KamnanT

My understanding is that the "90 days in six months on visa exempt stamps" rule does not specify that the 90 days must be taken in 30 day "chunks". Any combination of entries that add up to 90 days or less is permitted. 3 stays of 30 days, 9 stays of 10 days, 18 stays of 5 days or any combination that adds up to 90 days.

Once your total count is over 60 days, on your next entry, instead of getting leave to enter for 30 days, the officer should grant you leave to enter for what remains of your permitted total of 90 days. So, for example, if you have 3 visits totalling 72 days in the last six months and arrive for another entry, the officer should grant you another 18 days. There's no reason why your son should have been received less than 30 days given that he only had 11 days in Thailand in the previous six months.

Of course, for arrivals with a lot of stamps in their passports, all that counting is rather taxing on the immigration officer's noggin and there are no government issue calculators. But if your son had only the single previous entry in his passport, even the thickest of a less than gifted bunch should have been able to handle the math.

One parent must be thai to qualify for a lil one having thai citizenship. Being born in thailand by foreign parents does not mean you are automatically thai.

...or residents. Children of resident aliens born in Thailand are eligible for Thai citizenship.

If a foreigners couple's child is born in Thailand,the father and the mother both have "retired"visas and they are not planning to leave Thailand, isnt it treu that the child doesnt need a (attachet)visa (at all???)accordenly?.........untill the head of the household and similar nationality in this case leaves the Kingdom?

we would appriciate your comments.

hgma

Father and mother both have "retired" visas (ie. both 50+) and they have a newborn child? I guess it's never too late to start!

Sorry, a bit off topic, but I have another question about the 90-day report.

I am on a one year extension based on business. My next scheduled 90-day report

would be sometime in October (unless I have to travel, of course). Now, I am

moving to a new apartment next month. I understand that the landlord has

to report my new address to immigration when I move in. Does this mean that the

90 day count then starts from zero or do I still have to report in October?

The requirement for landlords and hoteliers to report the names, nationalities, passport details and departure card details of their non-resident alien tenants is completely separate and distinct from the requirement for non-resident aliens to report their address every 90 days. Changing your residence in Thailand does not restart the 90-day timer - only leaving the country or lodging a 90-day report does that. My guess is that while hotels might be more rigourous, most landlords don't report (I can't remember mine ever asking for a copy of my passport or departure card).

I wold agree that Big A's view is a little too negative. I applied in December 2005 and was accepted in June this year. Yes, it is a bureaucratic process and the initial and final stages can be time-consuming, but most of the 18 months is just waiting. The limit of 100 per nationality is, as others have pointed out, never reached. The biggest hurdle for most in the "Employment" category is establishing a 3 year history of employment income and the associated income tax payments. If you have worked legally and have all of your tax returns and receipts, it's straightforward. If you have lost or misplaced your returns, you can get certified copies from the Revenue Department. If you haven't worked (or have worked but haven't paid Thai tax), then you've got little chance of success, but that shouldn't come as a huge surprise. I have a number of colleagues in the US who are going through the Green Card application process. It takes a LOT longer (minimum 2 and often as long as 6 years) and guess what - you have to prove that you work and pay your taxes!

At the extreme end, I have a Thai colleague whose parents migrated to the US not long after her 18th birthday. Because she was over 18, she couldn't be included on their application and had to apply separately in the family reunification category. She was informed by the US Embassy in April this year that her application had been approved - 12 years after it was lodged. And she was given six months to establish residency in the US or it would all lapse.

Moral of the story - immigration is a drag.

1.i never study university,just a regular school,so i have only paper about this,its enough?

2.i fenish my school wahn im was 18.....befor 10 yers.......i think i dont have any document,coz i lost this.....if i will come without this? they cam make me problem?

3.and if i will fund.....all the any kaind of documents it is in my language (no thai,no english,)

so,i need to translation this befor?

4.about the cv,i go to work with my girl frind-in coffe shop,(wa go to merrig),way i need cv?

its realy importment waht have inside the cv? or i can writeing waht i want.....?

To be precise, you won't change your non-Immigrant "B" visa to a work permit, your employer will apply for a work permit for you after you have arrived in Thailand on a non-Immigrant "B" visa. You will need both if you want to work in Thailand legally.

