Hotels and TM30s

[AAArdvark]

Can someone register at a Thai hotel with just a driver's license?

If so, will that hotel still do a TM30?

Will at hotel give an honest answer if asked if they will be doing a TM30?

Can I assume that Airbnb will most likely not do a TM30?

[madmen]

How can they do a TM 30 on a driver's licence? It needs passport copies

Thai Air Bnb probably wont. 

[AAArdvark]

1 minute ago, madmen said:

How can they do a TM 30 on a driver's licence? It needs passport copies

Thai Air Bnb probably wont. 

But the question was "Can someone register at a Thai hotel with just a driver's license?"

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, AAArdvark said:

But the question was "Can someone register at a Thai hotel with just a driver's license?"

It depends upon the hotel. Some will while others will insist on you showing your passport.

[petedk]

I often just show Thai driving license.
My passport number is printed on it!

Sent from my SM-C710F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Kwasaki]

Go a hotel/ gh that don't bother.

[Maestro]

4 hours ago, petedk said:

I often just show Thai driving license.
My passport number is printed on it!

Sent from my SM-C710F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

 

The question was whether the hotel does the TM.30 notification to immigration when the foreigner checks in with only his driving licence. How was this in your case? Did the hotel notify your arrival to immigration?

[madmen]

6 hours ago, AAArdvark said:

But the question was "Can someone register at a Thai hotel with just a driver's license?"

No only half your question that other half was TM30 my reply still stands they can not do a TM30

 

"Can someone register at a Thai hotel with just a driver's license?

If so, will that hotel still do a TM30?"

[scoutman360]

I have checked in with my Thai DR and they told me no problem.

[Maestro]

1 hour ago, scoutman360 said:

I have checked in with my Thai DR and they told me no problem.

 

After checking into a hotel with your Thai driving licence with no problem, did you subsequently get confirmation from your immigration office that the hotel did the TM.30 notification for your arrival? This was the OP's question, you see.

[simon43]

My ex runs a small hotel in Phuket and tells me that she would love not to do the TM30 reporting of foreigners, (because of the admin time to enter all the details online).  But immigration officers often do spot check visits to make sure that hotels are entering these details into the online system.  If the hotel misses even one foreign guest then there's a fine to pay.

 

I don't know if other regions also do these spot checks.

[Curt1591]

With tens of millions of visitors, annually, the TM30 must really bog down Immigration. 

[sumrit]

11 hours ago, petedk said:

I often just show Thai driving license.
My passport number is printed on it!

But not your TM6,  the number of which also needs to be recorded on the TM30.

[ChipButty]

2 hours ago, simon43 said:

My ex runs a small hotel in Phuket and tells me that she would love not to do the TM30 reporting of foreigners, (because of the admin time to enter all the details online).  But immigration officers often do spot check visits to make sure that hotels are entering these details into the online system.  If the hotel misses even one foreign guest then there's a fine to pay.

 

I don't know if other regions also do these spot checks.

Must be a headache all that extra admin and not getting paid for it, I think lots of Thai owned hotels are still not doing it

[OJAS]

46 minutes ago, Matzzon said:

Simple and easy. Just show passport, and always ask and make sure that the hotel makes a TM30, because that´s the right thing according to the Immigration law.

Why should we, in effect, be required to police the 1979 Immigration Act on behalf of the Immigration Bureau? If a hotel were not prepared to lodge a TM30 covering the period of our stay with them, then this would surely spare us the need to lodge a fresh TM30 upon our return home with our own immigration office (if they are one of those who insist on this being done) in practice. No skin off our noses if the hotel subsequently got found out for not lodging a TM30 – they would be the ones who were fined, not we!

Edited July 28, 2019 by OJAS

[otherstuff1957]

Your Thai drivers license has your passport number on it (in place of a Thai national id number).  

 

Can they fill out the TM 30 with just your name and number?

[sumrit]

2 minutes ago, OJAS said:

Why should we, in effect, be required to police the 1979 Immigration Act on behalf of the Immigration Bureau?

Because those a the rules. There rules, their country.

 

2 minutes ago, OJAS said:

No skin off our noses if the hotel subsequently got found out for not lodging a TM30 – they would be the ones who were fined, not we!

Until you are fined for not completing a TM30 on your return. The rules (as interpreted by some IOs) says you must complete a TM30 on your return, it doesn't say complete a TM30 in response to what a hotel mignt have/have not done.

[ChipButty]

I can imagine this TM 30 nonsense becoming a huge nightmare for the immigration let alone the hoteliers and guest houses, lets say a hotel with 250 rooms an average 2 per room the average turn around 2 days how many big hotels in Phuket alone? I'm guessing somebody at the immigration has to also file all the TM 30's and cross check,

Wait till high season, how would an IO go around doing spot check's I would think not possible yes they can go hit the little guys with just a few rooms which is normal here the big guys get off free again

[sumrit]

11 minutes ago, otherstuff1957 said:

Your Thai drivers license has your passport number on it (in place of a Thai national id number).  

 

Can they fill out the TM 30 with just your name and number?

1. Your drivers licence only includes your passport number IF you used that as your ID  when applying for it. For me and many others, we used out pink ID card for ID and our yellow tabien baan as proof of address so our Driving Licence shows our Thai ID number, not our passport number.

 

2. The hotel also needs your current TM6 number to complete the TM30 and your driving licence doesn't include that so it can't be used as a replacement for your passport.

Edited July 28, 2019 by sumrit

[phuketrichard]

13 hours ago, petedk said:

I often just show Thai driving license.
My passport number is printed on it!

