Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing TM30. This kind of came to my attention, I thought of making this video after reading a recent article from the Pattaya Mail, that's pattayamail.com, and the thrust of this article was really not on TM30, it was kind of on other topics. So I urge those who are watching this video, go check out that article in detail, a lot of good insight in there. The article is titled: Pattaya Immigration Bureau sees return of pre-pandemic numbers. Quoting directly: "The re-introduction of charter flights from Russia to Rayong airport (U-tapao), has boosted numbers to Pattaya as well as new and expanded International routes to the main airports in Bangkok. Most new customers were seeking to register their local address, (form TM 30) or to apply for extensions of stay." So what are we talking about TM30? For those who are unaware, it's an address registration document. For folks that have lived in Thailand longer than about 5 or 6 years, merely the term TM30 can cause people to shudder because it caused some real consternation going back about 5 years ago when it was sort of dredged up from the depths of the Immigration Act of '79 and it was put into the foreground with respect to Immigration where you had to deal with it again. There was a long period of time, most of the time I was here in Thailand and in fact, unless I am remembering incorrectly, and I don't think I am, I never really had to deal with TM30 before I became Thai. Yeah I am sure I would have had to deal with it once or twice dealing with like an address reporting kind of thing in a basic way but there were a couple of years in there where between the TM30 and what was called the TM28 where every night you spent any other place, you might have to refile your TM30 and your TM28. All of that has basically fallen by the wayside and essentially what you are dealing with now with respect to the TM30 is essentially a one-off declaration of one's address, basically where one actually lives as opposed to some place somebody took a nap once and had to fill out forms because they were there longer than X number of hours. Again, that has fallen by the wayside. The sort of, I hesitate to say nightmare but I know for some folks it really was a nightmare dealing with TM30 there for a while. 

The kind of nightmare era of it is over but it is still there; it is a requirement. We deal with TM30 quite frequently when we are dealing with basic Visa extension applications and things so just because it is not what it was a few years ago, doesn't mean it's not still out there and yes it is still, I hesitate to call it an integral part of the Immigration process, but it is definitely a part of the Immigration process. You are going to run across it if you are dealing with Thai Immigration at some point.