Thailand’s European Businessmen Wants End to TM30 24-Hour Reporting
Jan Eriksson, President of the EABC, said, “The immigration form TM30, or 24-hour reporting, requires property owners and lessors to report the movements of foreigners.
BANGKOK – The European Association for Business and Commerce (EABC) has called for an immediate end to the TM30 24hour reporting. It also wants a halt to the TM28 change-of-permanent-address immigration forms.
The EABC represents the interests of the European business community in the kingdom.
It submitted the request to Thai officials including; Kobsak Pootrakool, deputy secretary-general for political affairs to the prime minister; Gen Anupong Paojinda, the Minister of the Interior; and Pol Lt Gen Sompong Chingduang, the Immigration Bureau chief.
Jan Eriksson, President of the EABC, said, “The immigration form TM30, or 24-hour reporting, requires property owners and lessors to report the movements of foreigners.
Both Thai citizens and foreigners have found the situation difficult and unnecessary. The situation has caused some unfortunate negative views about Thailand. Both as an investment and a ‘doing-business’ location, and as a tourism destination. This is surely not good.”
A completed TM30 form is now a prerequisite to using normal visa services. “We commend the government for taking positive steps to make it easier to do business.
Currently, we feel that the TM30 is undoing those good achievements,” he told the Bangkok Post.
“It is hard to see how security which relies on self-disclosure can be a useful solution,” he added.
EABC RECOMMENDS REMOVING TM 30 COMPLETELY
EABC Recommendations about TM.30 are to remove it completely, the same applies to the related requirement, TM.28.
The TM.30 process has been in the news due to its inconvenience; questions about its value and usefulness; the questions it raises about commitment to ‘ease of doing business’ and the recent; almost inexplicable crackdown via an old law much of which has been dormant for decades.
The TM.30 form and process in effect requires landlords to report on the location and movement of foreigners who are their tenants.
Hotels have the same obligation but for foreign tourists staying in hotels, it is not noticed by those tourists as the hotel uses the TM.6 arrival card information from their foreign guests.
Section 38 of the Immigration Act (which is the basis of TM.30) has been around since 1979. It wasn’t enforced until since late March 2019. It is being enforced inconsistently with various local interpretations.
TM.28 (supported by s. 37 of the Immigration Act) is an often overlapping obligation on foreigners to report.