Immigration warns homeowners they have 24hrs to report foreign guests

[motyduke]

I really need more explanations :

I live in Bkk . If i go for a week end near for exemple sukhotai , i need to go police to say where

i am for the 2 nights i spend in a friend house ?

And now , when in the week i go for one night to the appartment of my gf in Nonthaburi , same ? She needs to say that to police or immigration ?

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

On April 1st, you will be able to report to any 7-11 in your area. They will have all the forms and help you fill them out.

Wow... I can sip on a slurpy and watch a kid with or without a high school diploma and broken English help a PhD fill out the forms. Simply amazing.

Edited October 30, 2015 by Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere

[ttthailand]

So when my gf and I go to visit her mother in the sticks and stay for one or two nights I will need to pick her mother up and travel an hour + to immigration so we can submit the form and I say "I'm Back !' then return to the sticks, another hour + away. I hope the time at immigration is not too long ! By the time we finish notifying the gov it will be time to go to bed get some rest and head back home.

Hahaha.... Do you think they really think these things through ? They better hire a few tens of thousands of new government worker to handle the paperwork.

Edited October 30, 2015 by ttthailand

[ttthailand]

I can see it now, going to the local police and trying to explain to them that you need to report that you are staying in the village. Most won't have a clue what you are talking about. Information and procedures do not get passed around to the necessary government offices here now so this won't be any different.

[HerbalEd]

Papers please!

[connda]

This would then also suggest that there is not only a requirement for the property owner but also for the guest to report themselves to immigration should they stay outside of the province for more than 24 hours.

So I'm expected to report to Immigration every time i go from Hua Hin to Bangkok?

I'm beginning to think it would easier if I was an expat in North Korea.

Re:

ALL RESIDENTS RETURNING TO HUA HIN MUST REPORT TO THE LOCAL IMMIGRATION OFFICE WITHIN 24hrs OF ARRIVAL

Really, if you're traveling around in Thailand, how the hell will they know you've been out of town and are just returning.

The next thing you know in their xenophobic mind-set is that they will want to implant chips in all expats to track their movement in Thailand. I have a better idea. How about just issuing all of us ID cards that can be used to identify us as long-term residents just like they do for Thai citizens (seeing that your xenophobic country makes obtaining permanent residence status almost impossible unlike almost every other country in the world both developed and developing, especially for those of use legally married to a Thai for over a decade)

So I see it's getting a little more totalitarian every day as happy talk nationalism is spoon-fed to the masses via mass-media. Yeah, I watch Prayut's speeches if they have subtitles, and speak enough Thai to know when the subs and speech don't match.

What's next?

Well, on a positive note, we definitely won't have to worry about Thailand taking in a few hundred thousand Middle-Eastern 'refugees' to come and suck on the teats of Thailand's social welfare system, ie, 30 baht hospitals and an expectation for free housing, free food, and a subsistence allowance, work permits for the asking, and a 'fast-track' to residency. Chances of that happening here: I'd say about less than 1%. They'd mostly end up in the South, civil war ala ISIS would escalate, and the provinces between Hat Yai and Cha Am would end up being a highly controlled DMZ. Ain't gonna happen.

Edited October 30, 2015 by connda

[connda]

ALL RESIDENTS RETURNING TO HUA HIN MUST REPORT TO THE LOCAL IMMIGRATION OFFICE

WITHIN 24hrs OF ARRIVAL

This is dreadful news. I have no doubts this will be extended nationwide at sometime.

My happiness levels for living in Thailand is wearing thin.

The more difficult they make it, the more likely you are to leave. In a highly nationalistic, military junta controlled, free democracy where the xenophobia is being stoked, yes...I believe that the government would like nothing better than all non-Thais to leave, and only come back as 'quality' tourists.

What these short-sighted xenophobes fail to comprehend, is that over the period of a year, we expats, especially those of us married to native Thai nationals, pump more money into the Thai economy than more 'high quality tourists' do during their relatively short stays. I support my immediate and extended family, and all those funds flow back into the Thai economy.

[connda]

I've talked with my wife right now and asked if the news services or the Thai government have issued any statement and warning to Thai citizens, especially homeowners, that they MUST report farang living in their homes to Immigration within the next 24 hours.

My wife says she has heard nothing on TV which she watches daily, especially the channel 5 'official news' and Prayut's speeches to the nation. Nada, nothing, no warning, zip, zero, not a thing!

[hawker9000]

<sigh> Thailand. "Land of the Free." Free of what, exactly?

(Can't wait for the foolishness to really kick-in, and they actually start throwing perplexed foreigners into the slammer. The foreign press will have a field day.)

If your so worried you better leave now.Foreign press couldn't give to hoots about perplexed farangs in the slam.

