ED visa - 90 Day Report Not Required

[highfive]

Hi, I'm currently in Thailand based on Non-imm ED visa (initially for 3 months), arrived in June 2019. Every 3 months I get a new extension of stay, an agent (the school) does it for me and I just pick up the passport at Immigration.

I have never done the 90 day report (TM-47), I don't have any receipt for it in my passport. The school told me that it's not required because I'm getting 90-day extensions, and don't have a 1 year visa. However, everything I read on thaivisa, immigration page, various blogs etc. states clearly that I should do the 90 day report if I stay in Thailand over 90 days and it doesn't matter whether I have 1 year or 3 month visa.

So I went to the Immigration office with a filled out TM-47 to find out whether I should do it or not, since I've read that I can get a pretty big fine if I get caught by the police and they detain me for not doing the 90 day report. But at the Immigration office they wouldn't take my filled out form and clearly said that I don't need to do the 90 day report unless I have a 1 year visa.

Does that sound correct? This is all at Koh Samui Immigration. Do they have different rules than other immigration offices?

[ubonjoe]

The immigration act clearly states a report of staying longer than 90 consecutive days in the country requires a report to be done.

A extension of stay application does not count as doing a 90 day report unless it is the first one.

It does not matter whether you getting 90 day extensions or one year a report is needed.

It could be a case of Samui immigration making up their own rules again.

[EricTh]

Which school are you learning Thai at?

[highfive]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

The immigration act clearly states a report of staying longer than 90 consecutive days in the country requires a report to be done.

A extension of stay application does not count as doing a 90 day report unless it is the first one.

It does not matter whether you getting 90 day extensions or one year a report is needed.

It could be a case of Samui immigration making up their own rules again.

I guess you are right. I just called 1178 hotline and Surat Thani immigration office (not Samui). They told me that I (and you) are correct and I indeed have to do the 90 day report right now and since I'm late I will have to pay a 2000 baht fine.

So I went back to Samui Immigration. They were super confused and told me that no one with this visa does 90 day report, and with 90 day extensions I shouldn't do the report. I told them what they told me when I called Surat and the hotline. Then "the boss" said the same thing and asked why I don't believe them, at this point I didn't want to argue so I thanked and left. I even pointed to the extension stamp where it clearly says that 90 day report is required. They didn't care. ????

 

I wouldn't care too, but I will be moving out of Koh Samui soon and I'm wondering whether I will have any problems because of this if my passport gets checked at some checkpoint, or when I visit an Immigration office outside of Samui.
 

1 hour ago, EricTh said:

Which school are you learning Thai at?

I'm studying English. I don't think the name of the school is relevant in this case.

[steve187]

14 minutes ago, highfive said:

I guess you are right. I just called 1178 hotline and Surat Thani immigration office (not Samui). They told me that I (and you) are correct and I indeed have to do the 90 day report right now and since I'm late I will have to pay a 2000 baht fine.

So I went back to Samui Immigration. They were super confused and told me that no one with this visa does 90 day report, and with 90 day extensions I shouldn't do the report. I told them what they told me when I called Surat and the hotline. Then "the boss" said the same thing and asked why I don't believe them, at this point I didn't want to argue so I thanked and left. I even pointed to the extension stamp where it clearly says that 90 day report is required. They didn't care. ????

 

I wouldn't care too, but I will be moving out of Koh Samui soon and I'm wondering whether I will have any problems because of this if my passport gets checked at some checkpoint, or when I visit an Immigration office outside of Samui.
 

I'm studying English. I don't think the name of the school is relevant in this case.

come to Thailand to learn English, makes sense

[highfive]

12 minutes ago, steve187 said:

come to Thailand to learn English, makes sense

I had multiple reasons to come to Thailand but thank you for your valuable input. As you can see, I have learned English successfully. I might study Chinese next.

Edited March 11, 2020 by highfive

[ubonjoe]

37 minutes ago, highfive said:

I wouldn't care too, but I will be moving out of Koh Samui soon and I'm wondering whether I will have any problems because of this if my passport gets checked at some checkpoint, or when I visit an Immigration office outside of Samui.

Nobody will check to see if you have been doing 90 day reports.

You local immigration office is the only place where records of doing them is kept.