Guides · Rules and licensing
TM30 guest reporting for Phuket owners
TM30 is the notification the owner, landlord or person in charge of a property must file with Thai immigration when a foreign national comes to stay, within 24 hours of arrival. It applies to every foreign guest of a Phuket villa or condo, whatever the length of stay or booking platform. Filing is free and can be done online.
Read this first
General information, not legal advice.
Written by Pattama, Operational Director of Phuket Property Manager (Empire Estates Phuket Co., Ltd). Last updated 7 November 2026. Pattama files TM30 notifications for the properties we manage and deals with the immigration office in Thai. This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and their application depends on your property, your building and your personal situation: confirm anything that matters with a Thai lawyer or accountant before acting on it.
The rule
Who reports, when, and to whom.
TM30 comes from section 38 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979). It is separate from the Hotel Act: filing TM30 does not make a short stay legal, and a legal monthly let still needs TM30.
Who must file
The house master, owner or possessor of the place where the foreigner stays, or a hotel manager. For a rented villa or condo that means the owner, unless a manager or tenant has formally taken on the role.
When
Within 24 hours of the foreign guest’s arrival at the property. Many immigration offices also expect a new notification when a resident foreigner comes back from a trip abroad.
To whom
The immigration office responsible for the area, which for Phuket is Phuket Immigration, either in person or through the Immigration Bureau’s online system once the property is registered.
Not the guest, not the platform
Airbnb, Booking.com and agencies do not file TM30 for you, and the guest is not the person the law obliges. Some condo receptions collect passports and file for the building: ask, and keep proof.
Step by step
Filing TM30 for a Phuket property.
The first registration takes a visit and some paperwork. After that, each arrival takes a few minutes online.
- 1
Register the property and the reporting person
At Phuket Immigration, with the owner’s passport or Thai ID, the title deed or condominium title, the house registration book if there is one, the lease if you are not the owner, and a map and photographs of the property. Requirements vary: call ahead.
- 2
Open the online account
Once registered, use the Immigration Bureau’s online TM30 system or its mobile application to report arrivals without going back to the office.
- 3
Collect the guest’s details
Passport photo page, nationality, date of arrival in Thailand, visa type and the arrival date at your property. Ask for them before check in, not after.
- 4
File within 24 hours and keep the receipt
Submit the notification, save the acknowledgement, and keep it with the booking. The guest may need it for a visa extension or a 90-day report.
Fines and consequences
Small fines, inconvenient timing.
What the Act provides
For a house master or owner, a fine of up to two thousand baht per case; hotel managers face a higher maximum. Amounts actually imposed vary from office to office.
Where it really bites
Gaps surface later: a guest refused a visa extension until a TM30 is on file, or an owner asked about unreported stays during another immigration matter. It is cheapest to do on the day.
Records
Keep every acknowledgement, matched to bookings. If a question comes up a year later, the receipts answer it in minutes.
Common mistakes
What we see owners get wrong.
Assuming the platform files it
It does not. The duty sits with the person in charge of the property.
Reporting only long stays
Length of stay does not matter. A two-night guest and a six-month tenant are both reported.
Forgetting returning tenants
A long-term foreign tenant who travels abroad and comes back usually triggers a new notification.
Never registering the property
Without the first registration, online filing is not possible, and late filings pile up.
Straight answers
What owners ask us about TM30.
Do I need to file TM30 for Airbnb guests in Phuket?
Can my property manager file TM30 for me?
Do Thai guests need to be reported?
What happens if I file late?
Does filing TM30 make my short-term rental legal?
I live abroad. How do I register my property?
Sources
Where to check the rules yourself.
Immigration Act B.E. 2522, section 38 (notification of residence) and the penalty provisions; Immigration Bureau guidance and online TM30 service.
PattamaOperational Director · Phuket Property Manager
Reviewed . We update these pages when the practice on the ground changes, not on a schedule.
Talk to the person who would look after your property.
No call centre, no sales team. We keep the portfolio small on purpose.