Simple Guide to TM30 Thailand Immigration Requirements

There has been much confusion over the past 18-months over the TM30 Thailand immigration form requirements. Thailand has tightened its belt in terms of security. It’s important to know where you stand as a foreign resident or as a property owner. Although the confusion has dominated the local media for several months, here is a simple guide to the TM30 report form.

What is the TM30 Thailand Immigration Report Form?

Contrary to popular belief, the TM30 Report “24-hr Hour Notification of Residence” law is an immigration regulation that has been in place for many years. This is not new legislation. However, the regulations are now being seriously implemented by Thai immigration. The law is geared to collate the accommodation details of foreigners who are staying in Thailand. If you are staying in Thailand for a short period in a hotel, you don’t have to worry about the law.

The law mainly affects foreign residents or the following people:

• Foreigners staying in an unlicensed property (unlicensed hotel or villa/condo/apartment)
• Foreigners staying in the property of a Thai friend
• Foreign residents who have their own home and reside in Thailand
• Foreign residents who co-own a house or condo in Thailand

The form is a tool to report the whereabouts of non-Thai nationals staying in Thailand.

The TM30 Thailand reporting form must be completed by the landlord of the unlicensed property the foreigner is renting. This must be done within a 24-hour period of the guest’s arrival. This can especially affect property owners who are renting their homes to visitors for short and long term rentals.

The actual legal definition of the law in Section 38 of the Immigration Act of 1979 is:

“Landlords and leaseholders that receive a non-immigrant resident on their premises, have a legal obligation to report that individual to Thai immigration; this report needs to be completed within a 24-hour period of the non-immigrant resident’s arrival.”

Can Landlords Be Fined for Failing to Fill in the TM30 Thailand Report Form?

Landlords need to file the TM30 Report at the start of the tenancy. If the landlord fails to file the report, they are subject to a fine of between 800 and 2,000 THB. Although some landlords might see the relatively lenient fine as a risk they are willing to take, it could affect the future residency status of the tenant. However, it is highly recommended that both landlords and tenants stay on the right side of the TM30 laws.

How Can I fill Out the TM30 Report Form?

The landlord of a property being rented to a foreigner is responsible to complete the TM30 Thailand Report form. The landlord or a representative of the landlord will need to collect and prepare the following information and documents:

Landlord Documents Needed:

1. You need to complete the TM30 application form
2. Include a copy of the ID or passport of the landlord
3. You will need a copy of the household registration book (Tabien Baan) or title deeds of the property
4. Copy of rental agreement

Leaseholder Documents Needed:

1. A copy of passport of the foreign renter/leaseholder

– You will need a photo of the foreign renter and a copy of the passport information page

– A copy of the Visa Page

– A copy of the arrival stamp page

PLEASE NOTE: All the relevant documents must be certified in blue ink by the relevant party.

Where do I submit the TM30 Report Form?

Do you need to know how and where to register and submit the TM30 Thailand Report form? As a landlord, you have a few options.

– As of 2022, the easiest and quickest known way of submitting TM30 report online is a service called TM30.io 

Instead of filling out the guest details by hand, you send a scan or a photo of the guest’s passport to the TM30.io and it does the rest:
1. Extracts the guest details from the passport.
2. Fills out the TM30 form and submits it to the immigration bureau on your behalf.
3. If the immigration bureau website is down, TM30.io will repeat the submission process automatically until it is complete.
4. Once everything is done, it sends you a screenshot that confirms the successful submission, which can then be provided to the guest in case he needs a TM30 confirmation to extend his visa              at the immigration office.
If you want to save even more time, you can use the TM30.io’s Telegram chat-bot. So instead of sending passport photos/scans through the website, you send it through a chat. It’s so much easier!
[screenshot: https://tm30.io/i/demo.webp]

– Submitting TM30 Report by post: You can post the relevant documents (above) directly to the Thai immigration office within the closest proximity from your property. Please remember that the application must have a return envelope so you can receive a stamped notification from immigration. However, the application can take between 2 and 4 weeks to process.

– Deliver by hand to immigration: The most direct way to ensure your TM30 application is received is by taking it to your local Thai immigration office.

– Using a third-party agent to deliver the TM30 application: The sudden implementation of the TM30 application has spawned third-party ‘runners’ or ‘agents’ that offer a registration service. These agents will visit the immigration office and submit your TM30 application for you. They usually charge a fee of approximately 500 to 1,000 THB. They are a great quick-fix option if you need some help or are too busy to send the application.

Submitting TM30 Form with the Online Registration App

Although Thai bureaucracy still loves mountains of paperwork, it’s possible to submit your TM30 application via immigration’s online registration app. This could well be the speediest and most convenient way to submit your TM30 application. In fact, non-Thai speaking landlords are encouraged to use the app.

Step 1: Download the Immigration App for free from your Play or Apple Store

Step 2: Add the requested information about the landlord and property

Step 3: Once you have done this, you will have received an email notification asking you to create your personal account with a username and password

Step 4: Once registered, you can click on “Notification of Residence” tab, which will take you to the main registration screen

Step 5: Fill in the tenant’s details as requested

Step 6: Press submit

If you have filled in the details correctly, the app will hopefully load a screen with the tenant’s details. Please note that sometimes websites and technology in Thailand can be problematic.

Whether you are applying for the TM30 Thailand Reporting application online, via the post office, by an agent, or delivering it directly to immigration, it is important to keep on the right side of immigration law. Thailand is changing, and we must change with it and adhere to its immigration regulations.

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