Thailand tightens the screws on TM30 reporting, petition ongoing

[ThomasThBKK]

2 hours ago, gunderhill said:

I sure bet Elite visa  holders  appreciate the new TM30 reporting issues especially when leaving the province, must feel so "elite"

I feel scammed, honestly. 

It's not worth the money anymore. 

 

I wanted to be conveient here, work outside, invest and life here, that's gone now. 

 

Think I'll setup an unnecessary company now, hire my maid and her kids, get a work permit and pay myself a salary with my own money and then i will loophole myself till pr and citizenship ????

 

 

Exactly the shit thailand encourages. 

[Bangkok Barry]

1 minute ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

You cannot challenge a teacher here over whether the facts they are teaching are wrong. Whereas, in the West, the teacher would probably be grateful for being corrected. Questions here are discouraged

 

I've never forgotten that when I was a kid someone asked the teacher if phone cables were among the cables that run alongside the London Underground lines and in the tunnels. She said she didn't know (imagine that in Thailand!) but she would find out. And she did, and they do.

Also, my wife was at university learning to be an English teacher, and much of the material she was given by her teacher had errors. Maybe 20 or more to a page. I corrected one page for her to give to the teacher, and the teacher threw it in the bin. Thais are never wrong, about anything. Even when they actually know nothing, which is much of the time. Ignorance isn't not knowing, it's not wanting to know, and Thais are world leaders in that. Thailand #1 in ignorance.

[goltec]

18 hours ago, FarFlungFalang said:

So you must live next door to an immigration office if it took 8 minutes from your front door to report and get back to your place?

..sorry, quoted the wrong person but can not delete post..

[Odisan]

18 hours ago, madmen said:

The cowards that won't sign and living in fear grow a pair and just do it. 

You don't know what's going on in people's lives so cut them some slack.

[TKDfella]

13 hours ago, moe666 said:

17 hours ago, madmen said:

The cowards that won't sign and living in fear grow a pair and just do it. 

Thanks just made my mind up for me, I do not respond well to intimidation by you are any one.

'madmen' is wrong and is way out of line! Expats don't have the right to vote, to petition, to join protest marches etc. Expats who have tried to voice an opinion (like the video/song recently) have to end up apologising. In the new constitution the rights to law, complaints etc. are all and always referred to The Thai people. It does not say anything about persons residing in the Kingdom only to The Thai people.

Below is what I wrote on related threads.

'Don't confuse those who have courage to do something with those who understand that expats are granted one year stay by abiding by the law. If expats had the right don't you think representations would have been made long ago?

About 15-18 years Nong Khai IO set up an panel that consisted of of IO's and a team of expats to discuss problems. I was one of the first  to hurry to put my name on that list......Among other things, we talked about the length of extensions (why only one year) and why did Thailand not grant special long term visas to those expats in the kingdom for more than 5 years. There was a second meeting in which we were told that we didn't have the right to challenge the law. That was it! There were no further meetings after that. Other expats here have probably done something similar over the years so there is no call for 'cowards' labelling.

In my native country where I had the right; I was willing and got voted on to local and national committees to represent people who had legitimate concerns with industry and pertaining law.'

So Mr. 'cowards madmen' it has been tried before, and at the invitation of Thai immigration, and the expats were there in person.

I doubt that 'madmen' has ever had the above experiences for if he did he would be more considerate towards other expats. It wouldn't make any difference how many expats signed the petition, we do not have a voice and that is it!

 

[wwest5829]

Chiming in. 8 years retired in Chiang Mai. A couple of things come to mind (or what’s left of it). I have no problem with Thailand wanting to know where I live or when I leave and re-Enter the Kingdom. However, needing to report within 24 hours after traveling within the Kingdom and returning to the same address is a bit much. Yes, I have been here long enough to know that critical thinking skills appear lacking when dealing with bureaucratic minds applying a regulation without thinking things through. Next scheduled trip is October, a week on the Gulf of Thailand, then returning home. What benefit, what sense to having me report my return???

[Stoker58]

Didn’t they have bombs go off in Bangkok just the other day? Surely all this TM30 national security stuff should have prevented that?

[Odisan]

12 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

I've never forgotten that when I was a kid someone asked the teacher if phone cables were among the cables that run alongside the London Underground lines and in the tunnels. She said she didn't know (imagine that in Thailand!) but she would find out. And she did, and they do.

Also, my wife was at university learning to be an English teacher, and much of the material she was given by her teacher had errors. Maybe 20 or more to a page. I corrected one page for her to give to the teacher, and the teacher threw it in the bin. Thais are never wrong, about anything. Even when they actually know nothing, which is much of the time. Ignorance isn't not knowing, it's not wanting to know, and Thais are world leaders in that. Thailand #1 in ignorance.

"Thailand #1 in ignorance."

Ah the irony in your all-embracing, blanket, stereotypical, Thai-bashing answer... ????????????????

