TM28: Thai immigration scraps requirement for foreigners to report when they stay away from home for 24 hours

[Jumbo1968]

8 minutes ago, LomSak27 said:

 

You took all that time, To NOT answer the question I was asking? Hope it's good for you, have no clue what you're on about.

I wasn’t attempting to answer your question just stating a few facts, tbh I don’t didn’t fully understand it obviously you got out the wrong side of bed this morning ?

[JMonroe]

I am going to say something that most posters here don't want to hear, but it is the truth. The online petition and the coverage in the Bangkok Post and other English-language papers were not the main reasons the government acted on this. Most Cabinet ministers don't read the English-language papers. The Immigration Police, where the petitions were sent, don't give a damn what you think. I was involved in bringing this issue to the attention of a Deputy Prime Minister. He, and the other ministers, and their staff were completely unaware of the controversy when I asked them about it. When I explained it to that minister, his immediate reaction was "that's crazy." His staff asked me to send him English-language press clippings explaining the details of the matter. They they brought the issue to the DPM in charge of the economy and the economic ministers. They were the ones who told Immigration they were creating a problem and to solve it. And the minister who brought the issue to the economic ministers is the very same minister you are all accusing of being a racist and bigot because he lost his temper a couple of weeks ago and said something foolish, that he apologized for. This is the truth. I don't care if you believe it, or not.

[justin case]

diplomats? embassy high up personnel I talked to recently, said they don't have to do any of this nonsense, well, the sheeple still had to do

[BadSpottedDog]

16 hours ago, BestB said:

I recall a large number of doom sayers who said that online petition was a waste of time and possibly could get you into trouble for signing . Those who were brave enough to start it and sign it can now laugh in your faces. 
 

well done Isaan lawyers and all who signed to get the attention and for something to change 

I signed it!! So glad it worked!

[docspinoff]

2 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

I assume that as long as you return to the same address there is no need . My wife returns to the U.K. twice a year and when she returns she has never ever filled in a TM30 as we have lived in the same house for years the only difference is that her 90 day reporting is not the same as mine and with the new online reporting I don’t see that as a problem we are also lucky that we have a local IO no need to travel far which is a godsend when your doing your yearly extension of stay 

as long as they don't check you entry stamp from uk. as  they will then know you been out and in. so have to redue tm30 or was tm 28  as the dates don't thai up  or get a fine 

[docspinoff]

4 minutes ago, Gee Ku said:

Immigration won't know you have gone away for the night if you don't stay in a hotel under your name.

hotels need passport even for one night so not sure how you get round the name thing 

[garzhe]

24 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Actually your immigration office was correct, a TM28 has to be done at a regular police station (with the latest change hardly anybody has to do a TM28)

A few immigration offices just didn't understand the law and asked people for a TM28. Afaik they didn't fine people for not having done a TM28, even if they wrongfully thought it was their job.

But the TM30 is for the owner or Housemaster to submit which I am neither.

[jackdd]

7 minutes ago, Monkeycity said:

Um, then why was I fined yesterday for not notifying within 24 hours? And told that whenever I go to any province longer than 24 hours I have to notify my address or I will be fined, again.

Probably you were fined for not having done the TM30

 

Just now, garzhe said:

But the TM30 is for the owner or Housemaster to submit which I am neither.

If you are renting the place you are the possessor and would also be required to submit a TM30.

If you are indeed neither, then yes, you don't have to do a TM30.

But if the housemaster fails to do the TM30 they might try to fine you and if you don't pay they might refuse to process your extension (which is wrong by them, but not much you can do about it)

[stereolab]

16 hours ago, Chicken George said:

So.. No more reporting TM30. Which our local IO insisted I do even for one night away from my permanent address? 

Go fill one in, and pop over to Immigration with it for a laugh at the IO.

[grobec]

So a few scenarios.

1/ long stay visa holders no need to report if returning to permanent residence from domestic travel (tm28 or tm30?)

2/ if a long stay holder stays at my house do I have to report (tm30?)

3/ if a tourist stays overnight at my house do I need to report (tm30?)

4/ 90 day reports unchanged?

 

 

[Peter Denis]

16 minutes ago, Monkeycity said:

Um, then why was I fined yesterday for not notifying within 24 hours? And told that whenever I go to any province longer than 24 hours I have to notify my address or I will be fined, again.

From your post it seems that you are reporting to an IO that is very strict on TM30 compliance.

Some IOs only require it when returning from a trip abroad, and some don't even care at all.

Easiest way to be in compliance with TM30 regulations and to avoid being fined, is to register on the IO TM30 website and file your TM30s on-line.

>> I PM-ed you a step-by-step instruction on how to do this.  It takes approx 30' to 45' to register and file your first TM30 (if you know how to do it), and subsequent ones take less than 2'.

[Proboscis]

17 hours ago, BestB said:

I recall a large number of doom sayers who said that online petition was a waste of time and possibly could get you into trouble for signing . Those who were brave enough to start it and sign it can now laugh in your faces. 
 

well done Isaan lawyers and all who signed to get the attention and for something to change 

Do you really believe that the policy was changed because the authorities were afraid of the opinion of foreigners?

 

In my humble opinion, I think that the authorities have been running this to see how it works with the population of foreigners first and then to apply it to the population as a whole. They changed it because they now want to see how things work if they just apply it in the new way, with lots of exceptions that they can selectively withdraw at any time.

[Accidental Tourist]

Do I still have to report to my wife?

[holy cow cm]

25 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

I assume that as long as you return to the same address there is no need . My wife returns to the U.K. twice a year and when she returns she has never ever filled in a TM30 as we have lived in the same house for years the only difference is that her 90 day reporting is not the same as mine and with the new online reporting I don’t see that as a problem we are also lucky that we have a local IO no need to travel far which is a godsend when your doing your yearly extension of stay 

Yeah but unfortunately for CM they will require TM30 check in. Unless it directly states it for the TM30 being abolished, I still gather it remains and is mandatory. 

