Multiple Notification by Thai Owner

[europeannomad]

I am staying in Nan province for nearly 2 years already, on Tourist visas and extensions, and in a house for rent.

 

Today, I went to Nan immigration for a 30 day extension of my tourist visa. The immigration officer told me that the extension could only be granted if the Thai owner of the house came to the immigration. I didn't really understand the reason as the owner had already notified my residence about 4 months ago, when I started renting the house.

 

I called the owner, he was friendly and willing to go there again together with me. The immigration officer explained us that every time when I exit and reenter the country the owner has to make a new notification. Additionally, the owner was fined and told to pay 800 Baht. 

 

I knew that this rule exists, but this has never happened before. It seems kind of ridicoulous to me to ask for multiple notification when somebody rents a house longer term.

 

I thought that they might try to make life on tourist visas uncomfortable to force me into an Elite visa.

 

I will never do that and I consider the Elite visa way too expensive for what it is. I never heard of any country that asks 500'000 Baht for a 5 year stay. My 1 year tourist visa to Australia cost next to nothing, and in New Zealand it was the same. And that are developed countries, not a developing country like Thailand.

 

And the discrimination at national parks still continues, even with Elite. No thank you!

 

I told to the owner to not pay the fine and to walk out. That's what we did, and tomorrow I will drive out of Thailand by motorcycle to get visa exempt entry. It's good climate and clean air for a drive now. 

 

On the drive home, the owner said that he feels that Thailand has a problem these times. I just hope that he will not get into trouble because he didn't pay the fine.

 

My questions:

 

Is this notification rule for Thai owners enforced in the same way in other provinces? Experiences?

 

Is this just Thai style extortion of money?

 

Thank you for any feedback.

 

 

[worgeordie]

Your landlord was lucky,over here in Chiang Mai they fine you 1600 THB

Is this just Thai style extortion of money?,looks like it.

 

The house owner has to report the tenant/Husband, every time they

enter Thailand and stay in said house,supposed to be within 24 hrs !

it does not matter how many times ,ways they know your address,

 they want it again,and again,and yet again.

regards worgeordie

[BritTim]

Depending on how far from immigration the house owner lives, he may or may not be in trouble for failing to pay the fine. The officials are not going to make the effort to travel any distance to enforce something like this.

 

I would caution you that it is a good idea to stay on good terms with your local immigration. Although it may go against the grain, it would probably have been wise to put your hand it your pocket and cough up the 800 baht yourself. Then, for the future, get the owner to fill out a bunch of identical TM-30 forms, and lodge one yourself each time you enter the country. While the owner needs to "complete" the form, anyone can submit it on his behalf unless there is a fine to be paid.

[elviajero]

1. It has happened elsewhere.
2. No. You are leaving the country so every time you enter with a new visa immigration want the hotel/property you're staying in to report that you have returned. Some offices fully enforce the law, some are inconsistent and some don't.

The maximum fine/punishment your landlord faces is 2,000 baht every time he doesn't report following a new entry you make to the country. Pissing off the local immigration office is never a good idea.

[jpinx]

I read elsewhere that the address you put on your landing card is the address immigration have for your residence and you only need to register a new address if you move.

The other thing is that it appears that this repeated address registration is only for a new visa, so people on extended non-O visas for marriage or retirement do not have to re-register every time.

 

I'd agree with the reply above - - very bad move to annoy your local immigrations officers.  You won't know how big that mistake was until something happens.

[stevenl]

8 minutes ago, jpinx said:

I read elsewhere that the address you put on your landing card is the address immigration have for your residence and you only need to register a new address if you move.

The other thing is that it appears that this repeated address registration is only for a new visa, so people on extended non-O visas for marriage or retirement do not have to re-register every time.

 

I'd agree with the reply above - - very bad move to annoy your local immigrations officers.  You won't know how big that mistake was until something happens.

"I read elsewhere that the address you put on your landing card is the address immigration have for your residence"

 

For me that is not the case, the address I have filled out a few times on the arrival card is different from the one I am registered on.

[SaintLouisBlues]

I always put the Dusit Thani Hotel. I've never stayed there

[jpinx]

2 minutes ago, stevenl said:

"I read elsewhere that the address you put on your landing card is the address immigration have for your residence"

 

For me that is not the case, the address I have filled out a few times on the arrival card is different from the one I am registered on.

That makes perfect sense.  If your "last known" registered address is Korat, but you arrive and want to stay in Bankok for a month, then you'd have to do the TM30 thing anyway - even if you had not left the country

[stevenl]

1 minute ago, jpinx said:

That makes perfect sense.  If your "last known" registered address is Korat, but you arrive and want to stay in Bankok for a month, then you'd have to do the TM30 thing anyway - even if you had not left the country

But I don't do the TM30 thingy until the 90 days are there.

[jpinx]

Just now, stevenl said:

But I don't do the TM30 thingy until the 90 days are there.

Fair enough  -- but it does say "within 24 hours"  

[BritTim]

When it comes to the TM-30 forms, it does not matter what you have read, or what the policy is at some other immigration office, you (and your landlord) somehow need to know what the senior official at your local immigration office has decided to enforce. Hard luck if you find out and he then changes his mind.

[Rimmer]

Some off topic baiting and bickering posts have been removed also replies

[poohy]

Surely the address of your home on immigration entry card is enough notification.!!!!

i come and go regularly and know for certain my "good lady" certainly has been nowhere near immigration in fact i only read about this weird so called law on here recently

if there's a fine pending good luck to them getting it from her without a fight

[jollyhangmon]

On 17.11.2016 at 4:03 PM, europeannomad said:

I thought that they might try to make life on tourist visas uncomfortable to force me into an Elite visa.

 

I will never do that and I consider the Elite visa way too expensive for what it is. I never heard of any country that asks 500'000 Baht for a 5 year stay. My 1 year tourist visa to Australia cost next to nothing, and in New Zealand it was the same. And that are developed countries, not a developing country like Thailand.

 ... Is this just Thai style extortion of money? ... <

 

=> Couldn't agree more, my friend! 

 

Not much to add about elite thingy except for that even 5 years are way too long a time to fork over this kind of monies for in advance - in a country as 'reliable' as TH. Make that 1 year intervals, then just maybe. But probably not, still, as there's no real value against it and there are some people who worked long or hard or both for their stashed up dough after all ... happy to spend it, but not that way.

 

The TM-30? Well, to me your (and your landlords) reaction was perfectly understandable, about time more people - both locals as well as 'guests', particularly long-term-payers  in other words - would man up a bit against mindless rules or 'laws' and stand their well paid for ground here. 90-days reporting, anyone ...?
That said let me add that my 'local' immi-office is pretty reasonable where these things are concerned, they know me well over 7 years now, haven't ever seen my various landladies and got their first TM-30 about 1 year ago as nobody that matters had any idea of it's existence before - wasn't ever asked for it either. Now they get it once a year (assuming i don't change dwellings of course) after i'm back from a good 3 months Europe as a real-world-break which they agreed upon and which makes sense to me too.
No demands for payment - fine or 'otherwise' - have ever been made either.

 

How good their laws work (as in: bad guys out... etc.) you could once again well observe in the recent case of that murderous Isi, out of the slammer for murder in just too short a time to begin with, back in the country again (TM-30?? Didn't think so and if yes - even worse!)  and at it again as well ... high time they'd care for really important matters imho.