Renting on Samui and Phuket concurrently - Which Immigration Office Should I Use?

[Mario666]

Dear all,

 

I have been living on Samui for 10 years plus, but get "Island fever" bad.

 

I travel a lot, both abroad and in Thailand and would potentially like to rent another place on Phuket, but keep also my place in Samui.

 

I plan to spend time at both, (not necessarily equal time) but wonder which Immigration office I should use for my nominated "Main Address".

 

On Samui I have never been asked to do a TM30, but I guess that I would have to choose one place as my main residence and wonder what I would need to do regarding TM30s, etc., in either Phuket or Samui.

 

Has anyone else got any experience of dual renting and recommendations for the above scenario.

 

Samui Immigration is a PITA, but hey "Better The Devil you Know" may be applicable here?

 

As always many thanks in anticipation for any useful advice, tips and potential humour.

 

Cheers Mario!

 

 

[keemapoot]

It's now a real pain since the immigration crackdowns and TM 30.  I lived in both Phuket and Bangkok for more than 10 years, and after now, even though no longer in Phuket keep two homes in separate provinces. You will have to definitely pick one place as your "home" for your yearly extension and for TM 30 reporting, and 90 day reporting. Immigration does not seem to understand the concept of foreigners living in more than one place in Thailand, whether for work or for pleasure.

 

This becomes an issue when traveling internationally, as you will have to return to do the TM 30 in your "home" province, and in your case, that would mean intentionally trudging back to whichever island is listed as your home province. It gets even worse, as there is record of it at immigration at Suvannabhumi airport, as last week when I returned and listed an address the was different, the IO quizzed me about this. So, be aware this is full of issues now, where in the past you could just easily do this.

 

 

[Mario666]

2 minutes ago, keemapoot said:

It's now a real pain since the immigration crackdowns and TM 30.  I lived in both Phuket and Bangkok for more than 10 years, and after now, even though no longer in Phuket keep two homes in separate provinces. You will have to definitely pick one place as your "home" for your yearly extension and for TM 30 reporting, and 90 day reporting. Immigration does not seem to understand the concept of foreigners living in more than one place in Thailand, whether for work or for pleasure.

 

This becomes an issue when traveling internationally, as you will have to return to do the TM 30 in your "home" province, and in your case, that would mean intentionally trudging back to whichever island is listed as your home province. It gets even worse, as there is record of it at immigration at Suvannabhumi airport, as last week when I returned and listed an address the was different, the IO quizzed me about this. So, be aware this is full of issues now, where in the past you could just easily do this.

 

 

Thanks Keemapoot for your quick response.

 

I do anticipate problems with Immigration hence the reason for my post. 

 

As I said to date the Samui office has never asked me for a TM30 and obviously I have got to know them over many years so unless I get rid of the place on Samui it may be simpler to just stick with that as my main address even if I was in Phuket or somewhere else for the majority of the time?

 

 

[keemapoot]

Just now, Mario666 said:

Thanks Keemapoot for your quick response.

 

I do anticipate problems with Immigration hence the reason for my post. 

 

As I said to date the Samui office has never asked me for a TM30 and obviously I have got to know them over many years so unless I get rid of the place on Samui it may be simpler to just stick with that as my main address even if I was in Phuket or somewhere else for the majority of the time?

 

 

If you don't travel much internationally, or require services such as proof of residence for a drivers license, you can probably stay under the radar for these purposes, and easily travel back and forth without any additional issues. It's only when you start interfacing with immigration for whatever purpose do you start having problems.

[Skallywag]

I believe you said you rent on Samui for 10 years and also want to rent in Phuket concurrently? 

You say wonder what "I" would do with the TM-30....you do not file if you are not the owner AFAIK

If your landlords both file a TM-30, you will be in the IO computer system as living in 2 places.

I see this as very confusing for any immigration office.   

Maybe best to stay in hotels or AirBNB while in Phuket to be "legal" ?

 

[Mario666]

It is illegal to rent or live in 2 places in Thailand then?

 

Also on Samui my Landlord has never done a TM30 for me as he never knows when or where I come and go. I never tell him and he has never asked.

 

He knows I travel a lot, but has never mentioned it.

 

Edited July 16, 2019 by Mario666
Update

[keemapoot]

17 minutes ago, Mario666 said:

It is illegal to rent or live in 2 places in Thailand then?

