Some Confusion on Need to Report Return to Immigration

[mojaco]

Today I reported my return from overseas to Chiang Rai Immigration and the officer filled out a new "Notification of Alien's address" and didn't charge me although I returned 3 days ago.

 

I specifically asked her about needing to report if staying in a hotel in Thailand.  She replied "yes, every time you return".  I asked her what if I stayed in a hotel WITHIN Chiang Rai Province, such as the Wiang Inn in Chiang Rai.  She replied, "Yes, even if staying in a hotel within Chiang Rai Province".  This conflicts with what my friend was told a few months ago in that if staying within the Chiang Rai Province in a hotel no address report is needed when returning to the registered home address in Chiang Rai Province.

 

Next month I will be staying in the Wiang Inn Hotel in town and will report my "return" to Immigration afterwards.  It will be interesting to see if a different officer says "No need".

Morris

[1337markus]

Just goes to prove mojaco that CNX Immigration have no idea, they make it up every day. I have been putting up with these hopeless directions for 13 years. That is why I sourced an reliable agent I dont need the trauma or the waste of many hours of waiting time; last TM 30 check in which is a minutes work took 3 hours of waiting. Last example I had of asking for assistance from these uneducated group was the current documents for a certificate of residence. They wanted the normal PLUS a police report. I told wife we go the next day dont mention the police report. As predicted they never asked for it. The certificate is no charge, the guy two in front of me got slugged 1500 baht for that certificate. My turn they wanted 500 baht. In a loud voice so everyone could here " you want money for something where there is no charge, show me where it is written the fee is 500 baht". It worked fee waived away. Just be patient and only get advice from people who know. I have learnt the less you tell them the easier the process.  Here in TV a guy call UbonJoe is very good on advice. Good luck.

[brommers]

Er, hello 1337markus. The OP clearly stated that he reported to Chiang Rai immigration. For your edification Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai are actually not the same place, being separated by a couple of hundred kilometres.

 

Mojaco, as an alien moving around Thailand and staying in hotels, your location has to be reported to Immigration whenever you change. But it is the responsibility of the lodging establishment to report that you are staying with them. Unless the office in CR has decided to very strictly enforce the regulations as they are written you should not need to report when you return to your "domicile". However as there are often quixotic interpretations of the regulations here it might be wise to try to report your return to your domicile. Your experience could inform and enlighten us all.

[franckpattaya]

Went to Jomtien immigration in June to ask if I need to fill again T.M 30 when I return because I was going abroad.

Officer told me:"no if you keep the same address"

When I return to Thailand with my re-entry, I didn't go to Jomtien.

I have renewed my one year extension last week and everything was O.K.

No need to lose time for T.M 30 if you keep the same address.

[1337markus]

your location has to be reported to Immigration whenever you change , quote from brommers reply. I havent changed location in 13 years. The uneducated Immigration people still demand everytime I come into Chiang Mai from outside of Thailand a TM 30 report, wife has been fined once so far for being late on reporting. Until someone in Bangkok in RTP has a brain  and makes a guideline these variations continue.

[Vacuum]

1 minute ago, franckpattaya said:

Went to Jomtien immigration in June to ask if I need to fill again T.M 30 when I return because I was going abroad.

Officer told me:"no if you keep the same address"

When I return to Thailand with my re-entry, I didn't go to Jomtien.

I have renewed my one year extension last week and everything was O.K.

No need to lose time for T.M 30 if you keep the same address.

That is IF you stay in Jomtien, in other places, one has to "lose time" if leaving the country.

[Mike Teavee]

18 minutes ago, 1337markus said:

your location has to be reported to Immigration whenever you change , quote from brommers reply. I havent changed location in 13 years. The uneducated Immigration people still demand everytime I come into Chiang Mai from outside of Thailand a TM 30 report, wife has been fined once so far for being late on reporting. Until someone in Bangkok in RTP has a brain  and makes a guideline these variations continue.

By Location they mean where you spent the night, so you have obviously changed location having been overseas, as you have staying in a (local) hotel.

 

Technically, when you stay anywhere other than your registered address (yes even if you went to stay at the neighbours) the "Landlord" of where you're staying is supposed to file a TM30 when you stay there & the Landlord (could be you) for where you live should file one when you return - Think of it as Thailand wants to know where you're sleeping every night you're in the country.

 

In reality most offices deal with it as staying outside of the province for 24/48 hours but as usual this varies from Jomtien not caring how long to seemingly CR wanting you to do it for any location you stay in.

 

Practically I would recommend filing a TM30 when I got back from the last trip before having to go to Immigration for anything (e.g. 90 Day Report, Extension, Residents Certs etc...) as I travel at least every other week, there is no way I could be bothered to have a weekly/bi-weekly trip to file a TM30 when I got back.

