Jujus

22 hours ago, GabbaGabbaHey said:

For this specific reason I decided to not wait for my 5-year of PR and applied earlier at 4+ years PR, losing 10 points but starting almost one year earlier.

Wait, does that mean that once you are a PR, you can apply anytime but just lose some points for not waiting 5 years after receiving your PR? Could someone please tell me where to find the official points system for naturalization? Thanks!

2 hours ago, Arkady said:

As far as I know there is no points system publicly disclosed for PR where you have to get 50 out of 100.  That system is for nationality and some people assume Immigration has a similar system for PR.  Possibly they have an internal system like that that is not disclosed.      

I have been told so when I got mine... Whether it's an official points system or an undisclosed internal one like you suggest, that I do not know.

They have a points system. You need at least 50 points out of 100 points to pass.

• A good level of Thai language gives you more points (up to around 10, but I'm not entirely sure about how many points are allocated to it).
• Same thing for your degree: the higher, the better.
• I don't think that graduating from a Thai university makes a difference (but that's a personal opinion, I don't know for sure).
• No way to reduce the minimum salary requirement. It is what it is.
• As for how many people get accepted per nationality, or how many apply each year, no idea, such information is not disclosed (or at least I'm not aware of it).

All in all, each criteria doesn't make a huge difference by itself, as each of them matters almost equally (how long you've been living in Thailand, are you married, what's your contribution to the Thai society, etc.). Consider the whole process a background check, determining your worth as a Thai resident.

12 hours ago, onthemoon said:

How far in advance before the re-entry permit (excuse me: Non-quote Immigrant Visa) expires can we renew it? One month?

 

Mine expires in a month, but I want to renew it now, because my passport will be needed to add a second work permit. It always takes  a bit longer for a new WP, so at least I want to have the stamp in the PP before I'll leave 5 days before the expiry of the re-entry, err, visa.

If I'm not mistaken, you can renew it anytime, even 6 months or more before it expires, as you should be able to stay out of the country for maximum a year, starting anytime of your liking.

On 8/24/2017 at 2:13 PM, regedit said:

Re the re-entry permit/endorsement, is the maximum duration 1 year ?

 

I now get a 2 year multi-entry on a NON-RE visa so assume that once I get the PR this NON-RE cannot be used anymore ?

Correct, it's a different re-entry permit once you get your PR. Actually, there are 2 parts: the Non-Quota Immigrant Visa (that goes in the passport) and the Endorsement of Re-Entry Permit (that goes in the Certificate of Residence). And yes, it is valid for one year maximum, unfortunately. But they can be renewed anytime, even months before they expire.

On 23/05/2017 at 11:36 AM, skyaslimit said:

Is it the same card for residents and non residents ? With the difference of ID numbers starting with 8 and 6 respectively?

 

 

I believe it is the same card. The difference is that numbers starting with an 8 are for Permanent Residents, and starting with a 6 are for yellow Tabien Baan holders.

I used my Visa credit card a couple times during the past few days, in two different 7eleven, no problem at all.

23 hours ago, mortenaa said:

Some places it says you need to be in the country on extensions and WP for 5 years, which most PR holders have been already. Some places it says you need be on Blue Tabian Baan for 5 years, which in case means I have to wait another 5 years before applying.. 

Then I guess the immigration officer who told you that simply didn't know the correct rule...

2 hours ago, mortenaa said:

When I got my PR a couple of months ago, they told me I could apply for citizenship now. I haven't really looked into the details, but why would they tell me otherwise? 

That's big news if it's true. I wasn't told that when I got mine... Anyone else can either confirm or refute that information?

18 hours ago, mortenaa said:

I got my PR book on Friday. I went to request the Alien whatever book at the police station. I will send my assistant to pick it up later. Anyway, I live in BKK, and went to Hua Hin this weekend. Today I went to Yamaha to buy a motorcycle, and a lot of confusion when I told them I am not on a Visa, but PR. They told me to request address confirmation bla bla.. But I don't need that, right? All the information is inside the PR book already. Any experience with this? I shouldn't actually need to bring my passport either?

If you have your blue Tabien Baan, it shouldn't be a problem. I bought a new car and I provided a copy of all relevant pages of Certificate of Residence, Alien Registration, Tabien baan and passport and it was all good.

41 minutes ago, thedemon said:

 

I would tend to agree with you but Immigration often refer to what we call PR as an "Immigrant Visa" (as opposed to Non-Immigrant).

 

An example is the TM22 you need to fill out for annual re-entry/endorsement.

 

tm22.pdf

Correct, that is the Non-Quota Immigrant Visa to allow you to re-enter the country (basically to pass the border), but not to stay. The permanent residency status is what allows you to stay.

Just reacting to the subject of this thread: permanent residency is a status, not a visa.

12 minutes ago, Maestro said:

The Residence Certificate (ใบสําคัญูถิ่นที่อยู่) is the booklet with the form number TM.32, previously with a blue cover, currently white.

It's still blue. The white one is when the blue one is full and you need an additional one.

16 hours ago, Faz said:

I merely tried to clarify the difference between that and the Certificate of Residency booklet a PR holder obtains.

You have a 'Certificate of residency', not a 'certificate of residence' as you typed, one a document, one a booklet, so get your own terminology correct before you start calling people. for misunderstanding your mistype!

