TM30 queston

[Genericnic]

I recently returned to CM after being out of the country for 3 weeks. I had the juristic person (my condo front desk folks) do an online notification that I was staying here. Despite having lived here for 5-1/2 years, I only recently started hearing about TM30s and the requirement to file. The document I got back from them was an A4 sheet of the condo letterhead paper, all in Thai, essentially saying I was an American with passport no. XXXXXX, staying in room no. XXX, at the condo address. 

 

The question I have is for those that live in condos that have their juristic person file for them. Does the form I described seem to be the same as the one you receive when they file for you? 

 

I have never seen one of the forms before and want to be sure it is what Immigration will be looking for.

 

Any helpful comments appreciated.

 

David

 

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Yes, the information is extremely minimal: your full name, nationality, check-in date and passport number are required, plus some optional ones like your arrival/departure card number, arrival date in Thailand, point of entry and visa type. 

 

Also the requirement to report is on your condominium or other accommodation provider, so whatever they're happy with will be fine.

 

Very likely a condominium operator would just submit this online.

[mesquite]

Yes.  From what I can gather, the only foreigners who need to be concerned about this issue are those who have been living in houses where the owner (the wife!) has not been aware of this requirement and has not submitted the TM-30.  Condos, guest houses, hotels, etc submit them, online for the latter two.  For the vast vast majority of foreigners, it is a non-issue and they don't even need to know what a TM-30 is.

 

Do I have it right?

Edited September 11, 2016 by mesquite

[NancyL]

Our condo juristic person manager office also files on-line for the residents, IF we remember to tell them when we return from being out-of-country, and give them our passport for a few minutes.  However, they don't bother to produce a nifty letter on condo letterhead, but instead just do a "printscreen" of what they've submitted when they input our data into Immigration's TM30 database.  I just keep a copy of that "printscreen" in my passport.

[Genericnic]

Thanks all. 

 

@NancyL, I like the idea of just doing a printscreen. I'll have to see if my folks can do that. Might make it easier for them as well.

 

David

 

[MadMac]

The condo management is not in charge of the TM30, the owner is. If they do it for you, good.

 

Immigration does not follow the law, I'm usufructus for the house, not my wife. They changed the paper into my wives name where she is not legally the owner and wanted me to sign it for 1600B penalty, even if just arrived from abroad.

 

So this is all a made up rip off. Be prepared to pay another 1600B for every extension from now on. Or get it in BKK or get a visa from abroad.

[dvae]

Sorry to hijack your thread, but I have a similar question about the tm30 form.

 

I had to do an extension for my ED visa last week, chose to use an agency to help me get the queue number. The agent went to Chiang Mai Immigration and was told that they wanted to see a copy of the tm30 receipt from my apartment.

 

They asked my apartment, who said that they had registered me when I first moved in, but didn't keep the receipt. The agent went down to Immigration again to talk with them about it.

 

When they checked my information, my address was registered at a hotel in Mae Hong Song, where I'd stayed for a weekend last month. I was really confused as to why my address was registered up there still, even though I just spent a night there.

 

Immigration registered me back to my apartment address, gave me the receipt, and we able to complete the extension.

 

Does this mean that in future, if I take a weekend trip to Bangkok or anywhere else in Thailand, the hotel I stay at will complete a tm30 to register that as my present address?

 

Then, when I come back to my apartment, do I need to explain my landlady she has to complete a new tm30 to register me again as back in Chiang Mai? 

 

Or, will the new tm30 receipt I just got be fine now for the remainder of the time I'm staying at this apartment?

 

Has anybody else experienced this? Thank you.

[NancyL]

Yup. if you stay somewhere else in Thailand and they submit a TM30 for you, then you'll have to make sure a new TM30 is submitted when you return home.  We've experienced it when we've gone to Bangkok for a few days of shopping.

[Johpa]

So just out of curiosity, I will be staying at our home, home is in my wife's name, later this year.  The wife will not be present and she will be in the US.  By the letter of the law, am I suppose to report and file a TM30 at the local municipality?  Would they accept this form from moi, a non-citizen?  Mind you many of the people at the local municipality have known me for decades and have never expressed any concern or interest in such bureaucratic niceties in the past.

