Question about reporting address...

[Mark73]

I have got a SETV and will stay in Thailand for 85 days. I plan to visit an immigration centre and apply for 30 day extension before the 60 days of my original visa lapse. I plan on staying at a friend's place in Phuket, which I put on my visa application form. Somebody has advised me that I should get this person to fill out a form as soon as I arrive to state that I am staying with them, otherwise I may have problems / fines when I go to extend my SETV for the extra 30 days? Is this true? I thought that address reporting was only for people who are classed as residing in Thailand? 

 

Thankyou

[elviajero]

8 minutes ago, Mark73 said:

Somebody has advised me that I should get this person to fill out a form as soon as I arrive to state that I am staying with them, otherwise I may have problems / fines when I go to extend my SETV for the extra 30 days? Is this true?

Yes. They need to submit form TM.30 when you arrive. It is your friends responsibility to report you, but some offices won't issue an extension unless/until the report is made.

 

9 minutes ago, Mark73 said:

I thought that address reporting was only for people who are classed as residing in Thailand? 

Anyone staying in the country more than 90 days must report their address every 90 days, but also the owner/house-master/possessor or guesthouse/hotel manager where a foreigner is staying should report that they are staying at their address when the first arrive.

 

Most foreigners are unaware that guesthouses/hotels have made these reports to immigration for years. Now, because of the increased number of foreigners staying in private residences, and security fears, the Thai authorities are more strictly enforcing the law regarding private property.

[Mark73]

2 minutes ago, elviajero said:

Yes. They need to submit form TM.30 when you arrive. It is your friends responsibility to report you, but some offices won't issue an extension unless/until the report is made.

 

Anyone staying in the country more than 90 days must report their address every 90 days, but also the owner/house-master/possessor or guesthouse/hotel manager where a foreigner is staying should report that they are staying at their address when the first arrive.

 

Most foreigners are unaware that guesthouses/hotels have made these reports to immigration for years. Now, because of the increased number of foreigners staying in private residences, and security fears, the Thai authorities are more strictly enforcing the law regarding private property.

Thanks for the advice. I will go to immigration with them and report my address to them on the first day i arrive.

[laochef]

According to the rules... You (aka the Landlord) must report within 24 hours, of your arrival.

[Suradit69]

50 minutes ago, laochef said:

According to the rules... You (aka the Landlord) must report within 24 hours, of your arrival.

"You (aka the Landlord)"

 

The O/P is certainly not the landlord.  His friend is the person who needs to report.

[skatewash]

The bad news is that you (the person who will appear in Phuket Immigration Office trying to get an extension of stay) are the person who is most likely to be fined for not registering your stay at an address within 24 hours of arriving at that address.  Yes,  the owner, the house-master, and the possessor are all liable for registering your stay,  but you will be the person standing in the immigration office.  Who do you think it's easier for immigration to fine?  You?  Or the owner, who isn't there?  Also, if you don't pay the fine do you think you are going to get your extension of stay?  

 

Now, the good news.  You can register your stay at the address within 24 hours of arrival yourself by using the new online Registration System!  Directions on how to do this at Phuket Immigration are detailed at this link.  Note that at the end of doing the online registration you will be able to print out a receipt of your address registration.  Take this to Phuket Immigration Office when you want to apply for your extension of stay.  If the issue of you having done your address registration (TM-30) comes up show them the receipt. 

Also note, that the account you set up is for the address where you are staying.  Therefore, it makes the most sense if the owner/possessor of the house creates the registration account and then reports you as staying at their address (this may make more sense if you read the directions linked below).  But if they are unable or unwilling you can do it for them.  You create the account for them and report yourself.  Doing it this way does not require the owner or possessor to visit immigration.  You will have to visit immigration to apply for your extension of stay but you do not have to visit immigration (within 24 hours of arrival) to report your stay at an address (TM-30) if you do it online instead.  Actually, you are doing the friends whose address you stay at a favor because once the account (remember it is really an account for the property at the address) is created they can use it in the future to report other foreign guests that stay with them who may have business (applying for extension of stay, for instance) at Phuket Immigration.
 

 

[mrfaroukh]

All hotels/condo owners etc have to report to the police when tourist arrive for security reason. If they don't report I think it is them who will have problem because you stay with them.

[skatewash]

1 minute ago, mrfaroukh said:

All hotels/condo owners etc have to report to the police when tourist arrive for security reason. If they don't report I think it is them who will have problem because you stay with them.

Funny, it always seems like it's the guy standing in the immigration office who gets in trouble first.  Especially if he wants to get something from immigration.  It falls to him to solve the problem or he simply doesn't get what he wants.  It may not be fair but it is very effective ;-)

Look at it from the perspective of the immigration officer.  He could go off and chase down the miscreant hotel/condo owner, but if he simply waits long enough a person will walk through the door of his office who very much wants to get something from him (like maybe an extension of permission to stay).  Not only does this person come to the Immigration Officer without the officer having to chase him down, he is also highly motivated to be as cooperative as possible, up to and including paying any fines he may be legally required to pay.  The system is sheer genius and beautiful in its simplicity ;-)

[Somrak]

I think, that never a Tourist or expat was fined for not notice the immi. foŕ changing a room. ?

 

[Mark73]

2 hours ago, Somrak said:

I think, that never a Tourist or expat was fined for not notice the immi. foŕ changing a room. ?

 

Apparently they do fine you at the immigration office when you apply for extension if you are not registered at an address in Thailand from when you arrive.

[skatewash]

7 minutes ago, Mark73 said:

Apparently they do fine you at the immigration office when you apply for extension if you are not registered at an address in Thailand from when you arrive.

I have never been fined for not registering my stay at my address within 24 hours.  However, thanks to Phuket Immigration's online address registration system it is now a 5-minute job I can do from the comfort of my home, so I plan to do it in the future whenever I return to my home from outside the country.  I do understand the law requires this although I concede that it has not been enforced in the past.  I plan to comply because the cost of compliance is very low.  Other people may reach other decisions that work well for them in their particular circumstances.