The TM30 and the TM28 reporting has caused uproar amongst foreigners in Thailand since it was first enforced fast year with foreigners being forced to report their whereabouts even if they just away from their home for 24-hours. It all changed (again) on January, although it went largely unnoticed and certainly unreported until now espanolfarm.com.
Thankfully the requirement to fill in a TM30 when you go to another province for 24-hours and then a TM28 when you return to your usual residence is no longer a requirement with the Thai Immigration website now suggesting that almost everyone is excluded. If you change address, you still need to inform immigration, but now it appears that common sense has prevailed.
What were the reasons for needing to complete the TM30 & TM28?
Although the sense behind the need to complete these forms escaped most of us, the reasons that Thai Immigration said that the forms needed to be completed included:
- To protect national security
- To reduce crime
- For the foreigner’s safety
Unfortunately, it resulted in many foreigners deciding to go elsewhere with this being viewed as the last straw and final insult for foreigners in Thailand. Perhaps the move will help to attract the disenchanted western tourists back to Thailand and places like Pattaya. As the rules change frequently and without suitable notification, we would recommend checking the Thai Immigration website before you travel to ensure you don’t flout any laws!
More Information
If you would like more information regarding the TM and the TM30 you can call us on: +66 (0)80 102 2328, +66 (0) 38 420 313 or +44 (0) 20 8133 8059, email us on info@thaivisaexpress.com or alternatively contact us via our website. Our knowledgeable team will be able to provide you with all the information that you need.