Do I need to file the TM30?

[phungo]

Ugh I have so many damn questions and no official source of info.

 

I'm flying into Bangkok from the US on a 1 year Non Imm O visa (my wife is Thai). (This is my first time visiting with a Visa.)

 

I will be staying at my wife's cousin condo.

 

Do I need to go to immigration office the next day after my arrival to file a TM 30? Or is it a TM 28 that I need to file?

 

(That's ridiculous if true since I would have filed all that at the airport just hours before.)

[Don Mega]

TM.30, the wife's cousin should file it.

 

What did you fill out at the airport other than a TM.6 ?

Edited September 6, 2019 by Don Mega

[ubonjoe]

Unless you need to do something at immigration there will be no need to worry about doing a TM30 report.

[phungo]

TM.30, the wife's cousin should file it.
 
What did you fill out at the airport other than a TM.6 ?

TM 6 has my address as well as my Visa. Why need my address the 3rd time within 24 hours?

[phungo]

Unless you need to do something at immigration there will be no need to worry about doing a TM30 report.

So if I fly out of the country 90 days after my initial arrival, and re-enter via my Non Imm O multi entry visa, instead of doing the extension at immigration, I don't need to do the TM30?

[Don Mega]

1 minute ago, phungo said:

23 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

TM.30, the wife's cousin should file it.
 
What did you fill out at the airport other than a TM.6 ?

TM 6 has my address as well as my Visa. Why need my address the 3rd time within 24 hours?

Ubonjoe has your answer.

[Gumballl]

Just now, phungo said:

22 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

TM.30, the wife's cousin should file it.
 
What did you fill out at the airport other than a TM.6 ?

TM 6 has my address as well as my Visa. Why need my address the 3rd time within 24 hours?

Immigration would need the TM30 if you should want to extend your visa. If you are just visiting Thailand (as a short-term tourist), then you do not need to bother.

[phungo]

Immigration would need the TM30 if you should want to extend your visa. If you are just visiting Thailand (as a short-term tourist), then you do not need to bother.

I'm planning to stay there for 1 year. I will be either filing the 90 day report or flying out and back in at 90 days. For this scenario do I need the TM 30?

[ubonjoe]

Just now, phungo said:

7 minutes ago, Gumballl said:

Immigration would need the TM30 if you should want to extend your visa. If you are just visiting Thailand (as a short-term tourist), then you do not need to bother.

I'm planning to stay there for 1 year. I will be either filing the 90 day report or flying out and back in at 90 days. For this scenario do I need the TM 30?

You would have to apply for a one year extension of stay at immigration to do 90 day reports and that would mean doing TM30 reports.

If you leave and re-enter the country every 90 days you would not need to do one.

[Gumballl]

1 minute ago, phungo said:

8 minutes ago, Gumballl said:

Immigration would need the TM30 if you should want to extend your visa. If you are just visiting Thailand (as a short-term tourist), then you do not need to bother.

I'm planning to stay there for 1 year. I will be either filing the 90 day report or flying out and back in at 90 days. For this scenario do I need the TM 30?

You queried about two different scenarios. The first scenario (90-day reporting) requires a TM30, the second does not.

 

P.S. Immigration at the airport or border will not check on TM30 status.

[patrick228]

I have read much posts and experience sharing from many posters in the forum. If you have a short stay in Thailand without the need to extend your visa (short term visit) at the local immigration department, then you don't need to worry about TM30, regardless you stay in a hotel, someone's home, or a home/unit/condo under your own name.

 

I own a condo in Bangkok and I have user ID to access Section 38 web based and mobile app for TM 30 online registration. I was in Bangkok for more than 2 weeks in August 2019 (last month) and within that period, I left the country once and returned back. I stayed in my own condo while I was in Bangkok. I didn't file the TM30 online registration for myself. I had no problem at the international airport on those 2 departures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cricky]

19 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Unless you need to do something at immigration there will be no need to worry about doing a TM30 report.

Great reply, brief and to the point. Thanks

[Beggar]

20 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Unless you need to do something at immigration there will be no need to worry about doing a TM30 report.

You promote illegal behavior... ????

[billsmart]

No, you do not have to file a TM.30 unless you are here on some kind of business visa and operate a hotel or something like that. Your wife, if you live in a house she owns, has to file a TM.30.

You have to file a TM.28.

