90 Day Reporting

[jayenram]

I obtained my first retirement visa extension 3 years ago when they reduced the minimum age requirement to 50 years.

Rather than follow the bullsh1t advice I was given by my contemporaries, I took the advice of the knowledgeable people on TV and began my 90 day reporting at Kab Cheong, Surin. At first, I was just given the signed receipt which I kept with my passport. Last year, the Immigration Officer wrote my "next date to report" on the signed receipt and stapled it into my passport. This year the receipt is signed over an official "Kab Cheong Immigration" stamp with the "next date to report" indicated by a red stamp; also stapled into my passport.

I consider this a sign that the 90 day reporting law is being enforced with increasing vigour.

Only as a suggestion, but wouldn't it be logical to have the law require a foreigner to report only when he/she changes their address?

But I'm using the word "logical" in Thailand. Silly boy!

[JSixpack]

I consider this a sign that the 90 day reporting law is being enforced with increasing vigour.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It is being so enforced. It's become a whole little industry in itself as the income potential has been realized. Even if you filled out all the papers for a visa extension yesterday (which of course includes all your address info), you've STILL got to report and fill out that 90-day extension paper today as well. Nothing else qualifies for 90-day address reporting. Otherwise you WILL be fined. First thing you gotta do after you get your new reporting slip is note the date on all your calendars and schedulers so you won't forget.

[jayenram]

Even if you filled out all the papers for a visa extension yesterday (which of course includes all your address info), you've STILL got to report and fill out that 90-day extension paper today as well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I believe you may be misinformed here.

My visa extension runs out on 27th June 2005. My next 90 day reporting date is officially 23rd June 2005. If I make my visa extension application on any date between 16th and 27th June 2005, I will not need to also complete the "reporting" paperwork. Not that it would be any hassle as I will be at immigration anyway.

[JSixpack]

Even if you filled out all the papers for a visa extension yesterday (which of course includes all your address info), you've STILL got to report and fill out that 90-day extension paper today as well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I believe you may be misinformed here.

My visa extension runs out on 27th June 2005. My next 90 day reporting date is officially 23rd June 2005. If I make my visa extension application on any date between 16th and 27th June 2005, I will not need to also complete the "reporting" paperwork. Not that it would be any hassle as I will be at immigration anyway.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Who says? That's definitely NOT been my experience. If your Imm office is more liberal, great; but me, I won't be trying that again, no-o-o-o-o.

[lopburi3]

There are two ways to satisfy the 90 day report - one is filling out the form used for 90 day reporting, (TM.47), and the other is not being in Thailand (you fill out a new TM.6 on arrival and that is always your first 90 day report of a cycle).

You do need to fill out a TM.47 even if you fill out a TM.7 (extension) the same day but some immigration offices have not been making you do this (and that may be ending from some reports).

The 90 day report is not an option to stay longer than 90 days. It is a requirement for those who do apply for and receive permission to stay longer than 90 days. You have to be very careful when people say "one year visa" as this will probably turn out to be a multi entry visa valid for one year and with that you never stay longer than 90 days so no reports are needed. It is with the "extensions of stay" that you need to keep count.

Edited April 12, 2005 by lopburi3

[Axel]

Interesting though, that the new TM.6 does no longer

warn you to report every 90 days.

[Plus+]

Right, if you have your non-im B extended for a year, then you have to report to the Immigration every 90 days, and if you don't you'll be heavily fined. I don't know what happens if you leave the country and come back during this year with a special "return" visa that doesn't cancel your original one year extention.

Keeping tabs on foreigners? In that room 401 you can give them any address you want or even make one up - they have no facilities to check it.

Also, I believe, there's still a law left over from the days of King RamaV that requires all travelling foreigners register with the police if they intend to stay more than three days in any province.

[JSixpack]

There are two ways to satisfy the 90 day report - one is filling out the form used for 90 day reporting, (TM.47), and the other is not being in Thailand (you fill out a new TM.6 on arrival and that is always your first 90 day report of a cycle). 

You do need to fill out a TM.47 even if you fill out a TM.7 (extension) the same day but some immigration offices have not been making you do this (and that may be ending from some reports).

The 90 day report is not an option to stay longer than 90 days.  It is a requirement for those who do apply for and receive permission to stay longer than 90 days.  You have to be very careful when people say "one year visa" as this will probably turn out to be a multi entry visa valid for one year and with that you never stay longer than 90 days so no reports are needed.  It is with the "extensions of stay" that you need to keep count.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Exactly. Well said.

[Axel]

Right, if you have your non-im B extended for a year, then you have to report to the Immigration every 90 days, and if you don't you'll be heavily fined. I don't know what happens if you leave the country and come back during this year with a special "return" visa that doesn't cancel your original one year extention.

Keeping tabs on foreigners? In that room 401 you can give them any address you want or even make one up - they have no facilities to check it.

