Phuket Opinion: TM30 storm in a teacup

By The Phuket News

 

An officer approves an application at the Phuket Immigration Office in Phuket Town. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot

 

PHUKET: Once again Phuket Immigration has taken its stand in the national spotlight by making it very clear that foreigners will not be held responsible for filing the now notorious TM30 form, requiring landlords who provide accommodation to foreigners to inform Immigration within 24 hours of the arrival of their tenants.

 

That obligation lies with the owner of the property, not the guests. A simple notification of address completed by the TM28 form is all that is required by those renting or leasing their abodes in order to submit their application for a one-year “extension” to a permit to stay.

Other immigration offices in the country seem to be unable to say that clearly, or just don’t want to.

Read more at https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-opinion-tm30-storm-in-a-teacup-72697.php#KVFygHhyMcJB0rPz.99 

 

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2019-09-02

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Get Phuket IMO to educate all the other IMOs so they all sing from the same hymn sheet???????

"A simple notification of address completed by the TM28 form is all that is required by those renting or leasing their abodes in order to submit their application for a one-year “extension” to a permit to stay." 

 

What's going on now? So if I go to the next province for the night, stay at a hotel. Come back and file a TM28 with Immigration within 24 hours? Yes? No?

 

Nothing has changed. The TM30 nonsense is now the TM28 nonsense?

 

 

25 minutes ago, Pinot said:

"A simple notification of address completed by the TM28 form is all that is required by those renting or leasing their abodes in order to submit their application for a one-year “extension” to a permit to stay." 

 

What's going on now? So if I go to the next province for the night, stay at a hotel. Come back and file a TM28 with Immigration within 24 hours? Yes? No?

 

Nothing has changed. The TM30 nonsense is now the TM28 nonsense?

 

 

 

Yes. Either you do with TM28 or your landlord does with a TM30

The title, and the small section quoted in the OP, tend to give a slanted viewpoint of the overall tone of the article.

Members really should read the full article as it gives a more complete view of the overall process and discusses some of the problems. 

 

Many recent advice pieces state the foreigner doesn't have to do the TM30, the landlord does. The foreigner only does the TM28. All well and good for tourist and renters, but an awful lot of expats here in Phuket live in their wife's house. She may be responsible for the TM30, and any fines for failures to lodge, but guess who actual gets to do it (and pay any fines).

 

 

10 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

<snip>

Many recent advice pieces state the foreigner doesn't have to do the TM30, the landlord does. The foreigner only does the TM28. All well and good for tourist and renters, but an awful lot of expats here in Phuket live in their wife's house. She may be responsible for the TM30, and any fines for failures to lodge, but guess who actual gets to do it (and pay any fines).

 

 

 

That's quite correct. The 'landlord' or owner is legally required to register every foreigner staying in their property by TM30. If not they face a potential fine up to 6,000 baht for each non register foreigner.  

 

This is Ok for a hotel with reception controlling guest flow. But it's impossible for owner renting a house long term and has no idea if friends stay overnight or for short holiday. Or if registered guests stay a few days somewhere else in Thailand and get registered at another address = old registered address is over written in database.     

15 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

 

That's quite correct. The 'landlord' or owner is legally required to register every foreigner staying in their property by TM30. If not they face a potential fine up to 6,000 baht for each non register foreigner.  

 

This is Ok for a hotel with reception controlling guest flow. But it's impossible for owner renting a house long term and has no idea if friends stay overnight or for short holiday. Or if registered guests stay a few days somewhere else in Thailand and get registered at another address = old registered address is over written in database.     

Friends stay with us occasionally when visiting from OS. No way am I (wife) going to head down to the office to register them, nor create a hotel like account on line to do so for those infrequent occasions.

A member, living in the wilds of the north, wrote that he had to travel 100s of ks to the nearest IO to register his friends after some fines were meted out. His solution is that he no longer allows visitors to stay with him.

2 hours ago, legend49 said:

Get Phuket IMO to educate all the other IMOs so they all sing from the same hymn sheet???????

Yes but they sing different hymns.

To each his own !

56 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

Yes. Either you do with TM28 or your landlord does with a TM30

Yes, and the TM28 form says (my bold italic)...

Quote

หมายเหตุ ๑. ย้ายที่พักต้องแจ้งภายใน ๒๔ ชั่วโมง
Your local police station must be notified of any change of address within 24 hours.
๒.ไปอยู่ต่างจังหวัดเกิน ๒๔ ชั่วโมง ต้องแจ้งภายใน ๔๘ ชั่วโมง
A stay in another of over 24 hours must be reported with 48 hours of arrival in that place

–whilst the TM30 form says...

