TM.30 Confusion today at Cholburi (Jomtien) Immigrations

[wpcoe]

20 hours ago, R123 said:

I was involved in doing a change of address in Jomtien Immigration recently (the side entrance section) and the official there was telling a person ahead of me that a TM 30 is needed anytime someone leaves Thailand and returns; the report needs to be filed within 24 hours.

The inference being no matter if someone  leaves Thailand for just a day or less, the report still needs to be submitted within the 24 hour period.

No mention made if someone is simply  travelling around Thailand without leaving the country.

Note I am just relating what I witnessed first hand.

 

15 hours ago, TunnelRat69 said:

I also filed myself and got the TM-30 stapled to back page of my pspt - asked  Miss cutie pie in the IO Office on the left  -  if I went to Vietnam and came back, do I need to file again, she said "If same address, no, change Condo, yes"  I said that was easy - she replied "Later will be on-line for owners, even easy more and smiled"  So I will test the water and not file again when I come back next trip.

 

And, there you have it.  MORE conflicting "correct" info coming directly from the horse's mouth -- the Immigrations staff in the TM.30 room in the Jomtien office...

 

Somewhere in this forum section is someone who reported they were advised -- by the folks in the TM.30 room in the Jomtien office -- that if, and only if, they were gone more than 14 days is a new TM.30 required. 

 

[JackThompson]

2 hours ago, Mansinthe said:

Do i need to do this report if i stay on a “non immigrant o “ (the marriage one with 3x90days) if i stay for 30 days in a apartment that my wife rented for us? 

Or has the owner of the building to do that?

If you are on a Non-O Multi-Entry Visa, and have no plans to use an immigration office in Thailand for extensions or other purposes, you don't have to worry about this.  This law is only enforced at some (not all) immigration-offices - not at border crossings. 

 

But, if you plan on using immigration offices for extensions or anything else, then it may affect you (depending on which office).  In this case, I would ask the apt-mgmt if they are doing the TM-30.  If they aren't doing it (maybe don't even know what it is), then I would do it.

[hawker9000]

On ‎11‎/‎6‎/‎2017 at 11:05 PM, Jools said:

I will admit to not understanding the Thai attitude toward the law. Many apparently just ignore it without repercussions. Do police have no way of checking up on hotels and  landlords who do not report their tenants?? I can't imagine a similar disdain for the law in the USA or UK.

I actually think there was sort of a "crackdown" awhile back, but as I heard it, it was aimed at hotels & guesthouses that weren't "registered" and therefore not reporting guests as is required of them by law.  But to answer your question, if you're in the country on a tourist visa, renting a condo, and that's not the address you listed on your arrival card. and nobody does the TM-30, then how WOULD they know?   I doubt they have any capability for correlating foreign condo ownership and actual owner occupancy (rather than rental activity), let alone knowing when a condo is being temporarily occupied by a visitor.   I would think the most they could do was check their "database" for a particular foreigner (by name & passport no.) and determine that they do or they don't have a current address for him.

[Jools]

11 hours ago, wpcoe said:

 

And, there you have it.  MORE conflicting "correct" info coming directly from the horse's mouth -- the Immigrations staff in the TM.30 room in the Jomtien office...

 

Somewhere in this forum section is someone who reported they were advised -- by the folks in the TM.30 room in the Jomtien office -- that if, and only if, they were gone more than 14 days is a new TM.30 required. 

 

How on earth would anyone know if you were out of town for ANY length of time? There are no stamps in passports for going from Pattaya to Hua Hin ( or anywhere else in the country). The requirement is not enforceable.A farang who volunteers at IO told me that the college-age girls at the desk know almost nothing and (like most Thais) will give you any answer rather than admit they don't know.

Edited November 8, 2017 by ubonjoe
moved reply from quoted text

[juice777]

How on earth would anyone know if you were out of town for ANY length of time? There are no stamps in passports for going from Pattaya to Hua Hin ( or anywhere else in the country). The requirement is not enforceable.A farang who volunteers at IO told me that the college-age girls at the desk know almost nothing and (like most Thais) will give you any answer rather than admit they don't know.