[Peter Denis]

19 hours ago, phungo said:

I'm planning to stay there for 1 year. I will be either filing the 90 day report or flying out and back in at 90 days. For this scenario do I need the TM 30?

In your case it is the owner of the condo where you are staying (your wife's cousin) that has to file the TM30.

If you need to visit immigration (e.g. for doing a 90 day report or an extension of stay), you need to make sure that your wife's cousin indeed filed the TM30 stating that you stayed at her condo.  Otherwise you risk your extension of stay being denied.
Yes, if you leave the country before the end of every 3 month period, you won't have to deal with the local immigration office and then it doesn't matter for you whether the TM30 has been done or not.

Your wife's cousin doing the TM30 on-line would be the best way to proceed, both for the cousin as he/she will be in compliance with the law, as well as for yourself as in that scenario you don't need to leave the country before every 3 months but can stay longer without hassle.

[Captain 776]

21 hours ago, Don Mega said:

TM.30, the wife's cousin should file it.

 

What did you fill out at the airport other than a TM.6 ?

What Don said........it is the Owner / Landlord responsibility to report but you will pay the fine for not having one if it comes to light during a renewal.

[smutcakes]

Each time you come in stay for one night at a reputable hotel, they will register your TM30 for you.

[Peter Denis]

3 minutes ago, smutcakes said:

Each time you come in stay for one night at a reputable hotel, they will register your TM30 for you.

Indeed, the owner of the place where you are staying (be it a hotel, condo, friend's place) is required to file a TM30 indicating that you stay there.  Reputable hotels (the ones that ask for your passport, as that contains the data they need to file the TM30) will do so.  And staying in a hotel one night, would ensure that there is at least 1 TM30 on you in the IO database. 

But it's far from sure that that would be accepted by IO, as that one entrance would not show where you are PRESENTLY staying.  That's why some posters on the TVF have recommended to take a Hotel for 2 consecutive nights, starting the night before you will visit your provincial IO.

Obviously that's quite a hassle, while the easiest solution in the OP's case is that his wife's cousin registers their home on the IO website or app, so that they can do the TM30 of visitors on-line.

[Peter Denis]

44 minutes ago, Captain 776 said:

What Don said........it is the Owner / Landlord responsibility to report but you will pay the fine for not having one if it comes to light during a renewal.

The fine is only a minor issue.  Most farangs would pay the fine for not having a current TM30 on file (800 to max 2000 THB) with a - fake - smile, if it meant not having to be bothered with the TM30 hassle.

The real issue is that your extension of stay can be denied when there is no current TM30 on file.

So it's wise to ensure that the owner of the place where you are residing has filed the TM30 on your stay, before you go to the provincial IO.

Note: If the owner is not able or unwilling to register the place where you are staying, you can do it in his place but you would need a couple of documents (like a rental agreement and a copy of the blue book) to do so.

Note 2: There are many accounts/posts of TVF-members that stay in provinces where TM30 is not strictly enforced.  I live in such a 'relaxed' province, but the new nation-wide IO chief insisted that TM30 needs to be done according to the book, so sooner or later all provincial IOs will have to comply.

[chuck holmes]

22 hours ago, Don Mega said:

TM.30, the wife's cousin should file it.

 

What did you fill out at the airport other than a TM.6 ?

Yes your Thai cousin must go because it is his condo and they will have to copy his house book.

[phungo]

You queried about two different scenarios. The first scenario (90-day reporting) requires a TM30, the second does not.
 
P.S. Immigration at the airport or border will not check on TM30 status.

Thank you for your answers!

[phungo]

In your case it is the owner of the condo where you are staying (your wife's cousin) that has to file the TM30.
If you need to visit immigration (e.g. for doing a 90 day report or an extension of stay), you need to make sure that your wife's cousin indeed filed the TM30 stating that you stayed at her condo.  Otherwise you risk your extension of stay being denied.
Yes, if you leave the country before the end of every 3 month period, you won't have to deal with the local immigration office and then it doesn't matter for you whether the TM30 has been done or not.
Your wife's cousin doing the TM30 on-line would be the best way to proceed, both for the cousin as he/she will be in compliance with the law, as well as for yourself as in that scenario you don't need to leave the country before every 3 months but can stay longer without hassle.

Thanks! Your answer helps a lot!

[phungo]

Reading this article was informative so I wanted to share https://www.expatden.com/thailand/thai-marriage-visa/

 

I think I get the whole picture..is my understanding correct below?

