TM30 Thailand: Complete Guide for ED Visa Students

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TM30 is Thailand’s address notification form that property owners must file within 24 hours when you move into any residence in Thailand. Without valid TM30 on file, Chaeng Watthana immigration will reject your ED visa application at your first appointment (no exceptions). Students need their passport, lease agreement, and landlord’s house registration book (tabien baan) to file, either in person at immigration or via the Section 38 app. At GEOS, we verify your TM30 status on day one when you start the ED visa application process because missing TM30 is one of the most common reasons applications get rejected at immigration. Our staff helps you file it correctly if your landlord refuses or doesn’t know how, and we confirm it’s registered in immigration’s system before scheduling your first appointment. We accompany you to Chaeng Watthana on the day to handle any issues that arise. This is why we’ve maintained a 100% visa approval rate for students who submit complete applications over 20+ years. We make sure TM30 is filed before you ever step foot at immigration. Here’s exactly what you need to know about TM30, based on what we handle daily at Chaeng Watthana.

What Is the TM30 Notification?

The TM30 is a notification form that Thai Immigration requires for all foreigners staying in Thailand. It tells Immigration your current address and where you reside.

Every non-Thai national must have a TM30 on file. Your landlord, hotel, or property owner has the legal responsibility to report your stay within 24 hours of your arrival. If you change accommodation or move to a different province, they must file a new TM30.

For ED visa students, the TM30 is critical when extending your visa. Immigration checks it at your 90-day extension appointment. No TM30 means no extension.

The fine for late filing is 800–2,000 THB for landlords who don’t comply. In practice, Thai Immigration rarely enforces this penalty for tenants in long-term accommodation. But if your TM30 notification is missing at your extension appointment, you’ll be asked to file it immediately before they process your application.

Do I Need TM30 Before My First ED Visa Appointment at Immigration?

Yes. Chaeng Watthana immigration requires valid TM30 on file before they’ll process your ED visa application at your first appointment. If your landlord hasn’t filed it, immigration will turn you away and you’ll need to reschedule.

This catches many new students off guard. You’ve gathered all your documents and are ready to apply, only to discover at the counter that your TM30 was never filed. Immigration won’t process your application without it, which means rescheduling your appointment and potentially delaying your visa by weeks.

At GEOS, we prevent this by verifying your TM30 status on day one when you start the ED visa application process. If your landlord hasn’t filed it (which happens more often than it should), our staff walks you through the self-filing process or accompanies you to Chaeng Watthana to file it in person. We verify it’s registered in the system before we schedule your first immigration appointment. We’ve never had a student turned away at their first appointment for missing TM30.

What Happens If My Landlord Won't File TM30 Before My Immigration Appointment?

You can file it yourself at Chaeng Watthana or online via the Section 38 app. At GEOS, our staff helps you file it if your landlord refuses, because we verify TM30 status before scheduling your first appointment.

Many Bangkok landlords don’t know how to file TM30, or they simply refuse because they’ve never been asked before. If your immigration appointment is coming up and your landlord won’t file, you have two options:

File in person at Chaeng Watthana: Bring your passport, lease agreement, and landlord’s house registration book (tabien baan). Immigration will file it on the spot. The process takes about 30 minutes if you arrive early in the morning. Chaeng Watthana opens at 8:30 AM, and the TM30 counter is on the ground floor near the main entrance.

File online via Section 38 app: Works about 60% of the time based on our students’ experiences. The app often crashes during peak hours (typically 9 AM to 11 AM and 1 PM to 3 PM). If you’re filing online, try early morning or after 4 PM for better success rates.

When GEOS students face uncooperative landlords, our staff either walks them through the online process or schedules a filing visit to Chaeng Watthana before their first visa appointment. We don’t leave this to chance. If TM30 isn’t verified, we postpone your immigration appointment until it’s sorted. Better to delay by a few days than get turned away at the counter.

How Do I Know If My TM30 Is Filed Correctly Before My First Appointment?

Check the Section 38 app or request a TM30 receipt printout at immigration. At GEOS, we verify your TM30 status with immigration’s system when we accompany students to their first appointment.

Filing TM30 is one thing. Confirming it’s actually in immigration’s system is another. The Section 38 app sometimes shows “filed successfully” but the record doesn’t sync with Chaeng Watthana’s database. When you arrive for your ED visa appointment, immigration checks their internal system, not what the app displays.

Here’s how to verify:

Section 38 app: Log in and check your filing history. If you see a confirmation number and date, screenshot it. Keep this screenshot on your phone. Immigration may ask to see it at your appointment.