Sorry, small correction: the booklet for a PR is actually named "Certificate of Residence". Not residency.

On 14/10/2016 at 9:51 PM, elviajero said:

If the government decided to reduce existing expat numbers, or kick us all out, TE members and Resident Permit holders are also at risk. There is no such thing as 'Permanent Residency', it is indefinite leave to stay that can easily be revoked.

Touching the Permanent Residency (and the TE) would be a very slippery road to take for any government... Again, nothing to gain from doing that.

4 minutes ago, Ronuk said:

I believe there is some kind of TE office in Pattaya as they offer a facility to do members 90 day reports for those that are living there. I have no idea where though as I have had no need to visit them. 

As the previous poster said, the PE visa makes me feel very secure in the current climate. Our visas are stamped and paid for 5 years into the future. Would they cancel them? Let's just say that if they did then that would most likely be the end of all visas, retirement, marriage, Tourism etc. Nobody would be here. The TE program is aimed at those people that have committed money to Thailand on a long basis. Property owners, frequent visitors etc. It's not aimed at the occasional tourist. Kill the TE program and you kill the long term plan of luring those to Thailand that have committed money in the future. Imagine the fall out and headlines for TAT from across the Asia region where the program has been heavily promoted should it be cancelled?.... Not going to happen.

 

 

Exactly. 2 things they wouldn't have any interest to touch (nothing to gain and a lot to lose if they do): TE and PR (Permanent Residency).

23 hours ago, nosatisfaction said:

I'm sorry but I think this is not 100% correct, the police reporting can be 5 years valid, it is not free, approx. 300Thb.

The Yearly Endorsement in Blue resident book, is at Immigration....and not free, depending if you need or not a re-entry.

Rgds.

Please correct me if I am wrong, but the yearly endorsement is needed only if you need to leave the country (it goes together with the Non-Quota Immigrant Visa, which is the equivalent of a re-entry permit). If you don't need to travel abroad, the only thing that must be "renewed" is the red book (Alien Registration) at your local police station every 5 years.

2 hours ago, Odin Norway said:

I have heard of foreigner that have a blue book but I have not seen it.Yes he was also of the seniors and have been here a long time.Now you will never get a blue book.You might get youre name in youre wifes blue book but not alone.Ofcourse most things can be bought but not leagaly.Thais only get 5 years on their licnce also now and foreigners get 2 years with a blue book.

Unless you pay under the table then everything is posible.

Always nice to hear when some office-worker get a long face.

Not true... I am a foreigner and I have a blue book (tabien baan). That is very normal for all Permanent Residency holders. As for 5 years driving licenses, I got one as well 3 years ago, even before having my PR. No problem at all.

19 minutes ago, thedemon said:

 

I did it several years ago but from my memory you are correct.

 

As I recall the process is immigration issue your residence certificate which you then take to your local police station for them to issue the Alien certificate. When that is ready you go back to immigration and they give you a letter to take to the district office. You are supposed to do that within a certain time frame (7 days from the letter date?)

 

But in my case I don't think they ever checked that I had actually done that. I had a re-entry/endorsement issued on the second visit so never went back to immigration until the following year for another re-entry.

Yes, you are right, it's about the date on that letter, I guess. The 7 days limit is for getting the Alien Registration book, I think, as I was supposed to have the blue Tabien Baan already when I went to pick up my Certificate of Residence. At least I was told so. I have no idea how that would have been possible though. But presenting my yellow Tabien Baan at that time did the job.

On 01/09/2016 at 2:36 PM, ubonjoe said:

A non Thai person cannot be registered in a blue house book unless they have permanent residency. They can have a blue house book if they own a condo but cannot be registered in it.

2 hours ago, MikeyIdea said:

PR and blue book is easy:

As Faz says: There is a rule that you must be put on a blue book within (I think it was) 10 days from processing your permanent residency. Failing to get on a blue book and your PR process will not be complete and you lose it again

It's actually 7 days. But the blue Tabien Baan sometimes takes weeks to be issued, so I think that what matters is to apply for it within 7 days after getting your Residence Certificate, even if there is more than 7 days between the dates on both of these documents. But anyone with more info on this, please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

7 hours ago, arithai12 said:

A main hurdle for PR is the requirement (not mentioned by the OP) of a minimum salary. As I understand it, but corrections would be welcome, this is 80k Baht/month which must be proven from tax forms paid in Thailand and additional income from abroad doesn't count.

Small correction: you must pay taxes for 3 consecutive years before applying but the 80k minimum salary requirement applies only for the last 2 years before applying.

27 minutes ago, Sir Bogdiver said:

They were actually printed in the 1930's.

As so few get approved for PR they have still not run out.

Wow, seriously!? So we hold a piece of history here...

27 minutes ago, Sir Bogdiver said:

As a permanent resident your red police book is your official ID.  Although you can't carry it around with you as it will fall apart within weeks I always carry a copy of my police book in my wallet.

Mine looks super old as well, it even looks like it got wet at some point (I mean, before I received it, not from me). I read somewhere that they were printed decades ago and they still didn't finish that old stock.

9 minutes ago, p_brownstone said:

 

After the 1 year renewal (as a sort of penalty I guess!) I was back to the usual 5 year renewal cycle with no problems at all.

Ok, good to know. I'll make sure not to forget to avoid that. Thank you for sharing!