SURVEY: TM 30 -- How serious is it?

[Scott]

There have a number of threads about the TM 30 and it's enforcement.   The TM 30 is designed to keep track of foreigners, both tourists and expats.   It must be completed by the landlord or owner where the foreigner is staying within 24 hours of arrival.    Which of the following best describes your opinion on the TM 30?

 

Please feel free to leave a comment.

 

For further reading:

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thailand-keeping-track-of-foreigners-the-tm30-reporting-form

 

 

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1116332-online-petition-calling-for-tm30-to-be-scrapped-gains-momentum/

 

 

[kingstonkid]

I was going to go to bkk for a couple of days but it is too much of a pain for me and the landlord. Weekend trips are going to be few and far between

[billsmart]

For me, it's just a minor annoyance. What I'd like to know, however, are the exact rules. There seems to be different interpretations of the rules as to who and when your wife (in my case) must file a TM.30. I have my answers from my local immigrations, and I'll go by them, but they are not as strict as many of the interpretations of the rules I've seen here. 

 

I just want to know what I (my wife) is expected to do, and then we'll do it.

[MartinKal]

If there was some official explanation of why this is necessary it would help swing people into line. It's always best to discuss change with people affected, and listen to them, if only to avoid making mistakes.

[chilly07]

Still waiting for ID and password from 1 July!

[CharlieH]

A broad sweeping arrangement designed for a specific task, and where a smaller group have been caught in the the same net. It needs tweaking and revising to release those that weren't actually meant to get caught up in it. Takes time,(as do all things here) but I am sure it will be addressed.

 

In my opinion there is a lot of over reaction and speculation, go talk to your own specific office for precise direction and requirements.(they all vary to one degree or another, but that's another issue).

 

Some may not like it, may not agree with it, but it is what is.

[alanrchase]

A TM30 is of no concern for the vast majority of tourists. For people who interact with immigration the requirement should be changed so that it only needs to be submitted once untill you officially notify them of a change of address. Trips out of Thailand and to locations in Thailand should not require another submission.

[HHTel]

Recently had a holiday in Koh Samed and Pattaya.  I renewed my extension last week with no problems.  I've never filed a TM30 in 20 years and last week was no exception.  It was never mentioned and everything done in under 15 mins.

[problemfarang]

This is also another reason for me to staying on my NON-O instead of NON-B

5 years from my 15 years in Thailand, im not going.. not even pass front of any imm. Not doing my TM30 or whatever. So far nothing happened. Every 90 days go out from thailand, and fill correctly my arrival card. 5 years no imm asked about my residence info or if i let imm no about my whereabouts. 

Yes, sometimes pain in the ass doing this every 90 days but i really believe it worth instead of going to imm and do all paper work over and over...

[Srikcir]

24 minutes ago, MartinKal said:

If there was some official explanation of why this is necessary it would help swing people into line. It's always best to discuss change with people affected, and listen to them, if only to avoid making mistakes.

Two of Thailand Immigration's challenges have been Overstayers and persons illegally in Thailand simply without the applicable Visa or with a fraudulent visa. These are important issues of illegal presence in the country. These people are not detected because they failed to update a TM30!

From that perspective I fail to understand what purpose the TM 30 serves when one has a 5-year multiple entry visa or a 5-year "Non-Immigrant O-X Long Stay Visa" with regard to occasional travels within Thailand.

I would also add the same failure with one who is on an annual visa extension having a long-term (3-30 year) lease or committed to ownership of a Thai residence, ie., so long as they file at least three 90-day reports within a year to demonstrate compliance with the spirit of immigration laws - laws that are admittedly subject to various levels of enforcement or lack of enforcement by Immigration. 

Frankly, why not such persons be allowed travels to ASEAN countries that are less than, ie., 90 days in total, before a TM30 is required on return?

