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A Quick-Fire Guide to the TM30 Form: Reporting Your Stay

The TM30 form is an immigration requirement. The law governing this form aims to ensure transparency in the accommodation details of foreigners staying in Thailand.

It must be completed by the landlord of a property to report the stay of guests within 24 hours of their arrival.

You won't need to worry about this requirement if you are simply coming on holiday to stay in a hotel. Generally this is only relevant to the following people:

  • Those staying with a Thai friend
  • Those staying in any type of unlicensed (as a hotel) property
  • Those who own a home in Thailand (and reside there)
  • Those who co-own a home in Thailand (and reside there)

Why Does the TM30 Form Exist?

The form is designed to report non-Thai nationals staying in the country, be it a short-term or long-term residence.

The rules apply to any Thai national housing a foreign national in the Kingdom, but also applies to a foreigner who owns or co-owns a home in Thailand – even if they are the sole occupant.

If you stay in a condo or apartment block, the owner is required to register you.

The TM30 aims to provide effective monitoring, so foreign criminals are less likely to choose Thailand as a place to hide out. The TM30 takes immigration tracking beyond the airport or land border and to the residence of each individual.

The form is also used as a means of providing information on tourism. The number of foreigners staying in the country is tracked, as well as the most popular locations picked by foreign travelers.

The data collected can also be used to identify foreigners who work illegally in the country, as well as those who have overstayed their visas.

While some might feel the rule is an invasion of privacy, it is there to protect the country – despite its lack of proper enforcement over the years.

TM30 Law & Application

The law governing the TM30 form was introduced a long time ago alongside the Hotel Act of 2005, but has since expanded beyond hotels to cover landlords owning properties or units that are not classified as hotels.

This was necessary to include condo rentals and other unlicensed businesses that put up guests, such as those found on the likes of AirBnB. It also covers Thai individuals and families who host foreign nationals.

To reiterate: anyone who offers accommodation needs to comply with the law by reporting any foreign national staying on the property. The report must be completed not only by hotels and serviced apartments but also by landlords of private properties.

It is the landlord’s responsibility to submit the TM30, but if the landlord doesn't then the guest should raise the issue, as it is a legal requirement.

In 10 years I've never been asked for a TM30, but since stories of fines started popping up a couple of years ago, I now ensure that wherever I am stay the owner has reported my residence – except for hotels, of course.

The reason I do this is because I don't want a fine when they see my lack of registration on the computer during a visa renewal.

tm30-form-thailand

This is the TM30 form. You can fill one out at immigration or report online.

Who Needs to Be Registered?

If you're staying in a hotel or other business licensed to receive guests then that business will report your stay for you. Indeed, tourists won't even know this reporting has happened.

However, if you are on a long-stay visa and plan on extending (a retirement extension, for example), immigration requires you to have submitted a TM30 within 24 hours of arrival, whether on your behalf by a landlord or yourself as a property owner. So do make sure it is done.

The TM30 is divided into two separate forms. The second form allows the landlord to register multiple people. So if you are staying as part of a group at non-licensed accommodation, your landlord can report you all on the same form.

Some of you might wonder: should I still report myself if I have a yellow house book (tabien baan) or co-own the property I’ll be staying in?

The answer is yes. Even if you own or co-own the house, you must complete the form within 24 hours of arriving at the property – be it online or at immigration.

If you are staying in a friend’s house, your friend still needs to submit the TM30 form. The same applies to any foreigner who is married to a Thai and carries a Thai visa.

Short Stays Away from Home

You might be wondering whether you need to report your residence every time you leave home for a short break and return just a few days later.

This depends on whether or not you return within the period of stay specified on the last TM30 you submitted.

If you return within the period specified on the TM30 then you don't need to submit a new one. If you return after the period specific on the TM30 then you do need to submit a new form.

So if you go to stay with a friend for a few days, you won't need to report when you return home, if, for example, your most recent TM30 specifies that you will be staying in your home property for a further 3 months.

The same rule applies to your landlord, if you are staying in a rented property.

