Less than convinced by the answer, Pol Capt Angkarn Yasanop, took the Canadian to the Immigration Office in Phuket Town.
There, a check in the Immigration database showed that the expat came to Thailand on September 22, 2010, and was stamped in for two months. That was the most recent entry in the record.
Faced with the data, the man admitted that he had overstayed in Thailand for more than two and a half years. He was sent to Thung Thong Police Station to be charged with being in Thailand illegally.
The man is listed in Linked In as Account Manager for a company called Thailand Direct Real Estate but it is understood that he is, effectively, broke.
He faces a fine and expulsion from the country, and may possibly also be barred from returning.