Just another dreaded question on the TM30

[New beginnings]

Sorry to ask yet another question on this dreaded form and how Chiangmai Immigration are interpreting. Just been out of province for about a month. Does anyone have recent knowledge if immigration are insisting we have to re-register on return or, in line with most other immigration offices, it is only if we leave the kingdom. I have the original TM30 slip stapled in my passport so, as a tenant if I have to register my return can I just pop up to Promenada and do it myself on the 3rd floor?

[thaibeachlovers]

There is a lot of dispute as to whether you need to do it or not, so sometimes answers on this subject can be confusing.

 

This is my opinion, and I'm not an "authority" on the subject, but I have read a lot about it.

If you are a tenant it's not your responsibility, but if your landlord won't do it, you do need to do it yourself.

However, if you did not check into any hotel or guest house yourself and therefore no one filed a TM 30 in your name elsewhere, you are probably safe enough doing nothing.

I believe you can still do TM 30 at the old office near the airport.

 

As always though, it's "up to you", if you have the original.

[New beginnings]

Many thanks for your reply thaibeachlovers (love the name). I used AIRBNB and was advised by the owner that they did register my stay with the local immigration office. My landlord would be happy to submit report but last time this resulted in her husband having to fly up from Bangkok to register my return. This seems an unfair onus on my landlords.

[thaibeachlovers]

4 minutes ago, New beginnings said:

Many thanks for your reply thaibeachlovers (love the name). I used AIRBNB and was advised by the owner that they did register my stay with the local immigration office. My landlord would be happy to submit report but last time this resulted in her husband having to fly up from Bangkok to register my return. This seems an unfair onus on my landlords.

Fair enough about the landlord, but you can do it yourself. I did that for my wife a long time ago.

I don't remember what documentation I took, but I think it was a letter in Thai to say that I was living there and a copy of the house book. Others will have more recent experience.

 

Re my user name. That dates from the 90s when Thai beaches were indeed loveable, and it was the delight of my life to holiday on them.

Sadly, finance now dictates that I live in Chiang Mai, as far from a beach as it is possible to be. Such is life.

[CMBob]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

 This is my opinion, and I'm not an "authority" on the subject, but I have read a lot about it.

If you are a tenant it's not your responsibility, but if your landlord won't do it, you do need to do it yourself.

The law specifically includes a "possessor"  (along with owner  and house-master ) as having responsibility for filing and updating and that, of course, would include a tenant; regardless, even if your interpretation is correct, it's the possessor that's going to get nailed if/when the tenant needs a service (e.g., extension) at Immigration should there be something amiss. 

 

That being said, in response to the OP's question, it currently seems to be that you only need to update your TM Receipt of Notification upon re-entering the kingdom.  That arguably is in conflict with what the statute reads (it seems to say that being gone anywhere from your registered residence address for more than 24 hours would trigger an update requirement) but at least currently it seems to be the rule at CM Immigration that you only need to update after re-entering the country.

 

I'll attach a photo of a relevant sign/notice out at Immigration...and would note that even this notice doesn't really answer the OP's question.  I'd note that by practice that CM Immigration is apparently okay with updating within at least 4-5 days of returning to the kingdom (so far, they're not insisting on the 24-hour rule).

 

[CMBob]

As to the second part of the OP's question (where to update), you can currently do it either at Promenada or at Building #3 at the old (and soon to be new) Immigration site near the airport.  If it's convenient to go to the old Immigration site near the airport, you'll typically get the update done in 5 minutes or less.