TM30: The form getting expats in Thailand into a bureaucratic tangle

[SpaceKadet]

2 hours ago, GraThai said:

I totally agree that TM30 is an outdated law however I have lived here in Thailand for 30+  years and try to abide by all the rules including this one. Every time I return home from a trip she fills in the form pops into immigration and its done so what is the massive problem...unless of course people have something to hide?????

"poping" into immigration might be more than 3 hours round trip for some. That is the massive problem.

And please, do not suggest this broken Immigration app.

[bowerboy]

2 hours ago, GraThai said:

I totally agree that TM30 is an outdated law however I have lived here in Thailand for 30+  years and try to abide by all the rules including this one. Every time I return home from a trip she fills in the form pops into immigration and its done so what is the massive problem...unless of course people have something to hide?????

 

Some of our wives have jobs you know...should my wife take every Monday off work every time we want to go away for a weekend?

 

Should a landlord take every Monday off work when their tenant goes away for a work trip or weekend.

 

This comment is as asinine as the TM30 rule.

[Mike Teavee]

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

Would certainly make you think twice

As somebody who's considering making the move (for retirement) I can assure you that it's making me think a lot more than twice.

 

I did (or rather paid an agent 2,000 THB to do) a TM30 for the 1st time a couple of weeks back as I needed to extend my Non-O at CW the following Monday, no plans to repeat the exercise every time I come into Thailand (approx 3 times every 2 months) so waiting to see whether it gets better or worse & waiting to see if I can successfully register for the online system (don't mind doing it each time if I can).

 

Anybody who says it's no hassle to "Pop" into immigration either never travels or lives within spitting distance of their Immigration Office, CW is a pain in the ass to get to.

 

 

 

 

 

[Misterwhisper]

1 hour ago, emptypockets said:

from the OP:

The TM30 form is complex and must often be completed in person

 

Writing down your name and address is complex?

Really??

The physical paper form is indeed very complex and confusing. You have to fill in the personal details of the (Thai) owner, including their ID card info, then the residential address in its exact form as registered in the (blue) housebook, then your own (i.e. the foreign tenant's/resident's) info together with passport and visa information, port of entry and nationality (whereas these latter two must be given in a certain code as stipulated in a lengthy (Thai-language only) list. Filling out the form is further complicated by the fact that the English translation of the original Thai wording is garbled, thus ambiguous, 

[bowerboy]

2 hours ago, idman said:

The more people bit...ch and moan about this fiasco the more Thai Immigration will continue to dig their heels in and not waver one bit. It's this FACE notion. Put up with the TM 30, stop your whining and unless you are returning from outside the country you don't have to bother with jumping through silly hoops. With huge amount of paperwork Thai Immigration have to deal with on a daily what do really think think your chances of ever being caught are???

Sent from my CMR-AL19 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

 

Utter Ignorance.

[zydeco]

2 hours ago, CMNightRider said:

Not everyone can just "pop into immigration" since many live a long drive away from immigration offices.  "Something to hide"?????  I think not.  Maybe you need to rub those sleepy eyes and wake up.

It seems there are scores of people on this forum who want nothing more than to be another "good boy." They come on here and brag about how they woke up at 4:30 am to go to CW and get a number in order to get in line and get another number. Then, they want to pat themselves on the back at what "good job" they've done and how it's so "easy peasy" (I am stunned that there are actual adults of a certain age who use words like "easy peasy" as if they are a fourteen year old girl). How can people degrade themselves in this fashion and feel proud of it? When I came to Thailand, it was to enjoy a less stressful life, not behave like somebody's "good boy" Golden Retriever.

[puchooay]

8 minutes ago, bowerboy said:

Some of our wives have jobs you know...should my wife take every Monday off work every time we want to go away for a weekend?

 

Should a landlord take every Monday off work when their tenant goes away for a work trip or weekend.

Of course not.

 

Just log in to the website and report. Just means someone has to drag themselves away from Facebook for 5 minutes.

[Beggar]

They need to introduce a main/primary residence. As long as you reside there there is no need to report again when you come home from wherever. Other countries have it like this. 

[jonclark]

1 hour ago, Yinn said:

 

 

If Yinn want to go to England, Australia or USA for the the two day holiday Yinn don’t get free visa with NO paperwork. 

Yinn must do 20+ document about bank, work, live where AND pay money that, they not refund if they REFUSE. Go to the embassy in Bangkok BEFORE and have interview. Must go to Bangkok, they not have embassy in every province like for you guys.

 

Yinn, 

 

The same applies for residents getting extensions in Thailand - The amount of paper work required is huge, and we pay money that is not refunded if refused. The only difference is no vetting or interviews. Because immigration is happy to give everyone a visa if they have the money...and then immigration complain when criminals come to Thailand. Maybe if Thailand Immigration check people they give visa's too better,  then criminals would not come to Thailand. Criminals come to Thailand...Thailand's fault. 

 

BTW if I apply for a visa to visit Thailand in UK....guess what I must go to Thai embassy in London. No have Thai embassy in every UK province as well. Same Same As UK embassy in Thailand, No? . 

