90-Day Reporting (TM.47): Is the 2,000 Baht Fine Real?

Foreigners permitted to temporarily reside in the Kingdom have a duty to report their residence to the Immigration Bureau every 90 days in accordance with Section 37(5) of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979), using form TM.47. This report is free of charge and can be reported from 15 days before the due date until 7 days after the due date without penalty.

If that timeframe is exceeded — whether in cases of "no report at all" or "late report" — the Immigration Bureau states that the foreigner must report in person and will be subject to a fine of 2,000 Baht. However, if arrested for any reason, the fine will be 5,000 Baht and an additional fine of not exceeding 200 Baht per day until compliance.

Information as of August 23, 2569

Who is responsible for the 90-day report

According to Section 37(5), this duty belongs to the foreigner themselves, not the employer or house owner. However, in practice, employers often have to remind and accompany them, because if an employee fails to report, issues often arise during other registration processes at Immigration, such as VISA extension, VISA transfer, or changing employers.

A point to understand from the outset: The 90-day report is not an application for extension of stay in the Kingdom. The Immigration Bureau itself emphasizes this on its service page. Even if the VISA has not expired, the residence must still be reported every 90 days. And if you travel out of the country and re-enter, the 90-day count restarts from the date of the last entry. The previous appointment slip is considered void.

When can it be reported?

The Immigration Bureau has clearly defined the timeframe: reports can be made 15 days before the due date or not more than 7 days after the due date, counting from the due date specified on the acknowledgment slip.

Period	Status
15 days before the due date until the due date	Can be reported normally, no penalty
1–7 days after the due date	Can still be reported normally, no penalty
More than 7 days after the due date	Must report in person for fine assessment

The "after 7 days" window is the most misunderstood point. Many, having passed the appointment by 1–2 days, assume they will be fined and thus let it lapse for a long time, leading to actual overdue status, even though reporting within 7 days would still be timely and free of charge. For registered mail, it is different. It must be sent 15 days in advance of the due date (not "within 15 days") and proof of registration must be kept.

How much is the fine for overdue reports?

There are two sets of fine amounts for the 90-day report, differentiated by "reporting in person or being arrested."

Case	Fine
No report at all, or late report, and the foreigner reports in person	Fine of 2,000 Baht
Arrested for any reason	5,000 Baht and an additional fine of not exceeding 200 Baht per day until compliance

How do these two sets of figures relate to the legal text — Section 76 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979) is the maximum penalty, stating that foreigners who fail to comply with Section 37(5) shall be liable to a fine not exceeding 5,000 Baht and an additional fine not exceeding 200 Baht per day until compliance. As for 2,000 Baht, it is the rate used by officials for fine assessment, which is below that maximum, for those who report themselves.

"Fine assessment" is a procedure in lieu of criminal prosecution. It relies on the authority granted by Section 84 which allows the fine assessment committee to set criteria for assessment and assign authorized officers to act on their behalf. Once the assessed fine is paid, the case is considered closed in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Code.

The difference between 2,000 and 5,000 Baht is solely "reporting in person" versus "being arrested." Therefore, employees should be taken to report immediately upon realizing they are overdue. And in overdue cases, the foreigner must go in person; they cannot assign someone else or send by mail.

Note: The 2,000 Baht rate is specified by the Immigration Bureau on its own service page (updated August 14, 2569). We therefore cite it as information from the agency, not as a specific announcement number.

How can the 90-day report be made?

The general service page of the Immigration Bureau specifies 4 channels:

• Foreigner reports in person at the Immigration Office in their residential area.
• Assign another person to submit the report on their behalf — This is permissible under Section 37, last paragraph, and requires a power of attorney (except in overdue cases, where the foreigner must go in person).
• Send by registered mail 15 days in advance of the due date, by attaching a self-addressed stamped envelope as specified by the local Immigration Office.
• Report via the online system of the Immigration Bureau (New Application (TM.47) menu). Reports can be made 15 days in advance, and results are sent back via email.

Caution for migrant workers of Myanmar, Lao, and Cambodian nationalities: The specific service page for this group of workers specifies only 3 channels: in person, assigned person, and registered mail. It does not specify an online channel. While the newer general service page offers 4 channels including online, and there is no explicit statement prohibiting workers from using the online system. Therefore, each area may accept reports differently. You should call the local Immigration Office before taking your employee there.

Required Documents

For migrant workers reporting in person, the service page for the 3 nationalities specifies the following documents:

• Valid passport (original)
• TM.47 form fully completed and signed, along with the previous 90-day overstay acknowledgment slip (original, if previously reported)
• Valid work permit (original)

If assigning another person to report on their behalf, add a power of attorney with a 5 Baht stamp duty specifying the name of that foreigner, along with a certified copy of the authorized person's ID card. The Migrant Worker Service Center, Immigration Division 1, requests cooperation for no more than 5 persons per day per authorized representative. As for general foreigners who are not migrant workers of the 3 nationalities, the general service page also specifies the TM.6 departure card as a supporting document.

New Passport = Cannot Report Online

This issue is very common with workers who have just obtained a new passport. The Immigration Bureau explicitly states that in cases of a new passport, the 90-day report cannot be made via the online system. It must be reported to an immigration officer in the residential area, either in person or by assigning another person to report on their behalf. After that, for the next round, it can be reported online as usual.