 

 

[Foxy52]

I go to HK every 3 months as I still have a business there. That saves doing the 90-day report and my landlord always does the TM30 upon my return. I also use an agent for my visa renewal, as am unwilling to wait for hours at the ID 

 

[jossthaifarang]

I've been here for 10 years and this is the first I have heard of it, 1 year re-entry for 10 consecutive years, and I've only ever done 90 day reports if I had not left and returned. Sounds like a load of nonsense to me...

[Media1]

I have never reported it's rubbish. You report on arrival to the country. And l never will nobody has blinked a eye.

You go looking for trouble you will find it

[Media1]

1 hour ago, jossthaifarang said:

I've been here for 10 years and this is the first I have heard of it, 1 year re-entry for 10 consecutive years, and I've only ever done 90 day reports if I had not left and returned. Sounds like a load of nonsense to me...

It's all bullshit ignore 

[StevieAus]

2 hours ago, Media1 said:

It's all bullshit ignore 

It might be bullshit where you live but in Chiang Mai province Immigration require that the House Master who is my wife register my address after I leave the country and return, this is despite the fact that I have my own House Book.

Last year we went across into Burma at Masai for the day, the next time I lodged the 90 day report I was asked why the address hadn’t been registered.

They were able to see on the computer that I had  left and re entered the country because the entry cards are barcoded.

Fortunately our local Immigration office is user friendly and no fine was imposed on my wife.

Unfortunately and as you will read on this site each Province applies its own rules, some of which I agree are bullshit !!

[Media1]

4 minutes ago, StevieAus said:

It might be bullshit where you live but in Chiang Mai province Immigration require that the House Master who is my wife register my address after I leave the country and return, this is despite the fact that I have my own House Book.

Last year we went across into Burma at Masai for the day, the next time I lodged the 90 day report I was asked why the address hadn’t been registered.

They were able to see on the computer that I had  left and re entered the country because the entry cards are barcoded.

Fortunately our local Immigration office is user friendly and no fine was imposed on my wife.

Unfortunately and as you will read on this site each Province applies its own rules, some of which I agree are bullshit !!

Unreformed cowboys a absolute circus and 4 years with Superman bared nothing.

[wgdanson]

2 hours ago, Media1 said:

I have never reported it's rubbish. You report on arrival to the country. And l never will nobody has blinked a eye.

You go looking for trouble you will find it

Same here, Jomtien & Phitsanulok..

[Lee4Life]

For all those saying ignore it...you can ignore it if you choose, and your Immigration Office may not enforce the TM30, but telling others to ignore it is not really a good idea. Our office had never enforced it in the ten years we have been here but when a friend stayed with us for a while he was asked for proof of it when he went in to do his 90 day report.

    So I went in and asked and our office said that my wife and I don't have to worry about reporting if we just leave for a day or two (we have a yellow house registration book) but we do have to report when we leave the country or go somewhere else for an extended period of time.

[5633572526]

On 9/15/2018 at 9:07 AM, 1337markus said:

your location has to be reported to Immigration whenever you change , quote from brommers reply. I havent changed location in 13 years. The uneducated Immigration people still demand everytime I come into Chiang Mai from outside of Thailand a TM 30 report, wife has been fined once so far for being late on reporting. Until someone in Bangkok in RTP has a brain  and makes a guideline these variations continue.

Feel sorry for those of you living in the North. I have lived in Bangkok for years and in Phuket as well and never bothered with this constant reporting. TM 30 is supposed to be done by hotels via the internet and landlords through immigration 

I travel a lot in and out of Thailand and this reporting never comes up on my annual extension. 

[zaZa9]

23 hours ago, 5633572526 said:

Feel sorry for those of you living in the North. I have lived in Bangkok for years and in Phuket as well and never bothered with this constant reporting. TM 30 is supposed to be done by hotels via the internet and landlords through immigration 

I travel a lot in and out of Thailand and this reporting never comes up on my annual extension. 

You'd get a surprise if you went into Phuket Town Immigration now then.

I returned from my last trip o/s and 90 days later turned up  at PT and the IO acted quite exasperated . He stayed patient  but said I must  come and tell them within 48 hours of my return from o/s  EVERY TIME ,  and made me come back next day with all the documents to do another  "Notification of Residence" ( with Landlords Power of Attorney , 10 baht tax stamp , land book copies - the LOT.) before doing the 90 day report.

He did say later  that the staff at PT were too busy to handle anything but o/s travel and they werent interested  in reports  only dealing with domestic travel...

 

It appears silly to me to advise people to not do something  that none of them  willingly want to do in the first place .