In person at Chaeng Watthana: Visit the TM30 counter and request a receipt printout. This is the only 100% reliable confirmation. The printout shows your name, passport number, current address, and filing date. Bring this receipt to your ED visa appointment.

At GEOS, we verify TM30 status when we accompany students to their first appointment. If there’s a discrepancy between what the app shows and what’s on file, we catch it before you’re standing at the counter. This verification step is part of our 100% visa approval rate. We make sure everything’s correct before submission, not after rejection.

What Documents Do I Need to File TM30 Myself Before My First Immigration Appointment?

You need your passport, lease agreement (or hotel confirmation), and your landlord’s house registration book (tabien baan). If filing in person at Chaeng Watthana, bring photocopies of all three.

If your landlord won’t file TM30 and your first ED visa appointment is approaching, here’s what you need to self-file:

Required documents:

  • Passport (data page plus current visa stamp)
  • Lease agreement showing your address and rental period
  • Landlord’s tabien baan (blue house registration book)
  • TM30 form (available at immigration or download from the Thai Immigration Bureau website)

Photocopies needed:

  • Passport data page (1 copy)
  • Current visa stamp page (1 copy)
  • Lease agreement first page showing both your name and landlord’s name (1 copy)
  • Landlord’s tabien baan (1 copy)

If your landlord won’t give you their tabien baan: This is common. Some landlords refuse because they’re worried about tax implications or they simply don’t understand the process. At GEOS, when students face this situation, our staff contacts the landlord directly to explain that TM30 is a legal requirement under the Immigration Act and that providing the tabien baan for filing doesn’t create tax obligations. About 80% of landlords cooperate once they understand this.

For the 20% who still refuse, we help students find alternative accommodation that’s immigration-compliant. We maintain relationships with several apartment buildings near our school that understand ED visa requirements and file TM30 properly.

Timeline: File TM30 at least 3 to 5 business days before your first immigration appointment. Don’t cut it close. If there’s an error in the filing, you’ll need time to correct it before your appointment.

Can I File TM30 Online or Do I Need to Go to Immigration?

Bangkok residents can use the Section 38 app, but it crashes frequently. Immigration office filing is more reliable if your appointment is within 2 weeks.

The Section 38 app is Thailand’s official TM30 online filing system. When it works, it saves you a trip to Chaeng Watthana. When it doesn’t work, you’ve wasted time that could have been spent filing in person.

Section 38 app experience (based on GEOS student feedback):

  • Success rate: About 60%
  • Most common issue: App crashes during document upload
  • Second most common issue: “System maintenance” error messages
  • Best time to use: Early morning (6 AM to 8 AM) or late afternoon (after 4 PM)
  • Worst time to use: Peak hours (9 AM to 11 AM, 1 PM to 3 PM)

When to file online:

  • Your appointment is more than 2 weeks away (you have time to retry if it fails)
  • You’ve successfully used the app before
  • Your landlord has given you digital copies of their tabien baan

When to file in person:

  • Your appointment is within 2 weeks
  • You’ve never used the app before
  • The app has failed you twice already
  • You want 100% confirmation with a printed receipt

At GEOS, we recommend in-person filing for first-time ED visa applicants. The printed receipt from immigration is solid proof that your TM30 is on file. The app’s digital confirmation doesn’t always sync properly with Chaeng Watthana’s database.

Will Immigration Reject My Visa Extension If I Don't Have TM30?

Yes. Chaeng Watthana immigration requires valid TM30 on file before processing any visa extension. This includes your first ED visa extension at 90 days.

TM30 isn’t just for your initial ED visa application. You’ll need it for every interaction with immigration:

When TM30 is checked:

  • First ED visa appointment (initial application)
  • 90-day extension application
  • 90-day address reporting
  • Re-entry permit application
  • Visa type changes (tourist to ED, ED to other visa types)

Immigration won’t process any of these without TM30 on file. If you’ve moved apartments since your last immigration visit, your landlord must file a new TM30 within 24 hours of you moving in. Old TM30 filings from previous addresses don’t count.

At GEOS, we remind students about TM30 requirements before every immigration appointment. If you’ve moved, we verify your new TM30 filing before scheduling your 90-day extension. This prevents last-minute scrambling the day before your appointment.

What If I Moved Apartments? Do I Need to File TM30 Again?

Yes, every time you change addresses in Thailand. Your new landlord must file TM30 within 24 hours of you moving in, and you’ll need the new filing confirmed before your next immigration appointment.