[bowerboy]

1 hour ago, Just1Voice said:

This has become a paranoid country when it comes to foreigners, meanwhile those in power are lining their pockets with every ill gotten baht they can get. 

 

Sadly the Thai’s don’t care one iota about the elites bleeding the country dry....it’s only the foreigners that care......

 

You see where I am going with this?

[puchooay]

14 minutes ago, jonclark said:

Yinn, 

 

The same applies for residents getting extensions in Thailand - The amount of paper work required is huge, and we pay money that is not refunded if refused. The only difference is no vetting or interviews. Because immigration is happy to give everyone a visa if they have the money...and then immigration complain when criminals come to Thailand. Maybe if Thailand Immigration check people they give visa's too better,  then criminals would not come to Thailand. Criminals come to Thailand...Thailand's fault. 

 

BTW if I apply for a visa to visit Thailand in UK....guess what I must go to Thai embassy in London. No have Thai embassy in every UK province as well. Same Same As UK embassy in Thailand, No? . 

1900 for an extension if refused. $100 dollars for a visitor visa to UK. No refund if refused. Over $2000 for a settlement visa. No refund if refused.

 

Longer waiting times too. 2-3 weeks for a UK visitor visa. 16 weeks for UK settlement visa.

[bowerboy]

13 minutes ago, zydeco said:

It seems there are scores of people on this forum who want nothing more than to be another "good boy." They come on here and brag about how they woke up at 4:30 am to go to CW and get a number in order to get in line and get another number. Then, they want to pat themselves on the back at what "good job" they've done and how it's so "easy peasy" (I am stunned that there are actual adults of a certain age who use words like "easy peasy" as if they are a fourteen year old girl). How can people degrade themselves in this fashion and feel proud of it? When I came to Thailand, it was to enjoy a less stressful life, not behave like somebody's "good boy" Golden Retriever.

 

Thank you for this and it is my sentiment exactly...utterly pathetic...they must be some kind of cissy cuckold types...they want nothing more than to lick the dirt from the dust under the dust of the soles of the Motocy Driver....only in this way will they achieve true Thainess.

 

Cannot understand this mentality whatsoever...truly pathetic.

[the guest]

Just another reason NOT to live in Thailand.

 

C'mon guys and girls, there are plenty of other countries in paradise to chose without the bureaucracy, and being treated like a criminal.

[zydeco]

1 hour ago, Yinn said:

If Yinn want to go to England, Australia or USA for the the two day holiday Yinn don’t get free visa with NO paperwork. 

Yinn must do 20+ document about bank, work, live where AND pay money that, they not refund if they REFUSE. Go to the embassy in Bangkok BEFORE and have interview. Must go to Bangkok, they not have embassy in every province like for you guys.

I used to take over 30 Thai students to the US for a month every year. Not one of them ever was refused a visa. When they received one, it was good for ten years. Students from my 2010 class are still using their visa from those years to travel back and forth to the US. 

[ThaiLawOnline]

You wanna help, sign at www.reform-thai-immigration.com

 

Only 6,000 signatures. DO NOT BE AFRAID. No names given to immigration. Making noise and showing that it is not efficient, undated, bureaucratic, unnecessary is the way to go.

 

According to our internal survey, it is continues, 25% of expats in Isaan will leave Thailand. That's more than 2 billion baht in income for the area.

[TooSweaty]

4 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

I have seen some truly asinine things in Thailand in my 10+ years here, but this B.S. tops them all. 

This has effectively killed my 2-10 day bike trips around the country. May as well sell my 300cc bikes and buy a 150 PCX. 

Don’t be foolish, just pay the fine and enjoy your life. 

[Golden Triangle]

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

Us the web site on your PC https://extranet.immigration.go.th/fn24online/

I have just had a look at that, thank you, I tried to register on my tablet a week or so ago but think I messed it up, what is a house ID No. ? I have no idea so left the field blank and when I tried to submit the request it was saying 1 field still needed to be completed, also do I need to only provide copies of my passport & my rental contract and list myself as the 'possessor'?

[bowerboy]

6 minutes ago, TooSweaty said:

Don’t be foolish, just pay the fine and enjoy your life. 

 

Infiltrated!!!

 

Enemy Behind the Lines!!!

[jonclark]

21 minutes ago, puchooay said:

1900 for an extension if refused. $100 dollars for a visitor visa to UK. No refund if refused. Over $2000 for a settlement visa. No refund if refused.

 

Longer waiting times too. 2-3 weeks for a UK visitor visa. 16 weeks for UK settlement visa.

Yes...Longer waiting times as they are vetting you...Duh!

 

By the way PR (The Thai equivalent of a settlement visa) approx 100'000 baht (if married to a Thai) and 197'000 if single = $3'000 - $6'000 and do not even get me started on the waiting times for PR - Try years!

[flexomike]

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

Us the web site on your PC https://extranet.immigration.go.th/fn24online/

Can you tell me how to get registered for TM30 just using a PC, Thank You, I don't want to deal with setting it up on my phone

 

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

Us the web site on your PC https://extranet.immigration.go.th/fn24online/

 

[puchooay]

5 minutes ago, jonclark said:

Yes...Longer waiting times as they are vetting you...Duh!

