began on Saturday, October 31, with roads closed around Sanam Luang, the Grand Palace and Ratchadamnoen from early morning into the evening. Police published 23 alternative routes. Further rehearsals at Sanam Luang are scheduled for November 15 and 22, with full-scale rehearsals on December 6 and 12. The Royal Cremation is set for December 16, within ceremonies running December 15–19.
- Why it matters
- On rehearsal days, roads in the old town (Maha Rat, Na Phra Lan, Sanam Chai, Ratchadamnoen Nai and others) close for hours, and traffic backs up across Rattanakosin. Visits to the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun area are harder on those days.
- Who it affects
- Anyone traveling to or through the old town (Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Tha Tien, Khao San, Ratchadamnoen) on November 15 and 22, December 6 and 12, and during December 15–19.
- What you should do
- Avoid driving or taking taxis into the old town on those dates. Use the MRT (Sanam Chai station) or river boats instead. Closure times and routes are announced a few days before each rehearsal; the traffic police hotline is 1197.
Source: The Nation · Also: Matichon, Bangkok Biz News · Verified Nov 1, 2026
03[Reported]
High tides on the Chao Phraya through November 5, with storms most likely November 4–6
- What happened
- Bangkok · Nov 1 · The BMA warned that high tides on the Chao Phraya will run from October 28 to November 5, mostly between 6am and 3pm, after the Navy Hydrographic Department forecast unusually high water. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) issued a similar warning for Bangkok and six nearby provinces. Eleven riverside communities outside the flood wall, in Dusit, Phra Nakhon, Bang Kho Laem, Yan Nawa, Bangkok Noi and Khlong San, were told to move belongings to higher ground. Tidal water already flooded low roads in Samut Prakan and Samut Songkhram, including the Amphawa market, this week. TMD's 7-day forecast (issued October 30) has thunderstorms over 20–40% of Bangkok through November 3, rising to 40–60% with gusts and some heavy rain on November 4–6.
- Why it matters
- Most of central Bangkok sits behind the river flood wall, so this mainly affects riverside areas outside it, piers and low-lying sois near the river and canals. Heavy rain at high tide drains more slowly, so street flooding can last longer than usual. The cool season hasn't started yet in Bangkok; TMD's forecast doesn't show a drop in temperature this week.
- Who it affects
- People living or staying along the Chao Phraya (Charoen Krung, Charoen Nakhon, Khlong San, Thonburi riverside), anyone using river piers or ferries in the morning, and day-trippers to Amphawa or Samut Prakan.
- What you should do
- If you live by the river or a canal, keep valuables and electrics off the floor until November 5. Allow extra time on mornings with rain. Report flooding or blocked drains to the BMA on 1555 (24 hours) or LINE @traffyfondue. Check TMD (tmd.go.th) for the latest forecast.
Source: THE STANDARD · Also: PPTV, Thai PBS World · Verified Nov 1, 2026
Security
04[Official]
Viral '72-hour stockpile' warning is fake, Thailand's security council says
- What happened
- Bangkok · Nov 1 · On October 29, the Defense Ministry's spokesperson relayed a statement from the National Security Council (NSC) that a viral message claiming the NSC told people to stock 72 hours of food, water and medicine because of the Middle East conflict is false. The NSC said it never issued such a notice, is monitoring the conflict and coordinating contingency plans, and asked people to rely on official channels. On October 31, PM Anutin Charnvirakul said people should be aware that other countries have advised citizens to keep emergency supplies, but shouldn't panic, and that Thailand's food supply is secure.
- Why it matters
- The rumor spread because several governments (Germany, France, Japan, the UK and others) do advise households to keep a few days of supplies for any emergency. That's general preparedness advice, not a warning about Thailand. There's no Thai government instruction to stockpile.
- Who it affects
- Anyone who has seen the message forwarded in group chats.
- What you should do
- Don't forward it. Keeping a few days of water, food and any prescription medicine at home is sensible in a city that floods, but there's no need to panic-buy. For real alerts, follow the Government Public Relations Department and your embassy.
Source: THE STANDARD (Defense Ministry statement) · Also: Thai PBS World, Matichon · Verified Nov 1, 2026
Life
05[Reported]
Phuket: landslides and flash floods hit Patong; evacuations in hillside areas
- What happened
- Bangkok · Nov 1 · Heavy rain caused flash floods and mudslides in Patong, Phuket, on October 26, and more landslides followed around October 28–29, burying roads under mud. Patong's mayor ordered residents in high-risk hillside areas (around Nanai 3 and Nanai 8 roads) to move to temporary shelters, and Nanai 3 Road was closed. More than 100 homes and businesses, including hotels, were damaged. No deaths were reported. The Department of Mineral Resources warned of further landslide risk while rain continues.
- Why it matters
- Early November is the start of Phuket's high season, and some hotels in Patong's hillside streets were hit. Western Thailand's Andaman coast is still under thunderstorm forecasts.
- Who it affects
- Anyone traveling to Phuket, especially Patong and Kamala, in the next week or two.
- What you should do
- If you've booked in Patong, contact your hotel to confirm it's open and accessible. Avoid hillside roads and streams during heavy rain. Patong Municipality disaster line: 076-342-600. Tourist Police: 1155.
Source: Thai PBS World · Also: The Star, The Phuket News · Verified Nov 1, 2026
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General information, not legal, immigration or medical advice. Rules change quickly, so check the official source before you act. Terms