[bangkok12345]

What happens if someone (on a Non-B visa) is leaving the country for a few days and upon arrival back to Bangkok - is the arrival card enough because the address is noted there or will it be mandatory to report the address once again and the landlord also needs to register the foreigner at the same address again within 24 hours after arrival? And is it only possible for the foreigner and the landlord to register at Chaeng Wattana immigration or can it also be done at the local police office?

[KiChakayan]

If they had the brains to computerize it properly it could become a a minor nuisance for some. But as I said before, the close monitoring of a minority segment of a population is a characteristic of a police state, and in most cases was a precursor of subsequent persecution. TM30 wouldn't survive a day if it was implemented in any western democracy, even in Trumpland.

[jonclark]

Honestly given that the Immigration Act from which this 'rule' was implemented was in 1979, it is useful to consider just how much the world & Thailand has changed in the past 40 years

 

1979 - No Internet, Asean pretty much was a talking shop with 5 members, migrant labour from ASEAN / neighbouring countries was much lower, visiting foreigners was about 1 million a year, with significantly fewer long stay expats.- Tourism accounted for 0.5-1.5% GDP Thailand was coming to the end of a communist insurgency, and Vietnam was invading Kampuchea.  

 

2019 - Well we know how the above has changed. 

 

So given the breadth of changes that have happened to Thailand and its socio-economic development into one of the hubs of SE Asia. One must really question why the Immigaration Act has not been adapted and adjusted to fit with those changes. A square peg in a round hole. 

[paulbrow]

1 hour ago, chilly07 said:

Still waiting for ID and password from 1 July!

I'm still waiting from 20 June...

[Pedrogaz]

TM 30 is a symptom of the backwardness of the leadership in Thailand.

Is there any other country the world that changes its immigration laws every 5 minutes like they do here in Thailand?

The big push in immigration should be to go paperless....having these enormous files on people all filled with multiple copies of the same information is really too stupid....and Thailand's top leadership says Thailand aims to be the internet hub of ASEAN? It's absurd, absolutely absurd. 

I have not filed a TM 30 yet, neither has my wife who is the owner of our house. I don't often file 90 day reports because I leave the country regularly but I refuse to give my information to immigration at the airport one day and then waste a full day, the following day, to file a TM 30. And don't talk about internet applications....its BS...I have tried on several occasions to file things electronically....and it never works...again ASEAN's internet hub lets us down with applications that don't work and look like they were designed by a monkey.

I will be checking out Vietnam and the Philippines this winter, I am sick of the BS in Thailand....and I am someone who pumps about 3 million a year into the Thai economy, who has no criminal record...and am well funded ie the sort of expat that should be sought after. Instead because of the racism and xenophobia of the Thai elite all foreigners are treated with disgraceful suspicion. Given the massive inflation here and the now, very high, cost of living due to huge import tariffs, there are just fewer and fewer reasons to stay here. As I say the leadership, or should I say generalship, of the country is extremely poor and getting worse.

[Jumbo1968]

1 hour ago, HHTel said:

Recently had a holiday in Koh Samed and Pattaya.  I renewed my extension last week with no problems.  I've never filed a TM30 in 20 years and last week was no exception.  It was never mentioned and everything done in under 15 mins.

They wouldn’t know you had been too Pattaya or Samui, if you had left Thailand there would have been an entry and exit stamp in your Passport.

[Jumbo1968]

I would like too see a similar system adopted in the UK due too our very lax Visa system. Some one can get a Tourist Visa and stay for ever as they never need too report anywhere and are only picked up by chance.

[30la]

I believe that all this panic was generated by the person who eventually created the petition, probably aiming to become known as a foreign lawyer in Thailand and being able to do some client!
Maybe I'm wrong ....

[AlfonsV]

Living in a condo and coming back from abroad I do not have any problem because the condo's office reports online at immigration.

However what to do when visit friends in a remote village of another province for 2 or 3 nights 2 hours to drive far from next immigration?