 

Situation: I have a Multi-entry Non O, 1 year visa that expires Aug 15 2020. (This visa is based on marriage to my wife who is Thai.)

 

When I first arrive in Thailand in a couple of weeks (Sept 25) I will fill out a TM6 arrival card. The imm officer at the airport will stamp my passport that let me stay for 90 days.

 

All is good for 80 days. Then there are 2 paths

 

Path 1:

Dec 24, I leave Thailand, and re-enter to get another 90 days. I do this every 90 days until Aug1 2020. At which time I will have to apply again for a Multi Entry Non -O visa at say HCMC Thai Consulate. Then repeat the 90 days thing. There is nothing else I need to do? (Like a re-entry permit? TM30? Anything else at all?)

 

Path 2:

Instead of having to travel out of country every 90 days, I make sure that within 24 hours of my arrival to Thailand, that my landlord files TM30. Then on Dec 1, I do a "90 day report". I do this report every 90 days until my Visa expires. Before my Visa expires in Aug 15 2020 I can fly out to HCMC Thai consulate to do another 1 year ME Non-O Visa.

 

 

 

[Peter Denis]

1 hour ago, chuck holmes said:

Yes your Thai cousin must go because it is his condo and they will have to copy his house book.

Registering the house on the IO website or app is by far the easiest option.  The application is approved when all required info is filled in on the web-page and scans of the required documents uploaded.  This will take approx 1 week, and then you receive a username:password, which allows you to do the TM30 on-line.  There is a help Excel-file which you can fill in and then upload.  That's actually quite handy, because for each subsequent TM30 that has to be filed (after every trip outside the province) you then simply need to change the date and upload the new TM30. 

[MJKT2014]

On 9/6/2019 at 2:23 PM, ubonjoe said:

Unless you need to do something at immigration there will be no need to worry about doing a TM30 report.

Succinct reply and just highlights the idiocy of this law and the recent re-enforcement of it.

[Peter Denis]

26 minutes ago, phungo said:

Reading this article was informative so I wanted to share https://www.expatden.com/thailand/thai-marriage-visa/

 

I think I get the whole picture..is my understanding correct below?

 

Situation: I have a Multi-entry Non O, 1 year visa that expires Aug 15 2020. (This visa is based on marriage to my wife who is Thai.)

 

When I first arrive in Thailand in a couple of weeks (Sept 25) I will fill out a TM6 arrival card. The imm officer at the airport will stamp my passport that let me stay for 90 days.

 

All is good for 80 days. Then there are 2 paths

 

Path 1:

Dec 24, I leave Thailand, and re-enter to get another 90 days. I do this every 90 days until Aug1 2020. At which time I will have to apply again for a Multi Entry Non -O visa at say HCMC Thai Consulate. Then repeat the 90 days thing. There is nothing else I need to do? (Like a re-entry permit? TM30? Anything else at all?)

 

Path 2:

Instead of having to travel out of country every 90 days, I make sure that within 24 hours of my arrival to Thailand, that my landlord files TM30. Then on Dec 1, I do a "90 day report". I do this report every 90 days until my Visa expires. Before my Visa expires in Aug 15 2020 I can fly out to HCMC Thai consulate to do another 1 year ME Non-O Visa.

I am not familiar with the requirements for a Multi-entry Non O Visa (marriage).

But I suggest that you re-post your question as a separate topic, because it is now in the topic 'Do I need to file the TM30?' and you are now asking about Options for living in Thailand with a Multi-entry Non O Visa.

 

[OJAS]

46 minutes ago, phungo said:

Reading this article was informative so I wanted to share https://www.expatden.com/thailand/thai-marriage-visa/

 

I think I get the whole picture..is my understanding correct below?

 

Situation: I have a Multi-entry Non O, 1 year visa that expires Aug 15 2020. (This visa is based on marriage to my wife who is Thai.)

 

When I first arrive in Thailand in a couple of weeks (Sept 25) I will fill out a TM6 arrival card. The imm officer at the airport will stamp my passport that let me stay for 90 days.

 

All is good for 80 days. Then there are 2 paths

 

Path 1:

Dec 24, I leave Thailand, and re-enter to get another 90 days. I do this every 90 days until Aug1 2020. At which time I will have to apply again for a Multi Entry Non -O visa at say HCMC Thai Consulate. Then repeat the 90 days thing. There is nothing else I need to do? (Like a re-entry permit? TM30? Anything else at all?)

