Mystifies me as too why so few people do not go the PR red book route instead of endlessly being at the whims of an IO and jumping through hurdles ever 90 days. Most falangs I know qualify for PR. Strange????

How many are capable of Speaking, Reading and writing Thai ?

9 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

How many are capable of Speaking, Reading and writing Thai ?

Most long term stayers I know do

Probably because they cannot qualify for it.

The basic requirement is to be working with a work permit and paying taxes for 3 consecutive years on extensions of stay.

3 minutes ago, expatfromwyoming said:

Most long term stayers I know do

Whilst I know many who qualify on the work permit and tax side of it, they can speak fluent thai but very few are any good with the reading and writing.

Just now, Don Mega said:

Whilst I know many who qualify on the work permit and tax side of it, they can speak fluent thai but very few are any good with the reading and writing.

There is only a requirement to pass a test to prove a understanding of spoken Thai and speaking it. But it does not require fluency.

Just now, ubonjoe said:

There is only a requirement to pass a test to prove a understanding of spoken Thai and speaking it. But it does not require fluency.

Is that a recent thing or is my memory failing me ?

8 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Probably because they cannot qualify for it.

The basic requirement is to be working with a work permit and paying taxes for 3 consecutive years on extensions of stay.

I qualified amongst other conditions( having been married for 20 yrs) under the 3 – 10 Mil. Baht investment in Thailand.

2 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

Is that a recent thing or is my memory failing me ?

Been the same for years.

Perhaps you are thinking of Thai citizenship for those not married to a Thai.

41 minutes ago, expatfromwyoming said:

Most long term stayers I know do

Maybe I read wrong, but permanent res doesnt require you to read and write thai. Citizenship does.

When I came to Thailand, with a "Thai Wife" visa I thought I'd be able to apply for PR, I was therefore prepared to put in the effort to learn the language. But as most of us know by now, the PR granted on "humanitarian" ground is just another Thai hypocrisy, as one must show 3 years of tax returns, to be considered. 10 Years of marriage, and two children is worthless in the eyes of the Thai authorities. Typical.

Actually I was even thinking of Thai nationality, equally impossible. But no regrets on that one, with what I have seen during the years spent here I don't feel like becoming an integral part of this ...... .

3 minutes ago, WalkingOrders said:

Maybe I read wrong, but permanent res doesnt require you to read and write thai. Citizenship does.

correct- however if you have a business it is worth the effort- I am not fluent by any stretch of the imagination but I can certainly understand the gist of documents and reply in Thai albeit concise

The OP has a point - I know of many people who have worked and paid tax for years on Non-Immigrant visa extensions, are eligible for PR, but don't apply for it, usually because they can't be bothered.

 

Completely settled in Thailand, they seem oblivious to what might happen to them if they lose their job and can't find another one.

 

49 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

Whilst I know many who qualify on the work permit and tax side of it, they can speak fluent thai but very few are any good with the reading and writing.

Don't need to be

3 minutes ago, dbrenn said:

The OP has a point - I know of many people who have worked and paid tax for years on Non-Immigrant visa extensions, are eligible for PR, but don't apply for it, usually because they can't be bothered.

 

Completely settled in Thailand, they seem oblivious to what might happen to them if they lose their job and can't find another one.

 

Well if they do lose their job, and cannot find another one here then having  PR is not going to make any difference, is it ? No dole/social security here so they would have to go back 'home" or somewhere they could find a job.

15 minutes ago, MikeN said:

Well if they do lose their job, and cannot find another one here then having  PR is not going to make any difference, is it ? No dole/social security here so they would have to go back 'home" or somewhere they could find a job.

Having PR means that you are free to stay in Thailand as long as you wish, even if your work permit is cancelled, rather than having to leave immediately or find a different category of visa that you might not be eligible for.

 

Staying in Thailand as long as you wish makes the job hunting easier, with no pressure to leave, provided you've been sensible and have saved some money to tide yourself over. Resourceful people can usually find another job, so don't care about there being no dole.

 

Incidentally, I know one bloke who gave up on Thailand and went on the dole in the UK, because he had a chip on his shoulder and refuses to accept a drop in his 'status'. He now leads a poverty stricken life, living from hand to mouth. Going on the dole is never something I'd consider.

