‘Better if you do’: Phuket Immigration chief urges foreigners to re-register addresses, even if staying off-island just one night

[Jiggo]

Surely the Immigration Centre's would be over run by hundreds of expats returning from a weekend away...Still they could employ more staff lol  

[taxin]

Yes a 6 month multiple entry tourist visa METV. It has been around about 3 years. If used correctly with your dates it can last for 9 months ( that would require 2 border hops or visa trips.  There is a very long thread on it in the visa section. Costs $200USD Approx.  No reporting. Sixty days each entry than can be extended for 30 more days at immigration. Petty much you have to get it in your home country. 

So it’s a 60 day multiple entry visa with a maximum stay of 90 days at a time (subject to visiting the immigration for a 30 day extension), it is NOT a 6 month visa that would allow you to stay in the country for 6 months hassle free. I make that 60 days hassle free, not 6 months hassle free.

The only thing you were right on was there not being any 90 day hassle, you have a 60 day hassle instead.

You actually got me excited, how crazy of me to think their might actually be a 6 month visa. We can all dream I suppose.

[skorp13]

11 hours ago, alant said:

My understanding is it is the property owner that is legally required to notify them, do you know something I don't?

What is the procedure to "re-register"? Me and my wife live together in a house registered in her name. If we go away for a few days, when we come home does she need to take another day off work to go to immigration and report me?

[Thaiwrath]

6 hours ago, Psimbo said:

I am fascinated  (well I'm not really!) by the number of people who are not affected by this who have chosen to post on the subject. This is about PHUKET, not Nakon Nowhere or the Sewer.

 

 

Is there a TV rule, saying that people are not allowed opinions of things, whether it be Thailand or worldwide related, unless you actually live in that place ? 

Edited January 27, 2018 by metisdead
Please do not modify someone else's post in your quoted reply, either with font or color changes or wording.

[chickenslegs]

52 minutes ago, Hupaponics said:

Just go and register. How hard can it be?

Easy for me, as I only have a 20 minute drive to my local Immigration office.

 

For others it seems that a long drive each way could be necessary. Some of those folks may not have a car and have to rely on public transport - God help them.

[Shaunduhpostman]

I assume it is the local immigration officers who would check the system and see if you've reported returning home. Its always internal immigration offices where there are the kind of people looking to create problems and/or tap your wallet. Just leave the country every 90 days and apply for a new visa at a consulate and avoid these guys and the cretinous insanity and  inconsiderate treatment. You'll never win with your local immigration, they don't make it possible for you to comply in so many ways.

 

Thailand still  gives most of us an option by allowing us to stay here legally without having to go to these people and beg by allowing  us to simply leave the country and turn around and come back provided you are on a marriage or retirement visa. You don't need the local immigration office for anything.  It  might seem more convenient but it is actually more stress and hassles  than just leaving every 90 days. To my knowledge I never have to face anyone who gives a toot whether I spent a few nights in a hotel. The Thai consolates and border immigration I doubt have time for any of that nonsense and they are the only people I am required to check in with.

 

In my own case, I would have to travel 3 hours to report to my "local" immigration office and for what? To be asked to show proof of income, to be told "Oh and ya know... by the way, it just seems to me that's not enough. Since we are not particualrly busy around here you have to give me expenses so I can drive 3 hours to your house and look around to see if you really live there or not!" Or to travel all the way to Nakorn Phanom to file a 90 day report because they wont fix their online system and now they'd have me go all the way out there to file papers to report having stayed in a hotel because I got stuck in the rain and couldn't drive home .

 

In my own case Essentially, I would have to leave my house and perhaps stay at a hotel in Nakorn Phanom so that I could file a paper saying that I had earlier stayed at another hotel. After which point There's no reason they couldn't just keep me stuck in Nakorn Phanom on an  infinite loop filing papers because I had leave my home and spend the night to file papers with them saying I had to stay at a hotel to file papers with them. Just leave the Mad Hatters to their teaparty  and stop worrying about them, they didn't invite you so don't go. They can fine you for anything anyway, so what problem does it solve trying to comply?

[Henrik Andersen]

We live in 21 century Thailand never here about online registration or are Thailand just a 3 world country or are this just another money scam soon all expats gone and only the 1 quality Russians and Chinese left meaby 

[chickenrunCM]

12 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

No, why should Immigration be expected to presume you have returned to the property you regard as home?

 

You are legally required to inform them, not them make presumptions and guesses on your behalf. 