Quote

หมายเหตุ

1. แจงภายใน 24 นับแตคนตางดาวเขาพกอาศ ั ัย MUST NOTIFY WITHIN 24 HOURS FROM THE TIME OF ARRIVING AT THE RESIDENCE

2. ในเขตกรุงเทพมหานครใหแจงตอกองตรวจคนเขาเมองื MUST NOTIFY THE IMMIGRATION DIVISION IF LOCATED WITNIN BANGKOK AREA

3. ในตางจังหวัดใหแจงตอดานตรวจคนเขาเมืองที่ตั้งอยูหากไมมีใหแจงตอเจาพนักงานตํารวจทองที่ MUST NOTIFY THE LOCAL IMMIGRATION OFFICE IF THERE IS NO IMMIGRATION OFFICE LICATED IN THAT AREA THE LOCAL POLICE OFFICIAN MUST BE NOTIFIED

Form can be downloaded from here.

I received exactly the same information from Mae Hong Song, Samui and Nakhon Sawan.
Don't panic, don't be influenced by characters who are willing to do anything for the money.

Got cought up in this today. Immigration expected a marina manager to register me at his marina so i could extent a 30 day exempt arrival after flying out and back in. Funny stuff. I aint bothering with that.

See ya phuket . Off to malaysia. The 30,000 usd refit contract for local contractors now headed to langkawi.

I

2 hours ago, Old Croc said:

Friends stay with us occasionally when visiting from OS. No way am I (wife) going to head down to the office to register them, nor create a hotel like account on line to do so for those infrequent occasions.

A member, living in the wilds of the north, wrote that he had to travel 100s of ks to the nearest IO to register his friends after some fines were meted out. His solution is that he no longer allows visitors to stay with him.

Good, that will help the Thai economy, but save the over worked IO another ream of A4

Congrats Phuket IO????

the voice of reason in a sea of insanity lol ???? 

 

Better to begin with to simplify things for foreigners instead of complicating  procedures. 

31 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

Better to begin with to simplify things for foreigners instead of complicating  procedures. 

Dream on, Btw no punch intended...…..There are many ways for a Government to slowly but surely make clear and pushing a minority out of a country without breaking International laws and attract attention. Sidetracking now, but as an example together with latest years Immigration policys and Tm 30, its now the health department who is called in and government hospitals with the law in hand will start charging foreigners double price compared to what the Thai citizens pay from 1. October.

3 hours ago, quadperfect said:

Got cought up in this today. Immigration expected a marina manager to register me at his marina so i could extent a 30 day exempt arrival after flying out and back in. Funny stuff. I aint bothering with that.

See ya phuket . Off to malaysia. The 30,000 usd refit contract for local contractors now headed to langkawi.

Why bother with Phuket in the first place Langkawi was always the obviouse choice for the price of a refit

Anyone ever use the TM28 at a police station? Easy in and out I would assume. And would probably make it more convenient for many folks, I'd imagine! Wow, so then, I'm more willing to think this whole new set of paperwork isn't that bad.

5 hours ago, Old Croc said:

A member, living in the wilds of the north, wrote that he had to travel 100s of ks to the nearest IO to register his friends after some fines were meted out. His solution is that he no longer allows visitors to stay with him.

happy times

1 hour ago, Felt 35 said:

Dream on, Btw no punch intended...…..There are many ways for a Government to slowly but surely make clear and pushing a minority out of a country without breaking International laws and attract attention. Sidetracking now, but as an example together with latest years Immigration policys and Tm 30, its now the health department who is called in and government hospitals with the law in hand will start charging foreigners double price compared to what the Thai citizens pay from 1. October.

Well in that case their efforts are gaining momentum.

Have many people ever tried to submit a TM30 or TM28 at their local police station?  If the experience is like anything else they will shake their heads and say immigration business. Then they will hand back the paperwork and return to whatever they were doing.

14 hours ago, webfact said:

A simple notification of address completed by the TM28 form is all that is required by those renting or leasing their abodes in order to submit their application for a one-year “extension” to a permit to stay.

I don't rent or  lease, I  built the freaking  house, name in yellow  house  book.

Ok  will  ALL other  offices  be  putting up their own rules also so we can have a  bloody  good  larf?

3 hours ago, gunderhill said:

I don't rent or  lease, I  built the freaking  house, name in yellow  house  book.

Ok  will  ALL other  offices  be  putting up their own rules also so we can have a  bloody  good  larf?

So did I, build and own my own house.

 

If you are so-called "house master" you should make a TM30 report about yourself. If somebody else is house master – it's mentioned in the Blue House Book – then that person shall make a TM30 report about you.

????

Went to Phuket Immigration today to inquire about the TM28 / TM30 debate.

I am on a 1 year extension of stay, fly overseas this week and come back in October. Was told by one of the Immigration Volunteers to use the Drive-through, hand over my Passport to the IO and tell him that I'm back and live at the same address. No TM28, no other documents and no copies.

The volunteer mentioned that this simplified 24 hour reporting applies to longterm, presumably 1 year extensions.