Interior Minister Sar Kheng issued a notice reminding property owners that the ministry had already issued a statement in 2010 saying that the ministry had concluded that a majority of residence owners have respected the law but some residence owners still did not understand their obligation and also did not respect the law, reported the Khmer Times. (See story here.)
“To strengthen immigration law enforcement and to improve the registration of foreigners residing in the country is necessary to ensure security, public order and social safety,” the statement said, the Khmer Times noted.
The interior ministry provided a seven-point memorandum noting that the owners of all residence properties were to report to local police within 24 hours details of any foreigners residing on their property.
If the residence owners were foreigners, they must provide additional information of the people residing in the properties within 24 hours, the report said.
“The statement added that General Department of Immigration has a responsibility to implement and disseminate the memorandum and its contents to residence owners and all relevant officials around the country,” the Khmer Times noted in its report.
Thailand has long upheld its own law requiring local police or officials to be notified of the arrival of any foreigners at a residential property or hotel within 24 hours of their arrival.
The issue came a to head early last year when expats who travelled off-island even for an overnight trip – in Thailand or abroad – were required to re-register their address to Phuket Immigration.
Phuket Immigration Chief Col Kathathorn Kumthieng at that time confirmed that all foreigners registered as living in Phuket must re-report their address to immigration after being registered as staying in a hotel within Thailand, even for just one night. (See story here.)
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