Yet another TM30 nightmare story

[jbob]

 

 

So today I got up early, got all my paperwork ready, made copies of my passport etc on my way to jomtien immigration to get a residency certificate so I can renew my motorbike licence when I notice they handed me another TM30 application form which confused me because my agent already sorted one out for my address when I signed my lease 4 months ago but they insisted it was too old and I have to do again... whatever, an hour in the TM30 waiting room then I get the news, "Why you not report in 3 days?" huh? My last TM30 lasted 9 months what on earth are you talking about? "Get owner to pay 1,600b, come back tomorrow". Great, if you think the fat stingy russian landlord who won't even fix my broken refrigerator is going to do that you are dreaming. The other option was of course "you pay now and get money from owner" 555

 

So I can either pay 1,600 and renew my drivers licence now or wait till I re-enter and sit in immigration for another hour or 2 and do my landlords paperwork... given I have a year after my drivers licence expires before having to redo the test I think I will wait and by then my lease will have expired and just stay in a hotel where the bs TM30 is done for you online

 

I found this great youtube video explaining the dramas tourists and expats are experiencing, giving me a much better understanding of what the hell is going on... 

 

[david555]

Jomtien  accepted my old drivers license address for my residence certificate to renew my 5 years whiteout any problem May last , it is even marked as one option amoungst some others, on  their requirements slip they gave me before. 

[ChouDoufu]

how can a tm-30 be too old?

 

you register once and you're good until you spend some time elsewhere that submits a tm-30 to change your address, or you leave and reenter which changes your tm6 number.

[BestB]

1 minute ago, ChouDoufu said:

how can a tm-30 be too old?

 

you register once and you're good until you spend some time elsewhere that submits a tm-30 to change your address, or you leave and reenter which changes your tm6 number.

What they were trying to say was that previous records were not kept so make a new one and you pay for our tardiness 

[thaitero]

What is your visastatus ?

If it is exempt/tourist. You should do new tm 30 when back in pattaya from visarun.

When making new if old tm30 receipt, frontdesk trainee can do it..

 

This is jomtien spesific practice and applies those who do not have longstay visa/extension.

[jbob]

1 hour ago, david555 said:

Jomtien  accepted my old drivers license address for my residence certificate to renew my 5 years whiteout any problem May last , it is even marked as one option amoungst some others, on  their requirements slip they gave me before. 

I brought the rental contract with me but before I even got that far they gave me a new TM30 form and a queue number for the TM30 room even though TM30 is not mentioned on that list ????????

I'm on a 6-month multiple entry tourist visa and after 9 years in and out of thailand the intricacies (and enormous wait times) of TM30 are indeed nightmarish.

 

If I want to take my girlfriend to a full moon party in Koh Phangan or go to an embassy in Bangkok for a couple nights and don't make sure I get reported within 24 hours of return ????‍♂️ upto 2,000b fine to 30-day extend or get residency certificate to buy motorbike, open bank account, renew drivers licence turning an expected 500b task into 2,500b (or 2,100b this time).

 

You might be lucky if you were organised and remembered to get it done with an agent for 300b or whatever the day you arrived and hope they skip the online lookup check because the hotel submitted a TM30 as required making your current piece of paper stapled in your passport technically invalid, but I was so used to sorting it out the same day of the 30-day extension this came as a shock for sure considering my address is still the same.

[david555]

1 minute ago, jbob said:

I brought the rental contract with me but before I even got that far they gave me a new TM30 form and a queue number for the TM30 room even though TM30 is not mentioned on that list ????????

I'm on a 6-month multiple entry tourist visa and after 9 years in and out of thailand the intricacies (and enormous wait times) of TM30 are indeed nightmarish.

 

If I want to take my girlfriend to a full moon party in Koh Phangan or go to an embassy in Bangkok for a couple nights and don't make sure I get reported within 24 hours of return ????‍♂️ upto 2,000b fine to 30-day extend or get residency certificate to buy motorbike, open bank account, renew drivers licence turning an expected 500b task into 2,500b (or 2,100b this time).

 

You might be lucky if you were organised and remembered to get it done with an agent for 300b or whatever the day you arrived but I was so used to sorting it out the same day of the 30-day extension this came as a shock for sure.

I never used a agent before in my 10 years stay …,the girls on reception desk are a help , but they don't know all .., when last time I arrived back from home country to play safe I passed their desk and explained /asked confirmation if not needed tm 30 as I stay 8 years already same address …. my mouth not yet closed they handed me those doc. , so I repeated all.... no reaction …. , but the uniformed I.O. on the left side counter confirmed to them that as a ret. extension retiree it is not needed as long someone stays same address ….. so they learned something new ….. 

