800 Baht fine for Thai wife not reporting at Korat Immigration

[Ken]

this sums it up:

no immigration office in town - go to the police. it takes 30 minutes out of your life to comply:

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=alienstay

Notification of residence of foreigners for businesses According to section 38 of the 1979 immigration act, "House owners, heads of household, landlords or managers of hotels who accommodate foreign nationals on a temporary basis who stay in the kingdom legally, must notify the local immigration authorities within 24 hours from the time of arrival of the foreign national."

So what if you don't live here on a 'temporary basis', but live here full time?

No reporting required then?

Not to mention 'Notification of residence of foreigners for businesses'

What if your home isn't a business?

No reporting required then?

If you are not a Permanent Resident meaning went thru the process to become one, then I suspect you are here on a "temporary basis", at least in their eyes.

[mcfish]

No jomtien but I don't think it matters what office it is, you could be to sick or have a disability to make it in person but I think you stretched it to far

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

[MartinL]

According to the immigration website, you can only report to the local police if there is no locl Immigration office in your province.

Not so - the wording on the TM30 is " ... if there is no Immigration Office licated (sic) IN THAT AREA the local police offician (sic) must be notified".

[Ken]

No jomtien but I don't think it matters what office it is, you could be to sick or have a disability to make it in person but I think you stretched it to far

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

Actually I think it makes a big difference what office. It has already been pointed out that not all offices are enforcing this rule. Also it is well known that not all offices accept some things by mail.

[Ken]

According to the immigration website, you can only report to the local police if there is no locl Immigration office in your province.

Not so - the wording on the TM30 is " ... if there is no Immigration Office licated (sic) IN THAT AREA the local police offician (sic) must be notified".

Again, I have stated already Korat Immigration is located in my area, so there is a "local" immigration office.

[Ken]

I filed two tm30 by mail both sent two weeks late and extended my visa yesterday with no fines.

Mail is an easy option

Sent from my SC-01D using Tapatalk

And I assume you filed the TM 30's for your wife as that is what I am talking about.

[norfolkandchance]

I arrived in Thailand last October.on a visa exempt stamp. Went to Korat immigration to extent by 30 days. Immigration officer (older guy in the middle) asked if i had reported. I said that i had reported to the local police. Not good enough he said .Korat was my nearest reporting office. He then send me down to the Immigration police office down the stairs where a lady put all my details on the immigration web site. She then gave me a username and password. Went back to immigration officer who gave me another 30 days stamp. No fine.

Came back in start of Feb.logged in and put my details in.Sorted

Perhaps the 200 baht cakes helped

Hope this helps

regards

Don't totally understand your post. It is the home owner who has to report your stay within 24 hours. Anyway, we shall see what happens in my case next month. Always look forward (sarcasm) to this once a year ordeal.

My G/F reported me to the local police the day after i arrived. The Policeman would not except the TM30 but filled in a police report that we both took to the Immigration office at Korat when i applied for the extra 30 days

Hope this clears things up

Hope everything goes OK next visit

[manfredtillmann]

According to the immigration website, you can only report to the local police if there is no locl Immigration office in your province.

Not so - the wording on the TM30 is " ... if there is no Immigration Office licated (sic) IN THAT AREA the local police offician (sic) must be notified".

Again, I have stated already Korat Immigration is located in my area, so there is a "local" immigration office.

ok, so you are the judge of what is 'in that area' or not. i have an immigration office 56 km away from where i live, but it is 'my area'. it does not matter to my local police, but, they accept my tm 30 and praise me for its presentation.

[Ken]

According to the immigration website, you can only report to the local police if there is no locl Immigration office in your province.

Not so - the wording on the TM30 is " ... if there is no Immigration Office licated (sic) IN THAT AREA the local police offician (sic) must be notified".

Again, I have stated already Korat Immigration is located in my area, so there is a "local" immigration office.

ok, so you are the judge of what is 'in that area' or not. i have an immigration office 56 km away from where i live, but it is 'my area'. it does not matter to my local police, but, they accept my tm 30 and praise me for its presentation.

I have no clue what you are on about.

[Ken]

I arrived in Thailand last October.on a visa exempt stamp. Went to Korat immigration to extent by 30 days. Immigration officer (older guy in the middle) asked if i had reported. I said that i had reported to the local police. Not good enough he said .Korat was my nearest reporting office. He then send me down to the Immigration police office down the stairs where a lady put all my details on the immigration web site. She then gave me a username and password. Went back to immigration officer who gave me another 30 days stamp. No fine.

