Do I need to submit TM30 immediately upon arrival in Chiang Mai?

@Christine ****

You are confusing TWO separate things but FIRST lemme give you some sage advice;

NEVER EVER trust a worker at a thai consulate OUTSIDE the country about any immigration related stuff inside the country.

AND

NEVER EVER trust a worker at the immigration office INSIDE the country about any visa related stuff outside the country.

They are two completely different governmental agencies that rarely talk to each other.

As people correctly told you; you are obligated to file a TM30 within 24 hours of arriving at your residence, and seeing as you're in Chiang Mai you can do it 7 days a week at the immigration office by the airport.

Now after that once you're in country 90 days you need to file a 90 day report. Which has NOTHING to do with filing a TM30 within 24 hours..

Unless you stay in a hotel, you need to file TM30

Are you a house owner and moving into your own house or condo? Did you register yourself as house owners for the on line registration? You do not activate a visa, it is a sticker in your passport and does nothing more than just being a sticker. Depending on your kind of Visa you get an Admitted to Stay period at arrival from the Immigration Checkpoint on the airport.