[docspinoff]

they say things get lost in translation ? but this is all in English i still confused ?

[docspinoff]

7 minutes ago, Accidental Tourist said:

Do I still have to report to my wife?

yes if you are sleep in the same house ? and don't spend 24 hrs with bar girl then go home you will have to report again . god help you ,,,,,,,,,,

[Max69xl]

17 hours ago, Chicken George said:

So.. No more reporting TM30. Which our local IO insisted I do even for one night away from my permanent address? 

The TM30 report still has to be submitted same as before. Don't confuse the TM28 that most immigration offices didn't enforce earlier. This will change nothing. 

[Shammy]

Someones going to lose their job for showing the smallest amount of common sense... in a land where none exists....

But I hear you cannot pay your power bill.. water bill or rego... without your passport.. green book.. blue book.. purple book.. doing 5 pushups.. 20 situps and a handstand.....????????????????

[bbbbooboo]

Hmmm... would this apply to people moving to Vietnam and Cambodia?

[TKDfella]

17 hours ago, BestB said:

I recall a large number of doom sayers who said that online petition was a waste of time and possibly could get you into trouble for signing . Those who were brave enough to start it and sign it can now laugh in your faces. 
 

well done Isaan lawyers and all who signed to get the attention and for something to change 

I don't agree. It has merely brought us back to where we were before. What would have been an advance would have been to relax/scrap the situation of the TM30. 

[digger70]

17 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

A group of expats in Thailand even launched an online petition calling for the TM28 and TM30 to be abolished.

 

And while the petition failed to reach its target for sign ups, it undoubtedly helped to bring the issue to the attention of senior immigration officials in Thailand.  

So who can start an petition to stop the 90 Day reporting . All expats should sign that .  

[KKr]

8 minutes ago, TKDfella said:

 

9 minutes ago, TKDfella said:

What would have been an advance would have been to relax/scrap the situation of the TM30. 

In the exceptions as I read it relatives do not have to be reported under TM30 ( section.    )

seems like an improvement to me.

[KKr]

1 hour ago, Monkeycity said:

Um, then why was I fined yesterday for not notifying within 24 hours? And told that whenever I go to any province longer than 24 hours I have to notify my address or I will be fined, again.

Go there again, explain, and ask your money back.

[Grumpy John]

27 minutes ago, bbbbooboo said:

Hmmm... would this apply to people moving to Vietnam and Cambodia?

I am pretty sure the Gestapo have to stop at the border....whether they want to or not is a whole different story!

[Peter Denis]

3 hours ago, Kinnock said:

Just read all 7 pages of posts - but I'm no clearer.

House owned by partner, what reports do we need to make? TM30 still applies I think?

The article is a disgrace, unless it was meant as click-bait to get everybody reacting on the errors it contains.

 

TM30 is still applicable. 

It stipulates that the owner/possessor of a hotel/guesthouse/house/condo, in short any place where people can reside, has to file a TM30 of any foreigner staying at that place within 24 hours of the foreigners arrival.

For hotels/guesthouses that's quite clear and that's why they ask for your passport (and the TM-6 departure/arrival card) when checking in, so they can report you to IO as staying at their premisses.

If they fail to do so, they can be fined 2.000 THB per foreigner/night not reported.

In case you live in your own house/condo or rent it, TM30 compliance is also applicable. 

And it means that your landlord/lady, or your (girl)friend or yourself - when you are the owner - also need to report you or any foreign guests staying at the house/condo witihin 24 hours (after arriving from a domestic or international trip).

That's all pretty clear.

 

But the confusion starts, when a newbie not aware of the above reads the 'experience' of TVF members on the Forum, boasting that they never ever filed a TM30 and that it is thus not necessary.

It is thai law (and hence necessary), but the point is that it is not always enforced by local IO.

Some IOs are very strict, and require that a TM30 is filed every time you as foreigner return to your own or rental house/condo, within 24 hours after returning from a trip to another province or abroad.  Some IOs only require that you do this after returning from a trip abroad, and some IOs do not even bother at all whether you do it or not.

Furthermore, TM30 compliance is ONLY checked when applying for a service at your local IO that needs your address (e.g. an extension of stay).  And when they check, they are ONLY interested whether a current TM30 of you staying at the house/condo has been filed. 

 

>> So in your case, your partner that owns the house where you are staying needs to file a TM30 of you arriving at the house within 24 hours of you arriving there from a domestic or international trip.

Chances are that this will never be checked/enforced when you report to an easy-going IO.

 

Note: I PM-ed you a step-by-step instruction on how to register on the IO TM30 website, which will allow you to file your own TM30s (as well as those of any foreign guest staying at your house).

Registering and filing your first TM30 will take approx 30' (if you know how to do it) and subsequent ones will take less than 2'.

[Tchooptip]

I live in Samui I will go to Bangkok a few day so my hotel will send the TM30 . When  I will return return home my owner will not have to warn immigration with a Tm30 I am back home? 

[CFCol]

Read the article. 

TM30 is still required if you own your property. 

Your landlord, if you rent will be required to report your return on a TM30

[elgenon]

The posting says if you stay at a friend's house. What if you stay at a hotel?

[Almer]

Slow down please i cant keep up, so TM 28 gone and thank goodness, but how about the Mrs and TM30 ?

[phka]

This is confussing as I understand it the tm 28 was for changing address. the tm 30 is when you stay away from that address for 24 hours or more then return. 

So if you go stay in a hotel or go on holiday you still need to do the tm30 when you return nothing to do with the tm28