Here's a little curiosity for all you immigration buffs.

Having arrived in Thailand on the 2nd March (got to Hua Hin on the 4th), I trotted down to immigration in Soi Somme to report my arrival in the district.

I presented my passport with 1 yr multi non-im "B" visa and entry (90 day permission to stay) stamp. I explained that I was staying at the same address as was on my previous "notification" slip/reciept which had 3 previous stamps on it and suggested they just add another stamp as they already have the TM.30.

After a lot of thumbing through, the guy told me to go to the "90 day" desk as they call it. At the "90 day desk" I was presented with the TM.47 form to fill in upon which I seggested that I thought there had been a mistake as I only wanted to report my arrival in the district (not to report a stay in Thailand of over 90 days). I was confidently told that I was required to fill in the TM.47

They gave me the tear-off reciept portion stamped:

"Note- Residence notificaton is not an extension of visa.

Must keep this document on your passport

And come for the next renewal on 02/06/09"

I wasn't asked for a new TM30 and the old "Receipt of notification" slip wasn't stamped again.

I know I have to do a border run before my admitted until date but I am curious about the TM47 business.

The question is are you on an extension of stay. It seesm to me you are on a multiple entry visa and didn't get an extension of stay for one year. You have to leave the country every 90 days, so there is no need for you to do your 90 day reporting.

What you try to do is the obligation of the houseowner, to report to immigration that you are staying there. It is not your duty to do that and besides hotels and the likes it is normaly not done. Although there are reports that Chiang mai is now requiring it.

The question is are you on an extension of stay. It seesm to me you are on a multiple entry visa and didn't get an extension of stay for one year. You have to leave the country every 90 days, so there is no need for you to do your 90 day reporting.

What you try to do is the obligation of the houseowner, to report to immigration that you are staying there. It is not your duty to do that and besides hotels and the likes it is normaly not done. Although there are reports that Chiang mai is now requiring it.

Hi Mario, just to clarify, I have a 1 yr multi non-im "B" and need to do the border runs every 90 days to get my new 90 days permission to stay stamp. Correct, I do not have an extension of stay (and never have done). As you also rightly state, the "Thai head of household" where you stay needs to provide a completed TM.30 (notice that aliens are residing at your property). But also, visitors to Thailand on Visas other than tourist visas (e.g. non-im) need to report to immigration within 24 hours of arriving in the province in which they will be residing.

That is what I thought I would be doing when I went to the immigration office. Previously, as my address doesn't change between visa runs, they just put another date stamp on my old "reporting within 24 hrs (aka visitor's notifiction of residence) receipt slip" which is stapled in my passport.

I'm just curious as to why they insisted they wanted me to fill out a TM47 "Notification of stay in Thailand exceeding 90 days".

You mean the tm28 form, to report a change of address. That is a requirement that is currently not enforced and any reporting will probably land in the garbage bin. Immigration has its hands full with the 90 day reports all ready and because nobody reports their addrss change thought you wanted to do a 90 day report.

You mean the tm28 form, to report a change of address. That is a requirement that is currently not enforced and any reporting will probably land in the garbage bin. Immigration has its hands full with the 90 day reports all ready and because nobody reports their addrss change thought you wanted to do a 90 day report.

On the contrary, I told them that "I was still at the same address as the one they have on file for me on my last TM28 and I was reporting in, as I had arrived back in the province the previous day. Could they please stamp my original TM28 Reciept of Notification slip as they had done so 3 times previously".

Immigration have an 18 month old TM28 from me on file and they have just been stamping my tm28's "Reciept of Notification" slip every time I reported in within 24hrs after the last 3 visa (renewal of permission to stay) runs.

(TM28 is a dual purpose form as it is headed: "Form for Aliens to Notify their Change in Address or their Stay in the Province for Over 24 Hours")

They now have a TM47 from me but I never have or never will stay in Thailand "for a period exceeding 90 days". Ah well....

Hua Hin Immigration are moving 100Km down the road on March 20. Let's see what changes that brings, besides minibus loads of disgruntled foreigners.