800 Baht fine for Thai wife not reporting at Korat Immigration

[SOTIRIOS]

...can't remember what it feels like to have a 'normal' life.....

[sunnyjim5]

...can't remember what it feels like to have a 'normal' life.....

Is what you call a "normal" life something you intend to return to ?

My life in Thailand is "normal" and been so for many tears.

[chiang mai]

If I'm required to prove my address I show a copy of the chanotte of the house I live in, I hold an usufruct on the property and only the usufruct holder can approve who lives at that address. It works everytime.

[Tomtomtom69]

I donot quite understand this.

so every time a foreigner who is married leaves the country when he returns his wife must inform immigration?

I thought immigration would know as soon as the foreigner went through immigration at the airport.

My wife is a teacher and would have to take a day off work to go with me to immigration if this is right. quite an inconvenience for some of us.

Once would be acceptable, if the foreigner returns to the same address upon returning from abroad.

But after every trip abroad, returning to the same residence? That's just plain stupid.

I can't imagine anyone going through the pain of that. Some of us travel regularly for business.

[louse1953]

Yet another reason not to marry in Thailand.

What's that got to do with Tm30,sombody has to do it.

[louse1953]

...

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)

That's the way M,baffle them with their own bs.

[lostinisaan]

Mrs.Trans got fined in Ubon, and I had a yellow book..........

I "helped a little bit", because you guys bet us at the Somtham competition in Ubon. Revenge is the keyword.. Regards to Mrs. Trans.

[alien365]

Does this apply if you have a non b and get a re-entry permit before leaving?

[Dumbastheycome]

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.

Why do they hate it? Because they have to process it for free or?

[metisdead]

A nonsense post has been removed as well as a reply.

[Maestro]

"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

No volunteers, I see, therefore I have laboured myself.

1. The Thai text of Section 38 of the Immigration Act does not have the word “province” in it.

   My inexpert translation of the second sentence of the first paragraph is as follows:

   “If there is no immigration office for the submission of the notification, a police officer at the local police station must be notified.”

2. The second paragraph of Section 38 of the Immigration Act says that for residences in Bangkok the notification must be made at the immigration office. This means that the option to do it at the local police station as per paragraph one applies only to residences in the provinces.

3. The third and last paragraph of Section 38 of the Immigration Act says that the notification “must comply with regulations prescribed by the Director General”. Unfortunately, this regulation does not seem to be available on the Internet.

4. The Thai text of the notification on the website of the Immigration Bureau, after quoting correctly from Section 38 of the Immigration Act, goes on to say that for residences in the provinces the immigration office responsible for the area where the residence is located must be notified. The possibility of notifying the local police station is no longer mentioned, but reference is made to the regulation issued under Section 38 and four methods of making the notification are listed: in person, through an authorised person, by mail, via Internet.

5. My conclusions:

   ( a ) As we do not know the text of the regulation issued by the Police Director General it is possible that it allows notification at the local police station only if there is no immigration office in the province where the residence is located.

   ( b ) For residences in the provinces, the notification on the immigration website allows the submission of the TM.30 by mail without restriction. An officer who says that his office does not allow it is abusing his authority and can be ignored.

   ( c ) If an immigration office does not mind when notification is made at the local police station and the house master prefers this method, she should feel free to continue doing so as long as the immigration office allows it.

[Maestro]

Does this apply if you have a non b and get a re-entry permit before leaving?

The legal requirement for the "house master" to report the arrival of a foreigner at her residence applies regarding all foreigners regardless of their type of visa and permission to stay. How individual immigration offices interpret and implement this requirement may be another matter.

[Krataiboy]

It is not a requirement for either you, your wife or anyone else to inform immigration if you return from abroad or anywhere else unless you have changed the address you are returning to.

You Korat guys are being scammed. So what are you going to do about it apart from bleat on ThaiVisa?

Put up or pay up. It's your choice..

[alien365]

Does this apply if you have a non b and get a re-entry permit before leaving?

The legal requirement for the "house master" to report the arrival of a foreigner at her residence applies regarding all foreigners regardless of their type of visa and permission to stay. How individual immigration offices interpret and implement this requirement may be another matter.

Thanks for the clarification. My immigration seem quite relaxed on the issue as I have friends who have not even had the form completed once, but you never know when it may change. I prefer to do by the book as long as reasonably practical.

[Autonuaq]

It is quit simple.

The home owner has to report the people on the house if they are foeigner.

So your friend, family, the hotel and so kne has to report

If one rents then

The home owner and the person who rents

Within 24 hrs.

Also the foreigner has to report too.

Do not forget to do that.

Then the nice part.

If the foreinger stays longer then 24 hrs in an other province he has to report within 48 hrs in the province.

For example:

you live in Samut Prakan go to Bangkok. Close by and for most people looks the same due to the integration in they eye of a foreigner.

One stay two days in Bangkok then you go Samut Prakan.

I this case have to report in Bangkok.

Back you have to report Samut Prakan.

This is reality as some found out.

Hust the inplementation of the law and document provided.

