Houselords to register foreigners

According to section 38 of the 1979 Immigration Act house owners, heads of household, landlords or managers of hotels who accommodate foreign nationals on a temporary basis who stay in the kingdom legally, must notify the local immigration authorities within 24 hours from the time of arrival of the foreign national.

If there is no immigration office in the province or locality of the respective house or hotel, the notification is made to the local police station.

The registration can be done either:

1. In person at the respective office, or
2. Through an authorised person at the respective office, or
3. By registered mail, or
4. Online via internet.

Filling in the TM30 Form

The landlord should prepare:

• The TM30 Form
  • Name and address of houselord
  • Address of property
  • List of foreigners by
    • Name
    • Nationality
    • Passport No.
    • Date of Arrival
    • Type of Visa
    • Expire date of stay
    • Point of Entry
    • Arrival Card TM6 No (if any)
    • Relationship to houselord
• Copy of Thai ID Card (both sides on same page and signed in the middle)
• Copy of the title deed of the property
• Optionally, copy of the rental contract

As a foreigner staying in Thailand, you should prepare:

• Copy of passport photo page
• Copy of the visa page in the passport
• Copy of the departure card (TM6) if any (or write down the number on the copy of your passport)

After registration, the landlord will get a stamped return slip that the tenant (guest) should use when going to Immigration for a service:

Reporting via Internet

1 Register for online reporting

Royal Thai Police Immigration Bureau

2 0nline reporting

After having your application for access to the online system approved and being provided a username and password, you are ready for the online reporting:

Online Reporting

TM30 & TM28

The TM28 (Form for Aliens to Notify their Change of Address in a Province) is the "equivalent" to TM30. While the TM30 is for the houselord to notify the Immigration about foreigner(s) staying at their property, the TM28 is for the foreigner itself to notify the Immigration about where he or she stays. Both notifications are derived from the 1979 Immigration Act - Section 38 and 37. Both notifications must be filled within 24 hours from when the foreigner moves into a new property.

Until some years ago, the TM28 was never implemented. And the TM30 was only enforced on hotels, guest houses, etc. But then suddenly (2019) the TM30 was enforsed for any private houselord as well, and the TM28 was enforced towards foreigners on a long-term stay in Thailand meaning that every long-staying foreigner had to notify the Immigration every time he or she left his permanent house for more than 24 hours.

Phuket Immigration explains TM30 and TM28 requirements (2019)

Luckily, the Thai Government soon changed mind (2020) and eased the TM28 implementation to exempt close to all foreigners staying in Thailand, i.e. in reality suspending the TM28. And at the same time the TM30 notification was eased in the way that houselords are only requested to notify the Immigration if the foreigner leaves the house permanently before stated in the original TM30 notification - or to extend the stay beyond what was previously reported (this will usually be part of the annual visa extension).

Thai immigration scraps TM28 reporting requirements (2020)

TM30 & 90-Day Reporting of Address TM47

The 90-Day Notification of Address TM47 and Notification of Residence TM30 are related. Basically, they must fit. While the 90-Day Notification happens every 90 day confirming or updating your (registered) address, then the TM30 is the documentation from your houselord of you staying at his premises.

Therefore, the TM47 and TM30 must be aligned and both receipts being kept in your passport. However, it is a misconception that the TM30 is the responsibility of the foreigner; it never was, but the sole responsibility of the landlord:

“If the foreigner is applying for an extension to stay, they need not worry about whether or not their landlord has reported them through a TM30 - it will not affect the foreigner’s application”, Col Nereuwat told The Phuket news.