Address in Thailand while on Tourist Visa

[MumuSia]

Hi

Do you have to constantly inform immigration every place you stay in a new area or place

For example I will be staying in a hotel for my first 3 weeks in Thailand and then will be staying with friends at there home in the north for at least a month

Will i have to inform immigration everytime, if so how do I do that

how does it work ?

many thanks

[paz]

No, you don't need to do anything.

Following this you will find a long debate will ensue, some will say I'm sooo wrong according the law, about various strange forms TM 30, 28, report to Immigration, to local Police, hotel / private residence difference and this and that, then will come the personal experiences "it never happened to me", how someone got fined for living with his wife, etc, but the short practical answer remains the same: you don't need to do anything.

Edited October 17, 2014 by paz

[padeakin]

Immigration can use 'not reporting' as an excuse to fine you 800 Baht

I arrived in Kohn Kaen in the early hours of a Sunday morning, On the Monday morning I reported to Kohn Kaen immigration, they told me that they had been instructed to fine anyone that does not report with 24 hours 800 Baht. I must pay because I did not report with 24 hours, I pointed out that the Immigration office was not open on Sunday so I could not report with 24 hours, They then asked me if I would pay the fine, I said no I will not pay, they then spent some time searching through manuals to find the English translation of the rule/ law that I had broken ( I was there about 3 hours), eventually they found and showed me the translation, however they had found the wrong one, it said that a property owner must report an alien staying with 24 hours, after a bit more friendly argument they backed down, They stapled a slip of paper in my passport to show I have reported, and let me leave without paying a fine.

The officer that dealt with me was friendly and almost apologetic for trying to fine me, he said he was acting on instructions from his superior.

Edited October 18, 2014 by padeakin

[ubonjoe]

Why did you go to make the report? I don't know anybody that does a TM28 unless they are doing a change of address because they are doing extensions of stay..

You could be fined up to 5000 baht according to section 76 of the immigration act.

It probably should be 48 hours in your case. It would depend which part of section 37 they used.

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

[padeakin]

Why did you go to make the report? .......

I went to immigration for another reason, but whilst there asked about the reporting obligation because I had read on another thread that some immigration offices were starting to enforce the requirement.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/747147-immigration-foreigners-must-now-carry-valid-id-at-all-times-report-within-24-hours/

[IMA_FARANG]

If you are staying in a commercial hotel or guesthouse you will not have to notify anyone.

That is because the hotel owner or operator will do it for you.

That is why they copy your passport data front page as you register and check in to the hotel.

The hotel sends the information of their guests to the local area police for the area the hotel is in and reports to.

Now if you stay in Thailand at a friend or relative, they are supposed to report you to the local police within 24 hours of your arrival.

Technically, the "house owner" is supposed to report, not you.

In practice, as I found out when I lived in Bangkok with my Thai girlfriend in her family house, the local police did not want to know.

This varies from area to area, many places where it is routine for tourists to stay, the local house owner doesn't report, and the local police really don't care.

Like many things in Thailand, their is a law ,but it's observance is at best spotty.

[ubonjoe]

Why did you go to make the report? .......

I went to immigration for another reason, but whilst there asked about the reporting obligation because I had read on another thread that some immigration offices were starting to enforce the requirement.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/747147-immigration-foreigners-must-now-carry-valid-id-at-all-times-report-within-24-hours/

In reality they are not enforcing it. I think they realize it would be almost impossible to enforce.

The info in that topic turned out to be not very accurate.

[ubonjoe]

If you are staying in a commercial hotel or guesthouse you will not have to notify anyone.

That is because the hotel owner or operator will do it for you.

That is why they copy your passport data front page as you register and check in to the hotel.

The hotel sends the information of their guests to the local area police for the area the hotel is in and reports to.

Now if you stay in Thailand at a friend or relative, they are supposed to report you to the local police within 24 hours of your arrival.

Technically, the "house owner" is supposed to report, not you.