 

You could be visiting family, friends, some new gf or whatever and staying in their residence. I don't know any police force that would accept making assumptions and presumptions as part of a procedure like this.

 

And he's being very good to remind people so they don't get fined.

where do you come from? what do you want ? you exuse a stupid statement from a thai official. nowhere in the world you have to make a report when you return to your home adress. 

Why you not put a GPS chip under your skin and give the IMO your data so they can follow you 24/7

and why anybody should care about what a policeforce making assumptions? You do nothing wrong so you dont have to care the police or whatever.

You should get a life and not writing 21.xxx posts

[ttrd]

13 hours ago, Mickmouse1 said:

You mean if I have a fixed address and travel to krabi or surat I.must upon my return go to immigration and tell them where I went&stayed and am back to my home?????

At least they have not asked us to inform about how offen we make a pee or let a frog - not yet......

[Gandtee]

What next?  A micro chip on arrival? Big Brother is watching you! Come back George Orwell. All is forgiven. Thailand, oh Thailand. Where are you going? You're becoming like rats in a bucket. Very alarming and sad.Many moons ago when I first arrived here it was explained to me that Thailand meant Free Land. Yeah?

[balo]

Just forget it , if they fine you at immigration , make sure to film it and post on Facebook . 

Make sure the whole world gets to know what kind of stupidity this is. 

 

[metisdead]

Some offensive troll posts have been removed. 

 

A post containing an intentional offensive misspelling of country has been removed. 

Edited January 27, 2018 by metisdead

[strabel23]

so can an address be registered online especially if the immigration office is located 60 km. from the house of stay?

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

Usual Thai immigration, and pretty much all the other departments type of comment.

No thought, brain in neutral and mouth in reverse...

And people wonder why Thais can't drive?

Same old story: Please send your money to Thailand, but stay at home, we don't want you.

[bbbbooboo]

hmmmm....TIT

[soalbundy]

17 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

No, why should Immigration be expected to presume you have returned to the property you regard as home?

 

You are legally required to inform them, not them make presumptions and guesses on your behalf. 

 

You could be visiting family, friends, some new gf or whatever and staying in their residence. I don't know any police force that would accept making assumptions and presumptions as part of a procedure like this.

 

And he's being very good to remind people so they don't get fined.

why would he even want to know where I am ? Isn't the 90 day report enough, it's only paper for the waste basket and a waste of the foreigners and officers time. whenever I travel the missus registers the room, the hotel prefers it that way, no hassle for them and none for me.

Edited January 27, 2018 by soalbundy

[Airbagwill]

So if you go on a road trip and stay at 5 hotels in 5 days or NP campsites.....where do you register? How do you register?

[jacko45k]

Oh dear, we seem to be entering another of those Bill says do it, Bob says don't scenarios! I am thinking back to the carrying your passport or not confusion of bygone days.

I was under the impression a single night in a  Thai hotel did not require me to re-submit a TM30. We all know some immigration offices are using these regulations, that were previously loosely enforced, to drum up some fine money! At Pattaya the facilities to register a TM30 are an afterthought and poorly managed whereas everything else goes smoothly.

I am playing the 'if they don't ask, don't bother' game at the moment, gingerly doing 90 day reports or my extension, and soon a re-entry permit, hoping they don't ask.

If they really think they can know where every single foreigner is staying every single night I believe that is optimistic.

[Gandtee]

It would be interesting to know which Immigration Department Command dreams up these schemes? Do the officers expected to carryout their directives think 'Oh!. Not another useless piece of paper? Or, great! a nice little earner.?'

[Sir Swagman]

This has always been on the law books. Seemingly Phuket immigration has so much free time and is wanting to be swamped with nonsensical paperwork. It is, and remains, however yet another way to make life difficult for unwanted (almost all now it seems) foreigners

[memkuk]

Phuket soon to be renamed Alcatraz.

[rwill]

everyone living in Phuket should file a change every few days until you can no longer enter the office because it is overflowing with paper.

 

[IAMHERE]

Got to figure this requirement interpretation will not harm tourism, just ex-pats. Ex-pats can take it or leave it because most suspect they'll put up with all sorts of BS to stay in Thailand.

[Lola Bear]

Yesterday I went to Singapore on an early morning flight for my visa run returned same day 6 Pm . Do I now need to fill in TM 30 Form and do Immigration when they open on Monday and re-report same address . Did not stay overnight returned to my home . Thank you .

