Notification of Change of Address refused!

[Frank James]

So hang onto it and hand it in when you do your 90 day report. They probably don't want it then, either. They have too much work already.

[joebrown]

It's interesting to read about Nan Immigration and their 'requirements'. Some things never change!. Because I was living in Phethchabun province 6 years ago, I had to report to Nan to make an application for Extension of Stay (Retirement). This involved an overnight hotel stay and a round trip of about 1400km. I had a list of the papers I needed, which I'd obtained from Bangkok Immigration, so I thought all would be OK. As is the norm for Thailand Nan had a different set of requirements to those in Bangkok. When I 'respectfully' pointed out this discrepancy, their reply was "WE HAVE RULES"!!! I begged for some leniency, but to no avail. I had to make the same journey again 1 week later. Thankfully, the Immigration office in Phitsanulok took over reponsibility for Phetchabun Aliens from Nan less that a year later. TIT.

[OJAS]

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I tried to report a change of address 2 years ago in Rayong and had the same results although I didn't go back till my retirement/ re-entry permit was up for renewal as I was in/out of the country working all the time.

Me too when moved to rayong tried to submit form and immigration officers told me don't need to do it

Phew, relieved to hear that I'm unlikely to be getting that dreaded 3AM knock on my front door for failing to provide a completed TM28 to Immigration in the nearly 6 years I've been living in Rayong (and for that matter Thailand as well)

[thesetat2013]

When i moved recently I went and did the same thing. I followed the law and went to the local Immigration office to report I had moved into their area. They were very nice and polite to me until I went to talk with the representative there or agent. (whatever you want to call them). The boss had snuck out into the waiting area pretending to be on his phone and proceeded to take my picture with it. Then as I was talking to the agent she began questioning my arrival date to when I had moved and was talking about a 500 baht a day fine if I had been there over a certain period of time (5 days I think). The boss man who had taken my picture came up claiming they had seem me in the city many times over the years.. It wasn't until I was sent home to my wifes family house to collect their house book and my explaining that I spent many weekends there to visit family with my wife that they dropped their accusations. They did seem serious enough about trying to determine how much in fines I should pay up to that point.

Upon leaving they gave me a warning, Make sure if I travel to another province for more than (3) days to report to that Immigration office with an address form.

Mind you i am in a small city in the South. This was the time when crackdowns on illegals was at its worse also. However, It gave me some concern about having my picture taken secretly and then to have their threats.

[featography]

Probably an important question is, What province do you report to?

[Gutterboy]

Was previously in Udon Thani, now just moved to Sriracha and report to Pattaya office. Hence the attempted notification. Seems that, like most things Thai, the procedure is different in every province. Understandable for a country that still hasn't discovered the "Internet".

[ubonjoe]

Was previously in Udon Thani, now just moved to Sriracha and report to Pattaya office. Hence the attempted notification. Seems that, like most things Thai, the procedure is different in every province. Understandable for a country that still hasn't discovered the "Internet".

Perhaps they did not take it because you should of been doing it at the Sriracha immigration office.

[Wombat6]

It does not surprise me at all that they did not want it.

I have been saying all along not to worry about it. Unless asked for it don't bother to try.

so you are saying people should willingly break the law?

It hard to break an unenforced law. Just saying why bother when they don't want it.

In the OP's case they should of at least taken it.

It is enforced when they feel like it and fine you 2000 Baht if you haven't complied

[ubonjoe]

It hard to break an unenforced law. Just saying why bother when they don't want it.

In the OP's case they should of at least taken it.

It is enforced when they feel like it and fine you 2000 Baht if you haven't complied

I am having a hard time remembering somebody being fined for not doing a TM28. Not to say it has not happened but it is a rarity for it to happen.

[tartempion]

Not me who was fined but my gf when I went for an extension at Nong Khai Imm, the nice man many have experienced there saw my arrival stamp and asked for the corresponding Notification of arrival, seems it is the house owner duty to report a foreigner living this/her place...fine was 1k baht.

[ubonjoe]

Not me who was fined but my gf when I went for an extension at Nong Khai Imm, the nice man many have experienced there saw my arrival stamp and asked for the corresponding Notification of arrival, seems it is the house owner duty to report a foreigner living this/her place...fine was 1k baht.

That is a different report. She needed to do a TM30. There have been reports of this happening. The let her off easy normally it is a 2000 baht fine.

[gmac]

It does not surprise me at all that they did not want it.

I have been saying all along not to worry about it. Unless asked for it don't bother to try.

so you are saying people should willingly break the law?