Came back in start of Feb.logged in and put my details in.Sorted

Perhaps the 200 baht cakes helped

Hope this helps

regards

Don't totally understand your post. It is the home owner who has to report your stay within 24 hours. Anyway, we shall see what happens in my case next month. Always look forward (sarcasm) to this once a year ordeal.

My G/F reported me to the local police the day after i arrived. The Policeman would not except the TM30 but filled in a police report that we both took to the Immigration office at Korat when i applied for the extra 30 days

Hope this clears things up

Hope everything goes OK next visit

Thank you so much for the clarification. Very good info and it may be something I will have to do and not so bad an option. Thanks also for the "hope everything goes OK..." Me too.

[NancyL]

The office staff of our condo building got themselves set up to input the TM30 reports on-line for residents, whether owners or renters. It's the same system used by hotels and guest houses. Very good of them to do it, but this was after Chiang Mai Immigration conducted a "raid" on our building last year when they were checking up on foreigners who hadn't filed 90 day reports or done visa extensions in a while, yet there was no record of them leaving the country. Turns out some of them had died and no one had cancelled their visa extensions, Immigration put the condo staff thru the wringer about the lack of TM30s for the foreign residents, also. Apparently, no one was fined because the condo management was cooperative and got with the program!

Chiang Mai Immigration definitely insists that a TM 30 be filed every time a foreigner returns to Thailand after having been out of the country.

[Bredbury Blue]

I went to samut prakarn immigration to do my 90 days a fortnight back and for the first time they informed me of the wife having to report me, with the form they gave me, "within 24 hours of arrival in Thailand" (last time I arrived was 18 months ago). Trouble was they wouldn't let me 90 day report until my wife came and did the form or I did it on her behalf. As I didn't want to have to come back the next day to do it, I stood my ground and argued they've known where I live for years as every year I do my O annual extension. Luckily the nice immigration lady agrred to check was I in their system, found my wife and my details were in the system, printed out something for me in thai which shows my name, passport number, date of my O extension, wifes name and our address, which I then showed the man doing 90 days and all was ok with him. Yet another annoying hoop successfully jumped.

,

[MartinL]

Not so - the wording on the TM30 is " ... if there is no Immigration Office licated (sic) IN THAT AREA the local police offician (sic) must be notified".

Again, I have stated already Korat Immigration is located in my area, so there is a "local" immigration office.

ok, so you are the judge of what is 'in that area' or not. i have an immigration office 56 km away from where i live, but it is 'my area'. it does not matter to my local police, but, they accept my tm 30 and praise me for its presentation.

I have no clue what you are on about.

Ken, in the nicest possible way I have to say that a 2 hour drive isn't a trip to somewhere 'in your area' so just accept what's been said and get your TM30 done at your local town/village cop shop, although you might have to take a copy of the form along for them as they mightn't have one.

Khon Kaen IO is about 85km from my home and there's no way I'd interpret that as being 'in my area' so I follow the wording on the TM30 & get it done by the local police - no problems at all in subsequently presenting it to KKIO. Unless Korat IO is being exceptionally difficult, by getting the TM30 done in your town, you're complying with the law and saving yourself 4 hours travelling time & petrol. Is there a fee for completion of TM30 at an IO? Don't know 'cos I've never tried. There's none for completion at the police station.

Maybe manfredtillmann is German and is trying to express, in a language foreign to him, what I've just said.

[Ken]

Martin:

Ok, I accept your nicest possible way. No problem We have totally different interpretations of what they mean in According to section 38 of the 1979 immigration act, House owners, heads of household, landlords or managers of hotels who accommodate foreign nationals on a temporary basis who stay in the kingdom legally, must notify the local immigration authorities within 24 hours from the time of arrival of the foreign national. If there is no immigration office in the province or locality of the respective house or hotel,..... As there is an immigration office in the province, then I take it that is where my wife must report to and not the local police station. But who knows, been here 26 years and the local police know me very well. Since this crap has recently come up, I have never tried to go to to the local police with a TM 30 and have no idea if this would be accepted by Korat Immigration. So it appears we are in a learning stage as to what will work or not work for Korat Immigration.

[SpokaneAl]

The 800 baht number seems to a common one. Some have been fined the max fine of 2000 baht.

There are other offices interpreting the immigration act the same way while others say the report is not needed unless you change addresses. IMO it only has to be done if you change residences.

You could ask about mailing in the report. I think Korat was telling people they could also register do them online.

Joe, I went in for my 90 day report at Korat immigration in January and had to go back and get my sister-law who owns the home we live in so she could fulfill her obligations. When I did the 90 day report the pleasant fellow told us that we could accomplish my sister in-law's reporting on line and I could even use my email address and do the reporting on her behalf. All we needed to do was go next door and talk to the lady in that office.