I'm actually far more entertained by children in adult bodies and their antics like this, than I am worried about them (pretty much the same goes for petulant little "love-it-or-leave-it" drivel here on TV actually). And yeah, start locking up foerigners for travelling cross-country to attend an in-law's wedding or birthday party or funeral - whatever - and not reporting to some bureaucrat, and it'll go viral in a day.

[DrTuner]

Just noticed that my wife, my landlord and myself are all obligated to visit the immigration or police twice a week, as I work in BKK and spend weekends at our house in Pattaya. That's four reports per week, even when I already have the yellow book and the MFA, not the immigration, has granted me permission to stay in Thailand.

Yeah, sure we're gonna do that. Not.

The MFA granted you permission to stay? How so?

I'm on official business here, MFA grants the permits, not immigration. It's also free of charge. One of the exceptions in Thailand. Yet these notification rules don't make any exceptions.

[DrTuner]

So they are starting to enforce the immigration act, which was written sometime in the 50's, when people were still travelling by buffaloes. Joyful. No chance of getting rid of the boneheaded notification rules this century, I suppose.

No, it was written in the 1970s. But even if they update it (which they can, as they have a sophisticated computer system), they won't know where people are unless reported. Nothing to do with buffaloes. What's your point?

Buffaloes were a slow method of transport, meaning people didn't travel from province to province daily. They stayed put and rarely needed to inform any one of moving.

These days it's easy to go through 10 places each day.

[oncearugge]

Just noticed that my wife, my landlord and myself are all obligated to visit the immigration or police twice a week, as I work in BKK and spend weekends at our house in Pattaya. That's four reports per week, even when I already have the yellow book and the MFA, not the immigration, has granted me permission to stay in Thailand.

Yeah, sure we're gonna do that. Not.

The MFA granted you permission to stay? How so?

I'm on official business here, MFA grants the permits, not immigration. It's also free of charge. One of the exceptions in Thailand. Yet these notification rules don't make any exceptions.

So no Immigration Stamp was placed in your passport on entry ?

Which visa is in your passport ?

[DrTuner]

Just noticed that my wife, my landlord and myself are all obligated to visit the immigration or police twice a week, as I work in BKK and spend weekends at our house in Pattaya. That's four reports per week, even when I already have the yellow book and the MFA, not the immigration, has granted me permission to stay in Thailand.

Yeah, sure we're gonna do that. Not.

The MFA granted you permission to stay? How so?

I'm on official business here, MFA grants the permits, not immigration. It's also free of charge. One of the exceptions in Thailand. Yet these notification rules don't make any exceptions.

So no Immigration Stamp was placed in your passport on entry ?

Which visa is in your passport ?

None, actually, I've gotten a new passport since last entry. It was non-immigrant F, but the original immigration stamp has long since expired. Now I only have a couple of full page stamps from MFA. Not the usual stuff.

[bdenner]

Chiang Mai Immigration notified my wife of this 2 weeks ago, saying she could be "in trouble" if she didn't come and report me living here. We both went, and she wasn't polite. She asked them how stupid they had to be, seeing as we have been living here as husband and wife, originally with a Marriage Extension, which was later changed to Retirement, for the past 7 damn years, with me reporting every 90 days, and with them originally coming to the house to verify it. They told her it was "policy", to which she replied - "Policy is fine, but you're all a bunch of idiots!"

I was even shocked, as my wife is normally a very polite, very soft spoken woman, but this touched a nerve somewhere inside of her that set her off. They finally filled out the forms, with a receipt for me to place in my passport, stating that without it, I would not be able to renew my yearly again. Needless to say, they were happy to see us leave.

I am in love with your wife,

Yep, after 15 years of continuing bullshlt, moving goal posts (OK this is just another regulation) etc.etc. TW has now resorted to using the "F^&ken" word followed by "bah bah bab bor" whenever I refer to or we need to attend my local Immigration Office ---- AGAIN.

And NO, we have no intention conforming with this regulation every time I return home from a trip overseas or anywhere in Thailand for that matter.

[daiwill60]

Recently completed my Non ImmB and was given some forms to give to my Landlord, and told to tell him that he needs to fill the forms in to say I am living in his house that he rents to me. I told them he lives in BKK and they gave me another piece of paper with an webpage address and they said " NO PROBLEM HE CAN DO THIS ONLINE".

I also asked the lovely staff at Immigration in Rayong, what is the point of this , because if my landlord did it, then a week later I could decide to move ??? They said get new landlord to do it then.

So it does look like there is another requirement to be made for registering at Immigration, and it is widespread not localised, this is unbelievable to me. Where on earth and what on earth do they do with all this paperwork, that must pile up somewhere.

I remember going to a work permit office somewhere years ago and you could not see out of the office windows for the amount of paperwork stacked on window sills, and that is no exaggeration.

