Does anyone know if Immigration today (10 Jan 2018) is open?  I did a border run yesterday and need to lodge a TM30 form within 24 hours of arrival (staying in rented condo) or I get a fine from immigration.  

 

Problem is today Soi 5 is totally flooded.  I tried riding along Jomtien beach road (flooded) into Soi 5 but the water got so high it was entering under my bike seat and bike cut out.  Over knee deep of filthy grey water that absolutely stinks of sewer - so a biohazard as well.  I saw a lady fall off her bike and it submerged.  Another rider fell and hit a moving car.  

The approach from Jomtien second road is also bad as that road is also flooded because of the rain.  

 

Will immigration fine me if I don't report today?  I will try again to go down there (just had a shower to wash off all the hazardous sewer and storm water/debris off me - hope I don't now get sick) later today.  

 

 

At Jomtien, from several reports I've received from folks that went in to report within a day or two, were told since they came in soon after arrival, there would be no fine -- this appears to be at the discretion of the Immigration Officer.

Pretty sure they'd be open and by now the flooding would have subsided, but if you go in tomorrow and they question you, just tell them what happened to you.  With a few exceptions the officers there are reasonable people.

Just take a couple of pictures on your phone to show them

Was in and out this morning in 2 minutes for 90 day report at about 11.20. However, I sat in a cafe for an hour waiting for the rain to stop before going to Immigration. 7/11 had run out of umbrellas. It was like a river beach end of Soi 5; a canoe would have neen ideal.

I have just walked up and down Soi 5 about an hour ago....no flooding.

Just back from a 90 day report. The soi clear of any water. Normal operations at Immigration. About 10/15 queued at the front desk with the main waiting area fairly busy, except for an empty 90 day report section. Just waited a couple of minutes as my number was next up, then sorted. But, shock horror, they seem to have run out of blue paper. The new slip is white!!

Yes I rode in on my jetski

if you are worried, phone immigration and ask, very simpel.

 

I know the OP is on about TM30 - But Ref : Wading in dirty water and getting sick.....
I made that mistake the first time I was in LoS...Walked through knee deep "rain" water in Jomtien and was sick as a dog for 4 days from both ends.

If you have a cut on your foot or leg it could lead to god knows what.

I have never done it since.

27 minutes ago, lonewolf99 said:

I know the OP is on about TM30 - But Ref : Wading in dirty water and getting sick.....
I made that mistake the first time I was in LoS...Walked through knee deep "rain" water in Jomtien and was sick as a dog for 4 days from both ends.

If you have a cut on your foot or leg it could lead to god knows what.

I have never done it since.

Yes.  The rain floods the sewers into the streets.  You are walking in 100,000 toilet-flushes mixed with rain.  If caught in this, go immediately to a shower (paid-showers on Beach Rd) and wash off with soap.  Do not touch your face, and pray no moto or other splashes that stuff in your face. 

Even after the water subsides, you will see a mound of "matter" along the side of the road on Soi 5 - including in front of the Imm Office.  If that stuff gets on your shoes, be sure and deal with it as if it were radioactive. 

 

One workaround is to come in from the 2nd road side, cutting through the businesses, rather than try to walk down the road.  Just in front of the Immigration building has been above water, when I have done this.

If you have just done a border run and immigration already knows your address,  why are you doing a TM30. You only need to do a TM30 if you leave the country more than 28 days. Info from Jomtien.

Jimn.  no, I was told to do it every time I left the country.

If you have just done a border run and immigration already knows your address,  why are you doing a TM30. You only need to do a TM30 if you leave the country more than 28 days. Info from Jomtien.

From who? The immi officer or the girls doing the tm30's?

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So lucky that so many people keep reporting their life. Never reported anything and will never, so these people keep focusing on you.

 

 

 

 

16 hours ago, jimn said:

If you have just done a border run and immigration already knows your address,  why are you doing a TM30. You only need to do a TM30 if you leave the country more than 28 days. Info from Jomtien.

I have been doing it even if gone for only 2 days - including up to a couple months ago.  I never heard of 28 days, though I understand different personnel say different things to different people different days of the week.  

 

10 hours ago, dpdp said:

So lucky that so many people keep reporting their life. Never reported anything and will never, so these people keep focusing on you.