 

By the way PR (The Thai equivalent of a settlement visa) approx 100'000 baht (if married to a Thai) and 197'000 if single = $3'000 - $6'000 and do not even get me started on the waiting times for PR - Try years!

 Still, 16 weeks wait for vetting and people on here are complaining about having to spend 5 minutes on the internet to file a TM30. ???? 

 

You can apply for PR in Thailand after 3 years. UK is 5 years.

[tingtong]

3 hours ago, GraThai said:

I totally agree that TM30 is an outdated law however I have lived here in Thailand for 30+  years and try to abide by all the rules including this one. Every time I return home from a trip she fills in the form pops into immigration and its done so what is the massive problem...unless of course people have something to hide?????

 

For one, My "massive problem" is that our permanent residence is 90 km from the "local" immigration office.

And own a condo in another province, where we like to spend weekends/ couple of days every month.

 

A 180 km ( go and back) drive to pop in immigration office to say we are back is anything but convenient.

 

And yet to add that we should inform them at the regional office where the condo is, as well...

 

So, nothing to hide.

Still, a massive problem.

 

[zydeco]

1 minute ago, puchooay said:

 Still, 16 weeks wait for vetting and people on here are complaining about having to spend 5 minutes on the internet to file a TM30. ????

What do you not understand about the TM 30 online process NOT allowing people to register. I waited 11 weeks before I received a notice that my application for a username and password was not approved. So, today, I went to Chaengwattana and filed a TM 30. They accepted the very same documents to approve it in person that they rejected for the online application. You know nothing.

 

[jamestip1947]

I am going to Korat next week with my Thai wife for 3 days and staying in a hotel which I booked on the internet  in my name as I have always done in the past.  Previously the hotel has checked my wife in with her ID card and not bothered about me. Lets see what happens this time . If they want my passport which I always take anyway I wonder if they will report me as required to Immigration as being a guest at the hotel.. I have no intention of spending a morning on my return  going to Immigration to fill in a stupid TM30 form. My next 90 day report is due the first week in November. Will they  have the information that I have been away and try to fine me for not reporting back and/or maybe their records won't tell them I have broken the law by being away and not reporting my return.. I think it's a good punt just to find out whats going on.. Immigration talk a lot of rubbish saying it doesn't take long.. They forget we have to get there, wait, be served by staff who are not polite and then get home. This episode of reporting takes many "farangs" up to half a day

. As I go away a lot I reckon that if we are treated as criminals for doing nothing wrong as they have my datails anyway combined with the drop in the exchange rate it's time to exit Thailand and follow many who have already gone.

[flexomike]

10 minutes ago, flexomike said:

Can you tell me how to get registered for TM30 just using a PC, Thank You, I don't want to deal with setting it up on my phone

 

 

Can I use Chrome or do you have to do it on Internet Explorer, I have both

[TooSweaty]

3 hours ago, rkidlad said:

Some of us have lives that we enjoy living. Unfortunately, there are people with nothing to do in their lives and the TM30 has given them a sense of purpose in life again. My advice to these very sad people? Get a hobby. 

I’ve been selling them off but I still own 12 condos. I have to have a separate login for each. 3 have been approved, 4 denied with no reason given, and 5 I have been waiting for several weeks for approval. Yet I’m still responsible for filing for all 12 units.

 

Please explain to me like I’m a 5 year old what hobby I should get exactly and how I have nothing to do. I’m looking forward to your brilliant barstool advice.
 

Not everyone is in your situation and if you had any awareness to that you wouldn’t make such ignorant comments. 
 

Individuals can jump through whatever hoop or pay the fine. Those of us with rental property are the landlords who have to deal with this differently and through a broken system.

[Katipo]

As someone who travels pretty much each and every week, if this isn't abolished or at least made much easier (i.e. onus is on me to update, not landlord), I will not be renewing my work-permit next year, and will leave the country. There are others in my multi-national company who feel the same way. My company will not be able to fill the gaps we leave behind with locals, and will find it difficult to find replacements from abroad. 

[4MyEgo]

4 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

It will never be abolished because its a source of income and it assures that the IOs can keep their jobs. And the app will be kept malfunctioning for the same reasons.

Not from what I heard, Prayut is about to bring back Big Joke..... ????

 

 

[puchooay]

10 minutes ago, zydeco said:

What do you not understand about the TM 30 online process NOT allowing people to register. I waited 11 weeks before I received a notice that my application for a username and password was not approved. So, today, I went to Chaengwattana and filed a TM 30. They accepted the very same documents to approve it in person that they rejected for the online application. You know nothing.

 

I don;t understand as I have had no problems. The immigration office where I live does not require a TM30 unless you change address. Coming and going is not a problem. I decide to register online just for the hell of it. 7 days and all sorted.

 

I read a report that about 80% of refused online applications are down to applicants errors. This was a report from an expats survey. Not Thai Immigration.

[DrTuner]

If you got social media account, share all of these news. The only thing that will force Thais to change is losing face and that culprit should be exploited whenever there is a chance, as it's pure stupidity. Make it go viral and keep it in the limelight.