Pennekamp

Good day to you all. This is my first post although I have been following the daily ThaiVisa emails for a few years already.

By way of introduction, I was born in the UK and hold a British Passport. I retired in 2006 and within a few months I moved to Penang where I have lived happily for the last twelve years. I have a Social Visit Pass under the Malaysia My Second Home Programme. The Social Visit Pass is effectively a ten year multiple entry visa with no further reporting to Malaysian immigration (except to transfer the Pass from an old passport to a new one from time to time).

In 2009 I met a Thai lady and five months later persuaded her to move to Penang where we could be together. Two years later we were married.

Since my wife (then my partner) moved to Malaysia we have made frequent visits to Thailand. We have become particularly fond of Hua Hin where for the last three or four years we have rented a pool villa for two months twice a year. Earlier this year my wife completed the purchase of our own villa in Cha-am.

Next month we plan to visit Cha-am for three months (SETV plus extension for me). I have some questions relating to the TM30 form which I hope somebody will be able to answer.

We plan to arrive in Cha-am on a Friday afternoon. I understand that my wife is required to file a TM30 report within twenty four hours of our arrival. Given that the Cha-am immigration office is closed on Saturdays and Sundays will it be acceptable to file the TM30 on the following Monday? What documents are required when filing the TM30? Originals or copies (or both)?

Alternatively, would it be possible to file the TM30 in Hua Hin? The immigration office at Bluport is open on Saturday mornings but is, of course, in a different province.

I am particularly concerned that we get this TM30 filed correctly because I will have to visit Immigration in order to extend my SETV and I have read that any irregularities with the TM30 might lead to the extension being refused.

Our fallback position would be to delay our departure by three days in order to arrive on the Tuesday (I try to avoid the border at weekends when it can be very busy).

Thanking you in anticipation of your replies.