Following my return to Chiang Mai yesterday and having heard contradictory info re submitting a TM30 for someone only on a visa exempt 30 day stamp - i went to the immigration office by the airport today. It is open on Sundays for TM30 reporting. Done downstairs - a single officer asleep behind the counter - a slight difference from weekdays! I showed her my passport stamp and asked if i needed to do a TM30 - she simply took the passport from me clicked a few buttons on her computer screen, filled out a slip of paper and stapled it to my passport. (I am already on their 'system' so no photocopies or other details required). So it would seem that they want a TM30 completing for short stay tourists as well.
TLDR : Answer Summary
The post discusses the requirement for tourists on a visa-exempt 30-day stamp to submit a TM30 form upon arrival in Thailand. The author visited the immigration office in Chiang Mai and confirmed that even short-stay tourists are required to complete the TM30 reporting process, which is mandated by the 1979 immigration act. Commenters emphasize that the law applies to all foreigners staying temporarily in Thailand, regardless of the type of visa.