[dageurreotype]

Yawn

[ratcatcher]

Yawn

I can beat that.

snore

[MaxLee]

Another way for the government to make easy peazy money out of clueless and intentionally left uninformed toursts

[huangnon]

Land of announcements. Then nothing actually happens.

Will this be a 35 page thread like the July 2014 one, with the exact same announcement from Hua Hin, along with us carrying ID (which then quickly changed).

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

Got it in one. Obviously a slow day in the Hua Hin immigration office when this little edict was thrown up. They probably follow this forum and laugh at all the fuss they can cause.

[connda]

Land of announcements. Then nothing actually happens.

Will this be a 35 page thread like the July 2014 one, with the exact same announcement from Hua Hin, along with us carrying ID (which then quickly changed).

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

Got it in one. Obviously a slow day in the Hua Hin immigration office when this little edict was thrown up. They probably follow this forum and laugh at all the fuss they can cause.

"Look! We make farang dance like puppet! Ha ha ha ha ha!"

[elviajero]

If you want to get your facts correct, stop misleading people and actual read the law.

Your a foreigner in a foreign Country, doesn't matter what you agree or disagree with, it's their law

There is no requirement to make a special visit, or within 24 hours to Immigration.

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.

Section 2 and 3 deals with the procedure of removing, i.e. Taking up a new permanent residence.

Immigration is not mentioned, only the local Police Station open 24/7.

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.

Temporary stay in another province, not a new permanent address.

Immigration is not mentioned, only the local Police Station open 24/7

.

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.

Normal 90 day reporting with a TM 47, or if a permanent change of address a TM28.

Both completed on a routine visit, not within 24 hours.

Except that the "facts" do not correspond to the "law", so we have to interpret the actual requirements for ourselves.

The law on 2 and 3 as stated is certainly wrong. New permanent residence has to be reported to immigration, not to the police. Various people's experience in this thread proves this. No problem with reporting that to immigration in any case. Nor with No.5

Really it's No.4 that is the problem. Quite impracticable.

Presumably these laws date back to pre-mass tourism and mass transportation when people didn't actually move around much. The world has changed completely and the "law" hasn't caught up. Again, we have to interpret in a practical sense what is appropriate/possible.

None of the rules quoted above apply to the OP. They are from Section 37 and are about what a foreigner should be doing. (3) & (4) are not currently enforced. Although (2) applies to any visitor it only really applies to foreigners living here. If you change the address you have registered with immigration you should advise immigration of your new address using form TM28. (5) is about 90 day reporting which all offices enforce.

The OP is about owners reporting foreigners staying at their property using form TM30. Only Section 38 applies.

Section 38 : The house – master , the owner or the possessor of the residence , or the hotel manager where the alien , receiving permission to stay temporary in the Kingdom has stayed , must notify the competent official of the Immigration Office located in the same area with that hours , dwelling place or hotel, within 24 hours from the time of arrival of the alien concerned. If there is no Immigration Office located in that area , the local police official for that area must be notified.

Edited October 30, 2015 by elviajero

[zakk9]

What's the point of all this? Is there a point? I spent an hour getting through immigration at Suvarnabhumi this morning. The lady behind the counter went through every page of my and everybody else's passport. I have a non-B and a work permit, I work here, I travel in and out more than once a month because of that work. What are they looking for? Do they even know?

Like many others, I work in Bangkok and spend the weekend in Pattaya or visit friends elsewhere in Thailand. Reporting to the police for visiting friends is out of the question. North Korea was mentioned earlier in this thread. That's a relevant comparison. I remember Laos had similar rules 15-20 years ago, communist Laos, but I don't know of any country that practice rules like these, and certainly no countries that want to be seen as open and inviting to tourists.

I wish there was a way to try these practices on Thai citizens living in other countries. This would stop for sure then, and very fast. Unfortunately, that will never happen. Other countries are far to civilised for that.

Edited October 30, 2015 by zakk9

[Skywalker69]

Thank God I don´t have anything to do with Hua Hin.

[Sparkles]

Chiang Mai Immigration notified my wife of this 2 weeks ago, saying she could be "in trouble" if she didn't come and report me living here. We both went, and she wasn't polite. She asked them how stupid they had to be, seeing as we have been living here as husband and wife, originally with a Marriage Extension, which was later changed to Retirement, for the past 7 damn years, with me reporting every 90 days, and with them originally coming to the house to verify it. They told her it was "policy", to which she replied - "Policy is fine, but you're all a bunch of idiots!"

I was even shocked, as my wife is normally a very polite, very soft spoken woman, but this touched a nerve somewhere inside of her that set her off. They finally filled out the forms, with a receipt for me to place in my passport, stating that without it, I would not be able to renew my yearly again. Needless to say, they were happy to see us leave.

