friends and family compulsory visit registration

[linno2]

A long time Kiwi friend came to stay with us.  She is 70 and we have enjoyed each others hospitality in Australia and Sri Lanka etc. for may years. She wrote our address when getting her 30 day visa upon arrival.  She spent 2 nights in Bangkok at a posh hotel before we picked her up. She wrote the hotel on her arrival form as well. 

 

Yesterday I went for my 90 day immigration TM47 report as the on-line system is not working (confirmed when I called the information/help line and again at the Immigration office) and suggested our family friend come with us as she thought she may do some touring and stay a week more than the 30 day visa (she has only been in Thailand 8 days) and could conveniently apply for the extention to her visit visa.   Turns out we were required to bring her to the Immigration office (120km round trip) within 24 hours of arrival at our house to register that she was staying with us.  I was aware about hotels, guest houses and home stays having to register guests but thought that informing Immigration at Suvarnabhumi Airport of the address for your visit constituted registering for family and friends staying in a private home.

 

We/she were fined THB2,000 for not registering within 24 hours, plus the usual THB1,900 visa extention fee.  She was told that she was running the risk of being put in gaol for not registering.  I asked about our son coming to stay with us next month.  He does not have a Thai passport.  We were advised we would have to bring him to the Immigration office within 24 hours of his arrival or he would also run the risk of being gaoled according to Thai rules. We have never had any problems with Immigration - quite the opposite.  This interaction was also polite and pleasant as we are familar with the staff who have always been friendly and professional.  The difference was a change of the head person. I share this so that others can be aware of the approach and avoid the THB 2,00 fine and gaol. We were dressed to attend a funeral just to let you know that we presented respectfully.

 

Fortunately they confirmed we would not be getting a 'black flag' on our guests or our record.

[jacko45k]

15 minutes ago, linno2 said:

Turns out we were required to bring her to the Immigration office (120km round trip) within 24 hours of arrival at our house to register that she was staying with us

In Jomtiem, I was able to register a friend staying with me without his presence. Needed his signed passport copies and a lot of my/ house details.

[linno2]

Thanks for the information.

Cheers

[DrJack54]

10 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

In Jomtiem, I was able to register a friend staying with me without his presence. Needed his signed passport copies and a lot of my/ house details.

No offense but its far more difficult for people living long way from imm office. This tm30 thing is an absolute joke. Perhaps the op friend was security threat. Ludicrous he is required to do 120km round trip partly because Thai cannot develop a user friendly online system that works.

Edited May 25, 2019 by DrJack54
Error

[asiaexpat]

Anyone can download the TM 30 form and complete it. Then mail to immigration (Bangkok people send to CW same address as 90 day report.) Also house owner can register to do this online and with a little luck CW will approve online usage and supply a password and id to log in to the system.

[jackdd]

2 hours ago, linno2 said:

Turns out we were required to bring her to the Immigration office (120km round trip) within 24 hours of arrival at our house to register that she was staying with us.

You didn't have to bring her, a signed copy of her passport would have been enough.

 

2 hours ago, linno2 said:

We/she were fined THB2,000 for not registering within 24 hours

You as the landlord / possessor were fined for not reporting a foreigner at your place, not she.

 

You can do the TM30 online (after you register for it, requiring a visit to the immigration office, not possible in all provinces), or you could do it by mail.

[MRToMRT]

If outside of Bangkok can you not do it at the nearest Police Station (TM30)??

 

I may be wrong but I thought TM30 could be done at Police Station UNLESS you reside in Bangkok in which case its immigration at CW?

[ubonjoe]

28 minutes ago, MRToMRT said:

If outside of Bangkok can you not do it at the nearest Police Station (TM30)??

A TM30 report cannot be done at a police station unless there is no immigration office in the province where the report needs to be done.

Some police stations have done them but the problem is that immigration would not know it was done and would not even have to accept the receipt for one.

28 minutes ago, MRToMRT said:

I may be wrong but I thought TM30 could be done at Police Station UNLESS you reside in Bangkok in which case its immigration at CW?