 

[Russell17au]

Go to any country in the world, even your home country as an immigrant and try to get them to change their immigration laws to suit you. They would laugh at you and possibly kick you out of the country as a trouble maker. Take America for example. Would America change any of its immigration laws to suit those that are coming through Mexico? The short answer is "NO". Why should Thailand change its immigration laws just to suit a minority group? Get over it, they are not going to change for you and neither they should. If you do not like to obey the laws here then it is up to you about whether you stay here or not. This is Thailand and these are the Thai laws so you better get used to them.

[Percy P]

18 hours ago, zydeco said:

Any news in this story? Seems to me to be a rehash of everything we've seen over the past few weeks.

Same as living it's as you describe a rehash 

[goltec]

18 hours ago, taninthai said:

I’m so fed up reading about tm30 on this forum ......I just did mine this morning in and out in 8 minuits ,immigration were happy,smiling,friendly and helpful seriously what is all the fuss about ....moaners will be moaners where ever they are in the world.

No offense , but, your wife is probably the landlord, and she is a house wife with not much to do....?  what if your wife had a busy important job where she can not just walk away from? And the husband is not here on retirement but also has a busy job which requires a lot of traveling...... that is what is all the fuss about for many of us....

[brianthainess]

I empathise with people working in a different province, but for me it means no more money for Thais when i used to travel,as with leaving money in the bank less money for Thais.

[taninthai]

Geez ....the Thai government must think what is wrong with these ferang,,they make a phone app a website give option to post the form or give to local police and they still struggle.

there is even some very detailed threads here how to set it up online ,yet the comments are still coming thick and fast ..I live 2 hour drive away , I have to work..blah blah blah.

do you think the 1000’s and 1000’s off hotels are going to immigration to report there guests everyday......obviously not they are all using the online system,and yet here on this very thread ferang are slagging of the Thai education system,well they seem to be able to do something that a lot of people on this forum can’t do.

 

people on this forum don’t seem to read and take in what is in front of them even still saying 24 hours to report,it’s actually 48hours????

[MartinBangkok]

18 hours ago, taninthai said:

I’m so fed up reading about tm30 on this forum ......I just did mine this morning in and out in 8 minuits ,immigration were happy,smiling,friendly and helpful seriously what is all the fuss about ....moaners will be moaners where ever they are in the world.

So Taninthai, you don't mind being treated like a criminal.

Forum rules forbid me to state my thoughts about you and your like.

[taninthai]

3 minutes ago, MartinBangkok said:

So Taninthai, you don't mind being treated like a criminal.

Forum rules forbid me to state my thoughts about you and your like.

I didn’t feel like a criminal ,I also don’t expect to go to another country and hide away under the radar ,,,,that’s what the government allowed visitors to do in my country and now my country is a mess.

[Mac98]

I feel for the landlord renting to a tourist on a 60-day TV who uses the rental property as a base for frequent 3-day explorations of the LOS. 

[baboon]

4 minutes ago, taninthai said:

Geez ....the Thai government must think what is wrong with these ferang,,they make a phone app a website give option to post the form or give to local police and they still struggle.

They certainly aren't asking themselves what the whole point of the exercise is.

[outsider]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

... to “strengthen security” and keep tabs on foreigners whilst in the country.

 

... outweighed by the need for national security.

 

'Keep tab on foreigners'? Why? How many foreigners have been caught threatening Thailand's national security? And, for the record, the Thais are doing a fantastically great job at upsetting the kingdom's national security, without any foreign help, thank you very much, you xenophobic gits.

 

I read in another post on the same subject, that this is being done to curb the rise in the influx of Burmese/Cambodians/Indian immigrants/workers - something like that. Be that as it may, why is there the need to upset, antagonise and victimise a group of expats who have largely been nothing but model guests in your country? These people are legit, pay taxes, contribute to the local economy, in some cases help build communities, to say nothing of the technology and knowledge transfer to the locals? Oh yes, of course, you don't care. And yes, we should know where the exit is.

 

[FarFlungFalang]

51 minutes ago, biplanebluey said:

Why do you guys have to do this---- cant you bloody read------ It took 8 mins inside the office of immigration----- he said nothing about leaving home or arriving back home.  Please learn to read properly !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did this because he said it took eight minutes to do and that it was easy and that he couldn't understand what all the fuss was about so I asked if he lived next door,a fair question and he replied he had to ride his motorbike for 30 minutes to get there!So I did read properly and asked a simple question which seems you've taken exception to and accused me of not reading properly.Just look at how many people have quoted and replied to his post,it seems that many have taken exception to his flippant remark and accusation that they are moaning moaners moaning for little or no reason to moan.Plus your post and my reply are off topic and likely to be removed.

[rexall]

18 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

I would like to know how many criminals they've caught, because the criminal made a TM30 report. Any at all?

As others have stated, complaining about the TM30 on grounds of "hardship" is not likely to garner much sympathy from anybody; neither from Thai or falang or the foreign media.  The TM30 is witless and does nothing to prevent nogoodniks from traveling around Thailand anonymously to perpetuate their evil schemes.  Suppose a ring of noogoodniks all have legal residences in various places in the country and they use these as "safehouses" to travel around and do their monkey business staying at one of the safehouses.  No way to catch them except by accident or if someone rats them out. Moreover, such people are hardly intimidated by the prospect of a fine.  For all of that, Joe Goodfalang could legally own two condos in different parts of the country and travel around as much as he likes and not file a TM30 with impunity. I am not a criminal type,  but I am sure clever nogoodniks can come up with far more creative schemes than what I just outlined.

