onthemoon

Gymnasium: Sweden seems to have the same school system as in Germany or Austria. The degree you get when you graduate (Abitur [DE] or Matura [AT], I don't know what it is called in [SE]) can correctly be translated as "Highschool Degree". PNG90/91: If you worked and paid taxes, but you simply cannot find this paperwork, you can indeed go to the revenue department and request copies. You need your tax ID, bring your passport, and fill in a form stating why you need the copies. They will also certify the copies, which I think you will need. Minimal fee.

The officers are human, they do not just tick boxes. You want to make a good impression. They liked my P.6 certificate and some other stuff (partially not certified as I knew the document wasn't needed) and I had a good chat with my case officer. And why not? I know they are not the final decision makers, but it is never wrong to establish a good relationship. YMMV.

You need from your country of passport. Hand in a copy of your highest degree. Additional certificates from uni won't hurt. If you have a work permit, you will see that it shows only your current employer. I am not sure whether it has changed, but in the past, we needed to be on the same work permit (i.e. with the current employer) for three years. Someone else will chip in and advise whether that has changed. Yes, you need to hand in your PND90/91 for the past three years. If you don't have three years full yet, you will have to wait for another year before you can apply. You will have to ask your company for the PND50 and PND1. Any company documents will have to be provided by the company. It does not matter whether you are the owner or an employee. In fact, if you own a company, you will technically be an employee of your own company. HTH

NON-B = Non-Immigrant Class B (business). You know the drill, you need a Re-Entry Permit before leaving. After you receive PR, you will need to apply for a Non-Quota Immigrant Visa. Another type of visa for you. No more Non-Immigrant visa. You can apply for this Immigrant visa, with multiple entry if you like, after you have received PR. At the same time that you apply for the Immigrant Visa, you also need to apply for an Endorsement in your initially blue (later white) residency book. Another stamp. You need to have both stamps in place before leaving the country. Otherwise, your PR will be cancelled upon return. You can get these stamps only at CW, not at the airport. We often call the visa and the endorsement summarily "re-entry stamp", but they are very different from the re-entry permit you need for a Non-B. Hope this helps.

Let's keep pushing. I already mentioned to the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Industry when he proudly presented the LTR to one of the foreign chambers of commerce earlier this year that it's all fine and good, but why do PR holders need a work permit? Obviously, it is not really necessary as LTR holders - who are a lot less vetted than us - don't. He said that they never thought of that, because there are so few PR holders, so it's easy to forget.... He promised to bring it up in the next meeting with the minister. I am not holding my breath.

Since not even the constitution is set in concrete, I don't think the Immigration Act is. The reason that we even need these visas and Endorsements (read: Re-Entry Permits) is probably the income for the government. What can we say to the Minister, why would it be of advantage for Thailand to do away with this requirement?

Thanks for this report, proving that the "permanent" residency is not permanent. I feel for you.

I agree. They have a list of documents which you need to prepare, and all a lawyer could do is relay that list to you and tick it off one by one. The lawyer cannot do the interview (which will indeed be video-taped) for you. The people at CW are very helpful, and their advice is correct and free.

I can tell you next month. I will just go to CW and renew my book. That's the easiest way to find out.

Pardon me for asking: When were your documents sent to the MOI so that you had your interview in May 2022?

Yeah, the good ol' times... And no, I didn't use a lawyer either. For those who do, that would add to the cost too, of course.

"Just the PR gone" means an inch of documents handed in for nothing, waiting for years (6 years in my case) for nothing, and roughly THB 200,000 in official fees down the drain. Maybe it's just me, but I would consider that a penalty.

I just walked in. That was back in February. I have never downloaded the forms, I always get them there and fill them in on the spot.

Bummer.

If that's true, that's new. In the past we were informed that the Permanent Residency is not permanent at all and certainly not issued for life; to the contrary, it will be automatically cancelled if you come back to Thailand and that stamp in your books has expired. In fact, I had once forgotten to get the stamps, and at departure, the immigration officer was kind enough to notice it and ask me whether I really want to lose my PR status. I thanked him, took a taxi to CW to get those meaningless stamps and finally flew to Vietnam on the evening flight. I understand that due to Covid, expiry has now been extended indefinitely. Does that mean we don't need to get these useless stamps at all any more, and PR has suddenly become permanent? This would be really good news.

Not yet. I haven't even had time to follow up yet.

Kudos to the current government, I say. I wouldn't want to try that path anyway. If it later comes out (in 10 years or so) that you paid amounts without receipt to get the Thai citizenship, they might cancel it and book you for having gotten it through, let's say, deviation from prescribed practice.

I just completed another domestic trip. Didn't bring my passport. The problem with the pink ID is that the name is only in Thai. Airline staff and airport security had trouble to verify that it is the same name as in the ticket. So I also handed my driver's licence to them for the name. I don't know whether they would have accepted it instead of the pink ID, as they couldn't accept it at all because it is expired. But it still helped them verify the name. No problem al all at the hotel upon check-in. They accepted the pink ID without question.

Incidentally, the work permit renewal is the only case where I do use my passport. Which makes no sense, as a PR holder should not need a WP. Anyway, I always have an immigrant visa in my passport, because I travel a lot. Which again makes no sense, PR holders shouldn't have to renew their visas every year; in fact, they shouldn't need visas. But they, nobody ever said the world is perfect. ????

At Bangkok Bank, they even asked for my pink ID... Have changed to pink ID also at SCB and K-Bank. At the airport for domestic travel, I sometimes have to show my driver's licence, because the pink ID shows the name only in Thai while the ticket is in English. The last time anybody asked for my passport is many years ago. So yes, your mileage may differ.

Well, your experience may differ, but I haven't carried my passport around within Thailand for years, and if any official is not familiar with it, any discussion is usually very short as they immediately ask their supervisor. I haven't had a problem since I first renewed my driver's licence six years ago. Edit: I forgot to answer what I want to do with it. Take domestic flights, check in at hotels, renew driver's licence; anything I need an ID for. The exception is when renewing the work permit, that's when I need the passport.

No, in the front.

I only know about the pink card for PR holders. It says at the front "ID card for non-Thai citizens who have PR" in Thai language. That's printed pretty small and can be easily overlooked. Yes, the main benefit if the pink card is ID. I don't need to carry the passport around with me any more. The card will be issued by the ID department of your local Khet/Amphur upon request. It does not give you free healthcare benefits. Your social security card gives you the free healthcare benefits, and if I am not mistaken, at any government hospital in case of emergency. I don't think it includes private hospitals but will be happy to be corrected. In a non-emergency you have to go to the hospital mentioned in your SocSec card, of course. The pink ID card (even the one for PRs) does not come with working rights. You still have to apply for a work permit.

There is no committee working on it. There is simply no interest and no political will for that. We are a small minority that won't bring more money to the country if we don't need a work permit, and we cannot even vote. Where is the incentive for them?

I support point 1, no need for work permit for PR holders, 100%. I already brought this up to the Ministry of Industry when they publicly announced that holders of the new Long Term Residence (LTR) visa for 10 years won't need a work permit. Why do we PR holders? The problem is that several ministries have to agree to waive this requirement, and nobody sees any priority. There are "so few" PR holders, nobody thought of this. Plus, whoever needs a work permit already has one, so what's the point? - I think we'll need an inside advocate for this.