TM30 - Am I required to go to Immigration or can I report online after a returning from Cambodia?

[Travello01]

I had a short trip to Cambodis, do I need to physically go to immigration tomorrow or can I do it online?

[Peterw42]

You need to be registered to use the online system, so unless you are already registered a visit to immigration.

[Lacessit]

11 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

You need to be registered to use the online system, so unless you are already registered a visit to immigration.

My condo does the TM30 for me every time I come back from overseas. Have never visited Immigration for that purpose.

[Guest]

That is an interesting question, since you went to a different country, with no requirement (or method) to do a TM30 report.  It seems to me that TM30 is sort of an "in house" issue.  Since you crossed a border to get back in, and got a legal stamp to do so ... seems to me .. if you went straight home and did not stop overnight in Thailand "no blood, no foul."  Sort of jokng here, but in every joke, there is a grain of truth.

[Peter Denis]

Thai law requires that on entering Thailand first time or returning from a trip abroad that within 24 hours of arrival at the place where you are staying, that a TM30 has to be filed.

That can be done on-line (if the place where you are staying is registered), by mail or in person.

Please note that TM30 compliance is not enforced by every provincial IO's (some do/some don't).

Also TM30 compliance is ONLY checked when visiting your provincial IO for a service where your address is needed (e.g. an extension of stay or residence certificate).  And when it is checked, they are not looking for the history of your stays, but are ONLY looking whether a current TM30 has been filed.

So if you foresee to still make other trips before having to visit the provincial IO, you might as well skip filing a TM30 of your recent trip.  Especially, if you cannot do it on-line and would need to go there in person.

Note: Registering the place where you are staying on the IO TM30 website and filing the first TM30 is not difficult at all (if you know how to do it).  Filing of subsequent TM30s is a piece of cake, and takes less than a minute. 

Feel free to PM me, if you need guidance/info on how to register.

 

Edited November 9, 2019 by Peter Denis

[Max69xl]

It depends on which immigration office you belong to. Several offices requires a TM30 report after coming back from abroad. But at Jomtien Immigration there's no need to report at all,even when coming back from abroad. I don't know if this applies to other offices.

[thrilled]

I have been going to Thailand since 1971. I travel all over. I have never seen one. Until a couple of months ago I had never heard of it. Hotels never ask me and I don’t ask them.Never had any problems.

[Max69xl]

16 minutes ago, thrilled said:

I have been going to Thailand since 1971. I travel all over. I have never seen one. Until a couple of months ago I had never heard of it. Hotels never ask me and I don’t ask them.Never had any problems.

As a tourist you don't need to worry about TM30 reports unless you have to visit an immigration office for let's say extensions or a few other reasons. 

[asiaexpat]

16 minutes ago, thrilled said:

I have been going to Thailand since 1971. I travel all over. I have never seen one. Until a couple of months ago I had never heard of it. Hotels never ask me and I don’t ask them.Never had any problems.

That is because the Hotel is responsible and files aTM30 with your details (usually online with other hotel guests.)   Condo owners and long term renters have a different situation.

[atyclb]

i sent mine registered mail to bkk immigration after returning from cambodia.

 

anyway will be a moot point as i intend to move to place without the hassles

[Harveyboy]

15 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

Thai law requires that on entering Thailand first time or returning from a trip abroad that within 24 hours of arrival at the place where you are staying, that a TM30 has to be filed.

That can be done on-line (if the place where you are staying is registered), by mail or in person.

Please note that TM30 compliance is not enforced by every provincial IO's (some do/some don't).

Also TM30 compliance is ONLY checked when visiting your provincial IO for a service where your address is needed (e.g. an extension of stay or residence certificate).  And when it is checked, they are not looking for the history of your stays, but are ONLY looking whether a current TM30 has been filed.

So if you foresee to still make other trips before having to visit the provincial IO, you might as well skip filing a TM30 of your recent trip.  Especially, if you cannot do it on-line and would need to go there in person.

Note: Registering the place where you are staying on the IO TM30 website and filing the first TM30 is not difficult at all (if you know how to do it).  Filing of subsequent TM30s is a piece of cake, and takes less than a minute. 

Feel free to PM me, if you need guidance/info on how to register.

I'd be interested to know as it's a pain each time I travel to have to go to the office tks 

[Peter Denis]

31 minutes ago, Harveyboy said:

I'd be interested to know as it's a pain each time I travel to have to go to the office tks 

Will PM you as requested on how to register and file 1st TM30.

[Thomas J]

On 11/8/2019 at 8:43 PM, Travello01 said:

I had a short trip to Cambodis, do I need to physically go to immigration tomorrow or can I do it online?

Travello01 You would not need to go to immigration to report your return.  Your TM6 serves as the reporting of entering the country.  If you are renting, whoever your landlord is the person responsible for the TM30.  If you are staying with a friend and not renting, that person would have to make the trip to immigration.  They can do it online if they are registered but I believe that only hotels/condos etc are being given online access at this time. 

[ukrules]

15 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

Travello01 You would not need to go to immigration to report your return.  Your TM6 serves as the reporting of entering the country.  If you are renting, whoever your landlord is the person responsible for the TM30.  If you are staying with a friend and not renting, that person would have to make the trip to immigration.  They can do it online if they are registered but I believe that only hotels/condos etc are being given online access at this time. 

I went to Cambodia a few months ago and didn't bother doing the TM30 when I returned.

 

They asked for it when I did the next 90 day report.

 

I sent a Thai to do it on my behalf (you don't need to go yourself) and the guy processing it said 'oh I didn't realize the address hasn't changed'. By this point in time all sorts of documents (house book, lease, bills, etc) had been gathered for the 'all important' TM30.