When you say "work with my girlfriend in a coffee shop", do you mean waiting tables? Waiter/waitress is a restricted occupation and you won't get a work permit for that. On the other hand, if you will own and operate the coffee shop (solely or as a partner), that's different.

If you go the "business operator" route, you will need to establish a Thai limited company. Sole proprietorships cannot apply for work permits. There are a myriad of rules around business capitalisation (minimum THB 2,000,000 for each work permit), Thai ownership and control (a very hot topic in Thailand these days) and the work permit application process can be complex.

You should obtain as much documentation of your education that you can. If you only graduated from high school, then get something official from your government that proves that. If it's not in English or Thai, then you will need to have it translated into Thai before you submit the application. If you submit your application with no evidence of any education, I think your chances of success will be low ("If the job doesn't require any education, why isn't a Thai doing it?").

I don't mean to be discouraging, but I get the feeling you've been led to believe that obtaining a work permit in Thailand is just a matter of applying. It's a bit more difficult than that. As in most countries, the Ministry of Labour in Thailand seeks to allow foreign labour when it is of benefit to the country but restrict foreign labour from disadvantaging Thais. At least that's the theory.

No, a parent has to be a Thai national.

Or have a certificate of residence. Children born in Thailand to residents are eligible for Thai citizenship. So conceivably you can have two resident foreign nationals with a Thai child.

I will soon commence evaluating an increase of my investment in a Thai registered private limited software development company, in which I am presently a minor shareholder [appx. 0.5%] . . . I expect to be in and out of Thailand a number of times over the coming 4-6+ months to conduct due diligence, and if favorable, execute the increase in my investment. The time in Thailand I will need to complete the evaluation and negotiation cannot be accommodated with a tourist visa, which I previously relied upon.

What kind of visa is best? . . . does there exist a multiple-entry non-immigrant business visa for this purpose? . . . I would like a 1-year visa for this purpose . . . what are the possibilities here?

I would have thought a multiple entry non-Imm "B" would be the way to go: up to 90 days on each entry, valid for entry up to one year from the date of issue. You don't mention where you will be applying from - multiple entry non-Imm "B" visas appear to be easier to obtain in the US, UK and other countries "far away from Thailand", whereas they are much harder to obtain closer to home. Most SEA embassies won't issue them period.

Is That language requirement enforced? - that is the only thing which prevents me from going for this residency status. I'm just not smart enough

It was brought in by the clean living foreign hater, Purachai, who owns his own landed property in New Zealand bought on his policeman's and academic's savings and sent his kids to Kiwi private schools. It is definitely enforced but is apparently very easy. Immigration was unhappy about the requirement, so they just take the p*** out of it. It is multiple choice and the answers are obvious to any one with the most rudimentary knowledge of Thai who is not a complete moron. They video tape the tests to prove no corruption is involved in the virtually 100% pass rates! A friend who definitely cannot speak more than a few words of mangled Thai passed it with no trouble.

Thanks - but is it a 'written test' or aural/oral? If the latter I'd agree it may not be too hard. If it's written I'm sunk.

The Thai language competency test is an oral test. On the day of your interview (normally scheduled 4 to 8 weeks after your application is lodged), your case officer will complete an affadavit summarising the details of your application: date and place of birth, date of initial entry into Thailand, employment and income details, etc. The affadavit is in Thai and at the end of the session you will be asked to sign it.

The test is one of the last steps and it will be videotaped so that each of the government agencies that reviews your application will also have the opportunity to laugh at your pronounciation. You will be asked to introduce yourself and say a few things about yourself in Thai ("My name is...., I was born in...., I work at....). This is a set piece that you can rehearse in advance. Next, there are several sets of 10 multiple choice questions written in Thai and your case officer will choose one at random. He/she will read each question VERY slowly (in Thai, of course) and each of the four answers to each question. You will be required to choose one of the four answers. The questions themselves are a combination of basic knowledge of Thailand ("How many changwat are there in Thailand?") and, rather unusually, questions about the PR application process itself ("If you are successful in your application, how many days will you have to apply for your residence certificate?"). There are lists of past questions circulating on the WWW and if you employ an immigration attorney/consultant to assist you, they will inevitably have a list of potential questions to rehearse.

