Be Warned! Cm Immigration Are Enforcing Old Rules Again!

[Rob5060]

Thanks for again bringing my attention to somthing I need to do

I have been here since Sept 1, is it best to put that on the form or the date I go to Immigration

Cheers

[idrankwhat]

I have been living in Chiang Mai for, four years now and to the best of my knowledge this has always been the rule; has it not?

[steve187]

Looking at the forms on the immigration bureau site.

Q1-form tm 28. do I as a visitor have to fill in this form and take it to the police or immigration,

and Q2- does this form tm 30 have to be done by the property owner also,

so is it one of the other or both?.

I am arriving 26th December for a six week holiday. staying in family home in Plutaluang (near u-tapao)

any help would be appreciated

[Steve2UK]

Looking at the forms on the immigration bureau site.

Q1-form tm 28. do I as a visitor have to fill in this form and take it to the police or immigration,

and Q2- does this form tm 30 have to be done by the property owner also,

so is it one of the other or both?.

I am arriving 26th December for a six week holiday. staying in family home in Plutaluang (near u-tapao)

any help would be appreciated

There has been no mention of the TM28 (visitor reporting stay of longer than 24 hours) yet - I have certainly never had to use it or heard of others having to. The TM30 form is for the guesthouse/hotel/householder to report your presence on their premises/property. As the OP pointed out, this is a longstanding but dormant/ignored rule that seems to have now been "re-activated" by Chiang Mai Immigration. Could be a totally different situation either way at the office covering the area where you will stay.

[Gonzo the Face]

Looking at the forms on the immigration bureau site.

Q1-form tm 28. do I as a visitor have to fill in this form and take it to the police or immigration,

and Q2- does this form tm 30 have to be done by the property owner also,

so is it one of the other or both?.

I am arriving 26th December for a six week holiday. staying in family home in Plutaluang (near u-tapao)

any help would be appreciated

There has been no mention of the TM28 (visitor reporting stay of longer than 24 hours) yet - I have certainly never had to use it or heard of others having to. The TM30 form is for the guesthouse/hotel/householder to report your presence on their premises/property. As the OP pointed out, this is a longstanding but dormant/ignored rule that seems to have now been "re-activated" by Chiang Mai Immigration. Could be a totally different situation either way at the office covering the area where you will stay.

I have been informed by a guest house owner that a couple years ago he was able to email these forms in to immigration. They are supposed to be at immigration office within 24 hrs of the guests arrival.

Now they have to be hand carried down to the immigration office and a receipt given . But they [immigration] can save you the problem for 1000 baht per month and have someone come by and pick them up daily. That may be ok for the larger hotels but not this guys small guest house.

The reason the emailing stopped is that they never emptied the email in box and the forms kept being returned as undeliverable

TIT

Edited October 19, 2008 by Gonzo the Face

[JuniorExPat]

Thanks for the heads up p1p - I really can't remember if I've ever been registered so last week when I went for my 90 day registration, my wife went to the old 90 day registration building and put her pet foreigner on record. The chap who took the registration knows that we are married with children and accepted the paperwork with friendly confirmation that it is a one time only requirement - it seems I was the only one who found it amusing to be making this registration after 8 years of living in the kingdom.

It makes sense to do something this simple if means avoiding a possible problem in the future.

JxP

[steve187]

many thanks for the replies

[catmac]

Thanks for again bringing my attention to somthing I need to do

I have been here since Sept 1, is it best to put that on the form or the date I go to Immigration

Cheers

Went to register with the b/f last week, everything as easy as pie. I put down the date we went to immigration, even though I've been here for years! No problem at all!

[PennyFarthing123]

This is not just in Chang Mai. Husband and I went to Hua Hin immigration to get a letter for our 5 year drivers license and she said fill out form in box 8. Wasn't until we were filling out the form we noticed it was the TM30. No problems but found it interesting that she listed me on the husbands form even though we have 2 condos and I am listed on my license as living in one and he in the other.

Happy to say we both managed to get our 5 year drivers license.

[Doisaketmoobaan]

Edited October 20, 2008 by Doisaketmoobaan

[jackr]

It makes sense to do something this simple if means avoiding a possible problem in the future.