[Nowisee]

Accorrding to the local I/O, under section 38, it is NOT the responsibility of the renter to process a TM-30 upon arrival into Thailand.

You are only responsible to fill out a TM-28 if you move.

It is quit simple.

The home owner has to report the people on the house if they are foeigner.


So your friend, family, the hotel and so kne has to report

If one rents then
The home owner and the person who rents
Within 24 hrs.

Also the foreigner has to report too.
Do not forget to do that.


Then the nice part.

If the foreinger stays longer then 24 hrs in an other province he has to report within 48 hrs in the province.

For example:
you live in Samut Prakan go to Bangkok. Close by and for most people looks the same due to the integration in they eye of a foreigner.

One stay two days in Bangkok then you go Samut Prakan.
I this case have to report in Bangkok.
Back you have to report Samut Prakan.

This is reality as some found out.

Hust the inplementation of the law and document provided.

[Maestro]

...

If one rents then

The home owner and the person who rents

Within 24 hrs.

...

Not quite. Where an immigration office chooses to implement the TM.30 requirement it is either the owner or the person who rents (house-master, ie chief possessor of the residence in his capacity as tenant) who must submit the form.

[Maestro]

Accorrding to the local I/O, under section 38, it is NOT the responsibility of the renter to process a TM-30 upon arrival into Thailand.

You are only responsible to fill out a TM-28 if you move.

As there are differences from one immigration office to the next regarding the interpretation and implementation of the TM.30 requirement it would have been helpful if you had posted the name of your local immigration office.

[wowfactor10]

Why now all of sudden they need to know any minute of the day exactly about the farang his where abouts?

Why it matters less or not at all about a Thai person his where abouts? Why Thais do not get fines for not reporting themselves?

I

[momtaz]

does this apply for Bkk too? or only at there?

[frog555]

Hello,

That is the first time I have heard of the TM30.

I live in the house of my son's mother. She is the owner of the house.

My visa is a Non-immigrant O (visit my son, fatherhood not legitimized yet, not married)

We live in Chiang Mai.

1. Where to give the form TM30 ?

At the old Immigration office near the airport ? Or at Promenada ?

2. Is it a fast procedure ? Or does it needs to enter in a queue and wait for hours same as when we resquest an extension of visa ?

3. Actually, is there any problem if the procedure is done 1 week after arriving in Thailand ?

Thank you !

And cheers.

[Foozool]

Address report becomes important to immigration when you stay beyond 90 days in the kingdom. Some offices become sensitive about your resident address report ( if it was not mentioned on your TM-6 card on arrival) at the time of visa extension, because they see that you stay at a Thai house (not a hotel, not a rental).

I've never had any address problem at the time of visa extension. I'm on "30 day visa exempt extension" at this moment and I just had my gf with me to BKK Immigration 1. They asked for her phone number only. Nothing about address, however I stay at her house.

[manfredtillmann]

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.

i had to present it at nakhon phanom immigration when i did my last 30 day extension to my tourist visa. they actually asked for it.

[manfredtillmann]

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.

Why do they hate it? Because they have to process it for free or?

it takes the officer a lot of time filling in a handwritten attachment that both his boss, the girl and i have to sign. i do not know why he does it but i see his shoulders sink when we enter the police station.

[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.

Why do they hate it? Because they have to process it for free or?

it takes the officer a lot of time filling in a handwritten attachment that both his boss, the girl and i have to sign. i do not know why he does it but i see his shoulders sink when we enter the police station.

Your signature should not be required on the TM.30, but perhaps you are signing another document, not the form TM.30, at the police station.

Just to satisfy my curiosity, could you post why you and 'the girl" – I presume your convivant is an adult – prefer to visit the local police station to the option of your convivant sending a TM.30 to the immigration office by registered mail?

Regarding your comment "that's the law", we know what the law, ie section 38 of the Immigration Act, says. It says that "Making notification , in reference to the Para 1 and 2 of this Section , must comply with regulations prescribed by the Director General." If you have a copy of these regulations issued by the Director General of the Royal Thai Police, would you be so kind as to post a scanned copy of it? I have been unable to find it on the Internet and would be eternally grateful to you if you helped me get my hands on it.

[jacko45k]

How does immigration know that man on retirement extensions is married?

You do have to report and confirm where you are living when you do an extension.

The address owner/housemaster should submit a TM30 to state they have a foreigner residing.

It could apply to the foreigner him/herself too if they own the home.

[Maestro]

Some immigration offices like to keep a record of the wife, if there be any, of a person on a retirement extension as it makes it easier to trace the next of kin if such foreigner ends up in hospital after an accident or, god forbid, is found dead (provided, of course, that he has some identification document on him). Rather thoughtful on the part of immigration, I should think.

[Ken]

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.

Not sure what difference it would make, but my last visa was a Non O in 2004.

[Maestro]

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.

After the event, please come back to this topic and post how it went.

[Ken]

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.

After the event, please come back to this topic and post how it went.

For sure, I will post back. It will be around middle of March.