There are immigration offices in almost every province now and some have more than one.

Change Wattana is not the only office that can accept them.

[the guest]

Another reason for not coming to Thailand. There are plenty of other countries to visit, and indeed this is happening. 

[james.d]

Does this apply each visit?

My nephew and gf are coming from the UK in August. They will stay at our house a couple of nights then go to Krabi and back to our home for a couple of nights. Then up to chiangmai then back to our home for a night before flying back to the UK.

 

They and l must go to Chaengwattana each time and nothing can bve done in advance?

Couldn't they just put a hotel on the TM30 for the whole duration?

Thanks.

 

Apologies, it will be just once as they only have 1 tm30 form.

I got a tad confused.

Edited May 25, 2019 by james.d

[Blue Muton]

11 minutes ago, james.d said:

Does this apply each visit?

My nephew and gf are coming from the UK in August. They will stay at our house a couple of nights then go to Krabi and back to our home for a couple of nights. Then up to chiangmai then back to our home for a night before flying back to the UK.

 

They and l must go to Chaengwattana each time and nothing can bve done in advance?

Couldn't they just put a hotel on the TM30 for the whole duration?

Thanks.

"They", as visitors, are not responsible for submitting the TM30. The hotel or, in your case house master/owner/renter is.

 

Yes, it is required for each visit.

Edited May 25, 2019 by Blue Muton

[DrJack54]

3 hours ago, asiaexpat said:

Anyone can download the TM 30 form and complete it. Then mail to immigration (Bangkok people send to CW same address as 90 day report.) Also house owner can register to do this online and with a little luck CW will approve online usage and supply a password and id to log in to the system.

I have only ever done one TM30. That was by post, and yes I included self addressed return envelope to CW. Never had a reply. As for online reporting, there are too many threads detailing that nightmare. I leave los and return perhaps 30 times per year. That was not a typo. Also spend most my time traveling throughout Thailand. Sometimes I return from say Saigon spend night in my base condo bkk and travel next day. The tm30 nonsense is just that. CW it seems is currently having a "crack down" so I will need look at options before next extension in November. Could I ask forum.... So I live bkk same address 7 yrs. Last week I returned from w/e trip to Saigon. Few days in bkk. Right now in Pattaya for fireworks festival. Monday on to koh Samed for 4 nights. Back bkk, then to Saigon for few days. For that snapshot couple of weeks, how many tm30 to submit. These rules are rubbish.

[james.d]

41 minutes ago, Blue Muton said:

"They", as visitors, are not responsible for submitting the TM30. The hotel or, in your case house master/owner/renter is.

 

Yes, it is required for each visit.

Thank you.

 

Wow, 3 trips to Chaengwattana for their 16 or 17 days holiday.

 

[NoshowJones]

"THB1,900 visa estension fee". You mean extortion fee.

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, MRToMRT said:

If outside of Bangkok can you not do it at the nearest Police Station (TM30)??

 

I may be wrong but I thought TM30 could be done at Police Station UNLESS you reside in Bangkok in which case its immigration at CW?

I am led to believe that you can only go to a police station with a TM30 if there is not an immigration office in the province. I do stand to be corrected though.

[Denim]

Relatives have stayed with us and we never reported anything. They gave a hotel as their first night address ( which was true ) then I picked them up from the hotel and they came to our house for 4 nights before going on their travels.

 When they left the country no questions were asked.

[Blue Muton]

39 minutes ago, james.d said:

Thank you.

 

Wow, 3 trips to Chaengwattana for their 16 or 17 days holiday.

 

Sounds harsh, yes. It might be worth giving them a call to explain the situation, maybe they can suggest something, perhaps they'll let you send the last two by post?

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, james.d said:

Thank you.

 

Wow, 3 trips to Chaengwattana for their 16 or 17 days holiday.

 

Perhaps according to the rules but in reality unless they will need do something at a immigration office I would not bother doing it.