I would classify my own spoken Thai language capability as "intermediate" and I cannot read or write (I know - shame, shame), but got a perfect score on the test with only a couple of hours of preparation. If permanent residence is otherwise a viable option, I wouldn't be put off by the Thai language capability test alone.

My reason to not applying for PR is simply the ignorance from the immigration department. I have asked them several times, last time this June when the application time frame is open, with no answer. I do fulfill all requirements, but no idea when I can apply so don't bother anymore. Would be nice to have PR status but it's not inconvenient without so far.

The application period for permanent residence is in December each year. The Immigration Bureau publishes a notice announcing the first day for applications; the last last day is normally the last working day of the year. I applied in December 2005 and the application period was only one week (5 working days). Needless to say, it was a bit busy in room 301 at Suan Phlu.

An update one week later on the slow and torturous process of getting all the books and stamps. A cooperative friend agreed to let me use his tabien baan for the house registration phase, so last Thursday the whole family (hubbie, wife, two kids) all trooped down to Suan Phlu. Usual stack of paper: approval letters, photocopies of passports (every page, including arrival/departure card and last 90 day report receipt), a dozen photographs each, certified copy of tabien baan and, of course, a cashier's cheque for the fee: one primary applicant at 191,400 baht and three dependents at 95,700 each. That's 428,500 baht. Serious dosh in any country.

Arrived at 10am and the sole officer in Room 301 says they're all going off for a meeting, could be back before lunch, might not be. I pointed to the kids and made a plea for mercy - they would go nuts hanging around this dungeon for three hours. He grudgingly consented to look at our paperwork...his part being to look up our names on the list and tell us to go down to a room (202?) on the second floor.

In room 202, documents are examined, photos stuck on forms, signatures and fingerprints taken from everyone. Some debate amongst ourselves and the officers about Thai spellings of our names. Our surname has (in my humble opinion) been misspelt in the original affadavit that was completed at the time of the application. They agree to correct it...but oops, the same incorrect spelling is on my son's Thai birth certificate. So I'm offered a choice: accept the incorrect spelling for all time or go and get his birth certificate changed first. I could only imagine the hours and days that would be wasted doing that, so option "A" prevailed.

Just when we think this might all end efficiently, a fatal flaw is discovered. There is only one cashier's cheque for the total amount. The two case officers insist that they need four separate cheques, one for each application. I politely ask why, given that the money is (at least in theory) all going to the same place - the Thai public purse (stop giggling everyone). They are insistent...but they have a helpful suggestion. I have presented a Bangkok Bank cashier's cheque and there is a branch of the Bangkok Bank just down Soi Suan Phlu, so why don't I go over there and get cash for them? Right. I'm going to give almost half a million baht in cash to someone dressed in brown (little known fact: Royal Thai Police uniforms are white when issued, but the ink rubs off all those 1,000 baht notes).

So I explain to the officers that the cheque is payable to the Bangkok Immigration Division and as a result, I cannot cash it. The best I could do would be to return to my own branch, get the cashier's cheque cancelled and have four new cheques drawn. This would take a day or two. More pleading...is there any way we can handle this today? Finally, it is agreed that four photocopies of the cheque will be made and one inserted in each file with a meticulous handwritten note explaining why the amount of the cheque is not the same as the amount of the fee. It is made clear to me [A] that I have been done a tremendous favour and that today is the birthday of one of the case officers. If I am a civilised person, I will express my appreciation in some material way when I return to pick up the Resident Certificates on Friday.

Friday, I return (sans family) with a basket of fruit for the birthday girl and Resident Certificates are obtained. The Immigration officers meticulously explain that we have 7 days to apply for Alien Registration books for myself and my wife at our local police station. As both of our children are under 12 years of age, they will not be required to apply for Alien Registration books until their 12th birthdays - but they must apply within 7 days of turning 12 or they are in violation of the law.

So, we leave the kids at home with the housekeeper and head over to the station (one hour in traffic). The officer responsible is, of course, not there, but another helpful officer can collect the details and complete the applications. First question: "Where are your children?". Well, at home, of course, because they don't need Alien Registration books. "True, but they still need to register even though they don't get a book." DOH!! "But that's OK, let's get started on yours and you can bring the kids in later." The officer is a kind and gentle man, but not the sharpest tool in the box. Completes the applications at a glacial pace, checking each fact over and over and using a calculator to convert A.D. to B.E. He has a photocopy of a previous application that he keeps referring to as a cheat sheet on how to do this one. Not surprising, I guess - our books are numbered 13/2550 and 14/2550, so I guess not a lot of people come in for these things. It takes 90 minutes to complete the applications and take yet more fingerprints.