 

Path 2:

Instead of having to travel out of country every 90 days, I make sure that within 24 hours of my arrival to Thailand, that my landlord files TM30. Then on Dec 1, I do a "90 day report". I do this report every 90 days until my Visa expires. Before my Visa expires in Aug 15 2020 I can fly out to HCMC Thai consulate to do another 1 year ME Non-O Visa.

 

 

 

One thing that doesn't appear to have been mentioned in this thread thus far is that it will be possible for you to apply at your local immigration office for a 60-day extension for the purposes of visiting your wife to tack on to each 90-day permission to stay granted within the lifetime of your multi-entry non-O visa. Should you be minded to go this route, you should definitely ensure that your landlord has filed a TM30 (you will, of course, also then be in the business of having to file a 90-day report).

Edited September 7, 2019 by OJAS

[Peterw42]

43 minutes ago, phungo said:

Reading this article was informative so I wanted to share https://www.expatden.com/thailand/thai-marriage-visa/

 

I think I get the whole picture..is my understanding correct below?

 

Situation: I have a Multi-entry Non O, 1 year visa that expires Aug 15 2020. (This visa is based on marriage to my wife who is Thai.)

 

When I first arrive in Thailand in a couple of weeks (Sept 25) I will fill out a TM6 arrival card. The imm officer at the airport will stamp my passport that let me stay for 90 days.

 

All is good for 80 days. Then there are 2 paths

 

Path 1:

Dec 24, I leave Thailand, and re-enter to get another 90 days. I do this every 90 days until Aug1 2020. At which time I will have to apply again for a Multi Entry Non -O visa at say HCMC Thai Consulate. Then repeat the 90 days thing. There is nothing else I need to do? (Like a re-entry permit? TM30? Anything else at all?)

 

Path 2:

Instead of having to travel out of country every 90 days, I make sure that within 24 hours of my arrival to Thailand, that my landlord files TM30. Then on Dec 1, I do a "90 day report". I do this report every 90 days until my Visa expires. Before my Visa expires in Aug 15 2020 I can fly out to HCMC Thai consulate to do another 1 year ME Non-O Visa.

 

 

 

You cant do path 2, you need to exit thailand every 90 days. you dont do 90 day reports on a O visa entry, you leave after 90 days.

[lamyai3]

6 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

The fine is only a minor issue.  Most farangs would pay the fine for not having a current TM30 on file (800 to max 2000 THB) with a - fake - smile, if it meant not having to be bothered with the TM30 hassle.

The real issue is that your extension of stay can be denied when there is no current TM30 on file.

So it's wise to ensure that the owner of the place where you are residing has filed the TM30 on your stay, before you go to the provincial IO.

Does immigration (CW) ever chase down the landlord for TM30s that aren't filed after returning from domestic trips to hotels, and do they even have a system that would allow enable them to?

 

It seems like the only possible repercussions of not filing a report after out of province trips would be when the tenant needs a service from immigration. This makes non-filing for domestic travel a complete non-issue as long as an updated TM30 is lodged prior to applying for an extension etc. My landlord has filed an initial TM30 for me (and got fined 800 baht for the pleasure) but I don't want to burden her every time I travel in-country, which sometimes can be quite frequent. 

[Peter Denis]

16 hours ago, lamyai3 said:

Does immigration (CW) ever chase down the landlord for TM30s that aren't filed after returning from domestic trips to hotels, and do they even have a system that would allow enable them to?

 

It seems like the only possible repercussions of not filing a report after out of province trips would be when the tenant needs a service from immigration. This makes non-filing for domestic travel a complete non-issue as long as an updated TM30 is lodged prior to applying for an extension etc. My landlord has filed an initial TM30 for me (and got fined 800 baht for the pleasure) but I don't want to burden her every time I travel in-country, which sometimes can be quite frequent. 

Thanks for your comment.

Indeed, you just have to make sure that a TM30 has been filed prior to you visiting the IO.

For clarification > Be aware that when one or more of the places where you stayed during domestic travel filed a TM30 that this needs to be updated with a new TM30 before visiting the IO.  E.g. if you make 10 trips and stayed at 10 Hotels of which 8 filed a TM30, you just need to ensure that the TM30 is updated with your actual place of residence before visiting the IO.  So no need to bother your landlord to file 8 or 10 intermediate TM30's, but make sure the last TM30 filed contains the correct information.