Chiang Mai Immigration has announced an update to the requirements for TM30 reporting.
The new update clarifies when a TM30 report is due under section 38 of the Immigration Act.
The key part of the announcement for ex-pats, an unofficial translation of which can be found below, can be found under section 2.2
2.2 After the householder, owner or possessor of the premise of hotel manager has reported as defined in Article 2.1, the same alien has left the premise and returned for another stay within the valid period, the householder, owner or possessor of the premise of hotel manager do not need to make another report; The alien as defined in paragraph one shall include those who being granted multiple-visa who leaves and returns to the Kingdom with specified time in the visa and those with re-entry permit.
Previously, most immigration offices in Thailand wanted a new TM30 report within 24 hours every time a person left and reentered the country. This change eliminates that requirement.
The second paragraph is stating that if a person on a multiple entry visa or has an extension of stay and enters using a re-entry permit a new TM30 report is not required.
The new rule apparently does not apply to those on visa-exempt entries and single-entry visas of any category unless they left and re-entered using a re-entry permit during the original entry from it.
The law regarding TM30 states that the landlord, property owner or manager (in the case of a hotel or guesthouse) has a legal obligation to report the stay of a non-Thai at their property.
The law has been in place since 1979 but was seldom enforced until 2019, when immigration began cracking down on property owners who were not reporting the stay of foreigners.
The latest announcement was posted on the Chiang Mai immigration website and comes into effect from 30th June 2020.
TM30 reports can be made in person or online via the immigration website or mobile app: https://www.immigration.go.th/content/online_serivces
