Thailand Immigration: TM30 24 hour reporting thread

[caller]

new Brit Embassy advice (via Gov.uk). Notice they cunningly fail to use the name of the TM28/30 anywhere in the text!

If you’re living or staying in Thailand on a long-term visa, immigration rules can be complex and are subject to change. At present, if you stay in Thailand long-term, you must report to immigration authorities every 90 days. If you change your address, you must notify your local police station within 24 hours. If you travel to another province for more than 24 hours, you must report to the local immigration office or police station within 24 hours, and again report to your local immigration office within 48 hours of returning to your home address. It is your responsibility to ensure you meet the requirements of your visa. Stay informed and contact your local immigration office for more information.

[stretch]

Hallo could someone try to answer my questions friends have 30 year lease own the house They intend to come over on a 60 day tourist visa. They intend to do a 5day trip to Vietnam at xmas. Will they need to renew the 60day visa or will the 30day visa on re-entry be ok and will they need to report to immigration when back at their home. Have tried contacting Thai embassy in Bangkok and London but no reply hope someone can help.

[Big Boy]

So long as the 30 day visa exemption is adequate for the remainder of their stay, then that will be fine. The rules say they need to report using TM28/30 process on return, but they also say Tourist Visas are exempt. I would do the report, but many on here are saying they wouldn't. If they don't report and should have, I'd put the chances of them being caught are zilch.

Again, when they arrive initially, the TM28/30 process should be enacted. Also again, the chances of being caught are zilch.

However, if the 30 day exemption is inadequate, and it would need to be extended, not reportinting is exactly the scenario where they would be caught.

If the 30 day exemption is not adequate for the remainder of their stay, their initial entry should be via visa exemption and the Tourist Visa should only be used when they return from Vietnam.

[stretch]

Thanks for your reply they are are in Thailand for 17 days on return from VIetnam and 33days prior to trip .Advise them to get 60day visa then 30 day re_entry it their first long trip.

[Big Boy]

Yes, that works.

[dtaai-maai]

If the 30 day exemption is not adequate for the remainder of their stay, their initial entry should be via visa exemption and the Tourist Visa should only be used when they return from Vietnam.

Although it doesn't apply in this case, do you get this option? If you have a tourist visa in your passport when you arrive, can you tell the IO you want to save it for your next arrival?

[buksida]

Plenty of threads on other visa issues, lets keep this one for TM30 only.

Are changes afoot?

It’s Official: Expats in Thailand traveling overnight need not notify Immigration
Foreign nationals do not need to notify immigration if they leave their home for over 24 hours, the Immigration Bureau announced today.

In a brief notice published online, the bureau announced that “aliens are not required” to provide such notification, despite an article stipulating so in the Immigration Act.

“During the visit to Thailand, for purposes of tourism, sports, business, investments, education, practicing of skilled craftsmen or specialists, aliens are not required to notify the competent official of changes of their residence,” it read in full, emphasis theirs.

The announcement specifically references Section 5 of police regulations.

It would seem to put to rest one aspect of contentious enforcement of long-ignored rules that came into strict enforcement earlier this year.

Obeying Thailand’s strict immigration rules ‘not that hard,’ says Thai immigration

Retirees are not mentioned. Immigration officials were reportedly meeting this week to discuss improving the requirements.

While the news that the most onerous requirement won’t be enforced is likely to be welcomed by foreign residents, though many did not take it seriously and traveled at will.

https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/its-of ... migration/

https://www.immigration.go.th/content/n ... ce?click=1

[caller]

Retirees are not mentioned.

Would they not be covered under 'tourism' and 'sport'?

[Big Boy]

Obeying Thailand’s strict immigration rules ‘not that hard,’ says Thai immigration.

Maybe if they were not so ambiguous, they would not be misunderstood by Immigration Officers. After all, everything was running smoothly until a few months ago, when a smart arsed I/O saw a way of making a quick buck. As Expats, we can only do as we are told.

If they are so easy to understand, why does Hua Hin Immigration have a permanently manned, dedicated window for dealing with it?

Somebody trying to avoid loss of face methinks.

[Big Boy]

So I guess retirees still have to play their stupid games.

“Specifically, it exempts any foreigners who enter Thailand for tourism purposes (including “TR” visas and tourists entering Thailand on visa on arrival and visa exemptions), sports visas (S), business visas (B), investment visas (IM, IB), education visas (ED, RS) and skilled craftsmen or specialists visas (EX).

“These people are now exempt from having to file a TM28 reporting their whereabouts,”

https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-im ... FWYrbOU.97

[HAPPYGOLFER]

In early December, some friends and I will be cycling from Hua Hin to Phuket. I am very unsure how to report as we cycle long days and arrive late and move on early each day. That means we arrive after the Immigration office has closed and leave in the morning before they open

[dtaai-maai]

Relax and enjoy your trip. Report when you get to Phuket (if you feel so inclined, I wouldn't) and then when you get back to HH.

Alternatively, don't stop in Phuket, keep going until you reach Malaysia and stay there.

[joelle]

In early December, some friends and I will be cycling from Hua Hin to Phuket. I am very unsure how to report as we cycle long days and arrive late and move on early each day. That means we arrive after the Immigration office has closed and leave in the morning before they open

If you're staying in hotels overnight they'll do the reporting, I wouldn't worry about it.
Earlier this year we went to Malaysia and back on bike and stopped in different provinces on our way and never bothered to report, not even when we got back home in Cha Am.
After a couple of weeks of our return we went to Tha Yang for our yearly Visa and nobody at immigration said anything.

[Nereus]

Maybe some of the big guns will have the desired affect:
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Europe trade body wants end to TM30

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/17 ... nd-to-tm30

The European Association for Business and Commerce (EABC) has proposed an immediate end to the TM30 24-hour reporting and TM28 change-of-permanent-address immigration forms.

The EABC represents the interests of the European business community in the kingdom.

It submitted the request to Thai officials including Kobsak Pootrakool, deputy secretary-general for political affairs to the prime minister; Gen Anupong Paojinda, the Minister of the Interior; and Pol Lt Gen Sompong Chingduang, the Immigration Bureau chief.

Jan Eriksson, President of the EABC, said, "The immigration form TM30, or 24-hour reporting, requires property owners and lessors to report the movements of foreigners using such properties.

Both Thai citizens and foreigners have found the situation difficult and unnecessary, and the situation has caused some unfortunately negative views about Thailand, both as an investment and a 'doing-business' location, and as a tourism destination. This is surely not good."

A completed TM30 form is now a prerequisite to using normal visa services. "We commend the government for taking positive steps to make it easier to do business. Currently, we feel that the TM30 is undoing those good achievements," he said.

"It is hard to see how security which relies on self-disclosure can be a useful solution," he added.

[PeteC]

"It is hard to see how security which relies on self-disclosure can be a useful solution," he added."

You can say that again as apparently not obvious to them.

The Phuket News article is also a load of BS. That decision if accurate shows absolutely no diplomatic acumen whatsoever. Either you do it for no one, or you do it for all. You don't discriminate against people based upon the type of visa they have. If you do, in effect you're saying those who have "B" are inferior and less trustworthy than "A".

They are going kicking and screaming trying to salvage as much face as possible, instead of just moving on properly.