A friend did this a couple of years ago. I think in total it took two years. He had to produce lots of documents from his home country and he had to show original company documents from the multinational company he was working for. And it cost a lot of money.

Yes, he did it. But it was a lot of work, often complicated, and a very long process.

And there was no guarantee that he would get the residency.

I understand why many (most?) people don't go through that process.

I managed to get PR way back in the good old simpler days. Of course had a work permit and was a director in a company. For 5 years had been paying the required taxes. 

It was through an agent, so a fixed rate was demanded (which was about 4 times the normal fees) which I agreed to. No Thai language speaking or reading. Just sat opposite the IO on the day decided upon, about 4 months after applying. Finger printing and the rest of the formalities were done without me uttering a word. Received the PR after a couple of weeks.

1 hour ago, MikeN said:

Well if they do lose their job, and cannot find another one here then having  PR is not going to make any difference, is it ? No dole/social security here so they would have to go back 'home" or somewhere they could find a job.

To each their own. Most are self employed at any rate!

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

A friend did this a couple of years ago. I think in total it took two years. He had to produce lots of documents from his home country and he had to show original company documents from the multinational company he was working for. And it cost a lot of money.

Yes, he did it. But it was a lot of work, often complicated, and a very long process.

And there was no guarantee that he would get the residency.

I understand why many (most?) people don't go through that process.

Mmmmm I had mine in around 3 weeks back in late 90's- perhaps I dressed up for the occasion like you ????

1 hour ago, dbrenn said:

Having PR means that you are free to stay in Thailand as long as you wish, even if your work permit is cancelled, rather than having to leave immediately or find a different category of visa that you might not be eligible for.

 

Staying in Thailand as long as you wish makes the job hunting easier, with no pressure to leave, provided you've been sensible and have saved some money to tide yourself over. Resourceful people can usually find another job, so don't care about there being no dole.

 

Incidentally, I know one bloke who gave up on Thailand and went on the dole in the UK, because he had a chip on his shoulder and refuses to accept a drop in his 'status'. He now leads a poverty stricken life, living from hand to mouth. Going on the dole is never something I'd consider.

Bingo!!!! Tip my hat to you Sir

3 hours ago, expatfromwyoming said:

I qualified amongst other conditions( having been married for 20 yrs) under the 3 – 10 Mil. Baht investment in Thailand.

Why on earth do you not apply for citizenship, it only cost me 5,000 baht to apply. 

You still have to apply for reentry permits from immigration, you can't buy land. Waste of time IMHO, unless a step to naturalisation.

4 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Why on earth do you not apply for citizenship, it only cost me 5,000 baht to apply. 

You still have to apply for reentry permits from immigration, you can't buy land. Waste of time IMHO, unless a step to naturalisation.

And the process is actually easier than PR. 

2 minutes ago, GarryP said:

And the process is actually easier than PR. 

Indeed, there are many who still believe the bar stool rumours. 

It is worth pointing out that simply continuously having a work permit and extensions and paying taxes for 3 years is not enough. There is also an effective salary threshold which excludes another fair chunk of foreigners. I was on a WP for over a decade but didn't earn enough. C'est la vie.

5 minutes ago, GarryP said:

And the process is actually easier than PR. 

The process is easier but the time taken is longer. I could have applied for and on paper qualified for either, but decided to apply for PR as I was not sure what my circumstances would be in a few years time, whereas it took me 18 months to obtain PR. Had obtaining citizenship been quicker than typical current times, then I may have chosen this. 

17 minutes ago, rimmae2 said:

The process is easier but the time taken is longer. I could have applied for and on paper qualified for either, but decided to apply for PR as I was not sure what my circumstances would be in a few years time, whereas it took me 18 months to obtain PR. Had obtaining citizenship been quicker than typical current times, then I may have chosen this. 

Actually, when I first applied, PR seemed to take longer. When the junta took over, the citizenship process definitely started to be much more streamlined. No idea about PR anymore, but assume that too improved. 

i wish i could get this thing but i am not smart.

16 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

i wish i could get this thing but i am not smart.

Join the other 99%. Makes them the one percenter. Hells angel? 

Rubbish thread just few guys flopping it out.

Because I have options and don’t want to retire here