If you never need any extension or other service from Jomtien Immigration, then you don't have to deal with this pointless TM-30 routine.  Some report that the Retirement desk there doesn't enforce them (or they have been lucky).  The Tourist and Family desks definitely do enforce them - speaking from 1st hand experience at both.

Edited January 11, 20188 yr by JackThompson

On 1/10/2018 at 6:23 PM, jimn said:

If you have just done a border run and immigration already knows your address,  why are you doing a TM30. You only need to do a TM30 if you leave the country more than 28 days. Info from Jomtien.

 

On 1/10/2018 at 9:59 PM, geisha said:

Jimn.  no, I was told to do it every time I left the country.

 

On 1/10/2018 at 11:05 PM, ExpatDraco said:

From who? The immi officer or the girls doing the tm30's?

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Someplace here I started a thread about the conflicting info given to me by the young ladies at the front desk and (two) Immigrations Officers on exactly this matter.  The young ladies insisted I needed to file a new TM.30 since I had just returned from an overseas trip, even though to same condo (which I own.)  The two IO's sitting at the counter to the side (adjacent to the door to the TM.30 room) said that as long as I had once reported on a TM.30 there was no need to report again as long as I returned to the same address.

 

Now, to throw another data point into the works:

 

Today I witnessed an IO at the re-entry desk loudly tell an older farang that he needed to report to Immigrations (presumably on a TM.30) every time he returned to Pattaya, even if returning to same address.  He seemed confused, so she repeated.

 

So, now my first-hand observations include:

 

(1) front desk ladies insisting new TM.30 be filed after returning to Pattaya, even to same address

(2) two IO's insisting that no reporting was needed if returning to same address

(3) one IO advising that a report must be made, even if returning to same address

 

I wonder why there's any confusion on the behalf of TV posters.  

Yes, i was told by the immigration officer at the enetrance desk that if I stayed in Thailand , I didn’t need tô re notify on my return, and that every time I left the country I would need to do it again. ( Jomtien).

14 hours ago, wpcoe said:

So, now my first-hand observations include:

 

(1) front desk ladies insisting new TM.30 be filed after returning to Pattaya, even to same address

(2) two IO's insisting that no reporting was needed if returning to same address

(3) one IO advising that a report must be made, even if returning to same address

At Jomtien Immigration office, the answer depends on which Immigration Officer you talk to or ask - for several months people receive conflicting information.  So who do you believe?  The one you talked to that said no you don't have to report or the one that your dealing with later that says "no - you were required to report, you must pay fine of ...baht" (that also seems to differ, but most often reported as 1,600 baht).

 

Because of this continued inconsistency, the Pattaya City Expats Club recommends that if you want to avoid the risk of being fined, you make the report within 24 hours or next business day.

On 10/01/2018 at 4:35 PM, joskeshake said:

if you are worried, phone immigration and ask, very simpel.

 

Thanks, did that several times but gave up after the phone just rang out.  

 

Thanks for all comments.  I did eventually return that afternoon after lunch as the river had subsided.  There was a massive queue.  A fight almost broke out in front of me because of someone bumping into another, people jammed in together.  One customer gave up with immigration officer in front as well and shouted, "F^%k this I am out of here" storming off (observed similar incidents few times in the past).  Took me about 1.5 hours to lodge my TM30.  Overall a nightmare experience.  If you are claustrophobic you are going to suffer as the section for the TM30s and extensions (side room to left inside entrance) was packed.  When you enter immigration as we all know you need to go to the front desk first - so a queue to then get a ticket to wait in another queue LOL.  

The TM.30 queue system is strange.  You need to get a number and still need to stand in line.  It would be nice to have a place to wait for them to call your queue number like for all the other desks, but there's no place to do that, so you get a queue number AND wait in line.

 

When I went in November the day after I returned from an overseas trip and got the conflicting information from IO's vs the front desk young ladies, the queue for TM.30 stretched out he front door and half way to the street, so I chickened out and didn't file, hoping that the IO's were the ones with the correct advice (that I need not report if I returned to the same address as already reported on the previous TM.30).  On subsequent visits, including twice last week in the peak of High Season, the TM.30 line was nowhere near that long.

On 10/01/2018 at 4:35 PM, joskeshake said:

if you are worried, phone immigration and ask, very simpel.

 

this must be a comedy post.