Thailand TM30 Reporting Guide for Foreigners and Landlords

If you live in Thailand as a foreigner, or rent property to foreign nationals, TM30 reporting is a compliance obligation you cannot afford to overlook. Under Section 38 of Thailand’s Immigration Act, the owner or manager of any property must formally notify the Immigration Bureau each time a foreign national arrives to stay at that address. The rule applies to private landlords, serviced-apartment operators, and homeowners alike — and with Thailand’s immigration enforcement intensifying throughout 2026, keeping TM30 records clean matters more than ever.

What TM30 is and who must file it

TM30 is short for the official “Notification of the House Master, Owner, or the Possessor of the Residence Where Aliens Have Stayed.” It is a formal report to the Thai Immigration Bureau that a foreign national is residing at a specific address.

The legal obligation belongs to the property owner or house master — the landlord, the registered occupier, or whoever controls the premises — not the foreign tenant. This covers:

• Private landlords renting apartments, condos, or houses to foreigners
• Homeowners who have foreign family members or guests staying with them
• Property managers acting on behalf of owners
• Service apartment and hotel operators (who typically handle this through their booking systems)

The foreigner cannot file TM30 on their own behalf. If you are a foreigner renting property, your landlord must do it. If you own your own condominium in Thailand, you are both the owner and the foreign resident, so the obligation falls on you to report your own arrival.

When a new TM30 is required

This is where long-stay expats most often make mistakes. TM30 is not a one-off registration completed when you first move in — it must be re-filed in specific situations:

• First arrival at an address: whenever a foreigner moves into a property, a TM30 must be filed at that address
• Every return from abroad: each time a foreigner leaves Thailand and returns — even to the same address they have lived at for years — a new TM30 is required within 24 hours of re-arrival
• Change of address: if a foreigner moves to a different property, a TM30 must be filed at the new address

The deadline is 24 hours from the moment the foreigner arrives at the property. There is no grace period. This means that after every trip abroad — including a weekend visit to a neighbouring country — the landlord must file a fresh TM30 within one day of the tenant’s return.

Many long-stay residents and their landlords are simply unaware of the re-filing requirement after each return from abroad, treating TM30 as a settled, one-time matter. In practice it is an ongoing compliance cycle tied to each entry into Thailand.

How to file: online and in person

Online (recommended): Thailand’s Immigration Bureau provides an online TM30 portal at tm30.immigration.go.th, where registered property owners can submit notifications in a few minutes. The Section 38 mobile app (available for iOS and Android) offers the same functionality. Initial registration of your property on the portal requires some setup paperwork, but once registered, subsequent filings are fast and can be done from anywhere.

In person at an immigration office: landlords who have not registered online can visit their local immigration office to file the TM30 form manually. Documents typically required include:

• The landlord’s Thai national ID card or passport
• A copy of the house registration book (tabien baan)
• A copy of the foreigner’s passport: photo page, current visa or stamp, and most recent entry stamp
• A signed copy of the rental agreement

In-person filing is fine for initial setup or occasional use, but for tenants who travel regularly, online registration is far more practical given the 24-hour deadline triggered by every return from abroad.

Consequences of non-compliance

Missing or late TM30 filings carry real penalties for both sides.

For landlords: fines under Thailand’s Immigration Act can reach up to 10,000 baht per foreign guest, depending on the length of delay and the circumstances. The actual amount applied varies by immigration office and officer discretion, but the legal exposure is significant.

For foreigners: while you are not the person legally required to file, you feel the consequences if it has not been done. Immigration officers reviewing a visa extension application or a 90-day report (TM47) may ask for TM30 evidence, and gaps in the record can delay or complicate your application. In 2026, Thailand’s immigration authorities have been running active enforcement operations — having clean, complete paperwork at every interaction with immigration is more important than in previous years.

What foreigners should do

Even though TM30 is your landlord’s legal responsibility, take a proactive role in making sure it happens:

• When moving in: confirm with your landlord on day one that they have filed TM30 and ask for a copy of the receipt or confirmation number
• After returning from any trip abroad: send your landlord a message within 24 hours reminding them to file; keep that message on record
• For visa renewals and 90-day reports: bring your most recent TM30 receipt to immigration appointments — some officers request it; having it on hand avoids delays
• If your landlord is unresponsive: document your requests in writing; this shows you made the effort, which can matter if questions arise later

Always confirm the current rules with your local immigration office before any important application — procedures and enforcement priorities shift, and what applies at one office may vary slightly at another.

How Gateway Siam helps

TM30 is one thread in a broader web of compliance requirements for foreigners living in Thailand, alongside visa extensions, 90-day reporting, and re-entry permits. At Gateway Siam, we help UK and Chinese nationals stay on top of every compliance step so nothing slips between appointments. If you are uncertain about your current TM30 status, need help coordinating with a landlord, or want to understand how TM30 fits into your overall immigration compliance, contact us for a straightforward consultation.