Including A Foreigner In A House Registration Book

[meadish_sweetball]

What are the positive sides to being included in a house registration book for a foreigner? Are there any potential negative sides to it?

What about the other registered people in the book? Positives/negatives to them?

I understand it is possible to be included if one is legally married to, and lives with a Thai citizen.

Tried to search for 'house registration' but the search did not turn up anything about this.

[Maestro]

I understand it is possible to be included if one is legally married to, and lives with a Thai citizen.

I was under the impression that a foreigner can get on the regular house registration book (tabien baan) only if he is a Permanent Resident, but I may be wrong. There is a yellow tabien baan specifically for foreign condo owners, I have read on ThaiVisa, but that was not your question

As you say, there does not seem to be anything official on that on the Internet but if there is I would be grateful to have the URL so that I may add it to my list of “Thai Immigration Laws, Regulations, Police Orders”

I know there are some Internet search wizards among the ThaiVisa members and hopefully they take on this challenge.

--

Maestro

[Mid]

Tried to search for 'house registration' but the search did not turn up anything about this.

google tabien baan

[samran]

Meadish,

best ask down at the ampur, but I was 99% sure that only foreigners who have residency permits can get on the Tabien Baan. You'll need the permission of the 'gao baan' to get on as well.

From what I can see though, all upside, given that Tabien Baan is a required document for so many things in Thailand, and negates you having to go to immigration/embassies for residency certificates.

[meadish_sweetball]

According to an answer from a government official I found on the Phuket Gazette website, only foreigners with Permanent Residence can be listed on a 'tabian baan / tabienban / tabianbaan ทะเบียนบ้าน', so I guess that seems to leave out anyone who is 'just' here on a Non Immigrant Visa.

Anyone who can confirm or refute this?

Edit: Thank you for your reply Samran.

[samran]

According to an answer from a government official I found on the Phuket Gazette website, only foreigners with Permanent Residence can be listed.

Anyone who can confirm or refute this?

An Australian friend of mine only got on the tabieen baan after he got PR. Sorry, no official rule to prove this though.

My wife is mentioned 'in passing' on our family Tabieen baan, as the mother of my child (who has her own page).

My father is also mentioned in passing, as the father of me (on my page).

I guess though, if you can get on it, cause someone says they think you can...then I would!

[Maestro]

google tabien baan

No link to an official site there. Anyway, to win the virtual six-pack of beer you need to give me the URL, not just a googling hint.

--

Maestro

[Petch01]

According to an answer from a government official I found on the Phuket Gazette website, only foreigners with Permanent Residence can be listed on a 'tabian baan / tabienban / tabianbaan ทะเบียนบ้าน', so I guess that seems to leave out anyone who is 'just' here on a Non Immigrant Visa.

Anyone who can confirm or refute this?

Edit: Thank you for your reply Samran.

There are two kinds of "tabien baans". One is the blue book which is only for Thai citizens and PR-holders. The other one is the yellow book. The yellow book is a house registration for foreigners not holding the PR-status but who were allowed to have an official address registration in Thailand. Condo-owners for example can have yellow books.

Petch01

[ronw]

My wife recently went to the district office to ask precisely that question....and was told that my name CAN be put into a yellow book....but the process will take a "few" weeks....ho hum!I am not holding my breath until we get it.

[Maestro]

...my name CAN be put into a yellow book...

From the book’s yellow colour I presume that you are the owner (gao baan) of the place.

From his reference to legal marriage to a Thai citizen I understand the OP’s question to be about a foreigner getting onto the blue-coloured tabien baan of a Thai citizen.

--

Maestro

[Petch01]

...my name CAN be put into a yellow book...

From the book’s yellow colour I presume that you are the owner (gao baan) of the place.

From his reference to legal marriage to a Thai citizen I understand the OP’s question to be about a foreigner getting onto the blue-coloured tabien baan of a Thai citizen.

--

Maestro

Generally you should be the owner of a place but I was able to get a yellow tabien baan on my Thai wife's address which is currently her parent's address. My foreign brother-in-law was refused to get a yellow book. So, it really depends on "friends" within the amphur.

About the blue book, I answered the OP question already in a previous post.

Having a PR gives advantages which you can read somewhere on this board. The main advantages of a registration in a blue or yellow book is that transactions where an official address is needed will go easier such as buying vehicles etc.

Petch01

[Maestro]

Generally you should be the owner of a place but I was able to get a yellow tabien baan on my Thai wife's address which is currently her parent's address.

It is getting more and more curious. Thank you, Petch01; good of you to post this personal experience.

--

Maestro

[wpcoe]

If I understand this correctly now, I can have a yellow tabien baan book since I legally own my condo in my name?

If so, what is a reason why I would want (need?) a tabien baan?

[North]

December last year I got the yellow Tabian Baan.

I am married to a thai in Thailand, my wife and I went to thetsebahn (I think this is the name of the office), bringing our wedding papers, my passport and two witnesses, - friends of my wife, who testified our identity. At first they were reluctant to give me the TB because I only had a tourist visa, but I think my wife is very clever when it comes to speaking to government officials ( she works for the government herself ), so she persuaded them and we also told them, that shortly I will change visa status to Non Imm O, which in fact I will do shortly.

