I just noticed in my travel is that when Hotels check you in, they only require 1 ID/Passport, in case you're travelling with your Thai wife and they took her ID, or if there's two of you and they only take 1 passport, the result would be that you don't get reported on the TM30 and immigration only see that you stayed at your original place.

 

Should you insist on the hotels making TM30 report for all in your group when travelling? or does it save you the hassle of reporting yourself when you are 'back home' in case where you are 

If they don't ask for your passport that is good in a way if you are reporting to a pendant office that checks for the reports.

I would not worry about them not doing the report.

I never have insisted on them doing the report when checking in with my wife and they did not ask for my passport. I think I have checked into more hotels that did not want it than those that did. I have stayed in a few that wanted my passport and her ID card.

 

Most of them don't bother due to who booked the room

So I book the room in my wifes name, then most of the time they wont have a need for you passport

My girlfriend always takes the money and they only ask for her ID. I have never been asked for my passport. The GF thinks it's obnoxious that I am expected to report every time I spend a night away from home. Even Thais recognize the overreach of immigration rules. What possible purpose does it serve??

My passport has only been requested twice in many hotel stays throughout the country, both in Nong Khai. Maybe the Imm Pol are more vigilant there, with it being both a tourist and a border town.

 

However, despite that, the issue has never  cropped up when I do my 90 day reports, (or they're not bothered about it)

28 minutes ago, Jools said:

My girlfriend always takes the money and they only ask for her ID. I have never been asked for my passport. The GF thinks it's obnoxious that I am expected to report every time I spend a night away from home. Even Thais recognize the overreach of immigration rules. What possible purpose does it serve??

I can understand that this may serve a purpose in the case of visitors from neighbouring countries, who might be angling to 'disappear into the illegal labour pool' for instance. But Immigration here seem to be lumbered with a 'one rule for all' policy.

 

As a retired G7 national, I can go and stay in my apartment in Egypt for as long as I like, without even reporting to immigration, because they have tiered rules for different nationalities.

 

Maybe the immigration staff here can see the nonsense of this ridiculous ruling and overlook it. After all, I don't suppose they want to be bothered with a potential flood of TM28s staying, in affect, 'Hi, I'm home'.

Not sure if there's also reporting requirement for Thai nationals, but most hotels seem to take Thai ID cards and at least keep a photocopy as well, so it's hardly them screwing over foreigners 

2 minutes ago, digbeth said:

Not sure if there's also reporting requirement for Thai nationals, but most hotels seem to take Thai ID cards and at least keep a photocopy as well, so it's hardly them screwing over foreigners 

There is no reporting requirement for Thai's. Some hotels may make a copy of their ID for their records.

No passport, no need to report. Sound like another non problem being made into a problem.

 

Talk about looking for things to worry about?

   Is it not obvious that if people not know you have been away then they are not lightly to expect you to report to them when you come back?

     Anything that makes travelling (life) be less of a hassle is welcomed by most people? 

Wouldn't it be funny if the OP went to immigration upon his return and filled in the form mentioning he had been away from his home residence. First the IO would be calling him a liar because there is no report of him being away. Then after he finished explaining how the hotel only took his wifes passport the hotel owner would come and set fire to his house for causing him to get fined.

16 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

There is no reporting requirement for Thai's. Some hotels may make a copy of their ID for their records.

My wife always uses her ID and gives them an email address and we quite often get 'hotel special weekend offers' etc to that address. Not her generally used email address of course.

Very rarely get asked for my passport.

16 hours ago, berybert said:

No passport, no need to report. Sound like another non problem being made into a problem.

 

It is a non-problem. Even if I give my id to a hotel (more often than not my Thai driving licence), I wouldn't dream of bothering my home immigration office with another  TM30. I asked them once if I needed to do this after a trip abroad and they said no, so it's obvious they don't want one if I've been to Bangkok or Udon Thani.

1 hour ago, dotpoom said:

Talk about looking for things to worry about?

   Is it not obvious that if people not know you have been away then they are not lightly to expect you to report to them when you come back?

     Anything that makes travelling (life) be less of a hassle is welcomed by most people? 

 

Maybe, but in some countries, not having your address reports on file can cause problems when you need to go to immigration for an extension or other service.  Better to ask and be sure, than to assume and get hosed.  

 

16 minutes ago, overherebc said:

My wife always uses her ID and gives them an email address and we quite often get 'hotel special weeked offers' etc to that address. Not her generally used email address of course.

