Red Phoenix

Thanks a lot for this info! Yes, when my current 30 Mbps unlimited download dTac expires, I will use the dual-SIM option of my RealMe phone, and a) if possible > keep the current phone number of that SIM and use it by topping up with credit for making/receiving phone-calls b) buy the NT Wireless Thunder SIM for Internet access. I am living 'in the sticks' but close to a dTac tower, so I guess that my location where I do get approx 25 Mbps of the 30Mbps max download speed on my current SIM, would give at least same speed and hopefully even faster. I already checked that my RealMe phone indeed supports the 4G-40 bandwidth needed for that NT Wireless Thunder SIM. Thanks again for pointing me to this info!

Guideline sent PM, and you're welcome.

By providing that rental agreement at your first extension, you provided evidence of your official address, and on that basis the Imm Office - without telling or showing you - filed your TM-30. And since you were since then on an unbroken chain of your Permit to stay, they never asked you to re-submit a TM-30 when needing an Immigration service. Why should they, as they already have your official address on file.

As I wrote, you probably did not realize that the Imm Office used the documents you submitted (e.g rental contract, house-book) to file your TM-30 notification. Without the official address from your TM-30 filed at your local Imm Office, you would not be able to do your 90-day report, as that is nothing more than a confirmation that you are still staying at that official address. And the local Imm Office checks whether the address of your 90-day report matches with your official address they have on file.

Υοu cannot get ANY service from an Imm Office, without providing or having previously provided evidence of the address that you are staying in the province 'served' by that Imm office. So you probably didn't realize that the documents you provided earlier (e.g. a rental agreement, or the house-book when not renting) were actually used by the Imm Office to file your TM-30. But I do agree with you that it is a totally archaic and confusing system.

Actually the purpose of doing a 90-day report is nothing more than confirming that you are still staying at the same address for which you provided the TM-30 required documents when you applied for the Non Imm O Visa (or its first 1-year extension when you entered Thailand on a Non Imm O Visa). So, it's very strange (or should I say stupid) that Immigration is insisting on you providing a new TM-30 when applying again for a 1-year extension, especially when your 90-day reports have been accepted. Or is this once again a dirty Jomtien trick to make you use a Visa Agent to get rid of the hassle?

Thanks for the link. But when looking at the pre-paid SIMs that dTac provides on that site, they do not sell the 1-year 30 Mbps unlimited download SIM. dTac does have a promotion on that site for a 1-year 15 Mbps unlimited download SIM (with free calls to all networks) for 1.600,- THB. But the 30 Mbps dTac SIMS you can buy via Lazada or Shopee costs 1.750,- THB, so in my case - using it to stream movies in High-Resolution to my TV- that's a better deal [as speed-test shows that I do get that 30 Mbps speed, and am seldom confronted with buffering]. But thanks for the info, as I now see that you can buy at dTac a Gaming SIM for 2.549,- THB with unlimited internet at max speed 100Mbps for 365 days, so when my current one stops I will got for that Gaming SIM (I am not a gamer, but would buy it for the 100 Mbps speed).

I speak from own experience. Purchased at Lazada a dTac 1-year 30 Mbps unlimited download SIM, and approx 11 months after initiating it, it stopped working. Then bought a new dTac one from Shopee, and that one stopped working after 9 months. And I am once again on a new one, but won't be surprised if also that one would stop working earlier than advertised. After that first experience I wondered what went wrong, but two local young guys who also made use of those cheap SIMs, confirmed that they have experienced same. I am not complaining, because at that price (approx 1.500 THB) it's a super-deal even when it stops earlier than advertised.

Yes, according to the TM-30 reporting regulation, which became effective almost 3 years ago (see attached), there is no need to re-issue a TM-30 when returning to your official address for immigration purposes. And that's not only true for domestic travel but also when returning from a trip abroad when your Permit to stay is protected by a Re-Entry Permit. As long as you are on the same unbroken chain of extensions of your Permit to stay, there should be no need to notify Immigration by issuing a TM-30 that you returned to your official address. HOWEVER, there are lately reports that some Imm Offices (notably CM) do not comply anymore with that regulation, and want you to inform them by issuing a TM-30 notification that you returned after a domestic or Re-Entry Permit protected international trip. So if your address is in a province with such rogue Imm Office, it would be useful to register your address on the IO TM-30 website so that you can do that notification on-line (takes less than 5 minutes), rather than having to go in person to the Imm Office after your return from a domestic/international trip. TM30 reporting regulation _ effective dd 30-06-2020.pdf

Afaik you can indeed switch from one provider to another while keeping your mobile number. But it is NOT possible to keep your number when switching to another cheap 1-year SIM that you can only buy on-line (e.g. at Lazada or Shopee). You can keep that number of such cheap SIM but then would have to take a - much more costly - monthly subscription with the provider. So the downside of buying those cheap 1-year SIMS - approx 1.500 THB for 1 year 30 Mbps unlimited download - is that when it stops working, which by the way is often already after 9, 10 or 11 months of use instead of the advertised 1 year, that you need to inform all the contacts that you provided with that number that it has changed (which is a pain). If you have a double-slot mobile phone, you can of course use the cheap 1-year SIM solely for Internet access, and use a regular SIM for making calls.