The problem is that many try to report online and it fails, assuming the system is down, so they keep waiting until it's actually overdue and becomes a fine assessment issue. If an employee has just changed passports, schedule them to go to Immigration for this round. As for the specific documents for the round involving a new passport, the Immigration Bureau's service page does not specify them, so you should call the local Immigration Office first. And don't forget about transferring the VISA stamp from the old passport to the new one, which is a separate procedure.

Not the same as TM.30 — Keep them separate

These two matters are often collectively referred to as "reporting residence," leading many to complete one and assume it's sufficient, even though they are different sections of the law, involve different responsible parties, and carry different penalties.

	90-day Report (TM.47)	Report of Foreigner's Residence (TM.30)
Section	Section 37(5)	Section 38
Who is responsible	The foreigner themselves	House owner, landlord, possessor of premises, or hotel manager who accommodates foreigners
When	Every 90 days (report 15 days before / not more than 7 days after)	Within 24 hours from the foreigner's arrival at the residence
Form	TM.47	TM.30
Penalty	Section 76: Fine not exceeding 5,000 Baht and not exceeding 200 Baht per day (fine assessment rate for reporting in person: 2,000 Baht)	Section 77: Fine not exceeding 2,000 Baht · If a hotel manager, fine 2,000–10,000 Baht
Does completing one negate the other?	No — These are separate legal duties; both must be completed.

Beware of the 2,000 Baht figure appearing on both sides but with different meanings. On the 90-day side, 2,000 Baht is the fine assessment rate used by officials for foreigners who report themselves (the maximum under Section 76 is 5,000 Baht). As for the TM.30 side, 2,000 Baht is the maximum penalty fine according to the text of Section 77, applied to house owners. Different people, different sections.

Employers who provide accommodation for their employees fall under the category of possessors of premises according to Section 38 as well, and therefore have an additional duty to report TM.30 themselves, in addition to the employee's 90-day report. Read details from the house owner's perspective at Reporting Foreigner's Residence TM.30 within 24 Hours and from the employer's perspective with worker housing at Reporting Migrant Worker Housing under Section 38

Checklist for Employers Managing Multiple Employees

• Create a schedule of everyone's due dates from the latest acknowledgment slip, then set a reminder 15 days in advance.
• For anyone who has just re-entered the country, update the new due date, counting from the last entry date.
• For anyone who has just changed to a new passport, schedule a visit to Immigration because online reporting cannot be used for that round.
• For anyone overdue by more than 7 days, take them in person — assigning someone else or sending by mail is not allowed.
• Check if the worker housing has completed TM.30 reporting and simultaneously check the work permit expiration date, as the original must be used when reporting.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the fine for not reporting the 90-day stay?

If the foreigner reports in person, the Immigration Bureau states that they will be subject to a fine of 2,000 Baht, covering both cases of no report at all and late reports. However, if arrested for any reason, the fine will be 5,000 Baht and an additional fine of not exceeding 200 Baht per day until compliance. All of this is under the maximum penalty of Section 76 of the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979) and constitutes a fine assessment in lieu of prosecution under Section 84. Once the fine is paid, the case is considered closed.

If the 90-day report is 3 days overdue, is there a fine?

No. The Immigration Bureau allows reporting 15 days before the due date or not more than 7 days after the due date. Therefore, reporting on the 3rd day after the due date is still within the timeframe and will not incur a penalty. However, if it exceeds 7 days, the foreigner must report in person for fine assessment, and in overdue cases, they cannot assign someone else to report or send by mail.

Is there a fee for the 90-day report?

No. The Immigration Bureau states that reporting residence for stays exceeding 90 days has no costs or fees. Except for overdue reports which incur a fine. If anyone charges a fee for a regular report, please verify first.

Are the 90-day report and VISA extension the same thing?

No, they are separate matters. The Immigration Bureau itself emphasizes that the acknowledgment of residence for stays exceeding 90 days is not an application for extension of stay in the Kingdom. Even if the VISA has not expired, residence must still be reported every 90 days. Conversely, completing the 90-day report does not automatically renew the VISA or work permit; these must be processed separately.

Can someone else make the 90-day report on my behalf?

Yes. Section 37, last paragraph, allows foreigners to report in person or submit a written report to an authorized officer. The authorized person must have a power of attorney with a 5 Baht stamp duty specifying the name of that foreigner, along with a certified copy of their ID card. A crucial exception is that if it's overdue, the foreigner must report in person only.

If I leave the country and re-enter, does the 90-day count continue from before?

No. It restarts completely from the date of the last entry into the Kingdom. The previous appointment slip is considered void. Employers whose employees return home during Songkran or New Year should update the due dates in their reminder schedule every time.

Let Exworker help you manage

If you have many employees with varying due dates, the Exworker team, as a company that brings migrant workers to work in the country, can track deadlines and process documents for you, along with handling tasks that often have similar due dates, such as work permit renewal and changing employers, all at once. Chat with Exworker at Chat with Exworker with each person's due date.

References: Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979) Sections 37(5), 38, 76, 77, 84 · Immigration Bureau, Page for Reporting Stay Exceeding 90 Days (updated August 14, 2569), Page for 3 Migrant Worker Nationalities, and Page for Reporting Foreigner's Residence (TM.30) · Information as of August 23, 2569