The registration requires submitting relevant documents but the approval will be automatic, immigration officials have assured.
All property owners who were already registered in the previous system must register again, said an announcement by Phuket Immigration posted online yesterday.
However, the system will automatically approve all previously registered users, the notice said.
The online system for property owners and managers to report foreigners staying at their premises applies to hotels, lodgings, guesthouses, resorts, etc, the Immigration notice said.
The new system can be used on computers, mobile phones and tablets, it provides quick feedback and reduces the time to fill out reports.
The system also provides evidence to confirm every notification that property owners and managers have reported foreigners staying at their premises, the notice said.
It also provides an easy way for property owners and managers not avoid being fined for not reporting foreigners staying at their premises.
Section 38 of the Immigration Act mandates: “House owners, heads of household, landlords or managers of hotels who accommodate foreign nationals on a temporary basis who stay in the kingdom legally, must notify the local immigration authorities within 24 hours from the time of arrival of the foreign national.”
Section 77 of the Immigration Act stipulates: Whoever fails to comply with the provisions of Section 38 shall be punished by a fine not exceeding B2,000. If the person is a hotel manager, the punishment shall be by a fine from B2,000 to B10,000.
To register in the new system, click here.
The Immigration Bureau has created a small ‘user manual’ for registering in the new system, which can be downloaded here.