In this instance, your friend is still required to report your stay, as a hotel would. This is because, in accordance with Section 37 (2) of the Thailand Immigration Act of 1979, your latest place of residence must be reported and logged in the immigration database.

Whether or not people actually comply with this rule is a separate issue, and let's face it, most people don't.

Remember, you don't need to worry about reporting if you go to stay at a hotel or guest house because they take care of this for you.

TM30 Requirements

To report your stay, you'll need the following:

  • Copy of your passport’s photo page
  • Copy of your passport visa page
  • Copy of your departure card

The landlord will need:

  • Copy of his/her title deed
  • Copy of the rental contract

Remember: Each time you visit Thailand a TM30 needs to be filed, because your arrival number will change.

Also note that the TM30 is not the same as 90-day reporting. However, you may be fined if you go to file your 90-day report and a TM30 hasn't been filed since your arrival.

Online Registration

The good news is that neither you (the home owner) or your landlord need to fill out a form or go down to an immigration office. You can report online, when it works, that is!

Most hotels and registered businesses use TM30 online reporting.

Online registration is available here.

You need to first request a username and password, and then log on to register.

What Happens If I Fail to Register?

Whether Thai or foreign landlord living in Thailand, make sure to register new guests within 24 hours.

Even if a guest leaves and then returns a month later, you need to report this again.

The fine for not reporting is 1,600 Baht per person.

As a tenant or guest, you should ask your landlord if you have already been reported. If your landlord is not willing to report you, then you can try moving to another place or you can report yourself on his/her behalf. That being said, to report yourself you need the aforementioned documents from your landlord.

There are cases when long-term tenants find out that they haven’t been reported by their landlords, and these issues often arise at the Immigration department either for a 90-day check-in or visa renewal.

If you’re a foreigner who has been staying in a property for a couple of days, you might want to befriend your landlord and enquire as to whether you have been reported.

TM30 Rules – Q&A Summary

Do I need to register if:

A. I am staying in a hotel?

No. The hotel will do it.

B. I am staying with a friend/ partner?

No you don't, but the person you are staying with needs to register.

C. More than one person is staying at my property?

Yes.

D. I am living in my own home?

Yes.

E. I am a co-owner of a home?

Yes.

F. I left my primary residence and went on holiday in Thailand, then came back again to my primary residence?

It depends if you return to your primary residence within the period of stay specified on the last TM30 you submitted.

If you are staying with a Thai national and the person isn't sure what to do, they can read this TM30 guide in Thai.

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  2. Mike says

    I asked my building manager to complete the TM30 online, via the link you helpfully provided above. We completed it together. It looks like the crappiest web application, like it is built on MS Access. It seemed that we could actually directly edit database tables! They were exposed via the web interface.

    Anyway, she registered and filled in all the details for the building and for my rental contract. Then we clicked save, and it just said that it was saved. Is that all we need to do? Don't we get an email or some kind of document to show immigration?
    Reply

  5. gary farmer says

    An update and answer to the TM 30 frequency question was posted in the Bangkok Post and states the first arrival requires a TM30 but from then on a second return after a temporary absence does not so all sorted if you hold a multiple entry permit and I guess also for those travelling in country and returning home again.
    Article published at
    https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1941048/tm30-reporting-rule-on-foreigners-eased
    Reply

    • Max says

      Of course you need a last reported address to be able to skip the TM30 report,and you need to be on 90 days ME visas or long stay visas with re-entry permits. Tourists don't need to submit TM30 reports. For people staying in provinces with old-fashioned routines, it's a relief, and less work for immigration. Where I'm staying I only have to submit a TM30 when officially changing address, and it takes about 5 minutes. It's been like that about 3.5 years. But I promise that several immigration offices won't understand the new changes. It will take a while.
      Reply

