90-Day Reporting in Thailand: Online, In Person and by Post

If you live in Thailand on a long-stay visa such as a Non-O with a retirement extension or a Non-OA, you must tell immigration where you live every 90 days of continuous stay. This is the 90-day report, filed on form TM.47. You can do it in person, through someone you authorise, by registered post, or online. It is an address notification only: it does not extend your permission to stay.

This is general information, not legal or migration advice. Local immigration offices can apply the rules differently. Check with your own office if you are unsure.

Who has to report

Under Section 37(5) of the Immigration Act 1979, a foreigner permitted to stay in Thailand temporarily who stays longer than 90 days must notify immigration of their address every 90 days. For retirees this normally means anyone living in Thailand on a Non-Immigrant O (retirement extension) or Non-Immigrant O-A visa.

Holders of the Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa report once a year instead of every 90 days. If you are on the LTR "Wealthy Pensioner" visa, see our retirement visa comparison for how that differs.

How the 90-day clock works

• The count starts on the day you enter Thailand. Immigration's own manual says the 90-day period "starts from the first day of entering the Kingdom of Thailand on every occasion".
• Leaving and re-entering resets the clock. If you fly home to Australia for Christmas, your count starts again from the date you come back. No report is due while you are outside Thailand.
• After each successful report you receive a slip (or an emailed approval) showing your next due date. Keep it with your passport.

If you rarely stay more than 90 days at a time (for example, you split the year between Australia and Thailand), you may never need to file one.

Option 1: Report online

The Immigration Bureau runs an online TM.47 service at tm47.immigration.go.th.

Steps, according to the official instruction manual:

1. Register with your email address, first name, last name and phone number in English. A password is emailed to you.
2. Log in and choose "New application (TM.47)".
3. Fill in the form, check the details against your passport, and submit.
4. The result is emailed to you within 3 working days. You can also check status online by passport number.
5. Print or save the approval and keep it with your passport.

Important limits on online reporting:

• You can only submit online within 15 days, and no later than 7 days, before the due date. That is a short window, so set a reminder.
• Overdue reports cannot be filed online. Once you are late you must go to an immigration office.
• If you have a new passport, you must report in person (or by an authorised person) at your local office.
• Expat guides consistently report that your first 90-day report on a new permission to stay has to be done in person or by post before the online system will accept you. The official manual does not spell this out, so treat it as likely and plan for an in-person first report.
• If your application is rejected (usually because details don't match immigration's records), you must report in person. Filing early gives you time to do that.

The online system is convenient but is known among expats for occasional outages and rejections, so don't leave it to the last day of the window.

Option 2: Report in person

Take these documents to the immigration office covering where you live:

1. Passport
2. Departure card (TM.6), if you have one
3. Your previous 90-day receipt (if this isn't your first report)
4. A completed and signed TM.47 form

Where to go:

• Bangkok: the 90 Days Report Section at the Government Complex, Building B, 2nd Floor, South Zone, Chaeng Wattana Road, Lak Si.
• Elsewhere: the immigration office (immigration checkpoint) for the province where you live, for example the offices serving Hua Hin, Chiang Mai, Pattaya or Phuket.

The in-person window is wider than online. Expat guides and local offices commonly describe it as from 15 days before to 7 days after the due date. Reporting within that window is not treated as late.

Option 3: Someone else reports for you

The official guide lists "the foreigner authorizes another person to make the notification" as a valid method. Local offices typically want a signed authorisation letter, a copy of your passport pages and the TM.47. Requirements vary, so ask your office what it accepts.

Visa agents also offer this service for a fee. Prices vary and are not regulated, so compare quotes and only hand over passport copies to a business you trust.

Option 4: Report by registered post

Posting works well if you live a long way from an immigration office. According to THAILAND.GO.TH, send by registered mail:

1. A copy of your passport photo page, latest entry stamp and visa/extension page
2. A copy of your TM.6 departure card, front and back (if you have one)
3. Your previous 90-day receipt, if any
4. A completed and signed TM.47 form
5. A self-addressed envelope with a 10-baht stamp, so the office can return your receipt

The documents must be sent 15 days before the due date. Keep your registered-post receipt as proof of sending. Some offices are better at handling postal reports than others, so ask your local office first.

What happens if you are late or forget

• A late report must be made in person at an immigration office.
• The fine is 2,000 baht.
• If you are arrested (for example, picked up at a check) and found not to have reported, the fine is 5,000 baht.

These figures come from the Immigration Bureau's TM.47 manual. A missed 90-day report is a fine, not an overstay, but it creates a record and can make later dealings with immigration harder. It is easy to avoid with a calendar reminder.

90-day report vs TM30 vs annual extension

Retirees often mix these three up:

	90-day report (TM.47)	TM30	Annual retirement extension
What it is	Your own address notification	Notification by the property owner, landlord or host that a foreigner is staying there	Permission to stay for another year
Who files	You (or someone you authorise)	Usually the owner, landlord or hotel	You, in person
How often	Every 90 days of continuous stay	When you move in or come back after travel (rules vary by office)	Once a year
Extends your stay?	No	No	Yes

Many offices check that a TM30 has been filed before accepting a 90-day report or extension. See our TM30 guide.

Practical tips for Australians

• Diarise all three dates: your 90-day due date, the online window (15 to 7 days before), and your annual extension date.
• Keep every receipt. Staple each 90-day slip into your passport or keep a folder, and save the emailed approvals.
• Coming back from Australia? Your clock resets on re-entry, so your next report is due 90 days after you land. Don't rely on the old slip.
• Keep your address consistent. Most online rejections come from details that don't match what immigration has on file, such as an address written differently from your TM30.
• Smartraveller registration is separate. Telling the Australian Government where you are does not count as reporting to Thai immigration.

Summary

• If you stay more than 90 days in a row on a Non-O or Non-OA, you must file a TM.47 every 90 days.
• You can report online (15 to 7 days before the due date only), in person, through an authorised person, or by registered post (15 days ahead).
• Late reports must be made in person, with a 2,000 baht fine (5,000 baht if you are arrested).
• Leaving Thailand resets the count.

What we couldn't verify

• The rule that your first report must be in person is widely reported by expat sources but isn't stated in the official manual we checked.
• The in-person window of "15 days before to 7 days after" comes from local practice and expat sources, not a single official page.