In practice, as I found out when I lived in Bangkok with my Thai girlfriend in her family house, the local police did not want to know.

This varies from area to area, many places where it is routine for tourists to stay, the local house owner doesn't report, and the local police really don't care.

Like many things in Thailand, their is a law ,but it's observance is at best spotty.

In reality hotels and etc. are reporting to immigration not the police. If registered they can do it online or by email.

I would guess that if you took a reporting form to most police stations they would not even know what it is.

[RTH10260]

/* snip */

I would guess that if you took a reporting form to most police stations they would not even know what it is.

1. Would the police station get a copy of the TM28 / TM30 as sent to immigration or is this just showing up in person to shake hands?

2. Please a refresher: is TM28 required in addition to reporting the residence address on the entry form of immigration?

3. Another refresher please: when returning from a stay in a hotel outside of the home province, does immigration expect another salvo of TM28 & TM30?

Question:

OP wanted to know about Tourist visa handling. Do you recommend taking reporting more serious when using a non-O marriage based visa?

I will be based at my wifes house, but at times without her presence while she has her job in farangland. TM30 I intend to bring to TH already signed by her, but who else could sign if we forget it?

I think reporting may be cautious for the sporadic times I may want to add a 30day extension to the 90day stay thru immigration. I have a years visa, multiple entry, as I need to be back home every so often. As long as my wife is working we cannot go for a yearly extension (though I would qualify for retired visa).

[Liquorice]

ubonjoe, on 18 Oct 2014 - 15:07, said:

Why did you go to make the report? I don't know anybody that does a TM28 unless they are doing a change of address because they are doing extensions of stay..

You could be fined up to 5000 baht according to section 76 of the immigration act.

It probably should be 48 hours in your case. It would depend which part of section 37 they used.

Quote2. 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

I recently moved to a new address, within the same province, but not within the province where I have to report to Immigration.

Roi Et, report to Amnat Charoen.

I followed Section 37.3 and reported my new address to Roi Et Police station on a TM28. They subsequently issued me with a letter confirming my new address....but not the notification slip of the bottom part of the TM 28. Note: The local Police do not notify Immigration.

I had to do a 90 day report 4 weeks later, so I completed another TM 28 for Immigration and supplied the letter fro the local Police station.

Immigration were quite amused and said it 'was a first'.

Enquiring why it so amused them, they showed me a slip that they were starting to hand out to farangs.

NOTICE OF STAYING LONGER THAN 90 DAYS

The alien permitted to stay longer in the kingdom must notify your place of residence to the immigration office ever 90 days. Incase of application for extension of temporary stay in kingdom by TM.7 you have notified your place of residence at the first time. Any alien who fails to comply with will be punished with a fine not exceeding 5,000.-baht and with an additional fine not exceeding 200.-baht for each day which passes until the law is complied with. ACCORDING TO IMMIGRATION ACT B.S2522 SECTION 76

According to Immigration, they only see farangs notifying change of address when they do their extensions and not when they should.

As to whether they are giving a warning, or are actually going to enforce the fines wasn't made clear.

I thought the procedure I followed was a little 'overkill', but it appears the right one. May have saved me a 5,000 baht fine.

Perhaps I'm a little oversensitive in reporting my address at all times due to an experience I had in China some years ago, which made me realise the importance of following procedures in another Country. Like Thailand, China has a requirement to register your address with Immigration and the local Police if living in private residency.

I got wrapped up in the big Sichuan earthquake in 2008. All communications were lost for days. I was OK but my family back in the UK didn't know that and they were watching news reports and requests by the Home Office for relatives to contact them if members of their family were in China, which my family did.

Somehow, the British Embassy contacted the Chinese Immigration, who in turn contacted the local Police, who in turn knocked on my door and confirmed my identity and that I was fine.

I didn't find out until days later, that the Home Office actually phoned my family to report I had been found safe and sound.

So, the system does work, well at least in China.