TM30 Address Notification in Thailand Explained

TM30 is the notice that tells Thai immigration where a foreigner is staying. The legal duty normally falls on the landlord, property owner, head of the household or hotel, not on you. It must be filed within 24 hours of you taking up residence. It matters to retirees because immigration offices commonly ask for the TM30 receipt when you file a 90-day report or apply for a retirement or marriage extension.

This is general information, not legal advice. TM30 practice varies a lot between immigration offices. Ask your local office what it expects.

What the law says

TM30 comes from Section 38 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979). In the official English translation:

• The householder, owner or possessor of a dwelling, or a hotel manager who takes in a foreigner with permission to stay temporarily must notify immigration within twenty-four hours of the foreigner taking residence.
• The notice goes to the immigration office for the area. If there's no immigration office, it goes to the local police station. In Bangkok it goes to the Immigration Division.

The official TM30 form repeats the 24-hour rule and these filing locations.

"Temporary stay" covers retirement, Non-OA, marriage and LTR visas, and visa-exempt entry. Permanent residents are outside the rule.

Who files it

In most cases a retiree's TM30 is filed by:

• your landlord or owner if you rent,
• the hotel, guesthouse or serviced apartment if you stay in one (they usually do it automatically),
• your Thai spouse or a family member as head of the household, if you live in their house,
• you, in some cases, if you're the "house master" yourself, for example where you own a condo. Legal commentators note that the definition of house master can include tenants, so practice varies.

The penalty

Section 77 of the Act says failing to comply with Section 38 is punishable by a fine not exceeding 2,000 baht, or 2,000 to 10,000 baht for a hotel manager. The fine falls on the person who had to file, usually the landlord, not the foreign guest.

Many offices are reported to fine less than the maximum. We couldn't confirm a standard amount from an official source.

When a new TM30 is needed

The 24-hour rule applies when you take up residence. In practice, offices differ on when a fresh notice is needed:

• Moving to a new address: yes, a new TM30 is needed.
• Coming back from overseas travel (for example, a trip home to Australia): many offices expect a new TM30 when you return to the same address. Some don't. Ask yours.
• Travelling within Thailand: hotels file for you. Whether your home address needs a new notice when you come back varies by office.

How it's filed

The official routes are set by the Immigration Bureau's regulations. The ways expats and landlords commonly report using:

• In person at the local immigration office (or police station where there's no office), using the TM30 form
• Online through the Immigration Bureau's system or app, once the house owner has registered an account
• By post or through an authorised person, at some offices

Documents typically asked for include the owner's ID card or passport, the house registration (tabien baan) or title, the lease, and a copy of the foreigner's passport pages (photo, visa or extension, latest entry). The receipt slip (the lower part of the form) is returned to the filer. Ask for a copy for yourself.

Why it matters for your visa paperwork

The Immigration Bureau's document checklists for extensions ask for a copy of the Section 38 (TM30) notification. For example, the checklist for extensions with a Thai spouse lists it alongside the 90-day report slip. In practice:

• 90-day reports: some offices check your TM30 before accepting the report, and online 90-day reports can be rejected if your address doesn't match. See our 90-day reporting guide.
• Retirement extension: commonly asked for at the annual application. See our retirement extension guide.
• Bank accounts and driving licences: address proof matters, and a TM30 receipt is sometimes accepted alongside other documents.

Practical tips

1. Put TM30 in your lease. Add a clause saying the landlord will file it within 24 hours of move-in and after each return from overseas, and will give you a copy. See our renting guide.
2. Keep the receipt with your passport and visa papers.
3. Use the same address format everywhere: TM30, 90-day report, bank and extension.
4. If your landlord won't file, offer to go with them or do the paperwork for them. You still need their ID and property documents.
5. After each trip home, ask your local office whether a new TM30 is needed.

Summary

• TM30 is a Section 38 notice of where a foreigner is staying.
• It's usually the landlord's, owner's or hotel's job, within 24 hours.
• The maximum fine is 2,000 baht (2,000 to 10,000 baht for hotels), paid by the person who had to file.
• You need the receipt for 90-day reports and extensions at many offices.

What we couldn't verify

• How it's filed: the current official procedure for online and postal TM30 isn't set out in English on the pages we checked.
• Fines in practice: the amounts often reported (below the 2,000-baht maximum) are expat-reported.
• When it's needed: whether a new TM30 is required after overseas or domestic travel differs between offices.