Also, I believe, there's still a law left over from the days of King RamaV that requires all travelling foreigners register with the police if they intend to stay more than three days in any province.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The 90-days-reporting has nothing to do with your visa as such, resp. your permission to stay. You leave the country before the 90 days are over, no need to report.

You return (re-entry permit) and fill in the TM.6 (that's the arrival/departure card)

and your 90 days start again from the day of re-entry.

Reporting while travelling: Usually, you do fill in your card if you stay at a hotel and these are checked/reported by the hotel. A bit a gray area, if you stay privately, but yes, you should report.

[Nomad97]

Jayenram - you said, "My visa extension runs out on 27th June 2005. My next 90 day reporting date is officially 23rd June 2005. If I make my visa extension application on any date between 16th and 27th June 2005, I will not need to also complete the "reporting" paperwork. Not that it would be any hassle as I will be at immigration anyway."

Not so. As I understand it the 90-day reporting cycle is a completely separate requirement to the visa renewal process and date. If, as the Immigration Department has stated, you need to submit your 90-day report on 23 June 2005 then that is the date they want you to report. I know, I found out the hard way. I almost had to pay the 2000 baht fine for submitting my 90-day report "late". I too thought the 90-day reporting date was linked to the 12-month visa renewal date. However, on that occasion the Immigration Staff at Cap Keouwn were so nice and helpful that they waivered the fine. Since then I have always treated the 90-day report and 12-month visa renewal separately.

[Plus+]

Reporting while travelling: Usually, you do fill in your card if you stay at a hotel and these are checked/reported by the hotel. A bit a gray area, if you stay privately, but yes, you should report.

Another make as you go rules. If you visit your gf/wife's family over Songkran you should report to the local police station because it will be more than three days. Give me a break. Even in hotels my gf's ID card is usually enough. Should I go to police if the hotel didn't check my passport?

Back to 90 days rule - I'll go to Immigration at the end of the month and I'm not going to remind them about 90 days. Let's see what happens.

[lopburi3]

Section 37 para 4 of Immigration laws:

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.

Section 37 para 5:

If the alien stays in the Kingdom longer than ninety days, such alien must notify the competent official at the Immigration Division, in writing, concerning his place of stay, as soon as possible upon expiration of ninety days. The alien is required to do so every ninety days. Where there is an Immigration Office, the alien may notify a competent Immigration Official of that office.

[Tarragona]

I was here for a number of years without doing any 90-day reporting. A colleague who had been here longer than me did it. After seeing that nothing happened to me she stopped going. Shortly afterwards, the rule started being enforced again, though with warnings rather than fines at first. I have been reporting ever since and my current employer insists that we do it as in the past it has caused extra hassle at visa renewal time when people haven't been reporting.

[JSixpack]

Jayenram - you said, "My visa extension runs out on 27th June 2005. My next 90 day reporting date is officially 23rd June 2005. If I make my visa extension application on any date between 16th and 27th June 2005, I will not need to also complete the "reporting" paperwork. Not that it would be any hassle as I will be at immigration anyway."

Not so. As I understand it the 90-day reporting cycle is a completely separate requirement to the visa renewal process and date.  If, as the Immigration Department has stated, you need to submit your 90-day report on 23 June 2005 then that is the date they want you to report.  I know, I found out the hard way. I almost had to pay the 2000 baht fine for submitting my 90-day report "late".  I too thought the 90-day reporting date was linked to the 12-month visa renewal date.  However, on that occasion the Immigration Staff at Cap Keouwn were so nice and helpful that they waivered the fine.  Since then I have always treated the 90-day report and 12-month visa renewal separately. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Happened to me too. That's just what I'm saying. You renewed yesterday and of course gave them your address on the renewal forms--or maybe they even VERIFIED your address yesterday so that you could get a driver's license--but your 90 day reporting date is today (you been in the Kingdom 90 days) and so you gotta give them your address AGAIN using form TM.47 (no other form will do) and get a new little slip stapled into the back of your passport. It's a whole separate little profit center in the imm offices, and if the law isn't being strictly enforced in some districts, it certainly is in others. Better be sure how your own imm office feels about it. And since you ain't gonna be notified of any sudden change in their position, I think I'd just, well, go ahead and do it, as it is the law. You may try to argue that the law does not mention form TM.47 specifically, but you won't get anywhere with that, as they, not you, decide how to enforce the law.

[Axel]

It is the same old story, the laws are there.

Enforcement? Seems to get a bit tighter, at least the signs remind you in BKK immigration office.

Up2U, it is something like jumping a red signal. You might be cought, no body might notice, but you know it's not legal.

[croftrobin]

Reporting while travelling: Usually, you do fill in your card if you stay at a hotel and these are checked/reported by the hotel. A bit a gray area, if you stay privately, but yes, you should report.

Another make as you go rules. If you visit your gf/wife's family over Songkran you should report to the local police station because it will be more than three days. Give me a break. Even in hotels my gf's ID card is usually enough. Should I go to police if the hotel didn't check my passport?

