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Why does my landlord charge for the TM30 when it should be free?

May 15, 2025
a year ago
My landlord makes me pay for a tm30 each time I come into the country but online it says it’s supposed to be free. Can someone help me out?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The TM30 is a form that landlords must file to report the arrival of foreign tenants, and it is legally required to be submitted free of charge within 24 hours of the tenant's arrival. Many commenters agree that charging a tenant for this service is exploitation. While some suggest dealing directly with immigration to file the TM30 independently, others propose moving to a new landlord if unwanted fees continue. Legal obligations regarding TM30 filings and differences in enforcement across immigration offices were discussed, highlighting frustrations and experiences common among expats in Thailand.
Roger ***********
If he needs to go to immigration and doesn t use internet, he probably consider the lost of time, the gazoline….do you do many things for free nowadays?
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Nathan ****
If they charge, contact immigration and they will soon change their tune 😅 it takes less than a minute to complete once the condo has been approved which without a doubt it has been already.
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Jeremy *****
Depends if you leave and come back alot

This takes his time maybe didn't cost money but it is still something they have to stop and do.

2 times a year sure free you bother me every 6 weeks I'm a tell you to pay me for.my time as well idgaf if it takes 5 minutes 🤷‍♂️

Is your time free no so why should the owner have to stop and file multiple tm30s for.your decision to leave and reenter multiple times a year 🙄
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Anonymous ******************
Can't landlords file online, even after 24hrs without penalty?
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Tim ***********
It's quite possible that your Landlord hired an agency to do the TM30 for him because he doesn't like forms or because he simply has no idea how to do it and would like to outsource it. This agency will probably tell him that it's super complicated and that he can't do it, and they'll do it for him. So I could imagine that this is the case. You could turn the tables and just tell him to pay you and that you'll do the tm30 for him 😉
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Brian ****
Deduct the fee from your rent.😂
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Anna *********
For me it would depend on the charge. Yes it’s his responsibility but if the charge is 100 thb and I like where I live I’d just pay it

1000thb might be a different story
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Chris *********
How much did you pay?
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Dom ********
it costs him nothing to do it but I guess he’d claim he’s charging you for the hassle 😂 but I’ve never been charged no because ultimately it’s their responsibility not yours
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Callum *******
Youve been jewed big time
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Sweet *****
Your “landlord” is probably not your landlord and is paying someone else/another landlord to do the TM30, don’t worry about it. Don’t make such a stink about it or you will just become another foreigner who never got his deposit back. 97% of people in the Thailand Facebook groups will take pleasure in winding you up to ensure you will become one of these victims, don’t take the bait is my advice 😊
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Anonymous ******************
I've never been charged by my agent or LL to do the tm30 and I leave thailand every 1-2 months. I don't really know if they actually do it every time as I never asked for the receipt.

So far, I haven't stayed more than 90 days so haven't needed the tm30 for any immigration purposes.

Your LL sounds like they're charging you for the inconvenience of renting out to foreigners. I honestly would move as soon as my lease is up and look for someone nicer
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Dany ********
Anonymer Teilnehmer 596 its not even only when you leave the country. it is every time you spend a night in a hotel when the TM30 has to be reported. so as a frequent traveler inside thailand, you will need many many TM30. and the landlord has to do it, for free
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Dany ********
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Anonymous ******************
You've been scammed. It's normal in Thailand
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Anna *********
Anonymous participant 730 it’s not really a scam more an over charge
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Anonymous ******************
@Anna ********
So if a taxi driver wants 500 baht for a 400 baht fare, that's an "overcharge"? Right
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Anna *********
Anonymous participant 730 I hope this helps

A scam is a fraudulent scheme, often involving deception or trickery, typically to obtain money or personal information. A rip-off is a less formal term for being overcharged for something or having something taken advantage of, often implying a deceptive practice.
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Anonymous ******************
@Anna ********
Thank you. You have confirmed my original statement. It is a scam. The landlord is deceiving his tenant to obtain money. Thanks! 🙏🙏🙏
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Anna *********
Anonymous participant 730 your lack of understanding is only surpassed by your inability to read
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Anonymous ******************
@Anna ********
I understand perfectly. Unfortunately you just don't know when you're being scammed. Thailand loves people like you.
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Anna *********
Anonymous participant 730 yup it’s a scam if he’s not a taxi driver or doesn’t drive you anywhere
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Anna *********
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James ********
Anonymous participant 730 that's not a scam.
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Anonymous ******************
@James *******
Landlord charging a tenant for a TM30 is a scam. It's the landlord's responsibility.
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James ********
Anonymous participant 730 frankly if the renter is traveling often and making MANY ENTRIES into Thailand during the rental period, I don't think it's wrong for the landlord to charge a nominal fee for filing the TM30 each time.
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Dany ********
@James *******
it’s a scam, a ripoff. its not your problem if you leave offen and spend days traveling, in hotels… its a legal obligation for the landlord. there is nothing to be paid.
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Paul *******
@Dany *******
It doesn't matter. The landlord isn't going to make their life difficult to accommodate a foreigner. Also, it's absurd that one needs to refile just because they've left the country and come back. What kind of bureaucratic nonsense is that?
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Dany ********
@Paul ******
you not only need a TM30 when you re-enter the country. you need a new TM30 every time you sleep in a different place. everytime you spend a night in a hotel they will do the TM30. and when you get back to your rental place you need a new TM30 again. so for people traveling a lot inside thailand you will need plenty of TM30 registrations. thats the rules 🤷‍♀️
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Paul *******
@Dany *******
No one follows that. I certainly don't and I've never had any issues. As I've said, landlords, if they're being forced to fill out lots of TM30s will do one of the following, which to be honest probably isn't unjustified: 1) stop renting to foreigners 2) start charging for TM30s 3) charge foreigners more rent compared to Thais, partly to make up for the additional bureaucratic burden.

