My question is, when someone has a Permanent Residence Visa and leaves Thailand for 2-3 years (not being about to return during that time) and when returning after 2 or 3 years is the Permanent Residence Visa still valid? If not is there some easy path to reestablish its validly without having to start the process over.

Staying out of the country more than one year will result in the loss of permanent residency. 

It would require applying again to get it back.

6 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Staying out of the country more than one year will result in the loss of permanent residency. 

It would require applying again to get it back.

Thank you Ubonjoe. This was the answer I figured and didn't want to hear. 

But you only need to be in Thailand a very short number of days, per year to keep PR. The way it was explained to me:

 

- You can be outside Thailand for one block period up to 364 days and your safe, but one block period of 365 days or more and it automatically cancels.

 

- There is no process to consider one off application for any waiver.

 

- There is no process to ask for reinstatement if your out 365 or more and it's gone.

 

- Would need complete new application, previously having PR not part of the new application considerations. 

 

 

All you need to keep your PR over this period is to return to Thailand for a day or two to renew your non-immigrant quota re-entry visa just before it expires (valid for 1 year). Takes a couple of hours usually (at Chaeng Wattana anyway).

 

If you cannot manage that, then as posted above, your PR is lost and its back to square one with a new application.

As above...the bottom line is that if you have permanent residence, then you need the re-entry visa to return into the country anyway otherwise the permanent residence will lapse, and that visa is only valid for 1 year, so you have to return within a year and then renew it for an additional year if you want to keep the permanent residence and leave Thailand again.

Fly in, get the endorsement and the re-entry and leave again - all within the validity of the present re-entry. 
Everything else results in voiding the resident permit; happened to me and I was sent back to square 1, paperwork, interview and payment. 

On 8/28/2018 at 8:11 AM, scorecard said:

But you only need to be in Thailand a very short number of days, per year to keep PR. The way it was explained to me:

 

- You can be outside Thailand for one block period up to 364 days and your safe, but one block period of 365 days or more and it automatically cancels.

 

- There is no process to consider one off application for any waiver.

 

- There is no process to ask for reinstatement if your out 365 or more and it's gone.

 

- Would need complete new application, previously having PR not part of the new application considerations. 

 

 

I am sure your understanding is correct.That was precisely how my lawyer explained it to me.

 

It's probably just worth pointing out (for benefit those new to the topic) that if you do not leave the country there is no need to visit Immigration ever again.