Check Into Immigration 24 Hours After Returning

[Mobi]

I am still confused.

I am guessing most people assume entering the country counts as a report, and then they just count the next 90 days themselves, and report then, and this is OK.

True or not now? We do need some authoritative info about this.

That's exactly what I did yesterday, and everything was OK, and not a word was said to me to the effect that I should have reported when I re- entered the country.

Yet Onzestan has a completely different story to tell.

That's about as authoritative as you're going to get.

Pays your money and takes your choice

[cloudhopper]

IMO 2 issues are being confused here 1) the obligation of Thais to report all temporary stays by foreigners in their (guest)house. 2) The obligation by foreigners staying on annually-extended visas to report to immigration every 90 days. If you leave and re-enter the kingdom with a valid re-entry visa, your current extention remains valid and the 90 day clock to report begins the day you re-enter.

[t.s]

I did not know this. If you are a frang, and living in Thailand, and say you leave to visit Vietnam, or Cambodia (or anywhere else for that matter), you must with in 24 hours upon returning, check into a Immigration office here in Thailand, to let them know you have returned. If after the 24 hours period, you do this, there is a 800 baht fine for being late. I've heard this has been on the ever changing law books now for 2 months.

Anybody else hear about this? Or am I the last of the frang stragglers to know of this law change?

from Thai Immigration web site:

According to section 38 of the 1979 immigration act, "House owners, heads of household, landlords or managers of hotels who accommodate foreign nationals on a temporary basis who stay in the kingdom legally, must notify the local immigration authorities within 24 hours from the time of arrival of the foreign national." If there is no immigration office in the province or locality of the respective house or hotel, the notification is made to the local police station. In Bangkok the notification is made to the Immigration Bureau. The notification of residence of foreign nationals is made by the manager of licensed hotels according to the hotel act, owners of guesthouses, mansions, apartments and rented houses using the form TM. 30.

Operative word for OP is temporary. As I enter Thailand on exemptions and must leave within 30 days my wife reports my stay at our home so as to meet the requirements above.

"House owners, heads of household, landlords or managers of hotels who accommodate foreign nationals on a temporary basis who stay in the kingdom legally, must notify the local immigration authorities within 24 hours from the time of arrival of the foreign national."

so i reckon if you stay illegally, it need not be reported

[Mobi]

IMO 2 issues are being confused here 1) the obligation of Thais to report all temporary stays by foreigners in their (guest)house. 2) The obligation by foreigners staying on annually-extended visas to report to immigration every 90 days. If you leave and re-enter the kingdom with a valid re-entry visa, your current extention remains valid and the 90 day clock to report begins the day you re-enter.

If you read back through this thread you will see that we all now understand that there are two different rules at play here. One is the 90 reporting requirement by the foreigner who enters Thailand, and the second is the requirement for the householder/hotel proprietor etc to report any foreigners staying at their place within 24 hours of arrival.

Onzestan has reported that he - personally - has been told to report to the local immigration office within 24 hours of his arrival.

My recent experience - yesterday - seems to be in conflict with this advice - and remember we are both going to the same immigration office.

[Stephen Cleary]

I had a coffee this morning at my 'rented' house this morning with a close frined of mine who just happens to be one of Thailand's finest boys-in-brown and mentioned this thread to him.

I informed him that my landlord had to notify the authorities in-charge within 24 hours every time about my 'temporary' stay.

Of course, he just laughed!

Hasten to say, if my landlord did go to the local cop station, they would be absolutely perplexed about any such supposed-regulations - before waving him away thinking he had a screw loose

One member earlier asked that Sunbelt respond to this thread about 24 hour notification - they haven't bothered - and why should they be!

Thailand has millions of laws and regulations that if you took them all seriously, then you wouldn't leave your house, let alone come to Thailand in the first place!