To be honest, I'm surprised that rental rates aren't already higher across the board for foreign nationals. Would actually make sense to charge a Thai say
*****
a month for a given house but a foreigner
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or something.
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Dany ********
@Paul ******
well the hotels you are staying in will allways (95%+) do a TM30. and then that is your registered adress in the immigration system. When you then do a 90d report or visa extension then it will be a problem and needs to be changed in the system.
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Paul *******
@Dany *******
No, not necessarily. Very many hotels will not. Also, the majority of the time I present my drivers license to check into a hotel. The only time I present my passport is if I need a TM30 in order to do a 90 day report, something like that.
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James ********
@Paul ******
sadly, its what it is. The re-entry is what's creating the need for a new TM30. SUGGEST asking your local Thai Immigration office for their requirements for the TM 30 when you depart and reenter Thailand and staying at the same address registered with the Thai Immigration office.
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James ********
@Dany *******
he's not talking about hotels. He has a long term lease on a property.

I agree with you, if it was a hotel property.

BUT a Long term lease is different and it should be fair to the property owner to pay a reasonable fee for filing added TM30 address registrations if you do multiple departures and reentries.
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Anonymous ******************
@James *******
Have you ever actually done an online Section 38 registration? It's the owner's legal responsibility. It takes less than 30 seconds. The owner is getting paid rent for the accommodation which should include all related costs. Should the tenant also pay for the owner to file his tax return? Come on man, it's another scam
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Anonymous ******************
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Steve *******
It is 100% free and takes one minute to do.

Your landlord is a scam artist. If he doesn't fill out the TM30, HE is breaking the law.

Just take your rental agreement to immigration next time and do it yourself. And inform them that your landlord is charging money for it, which might lead to him getting a call from the local authorities (less than 1% chance of this though, this is Thailand after all)
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Wannikea *********
Get the login details from the landlord and do it yourself
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Anonymous ******************
FYI, My agent called the immigration and told me there is no need to do it each time I am traveling as I have a 1 year lease.

“It’s only necessary for the teachers from international schools that when they come back they have to re do every times for thire are repost to the government.”

“But normal working is fine as immigration will check on the last date in TM30 and lease agreement if it is the same, than you are safe. :)”
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Anonymous ******************
Anonymous participant 431 Change of agent then...
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Ray *****
Anonymous participant 431 nope, that is not the case
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Greg ********
Anonymous participant 431 It depends on the Immigration Office
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Greg ********
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Anonymous ******************
Find an new landlord- easy problem fixed
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Anonymous ******************
First of all it is a legal requirement for the landlord to file this within 24 hours of your arrival.

If a landlord fails to file the TM30 form, they may be fined between 800 and 2,000 Thai Baht.

Next time when you enter put your foot down and let them know you will no longer be paying any fees and you don’t appreciate being exploited by them, and remind them they are legally required to do this!
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Paul *******
Which may result in the landlord refusing to take on foreign tenants in the future. I am also certain that you will end up paying any fines. The landlord certainly won't pay fines on behalf of a foreigner.
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Anonymous ******************
@Paul ******
not as if there is a shortage of places to rent.
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Paul *******
True, there isn't.
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Paul *******
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Greg ********
Anonymous participant 322 Put your foot down as much as you like. The immigration office has fined tenants.
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Anonymous ******************
@Greg *******
you can mitigate this by doing it yourself, which is allowed.

if your landlord fails to provide you with the information to enable you to do it your self, and doesn’t do it then you goto your nearest immigration office with your rental agreement etc and inform them of the situation.
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Greg ********
Anonymous participant 322 Yes, you can do it yourself. Hardly putting your foot down and forcing the landlord to do it though is it
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Sebastien ***************
@Greg *******
does not matter what immigration does. It is the law. You can contest if you want at administrative court. The tenants, are NOT responsible by law. Point.
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Greg ********
@Sebastien **************
We know what the law is. It is also a fact tenants have been fined over this - POINT. Take it to the Administrative Court then 55555555555 Should they approach your company to help them in this urgent legal matter?
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*****
*****
5 Should they approach your company to help them in this urgent legal matter?
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Sebastien ***************
@Greg *******
I went to administrative court twice against immigration and won twice. You might now know how you are talking to. And I don not gave about TM30 but you should know they changed Thai law because of me.

