Any TM30 update?

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Gaybutton
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Re: Any TM30 update?

Post by Gaybutton »

Regarding returning from a trip abroad, I have heard this, but I can't personally confirm it.

Regarding returning from a trip from within Thailand, I have never heard any such thing. How would immigration even know you made a trip within Thailand? I make trips within Thailand all the time, usually a few days in Bangkok, but I have never so much have been questioned at immigration.

And what would constitute a trip? If I go somewhere, maybe about 20 miles away from Pattaya, and return a few hours later, does that mean I made a trip within Thailand? I don't think so.

Both sound ridiculous to me, but with Pattaya immigration you never know. They can be very good at changing the rules for no apparent reason and without any advance announcements.
fountainhall

Re: Any TM30 update?

Post by fountainhall »

On the topic of forms, anyone know what has happened about the new TM Arrival forms? They were supposed to take effect from October 1. When I returned on October 22 and again on November 5, we were handed and processed with the old forms.
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Re: Any TM30 update?

Post by aussie »

I reported at immigration recently after returning from Australia. I will go earlier in the day next time as clients were lined up from the entrance door to inside the small reporting office on the left at Jomtiem immigration. I have just been to Rayong for 3 days and i would rather pay a fine than report everytime i make a trip inside Thailand. It would be so easy to report online if it was available but TIT. Like the banks they love mounds of paperwork at immigration.
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Re: Any TM30 update?

Post by Jogger »

PeterUK wrote:A friend tells me that Pattaya Immigration are now insisting that foreigners returning from abroad or from a trip within Thailand must fill in a TM30 form at Immigration within 24 hours or face a fine next time they do their 90 days check-in. He says the fines are being enforced (2000b he thinks). Anyone have recent experience of all this?
OP: it is always dangerous to believe what a friend tells you though having said that there is often some truth in this kind of hearsay.

Other forums such as Thai Visa are now full of threads on this topic with conflicting accounts of what is required as each Immigration office seems to have their own unique regulations and requirements.

It is a pity no one can simply ask the boss of the Jomtien Immigration Office(Pattaya) to clarify precisely what is required.

Fairly recently I needed to change my address at Jomtien and i did so using form TM 30 etc., and my new Landlord accompanied me to immigration as she was actually submitting the address change.

When I was in the office awaiting submitting the form the official was telling another person ahead of me in the queue that form TM 30 needs to be submitted within the 24 hour for anyone who leaves and then returns to Thailand.

No mention was made about needing to submit the form TM 30 for a person travelling within Thailand.
(which is not to say some officials might view that as a requirement).

As to form TM 28 for the passport holder to submit about a change of address, I was told at Jomtien Immigration there is not need for that form to be submitted as TM 30 is sufficient.

I actually doubt that when the 90 day reporting is done anyone would be called to account for failing to submit TM 30 though possibly it might occur when applying for 1 year renewal.

The above is simply me expressing my opinion and giving my experience and should not be taken as necessarily definitive or accurate.
Up2u

Re: Any TM30 update?

Post by Up2u »

Three friends have recently returned to their condos here in Pattaya over the last thirty days. One did a retirement extension, another a multiple reentry and none did a TM30 or TM28, as all returned to their residences as shown on their TM6. None have had any issues or problems. I will be traveling to USA for Xmas and returning in a few weeks. I will return to my condo as listed on my TM6. I will not file any other forms with Pattaya Immigration. If I returned and registered in a hotel and then came to Pattaya, then I would feel differently.
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Re: Any TM30 update?

Post by 2lz2p »

Jogger wrote:
PeterUK wrote:A friend tells me that Pattaya Immigration are now insisting that foreigners returning from abroad or from a trip within Thailand must fill in a TM30 form at Immigration within 24 hours or face a fine next time they do their 90 days check-in. He says the fines are being enforced (2000b he thinks). Anyone have recent experience of all this?
OP: it is always dangerous to believe what a friend tells you though having said that there is often some truth in this kind of hearsay.

Other forums such as Thai Visa are now full of threads on this topic with conflicting accounts of what is required as each Immigration office seems to have their own unique regulations and requirements.

It is a pity no one can simply ask the boss of the Jomtien Immigration Office(Pattaya) to clarify precisely what is required.