Very rarely get asked for my passport.

Am I missing something here?, are the hotels supposed to report the presence of foreigners staying on the premises?. Do you sleep in the car?

15 minutes ago, phutoie2 said:

Am I missing something here?, are the hotels supposed to report the presence of foreigners staying on the premises?. Do you sleep in the car?

Not your job to tell them what their job is.

19 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

If they don't ask for your passport that is good in a way if you are reporting to a pendant office that checks for the reports.

I would not worry about them not doing the report.

I never have insisted on them doing the report when checking in with my wife and they did not ask for my passport. I think I have checked into more hotels that did not want it than those that did. I have stayed in a few that wanted my passport and her ID card.

 

This might be a little bit off topic. I do regular motorbike road trips, use many hotels, always use my motorbike license when checking in. Only one hotel insists on my passport, will not accept MB license or pink ID card, and That is the Nana Hotel in Bangkok.

38 minutes ago, phutoie2 said:

Am I missing something here?, are the hotels supposed to report the presence of foreigners staying on the premises?. Do you sleep in the car?

Hotels are expected to report foreigners. However, they welcome the hassle no more than we do. If a Thai registers, it gives the hotel plausible deniability to say they were unaware the foreigner was also staying. That said, some hotels (especially larger ones) are conscientious about getting everyone's id and making the reports.

48 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

// always use my motorbike license when checking in. Only one hotel insists on my passport, //

 

Your motorbike DL has your name, birth date and passport number on it. More than enough for Immigration to find you in their files/records.

24 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

 

Your motorbike DL has your name, birth date and passport number on it. More than enough for Immigration to find you in their files/records.

That is why I was making this point, I pretended not to have my passport, and they said I could not book in without it.

28 minutes ago, Pattaya46 said:

Your motorbike DL has your name, birth date and passport number on it. More than enough for Immigration to find you in their files/records.

But not enough info for the hotel to do a report. That requires you TM6 card number, permit to stay date and etc.

I might be a cynic but when you look at the number of hotels in Thailand and the number of overseas visitors, many of whom only stay in the same hotel for one night, I have difficulty accepting that the Thai Immigration Dept has the resources to process the reporting that is supposed to occur, particularly when you see how long it takes them to process other matters, including arriving visitors at airports etc.

9 minutes ago, StevieAus said:

I might be a cynic but when you look at the number of hotels in Thailand and the number of overseas visitors, many of whom only stay in the same hotel for one night, I have difficulty accepting that the Thai Immigration Dept has the resources to process the reporting that is supposed to occur, particularly when you see how long it takes them to process other matters, including arriving visitors at airports etc.

The majority of hotels and etc do the reporting online. No processing is needed for them. 

Check in your Thai spouse/partner only; keeps all the TM30 rubbish at bay as you never left home ;-) 

11 hours ago, dotpoom said:

Talk about looking for things to worry about?

   Is it not obvious that if people not know you have been away then they are not lightly to expect you to report to them when you come back?

     Anything that makes travelling (life) be less of a hassle is welcomed by most people? 

This is what I have wondered about.

 

How does Immigration know that one has been out of town and is now returned?

11 hours ago, Eff1n2ret said:

I wouldn't dream of bothering my home immigration office with another  TM30. I asked them once if I needed to do this after a trip abroad and they said no, so it's obvious they don't want one if I've been to Bangkok or Udon Thani.

Sounds like you have a good, friendly, practical Imm-Office.  I should move there.

11 hours ago, JimmyJ said:

This is what I have wondered about.

How does Immigration know that one has been out of town and is now returned?

Even if you stayed in a hotel that did the report to immigration you local office would not know about it unless they went into the database where the reports are stored. The majority of immigration offices do not bother to check for them even the very few that were doing it don't appear to be doing it now.

""Your motorbike DL has your name, birth date and passport number on it. More than enough for Immigration to find you in their files/records."
But not enough info for the hotel to do a report. That requires you TM6 card number, permit to stay date and etc."

My licence carries my old passport number, not my current one. I never use my passport to check into a hotel. Never had a problem in 11 years.

pffff, last hotel I stayed in asked for my passport, I said I had forgotten it and they said mai pen rai, welcome sir

3 hours ago, Grusa said:

I never use my passport to check into a hotel. Never had a problem in 11 years.

So what do you use ?

And in which kind of places do you stay ?

Nearly every hotel or guesthouse asked me for my passport...

Many that are ok with my Thai DL, but also many that insist on my passport.