Visa extension troubles - don't want to get my host in trouble

[michaeldakota]

Hi all! I've been a lurker for many months, but decided to register a topic today. Both to provide some new information about visa extension (in an other topic) as well as to ask for suggestions regarding my own situations.

 

So. I've entered Thailand 1 Jan on a 30 day tourist stamp (Western European passport). Today I went to the immigration office (Samut Prakan, first went mistakenly to the Bangkok one near the airport..few hours wasted ha!) and found out that I needed additional documents besides those I found recommended online.

Namely the ID of my landlord and a "housebook" of the landlord. When I notified my Airbnb host that I required such, turns out she did not report me within the 24hr limit as a foreign tenant, and probably has the whole Airbnb hidden from taxes. 

The landlord is a very kind girl who doesn't seem to have bad intentions and is rather new with this all, and could not provide me with much reliable information/solutions.

 

Right now I did get said documents from her, but it is unsure how we will proceed. I have friends in Phuket and a friend in Bangkok who's been staying here in Hotels. I have actually been staying with both at times. But not frequently - however they did not mind to give me permission to write their addresses as places where I've stayed in January. As not to get my host in trouble. The thing is - from where do we continue from the 31st of Jan or 1st of feb?

 

The host seems unsure how to proceed, and probably will try to report me as a foreign tenant (Friend/boyfriend) from the 1st of February or such. But risks that they somehow find out, and she'll be fined. Considering she rents a nice place for an extremely low price to me and I know she's struggling to get around, I would feel very bad about that (she has in no way been hinting this is my fault by the way, and has been very cooperative so far). 

 

I'd love to hear what options I have in this regard. And perhaps a view what options she has? I guess she's learned her lesson, but that does not solve the problem at hand ????

thanks a lot!!

-m

 

 

 

 

[ubonjoe]

No real trouble for her for not doing the TM30 report within 24 hours of your arrival at the residence. At the most a 2000 baht (800 to 1600 is normal) fine.

[statman78]

When I first arrived in Thailand in September I stayed at a hotel in Bangkok for 5 nights before going to Chiang Rai to be with my wife.  When I arrived in Chiang Rai my wife reported that I was staying there. When I went to change my tourist visa to a non-imm the lady at immigration asked me where I was the first 5 nights.  I did not have a receipt from the hotel.  I ended up paying the fine, got a receipt with no questions asked.

[PerkinsCuthbert]

2 hours ago, statman78 said:

When I first arrived in Thailand in September I stayed at a hotel in Bangkok for 5 nights before going to Chiang Rai to be with my wife.  When I arrived in Chiang Rai my wife reported that I was staying there. When I went to change my tourist visa to a non-imm the lady at immigration asked me where I was the first 5 nights.  I did not have a receipt from the hotel.  I ended up paying the fine, got a receipt with no questions asked.

You have to have a receipt from the hotel, whose responsibility it is to report your stay? Crazy!

[gropes]

Why not refund her any fine she might incur if she is charging you an extremely low rate? As explained by Ubonjoe, the most the fine would be is 2000 baht.

[onera1961]

My real estate agent reported my TM 30 almost two weeks after I started living in the rented condo and the TM 30 was backdated. I don't know how she did it. Your host can backdate 24 hours as your start when she reports. But that opens up lots of other issues as AirBnb is still in gray area and there may be tax implications also. Not sure how much risk she wants to take. But I don't think immigration is after tax avoiders and there is interdepartmental communication also. 

Edited January 30, 2019 by onera1961

[thedemon]

Much easier to just do the extension at Chaengwattana where they don't make a fuss about the reporting nonsense. If you time it right you can be in/out in under an hour.

 

For a Bangkok address, go check-in to a THB300/night hotel or even better make a hotel reservation before going to CW then afterwards you can change your mind and cancel the reservation.

Edited January 30, 2019 by thedemon

[JackThompson]

7 hours ago, statman78 said:

When I first arrived in Thailand in September I stayed at a hotel in Bangkok for 5 nights before going to Chiang Rai to be with my wife.  When I arrived in Chiang Rai my wife reported that I was staying there. When I went to change my tourist visa to a non-imm the lady at immigration asked me where I was the first 5 nights.  I did not have a receipt from the hotel.  I ended up paying the fine, got a receipt with no questions asked.

Back when Jomtien was enforcing on 24 hours, I showed my bus ticket to prove the "missing night" between my entry-stamp and reporting-date.   I think they allow 3 days now at that office, but I'd still report the first day they are open - at any office.

 

On 1/29/2019 at 10:58 PM, michaeldakota said:

I guess she's learned her lesson, but that does not solve the problem at hand

Another option is for you to stay in a hotel somewhere for a night, and report "from there" to get your extension.

[onera1961]

9 hours ago, thedemon said:

For a Bangkok address, go check-in to a THB300/night hotel or even better make a hotel reservation before going to CW then afterwards you can change your mind and cancel the reservation.

How does this work? What happens when 90-day reporting is due? Does he have to submit a new TM30 (and possibly an address change also) when he goes back to his permanent place?

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, onera1961 said:

How does this work? What happens when 90-day reporting is due? Does he have to submit a new TM30 (and possibly an address change also) when he goes back to his permanent place?

The OP is asking about a 30 day extension of a visa exempt entry. No 90 day reporting in his case.

[DrJack54]

9 hours ago, thedemon said:

Much easier to just do the extension at Chaengwattana where they don't make a fuss about the reporting nonsense. If you time it right you can be in/out in under an hour.

 

For a Bangkok address, go check-in to a THB300/night hotel or even better make a hotel reservation before going to CW then afterwards you can change your mind and cancel the reservation.

Best idea IMO. I wouldn't bring the airbnb into the game. Could end badly for host. Use thedemon advice.

[michaeldakota]

We decided to play dumb and just pose her as a friend who helped me out with a place. All went well, although it took 3 days and about 14 hours of total waiting time to get the forms. 

Many small details were a problem both on her and my side, including things like suddenly the form I wrote my information on "being outdated", her giving me a copy of her passport rather than her ID card and other things. Bureaucracy at it's finest : )

 

I have the feeling the Samput Prakan immigration office is highly inefficient compared to Bangkok or Phuket - the latter I have a friend do his extensions in literally "10 minutes" he said (Which I can't verify but it beats the multi-day experience of mine haha).

 

thanks everyone!