90 Day Reporting. Why!

[a99az]

I have a one year visa, I am married to a Thai (legal) and we have two small kids, we own our house and on top of that I work here. So why do I have to report every 90 days to the Thai immigration? Guess they have a good reason for it but I cant find out why it's required. Every 3 months I hand them the same photo copy's of my passport along with a form that has the same information on it except for the date. Please! can someone tell me why we have to do this, I cant imagine I has to do with keeping tabs on us, in fact the only function it appears to have is inconvenience.

[eyebee]

I think you've answered your own question...

[OlafStapleton]

wife own house, not we

[lopburi3]

The reason:

Immigration Act of 2422; Section 37(5)

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.

The provision of ( 3 ) and ( 4 ) shall not apply to any cases under Section 34 by any conditions as

prescribed by the Director General.

In making notification under this Section , the alien may make notification in person or send a

letter of notification to the competent official , in accordance with the regulations prescribed by the

Director General .

[Artamus]

the only function it appears to have is inconvenience.

I think you've hit the nail on the head there. I'd be surprised if anyone in immigration can even answer it. Possibly one of those long-gone archaic rules never gotten rid of. It's also a requirement that if you leave the province for more than 24 hours you report to the local police if not staying in a hotel or registered guesthouse etc. Now try that one!

I don't actually think it's a bad idea keeping tabs on where foreigners are in the country, but I agree it's an inconvenience.

[Penkoprod]

[KimoMax]

As in the book 1984: BIG BROTHER is Watching and keeping tabs on you.

If you check into a hotel or any other property, the proprietor must Report your Stay or face a 20,000 Baht Fine.

And as Artamus has said:

If you leave your home province for 24 hours or more, you are required to report to the new province at Immigration or the local police within 24 hours.

Not sure if there is a fine or what for not reporting if you are out of your reported home province.

Likewise, if you fail to report by the required date, You are FINED !

Money is the Answer..............

This Scam Sheme is mearly a Money Making Thing

[CharlieH]

I would say its even simpler.......because its the law of the country in which you choose to reside/work.

[IMA_FARANG]

1. It's not inconvienent for the Thais who work there...a lot of their jobs depend on you filing those meaningless pieces of paper.

2. There used to be requirements for reporting income and verifying money on deposit in Thai bank accounts for foriegners every 90 days. That requirement has long gone (since 1980 or so, I believe) but the 90 day filing principal is still there from that era.

3. But before you start feeling to superior about that, let me tell you the true story of Napolean's Signal Fires. About 1800 the British government was worried that Napolean and the French fleet might invade England. To overcome that threat they required that certain landowners overlooking the channel must build a signal fire, to be lighted as a warning if the French invasion fleet was sighted. They provided a 100 pounds for each landowner to build and maintain this signal fire in readines for the French invasion. This 100 pounds was to be paid annually to each landowner. Although the threat of Napolean was long gone, that law hung on until the 1950's...and the British government kept paying the families of those landowners from 1800 until the 1950's the same 100 pounds each year.

True story.

[Spoonman]

Rebel to the 90day reporting and do a border run instead................................

[jackdawson]

i know ; it's such a HUGE price to pay (oh wait , there's no charge to report) to be able to stay (legally) in this 82% wondrous country

[theoldgit]

I waited at Chaengwattana for nearly three hours last week to do my 90 day report, a process that took a couple of minutes and, IMHO, it serves absolutly no useful purpose.

Before someone says I could have done it by post, I was there getting a re-entry permit so was killing two birds with one stone, trouble is after doing my report I didn't have the time to get my re-entry permit.

lopburi, I think we all understand the legal requirement contained in the Immigration Act, and comply, but I think the OP was looking for the thinking behind the requirement.

Where are we with the on-line reporting?

[Dag]

The reason:

Immigration Act of 2422; Section 37(5)

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.

The provision of ( 3 ) and ( 4 ) shall not apply to any cases under Section 34 by any conditions as

prescribed by the Director General.

In making notification under this Section , the alien may make notification in person or send a

letter of notification to the competent official , in accordance with the regulations prescribed by the

Director General .

Yes....that really answers the reason why......

The actual reason is far more simpler...they care.

[Thailand]

I waited at Chaengwattana for nearly three hours last week to do my 90 day report, a process that took a couple of minutes and, IMHO, it serves absolutly no useful purpose.

Before someone says I could have done it by post, I was there getting a re-entry permit so was killing two birds with one stone, trouble is after doing my report I didn't have the time to get my re-entry permit.

lopburi, I think we all understand the legal requirement contained in the Immigration Act, and comply, but I think the OP was looking for the thinking behind the requirement.

Where are we with the on-line reporting?

It's a start!

[Spoonman]

I waited at Chaengwattana for nearly three hours last week to do my 90 day report, a process that took a couple of minutes and, IMHO, it serves absolutly no useful purpose.

Before someone says I could have done it by post, I was there getting a re-entry permit so was killing two birds with one stone, trouble is after doing my report I didn't have the time to get my re-entry permit.

lopburi, I think we all understand the legal requirement contained in the Immigration Act, and comply, but I think the OP was looking for the thinking behind the requirement.

Where are we with the on-line reporting?

You should go postal, not in the literal sense but as in postal for your reporting, would save the effort of going into Chaengwattana once every 90 days for a few moments of your time.