Yep, five mins in and out, no wuckers

[Patriciachas]

We rent through a property company in chiang mai.Went yesterday with forms and copies of passports,but the owner of the company says not needed not interested at all .We left forms with them and all copies and informed them what they needed to do but not holding my breath as they do not see it as a problem for the owner.

[Somtham]

...

o The house owner, the person (or company) which has the “Registration Document”, (Tabien Bahn) is required to register a Farang living in their home or visiting, within 24 hours of arrival. ...

Is this a requirement if you have your own yellow tabien baan and don't show up on the owner's tabien baan? Are you then responsible for reporting yourself?

rgds

[Pikey]

I don't know if anyone can answer this but my name is on the chanote of our house via the usufruct law. Common sense (???) would tell me that my details would be passed to the various authorities and therefore neither my wife nor I would not need to jump through this particular hoop. Also, I get my visa annually on my UK family visit and just take a border trip every 90 days so am not a regular visitor at CM immigration. Anyone have any views on this?

EDIT: Just looked at the original form and isn't this used in the case where you change the address at where you stay from that which you declared on the little blue & white immigration form that everyone fills out when they enter the Kingdom?

Cheers,

Pikey.

Edited October 21, 2008 by Pikey

[fishhooks]

Some posts are indicating that this TM30 notification is a once only requirement if staying at the same address.

Understood for an initial stay, but does you're Thai Landlord, wife's family etc need to do this each time you depart the Kingdom and return?

[noise]

I don't know if anyone can answer this but my name is on the chanote of our house via the usufruct law. Common sense (???) would tell me that my details would be passed to the various authorities and therefore neither my wife nor I would not need to jump through this particular hoop. Also, I get my visa annually on my UK family visit and just take a border trip every 90 days so am not a regular visitor at CM immigration. Anyone have any views on this?

EDIT: Just looked at the original form and isn't this used in the case where you change the address at where you stay from that which you declared on the little blue & white immigration form that everyone fills out when they enter the Kingdom?

Cheers,

Pikey.

This is probably exactly why they want the 90 day reporting, even from residents with the yellow tabien baan. You name on these or any document does not mean that you are stil here physically. The 90 day reporting just verifies that people on long term visas are here and still "live" where they said they did (or are reporting a new location).

[stgrhe]

Actually, if the English translation of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522, Section 37, Paragraphs 3 and 4 is correct, then the responsibility for the reporting lies with the alien.

Section 37: An alien having received a temporary entry permit into the Kingdom must comply with the following:

3. Shall notify the police official of the local police station where such alien resides, within twenty–four hours from the time of arrival. In the case of change in residence in which new residence is not located the same area with the former police stations, such alien must notify the police official of the police station for that area within twenty–four hours from the time of arrival.

4. If the alien travels to any province and will stay there longer than twenty–four hours, such alien must notify the police official of the police station for that area within forty–eight hours from the time of arrival.

[fishhooks]

Item 4. above, may have been in the time of horse & buggy.

How in this day and age could this be enforced?

How often in this day and age does this happen?

Example: A plane load of alien tourists arrive at Phuket Airport.

100 - 200 happy people, instead of being transported to their hotels are lined up at the police station. Yeah!

[Mapguy]

Item 4. above, may have been in the time of horse & buggy.

How in this day and age could this be enforced?

How often in this day and age does this happen?

Example: A plane load of alien tourists arrive at Phuket Airport.

100 - 200 happy people, instead of being transported to their hotels are lined up at the police station. Yeah!

It isn't seriously enforced. What a pain in the butt to do so! Most requirements only need to be reinforced because people take advantage.

The problem may be that the Thai government is trying hard to figure out how to deal with the many, many, many alien, farang (whatever) wanke_rs who are in Thailand relying on Thai tolerance.

I can not take the argument seriously that the sort who play the system support the Thai economy so greatly by their presence. Crap! These are the same dudes who leave 5 bhat tips and order hot water in which to dip their own tea bags! Some no longer even have a valid passport from the home country, let alone a visa! And the BS about long-term educational visas for studying at one of Chiang Mai's "language academies." If you (don't) qualify, then please go back where you came from! Or do you want to stick around and arouse more (this time justifiable) nativist sentiment? If so, I hope you get your butt caught in a Thai ringer!

