24 hour immigration registration

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, jossthaifarang said:

Get a lawyer mate, they will sort it out in no time..

and after the lawyer sorts it out send the bill to Thai Immigration. Oh wait! This is Thailand, and immigration can do what they like and set their own rules.

[LivinLOS]

7 minutes ago, inzman said:

The Thai govt now is enforcing the law of reporting within 24 hours. Even if you do a one day trip outside the country. But Jomtien immigration is making it almost impossible by also requiring the owner of the house to report. Even a rental contract is not accepted. It must be the owners house book. They are making  it as difficult as they can and the reason, collecting fines! Revenue is down, they are looking at all new revenue streams. We are pawns in this game with no recourse. 

 

And here is my problem.. I had to move twice last year, after a great 5 year tenancy.. 

 

The 2nd from last house.. Owned by a mia farang who lived in Switzerland.. But who gets your rent ?? I pay by bank.. Who sorts problems ?? I do.. I talk on skype to them.. They simply couldnt mentally adapt that there was no 'landlord' present. 

 

The last house.. Owned by an apparently wealthy senior Thai judge.. Simply refused.. Didnt answer his phone calls from one week to the next.. When I presented the Judges phone number and told them he was in court in bangkok most of the time they seemed too scared to call.. 

 

What then ?? My fault ?? I insisted on a TM28 being done and made a point to drop in twice a week.. Just been to etc.. now I am back.. Until they were sick of my face.. 

[tomacht8]

Get a lawyer and let your wife manage that.
Unfortunately, here exists a cumbersome and non-user-friendly law.
This law has been around for a long time (TM30), but know has been discovered as a source of money by the officials.
Even if the officials have already 3 times your address (on the arrival card, Yellow Housebook and Pink ID),
They only want money, money, money.
As a thailand lover i must say: the times auf "Sabai, Sabai" and "Mai pen rai" are over.

If you rent a house to a foreigner and sign him up with TM30, well.
but if the tenant then invites 3 friends and these all live with him, what is then?
The foreign tourist who rent a holliday house can not know all the regulations of Thailand,
or do I have to carry out nightly occupancy controls as in the Dritten Reich?
One of the most anti-tourism laws ever.
Reminds me of the reporting laws of the old GDR.

[mickba]

1 hour ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

you need to get a lawyer immediately.  here is the lawyer i use

http://www.pattayasolicitors.com/

she will help negotiate a fair fine. does not matter if you did anything wrong. if or when they turn up dont give them your passport but make sure you have photo copies and say your passport is being stored in a safety deposit box some where. they will try to take it from you and hold it which they have no right to do. 

i have been through something like this before and they held my passport for 2 years. you dont want to end up in that situation. PM me if you have any questions. PLEASE LISTEN TO ME WHEN I SAY GET A LAWYER IMMEDIATELY.

 

Totally agree in principal, although personally I would go to Magna Carta (Tony Justice) where I have been looked after through several house 'ownership' situations.

 

However, it occurs to me that the OP couldn't possibly have set up the operation described without a very good Lawyer, so my Q would be why has he not already involved them......perhaps he has.

[Mansell]

I will be living in my wife's house outside of Sara Buri. I was under the impression that she could just report to the local police....is that correct? I have been there many times usually for a month or more and have never reported to anybody. In fact the local village police handled security at our wedding, and nothing is ever mentioned. If we have to go to immigration it is forty kilometers away in LoBuri. Will this be a problem when I do my 90 day report? Thanks guys.

[dentonian]

11 minutes ago, Mansell said:

I will be living in my wife's house outside of Sara Buri. I was under the impression that she could just report to the local police....is that correct? I have been there many times usually for a month or more and have never reported to anybody. In fact the local village police handled security at our wedding, and nothing is ever mentioned. If we have to go to immigration it is forty kilometers away in LoBuri. Will this be a problem when I do my 90 day report? Thanks guys.

 

If there is no local Immigration office within your Province, then according to section 38 of the Act, informing the local police is the correct procedure. I would still advise she completes a TM30 and gets the police to sign and return the receipt as proof she made the report.

 

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.

[williamgeorgeallen]

20 minutes ago, mickba said:

 

Totally agree in principal, although personally I would go to Magna Carta (Tony Justice) where I have been looked after through several house 'ownership' situations.

 

However, it occurs to me that the OP couldn't possibly have set up the operation described without a very good Lawyer, so my Q would be why has he not already involved them......perhaps he has.

yes he must have a lawyer already. either way he needs all the help he can get. who ever they are will be coming for a payout and all that can be done is to pay them off. going through the courts will take years and probably cost far more.