You can do a TM-30 notification on-line, then print-out the confirmation of having done so and bring that copy with you when applying for your 1-year extension at your local Imm Office. Normally that should not be necessary, but there are indeed many reports now that some offices seem to want a re-confirmation of your official address (which is the purpose of the TM-30 notification). In order to do the TM-30 notification on-line, the address where you are staying needs to be registered first on the IO TM-30 website, which is a quick and easy process, and you can do this as owner (or on behalf of the owner) or as tenant. But it can take 10 minutes to 5 working-days before you get the confirmation e-mail with Username:Password for the registered address, which then allows you to do the TM-30 notification on-line. NOTE: Send me a PM and I can provide you with a comprehensive Guideline on how to do the above. As usual with Immigration software 'solutions' it is easy when you know how to do it, and somewhat of a trial-and-error nightmare when you have to figure it out yourself.

Very good info. One additional TIP > When wanting to open an account, immediately ask on entering the branche to talk to the Manager of that branche. Doing so will avoid receiving 'not possible' responses from bank staff that are not familiar with opening an account for a foreigner, and don't want to lose face by having to ask their colleagues for help. Also if the branche Manager tells you that it is not possible for a specific reason, you can also ask him whether he has any recommendations for other branches or even other banks where you could open an account.

Thanks, a very useful post. The site provides factual information - up to date at moment of query - whether transferring money directly from your foreign Bank or using one of the Funds transfer service providers (like WISE) would be the best option. Should end the endless discussions where members compare apples with oranges to 'prove' their preference of choice.

Unfortunately only a limited number of Bangkok branches are able to provide you with a 12-month Bank Transactions Statement on the spot. This because after 6 months the majority of Bangkok Bank branches do not have direct access any more to the transactions made before those 6-months. And so they have to order it a Headquarters, which can take up to 5 working days before the statement is available for picking it up at your local branche. This means that in case your local Imm Office requires such a 12-month Bank Transactions statement when you apply for your 1-year extension of stay based on your Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement, that you need to order that Transactions statement well in advance. Easiest would be to pick it up at the day of your application prior to going to Immigration and at same time doing a small transaction on your personal bank-account so that your Bank Pass-book is updated and requesting the Bank to provide you with a Bank-Account statement showing that the account is yours as well as the (same day) updated Bank-balance.

Definitely possible to do it at your local Imm Office when your application for a 1-year extension of stay is due. It's simply a matter of applying for reason of retirement, instead of for reason of marriage. Obviously you would need to provide evidence that you meet the higher financial requirements for the 'retirement' application, i.e. evidence of +800K on your personal Thai bank-account seasoned for at least 2 months at moment of application. And unless you can prove that these funds have been already long time on your bank-account or accounts, you would also have to prove the foreign origins of those funds.

Very helpful response to OP query! Thanks FF

Thanks @BritTim for correcting me! And you are of course fully correct.

In that case you would need to apply for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa at the Imm Office of the province where you plan to reside. Note that this can only be done when you have entered Thailand VisaExempt or on a Tourist Visa, and there are at least 15 days left on the Permit to Stay of that Visa (both can be extended with 30-days in case you don't have sufficient time to prepare your application for that Visa). When you received the 90-day Non Imm O Visa as mentioned higher or entered Thailand on a 90-day Non Imm O Visa that you acquired abroad at a Thai Embassy/Consulate, you can apply for the 1-year extension of stay based on that Non Imm O Visa at the local Imm Office of the province where you plan to reside, and this can be done during the last month of the Permit to stay of that 90-day Non Imm O Visa.

