Immigration proposes much harsher penalties for failing to report foreigners staying in Thailand

[shy coconut]

7 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

I dont need to. It was done once by someone else, years ago, and since then I have been told repeatedly by Jomtien immigration that as long as I return to my own condo I dont need to report again.

 

I would not object to doing it if I had to, but I would object a lot to being fined because someone else didn't do it. This happened to hundreds (thousands?) of people last year.

Hundreds (thousands) of foreigners got fined last year because the house holder

or hotelier didn't report to the authorities that they had a guest?

 

It was quite clear to me in the report, and other previous threads, that the host

is the one who needs to do the reporting.

 

 

[Box fighter]

7 hours ago, Briggsy said:

Here is what will happen.

 

Foreigner : I would like to extend my tourist / non-imm visa.

Immigration : You go TM30 desk first.

Foreigner : (at TM 30 desk) I would like to extend my tourist / non-imm visa.

TM30 desk : Where is owner condo? (angrily).

Foreigner : He lives in Bangkok / abroad / 400 kms away / He is at work.

TM30 desk : He must come. Give me phone number. (phones landlord in Bangkok)

TM30 desk : (To foreigner) You pay 10,000 Baht.

Foreigner : Nothing to do with me.

TM30 desk : No pay, no extension. Up to you.

 

This has just happened to us im from uk and my gf who has been coming thailand every year for 4 yrs is from the Philippines we stay at same hotel my visa was stamped for 3 months return 10 Apr my gf had 3 month visa but at immigration they only stamped return mar11 so we had to get another month for her at jomtien immigration it was 1900 baht but they also fined her 1500 baht for not being reg at hotel not our fault so thai govt ripped us off for a 3 nth visa from philippines and another 1900 and another 1500 my name only was reg at hotel although we always come together same hotel same owner 

[KarlS]

3 minutes ago, itzmeacire said:

Actually the 90 days online report is working fine however, it only works on browser (Internet Explorer browser i.e. ver. 8-10)

Untrue -- It also works with Chrome, Edge and other browsers.  

[Odysseus123]

4 minutes ago, itzmeacire said:

Actually the 90 days online report is working fine however, it only works on browser (Internet Explorer browser i.e. ver. 8-10) so just go the click this website https://extranet.immigration.go.th/fn90online/online/tm47/TM47Action.do?cmd=acceptTerm and file your information correctly, if you have been going to goverment complex every 90 days might as well do it online to save some money and time. Also there are rules that submission of report must be done atleast 15days before your current due date in order for an immigration officer to approved it, you will be receiving an email about the status, if information you have put it didnt match the info that they have in their system, that's the only time that you will be required to visit chaengwattana personally. 

Thank you General..

 

You just made me laugh...

[itzmeacire]

1 minute ago, KarlS said:

Untrue -- It also works with Chrome, Edge and other browsers.  

lol .. okay so it works with those browsers too.. the point here is to let others know that it is working and they can use it for their convenience. 

[Small Joke]

Fair enough, but how about updating the system so we don't need a bible's worth of paperwork every year, or checking in like some parolee every two minutes?

[Yeahbutwhytho]

1 minute ago, Sticky Wicket said:

One of the most self righteous posts I've read in a while, congrats.

 

He's actually first in line for the new foreigner gps suppository coming soon.

Which is strange because they are only taking volunteers I heard

[KarlS]

2 minutes ago, itzmeacire said:

lol .. okay so it works with those browsers too.. the point here is to let others know that it is working and they can use it for their convenience. 

By implying the system only works with an outdated browser actively discourages people from using it.

[itzmeacire]

Just now, KarlS said:

By implying the system only works with an outdated browser actively discourages people from using it.

Hey, can you just chill for a bit? hahaha fine I apologize for the outdated information. 

[curlylekan]

7 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

What other countries? I've never heard of any other country where reporting to immigration is required when renting to a foreigner. It's quite a ridiculous demand actually...