Fairly recently I needed to change my address at Jomtien and i did so using form TM 30 etc., and my new Landlord accompanied me to immigration as she was actually submitting the address change.

When I was in the office awaiting submitting the form the official was telling another person ahead of me in the queue that form TM 30 needs to be submitted within the 24 hour for anyone who leaves and then returns to Thailand.

No mention was made about needing to submit the form TM 30 for a person travelling within Thailand.
(which is not to say some officials might view that as a requirement).

As to form TM 28 for the passport holder to submit about a change of address, I was told at Jomtien Immigration there is not need for that form to be submitted as TM 30 is sufficient.

I actually doubt that when the 90 day reporting is done anyone would be called to account for failing to submit TM 30 though possibly it might occur when applying for 1 year renewal.

The above is simply me expressing my opinion and giving my experience and should not be taken as necessarily definitive or accurate.

Currently, from latest reports received by the Pattaya City Expats Club (PCEC) and Thaivisa.com, it appears that TM.30 filing within 24 hours (it's the law) is being enforced only in a few Immigration Offices - Chonburi (Pattaya), Chang Mai, Phuket, and maybe a few others - but, not Bangkok. The PCEC, which provides information on Pattaya Immigration, continues to receive inconsistent reports - what happens or persons are told depends on which Immigration Officer (or desk) you ask. As to trips within Thailand, reports re Pattaya Immigration is that they don't seem to care and are not enforcing the 24 hour reporting.

Reports from those doing their 90 day address reporting when they have traveled outside of Thailand and did not go to Immigration to file the TM.30, they have encountered no problem as none of the Immigration Officers at that desk appear to be checking for TM.30 filing. However, reports from those doing their annual renewal, it is "yes" and "no" - some who have traveled outside of Thailand, didn't bother to do a TM.30 report had no problem at renewing their extension, but others in the same situation reported they were told they had not done the TM.30 report, were directed to the TM.30 processing desk and were fined - the amount most reported seems to be 1,600 baht. So, it appears to depend on which Immigration Officer you get at the renewal desk as to whether you will or will not have a problem if you were required to file the report after returning from outside Thailand and didn't do so.
It is a pity no one can simply ask the boss of the Jomtien Immigration Office(Pattaya) to clarify precisely what is required.
. Based on discussion I had with representatives from the PCEC that did meet with the deputy chief, they said his comment was, "if you are on long stay extension and return to the same address, there is no need to do a TM.30 report." Likewise, I also spoke with another who talked with the Chief and received the same answer, he said that he asked the Chief why don't you tell your staff this and he "only smiled."

At present, the PCEC in their Newsletter and Website are advising that if you want to avoid the risk of being fined, if you have traveled outside of Thailand, upon return you should make the TM.30 report within 24 hours (or next business day if returning on weekend or holiday). Here is latest from the PCEC's weekly Newsletter:
As of this issue, we continue to receive mixed reports about the requirement to file the TM.30 Address Report within 24 hours of returning from travel outside Thailand. Although recent reports note there may be long lines, we still advise filing the report within 24 hours of return (or next business day) to avoid the risk of being fined. Please follow the above link for more information.
The link referenced is to: http://www.pcecnews.com/permNL/THAI%20I ... 20NEWS.pdf (pages 2 to 4).
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Re: Any TM30 update?

Post by Gaybutton »

Up2u wrote:Three friends have recently returned to their condos here in Pattaya over the last thirty days.
From within Thailand? From abroad? Both?

Jogger wrote:it is always dangerous to believe what a friend tells you
I agree. No reflection on PeterUK's friend, but I too am much more inclined to rely on my own experience or the personal experience from trusted, reliable board members.

But I don't pay much attention to what somebody's friend says, especially when we don't know whether his information came from his own personal experience or whether he is simply relaying what a friend of his told him. And just as especially when the information makes no sense, even when it's about something going on at immigration.

I believe if PeterUK's friend was correct, by now we would have heard about it from many more than just one person - especially if people were really fined 2000 baht.
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Re: Any TM30 update?

