Notification of residence fine. Popular thing ?

[plus7]

I have a condo on Phuket, live there and extend visa periodically and report 90 days regularly.

I made a re-entry to visit home country in July (1 month). When I came to immigration to extend visa they said I should have reported arrival (to my own condo) to immigration within 24 hours and fined me 5,000 baht.

In October I reported 90 days, but immigration said that 90-days and notification of residence are different things.

 

Is it only me ? Or everyone else reports their arrivals to immigration ?

[ubonjoe]

I think it is way over the top and a abuse of authority IMO. They charged the max fine for not reporting your residence within 24 hours of arrival under section 37 of the immigration act. That is something they never have done in the past. 

From section 37.

Quote

2. Shall stay at the place as indicated to the competent official. Where there is proper reason
that he cannot stay at the place as indicated to the competent official, he shall notify the competent official
of the change in residence , within 24 hours from the time of removing to said place.
3. Shall notify the police official of the local police station where such alien resides, within twenty
– four hours from the time of arrival. In the case of change in residence in which new residence is not
located the same area with the former police stations , such alien must notify the police official of the
police station for that area within twenty – four hours from the time of arrival.
4. If the alien travels to any province and will stay there longer than twenty – four hours , such
alien must notify the police official of the police station for that area within forty – eight hours from the time
of arrival.

 

[namatjira]

This is rapidly turning into a nightmare for all involved.

initially it was Chiangmai enforcing the law, as they have had some sucess

in generating revenue it appears to be spreading fast, quite like a virus.

i just wish they themselves knew what was going on,

if anything , some sort of official clarification would be nice.

people are happy to comply as long as they know what is expected of them...

 

[LivinLOS]

1 minute ago, namatjira said:

if anything , some sort of official clarification would be nice.

people are happy to comply as long as they know what is expected of the.

 

 

 

They have printed nice clear leaflets.. The problem is the expecation, which you claim people would be happy to comply with, is in the letter of the law utterly crazy.. 

 

Every movement of more than 24h to any address other than your own must be reported, each stop, each check in, each hotel, and each return.. Commercial establishments are responsible for their check ins (even tho the check in computer has been down for days) and each householder for private... The farang has to do a TM28 for each movement. 

 

The law itself is entirely unworkable.. So you have various part enforcement all over the country.. And lots of nice fat fines being issued.. 

[kannot]

is  Hua Hin  dishing  out  this  crap  yet? im  due March 2017

[arithai12]

I cannot comment on the 5,000 THB, as I don't know what is the word of the law about maximum penalty. We have seen lots of emails in other threads with figures much less than that. We were fined 1,600THB.

However, I don't know why it's an abuse

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

I think it is way over the top and a abuse of authority IMO.

 

The rules are clear (though I agree that they are not very logical), and the only thing is that they are now enforcing it more strictly.

 

Whether you want to do it or not depends on your plans and needs. The immigration at the airport will not check your TM-30, only the immigration offices in town when you need e.g. 90 days report or extension of stay.

 

And yes, filing a 90 days report is not the same as updating your TM-30 (again, illogical I agree).

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

I cannot comment on the 5,000 THB, as I don't know what is the word of the law about maximum penalty. We have seen lots of emails in other threads with figures much less than that. We were fined 1,600THB.

However, I don't know why it's an abuse

The rules are clear (though I agree that they are not very logical), and the only thing is that they are now enforcing it more strictly.

 

Whether you want to do it or not depends on your plans and needs. The immigration at the airport will not check your TM-30, only the immigration offices in town when you need e.g. 90 days report or extension of stay.

 

And yes, filing a 90 days report is not the same as updating your TM-30 (again, illogical I agree).

Section 77 shows the fines for section 37. Same as 90 day reporting which is in section 37 also.

Quote

Section 76 : Any alien, alien, who fails to comply with the provisions of Section 37(2),(3),(4)or(5) shall be
punished with a fine not exceeding 5,000 Baht and with and additional fine not exceeding 200 Baht for
each day which passes until the law is complied with.