China

[Sheryl]

Hundreds (thousands) of foreigners got fined last year because the house holder
or hotelier didn't report to the authorities that they had a guest?
 
It was quite clear to me in the report, and other previous threads, that the host
is the one who needs to do the reporting.
 
 

That is yrue.

But it is the foreigner who gets fined or denied a visa extension when the reporting wasn't done.

Because it is they who need to use the services of the imm drpt.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Fex Bluse]

22 minutes ago, 55Jay said:

I got caught up in this snare last week doing my extension (retirement). 

 

We'd gone to the US last year for holiday, returned Swampy 6 March 2018 and drove home.  Did my annual extension (marriage) 10 days later.  This TM30/28 issue had been swirling on TVF around that time so I asked our usual, awesome I/O if I needed to report my return home.  She grimaced, shook her head dismissively and said don't worry about it, then carried on processing my marriage extension.

 

Sadly, the entire staff at my Immi office was changed out late last year, including our friendly, sensible I/O we'd dealt with for 7 years. 

 

New I/O lady we pulled last week barely looked at me, never spoke to me directly, only to my wife.  Fine, whatever.  She went through everything with a fine tooth comb, it was like watching worms copulate.  Spent about 10 minutes off and on fiddling around with my bank book, copied all the way back to 2015, obviously trying to work out the seasoning. 

 

But everything was in order, no problems noted, and she finally collected everything up, signaling she was about to walk it back for approval.  Man, I was loving this retirement process vs. marriage!  Horray!

 

Out of nowhere, she opened my passport again and pointed to the Swampy return stamp from last year - 6 March 2018 - and said I failed to report my return within 24 hours. 

 

After a bunch of BS, she sent us out to the Investigations Division office building to be interviewed and clear the matter.  Wife completed a Housemaster Report Form.  Guy there didn't lay a big fine on me, just 8 Baht for Xeroxing some pages from my passport and the wife's ID.  

 

We walked back to the main office and they finalised the retirement extension.

 

That sounds like a terrible experince.

 

It seems they are doing their best to harass foreigners out. Fortunately I don't travel as much as I used to, but, at the busiest, I was travelling out of the country every 1.5/2 weeks or so, mainly around Asia. 

 

Of course, they are too challenged to automatically link the customs database with theirs. 

[jesimps]

7 hours ago, Kasset Tak said:

So, EU should impose the same on Thai nationals... when Thais's have a Schengen visa, then they are free to travel and stay where ever they want all over the Schengen area without even go to immigration... as long as they have a valid visa!
The countries they are sighting to have these rules are countries like China, North Korea and other highly controlled countries!

...and as someone asked above, what's the common denominator?

[Straight8]

43 minutes ago, johnarth said:

this is way out, do you think he thinks this will impress China? and get more Chinese turos

they won't touch the Chinese... it's Whitey they're after. The easiest targets

[curlylekan]

Seems Thailand keeps following the ways of China and with Prayuth becoming PM (I've had no doubt since 2017 that he will be the next "Offical" PM, either legitimately or not. Life will become more of a dictatorial regime way of living as the military consolidates its power in Thailand, like the Chinese have and continue to do. Which sucks because its nice to go to Thailand to get away from all the bureaucracy and authoritarian rule that our governments impose.

[StefanBBK]

Never ever did my wife report me for staying in her (our) house. Don't think she is aware of the need to do so.

I leave Thailand more than 12 times per year for work. Does that mean she needs to report my whereabouts every time I return? 12 runs to immigration are ridiculous.  

[jesimps]

10 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

considering the amount of real ass hats that show up here in Thailand I don't blame the Thais a bit for wanting to know where all these fools are... 

Childish provocative post and it has been reported.

