Pdoggg Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 Although it was scrapped 3 weeks ago, it seems hardly any farangs noticed until just recently. TM28 exemptions include Tourism and Retirement. Not really sure who wouldn't be exempt! So it seems these 1600 baht fines for non-reporting a short stay somewhere are now a thing of the past. Quote Thai immigration scraps TM28 reporting requirements Well, for most foreigners anyway (full list of exemptions below)… Thai immigration have scrapped the TM28 form’s change-of-address reporting requirements for all but a few foreigners. The changes came into effect, with little fanfare, on January 28. The TM28 is still listed on the Immigration website but there’s now a long list of exceptions added which means that almost no one will be required to submit the forms. In 2019 a crackdown on the TM28 and TM30 forms caused an uproar in sections of the expat community who cried foul about their lives being made more difficult, and the inconveniences and impracticalities of the forms. TM28, listed under section 37 of the Thai Immigration Act, has been an official requirement since 1979 but was rarely enforced by immigration officials. But last year officials started enforcing the law more literally, causing widespread outrage. Many foreigners, including long term expats living in Thailand, said they didn’t even know the requirement existed. At the time Immigration officials were saying the crackdown was necessary to maintain better national security and keep track of all foreigners working and living in Thailand. The list of exceptions, now added to the form, includes just about every foreigner – diplomats and those performing official duties, students, retirees, foreigners working in Thailand, foreigners married to a Thai or are the parent of a Thai child. The previous requirements, which caused so much discussion last year, stated that foreigners who had stayed in another province for more than 24 hours were have to inform their local immigration office with a filled out TM28 form when they returned to their usual residential address. Foreigners will still need to inform immigration if they change address permanently. Last year’s crackdown on the TM28 also coincided with a stricter enforcement of the TM30. That form required hotels, guesthouses and property owners to report foreigners staying overnight at their address. The crackdowns on both TM28 and TM30 resulted in Thai immigration being heavily criticised by segments of the Thai expat community and foreign businesses in Thailand, who claimed that both forms were counter-productive to help attract businesses and foreigners to the country and were “outdated” and “draconian”. Official forums were held, inviting senior officers from Immigration, and petitions were launched, and countless articles written, all to bring the plight of foreigners to the attention of officials. The updated regulations relating to the TM28 form are on the Thai Immigration website. https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/expats/thai-immigration-scraps-tm28-reporting-requirements Below is a list of exemptions: exempt2.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoolpusher Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 So does that mean my little trip to bkk and back to Pattaya, I don't need to fill out any form saying I am back in town ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markm Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 1 hour ago, stoolpusher said: So does that mean my little trip to bkk and back to Pattaya, I don't need to fill out any form saying I am back in town ? only if they decide to pick on you:) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobber32 Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 Very interesting, Pdoggg. Good news, and many thanks for the news. Now if only the Aussie dollar would go up too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pdoggg Posted February 21, 2020 Author Share Posted February 21, 2020 6 hours ago, stoolpusher said: So does that mean my little trip to bkk and back to Pattaya, I don't need to fill out any form saying I am back in town ? If the article is correct it seems that individuals don't need to file TM28 forms with Immigration anymore. This doesn't mean that hotels, condos, and guesthouses don't have to file TM30s anymore. I guess it gets even more complicated when a farang is staying/living with partners or friends. I'm not really up on that as it doesn't apply to me. Also every 90 days a farang is supposed to do a 90 day report. Easy enough for me as I can just hop the baht bus to Jomtien. Supposedly can also be done online, but if one lives close to an Immigration office it is probably best to go there as guys have run into various problems with online reporting. No matter what the official rules are, every Immigration office handles them differently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoolpusher Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 Thanks for the info Pdoggg , my official address is Nhong Khai so I will give them a call when closer to my 90 date and ask them what I need to bring with me . Talking to cobber32 the other day , he did say that all Imm offices seem to handle things a little differently so I will go with the agent where home is . Thanks everyone for the info 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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