Friendly helping lady's , but I guess trainee's 

[jbob]

10 minutes ago, david555 said:

I never used a agent before in my 10 years stay …,the girls on reception desk are a help , but they don't know all .., when last time I arrived back from home country to play safe I passed their desk and explained /asked confirmation if not needed tm 30 as I stay 8 years already same address …. my mouth not yet closed they handed me those doc. , so I repeated all.... no reaction …. , but the uniformed I.O. on the left side counter confirmed to them that as a ret. extension retiree it is not needed as long someone stays same address ….. so they learned something new ….. 

Friendly helping lady's , but I guess trainee's 

The guy in the video specifies which visas are it applies to (I just learned today when TM30 immigration police lady asked me for 1600b...) it's not the law that has changed but what is being enforced, technically it's not even our problem but it becomes our problem the second the fine needs to be paid and you are the debt collector (without a work permit) before you can do anything at immigration

[DannyCarlton]

12 minutes ago, david555 said:

but the uniformed I.O. on the left side counter confirmed to them that as a ret. extension retiree it is not needed as long someone stays same address ….. so they learned something new ….. 

He's the guy to ask if you want the difinitive answer. I asked him the same question and was told, "Not needed if you are on 12 month retirement or marriage extension".  That was 18 months ago, been out of country 3 times since then and out of province numerous times. Never filled a TM30 in. Did my 90 day report last week. TM30 not mentioned. No problem.

[NanLaew]

13 hours ago, jbob said:

...and you are the debt collector (without a work permit) before you can do anything at immigration

I would politely suggest to the IO that they are asking you to do a job that a Thai person is supposed to do and even if you wanted to, you can't get a Work permit to do that.

[Briggsy]

Since you are on METV (same as me), and your last TM30 was 4 months ago, you have been out and in of Thailand since then. So, Jomtien were correct that your TM30 was no longer valid. It is a total pain. I switched to IDP's instead of Thai driving licence.

[bert bloggs]

14 hours ago, DannyCarlton said:

He's the guy to ask if you want the difinitive answer. I asked him the same question and was told, "Not needed if you are on 12 month retirement or marriage extension".  That was 18 months ago, been out of country 3 times since then and out of province numerous times. Never filled a TM30 in. Did my 90 day report last week. TM30 not mentioned. No problem.

Ive lived at the same address 12 years ,been to the UK many times ,go to stay with relatives in BKK from time to time ,off to do my 90 day in a week ,never been asked for or done a tm 30 did not even know about it until i read about it a few weeks ago on here .

wonder what will happen next week

[DannyCarlton]

7 minutes ago, bert bloggs said:

Ive lived at the same address 12 years ,been to the UK many times ,go to stay with relatives in BKK from time to time ,off to do my 90 day in a week ,never been asked for or done a tm 30 did not even know about it until i read about it a few weeks ago on here .

wonder what will happen next week

I'm the same as you but live in Pattaya. Did my 90 day report last week, no problems. However, reports on here say that Bangkok and other IO are applying the rules more strictly. Will be interested to hear what happens to you. Please state which IO you report to. All the first hand reports on this thread and others are meaningless if the poster doesn't indicate which Io they had their experience at.

[bert bloggs]

3 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

I'm the same as you but live in Pattaya. Did my 90 day report last week, no problems. However, reports on here say that Bangkok and other IO are applying the rules more strictly. Will be interested to hear what happens to you.

yes ime in Pattaya as well

[DannyCarlton]

1 minute ago, bert bloggs said:

yes ime in Pattaya as well

You probably did complete a TM30 or a TM28 when you first took up residence. Until now, that has been sufficient for Jomtien. Assuming that you are on a 12 month retirement extension or 12 month marriage extension.

[bert bloggs]

1 minute ago, DannyCarlton said:

You probably did complete a TM30 or a TM28 when you first took up residence. Until now, that has been sufficient for Jomtien. Assuming that you are on a 12 month retirement extension or 12 month marriage extension.

on 12 month retirement , changing to marriage at the end of year ,been married 20 years and together for years before that 

[DannyCarlton]

1 minute ago, bert bloggs said:

on 12 month retirement , changing to marriage at the end of year ,been married 20 years and together for years before that 

I can't see you having any problems. It's a national "crackdown on TM30s. Seen many "crackdowns, they never last very long. Just the new boss flexing his muscles, he'll learn.

 

Had an identical "crackdown" a couple of years ago. Jomtien tried to comply but ended up with a whole row of desks upstairs, staffed by the clueless, and queues out of the door. All for TM30 reports. local head of IO got a severe headache after a couple of weeks and scrapped the whole idea. Now one desk, staffed by a young girl and no queues.

[Guderian]

15 hours ago, david555 said:

I never used a agent before in my 10 years stay …,the girls on reception desk are a help , but they don't know all .., when last time I arrived back from home country to play safe I passed their desk and explained /asked confirmation if not needed tm 30 as I stay 8 years already same address …. my mouth not yet closed they handed me those doc. , so I repeated all.... no reaction …. , but the uniformed I.O. on the left side counter confirmed to them that as a ret. extension retiree it is not needed as long someone stays same address ….. so they learned something new ….. 