[dentonian]

1 hour ago, mettech said:

That 24 hours reporting is all new to me  I got in on October 02-16 did a visa run to Cambodia and returned to Thailand and fill up form for address where I am going in presence of the house owner in that case my common law dual citizen Thai/Canadian.

Was not asked if I had reported to Immigration.

Now I am going to immigration again for a extension of 30 days and do I to expect a fine since I or she did not go to Immigration and report my stay since.???

They are making life very uncomfortable for us these days.

 

There is a requirement for a foreigner to report his address and one for the house owner to report a foreigner at that address.

 

When you complete a TM6 on entry, you have complied with reporting your address.

Only if you thereafter move to a new address, you should complete a TM28 to inform of a change of address.

 

Each time you take up residence again though, the house owner should report your presence using a TM30.

[realenglish1]

3 hours ago, AlQaholic said:

First, It is illegal for foreigners to own houses in Thailand. So there cannot be any house owners on your land that are foreigners, unless they own the houses using a Thai registered company, in which case the companies own the houses.

 

You need a lawyer, having some experience with lawyers in the Pattaya area, I recommend you do not contact any Lawyer from Pattaya, they are all working together/colluding within a corrupt system to extract maximum money from any foreigner stupid enough to use their services, instead contact your Embassy and get a lawyer from Bkk recommended by your Embassy, most Embassies have a list on their web sites.

 

It is primarily your wife who is in trouble, not you. Again it is very important you contact a Good lawyer immediately!

 

 

Your wrong they can own a house but not the land and yes it can be a foreigner that owns the house just not the land

[LivinLOS]

1 minute ago, dentonian said:

 

There is a requirement for a foreigner to report his address and one for the house owner to report a foreigner at that address.

 

When you complete a TM6 on entry, you have complied with reporting your address.

Only if you thereafter move to a new address, you should complete a TM28 to inform of a change of address.

 

Each time you take up residence again though, the house owner should report your presence using a TM30.

 

See Chiang Mai dont agree with that.. 

[dentonian]

5 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

 

See Chiang Mai dont agree with that.. 

 

You mean Immigration, not the member?

 

 

Edited December 9, 2016 by dentonian

[dentonian]

2 hours ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

you need to get a lawyer immediately.  here is the lawyer i use

http://www.pattayasolicitors.com/

she will help negotiate a fair fine. does not matter if you did anything wrong. if or when they turn up dont give them your passport but make sure you have photo copies and say your passport is being stored in a safety deposit box some where. they will try to take it from you and hold it which they have no right to do. 

i have been through something like this before and they held my passport for 2 years. you dont want to end up in that situation. PM me if you have any questions. PLEASE LISTEN TO ME WHEN I SAY GET A LAWYER IMMEDIATELY.

 

Employing a lawyer would probably cost more than paying any fines.

The OP has already been given excellent advice by Maestro in post #6 of this topic.

[Briggsy]

45 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

 

See Chiang Mai dont agree with that.. 

Indeed, neither do Chonburi.

 

They use the computer records of immigration as the basis for fining or not. TM6 addresses are not data entered only scanned. TM30 is required in addition to TM6. Chonburi don't seem to be bothering with TM28 at this point, thank God.

[novo58]

Purely on the subject of the 24 hour reporting of a foreigner living in a house...............after 2 years in Thailand I returned to Australia for 3 months last Sept

( 2015). On my return to Thailand in Dec 2015 ( as this was a hot topic then) I went to my local Immigration Office ( Udon Thani) to report that I was ( once again) living in my Thai girlfriends house.My GF accompanied me with a completed TM30 form.

The officer looked at the tm30, looked at the computer ...then threw the tm30 into the rubbish bin stating " address same as on file". She was told report not needed.

 

So basically , as I was returning to the same address they had on file for me from my 90 day reports( prior to leaving the country) and my permission to stay extension ( from the previous year) and also my arrivals card when returning into Swampy............it seemed my GF WAS NOT required to report within 24 hours that I was ( once again) living at her house.

 

but as T I T( this is Thailand ) your experience may differ with a different immigration office.

[williamgeorgeallen]

51 minutes ago, dentonian said:

 

Employing a lawyer would probably cost more than paying any fines.

The OP has already been given excellent advice by Maestro in post #6 of this topic.

i would not risk it, i would hire a lawyer.  reporting corruption can be a dangerous thing to do in this country, especially as a foreigner. again i love my life, and i would not risk it. the guy made a mistake getting involved in business in thailand, he is going to pay a price. hopefully it wont be too expensive a lesson and he will learn from it.

