Michael Hare

Three weeks ago my wife and I flew up to Luang Prabang for a long weekend. It was my first time out of Thailand since 2019. Since then I have got a brand new passport in 2020 and a new certificate of residence book in 2021 (blue one was full up. The new book is white). I have had PR since 2004. Immigration in Ubon Ratchathani where I live, took over one hour to do the reentry permits in the passport and white book. The application forms were first written and then all the data put into the computer. We flew out of Don Muang on Air Asia. When I went through departure immigration my PR confused the person there. I was drawn aside and told to wait. My books were carried to another desk and the guy there looked into his computer. Finally after 15 mintues the departure stamps were put into both books and I could go. Coming back on arrivial I had similar problems. I think the young officer at the desk had never seen a PR certificate of residence book before. She took the books to a more senior officer. After carefully looking at both books he asked me "Don't you travel out the country very often these days"? I replied that was correct, but I do a lot of traveling within Thailand. My wife now wants us to travel more to avoid these small problems again. I often think that with all these special visa being issued, that us PR holders have been forgotten.

That is interesting. I got a multiple re-entry permit in February 2020. I didn't use it. At the moment I have no plans to leave Thailand in the near future. But when I do, it will be interesting to see if I am charged an extra fee.

When I did my PR application back in 2001, I had to get a certificate of no criminal record from my home country (NZ) and from the Thai police in the city where I live (Ubon Ratchathani). For the NZ certificate, the NZ Embassy in Bangkok got it for me. For the Thai certificate, I just popped along to the main Ubon police station and got it from the head of police there (whom I knew as he was a school friend of my wife).

In my PR book and Alien book there is no mention of my passport number. The main thing is to have the reentry permit in your new passport if you are using that to reenter Thailand using your new passport. I am not sure how you can do that. I guess you depart from Thailand using your old passport with the rentry permit and then you get your new passport in your home country with no reentry permit. I think you then must show the old invalid passport at Thai immigration when you return, showing your reentry permit and the also new valid passport to actually enter. I always get my new passports mailed to me through the post from my home country. My embassy will not issue passports.

These motor bike accidents with tourists seems to be occurring nearly every week. Hiring a motorbike just is so dangerous. Especially if one is a visitor and not used to the dangerous driving here. Why not rent a car? I know renting a car is more expensive (900-1,200 baht/day) but if one is only on holiday for a few days, then the overall expense is not much. I have lived in Thailand since 1974 and whenever I go to Krabi, Koh Samui, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai I rent a car. In Bangkok I use taxis.

No need to inform immigration about travel dates. Just go and come back before September 2024.

https://tohsang.com/khongchiam/

Same here. Every five years at the local police station here in Ubon Rarchathani. Only need the red book and a few photos.

All you need is the red PR book and a passport size photo or two.

Strange. I have lived in Thailand for over 30 years and I have never come across petty bribes and using third parties in cases where I can do the work myself.

From reading the above posts about the difficulty of getting PR it seems to me to be different processes involved with different applications. I applied through the yearly country quota system which is in December of each year. Others it seems to me, apply any time of the year through a business application process. This may be more difficult. With my application, besides all the personal documents, I had to show taxes paid and that I had worked successfully in Thailand and my presence and work had benefitted Thailand in a significant way. On the day of submitting my application I joined a queue of about 8-10 people. From memory at the first desk my application was looked at and maybe a few questions were asked. Didn't take long. None of this 3 hour grill. I think I paid a small application fee which I received a receipt for. With waiting in the queue I was in and out in about 1 hour.

Completely agree. Straight forward process but it took time, especially getting all the documents that were in English translated into Thai. I contaced my embassy in Bangkok and they got the police report from my home country. Likewise, I popped along to my local police station in Thailand and got their report. I did make mistakes with copies of my tax reports as I didn't know that copies of every page had to be signed. Even then, some documents had to be done again but that was no problem. And I flew down to Bangkok four times for interviews etc. On the fourth visit I got my PR.

Do everything yourself. Straight forward.

Not quite on the topic, but if anyone wants a range of food for dinner, the new Centara Hotel puts on a good buffet dinner every Saturday and Sunday evening.

Try https://www.facebook.com/jayjaycarrentubon/ They may have a car and driver

Ricco Cafe has a wide range of Thai and Western food. Great atmosphere. I recently enjoyed dinner at the new Centara hotel restaurant. Sapori's cold cuts are always good. Risotto has consistently served good Italian food for over 20 years. Papillo House is good for lunch. For Vietamese food, I enjoy VT restaurant. For quick Japanese food, Fuji in Central Plaza never disappoints. The range of good restarants in Ubon is endless. Venezia has good food presentation.

I didn't need all that. I had a marriage certificate legalised immediately after I got married in Thailand. That was no problem. I don't remember taking my passport in. I am in Ubon Ratchathani and the Amphur just recognised the red book. Maybe because they are familiar with PR as there are or were several hundred local Chinese-Vietnamese with PR.

A PR holder name goes into the blue book. I don't know if it must be listed, but having your name in the blue book certainly helps with documentation from time to time. Like getting your renewable of a driver's licence. No need to ever show your passport again when getting a driver's licence. Show your red book and blue house registration book. My advice to you is get it done as quickly as possible. Nothing to do with the Puyai Baan. While getting the blue book, get your pink ID card.

We went to this restaurant last night. No buffet. The international food wasn't that interesting. We ordered Thai instead.

I applied in December 2001 and obtained PR in August 2004. At the time I thought it was an extremely long time.

More expensive though. I couldn't apply through business because I was a university lecturer.

I got my PR in 2004 (applied in 2002) on the basis of being married to a Thai and having a dependent (our son). This was the cheapest category to apply for PR then. 25,000 baht in 2002, but by 2004 was up to 96,000 baht (Thaksin and Purachai put these fees up). My wife was definitely part of the process and was interviewed at length.

No, this was absolutely true. I think words were exchanged as my old friend who had travelled world-wide, but never to Australia, couldn't believe that a wooden pair of shoe stretchers had to be declared.

A few years ago, an eldery English friend of mine (90+ years), flew from Bangkok to Sydney to visit his daughter. On arrival, he ticked no on all the boxes. No food, no wood items etc. The agricultural people did a bag search and found he had a pair of leather shoes which had wooden shoe stretchers inside each pair. "What are these mate?" asked the agricultural officer. "Shoe stretchers, my good man, to keep my shoes in shape" replied my English friend. "They are wooden, mate and you didn't declare them" said the agricultural officer. My English friend was having difficulty understanding the Australian accent and asked if he could talk to someone higher up who could speak English. All hell broke out. My English friend was taken to a side room where a full body search was made, even an anus search. He had to pay a fine, his shoe stretchers were taken away and destroyed and my friend never went back to Australia again.

You were very very lucky not to be fined. An Australian was fined over $2,000 for failing to declare a subway sandwich. https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/aussie-traveller-hit-with-2664-fine-after-failing-to-declare-subway-sandwich-c-7516246 Hilary Swank was fined $200 for failing to declare an apple and a organge on arrival in NZ, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/mar/31/filmnews.film