Owners of rented houses, rooms ordered to report foreign occupants

[webfact]

Owners of rented houses, rooms ordered to report foreign occupants
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The situation monitoring centre of the National Council for Peace and Order announce on TVs at noon Wednesday that owners of rented rooms and houses must report to authorities when they have foreign occupants.

The centre announced that the owners must report to the authorities within 24 hours after their rooms or houses are rented by foreigners.

Full story http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Owners-of-rented-houses-rooms-ordered-to-report-fo-30267963.html


-- The Nation 2015-09-02

[Always18]

I thought that law was already in existence?

[toybits]

Another knee-jerk reaction - brought to you by.....

[jonclark]

Sorry, but why? Unless the NCPO thinks all foreigners are criminals - in which case this is both a racist and stupid directive.

Doesn't immigration hold this data already on long term stayers via the 90 report?

[richard10365]

This is already a law.

[DLang]

So will they state that the owners of the premise will be liable to be fined, and that the alien occupant won't be?

[halloween]

And easily circumvented by renting under your Thai g/f's name. TYVM Miss Wanna.

[clockman]

Do you think, these people do 90 day reporting?

[petedk]

Actually this has been the law for some time. I remember some time ago, when I did my 90 day report, I received a note to give to my landlord that she was supposed to register me.

Same at hotels. Funny enough, if I stay at a 5 star hotel they never ask for my passport.

Maybe they will introduce a law that we are not allowed to live within 300 mtres of government buildings, religious buildings and education institutes.

Why not fit us all with a micro chip so we can be located at anytime?

Edited September 2, 2015 by petedk

[daveAustin]

This has always been in place.

[ldnguy]

Another knee-jerk reaction - brought to you by.....

It's not a knee-jerk reaction. It's just a reminder of the existing law which some landlords either don't know about or ignore.

[NickJ]

No microchips just electronic ankle braclets should do the trick.....They can monitor alcohol levels as well.....killing two birds with one stone......All the bars would be gone and the Breweries would go out of business murdering the economy.

[dageurreotype]

I thought that law was already in existence?

Yes but this has been decreed from on high, just to give it more oomph, make 'foreigners' feel that much more unwelcome. Unless they're zero baht Chinese hoards on a pre determined length of short stay.

[fitzcaraldo]

what about the case of a foreigner living in is friend girlfriend appartement

[slipperylobster]

Sorry, but why? Unless the NCPO thinks all foreigners are criminals - in which case this is both a racist and stupid directive.

Doesn't immigration hold this data already on long term stayers via the 90 report?

True...but millions stay less than 90 days...and the government would have no idea, otherwise, of where those people were..

Especially the bad ones, that fly in to do their dirty work/get fake passports...and then leave quickly.

[dageurreotype]

Sorry, but why? Unless the NCPO thinks all foreigners are criminals - in which case this is both a racist and stupid directive.

Doesn't immigration hold this data already on long term stayers via the 90 report?

True...but millions stay less than 90 days...and the government would have no idea, otherwise, of where those people were..

Especially the bad ones, that fly in to do their dirty work/get fake passports...and then leave quickly.

Having already bribed Immigration Officials.

[NOC]

Actually this has been the law for some time. I remember some time ago, when I did my 90 day report, I received a note to give to my landlord that she was supposed to register me.

Same at hotels. Funny enough, if I stay at a 5 star hotel they never ask for my passport.

Maybe they will introduce a law that we are not allowed to live within 300 mtres of government buildings, religious buildings and education institutes.

Why not fit us all with a micro chip so we can be located at anytime?

Please do not give them any ideas.

[baboon]

what about the case of a foreigner living in is friend girlfriend appartement

She gets fined, you pay it..

[marsh1313]

Many hotels do this already!

[JSN777]

'report to the authorities' - perhaps since the media are reporting this they could at the very least explain how an owner actually carries out the 'reporting proceduce' but then again that would be asking too much.

[wantan]

I thought that law was already in existence?

Yes, law does exist of course. But most landlords dont want to report if renting houses to foreigners because they dont want to pay taxes for the money earned. And if they are forced to report they will raise the rental fee to get the money back.

[Laughing Gravy]

Why don't we just get uniforms and have a big star on them. It worked once before.

[PCA]

Certainly this makes the ultimate sense in order to fight and prevent criminal activities since almost 100% of all law violations are carried out by foreigners and not Thais. So Thais don't have to be reported when they rent somewhere new.

[dcpo]

There already is a law, but many landlords ignore it. I was once asked by immigration to provide the form that my landlord or building manager is supposed to send them as a requirement for getting my B visa extended. I was told to come back with the document. When I approached the building management they were happy to fill out the form for me, but didn't seem to have ever seen it before. I know for a fact there a several other foreigners living in my building

[stickylies]

My ex-landlord refused to get me officially registered at the house I rented. So a friend of hers had me registered at his place in another tambon. Never asked why for the sake of Thainess...

[sendintheclowns]

To clarify, there are 2 reports required:

One by the house/apartment/hotel owner. If they get caught, the fine is ( I believe) 2,000 baht) each time.

The second report is the responsibility of the guest of Thailand. He/ she is supposed to report their whereabouts. The fine is 800 baht.

These regulations have rarely been implemented in the past.

The knee jerk reaction is by those posters here, who seem to forget that all are guests in this country, even if it is a short stay.

[teacherpaul]

Another knee-jerk reaction - brought to you by.....

It's not a knee-jerk reaction. It's just a reminder of the existing law which some landlords either don't know about or ignore.

Yes it is. The reason they are reminding landlords is because they believe foreigners were involved with the bombings. That is what a knee-jerk reaction is.

[LukKrueng]

No microchips just electronic ankle braclets should do the trick.....They can monitor alcohol levels as well.....killing two birds with one stone......All the bars would be gone and the Breweries would go out of business murdering the economy.

So you think the whole Thai economy revolves around your / your mates drinking habits, ha?

[jonclark]

Sorry, but why? Unless the NCPO thinks all foreigners are criminals - in which case this is both a racist and stupid directive.

Doesn't immigration hold this data already on long term stayers via the 90 report?

True...but millions stay less than 90 days...and the government would have no idea, otherwise, of where those people were..

Especially the bad ones, that fly in to do their dirty work/get fake passports...and then leave quickly.

Understood - But the question - why? really needs answering What purpose does this serve?

Are foreigners that much of a threat to national security? Most foreigners are required to carry some form of ID (passport, copy of passport or driving license) as evidence of who they are (just like the locals and their ID card). So if they are involved in an accident or crime embassies can be contacted if required.

The local population are far more transient in their movements and most crimes etc are carried out by locals, simply due to population sizes. Do landlords have to report every Thai resident in their condo etc? There does not seem to be a reasonable argument for this, if anyone knows of one then please enlighten me.

This just appears to be a directive driven by ignorance, paranoia and fear.

[jonclark]

There already is a law, but many landlords ignore it. I was once asked by immigration to provide the form that my landlord or building manager is supposed to send them as a requirement for getting my B visa extended. I was told to come back with the document. When I approached the building management they were happy to fill out the form for me, but didn't seem to have ever seen it before. I know for a fact there a several other foreigners living in my building

So what would happen if you own the condo or house (in the businesses / wife's name) that you live in? Who signs the form then? Or does it only apply to rented (not owned) condos / houses?