    • Mike Baker says

      The news articles are quite brief. I have read the official immigration announcement (English version) https://immigration.go.th/read?content_id=5ef48af54d69ab1c9c5be709 and am left with a couple of interpretation and definition questions.......the amended law refers to "an alien taken in as a resident".......resident is not defined......."notified period of stay that has not yet ended"........would this be the validity of the visa or the term of the lease?........"the alien....shall include...ME visa holders...and those with re entry permits"......the words "shall include" suggests to me in addition to other types of visa holder, not exclusively those types......Now I realise translation is a problem here but I also know immigration officers interpret laws differently between offices, so if I have queries on this amendment they will likely have some......going back to what Max says, this issue isn't over....it has just been given a whole new lease of life.
      Reply

      • Max says

        A resident is same as a guest.
        The period of stay is the validity of the visa/permission to stay.
        Forget about the word "shall", the new changes only concern ME-holders and people with long stay visas/extensions with re-entry permits and comes back to the last reported address. Hence, not for tourists who don't need to submit a TM30. Like I said before, several immigration offices don't ask for a new TM30 report when travelling outside the province and coming back to the last reported address, but some still do. That's imo more annoying than coming back from abroad. If the reason for the new changes are unnecessary duplicate reports, then every return to the last reported address shouldn't need a new report. Thai authorities have always had problems explaining changes so people understand. That will never change.
        Reply

  6. gary farmer says

    Hi,
    I have just read that from 30th June the requirements for filing a TM30 will change. Can anyone clarify if this applies to moving around within the Kingdom as well as International travel or just when exiting and arriving in Thailand. I am currently in Bangkok but will be returning to Isaan in a couple of weeks and would usually file a report but after reading todays changes I don't know where I stand with filing reports after domestic travel between the provinces.
    Reply

    • Max says

      In several provinces the TM30 report is not needed when travelling in Thailand and coming back to the last reported address. So, in my opinion it will be the same in every province from June 30. If we don't need to do the TM30 report when coming back from abroad (to the last reported address) why should we have to do it when travelling in Thailand?
      Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Are you referring to this:“2.2: After the householder, owner or possessor of the premises of the hotel has reported, as defined in Article 2.1, the same alien has left the premises and returned for another stay within the valid period, the householder, owner or possessor of the premises of the hotel does not need to make another report;The alien as defined in paragraph 1 shall include those who hold multiple-entry visas who leave and return to the Kingdom within the specified period of the visa, and those with reentry permits.”I can't find any information on what the "specific period" is.
      Reply

      • gary farmer says

        yes that's the section mentioned in the report. I can see it refers to leaving and entering the Kingdom while holding a multiple entry permit but wonder how it affects those of us who haven't left the Kingdom but moved within it. I assume the specified period they refer to is the year granted under the extension to stay and they imply you can enter and exit without the need to file a TM 30 if returning to the same venue. I just cant see where that leaves domestic travellers returning to the same venue
        Reply

        • Max says

          Thai translations, especially from authorities always suck. I answered your question,but TTL for some reason didn't release it. Several immigration offices don't require a TM30 when travelling in Thailand and coming back to the last reported address. You just do the next 90 days report as usual and you're back on track. Why would immigration skip the TM30 report when coming back from abroad to the last reported address,and keep it when travelling domestically? That makes no sense to me. It will be less work for every immigration office and that's why they came up with this change. I am staying in Jomtien, Pattaya and the only time I have to submit a TM30 report is when/if I change address.
          Reply

          • gary farmer says

            I'm now living in Sakon Nakhon and have twice been required to submit a TM 30 when returning from a visit to Bangkok and Phuket as the Immigration officer simply said I had been out of the province for over 24 hours and the hotels had filed paperwork to prove it so I could either file a TM 30 or wait for my visa renewal and pay the fine for missing TM30's then . I thought Bangkok Immigration was strict, or maybe he was just having a bad day ?
            Reply

            • Max says

              There are still several immigration offices that uses the "24 hour outside the province" rule. Hopefully they will adapt to the new rules from June 30 (but I doubt it). 😁
              Some offices don't ask for a copy of the TM30 receipt. I didn't make a copy of mine when I did my last 1 year extension in May, just to see if they would ask for it, but no. So I saved ฿5 for the copy.
              Reply

              • Mike Baker says

                Max, I know you have posted this info before but I cannot find it.... can you tell me the steps to take to register as possessor for the online system please..... including which documents I need to upload?.....so I take a (12 month) lease on an apartment.... so I am possessor... and can self report and avoid all these fines and complications with receipts/evidence.... if you could confirm the app or web shite I need to use as well that would help.
                Reply

  7. Pete says

    Hi all,
    Regarding the TM30. When I next return to Thailand, I will be staying in a condo which belongs to a friend of a friend. My trip will be for 30 days, so, I will be using a 30 day TV. I will be putting the address of condo on the immigration form. (The one you fill out when on the plane)
    I have the following questions.