[davehowden]

NancyL:

 

When you say "somewhere else in Thailand" do you mean outside of Chiang Mai Province or anywhere that submits a TM30 for you, such as an hotel in CM?

 

Previously the agreed "interpretation" had been outside of Thailand, below from Dons Life web site:

 

" 3. Once a TM-30 has been filed by the property owner and the foreign national takes a trip out of
town but NOT out of Thailand, the property owner need not turn in a new TM-30.  However, should
the foreign national leave Thailand to visit another country, the property owner must file a new TM-
30 within 24 hours of that person’s arrival back on the property. "

 

http://donslifeinthailand.com/TM28_Imm_Law.html

 

 

Edited September 11, 2016 by davehowden

[NancyL]

Even Don will admit that his blog/newsletter is not an official source and he's constantly updating it.  Initially, when CM Imm. decided to enforce the TM30 rule they were telling people they just needed to be filed when people returned from being overseas, but they've come to realize that hotels within Thailand file when people travel, so new forms need to be filed when people return home from travel WITHIN the country, also.  

 

I ran into Col. Rutjapong, the head of CM Immigration recently at a function and asked him about this and he confirmed that yes, they do need to be refiled -- definitely when someone returns from overseas and "maybe" when someone returns from travel within Thailand.  When questioned if the "maybe" meant if someone stayed in a hotel in Thailand that filed a TM30, he said yes that's what he meant, then the foreigner would have a new TM30 upon return home to Chiang Mai.

[davehowden]

I wonder if hospitals submit TM 30 also!

Edited September 12, 2016 by davehowden

[Dante99]

1 hour ago, davehowden said:

I wonder if hospitals submit TM 30 also!

I have researched that extensively over the past 5 years and have over 6,000 pages of related documents.  The answer remains non-conclusive.

 

 

[MadMac]

If you travel within Thailand, more than 24h, a TM28 should be required, not a TM30. That's all rubbish anyway, as they don't know their own rules. So pay up the 1600B, that's the message.

[chuang]

This crazy visa procedures is driving people up the wall...The last time I submitted the TM30 at the airport office immigration, I asked and was told no need to re-file if I travel within thailand..only if out of thailand.....So which is which.....

Edited September 12, 2016 by chuang

[davehowden]

Like so many medieval societies Thailand operates as a series of individual Robber Barons fiefdoms.

 

Time for a serfs revolt ??

[davehowden]

4 hours ago, NancyL said:

Even Don will admit that his blog/newsletter is not an official source and he's constantly updating it.  Initially, when CM Imm. decided to enforce the TM30 rule they were telling people they just needed to be filed when people returned from being overseas, but they've come to realize that hotels within Thailand file when people travel, so new forms need to be filed when people return home from travel WITHIN the country, also.  

 

I ran into Col. Rutjapong, the head of CM Immigration recently at a function and asked him about this and he confirmed that yes, they do need to be refiled -- definitely when someone returns from overseas and "maybe" when someone returns from travel within Thailand.  When questioned if the "maybe" meant if someone stayed in a hotel in Thailand that filed a TM30, he said yes that's what he meant, then the foreigner would have a new TM30 upon return home to Chiang Mai.

 Nancy, might be better for all concerned if you stopped hob-nobbing with a guy who clearly doesn't know what he is talking about and gave him the disdain that he so clearly warrants?

Edited September 12, 2016 by davehowden

[NotEinstein]

They seem to be hot for blood on the TM30 filing now. We notified some long term residents today who checked-in yesterday, but entered Thailand a month ago. They demanded that we return with a copy of the rental contract to accept our check-in date and not fine us.

[balo]

I have never used a TM30 in Thailand and I've been here 5 years. Stayed in condos I owned myself and also rented condos.  Just never seen one. Maybe the juristic office did report it online but I wouldn't know, 

 

[Peterw42]

Condo Managers are not responsible for reporting alien in residence.The house master is responsible for reporting. The house master is the property owner, lease holder, hotel or apartment block owner.

 

Condo managers are not the house master, they are not owner, a hotel, or providing accommodation.

 

If you own a Condominium, (house master) you are actually supposed to report your yourself.

 

If the front desk is reporting you, they are a hotel or an apartment building (apartment buildings have one owner, units are not individually owned)

 

.