You couldn't dream this stuff up... If you are married ,have a driving licence which indicates your address,name on the chanote,have a yellow book with your address plus numerous other documents, bills etc and the 90 day report they still want another form ?????? This countries requirements get more stupid by the day.

Havent heard about this latest joke and would suggest not many others have either

Would ask what circumstances caused them to contact you wife ??

[englishoak]

wait until they try rolling this out in pattaya or phuket...................................

In the many years being in country not once have I reported my location of stay apart from permanent abode, if the hotels etc wish to they can but as for giving forms to landlords etc.. they can bite me... thats the job of the landlord to know not me inform him imo and if they cant be assed im sure not doing it for them.

Its a dumb dumb rule to enforce and if they do insist in the future or tracking people daily nationwide then im afraid I'll be gone with my family for good to greener pastures, im not being subjected to nazi style reporting rules.... kiss my a**

Thailand used to be something special for good reasons, increasingly its just special as in mentally retarded.

Yea the place is really on the up and up, aint it Junta lovers ?

[elviajero]

wait until they try rolling this out in pattaya or phuket...................................

In the many years being in country not once have I reported my location of stay apart from permanent abode, if the hotels etc wish to they can but as for giving forms to landlords etc.. they can bite me... thats the job of the landlord to know not me inform him imo and if they cant be assed im sure not doing it for them.

Its a dumb dumb rule to enforce and if they do insist in the future or tracking people daily nationwide then im afraid I'll be gone with my family for good to greener pastures, im not being subjected to nazi style reporting rules.... kiss my a**

Thailand used to be something special for good reasons, increasingly its just special as in mentally retarded.

Yea the place is really on the up and up, aint it Junta lovers ?

It is the job of the owner/landlord so what are you complaining about? They've got to do it and if they don't they get fined. Nothing changes for you!

[baboon]

wait until they try rolling this out in pattaya or phuket...................................

In the many years being in country not once have I reported my location of stay apart from permanent abode, if the hotels etc wish to they can but as for giving forms to landlords etc.. they can bite me... thats the job of the landlord to know not me inform him imo and if they cant be assed im sure not doing it for them.

Its a dumb dumb rule to enforce and if they do insist in the future or tracking people daily nationwide then im afraid I'll be gone with my family for good to greener pastures, im not being subjected to nazi style reporting rules.... kiss my a**

Thailand used to be something special for good reasons, increasingly its just special as in mentally retarded.

Yea the place is really on the up and up, aint it Junta lovers ?

It is the job of the owner/landlord so what are you complaining about? They've got to do it and if they don't they get fined. Nothing changes for you!

Because any fines will doubtlessly end up being passed on to whitey, one way or another?

[englishoak]

wait until they try rolling this out in pattaya or phuket...................................

In the many years being in country not once have I reported my location of stay apart from permanent abode, if the hotels etc wish to they can but as for giving forms to landlords etc.. they can bite me... thats the job of the landlord to know not me inform him imo and if they cant be assed im sure not doing it for them.

Its a dumb dumb rule to enforce and if they do insist in the future or tracking people daily nationwide then im afraid I'll be gone with my family for good to greener pastures, im not being subjected to nazi style reporting rules.... kiss my a**

Thailand used to be something special for good reasons, increasingly its just special as in mentally retarded.

Yea the place is really on the up and up, aint it Junta lovers ?

It is the job of the owner/landlord so what are you complaining about? They've got to do it and if they don't they get fined. Nothing changes for you!

Read the implications of the rules if enforced and think again.

[elviajero]

wait until they try rolling this out in pattaya or phuket...................................

In the many years being in country not once have I reported my location of stay apart from permanent abode, if the hotels etc wish to they can but as for giving forms to landlords etc.. they can bite me... thats the job of the landlord to know not me inform him imo and if they cant be assed im sure not doing it for them.

Its a dumb dumb rule to enforce and if they do insist in the future or tracking people daily nationwide then im afraid I'll be gone with my family for good to greener pastures, im not being subjected to nazi style reporting rules.... kiss my a**

Thailand used to be something special for good reasons, increasingly its just special as in mentally retarded.

Yea the place is really on the up and up, aint it Junta lovers ?

It is the job of the owner/landlord so what are you complaining about? They've got to do it and if they don't they get fined. Nothing changes for you!

Read the implications of the rules if enforced and think again.

I know the rules and implications and the worst case scenario is that the house-master, owner or possessor will be charged up to 2,000 baht if they don't report that a foreigner is staying at their property. Most reports I've seen the person is charged 800 baht.

This announcement affects very few foreigners.

[MaiChai]

Suppose they have to keep tabs on any future potential bombers?

I would argue that Thais don't need to advise authorities of their movements so why foreigners? I mean if a Thai leaves their home village and goes and lives/works in Bangkok they don't have to tell the police where they are living in bangkok?

Glad we only visit Thailand for short periods every year. Would not want to retire in Thailand!