[gaviny]

This is so confusing , here in Sakeo I had returned from OS and wanted to report but my partner said Immigration Officer said no need if coming back to same address.Fortunately I will be out again before the 90 day report but would like to know if she is correct.Will see what happens next I do my 90 days in Feb.

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[SoilSpoil]

I got a fine once for staying in a resort in the south and hadn't reported that we returned home. Absolute <deleted>.

[jak2002003]

9 minutes ago, SoilSpoil said:

I got a fine once for staying in a resort in the south and hadn't reported that we returned home. Absolute <deleted>.

Same here.

 

We travel a lot within Thailand.  In Chiang Mai they got really anal about it.  We were sick of going there, waiting, just to tell them we were back home after one of 2 days away!!!

 

But they change their minds like the wind.  Last time we went the dismissed us, as told us we did not need to report it unless we were out of the country!!!!  2 of them confirmed it.  So we have not done it.  But I expect to get another fine, when they change their mind depending on their mood.

 

Where is the consistency in applying the laws?  It's like they get some kick out of worrying people and confusing them.  

[StevieAus]

10 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

Same here.

 

We travel a lot within Thailand.  In Chiang Mai they got really anal about it.  We were sick of going there, waiting, just to tell them we were back home after one of 2 days away!!!

 

But they change their minds like the wind.  Last time we went the dismissed us, as told us we did not need to report it unless we were out of the country!!!!  2 of them confirmed it.  So we have not done it.  But I expect to get another fine, when they change their mind depending on their mood.

 

Where is the consistency in applying the laws?  It's like they get some kick out of worrying people and confusing them.  

According to our local Immigration office which is in Chiang Mai Province you only need you report the address when returning from 

overseas, has been that way for close to 2 years.

Like you say that could change next week.

Last week they started requiring proof to support the income Statutory Declaration signed by the Australian Consulate

[gaviny]

Same here.
 
We travel a lot within Thailand.  In Chiang Mai they got really anal about it.  We were sick of going there, waiting, just to tell them we were back home after one of 2 days away!!!
 
But they change their minds like the wind.  Last time we went the dismissed us, as told us we did not need to report it unless we were out of the country!!!!  2 of them confirmed it.  So we have not done it.  But I expect to get another fine, when they change their mind depending on their mood.
 
Where is the consistency in applying the laws?  It's like they get some kick out of worrying people and confusing them.  

If you are travelling within the country how would they know if you returned home and not report it ? I can understand they can check your passport if returning from overseas.

Sent from my SM-T580 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Joe Mcseismic]

On 9/27/2018 at 12:29 AM, gaviny said:

This is so confusing , here in Sakeo I had returned from OS and wanted to report but my partner said Immigration Officer said no need if coming back to same address.Fortunately I will be out again before the 90 day report but would like to know if she is correct.Will see what happens next I do my 90 days in Feb.

Sent from my SM-N9200 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

 

I live in Phuket and this was the same advice I received. Went in and out of the country several times, then, suddenly it changed. I now fill out a TM28 form each time I come back from abroad (I have rented the house and land for 30 years). If you don't do this now in Phuket, not only do you have a problem with the annual extension, but, you cannot do the 90 day reporting online because the TM6 arrival card does not match what is in the immigration database.

[jak2002003]

2 hours ago, gaviny said:

If you are travelling within the country how would they know if you returned home and not report it ? I can understand they can check your passport if returning from overseas.

Sent from my SM-T580 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Not really sure.  However, all the hotels we stay in register us there, and want to see out passports.  So that information is put onto some computer database.  No idea if they ever check it.

 

In our case we were also moving house, renting on while building the new one, and then moving into the new house and had to register our new address etc..

[mojaco]

As I mentioned in my opening post, I have now stayed with visiting friends for 4 nights in the Wiang Inn hotel in the city of Chiang Rai.  My registered address is some 25 kilometers east of the city and my Immigration Office is in Chiang Rai Province.  This morning I went to Chiang Rai Immigration, and, YES, I had to report that I was now "back home" at my registered address, and WITHIN 24 hours of returning.  A person ahead of me was reprimanded for being "late" as it was more than 24 hours (but less than 48 hours) when he reported being back home from an overseas trip.

 

I was also told to tell the hotels to make certain the hotels actually enters the passport information into the Immigration systems as "Sometimes the hotels forget to do so".

 

So, Chiang Rai Immigration does not care where you go when you are not "at home" and must report to them within 24 hours of returning "back home".  No paperwork is required other than them looking at the previous report stapled in your passport and then *it appears that* they enter something into their computer.  But they do not give a new revised printed report to replace the one in the passport.