Section 37 is not really that clear. In clause 3 what does arrival mean? I think it means at residence not the country. It appears to be only for when you change your residence. Section 4 really would be hard to enforce.

The 1600 baht fines were for a violation of section 38 for residence reporting (TM30). The max fine in section 77 for a homeowner is 2000 baht.

Downoad: Immigration Act 2522 en - immigration.pdf

[LongTimeLurker]

I reckon if the option is a 5,000 Baht fine then reporting will become a very popular pastime

[Myran]

3 hours ago, kannot said:

is  Hua Hin  dishing  out  this  crap  yet? im  due March 2017

 

I doubt it. I was there a couple of days ago to extend my tourist visa stay. Did the address report thingy first and wrote truthfully that I have stayed at the address since Oct 28, and they didn't say anything or try to fine me.

[whatproblem]

It's just another way to gouge money so go do a tm30 /28 today ,cheaper in the long run

[Rhys]

...what everyone does not have an immigration station near their residence?   ...what everyone does not have friendly and fast service oriented officials to process your paperwork?  Time to pass out the fruitcakes as new years gifts of appreciation.

[AlQaholic]

I think every alien should go to their nearest immigration office and file a TM-30 everyday from now on.....just for fun.

[Chicken George]

Chiang Rai is 800baht. A friend had a fine in the post for this amount. So someone is matching up the arrival card declaration and then checking if they have recieved a TM30 fir thst address. It must be paying for itself....
I've heard that if you have a yellow Tabien Baan then the TM 30 is not necessary? Can any moderator comnent on this please?

Sent from my vivo V3Max using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[TerrylSky]

Sheer nonsense. Think of the energy, time, and govt. money wasted that could be applied to other more useful and needed services in Thailand like adding extra logic and practicality 101 courses in immigration training school. And what's the point of reporting? What does it possibly matter if I'm sleeping on a beach or at a meditation center or hilltribe village volunteer teaching to kids? What's the point other than trying to control us and making us feel like ants who in turn have an eye on beautiful, alternative countries that are more friendly to expats - and their money.

[ubonjoe]

19 minutes ago, Chicken George said:

I've heard that if you have a yellow Tabien Baan then the TM 30 is not necessary? Can any moderator comnent on this please?

Not true. Having a yellow house book does not exempt the need for TM30 reporting.

[geisha]

When I did my notification of address this Monday, they told me that I would not have got an extension in two months time , had I not done this. Maybe for your average tourist travelling around on a two month visa, and not needing an extension, it won't be a problem, or yes ? 

[paddyfield7]

I repeat my last week's experience: I live in an own house with an usufruct agreement, have a yellow house book, I'm married to a Thai, and was fined last week for not showing up with a TM30 form within 24 hours after my last arrival in Chiang Mai. The fine was THB 1,600, and they have carefully arranged a nice stock of fine forms, all with a pre-entered stamped amount of THB 1,600. 

[Elfin]

I live near Bo Sang in Chiang Mai. Can anyone tell me where/who I have to hand in my TM30 to when I arrive back in the country. I know there is a Immigration office at Promenada. Also if someone lands late Friday night I suspect that the Immi office will not be open on the weekend so do I have to go to any local police station or are there specific ones for processing a TM 30?

[thai006]

i did not  do any tm30 or 28 until i come here in 2 november and on 26 i was in cm immigration for extend visa and they say nothing lol maybe good karma

[Davehappen]

Misses got fined 800bht for not reporting my stay, she was told in no uncertain terms  that not reporting an alien is a no no. So when ever we leave and re-enter the kingdom, it's straight off to the IM at Chok Chai to do the report, no trouble with 90 day reporting. 

[LongTimeLurker]

2 hours ago, TerrylSky said:

Sheer nonsense. Think of the energy, time, and govt. money wasted that could be applied to other more useful and needed services in Thailand like adding extra logic and practicality 101 courses in immigration training school. And what's the point of reporting? What does it possibly matter if I'm sleeping on a beach or at a meditation center or hilltribe village volunteer teaching to kids? What's the point other than trying to control us and making us feel like ants who in turn have an eye on beautiful, alternative countries that are more friendly to expats - and their money.

