My friend arrived a few days ago and was told by his landlord that he has to report to immigration. He is here on an O (retirement) visa and was totally unaware of having to report. If it's mandatory why aren't people advised when they arrive?

Because usually they stay in hotels or guesthouse, and they are reporting the guests.

Just now, Ejjeje said:

Because usually they stay in hotels or guesthouse, and they are reporting the guests.

He is renting a condo, which thousands of falangs do, so who is responsible for the reporting?

Normally house owners must report any foreigner staying on their premises within 24 hours - this means that my wife must report me when I arrive to her place from an overseas trip.

However nobody cares and nobody does it.

 

Hotels and guesthouses have an automatic reporting system that reports you when you check in.

4 minutes ago, SiamBeast said:

Normally house owners must report any foreigner staying on their premises within 24 hours - this means that my wife must report me when I arrive to her place from an overseas trip.

However nobody cares and nobody does it.

 

Hotels and guesthouses have an automatic reporting system that reports you when you check in.

Thanks

Law says tm30 can be submitted by HOUSE-MASTER, OWNER OR THE POSSESSOR OF THE RESIDENCE.

So if your friend has long term contract it is better to listen to landlord. Landlords have better things to do than go immigration everytime when their tenants decide to take holiday away and come back.

The Immigration Act states:

 

'The house – master , the owner or the possessor of the residence must notify the competent official of the Immigration Office located in the same area 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.

 

In practice, if the owner can't/won't inform Immigration and the House-Master/Manager/Landlord of the residence can't/won't inform Immigration then it's down to the 'possessor' of the property to complete the TM30 and inform Immigration.

 

The 'POSSESSOR' is normally deemed to be the person whose name is on the rental agreement/lease, which (unless staying with family/friends) usually means the 'alien/foreigner' has to complete the TM30 within 24 hours of their arrival themselves.

 

As others have said, Hotels and Guesthouses usually have their own online registration system.

what if one has a yellow book

3 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

You are the owner/ house master etc and report yourself.

Thanks

3 minutes ago, Ken126 said:

Thanks

It depends were you are as to the need to report, Chiang mai it appears is very strict, other offices are inconsistent, there are lots of threads about it.

If you live in a house/condo in Bangkok there is no requirement to report.

6 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

If you live in a house/condo in Bangkok there is no requirement to report.

 

3 minutes ago, disambiguated said:

Source?

They don't ask for them at Bangkok immigration. Been reported many times.

33 minutes ago, Ken126 said:

what if one has a yellow book

It makes no difference for the reporting.

5 hours ago, SiamBeast said:

Normally house owners must report any foreigner staying on their premises within 24 hours - this means that my wife must report me when I arrive to her place from an overseas trip.

However nobody cares and nobody does it.

 

Hotels and guesthouses have an automatic reporting system that reports you when you check in.

Nobody cares because unpractical. This stupidity needs to stop. 24 h reporting

4 minutes ago, Raymonddiaz said:

Nobody cares because unpractical. This stupidity needs to stop. 24 h reporting

EXACTLY!

I still don't understand this law as you have to put an address--supposedly the one you're staying at, on your TM.6 card upon arrival. Don't those cards go to immigration(?), and if not, why put any address on it..........maybe a case of TIT.

13 minutes ago, ross163103 said:

EXACTLY!

I still don't understand this law as you have to put an address--supposedly the one you're staying at, on your TM.6 card upon arrival. Don't those cards go to immigration(?), and if not, why put any address on it..........maybe a case of TIT.

<Devils Advocate>

The address you provide on entry on the TM.6 card is the first place you stay not necessarily where you are currently residing.  When you come in and you stay at a hotel - the hotel reports that you have checked in.  Because you are not staying at a hotel, the place that you are residing must do the same.  This means that in theory they should have knowledge of any alien movement within 24 hours of the move and if they need to find you they know where to find you.  

</Devils Advocate>

 

This puts more of a burden on the people that are following the law and those that are not following the law ... they would not be able to find using this information [actually in reality - people don't move that much so information you provided would assist in tracking down a large number of those that have decided to overstay -- since most would not plan on entry - but later].

 

Now the silly thing is that landlords in most cases have no idea of your comings and goings since they don't reside at the residence that you are renting.  So if they keep the regulations they should change the burden to the renter of property if you are not staying in a registered hotel.  It should also be something you can submit online.

 

Most on tourist visas who happen to be renting condos simply aren't even going to be aware of this.  It's just preposterous.  Condo rentals can be arranged online just like hotel reservations, one checks in just as they would at a hotel or guest house, and there's never any clue whatsoever of this additional reporting reqt.  If you talk to the condo rental managers, or even the owners, most of them know nothing about it either:  all they know about are the 90d reporting reqts that apply to the other visa types.  The few that do just think the whole thing too silly to even bring up with a guest.  And of course the typical guy on a tourist visa only knows about his arrival card.

