#Thailand’s Immigration Eases Reporting Rules for Foreigners

Thailand’s Immigration Bureau reports property owners will no longer be required to report foreign tenants at their properties as often as before. The Immigration Bureau has changed the reporting frequency to only when they arrive.

Section 38 of the Immigration Act requires that property or hotel owners who take in foreigners as guests notify officials within 24 hours.

They do not need to file the reports again if the guests leave the premises temporarily and then return. Or when they have multiple-entry visas or re-entry permits. The bureau called the amendment “a move to end duplication”.

Landlords are still required to report the arrivals of tenants within 24 hours or face a fine up to 10,000 baht.

Landlords include Thai and foreigners property owners

The change followed complaints from property owners about the need to repeatedly file TM30 reports on their foreign guests. Especially every time they arrive at their properties. Complaints were also lodged by foreigners who were unable to get services at immigration offices. Especially for not being able to prove that TM30s had been filed on their behalf.

Landlords include Thai and foreigners who own properties in Thailand. Also hotel managers and other accommodation operators the Immigration Bureau reports.

Property owners are required to file TM30 reports at www.immigration.go.th website; or submit them in person or by mail to the immigration offices in their provinces; or the Immigration Division 1 Office at Government Complex on Chaeng Watthana Road in the case of Bangkok, the Bangkok Post report.

Seven Groups of Foreigners to be Allowed Entry into Thailand

Meanwhile, A spokesman for the Immigration Bureau in Thailand has announced plans to allow seven groups of foreigners to enter the country. They have divided the foreigners into two main groups.

The first group may not include those under the so-called “travel bubble” international pact. Because they may be required to undertake state quarantine on entry:

1. Businessman and investors

2. Skilled labourers and exporters who need to inspect factories or for specific business purposes (around 22,000 have registered).

3. Foreigners married to Thais, or permanent residents of Thailand (around 2,000 have registered).

4. Medical and wellness tourists (around 30,000 have registered).

The other group comprises foreign travelers who won’t need quarantine on entry:

1. Businessman on short-duration stays, including those coming into the country for business discussions. This group might need a specific area and intense screening both before travel and at arrival at airports. Considered a “power group”, these are entrepreneurs who will visit the country to sign business contracts or inspect sites or factories, which is essential to the economy.

2. Government guests who are invited for ceremonies or specific seminars.

3. Tourists under the travel bubble. Dr Taweesin said that the target countries are China, Japan and South Korea, which are presently trying to contain the virus.

Furthermore the Immigration Bureau aims to discuss the issue in depth with the Cabinet after finalizing the details.

Source - Chiang Rai Times

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Thailand - TM30 not fit for purpose

In March, the Immigration Bureau resurrected the draconian regulation known as TM30 with the aim of keeping track of foreigners' whereabouts. It is legitimate to wonder whether any foreign criminals have disclosed their movements to authorities via the TM30 form.

The possibility seems unlikely, even though this is the ultimate goal of the latest enforcement of this regulation. What is certain, though, is that it has blighted the lives of law-abiding foreigners with a hellish web of paperwork.

Over the past couple of months, a broad spectrum of expat communities here have chorused their disagreement with the regulation, sharing experiences of how the law has made their stay in the country unnecessarily complicated and is affecting the ease of doing business and investment here.

This diverse feedback should be treated as strong enough evidence for Thailand to put an end to the hassle. And a solution could be as simple as amending the 1979 Immigration Act. But the outpouring of expat frustration seems to have fallen on deaf ears in government.

The regulation was made at a time when the country was facing an influx of Vietnamese and Cambodians fleeing conflicts at home, and authorities understandably wanted to keep an eye on them. This was also a time when the number of foreigners was just a small fraction of the current figure.

The Immigration Act's Section 38 requires that landlords must report the presence of any foreign tenants to authorities within 24 hours of their arrival.

Section 37 imposes the same rule on foreigners. They must report their nightly whereabouts, as and when they move around the country.

Failure to report means a fine of 800 to 2,000 baht and also the risk that the foreigner may be denied extension or renewal of their visa or work permit.

As time went by, the regulation fell into disuse, largely because it was no longer practical and too rigid. Reporting foreigners' whereabouts to authorities was mainly done by hotel operators on a weekly basis to comply with the 2004 Hotel Act.

In the absence of TM30 enforcement, the country had been efficiently managing expats and tourists via the hotel law and other immigration regulations. Everyone seemed to be happy, until the TM30 rule was dusted off and began baffling both Thai landlords and expats.

The Immigration Bureau has cited national security as the reason for enforcing the law again, expressing concern over foreign criminals who stay here for extended periods.