They do not go out looking for people that have not done the report.

[Toany]

They are cracking down TM 30 for sure.  I had previously done one TM 30 in the last 15 years.  I live in two places in Thailand and travel between the two on a weekly basis.  To continue doing this Immigration have told me that I need to submit a TM 30 twice a week.  Each time I stay in a new place overnight.  If you are not a criminal yet, you will soon be made to feel like one in Thailand.

They even expected one of the owners, of where i stay to travel 200 KM to report to them in person.  I think they are crazy rules which will soon drive expats out of the country.

[LongTang]

8 hours ago, linno2 said:

She was told that she was running the risk of being put in gaol for not registering.  I asked about our son coming to stay with us next month.  He does not have a Thai passport.  We were advised we would have to bring him to the Immigration office within 24 hours of his arrival or he would also run the risk of being gaoled according to Thai rules.

Thank you for the report.

I want to make sure i understand this correctly as it is the first time the consequences for not doing the TM30 involve jail time for the visitor !

Did they specifically warned you about visitors being Jailed for not reporting??? If true, then it puts everything on a completely different level, the damage will be enormous !

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, LongTang said:

I want to make sure i understand this correctly as it is the first time the consequences for not doing the TM30 involve jail time for the visitor !

Did they specifically warned you about visitors being Jailed for not reporting??? If true, then it puts everything on a completely different level, the damage will be enormous !

The officer was talking nonsense. There is no jail time for not doing a TM30 report. Only a max fine of 2000 baht for a individual.

From the immigration act of 1979.

"Section 77 : Whoever fails to comply with the provision of Section 38, shall be punished with a fine not
exceeding 2,000 Baht. If said person is a hotel manager, he shall be punished with a fine from 2,000 Baht
to 10,000 Baht."

 

[LongTang]

7 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

The officer was talking nonsense.

I indeed hope he was talking nonsense and there are no new crazy regulations cooking in the background... I'm so tired of this ????

[bigginhill]

http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/base.php?page=faq

Number 2.

 I thought the fine for the TM30 was 800 baht?

Is it possibile that the fine for your friend was confused with a late  90day reporting (2000baht)?

Edited May 25, 2019 by bigginhill
.

[Neeranam]

I have family coming to stay and have no intention of taking them to immigration.

 

Why on Earth did you tell immigration about her?

[AYJAYDEE]

8 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

A TM30 report cannot be done at a police station unless there is no immigration office in the province where the report needs to be done.

Some police stations have done them but the problem is that immigration would not know it was done and would not even have to accept the receipt for one.

There are immigration offices in almost every province now and some have more than one.

Change Wattana is not the only office that can accept them.

So far Sisaket immigration has been accepting the receipt from our local police station

[wobalt]

Perhaps according to the rules but in reality unless they will need do something at a immigration office I would not bother doing it.
They do not go out looking for people that have not done the report.

Kind of immigration tourism, spending more times at immigration then on holidays?


Sent from my iPad using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Tanoshi]

11 hours ago, bigginhill said:

http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/base.php?page=faq

Number 2.

 I thought the fine for the TM30 was 800 baht?

Is it possibile that the fine for your friend was confused with a late  90day reporting (2000baht)?

It's a maximum of 2,000 baht for private house owners and 10,000 baht for hoteliers.

The standard fine is set by the office and usually less than the maximum fine they could impose.

[Tanoshi]

11 hours ago, Neeranam said:

I have family coming to stay and have no intention of taking them to immigration.

 

Why on Earth did you tell immigration about her?

The OP's friend wanted a 30 day extension.

[brewsterbudgen]

It would be nice to know which Immigration Office gave the OP such misleading information.

[Toany]

The main problem is that we all probably break this rule at some time. It is a lottery as to if they fine you or not. It can change at any time as there is nothing defined. Each immigration office and individual IO seems to do what they want.
Before, I knew what to expect when I went to immigration and I could follow the rules.
Now it is a guessing game

Sent from my CLT-L29 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app