Address changes reset your TM30 requirement. Immigration’s system tracks your current registered address. If your passport shows one address but TM30 shows another (or shows nothing), they’ll reject your application.

What counts as an address change:

  • Moving to a new apartment or condo
  • Moving to a different room in the same building (if room numbers are registered separately)
  • Staying at a friend’s place for more than 24 hours
  • Returning from international travel (even to the same address)

What doesn’t count as an address change:

  • Staying at a hotel for less than 24 hours
  • Day trips outside Bangkok
  • Visiting friends but returning to your registered address the same day

When GEOS students move apartments, we send them a TM30 checklist and verify the new filing before their next 90-day report. We also remind students returning from international travel that their landlord must refile TM30 within 24 hours of their return, even though they’re returning to the same address.

This is one of Thailand’s more confusing immigration rules. The law states that every entry into Thailand (including returns from abroad) requires a new TM30 filing. In practice, Chaeng Watthana immigration enforces this inconsistently. Some officers check it strictly, others don’t. At GEOS, we assume strict enforcement and make sure it’s filed. Better safe than rejected.

What's the Penalty If My Landlord Doesn't File TM30?

The landlord faces a fine of up to 2,000 baht. You won’t be fined, but immigration will reject your visa application until TM30 is filed.

Thailand’s Immigration Act places TM30 responsibility on property owners, not tenants. The law is clear: landlords must file within 24 hours of a tenant moving in. The penalty for non-compliance is a fine between 800 and 2,000 baht.

In reality:

  • Immigration rarely fines landlords for late filing
  • Immigration will accept late TM30 filings without penalty in most cases
  • But immigration will absolutely reject your visa application if TM30 isn’t filed at all

The practical consequence isn’t a fine. It’s your visa getting rejected and your appointment getting rescheduled. If you’re on a 30-day tourist visa and trying to convert to an ED visa, a rescheduled appointment could mean overstaying your current visa. That creates a much bigger problem than a 2,000 baht fine.

At GEOS, we don’t rely on landlords understanding their legal obligations. We verify TM30 is filed regardless of who’s technically responsible. If your landlord refuses or doesn’t know how, we help you file it yourself. The goal is getting your visa approved, not debating who’s legally responsible for the paperwork.

FAQs

TM30 is Thailand’s address notification system that tracks where foreigners are staying. Immigration uses it to verify your current residence when processing visa applications and extensions. Without it filed, they won’t process your application.

You won’t be fined, but immigration will reject your visa application until TM30 is filed. This can delay your visa by weeks if you’re close to your deadline. At GEOS, we verify TM30 on day one of your application process to prevent this.

We verify your TM30 status when you start the ED visa application process. If your landlord hasn’t filed it, our staff helps you file it yourself or accompanies you to Chaeng Watthana to file in person. We confirm it’s registered before scheduling your first immigration appointment.

About 30 minutes if you arrive early (before 9 AM). The TM30 counter is on the ground floor near the main entrance. Bring your passport, lease agreement, landlord’s tabien baan, and photocopies of all three documents.

You need your passport, current visa stamp, lease agreement, and your landlord’s house registration book (tabien baan). Bring photocopies of everything. Immigration will stamp the copies and return your originals immediately.

Both methods work. The Section 38 app is convenient if you have digital copies of your documents. In-person filing at Chaeng Watthana gives you a printed receipt immediately. At GEOS, we help students with either method and verify the filing is registered before scheduling your immigration appointment.

Yes. Every time you change addresses in Thailand, your new landlord must file TM30 within 24 hours. Immigration’s system tracks your current registered address. If your visa extension application shows one address but TM30 shows another, they’ll reject it.

Yes. Chaeng Watthana requires valid TM30 on file before processing any visa application or extension. This isn’t optional. At GEOS, we’ve maintained a 100% visa approval rate by verifying TM30 before every student’s appointment.

Get Your ED Visa Approved on the First Try

At GEOS Language Centre, we’ve maintained a 100% ED visa approval rate for students who submit complete applications over 20+ years. We don’t just explain the visa process. We verify every requirement before your first immigration appointment, help you file documents correctly, and accompany you to Chaeng Watthana to handle any issues that arise.

Our staff checks your TM30 status on day one of the application process. If your landlord hasn’t filed it, we help you file it yourself. We confirm it’s registered in immigration’s system before we schedule your appointment. This is why our students don’t get turned away for missing paperwork.

Ready to start your Thai language studies with full visa support? Contact GEOS today. We’ll walk you through the entire ED visa process, from TM30 filing to your first day of class.

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