Law-Thailand TM30- Notification of Residence - Must Do!
Are you living in or renting a private property in Thailand as a foreigner? Or simply have someone staying in your property that is not a Thai national? If so, you need to feel in the TM30 card at your nearest immigration office.
While this law has been on the books for years (hotels and guest houses have always reported guest names and passport numbers), the enforcement of it has now been expanded to include private properties. This law is call TM30 and states that all properties that have non-Thai nationals living on their premises must register them with the immigration department. This has to be done even if the non-Thai national regularly reports for 90 days and has a multi-entry visa. The recent enforcement comes partly in the wake of the worldwide increase in terrorism and maybe also to crackdown on the
number of foreigners who have over-stayed their visa.
Basically, from now on, anyone who offers accommodationsmust register their foreign guests with the immigration department within 24 hours of the time of their arrival. This applies to landlords, condo owners, familly members, girlfriends or boyfriends owning the house/condo in which you are living. And registration should be done again every time the foreigner re-enter the country. Ongoing non-compliance can be costly for the private property owner or for you. Fines are around THB 1,600 for every instance of non registration.
Long-term tenants usually find out they have not been registered when they pop down to immigration to do their 90-day check in, or a visa renewal. So if you are in good terms with your landlord and want to avoid trouble for both of you, you might want to warm them before you make your next trip to immigration. If your landlord cannot technically make it to the nearest immigration office (he may be living
in another city), go to the immigration office by yourself and try to report yourself alone. But do it quickly after you have entered the country.
Papers that you should prepare:
For the landlord:
- a copy of the title deed of the property
- a copy of the rental contract
For the non-Thai national:
- copy of passport (photo page)
- copy of the visa page
- copy of departure card
Every time you leave Thailand and return with a new arrival/departure card in your passport, you have to be reposted again, because your departure card number has changed (you are supposed to be reported within 24-hours but 3-4 days should be ok). In Chiang Mai, you should report at the immigration office near the airport. It is in the building in the back of the parking space.
