TM 30 and Immigration Dept visit to residence

[thelovedone]

So i lodged all the required paperwork for 90 day Non Immigrant visa, based on Retirement , yesterday at Division 1 Immigration BKK.

Another requirement not on the official checklist was the lodgement of a TM 30 form and a location map of where i live .

So I had the TM 30 duly signed by the landlord and i lodged the same.

2 weeks ago i travelled abroad and then returned to Thailand.

Yesterday at Immigration on lodging the TM 30  I was fined. Reason being  that the landlord had not previously lodged the TM30 form within the 24 hrs of my most recent arrival at the residence . (I have rented this property for several years)

Apart from the fine my application went smoothly.

Now today i am informed that immigration officer will visit my residence to inspect my passport/bankbook and i have to provide a Thai person to verify/guarantee  that i actually live here.

The landlord lives outside BKK and I am having trouble locating a Thai person who knows me and wants to become involved in a random falangs immigration application.

This just getting a bit to ridiculous for words.Feel i have to start to consider other options to Thailand.

Interested to hear from others who have had to experience the immigration verification visit to the residence.

[Yeahbutwhytho]

All I can say is, wow. Have to have a thai person there? For retirement? 

They're either not thinking, or don't want you here.

[ThomasThBKK]

Do u you live in a condo? If yes ask the management to vouch for you... 

 

 

But this is getting ridiculous ????

[Jingthing]

This has gone so much further than saying the writing is on the wall! ????

[thelovedone]

3 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

Do u you live in a condo? If yes ask the management to vouch for you... 

 

 

But this is getting ridiculous ????

Yes i am in resident in  a condo.....but its very intrusive to have immigration at your home and have to  produce a Thai person  (who perhaps only vaguely know me by sight) and who is required to  attest to  what?..... my existence? residence at the property?  I already provided a lease , a TM 30 , ID passport , bank details....etc.....

Not to mention the fact , that i get fined an issue that is the resonsibilty of the property owner.

Crazy!!!   

[thelovedone]

19 minutes ago, Yeahbutwhytho said:

All I can say is, wow. Have to have a thai person there? For retirement? 

They're either not thinking, or don't want you here.

Maybe the comment  "dont want any falang here" is more appropriate

[Rally123]

About 2-3 years ago in Surin/Buriram province we were all, registered, subjected to a home visit. Irrespective of what extension one had. We were also to provide two witnesses to provide proof of us living there and being of good character.

The OP isn't being picked on personally. Only fault I find in his story is that he paid the fine for the landlord not providing the TM 30. Not his problem and should have refused. Did the OP get a receipt for the fine?

[humbug]

if it happened to me and i lived in a condo, without knowing anyone , i would let the management office vouch for me living there, even if i hadnt communicated before, same in a moobahn, they have management too, hell security guards, just to get the visa and hell with nationalism.condo be easier, staff are more stagnate

[thelovedone]

17 minutes ago, Rally123 said:

About 2-3 years ago in Surin/Buriram province we were all, registered, subjected to a home visit. Irrespective of what extension one had. We were also to provide two witnesses to provide proof of us living there and being of good character.

The OP isn't being picked on personally. Only fault I find in his story is that he paid the fine for the landlord not providing the TM 30. Not his problem and should have refused. Did the OP get a receipt for the fine?

Thats not a typo...yes i was fined.....

This was my second day long visit to apply for a visa. After the previous visits application  not being processed. That was  due to required documentaion NOT being on the checklist ( a TM 30 and a map).

 

It was just easier to bite my tongue, apologize for the landlords error ,pay the fine and get on with the application there and then.

The alternative was another visa run out of Thailand and then start the process all over again

Edited April 24, 2019 by thelovedone
yes i did get a reciept for the fine, and no im not going to attempt to have it reimbursed

[Mike Teavee]

OP - Apologies if I missed it, but which Immigration Office was this?

 

 

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, Yeahbutwhytho said:

All I can say is, wow. Have to have a thai person there? For retirement? 

This is not the first report of it being done when applying for a 90 day non immigrant visa entry at immigration in Bangkok. It is something needed for the approval of the application at the division level not at the immigration office where it was applied for,

Not needed to apply for an extension of stay based upon retirement.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, thelovedone said:

Division 1 Immigration BKK.

 

18 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

OP - Apologies if I missed it, but which Immigration Office was this?

