24 hour reporting

[charlesh]

TIT. I am on an OA-m and Yes I was also told that I need to report on each return to the country! Last time (but 1) reported to Ayutthya Imm.
Look at it as an adventure ha, ha. They get to practice their English and you your patience.

[Chas]

I returned from a vacation abroad on Friday and reported to Immigration just today, Monday.

I was sent in to a very pleasant lady in the 90 day section. She looked over my passport and checked the date of my return. ( They were closed Saturday and Sunday so I couldnt have come in then. )

She then proceeded to carefully fill out my next 90 day report form, dated three months from now, and staple it into my passport with the date I should return clearly visible. She had me fill in my address is all, she did the rest.

From this it seems to me that the 24 hour reporting thing is directly linked to the individual ninety-day report and not to any kind of hotel report. It gives them a head start on the report process and a chance to tell you exactly when to return.

Perhaps when you dont do it and just go in at 90 days, they are supposed to fine you . . .but usually dont? I should have asked about the fine out of curiousity but didnt want to press my luck. I was just happy to get out in ten minutes.

I am curious about the amount of the fine though. Anybody?

[lomuamart]

Chas,
I think I understand what you're getting at. However, to me, it seems that the 90 day report and 24 hour notification are two separate issues.
There is only ever a need to report to Imm if you are spending more than 90 consecutive days in Thailand. For instance, if I had to report tomorrow but had decided to go to Penang today then I've exited the country before the 90 days is up. I return on June 10th and my 90 day clock starts again from that date. Imm at the airport or land crossing will look at my annual extension and stamp me in until the date the annual extension expires, be that 9 days or 9 months - as long as I've got a re-entry permit.
The 24 hour report is mainly aimed at hotels and guesthouses who do have to report the fact that you're staying with them within 24 hours. It's not your responsibility. Similarly, if you rent a house here, as I do, again it's not your responsibility to do the 24 hour thing. That falls on your owners.
I'm really not sure what happens if you own your own place.
Having said all that, this thread does show that local offices apply their own rules so don't treat the above as gospel. I'm not 100% sure of the fine but would reckon it would be as for failing to report within 90 days - ie, max 2,000 Baht plus 500 THB per day.

[niggle]

In Hua Hin (only) if you own your house they insist on 24 hour reporting.
now, they are OK if you go for 24 hour reporting over 24 hours if you tell them that you have (maybe ) been in Bangkok a few days after arriving back in the country.
yes they can and will fine you if they feel so inclined

[Nereus]

In Hua Hin (only) if you own your house they insist on 24 hour reporting.
now, they are OK if you go for 24 hour reporting over 24 hours if you tell them that you have (maybe ) been in Bangkok a few days after arriving back in the country.
yes they can and will fine you if they feel so inclined

How do Immigration know if you own your own house? I do not recall filling in any form that required me to show house ownership, or otherwise. The copy of the house registration book that they ask for when you do am annual extension, does not prove ownership, or otherwise.
I have never had this 24 hour rule imposed on me, and the last 90 day reporting was 90 days after I arrived on a re-entry permit, just a couple of weeks ago.

[pitsch]

My experience with 24 hour reporting more than one year ago:

I rented a house in Hua Hin from 1st Nov 2007 after living 1 year in Chiang Rai. I never heard of 24 hour reporting, but on 7th Nov I went to Immigration to have a certification of residence to get a Thai driving license and had to show my renting contract. Then the officer showed me a booklet which said I had to report within 24 hours of arriving in Hua Hin and wanted a fine of 800 Baht. I told him, that I arrived from Chiang Rai only the day before (which was not quite true) and he was satisfied. But then I had to call the house owner to come to Immigration. When he came he was fined 800 Baht for not reporting the contract.

So it seems to me, if you dont want any special thing, like this certification, you would never have to make this 24 hour reporting. But if you want this thing they seize the opportunity to make some extra money.

[Chas]

In my experience, whether or not I own my house or rent or whatever. . has never entered into either the 90 day reporting OR the 24 hour reporting, which I still say are connected.

All they wanted from me was my address on that new 90 day form . .which seemed both simple and logical. I went in with just my passport.

Nereus, your experience jibes with my theory that the 24 hour reporting is simply a head-start for them on the 90 day form, a chance to inform "the foreigner"of the need to report and to give him the date.

And if you just come into the country on the reentry permit and dont report for 90 days, it isnt a big deal. Seems like you can do it either way, but they prefer that you report within 24 hours.

Has anyone who didnt report within 24 hours actually been fined when going in for the 90 day report?

