I’m in Bangkok with a signed 1-year lease, valid visa, and all my documents, but my landlord refuses to file TM30 or provide ID. Agencies I contacted say they can’t proceed without landlord documents.
I have:
- Passport & visa
- Signed lease (owner name + passport number)
I don’t have:
- TM30 from the condo
- Landlord ID copy
My school requires TM30 for immigration, and my deadline is 13 February.
Questions
- Has anyone solved TM30 without landlord cooperation?
- Can a condo juristic office file TM30 instead?
- Any agency in Bangkok that actually helped in this case?
- What happens if I explain this directly at immigration?
Any real experience would be greatly appreciated. Thank you 🙏
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TLDR : Answer Summary
An expat in Bangkok is facing a challenge as their landlord refuses to file a TM30, which is necessary for their visa and schooling. Despite having a valid lease and other documents, the landlord's non-cooperation poses a tight deadline. The community suggests various options, including explaining the situation to immigration authorities, involving the police due to legal violations, considering temporary hotel stays for a TM30 filing, and possibly leveraging juristic office assistance. Many emphasize the importance of resolving the issue promptly while considering alternatives like finding a more compliant landlord.
You'll need the tm30. Explain to immigration along with all your paperwork. If that doesn't work you'll need to contact the police and look for a new place to live.
I set up my own account in the TM30 system online. Uploaded only my own passport and the rental contract (which included a copy of the landlords passport). Now I can make my own TM30s for myself whenever I need one.
do it yourself, there is a scan square at The Chiang Mai immigration office TM30 room which allows you to access their TM30 system and fill in the blanks such as dates and locations.
Happened to me as well. Landlord kept smiling and adding "ka" to every sentence she said but was just too lazy to do anything she didn't feel compelled to do.
You can file it yourself ...download power of attorney online and let him sign it ...upload it on the Tm30 platform with contract...I faced a similar problem before but now i do it myself
I have never heard of an agent not being able to get a TM30. I just got a new one with my 90 day report and my agent needed nothing. Just sent her my address.
Eric Davis You can not do TM30 youself. The landlord has to register their renting units and their Thai tax file number, as their business. Once they did it, they may give you their login and password. Then, you can do it online but that is not by design.
You can do it yourself, but the landlord has to go with you to the Immigration office, their Thai ID and their blue book.
Rubbish posts you can just jump online and do it yourself.
Then your agent is likely in contact with the owner who has registered online, or the owner gave your agent the required paperwork including blue book and ID card in order for the agent to register online.
no. My agent knows nothing of where I live besides the address. I use the same service for years. They’re contracted by Thai Elite. I have never needed to provide anything more than an address for a TM30.
it’s really not. The agent likely has someone they continuously go thru and they don’t ask questions. They just provide what is needed. There are many agents out there that have this level of respect or have paid their way to get it.
How did you rent it? Did you verify the condo belongs to the person you are renting from. How did you verify the identity of the person you are renting from? If you had verified these two pieces of information, you would have all the info you need for TM30. 1. The landlord must be who they say they are; they must show ID. 2. How do you know the condo belongs to the person you are renting from? You can verify this by obtaining a copy of the chanote and comparing the name on the chanote with the individual's ID.
there are a few older posts where people could self file the TM30 at Chaeng Wattana immigration with only the rental lease, passport and a self filled out TM30 form. If the owner does not cooperate you can try that (not sure though if it still works). What you can also try is to offer your landlord a little bit of money to do it, explain him again that its urgent and you will give him 300 bath for the inconvenience. Maybe then he is more willing to assist
My landlady flat out refuses to do anything regarding immigration. It's Thai law but she just flatly refuses and there's no repercussions for her. Rentals are extremely hard to find here, so I deal with it.
I live in Trang and nobody wants to rent to foreigners here. They can't be bothered because we're too much 'trouble'. As in asking for them to register their personal details with immigration. Very, very few will rent to us. But overall, there aren't many rentals. Places sit empty waiting to be sold for 3 to 5 years, yet they won't rent.
Goto immigration - he is violating their laws see if they can convince him to provide it - ive seen this before usually they have something to hide may need to find a new place.
Book a hotel. Doesn't need to be a long stay. Get TM 30 and go directly to immigration with your Visa. Doesn't need to be complicated. Doesn't need to be expensive.
Yes sign in yourself fuck the landlord. So long as you have a lease and all docs in order and find a n8ce immigration guy - not a gtee you should be able to do it yourself. Under thai law the landlord must provide a TM30. If you have all his details give them to immigration. He could be fined or even jailed for not following the law
Visit Immigration and report your landlord. Let them call him on your phone and let them explain to him that it is HIS duty BY LAW (!!) to report you in the TM30 system. I once had the same problem and this worked excellently ! My landlord was a policeman and surely he did not want to have a problem with Immigration. But it was ME who had to pay the 2000 Baht fine for late reporting 😂😂 TiT
Go do it yourself but be prepared to pay. It's supposed to be done within 24 hours. I have often done it myself if I'm not 100% confident in the landlord doing it.