[BahnTH]

7 hours ago, phuketrichard said:

This will screw up lots of backpackers plans to fly into Thailand and use it as a base for visiting other countries in the region. Also those traveling  onwards to Cambodia, Burma by land

 

Malaysia is a much better bet for jetting around Asia, ridiculously cheap prices for air travel, Kuala Lumpur is a nice chilled place, like Thailand used to be.

[phuketrichard]

8 minutes ago, StefanBBK said:

Never ever did my wife report me for staying in her (our) house. Don't think she is aware of the need to do so.

I leave Thailand more than 12 times per year for work. Does that mean she needs to report my whereabouts every time I return? 12 runs to immigration are ridiculous.  

all depends on the immigration office you use

If it was Phuket...YES

[greeneking]

8 hours ago, z42 said:

I understand the need for border security, but treating all foreign visitors as potential criminals whose whereabouts need to be confirmed under threat of arrest simply isn't the way forward.

 

This initiative is hardly likely to be welcomed by any side, be it the tourists or the tourism operators / hoteliers.

 

Thailand needs less buraecracy, not more

Why are they so paranoid?

[ba ba]

Another nail in the wooden box

[BritManToo]

21 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

That is yrue.
But it is the foreigner who gets fined or denied a visa extension when the reporting wasn't done.
Because it is they who need to use the services of the imm drpt.

I never go to immigration for any reason, there's nothing they have that I need.

Extensions, nope I do a VISA.

Cert. of Res. for assorted reasons I can do without.

[BobbyL]

1 hour ago, kekalot said:

 

school wouldn't apply without that, ended up asking motorbike taxi guy to come with me to school and copy his ID and say i was living with him.. which was a total lie but my only way to do it.

 

Serious ???? at that comment. 

[rumak]

7 hours ago, PeterPan63 said:

This is an old law whereby hotels, guesthouses, condos, etc. are required to submit an immigration report of inhouse guests on a daily basis to the nearest police station, or risk being fined.  Visitors DON'T need report themselves in.

 

Someone mention that they don't know of any other country that does this, actually many do, and those that don't should do.  It's not about controlling movements of tourists, visitors, etc. but it is about knowing the whereabouts of potential criminals, like in the case of the of the 2015 Bangkok bombing. 

you have a lot to learn about how things (in this case the tm30) actually work.   Very silly to post things you know nothing about.  Start by reading the numerous  tm30 threads.   That should keep you busy for a few hours.   At the end of that.... you still will not know how it actually works.   I have explained it somewhere in one or two of those threads.   start reading

[oobar]

4 hours ago, simon43 said:

Ahah - I think there is a 'linguistic disconnect' here between British and American English....

Yes, one generally does not tell an American girl you just met, "I'll knock you up."  She might think you're rushing the relationship.

[rumak]

9 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I never go to immigration for any reason, there's nothing they have that I need.

Extensions, nope I do a VISA.

Cert. of Res. for assorted reasons I can do without.

no drivers license ?    If you have a yellow book, the cert of res. from immig is not needed  (as of now) .  

[BritManToo]

2 minutes ago, rumak said:

no drivers license ?    If you have a yellow book, the cert of res. from immig is not needed  (as of now)

Why worry, the fine is small, and I don't go to town much.

I have an IDP, and only stay here 90 days at a time.

[moe666]

7 hours ago, phuketrichard said:

????

 

nothing to do with reporting>>did u read what i posted>???
The NO allowed to board with no onward ticket is the issue!!

That is the law now, I have been asked about onward ticket in PI. as I was flying back to Thailand, explained a retirement extension of stay to them.

[BritManToo]

2 minutes ago, moe666 said:

That is the law now, I have been asked about onward ticket in PI. as I was flying back to Thailand, explained a retirement extension of stay to them.

Just buy a throwaway flight, Sky Scanner allow any airport (in the selected country) to anywhere as a search.

Normally around 600-900bht.

[rumak]

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Why worry, the fine is small, and I don't go to town much.

try getting the yellow book.   not that difficult.   but if they (ampur) start some BS.....then continue as you do