Do you remember when the TM30 started to make problems in 2019? You know who made pressure on immigration? It was me.

This is the article of BBC :
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726

And everyone was telling me I was stupid, immigration would change nothing, whatever.

And what happened in 2020? The govenement eased the law. I was the one who made a petition. Not you.

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48/tm30-reporting-rule-on-foreigners-eased

Certainly not because some “experts” on facebook or whatever told people it was the law and people should follow or you have to follow whatever immigration does. No. It is not how it works.

I read Thai. I work with Thai lawyers for 19 years full time. I do not think you know the law for having written what you did.
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Anonymous ******************
@Greg *******
depends… on which approach you take I guess.

Me personally I would be asking for my money back and if they refuse let them know I’ll be reporting them to the immigration office for their disingenuous behaviour.

And moving forward i want evidence/confirmation that they have submitted my TM30 going forward to mitigate any potential issues later down the line.
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Greg ********
Anonymous participant 322 The immigration office will not give two hoots if you report the landlord for not updating the TM30. You are not in Kansas, Toto. The time to get it made concrete it to arrange with the agent and/or landlord when you rent the place this is a contract requirement
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Greg ********
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Mo ******
I did not pay to get it in Phuket
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Mo ******
Hold on do we need to do it anytime we leave and go back into the country?
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Dany ********
@Mo *****
you need a TM30 every time you spend a night in whatever accommodation. if you travel inside thailand and sleep in a hotel then they will do a TM30. when you go back to your own rental then you will need a new TM30. you allways need a new one when you sleep somewhere else
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Greg ********
@Mo *****
It depends on the local immigration office. I did not need to in Jomtien but now in Chiang Mai I have to
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Mo ******
@Greg *******
I am precisely in Jomtien yes. Thanks 🙏
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Greg ********
@Mo *****
They required it. Stopped it. Brought it back for a month then stopped again. It was a lot of work for them for nothing I reckon lol
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Greg ********
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Brandon ************
@Mo *****
depends on your immigration office. But most want a new one on each entry.
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Mo ******
@Brandon ***********
but the form you fill in when you enter the territory is precisely a declaration of residency? So you need to do it again after you go back from the airport?
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James ********
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Greg ********
@Mo *****
TM30 and the TDAC ie TM6 are different
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Brandon ************
@Mo *****
I'm not sure what you're asking. TM30 is required by every property owner to be filed within 24 hours of a Thai arriving at their property. It has nothing to do with residency. Whether it's to spend 1 night or 100, it's the same requirement.
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Brandon ************
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Anonymous ******************
You can do it yourself if you don’t want to pay. I guess it may depend on the immigration office but in Chiang mai it takes about 5 minutes.
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Greg ********
Anonymous participant 608 When Jomtien required it I went there and did it. As you say it does not take long if the office is fine with it.
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Mike *****
Did it in Udon myself 5-10 minutes. Landlord didn't know about it and didn't take the risk. Bangkok is another story...
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Mike *****
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Anonymous ******************
How often are you leaving your home? It is free for them to do but they may get annoyed if too often and charge for it. Keep in mind this needs to be done each single time tenants are spending a night at another place and come back; how annoying. There is nothing much you can do but changing of place. Make sure you include it in the contract next time.
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Greg ********
Anonymous participant 116 It depends on the Immigration Office too though. Some require it and some not. Some for both domestic and international and some international only
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Greg ********
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Tan ************
Don't report the landlord for tax evasion too
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Junior ******
The first one is the landlord responsible if you leave and return it’s then your responsibility
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Dany ********
@Junior *****
it is never your own responsibility
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Ray *****
@Junior *****
it's always the landlords responsibility. Mine does it for me every time
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Marianne ********
@Junior *****
It is always the landlords responsibility.

If they don't want the hassle, they should give their tenants the login to do it themselves.
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Anonymous *************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Junior *****
my friends never get charged when they leave and come back
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Anonymous ******************
Participant(e) anonyme I doubt the owner reports them each single time they spend a night at another place and come back. That's how things should be done but that's definitely annoying for everyone.
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Anonymous ******************
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Wayne *********
Find somewhere else to live
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Marianne ********
scummy landlord.

It is their legal obligation to do it. You should not have to pay.
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Luit *****************
@Marianne *******
It is their legal obligation indeed, but it is not an obligation to give you a copy as proof.
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Luit *****************
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Greg ********
It is free for him to do. My agent does it for free but some agents do charge. It is between you and your landlord
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Greg ********
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