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TM.18 or the Residence Certificate Form: Which One Do You Fill In?
For the proof-of-address letter a Thai driving licence needs, you fill in a one-page form titled "Application Form Residence Certificate in Thailand", not the TM.18. The TM.18 is the application form for the TM.16 Certificate of Residence issued to foreigners granted permanent residence, according to the Immigration Bureau's own public handbook for the TM.16 (PDF). Many guides online, and this page until October 2026, called the address-letter form a TM.18. The field guide below now follows the real form.
The rest of this page covers the address-letter form. For the full process, including eligibility by visa, documents, offices and fees, see our guide to the residence certificate in Thailand. The most important rule on the form: every detail must match your passport and TM.30 exactly.
| Residence certificate application form | TM.18 | |
|---|---|---|
| What it gets you | A one-page letter confirming your address, valid 30 days | The TM.16 Certificate of Residence |
| Who uses it | Foreigners on most visa types with a TM.30 on file (Bangkok refuses tourist visas) | Foreigners already granted permanent residence |
| Used for | Driving licence, vehicle purchase or sale, bank account | Permanent residence |
| Form number | None. The Bangkok version is headed "Sub-Division 3, Immigration Division 1" | TM.18 |
| Fee | 200-500 THB depending on the office | 191,400 THB, 95,700 THB or 0 THB by category |
| Download | PDF linked in the next section | Not published online that we could find; ask the office |
Where to Download the Residence Certificate Application Form
Download
- The address-letter form — "Application Form Residence Certificate in Thailand" (PDF). This is the one-page Thai/English form of Immigration Division 1 in Bangkok (Chaeng Watthana), linked by the BOI's LTR visa unit on its driving-licence page. It is the form this guide walks through.
- At the Immigration office — blank forms are available at the counter. If you apply outside Bangkok, at Jomtien, Chiang Mai or Phuket for example, ask whether they take the Bangkok printout or want their own copy filled in.
- Not this one, unless you are a permanent resident — the Immigration Bureau handbook for the TM.16 (PDF) covers the permanent-residence certificate: TM.18 application, house registration, five photos, a 191,400 or 95,700 THB fee and a three-working-day standard. Our TM.16 form guide and TM.18 form guide explain the difference.
Tips for printing
- Use standard A4 paper
- Print at 100% scale — do not shrink to fit
- The PDF is a scanned image, so you cannot type into it: fill it in by hand in block capitals
- Sign by hand, or give your right thumbprint, in the box at the bottom
Tip: Fill out the form at home before your visit. This saves 10-15 minutes at the office and allows you to double-check details against your passport and TM.30 without the stress of a busy waiting room. Bring a blank spare copy as well, in case you need to start over.
Field-by-Field Instructions
These are the boxes on the Bangkok form, top to bottom. Every label is printed in English and Thai.
Date
- Date / Month / Year (top right): the day you submit. Use day first, for example 10 / 03 / 2026.
About you
- Name (Mr., Mrs., Miss): your title and full name exactly as in your passport, including middle names, in BLOCK CAPITALS. No nicknames, abbreviations or different transliterations.
- Nationality: as stated in your passport, for example BRITISH or GERMAN.
- Date of birth: day first (DD/MM/YYYY), the Thai standard, not the US month-first order.
- Passport no.: exactly as printed, including any letters.
Your stay
- Arrival card no. (TM.6): the paper TM.6 was replaced by the digital TDAC (Thailand Digital Arrival Card) in May 2025. Use the number on your TDAC confirmation and bring a printout of it.
- Entered Thailand on: the date on your most recent entry stamp.
- Allowed to date: the last day of your current permission to stay, from your latest entry stamp or extension stamp.
Purpose (tick boxes)
- Driving license (car / motobike) and Buy sell (car / motobike) are the two printed choices. Tick each purpose you need and mark car, motorbike or both. At Chaeng Watthana a certificate is issued for the purpose stated on it, and the DLT keeps the original, so plan one per licence or state both.
Address in Thailand
- Address name: the building, condominium or village name.
- Address no., Moo, Lane (soi), Road: house or unit number, village number if your address has one, soi and road.
- Subdistrict, District, Province, Zip code: khwaeng and khet in Bangkok, tambon and amphoe elsewhere.
- Phone no.: a Thai number Immigration can reach you on.
Signature
- Signature or right thumb print: sign as in your passport, in blue ink.
- Collection date (bottom right, Thai only): leave it blank. The officer writes in the day to collect your certificate.