When you have a 1-year MultipleEntry Non Imm O Visa, this provides you with a 90-day permit to stay each time you enter Thailand during the Visa's 1-year validity. That 90-day permit can be extended for 30-days at your local Imm Office (and if you are married to a Thai national, you can on top of that also apply for an additional 60-day extension of stay for reason of visiting your wife). When you are on such a 1-year ME Non Imm O Visa there is no need to do 90-day reports. When you travel fairly regularly abroad (e.g. 2-3 trips every year) that Visa is ideal. And when you get tired of having to leave Thailand every 90 days (or after 120 or 180 days, when having applied for extensions), there is also the option to apply for a 1-year extension of that Non Imm O Visa, but obviously that requires that you then meet the financial and other requirements for such application.

You are most probably referring to the IO TM-30 website < TM30 online reporting >. Indeed, when you open that website the website-address states: Login for FN Hotel. But that puts you on the wrong foot, because it is not limited to Hotels, but is actually the site where you can register the address of the place where a foreigner is staying. Obviously most Hotels/Guesthouses will have registered on it, as it allows them to do the TM-30 notification of a foreigner staying at their premises on-line. So if you own your own place, or are renting (and the landlord has not yet registered the address you are residing on that IO TM-30 website), you can register the place yourself (an easy process) and it will then allow you to notify your local Immigration Office on-line by issuing a TM-30 that a foreigner is residing at that place without the need of going to your Imm Office in person. In most provinces when you return to your official address after a domestic or Re-Entry permit international trip, there is no need to re-issue a TM-30 notification. But when you are residing in one of those provinces like ChiangMai where the rogue Imm Office expects you to notify them every time you return to your place, then it's very handy to register your address and re-issue a TM-30 notification that you returned to your official address (it takes less than 2 minutes). Note: I did PM you a comprehensive Guideline on how to register your address on that IO TM-30 website and subsequently issue a TM-30 on-line to your local Imm Office.

So corruption at its worst. Big Joke should take up the role of Dragonslayer !

Your guess is as good as mine. There was NO reason to fine him, as he was in full compliance with all requirements, but he committed the Crime of insisting to be provided with the service he was entitled to.

The reason I call them the Immigration Maffia, is that a friend of mine experienced the same this week. After having re-entered Thailand Visa Exempt he applied at the Jomtien Imm Office during the last 2 days of his application window for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement. The female Imm Officer told him to apply for a 30-day extension first. As there was no reason to do so (he was still within the application window), he insisted on doing the application for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement. The officer then told him that he could not do so as the +800K on his personal Thai bank-account had to be seasoned for two months in order to apply for that Non Imm O Visa. Flabbergasted and confused he left that hell-hole. And returned next day with his Thai girlfriend, who did speak with the Imm officers. End of story was that he then was allowed to apply for that 90-day Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement, but he had to pay a fine of 5.000,- THB. A fine for insisting to be provided with a service you are entitled to? It is time that Big Joke will come to Chonburi (as the SriRacha Imm office is same or worse), and clean out that corrupt Augias stable!

Seems like the Jomtien Immigration Maffia is striking again, or are they totally incompetent at that office? The 800K funds ONLY need to be on your personal Thai bank-account at the moment of application for your 90-day Non Imm O Visa. And you also need to provide evidence of the foreign origin of those funds, but that seasoning requirement can be waived when the funds have already been long-time on your bank-account. Note: Or are you actually applying for the first time for a 1-year extension of your Non Imm O or O-A Visa which you acquired abroad? In that case the funds indeed need to be seasoned for at least 2 months before the date of application. How did you enter Thailand? If it was on a Tourist Visa or VisaExempt, you would be applying for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa. But if you entered on a Non Imm O or O-A Visa, you would then be applying for the 1-year extension of the Permit to stay that Visa-entry provided you.

I can confirm what OP wrote: a very efficient and easy process to get my 2-year valid Thai drivers Permit (two plastified cards - one for car and one for motorbike). I did it in my province at the SiSaKet DLT, without help of an agent and the whole process took less than 1 hour. The required documents were: - my Passport - a Residence Certificate (provided free of charge by my SiSaKet Imm Office - but they needed an equally free of charge DLT request form to provide the Residence Certificate - so a back and forth visit was required); - a medical attestation (60,- THB from the local clinic, delivered on the spot and valid for one month); - one or two pass-photos - an International Drivers Permit on my name It is noteworthy to mention that my Belgian drivers license was not accepted by the DLT. The reason being that the DLT only accepts english-language drivers permits, although the formats and symbols used on these permitsare universal. So the Brits, Americans, Australians, and other english-language countries are lucky as they do not need an IDP, but I was required to get hold of such IDP last time I visited my home-country. A Danish friend of mine who has only his danish-language drivers license, and no IDP, was forced to go through the whole 2-day DLT course with theory and practice lessons before the Thai drivers Permit was issued to him.