Thailand Immigration: TM30 24 hour reporting thread

[Henry 14th]

When I return to Thailand next month, and am stamped in at the airport using my re-entry permit, am I then expected to report to immigration or blue port within 24 hours to tell them I have returned to my condo,

According to section 38 of the Thai Immigration Act, yes you are. Now, enforcement of this has been almost non-existent in the past and even now, it's very patchy with some areas enforcing it and some not. From reports elsewhere, it seems Chiang Mai is the strictest on this and in my experience, Hua Hin is probably the least strict.

The last time I came back to Thailand from abroad, which was nearly a year ago, I didn't submit a TM-30 (and neither did anyone else on my behalf). The next time I did a 90-day report at BlùPort, nothing was said.

I can report that Tha Yang are enforcing this. Or at least they did the last time I did my 90 day report. They made me drive 30 minutes home (30mins back to immigration then of course the return 30 mins!) to get the Blue book - the same blue book I use every year (for the past 5 years) to apply for my Visa extension.

Although I wasn’t fined for missing the 24 hours nonsense, it was highly inconvenient in what seems like a 100% waste of time.

I just can not see any practical purpose this rule serves?




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[laser]

I own a condo ...
... or is this TM30 nonsense just to report the arrival of any guests who arrive at my condo.

Did you read the whole article? "Foreign personal owners of property titles have also been reported to be exempt. Since foreigners are not allowed to own land title deeds, these property owners will be condominium owners (not lease holders). Such foreign individuals will already be registered on house registration books (“tabien bahn”) and mostly be holders of retirement visas, or stay permits linked to work permits.
Some foreigners have acquired condominiums in the name of a spouse or partner, in which case that person is required to register the foreigner in the capacity of property owner host. The exemption of condominium owners is challenged by some legal advisors. Such owners need to re-confirm their exemptions directly with Immigration authorities."

Just give your condo's address when filling the entry form on your return, and that's all to it. You normally 'register' your address with TI at the 1st extension of stay - and only once.
Moreover, you don't fill any TM30 form for anyone. If folks come to stay with you then see the condo manager with their passport. S/he will make copies and duly report them to TI.

[Nereus]

Such foreign individuals will already be registered on house registration books (“tabien bahn”)

I know that I should keep way from this as a lot of it is just conjecture, but unless you have a "Yellow" tabien bahn, this is NOT correct. And having a"Yellow" book is not something most people bother to obtain.

[GroveHillWanderer]

Foreign personal owners of property titles have also been reported to be exempt.

That's one report - yet there are several first-hand accounts that I have read, where the foreign tenant has been fined for not having filed a TM-30. Some immigration offices are apparently looking at the part of Section 38 which includes the mention of a "possessor" of a residence as being one of those who is liable to file a TM-30 report. Certainly, as already mentioned in this thread it is possible for a foreigner to register online as the person authorised to submit a TM-30.

So I'm guessing the offices that are fining foreigners when there is no updated TM-30 for them, are doing it on the basis that, since a foreign "possessor" of a residence is entitled to file their own TM-30, they can also be penalised for not doing so.

Again, this is not being enforced in Hua Hin according to anything I've seen or heard.

[laser]

Such foreign individuals will already be registered on house registration books (“tabien bahn”)

I know that I should keep way from this as a lot of it is just conjecture, but unless you have a "Yellow" tabien bahn, this is NOT correct. And having a"Yellow" book is not something most people bother to obtain.

You're right, the author of the article (will you notice that I quoted him?) was sloppy.
However, that makes no difference to the poster. If he's new and not yet registered with TI then the condo manager reports him and his farang guests.
He can register with Immigration (like I did) by presenting the blue book (issued by the Council to every unit but a proof of domicile only for Thais), the unit title deed, his passport, and whatever else the pesky male officer would want to see.

[Nereus]

Such foreign individuals will already be registered on house registration books (“tabien bahn”)

I know that I should keep way from this as a lot of it is just conjecture, but unless you have a "Yellow" tabien bahn, this is NOT correct. And having a"Yellow" book is not something most people bother to obtain.

You're right, the author of the article (will you notice that I quoted him?) was sloppy.
However, that makes no difference to the poster. If he's new and not yet registered with TI then the condo manager reports him and his farang guests.
He can register with Immigration (like I did) by presenting the blue book (issued by the Council to every unit but a proof of domicile only for Thais), the unit title deed, his passport, and whatever else the pesky male officer would want to see.

The OP states that he owns a Condo. It is nothing to do with the Condo manager, and it is not the "council" that issues the Tabien Bahn belonging to each Condo. That is done by the developer when the development is registered with the land department. If he is so inclined to report 24 hour arrival all he needs to do is go to immigration and fill in the correct form. No need to "register" or take the Condo documents, just as is done with the 90 day requirement, because he will already be in the system.