[Briggsy]

9 minutes ago, novo58 said:

Purely on the subject of the 24 hour reporting of a foreigner living in a house...............after 2 years in Thailand I returned to Australia for 3 months last Sept

( 2015). On my return to Thailand in Dec 2015 ( as this was a hot topic then) I went to my local Immigration Office ( Udon Thani) to report that I was ( once again) living in my Thai girlfriends house.My GF accompanied me with a completed TM30 form.

The officer looked at the tm30, looked at the computer ...then threw the tm30 into the rubbish bin stating " address same as on file". She was told report not needed.

 

So basically , as I was returning to the same address they had on file for me from my 90 day reports( prior to leaving the country) and my permission to stay extension ( from the previous year) and also my arrivals card when returning into Swampy............it seemed my GF WAS NOT required to report within 24 hours that I was ( once again) living at her house.

 

but as T I T( this is Thailand ) your experience may differ with a different immigration office.

Indeed. You were right. The "report not needed" reflected the fact that they were not applying the law strictly and by chance they had you at that address on their computer. The report was required if the law were applied as it is written.

[tomacht8]

1 hour ago, dentonian said:

 

If there is no local Immigration office within your Province, then according to section 38 of the Act, informing the local police is the correct procedure. I would still advise she completes a TM30 and gets the police to sign and return the receipt as proof she made the report.

 

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.

Here on the islands i know many holiday home owners. Many are weekdays on the mainland because their children go to school there.
For the weekend they come back to the island.

So dear tourists, in this case a rental of a vacation home is only possible on weekenddays,  when the house owner is present and can report within 24 hours. I think the reporting system is not well thought out, with many duplications, different interpretations from office to office and unnecessary paper war.

[tomacht8]

51 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

Indeed, neither do Chonburi.

 

They use the computer records of immigration as the basis for fining or not. TM6 addresses are not data entered only scanned. TM30 is required in addition to TM6. Chonburi don't seem to be bothering with TM28 at this point, thank God.

It is very cumbersome.
When you arrive you write your residential address on the TM6.
On the yellow house book the address is also noted, also on the Pink ID card ( If one has them).
Frequently also the phone number on the TM6 is noted.
It appears that the immigration, which has this data several times present, is not able to link these data in their existing, parallel systems.
Instead of solving this system error, from duplicate and triple gathering of data detection, they are more focused on the collection of penalties.
Pity.

Edited December 9, 2016 by tomacht8

[LivinLOS]

1 hour ago, dentonian said:

 

You mean Immigration, not the member?

 

 

 

 

Yes I mean immigration.. Specifically the airport branch (not airport itself desks). 

[mettech]

2 hours ago, dentonian said:

 

There is a requirement for a foreigner to report his address and one for the house owner to report a foreigner at that address.

 

When you complete a TM6 on entry, you have complied with reporting your address.

Only if you thereafter move this clear up  to a new address, you should complete a TM28 to inform of a change of address.

 

Each time you take up residence again though, the house owner should report your presence using a TM30.

Thank you dentonian this clear up the reason why I was not ask about the reporting on the 24 hour regulation.

Thanks  again.

[Briggsy]

29 minutes ago, tomacht8 said:

It is very cumbersome.
When you arrive you write your residential address on the TM6.
On the yellow house book the address is also noted, also on the Pink ID card ( If one has them).
Frequently also the phone number on the TM6 is noted.
It appears that the immigration, which has this data several times present, is not able to link these data in their existing, parallel systems.
Instead of solving this system error, from duplicate and triple gathering of data detection, they are more focused on the collection of penalties.
Pity.

I completely agree. It is a very poorly designed system. It not only creates a ridiculous amount of work for foreigners, "house-masters", foreigner's spouses and anyone else who happens to be targetted by the immigration scatter gun; it not only creates a lot of unnecessary admin and paperwork for immigration staff; it not only stops the other functions of immigration operating smoothly, it completely fails to achieve its stated purpose which is to keep track of foreigners in the country.

 

And true to long-standing Thai civil service tradition, the whole thing has been turned into a revenue-raising exercise focused on the people at the bottom of the chain.

[MaxiMaxi]

4 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Even for a month tmigmismonth rental agreement the gpossessor can be considered responsible for the reporting.

The 3 years is only for land leases if I recall correctly.

The owner of a property is responsible for paying taxes on any in income earned from it.

But If the building company has sold the condo units to different buyers Owners and has been done the transcription at the Landoffice,from that moment It Is only the new owner responsible to announce Immigration If he living In the unit. Cause he Is not renter. And the building co or developer don't know who Is going to live Inside.

Of course they should have done 1day or 1 hour before the adress change application saying they just moved In (I) and after that make the visa/stay extention application, or continue with old adress and after few days go and change

[JackThompson]

5 hours ago, Anythingleft? said:

As a side comment I went to Jomtien last week for a visa extension and was not queried at all so maybe there is something particular that the officials look for or just pot luck on the day?