Also, the only record of 24 hour reporting seems to be the 90 day form stapled into your passport . .and they keep the lower third. (No stamps in the passport itself)

[lomuamart]

Here are the most up-to-date Imm requirements that I can find.
I'm not an expert, but the 90 day reporting and the 24 hour thing seem totally separate to me. Anyway:
http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en ... age=90days
http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en ... =alienstay

[Norseman]

I asked our common red-lipped officer from imm. office today about it, and she said I have to fill in a form, bring a copy of my passport and my yellow house book and report to their office within 24 hours of my return to Thailand.

The form is called" Notification form for House-Master, owner or the possessor of the residence where alien has stayed".


One thing I forgot; You must in addition to the above fill in the 90 days notification paper and you will then start your 90 days report from that new date.

[hhfarang]

I am still massively confused about this 24 hour thing...

I've never done it but then the last time I left the country was over three years ago so I guess it wasn't in effect then.

I have plans to leave the country a couple of times next year and on my return I will probably not come straight back to Hua Hin (at least not within 24 hours). Does this mean that as soon as I arrive in Bangkok I will have to trot down to Soi Suan Plu to do a 24 hour report.

... and, aren't those folks who stamp us in at the airport part of immigration or isn't there an immigration office at the airport? Why can't it be done there upon arrival?

[Wanderlust]

I am wondering if it is only applied to foreigners/aliens who the immigration department know have a yellow book or 'own' their property? I have never been asked to do it or been pulled up for not doing it but my wife owns our house/land. I even went in one time on returning from abroad and asked them if I needed to and was told no. It could just depend who is on duty as well I guess in terms of knowledge and/or application of the law. Immigration officers do have a lot of leeway.

[Norseman]

I am still massively confused about this 24 hour thing...

Does this mean that as soon as I arrive in Bangkok I will have to trot down to Soi Suan Plu to do a 24 hour report.

... and, aren't those folks who stamp us in at the airport part of immigration or isn't there an immigration office at the airport? Why can't it be done there upon arrival?

I've read somewhere that they'd closed down the imm. office at the airport.
Suan Plu would be the closest office if you live in Bangkok, but as long as your address is in Hua Hin you are forced to use the imm. office here.
I did not ask the officer "what if you're not returning to HH immediately, because that's what I'll do when I come back to Thailand.
I suggest that you ask them the next time you have to go there and ask.
It would certainly be interesting to know the answer!!

[lomuamart]

I think this 24 hour thing only applies to those aliens who own their own houses. "Yellow book, green book, multi-coloured book", it dosn't matter if you own the place. You are under a duty to report your arrival within 24 hours just like a hotel or guesthouse has to do.
I rent, so it's the owner's responsibility but he dosn't want to mention it because he'll get taxed. Simple as that.
I asked three months ago in HH about reporting and whether I could do so on Samui, Nong Khai etc etc if I was traveling around. One officer said "yes", one officer looked extremely doubtful.
I think it's just the re-entry office that has been closed at Swampy. I posted on this some time ago.

[Nereus]

I think this 24 hour thing only applies to those aliens who own their own houses. "Yellow book, green book, multi-coloured book", it dosn't matter if you own the place. You are under a duty to report your arrival within 24 hours just like a hotel or guesthouse has to do.
I rent, so it's the owner's responsibility but he dosn't want to mention it because he'll get taxed. Simple as that.
I asked three months ago in HH about reporting and whether I could do so on Samui, Nong Khai etc etc if I was traveling around. One officer said "yes", one officer looked extremely doubtful.
I think it's just the re-entry office that has been closed at Swampy. I posted on this some time ago.

So I will ask again: How do Immigration know if you own your own House / Condo / Caravan / Tent or whatever? It has nothing whatsoever to do with Immigration what you own. All they want to see is proof of your "claimed" place of residence. That is why they ask for a copy of the house registration book when you do a visa extension, it does not have to have your name in it, or be yellow, or any other colour.

And in one of the links that you have posted, Lomu, at the bottom it says that the day of arrival counts as day one in regard to 90 day reporting, so where is it coming from that you also have to complete a 90 day report along with the 24 hour "reporting?

I own both a house in Hua Hin, (on a 30 year lease), and a Condo in Bangkok in my own name, and all that I have ever shown Immigration is a copy of the "Blue Book", that has NO names in it, belonging to the Hua Hin house, as that is the address that I use, despite spending most of my time in Bangkok.

[pitsch]

I studied the old topic from 2007:

http://www.huahinafterdark.com/forum/24 ... t7676.html

Two people said, they were fined, when they wanted a certificate of residence and the same thing was tried with me. So this proof of residency seems to be the point where some immigration officers fine you with 800 Baht.