Monday was a public holiday, Tuesday our officer was not going to be in the office, Wednesday he could complete the books so it was agreed that we would return on Thursday to pick up the books and complete the registration process for the kids. Arrived today at 10am and went through another hour of form filling (this time with a typewriter whereas last week was handwritten...who knows?). Received our books, which are an incredible piece of antiquity: I'm guessing they were printed in the early 70s. The Thai typeface is classic, but I haven't seen a font like as far back as I can remember.

Only one more step to go, but the one that previous posters have said is the most bureaucratic: house registration. We tried to make an appointment at the amphur office for tomorrow but they insist they are far too busy with this weekend's upcoming referendum on the Constitution. I can believe that. So maybe Wednesday, maybe not....call back next week. But not on Monday, because that's a holiday.

I don't think registering you on the TB of another person is a big issue. My wife from Isaan is registered with her family on the TB of the guy who built our hotel swimming pool! (This was because we hadn't finished building our hotel and therefore couldn't get a TB for the hotel....)

Simon

You don't think it will raise eyebrows down at Suan Phlu if I present a tabien baan with a different address than the one used throughout the application process so far?

I've run into a potential roadblock here. Having applied for and received a 30-day extension to appear at Suan Phlu (my daughter was spending time overseas), last week I gathered all the necessary documents and was intending to get the ball rolling down at Immigration on Thursday morning. Popped in to see my apartment building manager to ask (for the third time) for the tabien baan so that I could make a copy for the owner to sign. She informs me that the owner has declined to provide it on the basis that no other tenant in her 25 years of owning the building has ever asked to be included on the tabien baan and she doesn't see why I'm any different. The concept of permanent residence (and the requirement for permanent residents to be registered in a tabien baan) has been explained to her but she's not budging. Not sure if she's looking for money or what.

Speaking to the company's immigration lawyer, it would appear that this is another Thai Catch-22: the immigration law requires alien residents to be registered, but their is no law compelling landlords to register tenants on their tabien baan - it's entirely voluntary.

I suppose moving is an option but it's unlikely to happen in time and there's no guarantee my next landlord would be any more accomodating. The building manager, who has been very sympathetic, has offered me a potential way out: she says she owns a few condos herself and she would be happy to register my family (4 of us) in one of her tabien baan. Quite a generous offer, in that this will essentially require her to be less than completely truthful when we visit the amphur office.

It's all a bit counter-productive when you think about it. The whole tabien baan thing is, I would assume, at least partly designed to keep track of who is living where. But because the law does not compel landowners to register tenants, a very large slice of the population (both foreign and Thai) is living somewhere other than the address at which they are registered.

I did the "Transfer Stamps" thing for my son last week at the One-Stop in Lat Phrao. His stay (on a Non-Imm "O") was extended in February at the same time as mine. But while my Non-Imm "B" stay was extended for 12 months, his was only extended to the expiration date of his current passport (October). We got him a new passport in July. The procedure at Immigration was very straightforward - one form, no money, wait 30 minutes while details of his first arrival and most recent arrival were copied into his new passport, along with details of his new "extension of stay" date (now February 28, 2008) and his most recent re-entry permit. No Embassy letter was required, however I have heard of others being asked for a letter from their Embassy stating that the old and new passport details. Not sure what circumstances require such a letter and what circumstances don't.

I applied for PR in December 2005 and got preliminary approval in January 2007 from Immigration, pending the minister's approval. I see people who got approval a few month's earlier were approved in May. My best guess for final approval was June, but we're now at mid-June and still not a peep from anyone.

Is there anyone else here in the same boat -- class of Dec 2005, approved Jan 2007 (prelim) and still waiting for that final notice...?

CDB

Yep...I'm another almost-graduate of the class of 2005. Got the "Immigration Commission Approved" letter in January but nothing since. Rumours further up this thread that the Interior Minister will be signing another batch in June, but TiT. Not sure if he actually watches all the videos before putting pen to paper - maybe that's what's taking so long.