“The problem is worse now than it was 10 years ago,” said Lieutenant- Colonel Vasu Sangsuksai, Tourist Police deputy for central Thailand, which includes Pattaya. It’s a problem without a solution, he said. Overseas visitors caught with an expired visa face fines of up to 20,000 baht (£400) but homeless foreigners typically cannot afford to pay. The next step is prison, according to Thai law. “Many times I speak to embassies and they say that they can’t do anything,” says Lt-Col Vasu.