Thailand is one of those countries where you need to break the law every now and then if you want to get something done.

When in Rome...

Thailand is also one of those countries where you have no idea what law is going to be enforced from one day to the next. When I move house I will certainly make the effort to inform them but will not be surprised if they are not interested. Just because they didn't want it last time doesn't necessarily mean they won't jump on you when you don't do it next time!

Not in Rome....but TIT!!

[mataleo]

I never bothered with it

[Maestro]

The OP tried to comply with the requirement of Section 37(3) of the Immigration Act, using the form TM.28 which was obviously designed for that purpose:

Section 37 : An alien having received a temporary entry permit into the Kingdom must comply with the
following :
1. Shall not engage in the occupation or temporary or employment unless authorized by the
Director General. or competent official deputized by the Director General . If , in any case , there is a law
concerning alien employment provided hereafter , the granting of work privileges must comply with the
law concerned.
2. Shall stay at the place as indicated to the competent official. Where there is proper reason
that he cannot stay at the place as indicated to the competent official, he shall notify the competent official
of the change in residence , within 24 hours from the time of removing to said place.
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.
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 interesting part is that nobody seems to know whether the Director General of the Police Department has prescribed any conditions and if he has, what they are. If "cases under Section 34" are indeed not required to make the notification under Section 37(3), it means that only foreigners who are permanent residents, ie who hold a Certificate of Residence, must make it.

Another interesting thing is that the form TM.28 addresses the notification "To The Immigration Officer", and a note at the end of the form says that "Your local police station must be notified of any change of address within 24 hours", which seems to suggest that both the immigration office and the local police station must be notified with this form.

[Gutterboy]

Was previously in Udon Thani, now just moved to Sriracha and report to Pattaya office. Hence the attempted notification. Seems that, like most things Thai, the procedure is different in every province. Understandable for a country that still hasn't discovered the "Internet".

Perhaps they did not take it because you should of been doing it at the Sriracha immigration office.

Would have been difficult for the officer to know that without hardly looking at the form, let alone reading the address!

[PaulHamon]

It does not surprise me at all that they did not want it.

I have been saying all along not to worry about it. Unless asked for it don't bother to try.

I was in Nan immigration last week, they basically pushing the TM 28 down my neck. I was there to get single re-entry permit, I was in Nan on holiday and leaving into Laos for a few days. They started copying my passport, getting the forms out and telling me I need to do it and it was a requirement. Then they explained it all to my wife (Thai) that if I was in the province more than 24 hours I need to do this from, now.

We were staying at a guest house, I kept pushing the form back to them, saying the hotel/accommodation is supposed to do it not me. They asked us where we we staying, they started checking, they ask me for a name card of the place (did have one), so they could call. We gave them the name, the finally found the guest house, it wasn't in their listed accommodations for the province.

The place we where staying had never lodged a report with them (open over 2 years), even tough they in the top 3 on TripAdvisor for the region and popular with farangs.

I've said this before, I traveled 154 days and 77 provinces by bicycle and only twice as I asked for my passport during this trip, the reporting is not happening at a hotel level that is for sure. Of course they took my wife ID at all these locations, but it's just much much less paper work than dealing with a overseas passport.

Did you do a travel blog on your experiences cycling Thailand? If you did i would like to read it

google : every province challenge

should find mine and my wife blog of the trip...

[icare999]

actually the law seems to state the owner must notify if an alien is staying in their property so my wife has been reporting me for years and years and theirs a special separate office for it and the owner is meant to report every time i come back from abroad even though its same address. She even does it for our tenants. Sometimes they seem surprised since I have not met anyone else doing it. Fine for owner not the alien is 10,000 baht if caught not doing it but none bothers except us

[balo]

i have changed address in Thailand at least 3 times the last 4 years and never been asked about this .And will never fill out a TM28 unless I'm forced to do it.

[Maestro]

actually the law seems to state the owner must notify if an alien is staying in their property so my wife has been reporting me for years and years and theirs a special separate office for it and the owner is meant to report every time i come back from abroad even though its same address. She even does it for our tenants. Sometimes they seem surprised since I have not met anyone else doing it. Fine for owner not the alien is 10,000 baht if caught not doing it but none bothers except us

You are confused. This topic is not about the house master's report of the arrival of a foreigner at the residence.

[mrwebb8825]

been living here in various locations for over 12 1/2 yrs - never even heard of a TM28 until reading this thread.

[ToddinChonburi]

Lol just plat the game, thats all