At first I did not know, what colour of book I would have, eventually I got the yellow one.

I have been told by an expat friend, that I can use the TB for:

Buying a car in my name. ( I just bought a car )

Getting a thai driver´s license.

My wife called to the office, who takes care of driver´s license, and when she mentioned, that I have a TB, everything was OK, I could go there and get the license. ( bringing TB, international driver´s license and passport)

One more thing my friend told me, but I cannot verify this yet:

According to him if I bring my TB when I visit national parks and the like, I no longer have to pay that outrageous entrance, they normally charge from foreigners, I only need to pay the same as thai citizens.

( I visited Phu Kradung in december shortly before I got the TB, I paid 400 baht entrance, my thai friends were embarrassed, they only paid 40 baht and told me, that next time they would try to buy the ticket for me. )

My friend got his TB 2-3 years ago. I don´t know how he did it, but he got the blue one, I think it was because they were not well informed of the rules in that particular office. He is not a permanent resident.

North

[cooL_guY_corY]

its possible to be included as a renter. if it is long term via lease agreement

[Sojourner]

My wife recently went to the district office to ask precisely that question....and was told that my name CAN be put into a yellow book....but the process will take a "few" weeks....ho hum!I am not holding my breath until we get it.

Can anyone tell me exactly what documents I will need to bring to the amphur to apply for the yellow book? I am the sole owner of my condo. Thanks.

[ozzydom]

My wife recently went to the district office to ask precisely that question....and was told that my name CAN be put into a yellow book....but the process will take a "few" weeks....ho hum!I am not holding my breath until we get it.

Can anyone tell me exactly what documents I will need to bring to the amphur to apply for the yellow book? I am the sole owner of my condo. Thanks.

My mate in Udon has a yellow book for the house he is paying off, he doesnt have to get a residecy certificate to buy/sell motor bikes etc, Siam Bank issued him a credit card on the strengthof it.

Had one attempt myself to get one but we struck the office boss lady on a bad hair day who said she says what goes to the big boss for consideration and she wouldnt bother him with things like that,couldnt even get an appointment with anyone up the ladder as this B#$!(* controlled all appointments,Will try again at big Amphur at Sakhon Nakhon one day

[maprao]

I got my yellow Tabien Bann, Yellow Book. It took 1 mornining lots of smiling documentation and determination.

No "tea money required" and they are not just handed out routinely.

Advantages car / bike ownership proof of address etc.

I live in a more rural are ie not Pattaya or Bangkok. Dealing with the local government offices has always been very pleasant I have been very lucky indeed. One Morning for the Yellow Book, Less than 1 hour for Thai Driving Lic.

It all depends on where you live the officials you are dealing with and your approach and alot of luck.

Edited January 27, 2008 by maprao

[maprao]

Meadish,

best ask down at the ampur, but I was 99% sure that only foreigners who have residency permits can get on the Tabien Baan. You'll need the permission of the 'gao baan' to get on as well.

From what I can see though, all upside, given that Tabien Baan is a required document for so many things in Thailand, and negates you having to go to immigration/embassies for residency certificates.

I always tend to agree with Samran! That in itself is a good enough reason to have one. Save trip to embassy BKK Hotel fees and letter fees!

[prodriver]

What are the positive sides to being included in a house registration book for a foreigner? Are there any potential negative sides to it? What about the other registered people in the book? Positives/negatives to them? I understand it is possible to be included if one is legally married to, and lives with a Thai citizen. Tried to search for 'house registration' but the search did not turn up anything about this.

I can't really see that there are that many advantages in getting PR which will allow you to be included on a tabien baan. At the moment it costs me 1,900 baht per annum for each year's extention of my non immigrant "o" visa based on being married to a Thai national. It costs more than 90 odd thousand baht to get permenant residency....there are an awful lot of 1,900 bahts in 90,000 baht. I am 61 years of age so I would be over 100 years old before I can justify the expense of lashing out nearly 100,000 baht just to have my name included on my wife's tabien baan.

Also, it is easy enough to get a Thai driving licence on the visa that I have now which I renew every 5 years (driving licence that is). I could also own a car in my own name although I haven't bothered as I'm quite happy to have our vehicle in my wife's name.

The one positive thing of having permenant residency is that you remove yourself from having to get visa extentions every year and I suppose that in the future they will up the anti but for now I'll take my chances on that.

[THAIJAMES]

You do not need to be a Permenant resident to have your name on a Tabien Baan. I got my yellow book a couple months ago by showing that I am the owner of the house I am building on leased property. I also had to provide a letter from immigration that I am on a long term visa. I had to provide a thai person that could vouch for me. The whole process was very fast (one week). The lady that gave me the yellow book said that I could add more farangs to the book without problem. I think there are many farangs in Chiang Mai that have their names on the yellow Tabien Baan.

I am now the Chow Ban in the Yellow Tabien Baan.

I also think that if you have a condo, then you should be able to do the same as you are the owner of the condo.

I also think that when you get permenant residency, your name is actually taken away from the yellow Tabien Baan and put on the blue one used by Thais.

A hint given to me by the lady:

When a Yellow Tabien Baan is photocopied, it looks exactly the same as the blue one and no body will know the difference!