1. TM30 FORM
The TM30 form is an obligation for any house owner, possessor of a dwelling place or a hotel manager (“Hosts”) to declare a foreigner residing on his property (“Guest”) within 24 hours. This notification of residence, resulting from Section 38 of the Immigration Act (2522 B.E-1979) is now strictly imposed.
According to Section 77 of the Immigration Act, whoever fails to comply with the provisions of Section 38, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding two thousand baht. However, if the host is a hotel manager, the punishment shall be by a fine from 2,000 THB to 10,000 THB.
Even if according to the law, it is clear that the obligation of notification and punishment belongs exclusively to the Hosts, the worst consequences fall on the Guest for the following reasons:
Therefore, to avoid incurring further problems, the Guest is forced to pay the fine, even though it was issued against a third party (the Hosts) for a violation for which the Guest is not responsible (to file the TM30 form). The TM30 form registration can be done at the immigration office, by post, or online and the form can be downloaded via the following link: http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/base.php?page=download
The following documents are required for the registration:
For foreigners residing in Thailand:
For the Hosts:
Please note: If the foreigner is the Host, he still has to register himself.
Legal consequences and exemptions
In case of failure, it is not possible to make several requests:
The registration is free, but with a delay of more than 48 hours, a fine of THB 800 up to THB 2,000 depending on the duration of the delay will be payable.
At present, it’s not possible to predict if this measure will be permanent or reworked. The strengthening of this measure is justified with a fight against the terrorist threat. The control of the TM30 has not yet been observed when departing at airports; however, it is now strictly required for any renewal of visa and 90-day notification.
Several exceptions exist:
2. PERMANENT RESIDENCE
Holders of a so-called “Permanent Residency Permit” are not obliged to present the TM30 report.
There are also other benefits of holding a permit for permanent residency in Thailand. A person with a permanent resident status can
The permanent residence permit is also the first step to become a naturalized citizen of Thailand. It entitles the non-Thai family members of the permanent resident to apply for such status as well.
The application for the permanent residence permit requires patience and persistence since the process might take up to one year. The applications are processed by the Royal Thai Immigration Commission every year during a specific period that varies each year but usually starts in October and ends in December.
Thailand has an annual quota of 100 persons per country.
An applicant must meet the following criteria to become one of the top 100 people on the qualifying list:
Meeting one of the following categories:
The permanent residence permit never expires. Nevertheless, it can be revoked for some reasons. Furthermore, travelling out of Thailand and returning requires a re-entry permit even if holding a permanent residence permit.
Feel free to contact us if you have questions about the Permanent Residency Permit.