Immigration Bureau announce "Permanent Residency application window" for 2018

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Immigration Bureau announce "Permanent Residency application window" for 2018

 

Image: Phuket News

 

Foreigners residing in the kingdom have from now until the end of the year to get their permanent residency applications started.

 

The Immigration Bureau said in a document countersigned by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha that the window started on September 19th and will last until Friday December 28th. 

 

Decisions on applications will take at least 300 days. 

 

The applications are limited to 100 persons per nationality. Nationalities that have several states that make up their nationality - such as the UK - are counted as one country. 

 

Some 50 stateless people will also be considered. 

 

Announcement on immigration website: https://www.immigration.go.th/read?content_id=5ba23fb8a2308595479de780

 

You can find an extensive thread on the PR application process here.

 

Listen to an interesting podcast on PR in Thailand here. 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-09-27

[ukrules]

100 people per year per country.

 

The foreign office in the UK should institute a reciprocal agreement which matches this.

[jackdd]

28 minutes ago, ukrules said:

100 people per year per country.

 

The foreign office in the UK should institute a reciprocal agreement which matches this.

 

Did they ever release numbers for which nationalities the limit is reached?

I remember reading somewhere that at least for EU countries the limit is not reached anyway, but i don't know on which data this statement was based

[holy cow cm]

It's over before it is even started. Have to wait for one more year as I was going to apply but didn't think it was like Chiang Mai Immigration with a que starting before Christmas the previous year. 

[ubonjoe]

8 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

It's over before it is even started. Have to wait for one more year as I was going to apply but didn't think it was like Chiang Mai Immigration with a que starting before Christmas the previous year. 

Not sure what you are trying to say. There is nothing that started last year.

If you have all the required documents ready you can apply between now and December 28th.

[brewsterbudgen]

100 people per year per country.
 
The foreign office in the UK should institute a reciprocal agreement which matches this.

Why? The UK system is much fairer with no quotas.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[ukrules]

1 hour ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Why? The UK system is much fairer with no quotas.
 

You'r right, however it's definitely not about being fair, this much we can learn from the Thai Government.

[Ramdas]

How rich do you have to be in order to apply for this hypothetical residenceship ? I wonder..????

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, Ramdas said:

How rich do you have to be in order to apply for this hypothetical residenceship ? I wonder..

You don't have to rich to apply for permanent residence. You only have to meet the 80k income requirement if applying on the basis of working here. If married to a Thai it is 50k baht.

[khunpeer]

"You don't have to rich to apply for permanent residence. You only have to meet the 80k income requirement if applying on the basis of working here. If married to a Thai it is 50k baht."

this is strange, because I asked for info at MHS-immigration and there they showed me what I needed, amongst other requirements also 190.000 baht + 7000 baht as apply-fee that I won't get back, even if the application is cancelled/refused... anyone knows more about this? 

[davebodo]

1 hour ago, ubonjoe said:

You don't have to rich to apply for permanent residence. You only have to meet the 80k income requirement if applying on the basis of working here. If married to a Thai it is 50k baht.

I thought it is only 40k if married to a thai. Is it changed to be 50k now ubonjoe?

[ubonjoe]

10 minutes ago, khunpeer said:

"You don't have to rich to apply for permanent residence. You only have to meet the 80k income requirement if applying on the basis of working here. If married to a Thai it is 50k baht."

this is strange, because I asked for info at MHS-immigration and there they showed me what I needed, amongst other requirements also 190.000 baht + 7000 baht as apply-fee that I won't get back, even if the application is cancelled/refused... anyone knows more about this? 

What I wrote about was the requirements to do the application not the fee for it.

The application fee is 7600 baht.

You don't pay the 191,400 baht fee for the resident certificate until your application is approved. If married to a Thai or the parent of one the fee is 95,700 baht.

[ubonjoe]

13 minutes ago, davebodo said:

I thought it is only 40k if married to a thai. Is it changed to be 50k now ubonjoe?

The 40k baht income is to apply for an extension of stay. For permanent residency it is 50k baht income.

[Khunbilly]

18 hours ago, jackdd said:

 

Did they ever release numbers for which nationalities the limit is reached?

I remember reading somewhere that at least for EU countries the limit is not reached anyway, but i don't know on which data this statement was based

When I applied about 15 years ago the only two countries that reached 100 were China and India, each with about 4,000 applicants. The US had about 15 applicants that year. 

[hotchilli]

Don't think I'll bother this year or next year or the year after that....

As a retired expat I pay 1,900 per year for a renewal visa... I'd rather keep the money in my bank account !!

Residency doesn't give you any real benefits over being retired here on an annual visa ?