Sent from my SM-C710F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

its not the passport number ONLY< its if you have a valid visa as well

[simon43]

19 minutes ago, otherstuff1957 said:

Your Thai drivers license has your passport number on it (in place of a Thai national id number).  

 

Can they fill out the TM 30 with just your name and number?

The last time that I checked with my ex in Phuket, she had to enter the guest's full name, passport number, TM6 number, nationality and visa type (tourist or non-immigrant) into the online registration system, plus a couple of other details.  I originally registered her hotel on the system, so I used it myself and know what guest details were required.

 

That was about 5 years ago - maybe  the system has been simplified now.

[macahoom]

6 minutes ago, simon43 said:

The last time that I checked with my ex in Phuket, she had to enter the guest's full name, passport number, TM6 number, nationality and visa type (tourist or non-immigrant) into the online registration system, plus a couple of other details.  I originally registered her hotel on the system, so I used it myself and know what guest details were required.

 

That was about 5 years ago - maybe  the system has been simplified now.

 

What do you make of this?

 

I live in Phuket. I hold passports from two different countries.

 

In the last 6 months or so I have stayed in 3 fairly expensive hotels in Thailand and, in each, I have presented reception with my passport that has not a single stamp in it - I have never used it when travelling.

 

In each case, the receptionist did not say a word; just checked me in with no problems.

 

 

[moonseeker]

28 minutes ago, simon43 said:

The last time that I checked with my ex in Phuket, she had to enter the guest's full name, passport number, TM6 number, nationality and visa type (tourist or non-immigrant) into the online registration system, plus a couple of other details.  I originally registered her hotel on the system, so I used it myself and know what guest details were required.

 

That was about 5 years ago - maybe  the system has been simplified now.

Correct explanation. Yes. Have a nice weekend. MS>

[simon43]

38 minutes ago, macahoom said:

 

What do you make of this?

 

I live in Phuket. I hold passports from two different countries.

 

In the last 6 months or so I have stayed in 3 fairly expensive hotels in Thailand and, in each, I have presented reception with my passport that has not a single stamp in it - I have never used it when travelling.

 

In each case, the receptionist did not say a word; just checked me in with no problems.

 

 

My ex doesn't like corruption, and doesn't want any problems with authorities.  She is very outspoken if someone from these authorities visits her and tries to bend or break the rules, or to accuse her of doing something wrong etc.

 

I'm sure many other hotels (possibly unregistered hotels) are not as honest as her.

[mikebell]

4 hours ago, simon43 said:

I don't know if other regions also do these spot checks.

They will, once they hear of how lucrative it is.

[Matzzon]

1 hour ago, OJAS said:

Why should we, in effect, be required to police the 1979 Immigration Act on behalf of the Immigration Bureau? If a hotel were not prepared to lodge a TM30 covering the period of our stay with them, then this would surely spare us the need to lodge a fresh TM30 upon our return home with our own immigration office (if they are one of those who insist on this being done) in practice. No skin off our noses if the hotel subsequently got found out for not lodging a TM30 – they would be the ones who were fined, not we!

Yeah, I guess went you make it sound like such a big and complicated thing. Policing things and having to check and ask some questions. I completely understand. It can totally ruin your life here.

Seriously? There is a thread everyday about all the big issues of TM30 on this forum. Is it really so complicated and heavy to deal with this in the right way? Must everything that needs to be done and looked out for be treated as a problem? 

[4MyEgo]

4 hours ago, simon43 said:

If the hotel misses even one foreign guest then there's a fine to pay.

I'm a little confused with this TM 30, that said my Mrs does all the paperwork when it comes time to renew my extension based on marriage.

 

The above said, I do the 90 day reporting form as it's pretty straight forward for me, however in about 9 weeks we are exiting the country on a holiday and will return and stay in a touristy place for a week so I have to get a re-entry permit and the immigration officer told me that I must report to the police in that area after I land and get a letter from them telling them that I reported to them, and to give to immigration the letter as soon as I return home, otherwise I will be fined, he was pretty sturn about it, as I had done that many times before without going to the cops, i.e. didn't know I had too, and said they are cracking down.

 

Will the hotel do the TM 30 for my staying there, does this TM 30 not apply to me ?

[Tropicalevo]

Some hotels will accept a Thai DL BUT they will not be able to do the TM 30 from it.

 

For the TM 30 you should enter the passport details plus the entry stamp/visa details plus the TM 6 details.

(At least that is what I have to submit for TM 30 reporting.)

 

A photo copy of these will suffice if you do not want to carry the original around with you. The hotel does not need to send copies to immigration, it enters the details on-line or on the form.

[Martyp]

17 hours ago, madmen said:

How can they do a TM 30 on a driver's licence? It needs passport copies

Thai Air Bnb probably wont. 

My ID number on my Thai drivers license is my passport number.

 

 I have checked into legit hotels using my Thai drivers license however don’t be surprised if someone hotel insist on a passport. 

 

If they take my ID/passport then I assume they are filling a TM30. If they don’t why would I care?

Edited July 28, 2019 by Martyp

[Tropicalevo]

2 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Must be a headache all that extra admin and not getting paid for it, I think lots of Thai owned hotels are still not doing it

It is a headache - but only in the time consumed. Easy enough to do on-line. The alternative here on Samui (I am told) is a 2,000 baht fine for each guest for each day. Remember that the government is very short of money with all of these populist policies. They do check.

 

I have already had one visit from the army. I do not really want a second.