    1. Should the owner of the condo submit a TM30 reporting my stay.

    2. should I be concerned if the owner of condo submits a TM30 or not. I’m on a 30 TV.

    3. If I decide to take a trip for an overnight or few days Stay within Thailand staying in a hotel that submits a TM30, will I need to report or do anything when I get back to base. (Condo)

    Thanks for any comments.
    Pete.
    Reply

    • Max says

      First of all, there's no 30 days Visa. It's a so called Visa exempt.
      If you're not staying longer than 30 days there's no need for a TM30 report. If you're extending your stay another 30 days a TM30 report might be needed. It depends on the local immigration office. Officially it's the owner/landlord who are supposed to submit the TM30 report. But,again,no report needed if you're just staying 30 days.
      Reply

    • Mike Baker says

      Q2: As a tourist you should not concern yourself with the TM30 laws. They only really affect long stay visa holders or people who decide to extend their visa.... so those who need to have an interaction with immigration. ....... Q1 and Q3: technically, legally, the owner should submit TM30 each time you arrive. But that is his responsibility and risk.
      Reply

  9. TonyT says

    If I plan to establish as an AirBnB should my wife register to lodge TM30 online? Should she simply apply for registration & password for me (not mentioning the dirty word AirBNB)? (I have been here for over 10 years & we had not heard of TM30 until recently when I did a 90 day report), or should we say we are planning to set up with AirBNB & see what happens?
    Where do we stand?
    Reply

    • Mike Baker says

      I understand AirBNB is illegal in Thailand. Whilst enforcement is a different issue, why would you advertise to the authorities you plan an illegal activity? ....... I don't think online registration asks for a reason. If you register online in registered owner's name.... either of you can access it if you both know the password.... but, multiple different people logged as staying may one day cause you an issue if TM30 becomes joined up to the tax department and the department dealing with hotels and homestay registrations etc. etc.
      Reply

  10. Allen Raaen says

    Hi,
    Am an owner of condominium and will rent out in coming months to a long term renter. When the tenant arrives at our condo I will not be in Thailand, so my question is - if I fill out the TM30 , sign off on it and provide the additional documentation (copy passport and title deeds) to the tenant, can he submit my paperwork as landlord and his required documents on my behalf ?
    Reply

    • Max says

      This depends on the immigration office. Where are you staying? Some offices asks for a proxy letter to make it possible for a person to submit the TM30 in the landlords/owners name. The tenant can not submit the TM30 as a landlord,but at several offices it's possible to do it as the possessor in his name.
      Reply

    • Mike Baker says

      I guess both you as owner and the tenant as a long stay visa holder will be concerned to keep the TM30 submissions up to date and prevent fines and enquiries..... There are 2 ways to approach this.....you could register online and simply ask for a copy of his passport and TM6 departure card by email or line image or whatsapp image and do the submission yourself within 24 hrs of his arrival (saves leaving paperwork for him to have to deal with in same timescale)........ OR tell him he has to register as possessor using the rental agreement as evidence of this......and the latter option then means it's his responsibility to submit TM30 each time he arrives back from a trip away.... something you may not be made aware of, but may then be responsible for as the person registered on the TM30 system (risk of fines).
      Reply

      • Max says

        Depending on immigration office there are are at most offices not necessary to report when coming back from a trip in Thailand to the last reported address,but when coming from abroad it's almost every time needed. But a few offices still wants the report within 24 hours when coming back. People need to mention where they're staying if they want a correct answer about the TM30 report.
        Reply

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