[Time Traveller]

15 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Don't think I'll bother this year or next year or the year after that....

As a retired expat I pay 1,900 per year for a renewal visa... I'd rather keep the money in my bank account !!

Residency doesn't give you any real benefits over being retired here on an annual visa ?

The benefit is you don't have to waste a day (usually several) at immigration each year begging for them to give you another extension of stay in Thailand. 

But you're right, financially 1900 Bt per year is cheaper than 100k (married) or 200k (single) up front.

[jayboy]

42 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Don't think I'll bother this year or next year or the year after that....

As a retired expat I pay 1,900 per year for a renewal visa... I'd rather keep the money in my bank account !!

Residency doesn't give you any real benefits over being retired here on an annual visa ?

 

You needn't trouble your head about it ever since as a retiree you do not qualify for PR.

[samran]

This is good news.

 

A number of chambers of commerce have lobbied the government on this issue. A meeting with the National Intelligence Agency was held not too long ago where this issue was also presented, so it appears people have been listening.

 

 

[Esso49]

3 hours ago, Time Traveller said:

The benefit is you don't have to waste a day (usually several) at immigration each year begging for them to give you another extension of stay in Thailand. 

But you're right, financially 1900 Bt per year is cheaper than 100k (married) or 200k (single) up front.

And it never has been wasted day at Udon Thani for me.  This year was the same as previous years,  1 hour to submitted yearly extension due to marriage and a month later about 20 minutes to get the stamp in the PP.  By all accounts you waste much more than a few days on PR from start to finish

Edited September 28, 2018 by Esso49

[Esso49]

3 hours ago, jayboy said:

 

You needn't trouble your head about it ever since as a retiree you do not qualify for PR.

Actually that is incorrect

[ubonjoe]

2 minutes ago, Esso49 said:

Actually that is incorrect

It is certainly correct. At this time there is no clause for retirees to apply for permanent residency.

[Awinkl]

13 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Don't think I'll bother this year or next year or the year after that....

As a retired expat I pay 1,900 per year for a renewal visa... I'd rather keep the money in my bank account !!

Residency doesn't give you any real benefits over being retired here on an annual visa ?

What are the REAL differences/advantages in getting the Residency - instead of renewing the Retirement Visa each year??

[MrMuddle]

12 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

It is certainly correct. At this time there is no clause for retirees to apply for permanent residency.

But can one apply if one is here on a Marriage Visa ? Does PR allow a foreigner to own land, and a house ?

[ubonjoe]

4 hours ago, Awinkl said:

What are the REAL differences/advantages in getting the Residency - instead of renewing the Retirement Visa each year??

One advantage is you never have to do another extension application, 90 day report and etc at immigration. Since you are on a permanent status  instead of being on a temporary permit to stay alone is a big advantage.

1 hour ago, MrMuddle said:

But can one apply if one is here on a Marriage Visa ? Does PR allow a foreigner to own land, and a house ?

You have to be on extensions of stay for at least 3 continuous years to apply for PR. If on a multiple entry visa it would not be accepted.

You can apply with a extension of stay based upon marriage. You have to be working for 3 years with a work permit and paying taxes to apply. If married to a Thai the fee for the residence certificate is about half of of what others have to pay.

You cannot own land while on PR.

But if you are married to a Thai and can qualify for PR it would be better to apply for Thai citizenship. With citizenship you can own land.

[Time Traveller]

On 9/28/2018 at 3:49 AM, Esso49 said:

And it never has been wasted day at Udon Thani for me.  This year was the same as previous years,  1 hour to submitted yearly extension due to marriage and a month later about 20 minutes to get the stamp in the PP.  By all accounts you waste much more than a few days on PR from start to finish

You are forgetting the time it takes to collect all the documents and photocopies and signed pages and house pictures and bank statements and landlord/witness statements.  I've only done the extension in Bangkok, and you can pretty much right off a full day for applying. Even then it's likely they probably want some extra documents.

[Ramdas]

They’ve actually got a website but it doesn’t appear to be working ever ! It would reduce their workloads of countless paper work hence the long lines of people waiting to hopefully get what they went there in the first place, when you ask them why can’t get their website up and running to do the 90days report or else for that matter you just get the silent treatment, standard for Thai people ???? so annoying to put it lightly !

Edited October 1, 2018 by Ramdas

[jumbo]

Is there an age limit for application??

[ubonjoe]

16 minutes ago, jumbo said:

Is there an age limit for application??

No

[jumbo]

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

No

Thanks, where can I find/download updated requirements?

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, jumbo said:

Thanks, where can I find/download updated requirements?

http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/2notice/residence61/residence_documents_en.pdf