We went next door and got a completely different story. That lady told us (actually my sister-in-law) that she did not have time for that stuff and it would just be easier for us to come back each time this report was due.

I guess we will be making the drive.

[oxo1947]

What if the Thai wife told them to do one?

What they gonna do to her?

Not confirm the 60...or 90 day report. About 10 years back Udon Thani did not have immigration, we all had to troop up to nong khai for our 1 year visa & 90 day. My first visit was for a 90-days I was still stamped with a 1 year Visa from Pattaya, I had brought a house & moved in but all the financials hadn't been completed so it was still in the Thai persons name. I was told that the Thai person had breached the rules by not reporting me living there & it was a 2,000 baht fine. I said your be getting that from her then as I have done nothing wrong---no , the answer was, you pay & you get it from her (some chance) do that or we do not confirm the 90 report.

Out of the 5 people that maned the desks there was a really obnoxious guy that we had all named "Rat Face" he just seemed to want to make life as difficult as possible---& it wasn't about money, I could live with that, I had just come from living 7 years in Pattaya---he just would delight in finding some tiny discrepancy (invented or not)--so you had to do the entire journey again the next day.. Of course no one ever wanted to be assign to him. So as nong khai had a lot of immigrant workers from Lao coming & going in that office you would take 2 or 3 numbers then stand or sit next to one of them that came in after you---if it got to the point where you were next & he was vacant--you would give the first lower number to a Lao person.......the only problem being they would insist on doing a big Wai to thank you a 100 times----so the staff picked up on that after a while, & you had to get your number from them.

It even came to the point where a lot of us would go back to free & easy Pattaya for a few days R & R & do our yearly visa.

As the expats in Udon grew, they decided they would operate an immigration office out of the locale hospital for 2 days of the week. Who was put in Charge....of course Rat Face---so on those 2 days of the week everyone would make sure they went to nong Khai...Rat Face was sitting in an empty office & you couldn't move in the nong Khai one, as you stood in line all one would hear was....."your from Udon, you could have done this there---its open 2 days a week now"-------- Oh is it, I'll try to remember that next time......................

[MartinL]

Martin:

Ok, I accept your nicest possible way. No problem We have totally different interpretations of what they mean in According to section 38 of the 1979 immigration act, House owners, heads of household, landlords or managers of hotels who accommodate foreign nationals on a temporary basis who stay in the kingdom legally, must notify the local immigration authorities within 24 hours from the time of arrival of the foreign national. If there is no immigration office in the province or locality of the respective house or hotel,..... As there is an immigration office in the province, then I take it that is where my wife must report to and not the local police station. But who knows, been here 26 years and the local police know me very well. Since this crap has recently come up, I have never tried to go to to the local police with a TM 30 and have no idea if this would be accepted by Korat Immigration. So it appears we are in a learning stage as to what will work or not work for Korat Immigration.

I live in KK province, not an adjacent province with no IO of its own.

[Maestro]

you can report your tm30 to your local police station - i know they hate it but that's the law.

i do every time i arrive - no, actually, the girl does. small town, they know us by now.

According to the immigration website, you can only report to the local police if there is no locl Immigration office in your province.

Link, please.

P.S. Forget it. Manfredtillmann was so kind as to post the link here:http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/895701-800-baht-fine-for-thai-wife-not-reporting-at-korat-immigration/#entry10431707

That's what it says (highlighting in bold is mine):

...If there is no immigration office in the province or locality of the respective house or hotel...

"Locality" is a bit vague and I guess one would have to look at the Thai text of Section 38 of the Immigration Act or the Thai text of the immigration notice on their website to see what is says there. Any volunteers?

Immigration Act B.E. 2522 Thai text

Immigration notification, Thai text

Edited February 17, 2016 by Maestro
added postscript

[Ken]

you can report your tm30 to your local police station - i know they hate it but that's the law.

i do every time i arrive - no, actually, the girl does. small town, they know us by now.

According to the immigration website, you can only report to the local police if there is no locl Immigration office in your province.

Link, please.

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=alienstay

[jerome2]

If you live here the thai who own the house/ flat must come and sign every year... yellow book dont work

Thanks Joe. I need to do my annual retirement extension next month so we shall see what happens in my case. Last year the officer said that I must bring my wife "next year" and said "yea". Well I have no intention on taking her this year, so again, we shall see what happens.

How would they know you are married if you are applying for a retirement extension?

