onthemoon

1.) Keeps the hope up for those who are still waiting 2.) Once my name is in there, I will appreciate it a lot. That's my 2 cents.

555 No, it's not bizarre. It's a slight variation of an existing surname and I was surprised it didn't exist yet. Well, I am currently not planning of ever using it, but who knows what the future will bring.

Oh, I thought this name is now mine forever. I wasn't aware that they cancel it if I don't apply for documents under this name... Thanks for the heads-up.

Oh, I see.

When I applied for citizenship, I was asked to choose a Thai name, first name and surname. Can't you just use this?

My bad. I mixed this up with my citizen application. For my PR, I took six years. Applied in 2006, received it in 2012. Those were other times...

Gee, I was just a few months too late. My application was sent to MOI in April 2021, still waiting for the MOI interview.

The question is who wrote this. If that was your case officer at SB, he will just send your file to MOI next month. I am celebrating my 2-year anniversary of my file being at MOI this month.

When was your file transferred to MOI?

Funny anecdote. No, the street police don't know the white book, and I don't think it has anything to do with them. I always show my pink ID, never had a problem. (I have also never been stopped or fined by traffic police without reason in the past 33 years.) I did use the white book at the airport though to get through the Fast Track when I was flying eco. The security guards there just saw the Thai Garuda and waived me through. This usually doesn't work anymore though (depending on who is on duty).

It seems the problem here is with the UK authorities, not the Thais. Does your passport show your residence? Mine does, and it shows Bangkok, Thailand. That's why I get "VAT refund for tourists" anywhere in the EU. I haven't tried outside of the EU, but then, I'd be a tourist anywhere outside of the EU anyway. (Except in Thailand, of course.)

At least at DLT Prakanong, they understand PR very well. Yes, you do have to present your (pink) ID and your tabien bahn, exactly the same as Thai citizens. I don't know why you think there is something wrong with that.

No, I didn't say that. I said that if you need a new white book (for example because the old one is full), they ask for the tabien bahn. I don't know what happens if you don't have one, didn't try that. The OP intends to reside overseas and travel to Thailand at least once a year. He will get his entry and exit stamps into the white book, and a new endorsement every year, which is a full page. Sooner or later his book will be full. That's why this information might be relevant to him. I don't know whether someone who never travels needs a tabien bahn. They can probably renew their drivers licence using their passport and a residence certificate from the embassy, instead of the pink card and tabien bahn. The white book and the drivers licence are the only times I have needed the tabien bahn (I think).

Example: I recently needed a new white book and forgot to bring my tabien bahn. (They believed me when I said I will bring it when I pick up the new book - it takes a couple of days - so I presented it when I picked up the new white book. I don't remember whether I had to show the tabien bahn when I renewed the red police book.

Bubbha already answered this: The "P" in "PR" does not mean it's permanent; you lose it if you leave the country without visa+endorsement. On the other hand, they take the "R" seriously. So, if you don't reside in Thailand (with a tabien bahn to prove it) you lose your PR.

Blue Book: You need to renew/replace it when it's full. I travel a lot, so I get a lot of exit and entry stamps, including the full-page "Endorsement" (re-entry permit) every year. Need a new book every few years. Only the first one is blue, the replacement books are white. Don't forget to bring this PR book (whether blue or white) along with you when you travel! You have to show it together with your passport upon leaving and entering the country. And you need to have an immigrant visa in your passport and this endorsement in your PR book. Otherwise, your "Permanent" Residency will be cancelled the moment you return to Thailand.

The red book which you have to renew every 5 years at the police station, right? I was a year late once, I had to pay a fine of THB 400. That was all. However, you need an address in Thailand (and a blue tabien bahn) in any case. Otherwise you cannot renew your blue or white book, which you renew at Chaeng Wattana, and you lose PR status.

You will be asked the meaning? OK, with the National Anthem that's not so difficult, but the Sansern Baramee uses Ratchasap, so that's a lot of vocabulary I'm not familiar with. Thanks for pointing this out.

These transcriptions helped me personally to pronounce the words correctly. Sansoern Pre Barami Lyrics.docx Thai National Anthem Current lyrics.docx

8 months? My documents were sent to MOI in April 2021. Still waiting.

You don't need any driver's licence to apply for Thai citizenship.

Not in your area, but I bought condos in Bangkok and Pattaya and did not get the money from abroad. In fact, I got a local bank loan. So you are definitely right. Just giving you moral support. Others will pitch in with the relevant law or regulation.

I studied for an MSc in the UK and was told at the time that the government subsidises the tuition fees from tax money. Since non-residents don't pay taxes, they have to pay full price. Made sense to me.

It has no impact whatsoever. I completed my MBA (in English) and my PhD (in Thai) here in Thailand, and I paid the same as Thai students did. One a side note: In Thailand, you can study on any visa you have. The ED visa exists only for those who do not have any other visa but would like to study in Thailand.

I always use the Thai line at BKK. Once I arrived at DMK and there was a long queue at the Thai line and an even longer queue at the foreigners' line. When it was my turn, the lady officer said in a friendly voice that I should really use the foreigners' line, but she is being nice and will stamp for me. I advised here that this is not really correct, I have the right to use the Thai line, but she did not believe me. (She stamped my passport anyway, even though a bit irritated). If we now hear that immigration officers in Phuket also think that PR holders have to use the foreigners' line, it is just another case of officers not being properly trained. Does anybody have the regulation which states that PR holders can use the Thai line? In my experience, officers will be happy to learn something new when you show them. Of course, you always have to be polite and respectful. Oh, the machines currently only work with Thai passports, as I reported last month or so. That's a different issue.