Your hotel has to register you with the local imagination office. So if you don't register when you come back it should be on there system.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[Mattd]

30 minutes ago, Jools said:

How on earth would anyone know if you were out of town for ANY length of time? There are no stamps in passports for going from Pattaya to Hua Hin ( or anywhere else in the country). The requirement is not enforceable.A farang who volunteers at IO told me that the college-age girls at the desk know almost nothing and (like most Thais) will give you any answer rather than admit they don't know.

I suppose that this would depend on where you stayed when absent from your home, if in a hotel, then they should report that you are staying there via the TM30 online reporting system available to businesses, so therefore a trace is there to be found, however, if you stayed in a private residence or a small hotel / guesthouse and they did not report that you stayed there, then in theory immigration in your area would not know that you had been away.

I have no idea if the TM30 online database is such that immigration in one area can see a report made by a hotel in another area, though I do imagine so by name / passport number.

[stanleycoin]

TM30

One big mess.

It all depends  on the way the wind blows on any given day.

Total toss pots.

 

[terminatorchiangmai]

In Chiang Mai you need to report within 24 hours if you have a new departure card.

Just walk in with passport and your old slip and you get an update.

 

Good luck

[Tanoshi]

On ‎08‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 4:26 AM, wpcoe said:

 

 

And, there you have it.  MORE conflicting "correct" info coming directly from the horse's mouth -- the Immigrations staff in the TM.30 room in the Jomtien office...

 

Somewhere in this forum section is someone who reported they were advised -- by the folks in the TM.30 room in the Jomtien office -- that if, and only if, they were gone more than 14 days is a new TM.30 required. 

 

You just don't understand how the steps in Immigration work.

Maybe this will clarify it for you.

 

 

[JackThompson]

17 hours ago, Mattd said:

I suppose that this would depend on where you stayed when absent from your home, if in a hotel, then they should report that you are staying there via the TM30 online reporting system available to businesses, so therefore a trace is there to be found, however, if you stayed in a private residence or a small hotel / guesthouse and they did not report that you stayed there, then in theory immigration in your area would not know that you had been away.

I have no idea if the TM30 online database is such that immigration in one area can see a report made by a hotel in another area, though I do imagine so by name / passport number.

Some have posted (here) that they were shown a list of their reported-stays away from their residence. 

[Dazinoz]

2 hours ago, terminatorchiangmai said:

In Chiang Mai you need to report within 24 hours if you have a new departure card.

Just walk in with passport and your old slip and you get an update.

 

Good luck

That's what I was told. TM30 tied to departure card so only need to update when you come back into country same address or not. 

[andre47]

I stay at the same permanent address for 8 years in Pattaya. I'm on a retirement ( 12 months extension of stay ). I leave the country about 1-2 times per year and 1-2 times I travel within Thailand.

 

I never filled a TM30 and I never got any questions or problems so far.

[NanLaew]

8 minutes ago, andre47 said:

I stay at the same permanent address for 8 years in Pattaya. I'm on a retirement ( 12 months extension of stay ). I leave the country about 1-2 times per year and 1-2 times I travel within Thailand.

 

I never filled a TM30 and I never got any questions or problems so far.

You, me, my three mates and probably several hundred others as well. I wonder what others are doing wrong?... apart from heeding that big official looking banner, filing a TM30 thus opening their own, personal can of worms?

[micked58]

Hi all,

 

I have been in Thailand since November 2017, so far I have used two tourist visas, and now 4 visa exempt entrys(with 2 extended). I am going to Myanmar on the 15th of this month for 4 days, I am then coming back through on visa exempt(don muang). I am getting another visa exempt because I am only staying for 20 more days then going home. 

Do you think there will be an issue coming through this last time?. If so is they anything I can do on my end.

 

I will make sure I have 10k baht in cash and my flights out for proof. Is there anything else I should bring with me or have ready?