Barring any real, useful function, one has to be suspicious that the underlying purpose is simply  harassment driven by racism and xenophobia.

Hardship for the poor, pitiful falang aside, the more basic problem with the TM30 is that it is immoral, draconian, and not fitting behavior for a modern state claiming to want to participate in the global community of developed nations. As attractive as the practice may be to the state in order to "keep tabs on foreigners" as the article states, it belongs on the trash heap of practices along with using thumb screws to obtain confessions. 

[bizboi]

18 hours ago, taninthai said:

Not really 30 minuits ride on the bike but I like getting out and about and riding the bike so it’s no big deal.

YES it is!!! 

[Odisan]

11 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

Chiming in. 8 years retired in Chiang Mai. A couple of things come to mind (or what’s left of it). I have no problem with Thailand wanting to know where I live or when I leave and re-Enter the Kingdom. However, needing to report within 24 hours after traveling within the Kingdom and returning to the same address is a bit much. Yes, I have been here long enough to know that critical thinking skills appear lacking when dealing with bureaucratic minds applying a regulation without thinking things through. Next scheduled trip is October, a week on the Gulf of Thailand, then returning home. What benefit, what sense to having me report my return???

That's exactly it.

When you start looking at it objectively, what purpose does it serve?

If I'm a criminal, then I'm not going to bother anyway, so it's not aimed at me.

If I'm a tourist here on a short stay, I'm not even going to know about it.

If' I'm on a longer stay visa, such as retirement or marriage, then you know where I am. Even more so if I have a Yellow Book. As the immigration officer said to me, "It's so we know where you are in case something goes wrong."

It seems to be messing people about for either the sake of it or hoping to generate some additional small, fine revenue.

Just don't get it, myself.

[Odisan]

18 hours ago, taninthai said:

I’m so fed up reading about tm30 on this forum ......I just did mine this morning in and out in 8 minuits ,immigration were happy,smiling,friendly and helpful seriously what is all the fuss about ....moaners will be moaners where ever they are in the world.

My name's Jack, and I'm alright...

[DrTuner]

28 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

I feel scammed, honestly. 

It's not worth the money anymore. 

 

I wanted to be conveient here, work outside, invest and life here, that's gone now. 

 

Think I'll setup an unnecessary company now, hire my maid and her kids, get a work permit and pay myself a salary with my own money and then i will loophole myself till pr and citizenship ????

 

 

Exactly the shit thailand encourages. 

I knew the elite program was just a glorified tourist visa when I joined. A stopgap for five years to get the circus ready to move out of here so I won't have to see the bitter face at the marriage desk in Jomthien, had enough of her for a lifetime. It's just as useless as the other temp permits.

 

EDIT: I looked into the useless company setup before. The consensus in the PR thread was it ain't going to work, they won't accept it unless it's  real Thai majority and controlled firm with more than minimum employees. If you do try keep.us updated.

[Jimbo2014]

Im not a fan of the form but two questions - a) the form can be completed online very quickly - it seemed to work for me - have others had this experience? b) my understanding is that as a long term expat - if your home address does not change - you do not need to complete the form every time exiting and entering the country?

[Odisan]

18 hours ago, taninthai said:

Not really 30 minuits ride on the bike but I like getting out and about and riding the bike so it’s no big deal.

As long as you're okay. That's the main thing.

[rexall]

1 minute ago, Odisan said:

My name's Jack, and I'm alright...

Yeah, moaners all right!  That's what they called the Jews who complained about having to wear armbands ... that is until complaining was punishable by death.  There is a DIFFERENCE between the relative inconvenience and the actual dynamic of what is going on with this. Sooner or later, it will all be done online, and with a decent system it won't represent any inconvenience at all.  Then with some kind of chip or tracking device; then you won't have to do anything.  It doesn't change it.  PLEASE think about how you would feel if this were going on in your home country and you had to write up your foreign friends every time they visited you. This is not a good thing!

[baboon]

1 minute ago, Odisan said:

As long as you're okay. That's the main thing.

Thaivisa in a nutshell these days...

[FarFlungFalang]

3 minutes ago, Jimbo2014 said:

Im not a fan of the form but two questions - a) the form can be completed online very quickly - it seemed to work for me - have others had this experience? b) my understanding is that as a long term expat - if your home address does not change - you do not need to complete the form every time exiting and entering the country?

Read the previous 16 pages of this thread and the hundreds of pages of other TM30 related threads and you get an idea of how messy this sorry saga of an ill thought out mess the whole TM30 business is.

[Somtamnication]

The issue is not the requirements for the tm30 for tourists. The long term expats, those married, let's say, 5 years or more, that could easily be exempted from this circus. Gotta put this in plain Englisheeeee or Thai to the powers-that-be.