[jerome2]

Martin:..... kkien has an immig.off. further

Ok, I accept your nicest possible way. No problem We have totally different interpretations of what they mean in According to section 38 of the 1979 immigration act, House owners, heads of household, landlords or managers of hotels who accommodate foreign nationals on a temporary basis who stay in the kingdom legally, must notify the local immigration authorities within 24 hours from the time of arrival of the foreign national. If there is no immigration office in the province or locality of the respective house or hotel,..... As there is an immigration office in the province, then I take it that is where my wife must report to and not the local police station. But who knows, been here 26 years and the local police know me very well. Since this crap has recently come up, I have never tried to go to to the local police with a TM 30 and have no idea if this would be accepted by Korat Immigration. So it appears we are in a learning stage as to what will work or not work for Korat Immigration.

kkien immigr. Off. Is farther university 1km on the right

I live in KK province, not an adjacent province with no IO of its own.

[TechnikaIII]

Yet another reason not to marry in Thailand.

[Maestro]

...

You could ask about mailing in the report. I think Korat was telling people they could also register do them online.

I would go further and say, don't ask, just mail it. If already told that they don't allow mailing the form, I would still mail it, with a letter saying something like "In compliance with Section 38 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 and the notification published on the website of the Immigration Bureau at www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/base.php?page=alienstay, I herewith enclose the form TM.30 Notification Form for House Master, Owner, or the Possessor of The Residence Where Aliens Have Stay"

The letter would of course be in Thai, in the flowery, polite and respectful language used for formal correspondence. Don't enter into a verbal argument with the immigration officer, don't wave the law and notification in front of his face. Smile, leave, and mail the form. I have had very good experience with this procedure, with another branch of the Thai government (and also with municipal and regional administrations in Switzerland)

[jerome2]

Thanks Joe. I need to do my annual retirement extension next month so we shall see what happens in my case.

Even if she's dead you still need the thai owner to sign the f... paper at the imm. Off.

Last year the officer said that I must bring my wife "next year" and said "yea". Well I have no intention on taking her this year, so again, we shall see what happens.

You're right, no requirement to have a wife for a retirement extension.

If they insist, tell them she left you.

[Scouse123]

Guys,

Bear with me as I am not fully getting this thread.

OK, I am on retirement extension and I am registered at the same house for many years and have the yellow book. I frequently leave and travel to various countries within the region. I seldom am in Thailand for 90 days, but will be on this rare occasion. I am due 90 day report next month and report to Sakon Nakhon. To my knowledge, I can also do this by mail or online.

When I entered Thailand in December I came through the airport and was stamped in after filling in a TM 6 card.I am not married but I am unsure if that is even relevant.

I then went home to my registered Thai address. I did not fill out any such form TM30 and never have done in the past nor report to local police station.I do not know where to obtain a TM30. Was I supposed to as nobody told me and this is the first I have heard about it??

Sakon Nakhon immigration is a separate province to where I live.

Edited February 17, 2016 by Scouse123

[jerome2]

However whoever you must have a thai owner signing for you ... every year i think ,when you make the visa.. youre a d....... alien

Edited February 17, 2016 by jerome2

[Tassie Norm]

Thanks Joe. I need to do my annual retirement extension next month so we shall see what happens in my case. Last year the officer said that I must bring my wife "next year" and said "yea". Well I have no intention on taking her this year, so again, we shall see what happens.

Wife required for a 'retirement' extension!? Some confusion here.about what initial visa you hold Ken.

[jerome2]

One more way for Thai wifes to get rid of their foreign husbands by refusing to pay the fine which means no extension. Got to handmit to them, they are very creative...

if they want out they dont need this kind of an excuse

[ubonjoe]

Guys,

Bear with me as I am not fully getting this thread.

OK, I am on retirement extension and I am registered at the same house for many years and have the yellow book. I frequently leave and travel to various countries within the region. I seldom am in Thailand for 90 days, but will be on this rare occasion. I am due 90 day report next month and report to Sakon Nakhon. To my knowledge, I can also do this by mail or online.

When I entered Thailand in December I came through the airport and was stamped in after filling in a TM 6 card.

I then went home to my registered Thai address. I did not fill out any such form TM30 and never have done in the past nor report to local police station. Was I supposed to as nobody told me and this is the first I have heard about it??

Sakon Nakhon immigration is a separate province to where I live.

Not all offices are asking for the TM30 form every time you enter the country. I would not worry about it. I don't recall any report of Sakon Nakhon asking for them.

[maoro2013]

Thanks Joe. I need to do my annual retirement extension next month so we shall see what happens in my case. Last year the officer said that I must bring my wife "next year" and said "yea". Well I have no intention on taking her this year, so again, we shall see what happens.

What has a wife to do with a retirement extension?