Thailand TM30: Landlord Filing and Proof Checklist

TM30 is Thailand’s accommodation-side notification that a foreign national has taken residence. It comes from Section 38 of the Immigration Act and is different from the foreign resident’s own 90-day TM47 report.

The resident may not be the person legally named to file, but has a practical interest in making sure the correct information is submitted and proof can be retrieved.

Who has the Section 38 duty

The law and Immigration Bureau guidance name:

• the house master;
• the owner;
• the possessor of the residence; or
• the hotel manager.

The notification is due within 24 hours after the foreign national takes residence.

Hotels and established serviced accommodation normally operate their own reporting process. In a private condo, house, sublet or informal arrangement, identify the responsible person before moving in. “The agent handles everything” is not a useful answer unless the owner or possessor can show who will file and provide the record.

The tenant-landlord handoff

Before check-in, agree on a simple workflow:

Person	Task
Foreign resident	Provide accurate passport, name, nationality, birth, contact and stay details promptly
Owner, house master, possessor or hotel manager	Submit through the permitted channel within the required period
Reporter	Search or verify the accepted record and export proof
Resident	Check the proof, store it with current immigration records and raise errors immediately

Put this in the rental checklist. A promise made after the 24-hour period is less useful than a named filer and process written into the handover.

What the official online system records

The Immigration Bureau’s TM30 guidance lists information including:

• address;
• check-in date;
• check-out date;
• passport number;
• first, middle and family name;
• nationality;
• gender;
• date of birth; and
• telephone number.

The live system controls which fields are currently mandatory. Enter information exactly from the passport and stay record; do not invent a value to get past validation.

The online workflow requires the reporter to register, add an accommodation address and supporting information, then notify the foreign resident. One account can manage more than one responsible address, and the system supports both individual notification and an Excel import route for multiple guests.

Proof is part of the task

The official system supports searching or verifying a notification and exporting its evidence. The resident should request the exported record promptly because system search windows and interfaces can change.

Check that the proof shows the correct:

• passport number and name;
• nationality;
• address;
• check-in or residence date; and
• reporter or accommodation context.

Save a PDF or clear image and keep a second copy outside the phone. If information is wrong, the reporter should use the current system or immigration-office correction route rather than editing the evidence file.

An email, agent message or screenshot of an unfinished form is not the same as accepted notification evidence.

Online, in person or another permitted channel

The public handbook describes the recognised procedure and supporting documents. The online system is convenient for eligible registered reporters, but it is not the only context in which Immigration may receive a notification.

If the online address remains pending or inactive, the reporter cannot simply assume the stay was notified. The official system distinguishes approved, inactive and deleted address records. Contact the responsible immigration office for the lawful alternative or correction.

Do not send passport files to a random “TM30 service” website. The official online host is under immigration.go.th, and sensitive identity documents should only be given to the responsible accommodation party or authorised official route.

Put TM30 into the rental decision

Before signing a Pattaya lease, ask:

1. Who is the owner or person legally responsible for the accommodation?
2. Who will submit TM30 and through which channel?
3. What passport and stay data do they need, and how will it be protected?
4. When will the resident receive exported proof?
5. Who corrects an error or updates the address record?
6. What happens after a new check-in, address change or travel?

If the owner refuses to identify a filing route, treat that as an administrative red flag. The Pattaya rental checklist covers contract, deposit, electricity and title questions alongside TM30.

Travel and re-notification

This is where internet advice becomes unreliable. “Every trip requires a new TM30” and “a TM30 is permanent until you move” are both too broad without the stay facts and current office interpretation.

Ask the immigration office responsible for the next task when:

• you move to a different address;
• a new landlord or possessor takes responsibility;
• you check into another long-term accommodation;
• you return from travel and resume the residence; or
• the office says the existing record does not match its system.

Record the office, date and response. If the instruction is to file again, have the responsible accommodation party do it promptly and obtain new proof.

Do not confuse TM30, TM47 and address change

Process	Core purpose	Typical responsible person
TM30 / Section 38	Notify that a foreign national has taken residence at accommodation	House master, owner, possessor or hotel manager
TM47 / 90-day report	Repeated address notification during a continuous stay over 90 days	Foreign national
Other address-change reporting	Notify a change under the applicable immigration rule and procedure	Depends on the rule and facts

One form does not erase the others. A TM30 record is not a visa extension, and a TM47 receipt is not proof that the accommodation-side Section 38 duty was completed.

Read the 90-day reporting guide and track its due date separately.

If the landlord will not cooperate

Do not falsify a reporter identity or upload documents you have no right to use. Instead:

1. preserve the lease, payment record and messages showing the request;
2. identify the owner, house master or possessor named in the accommodation records;
3. ask the responsible immigration office which evidence and remedy it accepts;
4. use a qualified Thai adviser if the tenancy or authority is disputed; and
5. reconsider a rental that cannot support ordinary immigration administration.

An agent may facilitate communication, but the tenant should still know who is legally responsible and receive official proof.

The completion test

The TM30 task is complete when:

• the correct accommodation-side person is identified;
• accurate foreign-resident and stay information was supplied;
• notification was made within the applicable period;
• the accepted record can be searched or verified;
• exported proof is stored and checked; and
• a change-of-stay or travel question has a current answer from the responsible office.

Add this handoff to the first 30 days in Pattaya checklist and calendar TM47 independently. The reliable system is not memorising form names; it is knowing who files, what event triggers the duty and which accepted evidence proves it happened.