Caution from Immigration Police

[arithai12]

On 3/5/2022 at 7:22 AM, Shannoblic said:

There was no problem - just a cautionary comment for the future.  I may have got it all wrong in my understanding but I am not going to argue with Immigration Police.

OP, you behaved correctly.

When I returned from a brief visit in Europe last November, I asked my immigration office (CM) and they told me that I needed to file a TM30. And so I did.

 

 

[DrJack54]

27 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

OP, you behaved correctly.

When I returned from a brief visit in Europe last November, I asked my immigration office (CM) and they told me that I needed to file a TM30. And so I did.

 

 

So you returned with reentry permit and filed a TM30.

Amazing. 

[bamboozled]

...I just meant instructions on what to do, re the TM30. It's been awhile since my last one and I don't recall. Thanks for the info!

[BritTim]

10 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

And..... there is nothing wrong with arguing with them [Immigration Police] if you are sure you are correct you can handle their misunderstanding politely. I don’t know why so many people are so fearful of the police here, they’re just people, as such they get things wrong. It's ok to discuss that with them.

If your ego is more important than being nice, go ahead. It is unlikely to come back to bite you. However, if you "win", the official loses face, will not be happy, will remember you, and may be resentful. Thais (and Asians in general) tend to be more sensitive than Westerners.

 

I will quietly and politely push back against officials when it is something important. In doing so, I recognise the downside. I would not dream of doing so just to feel I have put the official in his place. Actually, having "apologised" to the officer in the OP's situation, I am liable to ignore it and do absolutely nothing further.

[Scott Savage]

On 3/5/2022 at 12:28 AM, DrJack54 said:

The immigration officer was wrong. 

Which office. 

 

The immigration officer was looking for a bung ????????

[asiacurious]

On 3/5/2022 at 7:52 AM, DrJack54 said:

That's not true.

You would only need to report if you change address or reenter with new visa or visa exempt..

Whether it's true or not, sometimes immigration likes to make up/change rules on a whim.

 

I know someone who was hassled at CW Immigration in BKK about the TM30.  He went to a province for a trip and the hotel filed a TM30 for him.  He later returned to his home in Bangkok (which his landlord had previously sent in a TM30 for).  When he went to CW Immigration for an extension, he was told his TM30 was filed in the province and his previous TM30 in Bangkok was no longer valid.   He was told he needed to file a new TM30 at MTT.

 

He went to MTT and the IO told him did NOT need to file a new one, but went ahead and did a new TM30 anyway.

 

FYI, the links to the June 2020 law change found elsewhere on this site (English / Thai) might have help him.  I suggest everyone should probably download copies of these files ASAP as they aren't always available.  For whatever reason, when I checked after my friend's experience, they were broken links.  But they're working now.

[arithai12]

10 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

So you returned with reentry permit and filed a TM30.

Amazing. 

To be more precise, I did a TM30 update. With the same address.

[Onerak]

I have a 10-year lease and will be entering with a new visa. I will be staying less than 90-day. I will completely ignore TM30. Any repercussions?

[Troy Tempest]

I have lived on Samui for 12 years plus.

 

I have left and re-entered Thailand dozens of times and never done or been asked for a TM30!

[DrJack54]

3 hours ago, Onerak said:

I have a 10-year lease and will be entering with a new visa. I will be staying less than 90-day. I will completely ignore TM30. Any repercussions?

You would only need a TM30 if you had reason to attend immigration, such as an extension.

Do nothing. 

Edited March 7, 2022 by DrJack54