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

6 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

This is not the first report of it being done when applying for a 90 day non immigrant visa entry at immigration in Bangkok. It is something needed for the approval of the application at the division level not at the immigration office where it was applied for,

Not needed to apply for an extension of stay based upon retirement.

 

I believe there have been recent reports out of CW Immigration BKK of tenants being fined for failing to have TM30 receipts when going to do regular marriage or retirement extensions.

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, Rally123 said:

We were also to provide two witnesses to provide proof of us living there and being of good character.

When was 'being of good character' part of the VISA extension conditions?

[Rally123]

5 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

When was 'being of good character' part of the VISA extension conditions?

When immigration decided to ask I suppose? And when was an home visit part of the Retirement Extension?

[mokwit]

26 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

I believe there have been recent reports out of CW Immigration BKK of tenants being fined for failing to have TM30 receipts when going to do regular marriage or retirement extensions.

My last retirement extension (post march 31) IO printed out my 'next appointment date' from online 90 day reporting and asked me to sign it and then kept it. I would guess this was in lieu of a TM28/30 - i.e. a de facto legal certification (but not actually proof) of address.

Edited April 24, 2019 by mokwit

[sniggie]

This OP is a bit concerning. I have a Condo in Pattaya which is my official residence (rather like Downing Street!).  I am registered there. All my documents are registered there (Bank accounts, driving licence, SIM cards etc.) and I did my TM30 for there like a good boy when I came back from the UK at the beginning of the month. And it's close to the airport bus stop and a short amble down the road to Chonburi Immigration office (where I was on Monday). But today I am enjoying the tranquility of our house in deepest Isaan.  Soon I might go to our other condo several miles along the coast from Pattaya for a few days. I also spend about three months in the UK and about a month tourist travelling. If Immigration want to see me in my official residence it is going to have to be by prior arrangement!  

 

This new TM30 crackdown really gets to me. I have lived a well-behaved life in Thailand for over 8 years.  I have spent over 6 million baht on various properties over that time (and yes, to the naysayers, i could afford to lose it). So why, by all that is holy, are the authorities suddenly so bloody paranoid about where I am?   

[thelovedone]

29 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

This is not the first report of it being done when applying for a 90 day non immigrant visa entry at immigration in Bangkok. It is something needed for the approval of the application at the division level not at the immigration office where it was applied for,

Not needed to apply for an extension of stay based upon retirement.

Update...........Two Division 1  immigration officers visited my condo....some sort of document was duly signed by the condo management.....photos of my passport/bank passbook/ photos of me at the  condo lobby , inside and outside my condo and together with the officers and the management ..then wai's and smiles all round...... bye bye....

The officer informed me this process is now a one off requirement for new 90 day Non Immigrant visa applications for Retirement. This will only done for the first year.

30 minutes later and done now, and hopefully she is correct

Just posting my experience in applying for the 90 day Non Immigrant (Retirement) for others in a similair situation.

[Rally123]

3 hours ago, sniggie said:

So why, by all that is holy, are the authorities suddenly so bloody paranoid about where I am?   

They do under the belief we are all terrorists and the need to know our whereabouts at all time.

[jacko45k]

On 4/24/2019 at 12:59 PM, Rally123 said:

When immigration decided to ask I suppose? And when was an home visit part of the Retirement Extension?

In this case I believe the OP is not applying for a retirement extension, but converting an entry to a non-Imm-O, 90 day entry. 

[thelovedone]

21 hours ago, jacko45k said:

In this case I believe the OP is not applying for a retirement extension, but converting an entry to a non-Imm-O, 90 day entry. 

Thats correct jacko45k.....For clarrity..........I applied for the Non Immigrant 90 day visa on a TM 87 form.  I was changing from a permitted 30 day stay (obtained at the airport on arrival/entry ) to a Non Immigrant 90 day visa.

The reason i gave on my Non Immigrant visa  application was for "retirement" purposes. So i will apply for the Retirement visa once i am issued with the 90 day Non Immigrant , at the required submission timeframe.

[Mike Teavee]

11 minutes ago, thelovedone said:

Thats correct jacko45k.....For clarrity..........I applied for the Non Immigrant 90 day visa on a TM 87 form.  I was changing from a permitted 30 day stay (obtained at the airport on arrival/entry ) to a Non Immigrant 90 day visa.