But immigration officials' mission to keep "bad guys out" must now be bogged down by the huge volume of paperwork triggered by the revival of TM30 rules.

Ensuring public safety is a noble cause. But it won't be achieved by applying the toothless and outdated TM30 regulation as a blanket measure that treats all foreigners as criminal suspects whose movements need to be strictly monitored.

Officials appear to have forgotten that this self-disclosure measure only affects law-abiding people. Criminals or terrorists will not be as naive as to tip off authorities about their movements or even inform their landlords.

Authorities must come up with alternative anti-terrorism and anti-crime strategies if they want to stay a step ahead of foreign criminals.

The TM30 has done more harm than good. The government and parliamentarians should push for amendments to the Immigration Act to do away with it.

Source - BangkokPost

You’ve read the social media, now watch the TM30 debate in #Bangkok

A panel of Thai and foreign experts and commentators came together yesterday to discuss the enforcement of immigration rules, government policies and concerns, and recent shifts in official procedures and attitudes. They attempted to clarify the TM30 reporting process, analyse its impact and discuss the future of this unpopular law. The speakers were…

• Pol. Maj. Gen. Patipat Suban Na Ayudhya, Commander of Immigration Division

• Pol. Maj. Teerapong Jaiareerob, Inspector of Sub-Division 2, Immigration Division 1

• Pol.Col. Thatchapong Sarawannangkul, Superintendent of Sub-Division 2, Immigration Division 1

• Penrurk Phetmani, immigration lawyer with Tilleke and Gibbins International

• Chris Larkin, director of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and a member of AustCham’s Advocacy subcommittee where he works on customs alliance and immigration issues

• Sebastian Brousseau, lawyer and managing director of Isaan Lawyers, specialist in immigration issues and leading member of advocacy group reform-thai-immigration.com

• Richard Barrow, blogger and long-time Bangkok resident

VIDEO
 
Source - The Thaiger

Thailand tightens the screws on TM30 reporting, petition ongoing

Nearly 5,000 Thai expats have now signed a petition pleading for modification or abolition of the TM30 immigration form. The well-organised petition calling for changes to the form is an unusual step for expats who, most of the time, keep their head down and out of the daily operations of the Land of Smiles.

For its part, Thai Immigration says it is simply robustly applying Sections 37 and 38 of the Thai immigration act to “strengthen security” and keep tabs on foreigners whilst in the country.

But the ‘robust application’ is causing headlines the Immigration Department would rather not see and is prompting panel discussions, YouTube interviews and online pleads from well-known bloggers and long-termers. There is one discussion planned for the Foreign Correspondents Club this Thursday.

The petition, whilst politely written, is not likely to succeed. The inconveniences to some locals needing to report their whereabouts when changing their reported address, will be outweighed by the need for national security.

That a group of foreigners could possibly change Thai laws to make things more convenient and useful, is also inconceivable. Even if there was some minor adjustment to the laws it could take years.

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Bottomline, don’t get your hopes up.

In the meantime, the inconvenience of Section 37 will remain a clear and present annoyance. There has been no shortage of people spraying the internet with their individual problems and examples and the 24 hour reporting will certainly affect some expats more than others, especially travelling business-people whose movement around Thailand is just part of their work.

Tourists are not affected as the onus of reporting locations whilst on holiday is the responsibility of hotels and landlords.

The issue is being presented in the international media as a nail in the coffin for long-term living in Thailand. The reality is that expat numbers continue to rise although the demographic is evolving to the chagrin of many European, Australian and American expats who seem particularly aggrieved by the enforcement and have made their voices heard – through signing the petition and sharing their strongly-held feelings on various forums online.
The other issue angering or confusing expats is that, like many other immigration laws, the enforcement of the clauses continues to be patchy around the Kingdom – they really don’t know how, or if, it’s going to be enforced in their case. For the short-term we would recommend you play by the rules to avoid any unpleasant fines or surprises. If you have any queries it is best to visit an Immigration Office and ask questions to find out how it applies to your visa and situation.

Don Ross from ttrweekly.com shares some thoughts on how the laws could be changed…

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“The director-general (usually the chief of police) can make changes to clauses 3 and 4. The DG can also through the Immigration Commission recommend a new ministerial regulation that updates the two clauses to make them more in tune with today’s online realities.

One possible change would be to stipulate that clause 4 reporting only kicks in after 72 hours away from home, rather than 24 hours. It would allow thousands of expatriates who are long-stay or retirees to visit other provinces for up to three days without triggering a clause 4 reporting hassle.”

If you want to read and sign the petition click HERE.

Source - The Thaiger