‘Better if you do’: Phuket Immigration chief urges foreigners to re-register addresses, even if staying off-island just one night

[thaibeachlovers]

Just now, The Deerhunter said:

Can a Farang own a house now???  Or did you mean "condo", when you said house?    But, then maybe it is the condo manager's job.  555.  But it keeps us amused and from getting too bored.

???? Of course a farang can own a house. It's just the land they can't own.

If you want to be pedantic, if you live in a residence that does not have any one else to do a TM30 for you, you have to do it within 24 hours.

Of course it's a condo managers responsibility to do TM 30 for residents, as I already said.

[Tom Parkinson]

In the six years I lived in Thailand and worked abroad, I returned home to Bangkok 180 times. Not a chance in hell I was going to report my address again after each trip. I’d rather pay 2,000 baht each time...

[MartinL]

33 minutes ago, Golden Triangle said:

And as far as possible when travelling within Thailand I get the Mrs to book us in using her ID card, less work for the hotel/guesthouse and no need to inform immigration of anything.    

 

15 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

For that reason when I stayed in an hotel with my wife she had to register at reception so I didn't have to go to immigration every time we returned home.

 

Apart from once when testing my Pink Card for hotel registration, my wife's registered at all hotels we've stayed at - I haven't registered at any hotel/GH/resort in the almost 10 years I've been in Thailand. I'm sure the hotel proprietors prefer it that way, too.

 

If immigration checks on me, they must think "What a boring life this bloke leads - never goes anywhere. Isn't he interested in seeing Thailand?".

 

Being invisible is wonderful.

[wealthychef]

2 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

If you have a home here, but then stay in a hotel/GH somewhere else in Thailand you will be registered at the new address. 

When you get back home, how will they know you are there, unless you go and register again?

 

They could make that assumption but would have no way of knowing for sure if they did.

 

So it's more convenient for them to insist you, as the foreign alien, comply with the law. That way the know for sure and you save a fine.

 

That's so logical!  Another option is to just <deleted> mind their own business.  What difference does it make?  Why do they have to know where I'm sleeping every night of my life?  What have they ever done with that information?  Nosy pricks.  

[Rhys]

...the Sponge...

[a10ams]

I was in hospital with food poisoning Thursday/Friday. Should I have reported that!

 

If everybody did this, they would be overwhelmed with paperwork, they'd soon backtrack and shut it down.

[mlmcleod]

2 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

If you have a home here, but then stay in a hotel/GH somewhere else in Thailand you will be registered at the new address. 

When you get back home, how will they know you are there, unless you go and register again?

 

They could make that assumption but would have no way of knowing for sure if they did.

 

So it's more convenient for them to insist you, as the foreign alien, comply with the law. That way the know for sure and you save a fine.

Everyone knows this is BS!

 

The assumption should be that you are at your permanent address unless you are registered in a hotel elsewhere.  Relying on your home owner if you rent is not reliable.  You will still have to pay the fine if they fail to do so.  This is just another way to shake you down at immigration.  

 

[topt]

2 hours ago, PattayaAngel said:

I always resister with my Thai driving license therefore I have not left my permanent residence.

My Thai licence has my passport no. on it - doesn't yours?

 

However as somebody suggested it does not appear the internal system is linked up, or rarely checked, so presumably the only sure way they have of knowing is a new entry stamp in your passport?

[poohy]

Luckily my local immigration cares not wither i go or when i return

And 90 days report takes less than minute , get the impression they dont really want the bother (they are far too busy with the local Burmese workers)j

However its lucky as immigration is 40 Km from my house so it would be no joke!

[Autonuaq]

2 hours ago, Somrak said:

1 day Phuket = 1 day immi police?
Ouer office told us to do nothing, the house owner has to do this.!!
3-4 years ago I did go one time to the police with my T 28. What you think they did? ?
This: ???????????

Read the documents tm 30 and tm 28 again.

 

The law tells you to report with in 48 hrs (tm 28 document)

The sam law tells 24 hrs when you are the tenant of a house/condo then you get the role who is responsible for the registration of foreigners, including yourself (tm 30 document)

[Charlie1]

2 hours ago, captnhoy said:

sigh...I decided not to renew my permission to stay based on retirement just because of this and the other long list of petty never ending bs. Plus being treated like a dog when I do have business with them. It is not that hard to get the 6 months in country and that is now my preference. No 90 day report, no renewal BS, no money in a Thai bank. No THANKS!