 

Epic foolishness and classic "Thainess".

My condo landlord never rented to a foreigner before and did not know about a TM-30 until I called him.  I REPORTED AS POSSESSOR the day AFTER I moved in, Immigration wanted him to make the report, called him back, he came over and signed the form, I took to immigration as required and all was well.

Why take a chance?  In the long run things can go bad for YOU

2 hours ago, Raymonddiaz said:

Nobody cares because unpractical. This stupidity needs to stop. 24 h reporting

Tell that to the IO who emphatically threatened to fine my wife 10,000 baht for failure to report. Based on what I read in a previous thread on this topic that amount is for a business and it is 5,000 maximum for an individual. All he knew was that he was HOT and she needed to shape up.

http://fabulous103.com/immigration-thailand-visitors-home/

 

hope it helps, this covers the whole issue

2 minutes ago, captnhoy said:

Tell that to the IO who emphatically threatened to fine my wife 10,000 baht for failure to report. Based on what I read in a previous thread on this topic that amount is for a business and it is 5,000 maximum for an individual. All he knew was that he was HOT and she needed to shape up.

Tor TM30 reporting the max fine is 2,000 baht for an individual. For a business it is 2,000 to 10,000 baht.

8 hours ago, SiamBeast said:

Normally house owners must report any foreigner staying on their premises within 24 hours - this means that my wife must report me when I arrive to her place from an overseas trip.

However nobody cares and nobody does it.

 

Hotels and guesthouses have an automatic reporting system that reports you when you check in.

But the fact that no one cares is now going to cost the foreigner that stays there 1600-2000 Baht, regardless of who actually is responsible, because unless you have the TM30 in your passport, you are NOT going to get any extension of stay on your visa.

 

Never mind though, the filthy corrupt pigs have already sorted this out by allowing the foreigner to fill in a power of attourney and kindly pay the fine (on behalf of the Thai Landlord) instead....so there you go, another rip off from the land of Satang!

23 minutes ago, Formaleins said:

...because unless you have the TM30 in your passport, you are NOT going to get any extension of stay on your visa. ...

What immigration office has this policy?

3 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

 

They don't ask for them at Bangkok immigration. Been reported many times.

They don't ask for them at Jomtien either but there's been a few members reporting being fined (or their wives have been fined) when they were directed to a new office as part of some immigration procedure that they weren't too specific about. Also noted that some people on seeing the large notice inside the front door of Jomtien immigration advising that TM30's need to be filed have reported being congratulated for doing so and not being fined in the same new TM30 office.

4 hours ago, Ken126 said:

what if one has a yellow book

I have a Yellow Book and I have to report every time I stay in a hotel other then where I live. This is a new office in Phayao and I they report to Chiang Mai. I think it is a way that they ensure their  existence. Before Phayao  opened I had to travel to Chiang Rai. They only wanted me to report after I arrived in Thailand. They were also not interested in my Yellow Book

This is laughable.  If 10% of the people required to comply with this made an effort to do so, every Immigration office in the country would have lines running miles out the door every day. 

10 hours ago, SiamBeast said:

Normally house owners must report any foreigner staying on their premises within 24 hours - this means that my wife must report me when I arrive to her place from an overseas trip.

However nobody cares and nobody does it.

 

Hotels and guesthouses have an automatic reporting system that reports you when you check in.

Once you have a TM30 in your passport you can go by yourself to immigration for an update with any subsequent entry.  The fine is 800B for you and 800B for the landlord if you are late.  In Chiang Mai immigration have threatened many times that they would not accept 90 day reports unless a TM30 was present.  A couple were stopped by the Police on the road and fined for not having it a while back.  It has gone quiet on that front of late but the threat is still there.

2 hours ago, edwardflory said:

My condo landlord never rented to a foreigner before and did not know about a TM-30 until I called him.  I REPORTED AS POSSESSOR the day AFTER I moved in, Immigration wanted him to make the report, called him back, he came over and signed the form, I took to immigration as required and all was well.

Why take a chance?  In the long run things can go bad for YOU

 

What immigration office was this?

10 hours ago, SiamBeast said:

Normally house owners must report any foreigner staying on their premises within 24 hours - this means that my wife must report me when I arrive to her place from an overseas trip.

However nobody cares and nobody does it.

 

Hotels and guesthouses have an automatic reporting system that reports you when you check in.

Korat immigration checks the entry stamped in the passport against the reported date in the computer system when one shows up for the 90 day reporting and gives the passport holder grief and has fined that person. It happened to me so I bring my sister-in-law in and report within 24 hours of arrival.

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

What immigration office has this policy?

Chiang Mai - It clearly states that no extensions will be issued without a completed TM30!