[theoldgit]

You should go postal, not in the literal sense but as in postal for your reporting, would save the effort of going into Chaengwattana once every 90 days for a few moments of your time.

Agree, which is why I said

Before someone says I could have done it by post, I was there getting a re-entry permit so was killing two birds with one stone, trouble is after doing my report I didn't have the time to get my re-entry permit.

[jdinasia]

I send a staff member .... life is good.

[rixalex]

I waited at Chaengwattana for nearly three hours last week to do my 90 day report, a process that took a couple of minutes and, IMHO, it serves absolutly no useful purpose.

That's terrible. I'm quite surprised. I did mine on Monday last week at about 11a.m. and was in and out in no more than about 10 mins.

Agree about the stupidity of it all though. Would understand it far more were they actually making money from it. Wouldn't like it any more. But would understand it...

Paperwork for the sake of paperwork....

[hehehoho]

To remind us of our overlords?

wife own house, not we

Why? There is nothing stopping a foreigner owning their own house here.

The land: no. The house on it: No problem.

You didn't think otherwise and buy someone a house, did you?

[macpacked]

I have a one year visa, and I went to report at 90 days and they said I had to leave to enter the country again. Yes, a visa run with a one-year multi-entry visa which gets a 90 day 'permission to stay' at entry, but not at reporting.

There is misinformation about ED visa, some saying report, some with report with letter from school, and then at immigration, I was told only ED visa LEARNING THAI could report, not have to leave and enter. Where is the learn THAI ED visa reporting stuff in the Immigration Act?

[hehehoho]

Maybe right next to where it says 'Thou shalt not post on Thaivisa in silly oversized fonts'.

[lopburi3]

A multi entry visa only allows a 90 day stay. You must exit return to get a new 90 day stay. It has nothing to do with education or what you study. The visa only allows a stay of 90 days.

If you qualify for extension of stay from Immigration you use a TM.7 at 1,900 baht to stay in country for a longer period (your current stay is extended). For study that could be a period of one year at University or other full time school or 90 days at most part time study. For study of Thai or any other authorized school of the part time type you get 90 day extensions using the TM.7 route every 90 days as long as you qualify.

[Bosse137]

Some years ago,this rule was not enforced.New brooms entered in the top,who brushed off the old rule,probably for one or two reasons;1. Not let the "foreigners" feel too much at home,constantly reminding them,that they are forever outsiders,and 2. keeping the employed staff busy.

[lopburi3]

Actually the rules were enforced after 9-11 and the proven illegal entry into Thailand of high level terrorists. It may not be effective but it is rather hard to argue the point. The whole concept of a local based nationwide immigration system, as is being developed, is likely part of the same process. And there are valid reasons for knowing locations of visitors; for tourists the hotels report so this is likely the alternative for those on longer stays in the eyes of the writers 30 years ago. Not to (1) be anti foreigner or (2) keep immigration busy (why would they want extra work to enforce?).

[Gary A]

Before I moved upcountry, the immigration office I used was still in Pattaya. They wanted a copy of my condo chanote and I told them they already had one. They pulled my file and it was at least an inch and a half thick. They did find the copy. I can't imagine why they want to generate all the paper, it's mostly passport page copies.

[Pib]

I waited at Chaengwattana for nearly three hours last week to do my 90 day report, a process that took a couple of minutes and, IMHO, it serves absolutly no useful purpose.

Wow...usually it takes me about 15 minutes (sometimes less) after walking in the office. But I have had several times of 30 minutes and one time when all farangs in Bangkok must have decided to do their 90 day reports at the same time and it seems the immigration officers were having issues with their computer system...on that day it took me one hour and twenty minutes right after the lunch break re-opening..

Did you get caught by the lunch time one hour break which you are including in the 3 hours wait?

[Pattaya46]

wife own house, not we

Out of subject, and you don't know anything about that.

"She" can own the house, but "They" can too and "He" can too

i know ; it's such a HUGE price to pay (oh wait , there's no charge to report)

to be able to stay (legally) in this 82% wondrous country

Can be free, but some people have to make a long travel to their Immigration office.

Cost of travel + big lost of time. (Online soon up-country?)

[theoldgit]

Did you get caught by the lunch time one hour break which you are including in the 3 hours wait?

Yes, I am including the lunch break in my three hour wait, as I did have to wait whilst they had their lunch break, not complaining about that as everyone is entitled to a lunch break, it's a pretty mind numbing job.

I got there shortly before 11.00 with the intention of doing the report in the normal 30 mins and then getting my re-entry permit, probably after lunch.

There was quite a cross selection of nationalities but not many, of what I would call, farangs.

[x5david]

The reason:

Immigration Act of 2422; Section 37(5)

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.

The provision of ( 3 ) and ( 4 ) shall not apply to any cases under Section 34 by any conditions as

prescribed by the Director General.

In making notification under this Section , the alien may make notification in person or send a

letter of notification to the competent official , in accordance with the regulations prescribed by the

Director General .

The key is finding a competent one...that in and of itself could take more than 90 days....

[KimoMax]

How much are the Late 90 Day Report Fines ?

The basic rule of Reporting your stay has it's legitimate purpose.

Since this is Thailand, the authorities will find a way to collect REVENUE from those that fail to follow the Rules.

No different from Visa Overstayers etc.....

Easy to stay within the rules, and easy to ignore, which unfortunately many do.