The reason i gave on my Non Immigrant visa  application was for "retirement" purposes. So i will apply for the Retirement visa once i am issued with the 90 day Non Immigrant , at the required submission timeframe.

The 90-Day Non-IMM O is your "Retirement Visa" about 60 days into it, you should apply for an Extension to Stay which extend you permission to stay by 1 year 

 

Do note this is not a 1 year Visa, you must get a re-entry permit (Single 1,000, Multi 3,500) if you leave the country & want to come back during the year 

 

Edit to add: the 90-Day is a Single entry visa which will already have been marked as used, so again if you want to leave & re-enter Thailand before it's extended, you must get a Re-Entry permit - This will only last for the remainder of the 90 days, when you get your extension, you need another re-entry permit which will last for the lifetime of the permission to stay (Multi Re-Entry) or Single use...

Edited April 26, 2019 by Mike Teavee

[NCC1701A]

On 4/24/2019 at 1:13 PM, sniggie said:

So why, by all that is holy, are the authorities suddenly so bloody paranoid about where I am?   

they are not. as long as you don't tell them you are at your other homes they will never know you left Pattaya. 

 

[thelovedone]

2 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

The 90-Day Non-IMM O is your "Retirement Visa" about 60 days into it, you should apply for an Extension to Stay which extend you permission to stay by 1 year 

 

Do note this is not a 1 year Visa, you must get a re-entry permit (Single 1,000, Multi 3,500) if you leave the country & want to come back during the year 

 

Edit to add: the 90-Day is a Single entry visa which will already have been marked as used, so again if you want to leave & re-enter Thailand before it's extended, you must get a Re-Entry permit - This will only last for the remainder of the 90 days, when you get your extension, you need another re-entry permit which will last for the lifetime of the permission to stay (Multi Re-Entry) or Single use...

Yes..... thanks .....as you have described is also my understanding . 

[calbts2]

All of these drastic and ridiculous changes with retirement extensions, elimination of the affidavits by embassies, and now this TM 30 situation make the O-A visa all the more attractive. At this stage, flying back to the USA to obtain one seems worth it.

Unless of course they decide to make changes with that visa such as required health insurance.

[Jingthing]

7 minutes ago, calbts2 said:

All of these drastic and ridiculous changes with retirement extensions, elimination of the affidavits by embassies, and now this TM 30 situation make the O-A visa all the more attractive. At this stage, flying back to the USA to obtain one seems worth it.

Unless of course they decide to make changes with that visa such as required health insurance.

Sure, if you're going back anyway. To make special trips for that would be very expensive. May make more sense to go Elite.

[JackThompson]

17 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Sure, if you're going back anyway. To make special trips for that would be very expensive. May make more sense to go Elite.

Every 2 years?  Not that expensive - would still save a bundle over the Elite.  Get the medical done in Thailand before returning (Ok for UK submissions, hopefully USA also).

[Mike Teavee]

2 hours ago, JackThompson said:

Every 2 years?  Not that expensive - would still save a bundle over the Elite.  Get the medical done in Thailand before returning (Ok for UK submissions, hopefully USA also).

I visit the UK 2-3 times a year so it wouldn't be too much of a chore as long as I could do it by post but how about getting the Police clearance? I read that I need 1 from the UK & 1 from the country I'm "Resident" in but Singapore will not issue Police Clearance docs for non citizens/PRs 

 

Guess I could claim I'm non-Resident in Singapore (I'm here on an Employment Pass) but will they accept that seeing as I've lived here for 10.5 years...

 

 

 

[otherstuff1957]

On 4/24/2019 at 12:51 PM, BritManToo said:

When was 'being of good character' part of the VISA extension conditions?

Well, that would be an interesting requirement! ????

[jacko45k]

On 4/24/2019 at 1:12 PM, mokwit said:

My last retirement extension (post march 31) IO printed out my 'next appointment date' from online 90 day reporting and asked me to sign it and then kept it. I would guess this was in lieu of a TM28/30 - i.e. a de facto legal certification (but not actually proof) of address.

Was it also your first Extension? I ask as it is then also considered as your first 90 day report. After that the 2 are independent and the only association I have heard of was in Chiangrai, where they tried to tie 90 day reporting and showing the 800k on deposit was still there together, on Extension renewal.