[1happykamper]

‘Better if you do’: Phuket Immigration chief urges foreigners to re-register addresses, even if staying off-island just one night 
Shela Riva
 

Chief of the Phuket Immigration Offce, Col Kathathorn Kumthieng, urges foreigners to re-register their addresses, just in case. Photo: Shela Riva
 
PHUKET: The Chief of the Phuket Immigration Office, Col Kathathorn Kumthieng, has confirmed that all foreigners registered as living in Phuket must re-report their address to immigration after being registered as staying in a hotel within Thailand, even for just one night.
 
The confirmation follows complaints from long-term expats that they were fined B2,000 for not re-registering their home addresses after travelling within the country.
 
“By law, it is a requirement to register your address within 24 hours after being registered elsewhere, such as at a hotel or a guesthouse,” Col Kathathorn told The Phuket News this week.

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/better-if-you-do-phuket-immigration-chief-urges-foreigners-to-re-register-addresses-even-if-staying-off-island-just-one-night-65744.php#Vp08C2R3RvBhXcr2.97
 
  -- [emoji767] Copyright Phuket News 2018-01-27  
 

By law? Well... Its a really stupid law and a law that is way overboard and not very welcoming! In full time here and its a stupid law!

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[1happykamper]

‘Better if you do’: Phuket Immigration chief urges foreigners to re-register addresses, even if staying off-island just one night 
Shela Riva
 

Chief of the Phuket Immigration Offce, Col Kathathorn Kumthieng, urges foreigners to re-register their addresses, just in case. Photo: Shela Riva
 
PHUKET: The Chief of the Phuket Immigration Office, Col Kathathorn Kumthieng, has confirmed that all foreigners registered as living in Phuket must re-report their address to immigration after being registered as staying in a hotel within Thailand, even for just one night.
 
The confirmation follows complaints from long-term expats that they were fined B2,000 for not re-registering their home addresses after travelling within the country.
 
“By law, it is a requirement to register your address within 24 hours after being registered elsewhere, such as at a hotel or a guesthouse,” Col Kathathorn told The Phuket News this week.

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/better-if-you-do-phuket-immigration-chief-urges-foreigners-to-re-register-addresses-even-if-staying-off-island-just-one-night-65744.php#Vp08C2R3RvBhXcr2.97
 
  -- [emoji767] Copyright Phuket News 2018-01-27  
 

What if decide to sleep on the beach tonight? What if a decide to sleep at a freinds house tonight? No no no.. It's really a stupid law.. And I find very offensive. Next we'll get a GPS shoved into our body! No!

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[Mac98]

20 hours ago, captnhoy said:

sigh...I decided not to renew my permission to stay based on retirement just because of this and the other long list of petty never ending bs. Plus being treated like a dog when I do have business with them. It is not that hard to get the 6 months in country and that is now my preference. No 90 day report, no renewal BS, no money in a Thai bank. No THANKS!

 

But you will still have to report every move you make. Forget travel. Get one place, never leave it during that six months. And have no foreign guests. Just wait, soon you will have to report Thai overnight guests!

[garvon]

Because of the missing chromosome.

 

[crazykopite]

If they Immigration had a decent computer system that you could do temporary change of address online it would help , if I were to do this it would take a 2 hour trip just to report to them and then another 2 hour trip to get back home , the whole thing is a joke . What about the run of the mill holiday maker who over 3 weeks could move on every few days. I think it would be just as cheap in my circumstances to pay the fine if I were caught as the boat fare on its own is 600 baht to get to my immigration and that’s without taxi fares and food. 90 day reporting is bad enough ?

[Valentine]

17 hours ago, poohy said:

Sir! you will get nowhere in Thailand or on TV , using commonsense and making sensible sane comments like that

Writing an address on arrival card is not proof of your address.

When you leave the country you are tossed out of the system so when you return you have no registered address.

I don't understand why some think they have to report & register where they were staying when away from home as it is up to the hotel to do that.

Immigration does understand that if you return on the weekend or public holiday that it is not feasible to register within 24 hours.

There is an online reporting form for registering your address but is only in Thai.

I feel these 2 paragraphs from the article are important :

“However, if you become involved in an incident and become a suspect in a case for example, not re-registering your address will be a big problem. So it’s better if you do.”

Regardless, although the overall effect for most foreigners caught not re-registering their address each time on returning home to Phuket might be deemed negligible, foreigners will be liable to a B2,000 fine for each infringement and the incident will remain on their immigration record.

Edited January 28, 2018 by Valentine