[dode57k]

2 hours ago, alanrchase said:

A TM30 is of no concern for the vast majority of tourists. For people who interact with immigration the requirement should be changed so that it only needs to be submitted once untill you officially notify them of a change of address. Trips out of Thailand and to locations in Thailand should not require another submission.

This is almost exactly what Jomtien immigration told me. I go to UK 8 times per year and also travel all over Thailand. The first time I reported that I was back in my rented condo the IO told me he wasn't interested and just to come back 1 year later to re-register. I've never filed a TM30 since. 1 year is up next month so I'll see what awaits then.

[Jumbo1968]

1 minute ago, dode57k said:

This is almost exactly what Jomtien immigration told me. I go to UK 8 times per year and also travel all over Thailand. The first time I reported that I was back in my rented condo the IO told me he wasn't interested and just to come back 1 year later to re-register. I've never filed a TM30 since. 1 year is up next month so I'll see what awaits then.

I was told different at Jomtien, I have a Non O Multi Entry Visa lived at the same address for 3 years. Jomtien told I have too report every time I return too Thailand. 

If I had a Extension of Stay/Retirement Visa they said it wasn’t necessary too Report.

[phka]

3 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

I was going to go to bkk for a couple of days but it is too much of a pain for me and the landlord. Weekend trips are going to be few and far between

Which province are you in do they enforce it just for 2 days 

[Salerno]

7 minutes ago, AlfonsV said:

However what to do when visit friends in a remote village of another province for 2 or 3 nights 2 hours to drive far from next immigration?

Nothing; unless your friend for some reason decides to file a TM30 for your stay there.

[phka]

1 hour ago, Jumbo1968 said:

They wouldn’t know you had been too Pattaya or Samui, if you had left Thailand there would have been an entry and exit stamp in your Passport.

If you stayed in a hotel and had to show your passport they would know

[CartagenaWarlock]

Absolutely no problem for me as I don't deal with immigration at all and can avoid immigration visit completely. In worst case, I pay meagre fine of 800-1600 baht. I won't lose my sleep and post every 30-min in this forum for $75 USD. 

[Jumbo1968]

1 minute ago, phka said:

If you stayed in a hotel and had to show your passport they would know

How would they know I stayed in a hotel, as far as I know there isn’t a central data base linking all the Offices is there ?

[wgdanson]

2 hours ago, problemfarang said:

This is also another reason for me to staying on my NON-O instead of NON-B

5 years from my 15 years in Thailand, im not going.. not even pass front of any imm. Not doing my TM30 or whatever. So far nothing happened. Every 90 days go out from thailand, and fill correctly my arrival card. 5 years no imm asked about my residence info or if i let imm no about my whereabouts. 

Yes, sometimes pain in the ass doing this every 90 days but i really believe it worth instead of going to imm and do all paper work over and over...

So you really think a trip over the border, out of Thailand to wherever, be it by air, bus or car, is less of a PITA than going to your local I Office with ONE form filled in on your PC in advance?

[wobalt]

So you really think a trip over the border, out of Thailand to wherever, be it by air, bus or car, is less of a PITA than going to your local I Office with ONE form filled in on your PC in advance?

Absolutely, I like traveling using Thailand as a hub to other countries


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[justin case]

if there would be a website that works and is secure, it would not be a problem

 

now you have a shitty website where you must register, half is in thai to start with and waiting for a password while you gave in all your private information

 

as if they could not create something SECURE like banks do, with OTP password, validation, etc...

 

welcome to 1919

[sathornlover]

TM30 has no impact on me yet because my immigration doesn't require it yet but it can change from day to day as we all know. If the reins are also tightened noticeably for me, then this could well be the dealbreaker for me in Thailand.

 

I doubt that the really bad guys can really be kept out of the country with tm30, tm47 or the crappy reporting app.

 

What do those responsible want to do with all the inconsistently collected and largely redundant data? Also the Stasi with its collecting frenzy and super secured wall has failed grandiosly.