This is not correct - when you visit a village etc for more than 3 days- you should notify the police - IT IS THE LAW - period.

HOWEVER - The Phu Yai Bahn of the village you are staying in will accept the notification from the householder you are staying with.

Takes about 5 minutes.

It is the householder’s obligation by law to report you staying there as you are an alien. They are breaking the law if they do not report you staying there.

If you were murdered while staying there, then all ###### would break out if you were still registered in a sleazy Pattaya Hotel with your whore!

Its Thailand follow the rules - Simple, apart from idiots who think they can make their own rules up to suit themselves.

Back to 90 days rule - I'll go to Immigration at the end of the month and I'm not going to remind them about 90 days. Let's see what happens.

OK let’s get this straight.

These are 2 separate items - you MUST report every 90 days ( it matters not if you have used the immigration office's toilet last week) You must do this in person or by post. Again required by law - if you do not do it you will be fined.

And judging by the heightened awareness and increasing severity of penalties over the last few years - non reporting may well lead to deportation.

Visiting immigration to extend your stay or ask about, etc, extensions of stay DO NOT COUNT AS 90 DAY REPORTING - UNLESS YOUR 90 DAY REPORTING FALLS ON THAT DAY (+/- 7 days) AND YOU PERFORM THE ACTION OF FILLING IN THE 90 DAY REPORTING FORM.

Its simple - follow the laws and life in Thailand is a breeze.

Don't post &lt;deleted&gt; here confusing people.

Edited April 12, 2005 by croftrobin

[Nomad97]

Croftrobin, I liked your reply, "If you were murdered while staying there, then all ###### would break out if you were still registered in a sleazy Pattaya Hotel with your whore!"

Personally, I don't think I would care what the ###### happened. After all, if you are dead, as in murdered, would you really worry about what happened next!

[croftrobin]

Croftrobin, I liked your reply, "If you were murdered while staying there, then all ###### would break out if you were still registered in a sleazy Pattaya Hotel with your whore!"

Personally, I don't think I would care what the ###### happened.  After all, if you are dead, as in murdered, would you really worry about what happened next! 

I couldn't and wouldn’t care either about another dead scumbag in Thailand!

I was making my point clear - follow the law and all is well - the days of bending rules here are fast ending.

90 days reporting is 1 task to do

Extending your visa is another task to do

Unless you have the fortune of the calendar on your side (ie -/+ 7days) then assume that "never the twain shall meet"

[harpman88]

...I was making my point clear - follow the law and all is well - the days of bending rules here are fast ending.

90 days reporting is 1 task to do

Extending your visa is another task to do

Unless you have the fortune of the calendar on your side (ie -/+ 7days) then assume that "never the twain shall meet"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very simple,straightforward and to the point,as is your ending of post #46 in CAPS....Why anyone would want to leave themselves"wide open" for some potential run in with the Thai authorities is beyond me....

[RDN]

If you live in Thailand and have your own computer - as opposed to going to an internet cafe - here's a little tip: put a text file (e.g. "reminders.txt") in your "startup" folder. In this text file put:

1. your next 90 day report date

2. your next one year extension date

3. your driving license renewal date

4. your passport renewal date

[BKKstan]

after 5 years ,I missed a 90 day report.I had moved to Nong Khai and when I went to the Immigration office in Nong Khai to report,They informed me that I was late and they could not accept my form.''No problem,we don't charge you 2000baht.Next time you leave the country,report in 90 days''.

[jayenram]

I may have to humbly eat my words in June. However, my experience up to now is that the local immigration here did not require the 90 day reporting form at the time I renewed by visa extension; vis a vis, my visa extension date and my 90 day reporting date are still only 4 days apart after 3 years (90 x 4 x 3 = 1,080).

[Plus+]

This week I finally got another one year extention. Not one of about a dozen officers who inspected my passport in the past two weeks paid any attention to the absence of 90 days stamps for the past three years, and I'm not the one to volunteer with the fines.

Croftrobin, life will be a breeze in Thailand if don't insult people you don't know. Also don't point at people with your feet or say really rude things about their partners.

[lopburi3]

This week I finally got another one year extention. Not one of about a dozen officers who inspected my passport in the past two weeks paid any attention to the absence of 90 days stamps for the past three years, and I'm not the one to volunteer with the fines.

Croftrobin, life will be a breeze in Thailand if don't insult people you don't know. Also don't point at people with your feet or say really rude things about their partners.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There ARE no 90 day stamps. You receive a receipt that immigration COULD insist on seeing at any time. With the computerization era I would not want to be tight for a departing flight and have to explain why no receipt in my passport or on the computer screen.

[Plus+]

Right, I wouldn't know anyway.

I'm not advising anyone to forego registration, just sharing my personal story and my thoughts about it. If someone gets busted and deported because he didn't register in a 7 day window or forgot to notify the police of his arrival while on a Songkran trip to Chiang Mai - don't blame me.