 

But then still, you have to register. No difference at all. Everyone has to register, no matter what visa you're on.

[Charlie1]

2 hours ago, dictater said:

“It must be done because it’s the law. It’s the law in many countries,” Col Kathathorn said
 

What other countries?

Like most European countries.

 

[Maestro]

Oh, how I wish I had the opportunity of a chat with the Phuket Immigration Chief about sections 37(2) and 30 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522.

 

Does Col Kathathorn Kumthieng correspond in English? If he does I should be grateful if somebody would kindly send me a PM with his email address. (Don't post it here as forum rules do not allow the posting of email addresses in general)

[Charlie1]

4 minutes ago, Maestro said:

Oh, how I wish I had the opportunity of a chat with the Phuket Immigration Chief about sections 37(2) and 30 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522.

 

Does Col Kathathorn Kumthieng correspond in English? If he does I should be grateful if somebody would kindly send me a PM with his email address. (Don't post it here as forum rules do not allow the posting of email addresses in general)

So what?

Section 30

 

In the instance where there is reason to suspect that a violation of this Act has taken place, the competent official shall have the authority to order the owner or person in charge of conveyance to stop the conveyance or to take the conveyance to any place necessary for inspection.

The order under paragraph 1 maybe carried out by giving a signal by any other means which is understandable.

 

Section 37

 

An alien having received a temporary entry permit into the Kingdom must comply with the following:

1. Shall not engage in the occupation or temporary or employment unless authorized by the Director General or competent official deputized by the Director General. If, in any case, there is a law concerning alien employment provided hereafter, the granting of work privileges must comply with the law concerned.
2. Shall stay at the place as indicated to the competent official. Where there is proper reason that he cannot stay at the place as indicated to the competent official, he shall notify the competent official of the change in residence, within 24 hours from the time of removing to said place.

[wvavin]

If this were to be implemented, there would be daily endless Q outside the Phuket immigration office.

[Redline]

2 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

If you have a home here, but then stay in a hotel/GH somewhere else in Thailand you will be registered at the new address. 

When you get back home, how will they know you are there, unless you go and register again?

 

They could make that assumption but would have no way of knowing for sure if they did.

 

So it's more convenient for them to insist you, as the foreign alien, comply with the law. That way the know for sure and you save a fine.

You say foreign alien like we are not wanted here.  I know Thai foreign aliens living and working illegally in my country that I could have arrested and put in prison, but I would never do that because I don't mind them living in my country.  They are breaking the law, but they don't cause trouble

 

If you have a home here, why would they assume that you would live in a hotel?  It would take me 2-3 hours every time I come back from traveling to register, in addition to a 90 day report at immigration.  We are giving Thai people money when we travel!

 

My wife has a 10 year visa for my home country, and she comes and goes when she wants, up to 6 months stay.  She is never asked to fill out any forms of reports during that time, even though there are many Thai people illegally working there.

 

I have friends that have already moved to Vietnam from Thailand due to the feeling of not being welcome in Thailand.  It is an international world now.  Thailand is losing investment from outside the country to surrounding countries as it is.

 

If Thailand won't change, it will slowly be strangled by its neighbors, and the rest of the world.  The world is changing fast, time to step up to the plate!

 

Myself, and my Thai wife have been traveling to surrounding countries giving the possibility of living and doing business in another country.  Vietnam looks like the best thing going now.

 

 

[lucjoker]

in the near future........arive in Th and immigration registers that you are at the "airport",

arive in your house in pattaya and register yourself (24h) at Immigr. so they know that

you are home . 2 hours later you go to Big C.....you register at BC.......

this is all very logic ....how can the know where you are if you are not properly registerd ?

They could stand on your front door and you are not there ? You could be anywhere?

This is a big "pobbem".Also the motosyke-taxi should register every 50 m,since you might be out of sight for a few seconds????????

BS

[nasa123]

When I return from a international trip I hand over the Arrival Card with my address ( re-registering) to the Immigration officer at airport. So, I did do a full report to Phuket Immigration. Why this double-up? What about the thousands of not registered thai workers on Phuket, those who work here for years but remain registered in 'home' villages/towns?
 