Edited November 2, 2007 by Stephen Cleary

[splitlid]

immigration at hua hin are telling everyone that they must report in,within 24 hours of arriving in country or there is a fine of , i think 600 or 800 baht.

must also take blue or yellow house book as evidence.

[Cyberstar]

... the second is the requirement for the householder/hotel proprietor etc to report any foreigners staying at their place within 24 hours of arrival...

Onzestan has reported that he - personally - has been told to report to the local immigration office within 24 hours of his arrival.

My recent experience - yesterday - seems to be in conflict with this advice - and remember we are both going to the same immigration office.

Nowadays, there'll be many cases where the foreigner would be his own host/householder (e.g. condo owners) - and thus would be the one to report that he has a foreigner staying under his roof. Could that explain the difference here?

[Cyberstar]

Hasten to say, if my landlord did go to the local cop station, they would be absolutely perplexed about any such supposed-regulations - before waving him away thinking he had a screw loose

The 24 hour reporting is supposed to be done to the immigration police - at their place.

[Stephen Cleary]

Hasten to say, if my landlord did go to the local cop station, they would be absolutely perplexed about any such supposed-regulations - before waving him away thinking he had a screw loose

The 24 hour reporting is supposed to be done to the immigration police - at their place.

However the Immigration Act Section 37.3

does state that you should report to the local police station within 24 hours of arrival.

.

Edited November 2, 2007 by Stephen Cleary

[Mobi]

immigration at hua hin are telling everyone that they must report in,within 24 hours of arriving in country or there is a fine of , i think 600 or 800 baht.

must also take blue or yellow house book as evidence.

First Pattaya, now Hua Hin.

I really think Sunbelt or someone should look into this and tell us what's going on.

It's all very well to laugh and try to ignore all this, but you won't be laughing if you get arrested and have nasty stamp in your passport. Unlikely, but anything is possible.

[cloudhopper]

IMO every time you are "stamped" into the kingdom, you have reported to the local immigration police within 24 hours (actually, within minutes) of entering. Depending on one's visa status one then has 30-90 days from that date to report again - either when leaving and "stamping out" or by the 90 day direct report to immigration with a receipt to that effect placed into your passport.

There's no rule that I know of requiring this report to be made in one's "home" province - this would mean that no matter where you entered the kingdom you would have only 24 hours to proceed there. IMO someone (maybe me) is mis-interpreting this.

[Jingthing]

Another question, if I host a foreigner in my condo (which I own) for a visit, am I obligated to report this to immigration? Friends that I host would put down my address as the place they are staying on their landing cards.

Edited November 2, 2007 by Jingthing

[Cyberstar]

IMO every time you are "stamped" into the kingdom, you have reported to the local immigration police within 24 hours (actually, within minutes) of entering. Depending on one's visa status one then has 30-90 days from that date to report again - either when leaving and "stamping out" or by the 90 day direct report to immigration with a receipt to that effect placed into your passport.

There's no rule that I know of requiring this report to be made in one's "home" province - this would mean that no matter where you entered the kingdom you would have only 24 hours to proceed there. IMO someone (maybe me) is mis-interpreting this.

The 24 hour rule hasn't anything particular to do with the foreigner entering the country - it's about the host reporting when he's hosting a foreigner. You visit your wife's parents? - They're supposed to report... You return to your apartment (wife's name) - She's supposed to report.

[Jingthing]

The 24 hour rule hasn't anything particular to do with the foreigner entering the country - it's about the host reporting when he's hosting a foreigner. You visit your wife's parents? - They're supposed to report... You return to your apartment (wife's name) - She's supposed to report

Yes, but I would guess most such stays are not reported and there are no consequences to not reporting. True?

[lopburi3]

True. But the small fine could be enforced if someone is out to get her.

[astral]

The Immigration Act is dated 2522 (1979).

So there is nothing NEW about these regulations!!

Enforcement depends on the individual officer.

[Jingthing]

I guess we want to know about the reality of enforcement rather than written laws. We all know that many written laws in Thailand are ignored.