 

In the end we got the impression that he wasn't really interested when he found out there was no change of address. I went away for 2 days, why would he assume I've changed my address on return? Very strange.

 

They can fine someone for not doing a TM30 if they choose to do so. They didn't fine me, so I guess it's discretionary.

[Peter Denis]

On 11/10/2019 at 9:23 AM, Thomas J said:

Travello01 You would not need to go to immigration to report your return.  Your TM6 serves as the reporting of entering the country.  If you are renting, whoever your landlord is the person responsible for the TM30.  If you are staying with a friend and not renting, that person would have to make the trip to immigration.  They can do it online if they are registered but I believe that only hotels/condos etc are being given online access at this time. 

It's not only for hotel/condo owners.  If you stay at your girlfriend's house or a friend's place they can register their place, and subsequently file a TM30 of any farang staying there.

Registering the place where you are staying on the IO TM30 website and filing the first TM30 is not difficult at all (if you know how to do it).  Filing of subsequent TM30s is a piece of cake, and takes less than a minute. 

Feel free to PM me, if you need guidance/info on how to register.

[daytraderuk99]

hi anyone know  if you can check into a cheap hotel Pattaya that registers you online for TM30   for 1 night ...as i will be  staying at my friends empty room for a couple of months and he is not available to register...and  do you know if you leave hotel after 1 night  if they inform immigration  that you have left ?  thanks

[Peter Denis]

11 hours ago, daytraderuk99 said:

hi anyone know  if you can check into a cheap hotel Pattaya that registers you online for TM30   for 1 night ...as i will be  staying at my friends empty room for a couple of months and he is not available to register...and  do you know if you leave hotel after 1 night  if they inform immigration  that you have left ?  thanks

Hotels - also cheap ones - are required by thai law to file a TM30 of every foreigner staying there.  However, not every place does this, so if you want to be sure that they filed a TM30 of you staying there, they should ask for your passport (and also need the TM6 entry-card you got when entering Thailand).  Having filed the TM30 on arrival, when you check out, the hotel will also report that on the IO TM30 website, which feeds directly into the nation-wide IO TM30 database.

Please note that your provincial IO will ONLY check TM30 compliance when you go there for a service that requires your address (e.g. extension of stay or residence permit).  And if they do so (not all provincial IOs enforce TM30), they are ONLY interested whether a TM30 has been filed from your current address. 

So having checked out from the hotel months/weeks/days before you visit the provincial IO, is of no use.

You would need to do it, the evening before visiting your provincial IO next morning, and checking out after your extension of stay has been approved.

  

[berybert]

12 hours ago, daytraderuk99 said:

hi anyone know  if you can check into a cheap hotel Pattaya that registers you online for TM30   for 1 night ...as i will be  staying at my friends empty room for a couple of months and he is not available to register...and  do you know if you leave hotel after 1 night  if they inform immigration  that you have left ?  thanks

If you are staying at you mates empty room for 2 month and then leaving the country it seems you have no reason to visit immigration. Therefore not worth the hassle of reporting a TM30.  

[daytraderuk99]

yes  thanks  , but  i will be  going to IO  for an extension  ...if i check into hotel  for tm30  night before i go to IO  would they see i landed 2 months  before..thanks

[Peter Denis]

4 hours ago, daytraderuk99 said:

yes  thanks  , but  i will be  going to IO  for an extension  ...if i check into hotel  for tm30  night before i go to IO  would they see i landed 2 months  before..thanks

Not all IOs enforce TM30 compliance, but when your provincial IO does, they will of course know that you landed 60 days ago.  They see that in your passport and on the TM6 entry-card.  And besides that there would be no reason for you to apply for an extension of stay.

But your 2-month history of staying in Thailand is of no relevance.  The provincial IO ONLY checks if a current TM30 has been filed, as they need that current address for providing your extension of stay.

Note: And in the unlikely case that you are queried about your history of stay, you can always - little white lie - tell that you stayed at a friend's in another province and that your friend manually filed your TM30 at his provincial IO.  There is no way they can check that (or even would be interested in it).

[uncleeagle]

Note that even if you are TM30 registered online, done by a hotel or condo admin or yourselves, when it come to extensions of stay etc the immigration office will still require a TM30 receipt and this is seemingly only available from the immigration office. When I was last at Chaengwattana in Bangkok there were atleast two hundred angry looking people queued up at desk B to obtain this receipt. 

[Peter Denis]

2 hours ago, uncleeagle said:

Note that even if you are TM30 registered online, done by a hotel or condo admin or yourselves, when it come to extensions of stay etc the immigration office will still require a TM30 receipt and this is seemingly only available from the immigration office. When I was last at Chaengwattana in Bangkok there were atleast two hundred angry looking people queued up at desk B to obtain this receipt. 

Are you saying that even if you made a print-out of a screenshot that proves your TM30 was filed in the IO TM30 database, that at CW they STILL want you to provide them a TM30 receipt before considering to process your application for an extension of stay?

And that you need to get that TM30 receipt within that very same office?

That would indeed be absolute madness and everybody treated this way would be rightfully angry about it!

[uncleeagle]

1 hour ago, Peter Denis said:

Are you saying that even if you made a print-out of a screenshot that proves your TM30 was filed in the IO TM30 database, that at CW they STILL want you to provide them a TM30 receipt before considering to process your application for an extension of stay?

And that you need to get that TM30 receipt within that very same office?

That would indeed be absolute madness and everybody treated this way would be rightfully angry about it!

That was exactly my experience