Bangkok’s immigration chief recently vowed to fix the controversial TM30 Form in a way that makes reporting the whereabouts of foreign residents in Thailand an effortless task for landlords.
As it stands now, the TM30 Form regulation requires expats or their landlords to report to immigration every time they leave the province of their permanent address in Thailand for more than 24 hours.
The foreign residents are also required to report to immigration upon returning to the province where they reside as well.
Even short weekend holidays to a nearby province could result in hours of time wasted at immigration offices for expats.
The TM30 Form regulation dates back to a 1979 immigration law in Thailand.
Until recently, though, the law was rarely–if ever–enforced by immigration officials and police.
The recent and random enforcement of the outdated immigration law has stoked widespread outrage from Thailand’s thriving expat community who say it is far, far, far too burdensome on their lives.
Thailand lawyers handle K1 fiancee visas and K3 marriage visas for US expats living in Thailand hoping to bring their significant other to the States.
While defending the renewed TM 30 Form enforcement, Bangkok Immigration Chief Maj. Gen. Patipat Suban na Ayudhaya seemed to admit that the process and law might be outdated.
“Some of the rules may not be modern, but we are trying to be modern now. We will not always be million-year-old turtles,” Patipat said. “But in terms of the law, we have no power to change it. It’s not under our authority … if you want change, you have to change the law.”
And although Patipat offered no reason for the resurgence of re-enforcement of TM30 Form, he argued it was necessary to protect national security by keeping the “good guys in, [and the] bad guys out”.
Again, this argument didn’t make sense considering most bad actors entering Thailand and residing there illegally don’t tend to use the proper legal channels.
At any rate, the immigration chief promised to modernize the system for TM30 reporting so it’s convenient for everyone involved.
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