Common Mistakes That Cause Rejections
Based on our experience processing hundreds of applications, these are the most frequent errors on the residence certificate application form:
| Mistake | Why it causes rejection | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| Name mismatch | Name differs from passport (nickname, abbreviated middle name, different transliteration) | Copy your name character-for-character from your passport |
| Address mismatch | Address written differently from TM.30 (different format, missing room number, different street name transliteration) | Copy the address exactly from your TM.30 receipt |
| Wrong date format | Using MM/DD/YYYY instead of DD/MM/YYYY | Thailand uses DD/MM/YYYY — always put the day first |
| Blank fields | Officer assumes form is incomplete | If a field does not apply, write "N/A" — never leave it empty |
| Unsigned form | Application invalid without signature | Sign before submitting. Use the same signature as your passport. |
| Pencil instead of pen | Pencil can be erased; not accepted | Use a blue or black ballpoint pen only |
| Illegible handwriting | Officer cannot read your information | Use BLOCK CAPITALS throughout. |
| Wrong or missing purpose | At Chaeng Watthana the certificate is issued for the purpose ticked; a motorbike-licence letter is refused for a car licence | Tick every purpose and vehicle type you need before you hand the form in |
| Wrong form | Preparing a TM.18 or the TM.16 permanent-residence paperwork for a driving licence | Use the one-page residence certificate application form linked above |
Pro tip: Before submitting, place your passport open to the bio page next to the completed form and compare every field. Then compare the address against your TM.30 receipt. This 2-minute check prevents the most common rejection reasons.
Language, Ink, and Formatting Rules
Language
Fill out the form in English using BLOCK CAPITALS. The form has Thai and English field labels, and your answers should be in English unless you can write Thai fluently and your passport information is also registered in Thai (which it is not for most foreign nationals).Ink color
Use a blue or black ballpoint pen. Gel pens, markers, felt-tip pens, and pencils are not acceptable. Blue is generally preferred as it clearly distinguishes original writing from photocopied text.Corrections
If you make a mistake:- Draw a single line through the error
- Write the correction next to it
- Initial the change
- Do NOT use correction fluid (white-out or Liquid Paper)
- If the error is significant, start with a fresh form
Address formatting
Follow the Thai address format: room/unit number, then building/house number, street name (including Soi number), sub-district (Khwaeng in Bangkok / Tambon elsewhere), district (Khet in Bangkok / Amphoe elsewhere), province (Krungthep Maha Nakhon for Bangkok / Changwat for provinces), and postal code. This ordering may differ from your home country convention.Sample Completed Residence Certificate Application Form
Here is what a properly completed Bangkok form looks like (example data, fields in the order they appear):
| Field | Example Entry |
|---|---|
| Date / Month / Year | 10 / 03 / 2026 |
| Name (Mr., Mrs., Miss) | MR. JOHN MICHAEL SMITH |
| Nationality | BRITISH |
| Date of Birth | 15/03/1985 |
| Passport No. | 987654321 |
| Arrival Card No. (TM.6) | Number from the TDAC confirmation |
| Entered Thailand On | 10/01/2026 |
| Allowed To Date | 09/01/2027 |
| Purpose | [x] DRIVING LICENSE (CAR) |
| Address Name | THE RESIDENCE CONDOMINIUM, ROOM 1205 |
| Address No. / Moo / Lane | 123 / - / SUKHUMVIT SOI 15 |
| Road | SUKHUMVIT |
| Subdistrict / District | KHLONG TOEI NUEA / WATTHANA |
| Province / Zip Code | BANGKOK / 10110 |
| Phone No. | 08X-XXX-XXXX |
| Signature | [Passport signature, blue ink] |
Key points in this example: Every field you are responsible for is filled in, with a dash where something does not apply; only the officer's collection date is left blank. The name matches the passport exactly. The address matches the TM.30 record precisely. Dates are day first. The purpose box and the vehicle type are both marked. This level of consistency is what Immigration officers look for.
Need help with your residence certificate?
Our team handles the entire process — document preparation, Immigration visit, and certificate collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not for the proof-of-address letter a driving licence needs. According to the Immigration Bureau's handbook, the TM.18 is the application for the TM.16 Certificate of Residence issued to permanent residents. The address letter is applied for on a one-page form titled 'Application Form Residence Certificate in Thailand', which has no TM number.
Yes, blank forms are available at the Immigration office. However, filling it out at home saves 10-15 minutes and reduces errors that can happen under the pressure of a busy office with people waiting behind you.
No. The TM.30 is filed by your landlord to report your address to Immigration. The TM.18 is the application for the permanent-residence TM.16 certificate. For the address letter you need a TM.30 on file plus the one-page residence certificate application form.
Not the downloadable Bangkok form: it is a scanned image, so there are no fields to type into. Print it on A4 at 100% and fill it in by hand in block capitals with a blue ballpoint pen, then sign or give your right thumbprint.
On the Bangkok form you tick boxes rather than write a purpose: 'Driving license (car / motobike)' or 'Buy sell (car / motobike)', and you mark which vehicle type. If you need the letter for something the form does not list, such as a bank account, ask the officer how they want it noted.
Yes. Each application requires a freshly completed form. You cannot reuse a previously submitted one, even if your details are unchanged. Keep a blank printout for future applications.
Write smaller to fit within the designated area. Do not extend writing outside the form boundaries. You can abbreviate common terms like Soi, Rd, Bldg, and Condo, but keep full sub-district, district, and province names intact as these are critical for verification.
You can tick more than one box and mark both car and motorbike. That matters at Bangkok Chaeng Watthana, where certificates are purpose-specific and the DLT keeps the original, so a letter that only says motorbike will be refused for a car licence. Some offices still issue a separate certificate for each purpose, so ask at the counter.