 

Last time I came in 2 months ago the IO asked "how long you stay this time"... If I was to get rejected this time, would there be any trouble? or just me getting a flight somewhere(i wont have a visa for Myanmar for I assume I can go to KL or Singapore?)

Cheers

Edited November 12, 2017 by micked58

[JackThompson]

4 hours ago, micked58 said:

Hi all,

 

I have been in Thailand since November 2017, so far I have used two tourist visas, and now 4 visa exempt entrys(with 2 extended). I am going to Myanmar on the 15th of this month for 4 days, I am then coming back through on visa exempt(don muang). I am getting another visa exempt because I am only staying for 20 more days then going home. 

Do you think there will be an issue coming through this last time?. If so is they anything I can do on my end.

 

I will make sure I have 10k baht in cash and my flights out for proof. Is there anything else I should bring with me or have ready?

 

Last time I came in 2 months ago the IO asked "how long you stay this time"... If I was to get rejected this time, would there be any trouble? or just me getting a flight somewhere(i wont have a visa for Myanmar for I assume I can go to KL or Singapore?)

Cheers

This is a post that belongs in its own thread (or another thread).  This thread is about TM-30 reporting.

 

Generally - frequent and/or longer-staying (in the past - even a year ago+) persons would be wise to always use friendly entry-points (i.e. not airports) and/or enter with Tourist Visas + cash + any other proof they don't need to work while in Thailand.

[NanLaew]

7 hours ago, micked58 said:

Hi all,

 

I have been in Thailand since November 2017, so far I have used two tourist visas, and now 4 visa exempt entrys(with 2 extended). I am going to Myanmar on the 15th of this month for 4 days, I am then coming back through on visa exempt(don muang). I am getting another visa exempt because I am only staying for 20 more days then going home. 

Do you think there will be an issue coming through this last time?. If so is they anything I can do on my end.

 

I will make sure I have 10k baht in cash and my flights out for proof. Is there anything else I should bring with me or have ready?

 

Last time I came in 2 months ago the IO asked "how long you stay this time"... If I was to get rejected this time, would there be any trouble? or just me getting a flight somewhere(i wont have a visa for Myanmar for I assume I can go to KL or Singapore?)

Cheers

Yes, wrong thread but while you're here, it is 20 k baht (not 10k) and having that and the outward ticket should get you past Don Muang immigration. If it goes pear-shaped, and you qualify by nationality for visa-exempt entry in Vietnam, a hop to Saigon would be quicker and cheaper than KUL or SIN. Loads more fun too.

 

Any questions, DO NOT respond here as this is the "TM30 confusion at Jomtien" thread and you aren't playing that game yet.

Edited November 12, 2017 by NanLaew

[ukrules]

On 06/11/2017 at 3:25 PM, wpcoe said:

What would YOU have done?

I wouldn't have went there in the first place. Do it once per address and forget about it.

 

[midas]

I just think it's better to be safe than sorry and to avoid any possibility that they hit you with a fine later on.

Anyway I find it mildly entertaining to visit this place occasionally just to watch all these staff members working in organised chaos when the right hand hasn't got a clue what the left hand is doing

Edited November 13, 2017 by midas

[Dazinoz]

16 hours ago, micked58 said:

Hi all,

 

I have been in Thailand since November 2017, so far I have used two tourist visas, and now 4 visa exempt entrys(with 2 extended). I am going to Myanmar on the 15th of this month for 4 days, I am then coming back through on visa exempt(don muang). I am getting another visa exempt because I am only staying for 20 more days then going home. 

Do you think there will be an issue coming through this last time?. If so is they anything I can do on my end.

 

I will make sure I have 10k baht in cash and my flights out for proof. Is there anything else I should bring with me or have ready?

 

Last time I came in 2 months ago the IO asked "how long you stay this time"... If I was to get rejected this time, would there be any trouble? or just me getting a flight somewhere(i wont have a visa for Myanmar for I assume I can go to KL or Singapore?)

Cheers

Maybe start a new thread as this is not on topic about the TM30.