Post by Bob »

With respect to Chiangmai Immigration only, the whole TM30 deal seems to be evolving. I'd note:
(1) If one reads the statute, it's clear that one is required to have an original TM30 filed for their address. Some condos do it for their residents, some landlords do it for their tenants, and even some residents/tenants do it for themselves. And, according to the statute, there needs to be another report (we call it "updating") whenever one is away from their registered address for more than 24 hours (whether you are returning from abroad or from within the country).
(2) Chiangmai for the most part is only requiring the updating for those returning to the country to the same address. I've had more than one discussion with Immigration officers up here and been flummoxed at the responses I've gotten for the most part. For example, I had one officer (after I complained that some officers were saying you had to update only when returning the country whereas one or two officers were saying you had to update even if you simply took a short trip within the country for a day or two) acknowledged that different officers were giving different guidelines. When I then asked "well, what the heck should I do?", the exact answer given to me was: "Up to you!"
(3) I would note that more than one officer up here has told me that they don't hold anyone to the strict 24-hour rule and that within "4 or 5 days" is acceptable. I've updated four times in the last 18 months and usually it's 3-4 days after I've re-entered the country. I haven't updated when I've gone elsewhere within country and have had no problem with that (even though they've known I've been gone in country on occasion as the hotels I stayed at filed the TM30 online).

We're getting more and more reports up here of people being turned away from all Immigration services until they have their TM30 house in order (and, usually, have paid a 1,600 baht fine). Because two years ago I saw a couple of reports that this was happening (and not wanting any guff when I was handling my annual extension), I asked my landlord if he ever filed one for me. He had no clue what I was talking about so together we went to Immigration and filed one. He was fined 3,000 baht on the spot (obviously more than the average fine but, then again, I had already resided at that address for 4+ years).

What will be the exact rules next week or next month? Hell if I know (and CM Immigration is probably equally clueless as to what the TM30 future will be).
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Re: Any TM30 update?

Post by Gaybutton »

Bob wrote:What will be the exact rules next week or next month?
That's the problem. Even when exact rules are in place, you are all too often still at the mercy of the officer you happen to be dealing with.

I have no idea why, but based on posts I've read on various boards for years, Chiang Mai's immigration office seems to stand out as unreasonable much more often than most others.

Shortly after New Year, that's when my own next address report is due. I guess I'll personally find out if all of a sudden Pattaya's immigration office expects people to file a new address report when they've traveled within Thailand. Since my last report, I've been back and forth to Bangkok several times and haven't reported any of those trips to immigration.
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Re: Any TM30 update?

Post by Bob »

When we update here in CM (which may be the same procedure elsewhere), all you do is hand them your passport (with the TM30 Notice of Receipt stapled in the back, much like a 90-day Notice of Receipt), they check you out on their computer, and then they just put another date stamp on your TM30 Notice of Receipt (or print you out a new one if it's too ragged and then date-stamp that). When they are checking you out on their computer, they can see the TM30 filings that were done by others (usually hotels) when you've stayed elsewhere in Thailand. In my case, they don't even comment about it (i.e., the officers I've run into don't care about updating when you're only gone within country). I really doubt if you'll run into any issues ....but god/buddha only knows.

There is a lot of frustration up here in Chiangmai about how CM Immigration is working (well, not working). Our expats club had a few Immigration officers give a presentation at a meeting in October of 2015 and the officers used a few graphs showing how many items (annual extensions, 90-day reports, etc.) that Chiangmai was handling every year compared to Chiangrai (CM, as you might guess, did 3-5 times as many). When they were asked about how many immigration officers Chiangrai had compared to Chiangmai, the unbelievable answer was that Chiangrai had more immigration officers. That, in large part (besides the different rules by different officers), lies our problem.

Geez, they know our address from our annual extensions, our 90-day reports, and even from our TM6 departure cards. Besides being a money maker, the TM30 routine is just an additional waste of time and involves immigration officers that could be doing more important things.

Then there is the TM28 joke....the TM28 being the form that a foreigner self-reports his/her address. This little baby is covered by the same statute that deals with the TM30. Yet, based on almost all reports from people who've tried to file those at CM Immigration, those are handed back and the people are told that Immigration doesn't want them or even know what to do with them. That, too, could change (hmmm....wonder what the fine will be for not filing one of those?).
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