All long-stay Thai visas have a 90-day reporting requirement.
This means that once you have entered Thailand and had your visa stamped, you will be required to report to an immigration office and produce some paperwork within 90 days of your stay.
In this FAQ, I'll run through exactly why you need to do this, how you can do it, and what documents you will need.
Promthep Cape, Phuket, Thailand, by Sumit Chinchane.
What is a 90-Day Report?
This requirement is officially known as a “Notification of staying in the Kingdom over 90 days.”
Whether you are holding a business visa, education visa, O-A, O-X, or Elite visa, if your stay is going to extend beyond 90 days, then you must complete the report.
What is the Point of 90-Day Reporting?
The requirement is centered around reporting your address, and essentially a way to keep tabs on the whereabouts of foreign nationals inside Thailand.
There are foreign criminal networks operating inside Thailand, and immigration has previously noted that this system helps make it more difficult for such people to fly under the radar.
However, some would argue that this requirement is outdated and that modern technology is able to adequately track foreign nationals throughout the kingdom.
Some speculate that the additional revenue created by the reporting requirement is the driving force behind keeping the system in place.
How Often Do I Have to Report?
Unfortunately, you will need to get used to doing this. It isn't just the first 90 days of your stay that you have to do a report, but every 90 days.
For example: over the course of the year, you would need to do a report at days 90, 180, and 270 of your stay.
What If I Leave the Country Before 90 Days?
If you have a multiple entry visa, then you can leave the country before your 90-day reporting requirement and travel to a neighboring country or elsewhere in the world.
You can then re-enter Thailand and have your length of stay reset to zero. At this point, your next reporting requirement would be due 90 days after you re-enter the country.
If your visa is not multiple entry, then you can obtain a re-entry permit before you leave, which ensures that your visa is kept valid in your absence.
Can I Report Before the 90 Days is Up?
Yes, by law you can report up to 15 days before your due date and up to 7 days after without any fine.
How Much is the Fine for Reporting Late?
The fine for neglecting to notify immigration of a stay over 90 days is 2,000 Baht.
If you are arrested for any reason and found to be in breach of your reporting duty, the fine goes up to 5,000 Baht. At this point, you will be fined 200 Baht a day for each day that you fail to report thereafter.
How do I Submit a 90-Day Report?
There are 3 main methods of completing the 90-day report:
- In person at a local Immigration Office
- Online
- By registered mail
In Person
The majority of expats choose to report in person because it's fairly easy to do.
It can be a hassle because immigration offices in cities like Bangkok and Chiang Mai can get busy and wait times can be long.
Conversely, if you live in a rural area, you may find that a visit to your local immigration office is fairly uneventful and quite pleasant. You probably won't have to queue for long and you might well be in and out within an hour.
Either way, the best thing to do is to plan your reporting day in advance. Get an early night and get up early. Get to immigration as they open and you'll be at the front of the queue. As long as you have all of your documents prepared, you'll be home in time for lunch.
When reporting in person you will need the following:
- Passport
- Notification form (TM47) – address reporting form
- Copy of passport info page (with photo, name, passport number, etc.)
- Copy of current visa
- Copy of latest entry stamp
- Copy of latest visa extension
- Copy of departure card (TM6) – should be in your passport
- Copy of previous 90-day slip (if you have one)
Reporting Online
Previously the online system was a nightmare. It seldom worked and was compatible only with Internet Explorer browser, which belongs in the last century.
But alas, we have a new system. You can use this system up to 15 days before your report is due. The result of the report will take 3 days to be returned.
The report option is available under the Online Services section of the Immigration Bureau website. You will need to select TM47, which is the name of the form used for 90-day reporting. You then submit your details to your local immigration office – selectable from a list.
Before you submit a report, you must register here: https://tm47.immigration.go.th/tm47/#/register/add
Your information must be submitted in English. You'll receive a password to your email address, enabling you to login to the system.
Please note that you can't use the online system for your first report, or for your first report after being issued a new passport.
If you fall into one of these two categories you will need to do your report at an immigration office.
By Registered Mail
Reporting by mail is slightly different than reporting person. You will need to send your documents in at least 15 days before your reporting due date. You might want to do it 20 days beforehand, just to make sure everything is in good order.
You will be required to mail in signed photocopies of the following documents:
- Passport info page (with photo, name, passport number, etc.)
- Current visa
- Latest entry stamp
- Latest visa extension
- Departure card (TM6)
- Previous 90-day slip (if you have it)
- Completed notification form (TM47) – address reporting form
These need to be submitted together with a stamp (10 Baht) addressed envelope with your home address written on the back. The envelope is required for immigration to send back the bottom section of your TM47, which will tell you when your next reporting date is.
Is There a Way to Avoid 90-Day Reporting?
It is possible to avoid the reporting requirements, if you leave the country before your notification date.
If you plan a trip to a neighboring country such as Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, or Vietnam, then you can enjoy a bit of traveling and receive a further 90-day stay when you return.
There is no other way to avoid reporting. However, if you have an Elite Visa, one of the benefits is that you get help with your reporting. You are able to give your passport to one of the company representatives and they will assist you with the process.
In Summary
90-day reporting in Thailand is somewhat of a pain, but if you prepare properly then it should be fairly straightforward.
One piece of advice I'd like to add is to be aware of public holidays. Of course these dates change from year to year, so you'd do well to have a calendar handy to schedule your reporting around these dates.
There are currently 19 public holidays each year and immigration offices always close on these days. It could be the case that an office is closed to out of the five days in a given working week.
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