Fastest solution is going to the Condo’s Juristic Person as they quite often file these for other units managed by them and very often they are willing to assist you depending on the building and the juristic person you dealing. Often easier than dealing with the landlord however it is the landlords legal responsibility to file a TM30 within 24 hours after your arrival/move in.
I would not threaten him or go down that route. Just go to immigration, explain the situation and bring all of your paperwork. I would also start looking for a new place to live as well. Sadly this happens to often, landlords trying to dodge paying taxes etc.
Cris Murl Which begets the question, 'why can't this be enforced'? Can't be very hard to track down which homeowners do/don't pay taxes. Slap a lien on the property until the taxes are paid.
Kim Jones I think the bigger question is why is it not enforced. it would be fairly easy to drive by a house and see if its occupied, then see if taxes are being paid on it, bam done. Imagine the amount of money that is lost due to this.
Once I paid the owner the deposit and got the key 🔑, I told her that I won’t pay the rent if I do not get the TM30 form in 3 days and then , booom , I got it just in 1 day !.
Call the police and let them fine him. He is in violation of the law and believe they will fine him. Had to do this on the past and of course didn't want to give deposit back either. Police had to sort the mess out.
Benjamin Charles bullshit. If I got to play by the rules then I will make every fucking Thai play by the rules. My landlord was fined 2000 baht for refusal. I shouldn't have to rely on dirt bag people to be able to get any documents to keep my extension or visa. You must be a push over. Looking at your profile explains everything. A French poodle with no spine.
I guess landlord should provide the proof of document , proof of ownership of unit. And please tell landlord that tm30 does not effect on his income or record. It just only proof of residential for the tenant.
Get the tourist police involved and start looking for a new lease. I wouldn't pay a deposit or sign a lease contract without a copy of the home owners ID and a copy of the blue book.
You can go to the immigration office and explain that the landlord is refusing to provide the documents needed for a TM30. Have them call the landlord, they will threaten them with a fine, and see how fast the landlord will cooperate 👌
Eduardo GD that he can do online by registering an account on the tm30 online website and then registered property if he is owner and have the relevant documents as owner.
But maybe there I a reason why he won't do it.
Just tell him if he not do or help with tm30 you need go imigration and explaine that you need help getting this done.
Eduardo GD she is probably subletting. Let Immigration call her for an eye-opener . . . .maybe she will cancel your contract, but this is still better than living dependent on an unwilling and non-responsive landlord
Eduardo GD that's even worse. They're not as lenient with foreigners breaking the laws. Either he's unlawfully subletting a property or is just ignorant to the laws.
Either way a quick call from immigration will fix the issue.
Steve Demir correct advice! I was in the same situation a few years ago. Immigration called the landlord on my mobile and told him about the LAW he was violating. Next day the landlord showed up on Immigration together with me and gave them the TM30
Steve Demir Talk to the landlord and let him know you have to do this for your visa. He may have reasons he doesn't want on their radar but he could also just be too lazy to do it for you. If he cooperates, you can d/l the app and basically do it for him. I think you do need him to sign and a copy of his Thai ID. But you said you have a copy of his passport?
Vic Rollins you need the number of the tabian ban, the ID card front and back and the name in Thai the premises are listed in the blue housebook. Nothing you can easily do by yourself
Not sure if it will work for your school, but for things like visa extensions that require a TM30, the simplest solution is to spend one night in a hotel and request they provide you with the TM30 that they are required to file for all foreign guests.
Pui Suu They have to know where you are actually staying every day.. even on a tourist visa. They have records, can fine you or deny future entry. If you stay at a hotel while you rent a home you will have to have the landlord redo the tm30 after every hotel stay
Not true. Immigration doesn’t have a copy of your lease unless you give it to them. Plus, it’s not against the law for you to go to a hotel for the night. This is perfectly legal and the most common way to deal with a landlord that refuses to file a TM30.
Charlimo Sawadee I won't threaten a Thai, that's why I would let Thai Immigration handle the issue with him on the phone. Thai likes Thai. I am sure a Thai landlord will comply with the law if Immigration tells him that he is violating his duty to report a foreigner 😎
Paul Hadland you're right, but that's why asking BEFORE committing to the lease is better. I've ever had Airbnb owners to file TM-30s for me, they didn't even asked for any extra money. But I asked before I booked.
Mark Tabner no force the landlord by reporting it to immigration. Tm30 violation is a very minor thing to begin with and you cant be blacklisted for it especially in this case
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