Friendly helping lady's , but I guess trainee's 

Thank you for that confirmation.

[ChouDoufu]

2 hours ago, DannyCarlton said:

I can't see you having any problems. It's a national "crackdown on TM30s. Seen many "crackdowns, they never last very long. Just the new boss flexing his muscles, he'll learn.

 

Had an identical "crackdown" a couple of years ago. Jomtien tried to comply but ended up with a whole row of desks upstairs, staffed by the clueless, and queues out of the door. All for TM30 reports. local head of IO got a severe headache after a couple of weeks and scrapped the whole idea. Now one desk, staffed by a young girl and no queues.

the big difference is this little crackdown is a mighty fine moneymaker.

[DannyCarlton]

3 minutes ago, ChouDoufu said:

the big difference is this little crackdown is a mighty fine moneymaker.

It was exactly the same a couple of years ago, but the crackdown only lasted a couple of weeks in Jomtien. They were inundated and just didn't have the staff.

 

I seem to remember that last time the fine was 1900 baht.

[jacko45k]

2 hours ago, DannyCarlton said:

I'm the same as you but live in Pattaya. Did my 90 day report last week, no problems. However, reports on here say that Bangkok and other IO are applying the rules more strictly. Will be interested to hear what happens to you. Please state which IO you report to. All the first hand reports on this thread and others are meaningless if the poster doesn't indicate which Io they had their experience at.

I use Pattaya and suggest relax. They are not difficult about it there and I do not do TM30s at all, live in my own place. If they don't ask, no problem. 

When/if they do, sort it out.

[Don Mega]

Is a TM30 required at Jomtien if one is  on an extension with work permit ?

[Briggsy]

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

I use Pattaya and suggest relax. They are not difficult about it there and I do not do TM30s at all, live in my own place. If they don't ask, no problem. 

When/if they do, sort it out.

It depends what  visa you are on. I use Pattaya and I am on METV's like the OP. Every time you step through the door, no matter what you want, if you don't have an up-to-date TM30 receipt, then that is where you go first. If you don't have some good excuse, you will be fined. If you don't pay the fine, you are not allowed to proceed to the next step and get what you originally came for.

 

It is different for those on retirement extensions and other visa types.

[DannyCarlton]

1 minute ago, Briggsy said:

It is different for those on retirement extensions and other visa types.

Yes. Completely. I asked the head honcho and he told me that if you have previously registered your address with Jomtien and you are on a retirement or marriage extension, no need for TM30s unless you change your permanent address.

[jacko45k]

5 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

It depends what  visa you are on. I use Pattaya and I am on METV's like the OP. Every time you step through the door, no matter what you want, if you don't have an up-to-date TM30 receipt, then that is where you go first. If you don't have some good excuse, you will be fined. If you don't pay the fine, you are not allowed to proceed to the next step and get what you originally came for.

 

It is different for those on retirement extensions and other visa types.

Then stop going there! Surely on a METV the reasons to visit Immigration are less. 

[Briggsy]

5 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Then stop going there! Surely on a METV the reasons to visit Immigration are less. 

I tried a zero contact policy. Worked for a few years but now difficult. Certificate of residence is a common reason. They are required for so many things now. So now I do TM30's. Anyway it is all moot since I will bail soon.

 

The reasons for the bail are more linked to family and work but the Thai bureaucracy doesn't help. 

[zyphodb]

20 hours ago, BestB said:

What they were trying to say was that previous records were not kept so make a new one and you pay for our tardiness 

They're treating it as a cash grab, pretty typical, probably trying to get some back after the "big Joke" era...

[jacko45k]

10 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

They are required for so many things now.

I only needed one (res cert) recently to renew my driving licence, that is once every 5-6 years for me. On a METV you can use foreign licence and IDP.  Do you buy and sell vehicles frequently? 

[Briggsy]

13 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Do you buy and sell vehicles frequently? 

Maybe once every 18 months. 

 

METV or SETV Thai driving licence only lasted a year, now up to 2 years, I believe. Insurance is not valid with an IDP and foreign licence, so I am told. So that was more trips to Immigration.

 

In addition, it used to be easier to pay 1900 Baht for a 30-day extension on an entry rather than 2500 Baht for a van visa run from Pattaya. That was another reason to go. 

 

But, as I said, it is all moot as I am bailing soon.

[TaaSaparot]

6 hours ago, Briggsy said:

Since you are on METV (same as me), and your last TM30 was 4 months ago, you have been out and in of Thailand since then. So, Jomtien were correct that your TM30 was no longer valid. It is a total pain. I switched to IDP's instead of Thai driving licence.

Correct.

 

They never used to enforce this, but they do now.