[poohy]

5 minutes ago, nasa123 said:

When I return from a international trip I hand over the Arrival Card with my address ( re-registering) to the Immigration officer at airport. So, I did do a full report to Phuket Immigration. Why this double-up? What about the thousands of not registered thai workers on Phuket, those who work here for years but remain registered in 'home' villages/towns?
 

Sir! you will get nowhere in Thailand or on TV , using commonsense and making sensible sane comments like that

[Orton Rd]

would it not be easier to fit all foreigners with those ankle tags criminals wear so they can log us where ever we are, just in case like 

[WHYWHY]

Handsome  for a Immigration Cheif 

[pistachios]

Dear idiotic immigration chief : Dream on.

Best regards,

[WHYWHY]

Maybe should start reporting Bathroom movements and daily reporting 

Of color of your underwear 

[NE1]

Did the TM 30 2016 , I had a visit to Malaysia lined up so I went to my Immi. office for a re-entry permit.

I asked them , upon my return do I have to do the TM 30 again. They told me that if you are returning to the address that we did on the 2016 TM30 , then no.

Last November we went to do my yearly extension , filled a new TM 30 in , handed all my paperwork in , and received my extension.

I looked in my passport and the slip from the 2016 TM30 had not been replaced with the new 2017 one.

I went back to the window and was told , if my address is still the same there is no need to do a new one.

So I still have the 2016 slip in my passport. I don't know if that will give me problems later , but what can you do .

You can't stand there and argue the toss with them .

[Skeptic7]

3 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

If you have a home here, but then stay in a hotel/GH somewhere else in Thailand you will be registered at the new address. 

When you get back home, how will they know you are there, unless you go and register again?

 

They could make that assumption but would have no way of knowing for sure if they did.

 

So it's more convenient for them to insist you, as the foreign alien, comply with the law. That way the know for sure and you save a fine.

A ridiculous "<deleted>" joke, that would actually be funny if not so damn stupid and pathetic. You cannot seriously be OK with or in favor of such gross Big Brother Overkill in Overdrive silliness? 

[Mansell]

2 hours ago, farcanell said:

How stupid is this?

 

spend a day at Phuket immigration office (I absolutely hate going there) to go away for a day... or two... or three... then come back and spend another day at immigrations to tell them your back, or changing hotels once your back

 

a primary address...no problems

contact information... no problems

the minutiae of day to day movement... sheer stupidity

 

the 2000 baht fine option is definitely the way to go. (???? please post it to my incorrect address 5555)

You are going at the wrong time of day. I usually arrive around 2pm and am in and out in ten minutes or less. My best time for 90 day report was under two minutes. Phuket is one of the easiest places for immigration. Try CHIANG MAI. Nightmare.

[champ69]

Why not get all farangs a GPS chip implanted
so that the immigration can see when you stay somewhere else?
Then in the morning the police can come to the hotel
to arrest that evil farang.

[Mansell]

While living in Phuket I would spend lots of time away in various parts of the country staying in resorts and hotels. Never went to immigration on my return, just did my 90 days when required. Never had an issue or any questions at any time.

[chercheur888]

3 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

No, why should Immigration be expected to presume you have returned to the property you regard as home?

 

You are legally required to inform them, not them make presumptions and guesses on your behalf. 

 

You could be visiting family, friends, some new gf or whatever and staying in their residence. I don't know any police force that would accept making assumptions and presumptions as part of a procedure like this.

 

And he's being very good to remind people so they don't get fined.

Now I have a questions for you:

I live in Phuket and I decide to stay 1 night in a HOTEL in PHUKET

What do I have to do?

[Skeptic7]

1 hour ago, a10ams said:

I was in hospital with food poisoning Thursday/Friday. Should I have reported that!

 

If everybody did this, they would be overwhelmed with paperwork, they'd soon backtrack and shut it down.

CW in BKK is already inundated and overwhelmed with stacks upon stacks of STUPID meaningless copies of passport pages and other ignorant nonsense that nobody is EVER going to look at again. Literally meter high stacks and stacks of bound paperwork...nonsense BS...that no one will ever look at. Stupid rules, but fitting coming from a stupid place!