What are the current reporting requirements for expats returning to Thailand and how can they avoid fines?

My wife owns the condo we live in. The first time I filed the TM30, the officer told her she would be the one that would be fined if it wasn't filed. If I went alone and hadn't got it filed you can guess what would be said though.

@Phil *****

Ask her password and you can do by yourself.

@Robert ******

was told that only landlords have password access to the online tm30 site... Mind you my landlady is slack AF. Pissed her off as ive bounced to 8 countries this trip hahaha

Hotels do this reporting on-line, people staying in private addresses can do this by mail, on-line or in person.

@Phil *****

NO, do you like to wait a few more hours after arrival, to give time to the Immigration Offices to first check if the address written down on the TM 6 Arrival card is correct and than fill in all the data in their database?

@Robert ******

is it not covered by the entry TM3 when you arrive?

@Phil *****

he didn't get fleeced as this law has been around for over 20 years. Like so many laws it's often not enforced and then out of the blue some official learns about it and starts dishing out fines. You have 24 hours to inform immigration that you have returned home from a hotel but most don't and never have

And if it is his own house or his wifes house? Or if he is the possessor of the house?

The foreigner renting or living in a private property is translated as the possessor of the house.

For an outsider it seems like some passiv aggressive bs, tbh. Regardless of what hes deleted before.

@Christopher **********

right! They should not care about that.. Not their job..

@Mikkel ******

Thanks for your information! What I didn't like was the hotel staff acting as immigration officers. If I was on overstay would they have checked us in then telephoned the IO to come and arrest me in my room?

@Ton *****

your driver's license (if it's a thai license) still have your passport number on it though ;)

I used a hotel in Buengkan last summer (home provinse) using my drivers license at check-in.. Immigration gave grief about it when I reported back after a trip to krabi after new year. The IO looked very serious about me not reporting back after that hotel stay last summer, even though its same provinse. I did not get fined though as his superior told him to overlook it.

But morale is that even just using the DL they will know. And that in Buengkan even a registered stay in same provinse has to be reported on when back home. I will ask the missus to do the booking/check-in next time, and see if I can get away with not showing anything.

@Ton *****

I make hotel bookings in my Thai Mrs name and ask her to physically check us in upon arrival. Never asked for my details until went to Phuket last September. The hotel receptionist specifically asked for my passport and, together with another staff member, checked every page and discussed my extension stamp between themselves.

David Lisa-Paris no, never asked for. Or give driver's license

@Ton *****

dont they take your passport though

Yes it's common sense we do that too :)