Rant over!

[aslimversgwm]

Yes, the immigration police colonel, talking at the CM Expats club mtg last month, pointed this out.

I believe he also said that an estate agent acting on behalf of the owner/landlord could do this, if appropriate.

David

[Bill97]

A friend showed me his passport with the Receipt of Notification (from the bottom of the TM30 form) stapled into it. The immigration officer put it in and told him to keep it there permanently when he and his landlord went and filed the form today. Is this now the standard practice?

[jackr]

A friend showed me his passport with the Receipt of Notification (from the bottom of the TM30 form) stapled into it. The immigration officer put it in and told him to keep it there permanently when he and his landlord went and filed the form today. Is this now the standard practice?

The guy simply handed it to the missus and didn't say anything about putting in my passport. I was under the impression it was for the Chanote owner's safe keeping

What with that, the arrival card and the 90-day report receipt, it's doubled its weight under the load of all those staples.

Edited October 29, 2008 by jackr

[Dustoff]

Knocking on wood here but I have never been asked for most of the stuff I see posted on these forums. No medical report, no deposit required, never anythng from any landlord (including for my 5-year license), haven't been asked for an income statement since 2002.. So what, are you guys all like.. umm.. hairy and ugly or something?

Just recently did my 90-day - filled out the form on my computer, handed in passport pages copies and was out of there in three minutes.

For the upcoming year extension however, does anyone know if I should take da wife who owns the house we live in? I suppose I could bring her along anyway and have her bring the deed thingy, yes?

[fishhooks]

From other Forums on TV. Wife not needed for Retirement Extension, but probably a good idea to back-up place of residence!

[kimincm]

Did my 90 day appearance today, 10 mins. no trouble. Asked about this TM30 caper, had not been aware

of it before reading this thread this morning." Just go to the little house you can get it there." That's easy,

beautiful, a trip to Immigration no hassles. Mistaken. The guy at the desk gave me the first page of the

document and flatly refused any conversation on the fact that it's a two page document. I didn't press on

because the room was empty as far as he was concerned. Recommend download.

[Bill97]

Did my 90 day appearance today, 10 mins. no trouble. Asked about this TM30 caper, had not been aware

of it before reading this thread this morning." Just go to the little house you can get it there." That's easy,

beautiful, a trip to Immigration no hassles. Mistaken. The guy at the desk gave me the first page of the

document and flatly refused any conversation on the fact that it's a two page document. I didn't press on

because the room was empty as far as he was concerned. Recommend download.

He likes to fill out the second page himself with the information from your passport when he gets the first page submitted to him.

[elektrified]

I just did 90 day reporting last week and was not asked anything about this. I was out of there in less than 90 seconds. Painless!

[JimGant]

I guess everyone who gets a 1-year extension of stay (or renewal) could theoretically have that checked against a TM30. And -- unless you're a condo owner -- you'd need to have a match. Same for 90 day reporting.

But, do you think that will currently happen under the existing manual method of data gathering -- and data base managment? Possibly -- but sure haven't seen any "ah hahs!" from Immigration as folks have done their extensions, or 90 day reporting. The data matching ability -- or maybe even desire -- with TM30's just isn't there. Yet, at least.

Back to a question someone asked, but to which I never saw an answer: What's the fine for noncompliance? (Maybe too early in the game to have our first victim.....?)

Anyway, my wife's my landlord -- and I find no need to worry about this until I discover the fine is substantially greater than the value of my time -- and the cost of gas.

[Bill97]

Jim,

The cost of the fine is relevant but you best check into the other conditions too if you do not want to do the form. Example: the fine for getting caught with visa overstay can be small but the jail and deportation costs are very high. I am not saying that the other conditions are like that because I do not know but there probably are some. It only takes a few minutes if you can do it when you are in the area for some other things.

[khunphil]

Hi,

My friend went to immigration last week, for the 90 days registration. He gave the TM30 document also. He was greeted with a smile, but they did not return anything to him. He did not ask also.

Does the receipt will be sent to the land owner (I doubt about it) .. if not, what proves that the TM30 registration has been done? FYI, no "tabien tab" copy has even been required ...