Thailand visa question No. 011/20: TM7, TM47, TM30 and TM28

Questioner: William
Subject: TM7, TM47, TM30 and TM28

I am staying in Thailand on the basis of a Non immigrant O visa with an annual extension due to retirement. I will be in Thailand for 5 to 5,5 months from October to April, of which 3 months in Chiang Mai, 1 month in Pattaya and 1 month in Bangkok. I did my year extension in Chiang Mai on December 13 with a validity date of January 26. I have not received a note with a date for the mandatory 90 days in my passport. According to my calculations, that would be March 11. But then I have already changed location 2 times. Until now, my first 90-day report always fell on or just after my return flight to the Netherlands. So I've never had to do it.

Now my question is. Do I have to formally change my address every time I move? I've never done that until now. Always ensure that the owner makes a TM30 report. If I have to report personally in Bangkok where I will be staying from February 23 to change my address, I can return a few days later for the 90-day report. In Bangkok it is no fun to have to go from Bangna to Chaeng Wattana and that 2 times. Reporting online may not work because I understand that you must first have been to the immigration of your place of residence at least once in person. Is that right?

Reaction RonnyLatYa

I assume that your annual extension runs until January 20, 2021 and that you submitted the application (TM7) on December 13, 2019.

The address you provide with the annual renewal is your official residence address. That address counts for immigration. However, that does not mean that you are not allowed to travel within Thailand. Just because you're going to stay in a hotel or whatever doesn't mean you've moved. A TM30 is an arrival notification at an address, but is therefore not a change of address.

For Chiang Mai, you still live in Chiang Mai, no matter how many TM30 are spent. To officially implement an address change, you must also draw up a TM28. As long as you don't do that, your address will remain in Chiang Mai and in principle you will also have to complete your 90-day notification (TM47) at Chiang Mai immigration.

The first request for an annual extension is equivalent to a 90-day notification. So it is quite possible that you did not receive a note when the next 90 days is reported. March 11 is therefore a good reference date. Hopefully they count from the 90 days and not from the application date. It is therefore best to always ask for that reference date. Then you're sure.

But let's assume that you have to report that 11 to Chiang Mai immigration on March 90th. You can now always try to report your 90 days at another immigration office with your Chiang Mai address. Maybe they'll accept it without a change of address. You never know… You can always try it online first. If it does not work, you can still submit an address change, together with a 90-day notification. TM30 (arrival at an address) and a TM28 address change should not occur at the same time. You can first arrive somewhere and later decide to officially move there. Nothing wrong with it. In the future, keep in mind that your official address is in Bangkok.

Depending on which method you use, you always have a certain period within which a 90-day report must be made. On-line is 15 days before March 11 to 7 days before March 11, if I'm not mistaken. If it is done in the immigration office itself, personally or by someone else, it is 15 days before March 11 to 7 days after March 11. So you have some space. If not, you can still go yourself.

Regards,

RonnyLatYa