How to File TM30 Online: A Guide for Condo Owners Renting to Foreigners

You've just rented out your Thonglor condo to a German expat for 18,000 baht a month. He's moved in, you've collected the deposit, and life is good. Then you remember: TM30. That form the immigration office needs. The one that's been sitting in a drawer at your local police station for three years because you kept forgetting to file it.

Here's the thing nobody tells you when you become a condo landlord in Bangkok: TM30 isn't optional. It's also not complicated anymore. Thailand's immigration office made it digital a few years back, and now you can file it online from your couch without hunting down a government office near Rama 9 MRT.

If you're renting out a condo unit in Sathorn, Ari, Rama 9, or anywhere else in Bangkok to a foreign tenant, this guide covers exactly what you need to do, step by step.

What is TM30 and Why Does It Actually Matter

TM30 is the TM form 30, officially called "Notification of residence of foreigner". In normal English, it's a notification that a foreigner is living at your address. Thai immigration requires landlords to report this within 24 hours of a tenant moving in.

Is it strictly enforced with daily fines if you miss the deadline? Not usually. Will immigration hunt you down? Also no. But here's why you should actually care: when your tenant needs to renew their visa, extend their stay, open a bank account, or apply for a work permit, they'll need proof they've notified immigration of their address. Without your TM30 filing, they're stuck.

Think of it like this. Your tenant is an Australian engineer renting a one bedroom in Ekkamai. In three months, they need to renew their ED visa for Thai language school. Immigration wants proof of residence. If you never filed TM30, your tenant can't prove they live where they live. They have to go find you, get documentation, sometimes pay for a new report. It becomes your tenant's headache, and probably yours too.

Filing TM30 Online: The Thai-ED Portal Method

The easiest way to file TM30 is through the Thai Immigration's online system called the Alien Working Group portal. This isn't some third-party platform. This is the actual government system, and it's surprisingly functional.

First, go to the website: www.immigration.go.th. You'll see a section for TM30 online filing. You need to register an account if you don't have one already. Have your passport number ready, your phone number, and an email address you check regularly.

Once you're registered, you log in and fill out the TM30 form digitally. You'll enter your information as the landlord, your tenant's information, your property address, the move-in date, and the lease terms. The form itself takes about five minutes if you have all your documents nearby.

Real example: a Bangkok condo owner in a 35-square-meter unit near BTS Phrom Phong rents to a Japanese expat starting January 15th. The owner logs in on January 14th, fills out the form with the tenant's passport details, the address, and the lease date. Hits submit. Done. By the next morning, immigration has processed it online.

What Information You'll Actually Need to Submit

Don't start this process without gathering these documents first. You'll need your passport number and your Thai ID number (or foreign resident card). You'll need your tenant's full name exactly as it appears in their passport, their passport number, their nationality, and their date of birth.

You'll also need the property address in Thai format. If you're not sure how to write it, ask your building's management office. For example, if you own a unit in a Silom building, the address might be something like "Condominium ABC, Soi 5, Silom Road, Si Lom Sub-district, Bang Rak District, Bangkok 10500". The postal code matters.

Have the lease start date handy. If there's no written lease (which happens more than you'd think in Bangkok's rental market), use the date your tenant physically moved in and you handed over keys. You'll also need the expected end date of the lease.

If you're filing on behalf of someone else as the property manager, you'll need authorization documentation. Most building management offices can handle TM30 for their residents, so ask first.

Why Some Landlords Still Go to the Immigration Office

The online system works most of the time. But some landlords still prefer walking into an actual immigration office. Why? Sometimes they want an immediate physical stamp for their records. Sometimes they've had documents rejected online and need a real person to explain why. Sometimes they just don't trust digital systems, and honestly, that's not unreasonable in Bangkok.

If you go in person, you'll need the same documents listed above, plus a copy of the lease (if you have one) and sometimes a copy of the tenant's passport. Most immigration offices near central Bangkok like the one on Soi 7 off Rama IV Road near the National Stadium BTS station handle TM30 forms daily. You can usually get it done in 30 minutes if you're organized.

The online filing is free. The in-person filing is also free. There's no reason to pay an agent to do this, even though some landlords do.

Common Mistakes Landlords Make (and How to Avoid Them)

The biggest mistake is filing TM30 too late. The form asks for the date the foreigner moved in. If you file 30 days after they arrive, the form will reflect that. Immigration usually doesn't penalize past filings, but it looks sloppy and sometimes raises questions.

The second mistake is not telling your tenant you're filing it. Your tenant might also try to file TM30 themselves (some immigration offices let tenants self-report), which creates duplicate filings. Coordinate with them. It takes five minutes to send a message saying "I'll handle the TM30 filing tomorrow, should be done by noon."

The third mistake is getting the address wrong. If your address is listed differently on your ID versus the condo building's official registration, that can cause issues. Double-check with the building management office or condo juristic person before submitting.

Using the wrong passport number or spelling the tenant's name wrong is fixable but annoying. Get their passport details correct the first time. Read them character by character out loud while someone else checks the passport. It sounds silly, but it works.

Once you've filed TM30 online, you'll get a confirmation number. Save this. Keep a screenshot or print it. Your tenant will probably want it for their records. Some employers and banks ask to see proof that TM30 was filed.

If you're renting multiple units in the same building, file TM30 for each tenant separately. If you have turnover and a new tenant moves into the same unit, file a new TM30 for the new person.

Filing TM30 online took maybe 15 minutes of your life. It solves huge problems for your tenant down the road and keeps you legally compliant. It's one of those small things that separates organized landlords from the ones who create headaches for everyone.

When you're ready to list that condo or manage your rental portfolio more smoothly, Superagent has tools that help you track these details and connect with quality tenants who actually need proper documentation. Check out superagent.co to see how Bangkok landlords are managing rentals more efficiently.