 

And what does it matter if you're a drugs dealer? Paedophile? Or otherwise on the run from the police? Why should they possibly be interested in where to find you?

[GreasyFingers]

I hope this does not spread to other northern areas. Came back into the country in November and as I had a new passport went to Phitsanulok IM to transfer the visa extension. Nothing said about the TM28 or TM30.

[Billy Bloggs]

Yes but first time I went to Chiang Mai to change my address(as I thought I had to do) they werent interested in fining me just the owner for not reporting when I originally signed the lease, This is where it gets silly, I signed on the 1st of December 2015, it is a shop/house my girl friend works from there and lives there, I still had 3 months to run on my Condo lease, so on 1st of march 2016 I went to do a TM28 for change of address they said no need but your owner should have done a TM 30 when you signed the lease, I said I was not living there then, they said where was I living I showed a copy of my just ended lease and said there, they looked up the info and said they did not register you(I was going to say at this stage so you going to fine them(but my mother didnt raise a plainly dumb idiot) so said zip). So in the end he got fined 1600 baht and I got to put the notice in my passport.

As an aside, I sort of forced him to go this year when we signed a new lease, they told him no worries, but if I went overseas and came back I had to report when I got back to them, why I really dont understand as I will return to the same address(but thats thainess for you, no rhyme nor reason)

[earlinclaifornia]

The last point my Immigration officer explained to me during my Non O retirement Visa approval was that if I did leave and return. I must have the landlord amend my TM 30, notification.

[earlinclaifornia]

My Thai girlfriend was fined for not reporting after 24 hours that I lived with her. $1600 baht.

Also, Immigration at Promanada 2nd floor now processes the TM 30 receipts. My landlord was delinquent in notification and went to local Police Office in Saraphi and made his notification. I paid the 1600 baht fine there and used that receipt for my Visa filing.

[kannot]

5 hours ago, AlQaholic said:

I think every alien should go to their nearest immigration office and file a TM-30 everyday from now on.....just for fun.

and buy a mobile  home or tent I reckon if we  all did it this crap would stop in a week as theyd  have no time to do anything else

[kannot]

2 hours ago, geisha said:

When I did my notification of address this Monday, they told me that I would not have got an extension in two months time , had I not done this. Maybe for your average tourist travelling around on a two month visa, and not needing an extension, it won't be a problem, or yes ? 

"Where"  did you do "this"?

[kannot]

1 hour ago, LongTimeLurker said:

 

And what does it matter if you're a drugs dealer? Paedophile? Or otherwise on the run from the police? Why should they possibly be interested in where to find you?

those are  the  very  people  least  likely to  do it  anyway,  just like  the  criminals

[ocddave]

41 minutes ago, kannot said:

those are  the  very  people  least  likely to  do it  anyway,  just like  the  criminals

 

Exactly, the only ones troubled by these ridiculous rules and hurdles are the law-abiding (some of these rules aren't even under our control). We jump through hoops, and Immigration tries to find any error they can to squeeze $$$/Baht from us, and otherwise keep us in fear of being deported. It seems pretty obvious they don't want expats here, and this is just the deterrent they are using to squeeze us out.

[Mansell]

Like the poster I am also in Phuket and also returned in July from USA. Being as I rent I can only think that my landlord is doing this reporting. But I leave periodically with my wife to her house near Sara Buri for a month or so. I figure she is supposed to report me up there....but never does. It is a village and nearest immigration is 40 kilometers away in LoBuri....I suppose if they are getting nasty we could file with the local police. But they came to my wedding and don't seem to care about me at all....I suppose that could change. The question is: I am about to share my house with a friend off and on staggered over the year until we each have six months each. He lives normally in CHIANG Mai.....this flipping backwards and forwards will be whose responsibility.....his...mine....the landlords? I will be paying the rent. Any thoughts?