Yggdrasil

I wonder; if, due to currency difficulties reducing my pension below 65,000 baht, I want to change from non-imm B 'retirement' to 'married' retirement at next extension in September, does my visa-class change from non-imm B to O or O-A? And if so, do I need to show health insurance cerificate which I don't have. Can it be done at Chiangmai imm?

I am 73, have lived here on non-imm B more than 25 years, have been married for 12 years, have a thai adopted son 14 years old with my family name.

Thank you!

20 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Permanent residence is a prerequisite to apply for citizenship for most people.

PR is not required if married to a Thai lady to apply for citizenship. If a person is married to a Thai and can qualify for PR they should apply for citizenship instead of PR.

Thanks to Ubonjoe for constantly giving us good info and advice.

I wonder if one must give up own citizenship if granted Thai citizenship? How long does the process take and when and where can one apply?

Finally, what happens if you just cannot sing a single note....will it be enough to be able to recite the text of the Thai national hymn?

19 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

Maybe worth contacting the bigger medical schools, in Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

Would you please share any further information you find, I'm also interested to do the same, perhaps other folks too.

 

My Thai son already asked at the teaching hospital attached to Chiang Mai University medical school, they said yes they would accept typical transplant organs: eyes, heart, liver and kidneys, etc., but whole farang body for research wasn't discussed.  

It's a very good thought which I have considered for some time.

I made my first enquiry into this at a large goverment hospital in Chiangmai where they seemed to welcome my idea. I was given a document (in Thai) to be filled in and with a place for my photo to be attached, though there were no negative reaction to the fact that I am a foreigner. However, to my disappointment I was told that they don't want bodies older than 80 years old...so, as I am 70 years old already and am/feel very healthy and hope to enjoy many more happy years here in Thailand I left the hospital wondering if I should just drop the idea.

Now, having thought more about it I have decided to go back and hand in my papers hoping they eventually will accept a 100 year old farang! Who knows?

7 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Here is the list of required documents for permanent residency if married to a Thai. http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/doc/residence/residence_th_sponser_en.pdf 

There is no list for retirees since it is not possible. See: http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=residence

You will find number 1 on that page is a from the immigration commision dated 2003 that is no longer valid. There is this category that has been eliminated "3.3 Qualification of applicant for humanitarian reasons in each circumstance:".

Thank you so very much for your kind follow up and for the links you have given! Greatly appreciated despite the disappointment I must admit I feel; I have been so keen to prepare everything for my application later this year but perhaps I should just follow the good piece of advise given by an other wise visitor on this forum: to just relax and keep my blood pressure at 120/70 and forget about the PR!

Thanks again!

20 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I cannot answer the question other than that is the rules. It was possible if married to a Thai at one time but that was changed about 2009.

It is has been discussed in other topics so no need start another one.

As I am quite new to this blog, I hope you can please tell me where to find more info.

Does in fact the new regulations state that Work Permit is a requirement even for a pensioner paying taxes in Thailand on life-long pensions? It's quite confusing as some websites state that you need 3 extensions of Non-Imm visa, either B or based on marriage or/and retirement. Sorry to ask so much and thank you for your responses.

13 minutes ago, glegolo said:

I am VERY curious .....  Have you paid taxes on your pension to Thailand??? I hope you are NOT a swedish citizen.. Because you pay your taxes in Sweden on your pension nowhere else... OR is it different for you...

 

Hope you do not mind me askng...

 

Glegolo

Of course I don't mind you asking! I am happy to respond:

As a Norwegian, the tax agreement between Thailand and Norway gives me the option either to pay a flat 15% tax (on pensions) to Norway or declare and pay the tax here in Thailand on whatever part of my pension that is transferred to my bank in Thailand. As I live here the whole year (and therefore formally is a tax resident here) I chose to pay my taxes here in Thailand. Due to 'old man' deductions of 190,000 etc my present effective tax rate is about 8%.

The Norwegian tax authorites are very strict; unless I provide them with the yearly 'Tax Certificate' and 'Certificate of Tax-Residence' issued by Thai Revenue Department (in English) the Norwegians will automatically withdraw 15%. 

May I add that the famous Thai Smile is all over when I come to declare my pension; they even offer me coffee and help with everything....and, if I am short of cash they give me a couple of months credit! Very nice people at the revenue department!

Finally, I believe that the tax agreement between Thailand and Sweden does not offer the same choices and that taxes have to be paid to Sweden.

May I, as a 70 year old Scandinavian pensioner with life-long state pension (abt. 100,000 baht per month) apply for Permanent Residency?

I now have 4 consecutive one-year extensions (marked 'Retirement ') of my Non-Imm B visa and have paid full taxes on my pensions for the last six years (tax average abt. 110,000 bath per year). I have been married to my Thai wife for 10 years and have lived continously for 23 years in Thailand as a 'Tax Resident' based on consecutive Non-Imm B visas.  Now, as a pensioner I no longer work and therefore no longer have a Work Permit.

Can I still apply for Permanent Residency?

I will be very thankful for any response to my question.

3 minutes ago, abab said:

I wonder why having 3 years of work permit is needed ? It should only be based on having a yearly visa.

 

 

Yes, that has been my impression also. It would be great to have it confirmed that any 'one year' Non-Imm Visa (Business, Retirement and Marriage) with at least three extensions would qualify for application for PR - assuming everything else is ok.

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

As I wrote before you would have to be working with a work permit and paying taxes.

Just paying taxes is not enough.

Thank you for your response. I have been a bit confused after reading info at gam-legalallience website  stating that one may apply for PR based on Retirement Visa and Marriage Visa in addition to Business Visa.

I have in fact been tax resident in Thailand for abt 20 years with work permit but have now been retired for five years and paid taxes in Thailand on my state pension from Scandinavia that I will receive for the rest of my life. But if retirement visa is not accepted for PR then I guess I have to give up the idea. Thanks again.

May a person living in Thailand on a Retirement Visa and who has made  at least three yearly extensions and have paid taxes for more than three years and married to Thai wife for ten years apply for PR?

22 hours ago, chrisinth said:

If your mother for example sent $500 to your bank account here, would you question it? Would the bank question it as they only see a $500 transfer to be fair?

 

You have already stated that you have no work permit so, according to the present laws in Thailand, you are actually undertaking work in Thailand illegally. Yes, it is a big grey area, but without the work permit, or employment by a Thai company, there is no way for you to get into the tax system.

 

Seems you have two choices, either stop working immediately and cancel the payment or, keep your mouth shut and stop posting on public forums drawing attention to yourself and continue what you are doing.

 

There will likely be posters coming along calling BS to online work not being illegal; my point of view is that it is illegal only because the current laws do not specifically cover online work. Their views will be different, but wrong IMHO of course......................

 

Yes I fully agree, yet may I add that any foreigner staying in Thailand more than 180 days is by the Thai Revenue department regarded as a 'Tax Resident' (not to be confused with 'Permanent Resident') and therefore, as a general rule, taxable for any and all income and pension from abroad that actually is received here in Thailand. Therefore, even without a work permit foreigners staying here more than half a year are obligded to pay tax here, though not on income or pension that is kept outside Thailand. This is the general rule but any foreigner staying more than 180 days should read the relevant Tax Agreement between Thailand and his/her country.

Finally, when you declare your annual income/pension the Thai Revenue dept will use your detailed bank statement to check how much you bring in. Normally, smaller amounts explained as gifts etc will not create any problems. Hope this was helpful.

Thai Immigration wouldn't do this without a solid, good reason - in my view there must be more to this story than we have been told.