Do I need to report to Immigration?

[wondra]

Hi

Normally I book a hotel or condo for 30days in Pattaya and I give a copy of my Passport and someone else takes care of the paperwork.

 

I am married to a Thai lady. We have a house in Chaiyaphum. I have been there but at those times I have had the rented room in pattaya where (in theory at least) Immigration can find me.

 

This trip I will only stay a couple of nights in Pattaya, then the rest of the time in Chaiyaphum at the house (house is in wife's name). I will only be in Thailand for 29 days, so will just get a stamp on Arrival (Im an Australian citizen) rather than a Visa.

 

Do I (or my wife) need to complete any paperwork? I imagine if there is paperwork we will need to lodge it at Immigration. What other things will I need to produce.

 

Thanks for your help

 

cheers

wondra

[steve187]

if no visits to immigration are required for an extension etc. then no need to report via a tm30

[wondra]

thanks Steve, much appreciated

[Crossy]

4 minutes ago, steve187 said:

if no visits to immigration are required for an extension etc. then no need to report via a tm30

 

Yeah, I agree. If you are not planning any interaction with immigration (extension etc) there's no need to bother.

 

[wondra]

thank you

[steve187]

2 hours ago, Crossy said:

interaction

my word of the day

[OJAS]

I don't know how often you're planning to make such visa-exempt trips to visit your wife in Thailand, but you might wish to make yourself aware of a number of recent reports on here of difficulties being encountered by a number of individuals with a history of frequent visa exemptions in being given permission to enter Thailand.

 

In your case, however, the option is open to you to make the relatively short trip from Chaiyaphum to Savannakhet for a multi-entry non-O visa based on marriage to a Thai national. No need for 90-day reports to your local immigration office since you will be making border runs every 90 days instead. So with judicious timing you could get up to almost 15 months out of any such visa without the need to go anywhere near an immigration office!

[elviajero]

7 hours ago, wondra said:

Do I (or my wife) need to complete any paperwork? I imagine if there is paperwork we will need to lodge it at Immigration. What other things will I need to produce.

Your wife is supposed to report your arrival/stay using form TM.30. If she doesn’t, and gets caught, the fine is a maximum of 2,000 baht, but typically they charge 800/1,600 baht.

 

It’s highly unlikely that immigration will come looking for you, so as long as you don’t need to use the local immigration office it’s unlikely she’ll get caught.

[DefaultName]

1 hour ago, elviajero said:

Your wife is supposed to report your arrival/stay using form TM.30. If she doesn’t, and gets caught, the fine is a maximum of 2,000 baht, but typically they charge 800/1,600 baht.

 

It’s highly unlikely that immigration will come looking for you, so as long as you don’t need to use the local immigration office it’s unlikely she’ll get caught.

Agreed, but that's like not having a driving licence; no problem if you don't get caught.  You have to weigh up the risks of getting caught Vs the potential penalties if you are.  Is it worth it?  Only you can answer that.

[steve187]

24 minutes ago, DefaultName said:

Agreed, but that's like not having a driving licence; no problem if you don't get caught.  You have to weigh up the risks of getting caught Vs the potential penalties if you are.  Is it worth it?  Only you can answer that.

not really there is little to know chance of paying a fine if you have no interaction with immigration office, but driving a car /motorcycle you have every chance of being stopped at any point on your journey.

 

crossy please note - managed to get interaction into a post today

[post]

9 hours ago, steve187 said:

if no visits to immigration are required for an extension etc. then no need to report via a tm30

If you get check your ID in the street by police officer, are they usually as well interested in knowing where you live/whether you report your address properly (as a foreigner)?  

[steve187]

2 minutes ago, post said:

If you get check your ID in the street by police officer, are they usually as well interested in knowing where you live/whether you report your address properly (as a foreigner)?  

they would be looking to see if you are on overstay or not, no checks would be made re tm30

[jesimps]

1 hour ago, DefaultName said:

Agreed, but that's like not having a driving licence; no problem if you don't get caught.  You have to weigh up the risks of getting caught Vs the potential penalties if you are.  Is it worth it?  Only you can answer that.

Bet you never knocked on doors and ran away when you were young.

 

[OJAS]

2 hours ago, DefaultName said:

Agreed, but that's like not having a driving licence; no problem if you don't get caught.  You have to weigh up the risks of getting caught Vs the potential penalties if you are.  Is it worth it?  Only you can answer that.

But don't forget that it's the responsibility of the "house-master, owner or posseesor of the residence" to provide a TM30, not the alien himself (unless he comes under 1 of these categories).

 

Based on your analogy, if you're riding in a taxi whose driver doesn't have a suitable licence it will be he who could be in deep doo-dah if caught by the BIB, not you!

[arithai12]

6 hours ago, elviajero said:

Your wife is supposed to report your arrival/stay using form TM.30. If she doesn’t, and gets caught, the fine is a maximum of 2,000 baht, but typically they charge 800/1,600 baht.

 

It’s highly unlikely that immigration will come looking for you, so as long as you don’t need to use the local immigration office it’s unlikely she’ll get caught.

According to this proposal the fines could become much higher after Songkran, not sure how real that is.

Other than that, I agree that unless the OP needs to deal with immigration during his stay it's probably not worthy.

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

According to this proposal the fines could become much higher after Songkran, not sure how real that is.

That is months away from being approved since it is a amendment of the immigration act that has to be approved by the new parliament.

[emptypockets]

9 hours ago, OJAS said:

I don't know how often you're planning to make such visa-exempt trips to visit your wife in Thailand, but you might wish to make yourself aware of a number of recent reports on here of difficulties being encountered by a number of individuals with a history of frequent visa exemptions in being given permission to enter Thailand.

 

In your case, however, the option is open to you to make the relatively short trip from Chaiyaphum to Savannakhet for a multi-entry non-O visa based on marriage to a Thai national. No need for 90-day reports to your local immigration office since you will be making border runs every 90 days instead. So with judicious timing you could get up to almost 15 months out of any such visa without the need to go anywhere near an immigration office!

My particular history is roughly three weeks out twelve days in on visa exempt. For the last five years. No problems so far. I always put reason for visit ' other' then write visit wife in ink. Same as accomodation I always put other and the wife's house address in the address in Thailand box.

Never reported to the local immigration office to say ' here I am' either. I'll probably get sprung one day but all good so far.

[emptypockets]

3 hours ago, post said:

If you get check your ID in the street by police officer, are they usually as well interested in knowing where you live/whether you report your address properly (as a foreigner)?  

Not in my experience. Copped a 200 baht fine for no license even though my home country license is valid to drive. Didn't bother arguing.

[Pattaya46]

12 hours ago, emptypockets said:

Not in my experience. Copped a 200 baht fine for no license even though my home country license is valid to drive. Didn't bother arguing.

"valid to drive"... in your country.

Here you need an International Driving Permit with your foreign license.

[wondra]

thanks for all the comments, much appreciated