TM-30 Woes

[Gaybutton]

In 20 years of renting a condo, for several months at a time, I have never seen or been given a TM 30. Is this something new?

No. Your landlord should have submitted a TM-30 for you. Check with your landlord to see if it was done. If it was, ask for the receipt and explain why you need it.

I don't know how immigration will handle it if you need to do anything, but you don't have the receipt. My guess - emphasis on guess because I really have no idea - but I think there is a good chance they will take care of whatever it is this time and tell you to have the TM-30 receipt next time.

The only thing new is Pattaya immigration wanting the TM-30 receipt in your passport. As far as I know, no other immigration offices in Thailand are making a similar demand.

I am also guessing this will be one of those edicts that eventually gets dropped when there are enough complaints and they realize this demand is absurd in the first place.

Who comes up with this kind of nonsense anyway? Somebody had to be the one who first said, "I have a great idea. Let's start making farang keep a TM-30 receipt in their passports even though it is pointless and usually someone other than the farang who submits the TM-30 in the first place."

[travelerjim1]

I'm going to Immigration (Pattaya) tomorrow for the 90 day reporting and will let you guys know how it goes.

I'm jumping out of the airplane without a TM30. Let's see how I land.

Let us know what happened...
As Jomtien Immigration office NOW is reported to require a TM30 address registration on file with them for any service request.

[Gaybutton]

I'm going to Immigration (Pattaya) tomorrow for the 90 day reporting and will let you guys know how it goes.

I'm jumping out of the airplane without a TM30. Let's see how I land.

I suggest taking a parachute with you. Again I have a feeling they will let you submit the 90-day address report without the TM-30 and simply tell you to have it with you next time.

The parachute would be taking the documents necessary to submit the TM-30 with you. That way, as long as you're at immigration anyway, now you can get it done and over with. If they wouldn't let you submit the address report without it, now you'll have it and can submit the 90-day address report while you're there or do it later at home via the web site.

You can easily find and download the TM-30 form online, fill it out, and have it ready and with you when you go to immigration.

[Gaybutton]

There has been enough questions and concerns about Pattaya immigration demanding a receipt for the TM-30 form in your passport to warrant a topic of its own. Please post anything further about the TM-30 on this topic.

As you can see, I have moved the TM-30 posts from the "By Barry Kenyon" topic to this topic.

[Dodger]

I just returned from doing my 90 day reporting at Immigration (Pattaya).

GB, you were correct: A bit more hassle than before. They were handing everyone who was there for 90 day reporting a new TM form (TM47) to complete which I'm assuming is similar to TM30. It just took a few minutes to complete (e.g name, address, passport no., address, etc.) and then handed me a queue number. I sat and waited about 20 minutes...they called my queue...handed me my passport back with the 90 day slip inside just like before.

I had a copy of my passport, latest visa, and condo deed with me just to be safe - and sure enough they stapled these to the back of the TM47 before handing me my que number - so GB I think you were spot-on regarding your suggestion to come prepared.

I asked one of the agents if this was going to be routine for condo owners like myself and she said yes, but honestly she hesitated a bit before answering me and I'm not sure anyone is fully aware of what's going to happen next.

A waste of time as far as I'm concerned and I plan to start using the app like a lot of you guys do if-in-fact the app has been revised to include this new TM47 (or TM30) form submittal,

Who knows, 90 days from now this whole thing could change again. TIT

[Gaybutton]

Who knows, 90 days from now this whole thing could change again. TIT

And that's assuming things will change only once. Knowing how things work at immigration, it could be much sooner than that - like this afternoon . . .

The TM-47 form is the standard 90-day address report form. Has it changed?

richsilver recently posted that he did his 90-day address report via the online app and nothing about it had changed. I hope it stays that way. My own report is due in mid December and I will try to submit it via the app. I will post what happens. I am guessing nothing about that method will change. If a trip to immigration is required because of changes, then their online app would be useless.

Actually this whole thing is useless. For the TM-30, all of a sudden Pattaya wants the receipt in our passports. Why? I fail to see what purpose it serves, especially since they have all that information in the first place. You have to supply it when you extend your retirement visa.

The TM-47 form has been the same ever since I came to live in Thailand. Why they need an address report every 90 days goes beyond me. As we've said may times, why should the same address be reported a trillion times? It would make more sense to report only if your address changes. The TM-30 takes care of that. What is the point of the 90-day address report if nothing has changed?

Regarding the TM-30, very few farang are ever the ones to submit it. If you stay in a hotel, the hotel normally takes care of it. If you rent a condo, the rental office should take care of it. Only this morning I spoke with RichLB. He rents at a condo. He went to his condo office to ask for the TM-30 receipt. They had it and made a copy of it for him. That should suffice. Hopefully everyone renting at a condo will be able to get a copy of the receipt at their condo office.

I wonder how many criminals they have actually caught this way. My guess - zero.

[Dodger]

The TM-47 form is the standard 90-day address report form. Has it changed?

I really don't know because I've never filled out any form when doing my 90 day reporting. In the past I just handed them my passport with the last 90 day form they gave me stapled inside - and 20 minutes later they handed the passport back to me with a new form stapled inside. They've never once in all these years even asked me if my address changed - which is the sole purpose of doing the 90 day reporting. What a meaningless fiasco!

I finally figured out why the immigration agents get angry at farang so much. It's probably because half the time they don't know the answers to the questions they're being asked.

Now that they've legalized marijuana I'm sure things will be even more organized...

[billyhouston]

In the past my online 90 day reporting has been rejected because, having spent a couple of nights in a hotel away from home, my TM30 was not up to date. I have rented the same house for more than ten years and my landlady has never, as far as I am aware, submitted a TM30. In the past, I have gone down to immigration and submitted the TM30 myself but doing this, as required by local immigration every time I spend a few nights away, is a pain. I have, as a consequence and as Housemaster, registered the house as being a place where a foreigner stays and now am able to do my own TM30 using the app. This does not provide any receipt but my current receipt (stapled in my passport) has no expiry date and my address has not changed, so this should suffice..... but who knows!

[Gaybutton]

having spent a couple of nights in a hotel away from home, my TM30 was not up to date.

Why wasn't it? The hotel was supposed to have submitted the TM-30. Didn't they? If they didn't, how did immigration even know you had stayed at a hotel somewhere?

I guess, when staying at an unfamiliar hotel, now you have to check with the hotel to make sure whether they submit the TM-30 or not and ask the hotel to give you the receipt.

What's next? Implanting a computer chip like you would do with a dog? At least that might save having to fool with TM-30s and address reports.

I have a certain list this whole farce belongs on . . .

[Jun]

So the presumably national online process hasn't changed ?

Meanwhile the corrupt ****s at Jomtien immigration are trying to make things more awkward? With the likely side effect of more business going through agents and more tea money?