 

 

Did you already have a "receipt of notification" in your passport (usually stapled on the last page) when you applied?  Jomtien (in my experience) only requires a new TM-30 if you change your address.

[Anythingleft?]

 
Did you already have a "receipt of notification" in your passport (usually stapled on the last page) when you applied?  Jomtien (in my experience) only requires a new TM-30 if you change your address.

No nothing and I have never registered here other than the entry form at Bangkok airport and the wife has never reported me as staying at our address

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[MaxiMaxi]

4 hours ago, mettech said:

 Anhat 24 hours reporting is all new to  ane  nI got in on October 02-16 did a visa run to Cambodia and returned to Thailand and fill up form for address where I am going in presence of the house owner in that case my common law dual citizen Thai/Canadian.

Was not asked if I had reported to Immigration.

Now I am going to immigration again for a extension of 30 days and do I to expect a fine since I or she did not go to Immigration and report my stay since.???

They are making life very uncomfortable for us these days.

You should go first to announce that from today you are checking In a new adress after a trip to Cambodia and some sleep here and there In small Guesthouse on the way you forgat the name of.

Then after few days make tghe extention using the new adress. Not viceversa or at same time.

The Important Is the timing of succession In the Immigrationaly correct order you make each step.

What u write and how can be used against u

[MaxiMaxi]

5 minutes ago, Anythingleft? said:

 

No nothi thng anditI haveifnever registered here otherainthan tyhe entry form at Bangkok airport and the wife has never reported me as staying at our address

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 

 

I would check In for some days at a cheap hostel in some place at the beach for few time to create a back history (and) between the first adress you gave them and now so u can go to change the last adress u gave with the hostel's one and then change again to your wifes adress going with her and saying you just moved In 24 hours before.

Often the hotel's announcements don't appear In their computers for many functional problem and they cannot check where u have checked In and they must accept your and your wife's declaration. But If u write since when you are there then they consider It as a voluntary confession and can be used as weapon against you

[lungnorm]

<deleted> Gee I read stuff like this and I am soooo glad I chose to retire in the Philippines. No 90 day reporting, visa runs only every 3 years. Marriage visa takes 2 years and costs only $600 approx. Never see police doing rounds where foreigners hang out checking visa's, only time I see police on the street which is not often, they always smile and say Good afternoon/morning Sir. All taxi drivers speak some English.

[oobar]

7 hours ago, AlQaholic said:

First, It is illegal for foreigners to own houses in Thailand. So there cannot be any house owners on your land that are foreigners, unless they own the houses using a Thai registered company, in which case the companies own the houses.

 

You need a lawyer, having some experience with lawyers in the Pattaya area, I recommend you do not contact any Lawyer from Pattaya, they are all working together/colluding within a corrupt system to extract maximum money from any foreigner stupid enough to use their services, instead contact your Embassy and get a lawyer from Bkk recommended by your Embassy, most Embassies have a list on their web sites.

 

It is primarily your wife who is in trouble, not you. Again it is very important you contact a Good lawyer immediately!

 

 

Wrong.  I have a lease of 30/60 years for two rai of land.  I built the house and own it by right of superficies, all  filed in the local land office.

[nosatisfaction]

7 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

I was at the immigration office in Jomtien 2 weeks ago.  A guy was there with his Thai wife doing his annual visa extension based on marriage.  The official asked where he lived.  He said in my wife's house.  They asked the Thai wife if he was registered to live there.  No.  So, off they went to a back office.  We left, so don't know the outcome, but seems they are cracking down on this.  A new source of revenue for them????

New Year is coming up, everybody needs money 555555555

happy holiday season to all

 

[Banana7]

7 hours ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

you need to get a lawyer immediately.  here is the lawyer i use

http://www.pattayasolicitors.com/

she will help negotiate a fair fine. does not matter if you did anything wrong. if or when they turn up dont give them your passport but make sure you have photo copies and say your passport is being stored in a safety deposit box some where. they will try to take it from you and hold it which they have no right to do. 

i have been through something like this before and they held my passport for 2 years. you dont want to end up in that situation. PM me if you have any questions. PLEASE LISTEN TO ME WHEN I SAY GET A LAWYER IMMEDIATELY.

This lawyer's website says " Currently under Thai law, foreign residents are not allowed to own any piece of Thai property in their own name. " This sounds like BS. To me, property can be a TV, car, a house, or land.

 

It is statements like at this website, that cause lots of confusion, and demonstrates the lack of English language skills. - and cause unnecessary legal bills and consultation.