[Dannie Boy]

When I return to Thailand next month, and am stamped in at the airport using my re-entry permit, am I then expected to report to immigration or blue port within 24 hours to tell them I have returned to my condo,

According to section 38 of the Thai Immigration Act, yes you are. Now, enforcement of this has been almost non-existent in the past and even now, it's very patchy with some areas enforcing it and some not. From reports elsewhere, it seems Chiang Mai is the strictest on this and in my experience, Hua Hin is probably the least strict.

The last time I came back to Thailand from abroad, which was nearly a year ago, I didn't submit a TM-30 (and neither did anyone else on my behalf). The next time I did a 90-day report at BlùPort, nothing was said.

I can report that Tha Yang are enforcing this. Or at least they did the last time I did my 90 day report. They made me drive 30 minutes home (30mins back to immigration then of course the return 30 mins!) to get the Blue book - the same blue book I use every year (for the past 5 years) to apply for my Visa extension.

Although I wasn’t fined for missing the 24 hours nonsense, it was highly inconvenient in what seems like a 100% waste of time.

I just can not see any practical purpose this rule serves?

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I know that many of you will not be surprised when during a visit to Tha Yang Immigration this mor eta e-entry stamp in my passport, I asked the Officer whether I need to report within 24 hours after my return - he confided with a colleague and then told me, no need to do so, just your 90 day report starting from the first day of my return.

As an aside and after my unpleasant encounter with the lady at the Cha Am Driving License centre earlier in the week, this Officer was the complete opposite, helpful and smiling and even took a copy of my visa in my passport as I had copied the wrong one!!

[buksida]

Thailand keeping track of foreigners – the TM30 reporting form
The TM30 reporting procedure is a Thai immigration requirement. The form is designed to assist keeping track of foreigners – tourists and expats – whilst in Thailand. It must be completed by the owner or landlord to report the stay of guests within 24 hours of their arrival.

As with many things in Thailand the enforcement will not be uniformly applied and some people may get away without reporting, maybe for years. But if Immigration do check, and you haven’t been doing the required reporting, then fines and other immigration problems will follow.

We’ve tried to simplify the TM30 to these main points.

If you’re staying at a hotel, the hotel will do the registration for you after you’ve checked in. But it also applies to the following…

If you own and live in a home in Thailand
If you’re staying with a Thai friend
If you’re staying a property that isn’t properly licensed

The TM30 form is designed to report foreigners locations during their short or long-term stay in Thailand. If you are staying in a condo or apartment block, the owner must register your stay.

The rationale from the Thai government is that the TM30 provides a way to monitor the ‘goodies’ but also the ‘baddies’, in the hope of deterring foreign criminals to choose Thailand as a place to hide out.

The law governing the TM30 form was introduced a long time with the Hotel Act of 2005, but has since expanded beyond hotels to cover landlords owning property or apartments that are not classified as hotels. Authorities believed this was necessary to include the rental of condos and other unlicensed premises rented out to paying guests, such as room-sharing apps like AirBnB. The rules also apply to Thais hosting foreigners.

The report must be completed by hotels, serviced apartments or by landlords of private properties. It is the landlord’s responsibility to submit the TM30.

If you are staying in a friend’s house, your friend still needs to submit the TM30 form. The same applies to a foreigner married to a Thai and carries a Thai visa.

If you’re an expat living permanently in Thailand and travel to other places within the country – any other address other than your usual home address – you need to inform immigration once you’ve returned.

This is what you need to fill in a TM30…

Copy of your departure card
Copy of your passport photo page
Copy of your most recent visa stamp page
The landlord or reporting person needs…

Copy of the title deed to their property
Copy of the rental contract
The TM30 is not the same as 90 day reporting.

Online registration is available HERE, when it’s working. https://extranet.immigration.go.th/fn24online/

You need to register a username and password then you just login whenever you need to. The fine for not reporting is 1,600 Baht per person.

To protect yourself, as a tenant or guest, you should ask your landlord or accommodation owner if you have already been registered.


https://thethaiger.com/news/national/th ... rting-form

[Spitfire]

This requirement really is the biggest load of paranoid unworkable nonsense I've come across here regarding the Immigration Department living in fantasy land. One glove never fits for all. There should be some differentiation between tourists and residents/retirees/expats working etc. so that the latter can declare that they can be found at multiple addresses. I mean, for example, I have an apartment/condo and my wife owns her own house and both are in the same immigration area and I obviously spend time at both ... am I required to fill in like 3 TM30s a week when the trip to the area IO is an hour round trip, it's ludicrous and anally pretty beyond belief.

[buksida]

I still don't get why farangs are being fined when it is the landlord/property owner's responsibility to submit this form. Sounds like another tea money fund to me.

[Big Boy]

tm30.jpg (90.15 KiB) Viewed 528 times

[Dannie Boy]

Whether you agree with this (I guess that many of us won’t) at least it’s a clear message of what you need to do to comply.

[caller]

They have put that sign up at the airport bus station, on the side of the food vendors counter that faces the seats where everyone waits.

[Nereus]

Circus advertisement featuring a popular clown.

[migrant]

Who is the officer they are telling us all to report to? Must be pretty busy!