 

 

[habfan]

I also have been here 5 years and never used a TM30. I own a house (in my wife's name)  in a small village outside Lampang. My marriage extension is due in January so will she and I  now need to submit a TM30 with the usual extension documents with her vouching that this is my residence or is her tabian baan sufficient?

[Peterw42]

22 minutes ago, habfan said:

I also have been here 5 years and never used a TM30. I own a house (in my wife's name)  in a small village outside Lampang. My marriage extension is due in January so will she and I  now need to submit a TM30 with the usual extension documents with her vouching that this is my residence or is her tabian baan sufficient?

 

Its not a new requirement, Technically your wife should have reported you 24 hours after you moved in. Many people dont do , or are even aware of it. An over zealous immigration officer could come and fine her. I had one particular immigration officer you used to tell me to tell my landlord to put in a TM30 or he would come and fine her. I would go home, call the landlord, but she never put one in, and didnt get fined.

[MadMac]

They will rip you off anyway. I tried last time to do the TM30 thing when coming back from Europe. That was on a Monday morning, arrived Saturday and Sunday they obviously do not open. The guy ruling in that building behind the usual office firstly changed my details into that of my wife, who is not the legal owner, then asked me to pay 1600B because I own the house through a usufruct. Complete rubbish. So, conclusion is, if you don't have a TM30 filed yet. just wait until the time arises and pay the 1600B "penalty". Or sit it out and hope for a change. They just moved it back to the airport office, whpo says it may not go back to Promenada or elsewhere. Alternatively do your immigration stuff in BKK or elsewhere.

[Johpa]

Well nobody could answer my question whether I could submit a TM30 on my own, but making inferences from other posts I can see that the most rational option is to simply ignore the requirement and pay any fine in the highly unlikely scenario that some immigration official makes it up to our relatively small remote rural village where even the police rarely make an appearance.

[NancyL]

8 hours ago, davehowden said:

 Nancy, might be better for all concerned if you stopped hob-nobbing with a guy who clearly doesn't know what he is talking about and gave him the disdain that he so clearly warrants?

It can't help it if the Consuls invite him to their parties.  I tried the "disdain" route for a time and it didn't have good results.

 

The "moral of the story" with the TM30 issue is to file one every time you leave your home for a night and return.  When in doubt, file.  They obviously apply their own rules in a capricious manner.

[eyecatcher]

I filed my first TM30 last December and have since spent 3 weeks out of the country.

on my return I was a bit lazy to go and get another one done or simply confirm I am back at my address but i was getting a bit worried as the 90 day report approached.

Excuses already prepared but the report lady didnt even look at it, mention it or anything.

Perhaps another thing they just want to "drive" when it suits them.

 

next month everyone will be saying "whats a TM30?" 

[MadMac]

30 minutes ago, eyecatcher said:

Perhaps another thing they just want to "drive" when it suits them.

 

 

It's not registered in any database anyway. Just a piece of paper. Perhaps they do, if a hotel registers you, the 1600B guys do not. Lose the receipt and pay up again. Or up to the weather.

[holy cow cm]

So how does it get started in the first place? Never have Done it or had it done where I was residing at..  

 

Does the company or owner you rent from have to do this in person filling out documents putting them in the system then adding your name to it? or can we fill out the from TM30 get the company managers and/or owners signature and turn it in ourselves to file and start the process? Of course a rental agreement and contract would be needed. I am a bit confused. Been in and out of the county 6 times this year and 10 traveling around.

[Peterw42]

22 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

So how does it get started in the first place? Never have Done it or had it done where I was residing at..  

 

Does the company or owner you rent from have to do this in person filling out documents putting them in the system then adding your name to it? or can we fill out the from TM30 get the company managers and/or owners signature and turn it in ourselves to file and start the process? Of course a rental agreement and contract would be needed. I am a bit confused. Been in and out of the county 6 times this year and 10 traveling around.

 

The only time you need to worry about it is if you are staying at Thai girlfriends house etc, and later on go to immigration (with the girlfriend) to get a resident certificate. Some offices will see this as an opportunity to fine the girlfriend for not reporting you, in most cases they get GF to fill in a TM30 then and dont fine. Other than that, if someone didn't report you, they are liable not you.

If you own a condo, I believe you report yourself.