90-Day Report Phuket — The 3 Ways to File, the 1 Way Most Retirees Get Fined

Every foreigner staying on a long-stay visa in Thailand must confirm their address to Immigration every 90 days of continuous stay. The rule sounds trivial. It is not. Missed 90-day reports are the second most common reason — after broken TM30 — that retirement visa extensions get marked as "incomplete" at Phuket Immigration the following year.

This guide walks through what the 90-day report is, the three filing methods available in Phuket in 2026, the fine for missing one, and the practical setup we use for clients who travel internationally during their retirement year.

What the 90-day report is

A 90-day report (officially TM47) is a periodic confirmation to Thai Immigration that you are still living at the address registered on your TM30. It must be filed within a 7-day window: from 15 days before to 7 days after the 90-day mark of your continuous stay.

A few important consequences:

• The clock counts continuous stay, not calendar weeks. If you leave Thailand and return, the clock resets to a new 90-day count from the date of re-entry (subject to TM30 re-filing).
• It is not the same as visa renewal. The visa is renewed annually; the 90-day report happens four times in between.
• The 90-day report does not extend your visa. It only confirms address.

The 7-day window — exact dates

If you arrived (or re-entered) on March 1, your continuous stay clock starts then. The 90-day mark is May 30. The reporting window is:

• Earliest: May 15 (15 days before).
• Latest: June 6 (7 days after).

Most retirees aim for 30 May ± 3 days. Filing too early simply resets the clock 90 days from the filing date (you do not "buy time" by filing on May 15 — your next report is still due ~90 days from when this report is filed).

Filing after June 6 is a missed report. Fines apply.

Method 1 — In person at Phuket Town immigration

The traditional method. You show up at the Phuket Town immigration office during reporting hours:

• Address: Phuket Immigration Office, 482 Phuket Rd, Talat Yai, Phuket Town
• Hours: Mon-Fri 08:30-12:00, 13:00-16:30 (lunch break enforced)
• Reporting counter: separate queue from extensions and conversions

Bring:

• Original passport.
• Filled TM47 form (available at the office).
• Photocopy of passport photo page and current visa.
• Photocopy of departure card (TM6) — if you still have it.
• Photocopy of latest entry stamp.

Time on site: 30-60 minutes. Saturday mornings sometimes available with a different counter — check the current week's schedule, as Phuket Immigration varies.

Method 2 — Online via the Immigration Bureau portal

The online TM47 system is the easiest if it works for you. The catch: not every Phuket-based foreigner is in the system.

• URL: https://tm47.immigration.go.th
• First-time use: requires an account creation that links to your passport and visa stamp. Approval can take 7-14 days. Some foreigners are rejected by the system for unclear reasons and must use in-person filing.
• Successful filing: produces a PDF receipt with the next 90-day date.

If the online system works on your first try, future filings take 3-5 minutes from anywhere in the world. Many retirees do their reports from a beach café in Krabi.

The online system closes the reporting window strictly. Filing on day 8 after the 90-day mark via the online portal is impossible — you must visit in person.

Method 3 — By post

Less common in Phuket but legal. You post the TM47 form, copies of passport and visa, and a self-addressed stamped envelope to Phuket Town immigration at least 15 days before the 90-day mark.

Risks: postal delays, lost envelopes, immigration not actioning the file. Only recommended for:

• Retirees temporarily out of town for medical reasons.
• Periods when the in-person office is overcrowded.

We do not recommend the postal method as a default.

Method 4 (unofficial but common) — Agent filing

A licensed agent — including ourselves — can file the 90-day report on your behalf with a power of attorney. This works particularly well when:

• You are travelling internationally during the reporting window.
• You are unable to drive to Phuket Town for medical reasons.
• The online system has rejected your account.

The agent goes in person, files, returns the receipt to you the same day. Fees vary; our standard quote for an existing client is small and includes a calendar reminder for the next report.

The fine for missing a report

A late or missed 90-day report carries:

• 2,000 THB fine on first occurrence.
• 5,000 THB for repeated misses.
• A stain on the immigration record that the officer notes at extension time.

The financial fine is manageable. The record stain is not. Phuket Immigration officers can — and do — refuse retirement visa extensions for retirees with multiple missed 90-day reports, citing the file as "not in good order".

Travel and the 90-day report

This is where it gets tactical. The continuous-stay clock resets on re-entry. So if you fly home for 2 weeks at month 10 of your visa and return:

• The previous 90-day clock dies.
• A new 90-day clock starts on the day of re-entry.
• TM30 must be re-filed within 24h of re-entry.
• Your next 90-day report is due 75-90 days after re-entry.

Retirees who travel home twice a year typically file 1-2 reports per visa cycle instead of the theoretical 4. Each re-entry is a 90-day clock reset.

The trap: forgetting that the clock has reset and using the old reminder. We have seen retirees in Phuket file a 90-day report the day before flying home, return 3 weeks later, and then never file again — they think they "did" the year's reports. The clock has reset twice. Both reports for the second half of the year are missed.

Practical setup for Phuket retirees

We give every client this setup on day 1:

1. Calendar event for the 90-day mark, ±3 days.
2. Auto-reminder at 60 days and 80 days.
3. Reminder also re-fires after every international trip with the new date.
4. Photo of the filing receipt archived in cloud storage immediately after each filing.
5. Annual review of all four receipts before the extension appointment.

For ongoing clients we run the calendar ourselves and send a WhatsApp reminder 14 days before the next report.

Common mistakes

After hundreds of Phuket cases, the same five mistakes:

1. Filing too early. Filing on day 75 means the next report is due on day 165 from the same start. You do not gain a buffer.
2. Forgetting the clock reset on re-entry. The biggest single source of missed reports.
3. Filing the wrong address. If you moved during the 90-day period, the report must reflect the new address — which requires TM30 first.
4. Online system rejection silently ignored. The portal sometimes accepts and then silently rejects. Always check that you have a PDF receipt with a reference number. No PDF = no filing.
5. Filing during a TM30 gap. The system rejects the 90-day filing if TM30 is broken. Fix TM30 first.

FAQ

Does the 90-day report cost money to file?
In-person and online: free. Postal: cost of stamps. Agent: small service fee.

What if I miss it by 1 day?
File in person at Phuket Town immigration as soon as possible. The 2,000 THB fine is usually applied. No record stain at first offence if you self-report.

Does the 90-day clock pause if I am hospitalised in Thailand?
No. You are still in continuous stay. The 90-day report is still due. Send a representative with a hospital letter and a power of attorney.

Does the 90-day report apply on a 90-day visa stamp?
Only if you stay continuously beyond 90 days. A 90-day visa exited on day 89 has no report obligation.

Can my landlord file my 90-day report?
No. Only you or your appointed agent can file TM47. The landlord files TM30 — different form, different rule.

If you would like us to monitor your 90-day calendar across travel periods and file on your behalf when you are out of Thailand, WhatsApp us. The setup takes 10 minutes; the peace of mind lasts the whole retirement.