 

Also on Samui my Landlord has never done a TM30 for me as he never knows when or where I come and go. I never tell him and he has never asked.

 

He knows I travel a lot, but has never mentioned it.

 

Just a matter of time until your landlord gets nailed, and you will not be able to get services until the fine is paid. I was also by chance, at immigration last week in my provincial office, and there was a big problem between a Thai guy speaking angrily to the immigration officer. Seems he was a representative for an owner that had never done TM 30s and he had 6 foreign tenants. Immigration was demanding he pay fines for all those at the maximum and it wasn't pretty.

 

Maybe since you described that you rent in both places it's just easier to pick Phuket as your residence, and assist your new landlord there to do the filing?

Edited July 16, 2019 by keemapoot

[Mario666]

6 minutes ago, keemapoot said:

Just a matter of time until your landlord gets nailed, and you will not be able to get services until the fine is paid. I was also by chance, at immigration last week in my provincial office, and there was a big problem between a Thai guy speaking angrily to the immigration officer. Seems he was a representative for an owner that had never done TM 30s and he had 6 foreign tenants. Immigration was demanding he pay fines for all those at the maximum and it wasn't pretty.

 

Maybe since you described that you rent in both places it's just easier to pick Phuket as your residence, and assist your new landlord there to do the filing?

Thanks again Keemapoot.

 

Well as I said I have been renting this place for 10 years.

 

As yet I do not rent another property and was merely trying to preempt any problems in doing so by my post.

 

The landlord is a 'HISO" big land owner on the island having been born here and inherited and developed the land. He is very well connected.

 

He has many properties for rent on the island, all to foreigners/farangs so I am sure that he would have been fined or found out a long time ago if IMO were going to do anything?

 

Obviously that does not mean it will never happen!

 

It does raise the question however if anyone else has run into TM30 issues on Samui before?

 

I did not even know what a TM30 is until it came up on TVF a couple of years ago!

 

 

[PoorSucker]

Samui Immigration requires a TM30 now for long stay extension. 

[Olmate]

6 minutes ago, PoorSucker said:

Samui Immigration requires a TM30 now for long stay extension. 

Any  Imm.agents on Samui ?

[Mario666]

37 minutes ago, PoorSucker said:

Samui Immigration requires a TM30 now for long stay extension. 

Hi PoorSucker,

 

As you may have read I have never been asked for or about TM30 ever by Samui immigration.

 

Is this a new thing?....Maybe I will find out next time I do my 90 day report?

 

I just arrived back from the UK on July 2nd.

 

I don't even know how to go about it accordingly.

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎7‎/‎16‎/‎2019 at 12:13 PM, Skallywag said:

I believe you said you rent on Samui for 10 years and also want to rent in Phuket concurrently? 

You say wonder what "I" would do with the TM-30....you do not file if you are not the owner AFAIK

If your landlords both file a TM-30, you will be in the IO computer system as living in 2 places.

I see this as very confusing for any immigration office.   

Maybe best to stay in hotels or AirBNB while in Phuket to be "legal" ?

 

Nowadays it seems to have become the farang's responsibility to ensure the TM 30 is filed, even though it's not officially his responsibility.

If I was moving between addresses I'd assume I'd report at the office closest to which I was living in at the time. If you have a TM 30 for one address, you can hardly claim to be living elsewhere. Otherwise, one would have to move back to the address one wished to report from, and obtain a current TM 30 receipt for that address.

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, Mario666 said:

Hi PoorSucker,

 

As you may have read I have never been asked for or about TM30 ever by Samui immigration.

 

Is this a new thing?....Maybe I will find out next time I do my 90 day report?

 

I just arrived back from the UK on July 2nd.

 

I don't even know how to go about it accordingly.

Yes, it's a new thing. Anyway, offices make up their own rules. There is no nationwide requirements ( far as I know ) other than proof of address, TM 30 and proof of financial requirement, but individual offices can and do add all sorts of things to that.

[PoorSucker]

6 hours ago, Mario666 said:

Hi PoorSucker,

 

As you may have read I have never been asked for or about TM30 ever by Samui immigration.

 

Is this a new thing?....Maybe I will find out next time I do my 90 day report?

 

I just arrived back from the UK on July 2nd.

 

I don't even know how to go about it accordingly.

Same line as 90 days reporting. 

You should have done it within 24h of arriving but there has not been any reports of fines for late reporting.... yet. 

[crazykopite]

Samui don’t seem to be bothered in TM 30