residency qualification.

[oldwelshman]

According to official site it states :

 

• You must have had a Thai non-immigrant visa for at least three years prior to the submission of your application. Holders of multiple NON-Immigrant visas can not apply. You must have 3 consecutive yearly extensions in order to qualify.

 

So does this mean I could apply after 3 consecutive years with a Non O based on marriage obtained from Savannakhet for example? The statement is a bit confusing as it says holders of multiple Non O visas cannot apply? What does that mean?

It also states you must have 3 consecutive yearly extensions.

So does that mean you can have either 3 consecutive extensions or 3 consecutive Non O visas ?

[elviajero]

You must enter with a Non-Immigrant visa. Then extend your stay for at least 3 consecutive years.

[the guest]

I wouldn't even bother, applications are not being processed, and haven't for many years. Normally 100 applicants per country can apply each year. 

[simon43]

3 hours ago, the guest said:

I wouldn't even bother, applications are not being processed, and haven't for many years. Normally 100 applicants per country can apply each year. 

Totally untrue.  Applicants are processed every year and permanent residency is granted to many people each year.  However, the overall process from start to finish takes quite a few years.  The limit of 100 applicants per nationality is not a limiting factor for most nationalities, unless perhaps if you are Chinese or Indian.

[oldwelshman]

On 8/30/2019 at 1:17 AM, elviajero said:

You must enter with a Non-Immigrant visa. Then extend your stay for at least 3 consecutive years.

Thanks. So it is very poorly worded saying I must have had  a Non O for at least 3 years before submission. Why not just state you need 3 consecutive extensions. That me out then as I have no intention to do extensions whilst they say I have to leave 400k in bank, not worth it.

[jackdd]

3 hours ago, oldwelshman said:

Why not just state you need 3 consecutive extensions.

They state exactly that

On 8/30/2019 at 12:17 AM, oldwelshman said:

You must have 3 consecutive yearly extensions in order to qualify.

 

[timendres]

3 hours ago, oldwelshman said:

Thanks. So it is very poorly worded saying I must have had  a Non O for at least 3 years before submission. Why not just state you need 3 consecutive extensions. That me out then as I have no intention to do extensions whilst they say I have to leave 400k in bank, not worth it.

If you think tying up 400k in the bank is not worth it, wait until you see the cost of getting that PR.

[tomazbodner]

On 8/30/2019 at 12:17 AM, oldwelshman said:

• You must have had a Thai non-immigrant visa for at least three years prior to the submission of your application. Holders of multiple NON-Immigrant visas can not apply. You must have 3 consecutive yearly extensions in order to qualify.

 

So does this mean I could apply after 3 consecutive years with a Non O based on marriage obtained from Savannakhet for example? The statement is a bit confusing as it says holders of multiple Non O visas cannot apply? What does that mean?

It also states you must have 3 consecutive yearly extensions.

So does that mean you can have either 3 consecutive extensions or 3 consecutive Non O visas ?

You must have 3 annual extension of stay at immigration inside Thailand to your original Non-Immigrant visa.

[roamer]

So does this mean I could apply after 3 consecutive years with a Non O based on marriage obtained from Savannakhet for example? 

 

I stand to be corrected on this by those who know (far) more than I do but surely the PR requirements are far stiffer than those of obtaining Thai citizenship based on marriage?

[elviajero]

1 hour ago, roamer said:

So does this mean I could apply after 3 consecutive years with a Non O based on marriage obtained from Savannakhet for example? 

Not exactly, You get one Non O from Savannakhet. You must then have 3 consecutive 1 year extensions of stay issued by immigration.

 

1 hour ago, roamer said:

I stand to be corrected on this by those who know (far) more than I do but surely the PR requirements are far stiffer than those of obtaining Thai citizenship based on marriage?

Yes, but not many western expats want to take Thai nationality.

[alant]

6 hours ago, elviajero said:

Not exactly, You get one Non O from Savannakhet. You must then have 3 consecutive 1 year extensions of stay issued by immigration.

 

Yes, but not many western expats want to take Thai nationality.

do they not both require you to have a job?

[vukovar77]

I live here 7.5 years on NON-IMM Visa so I can get permanent residency here.

What does it mean for my status here?Only for easy opening bank accounts or what else?

I have TAX number already.

[ThaiBunny]

3 minutes ago, vukovar77 said:

I live here 7.5 years on NON-IMM Visa so I can get permanent residency here.

What does it mean for my status here?Only for easy opening bank accounts or what else?

I have TAX number already.

You will always be an outsider

[vukovar77]

23 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

You will always be an outsider

 

23 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

You will always be an outsider

It was not my question.It is up to us what we want to be!

[Neeranam]

18 hours ago, oldwelshman said:

Thanks. So it is very poorly worded saying I must have had  a Non O for at least 3 years before submission. Why not just state you need 3 consecutive extensions. That me out then as I have no intention to do extensions whilst they say I have to leave 400k in bank, not worth it.

Are you working here?

 

You need to be working to get PR obviously,  like most countries in the world.

[Neeranam]

3 hours ago, vukovar77 said:

I live here 7.5 years on NON-IMM Visa so I can get permanent residency here.

What does it mean for my status here?Only for easy opening bank accounts or what else?

I have TAX number already.

So you have a job paying more than 80k a month?

[Neeranam]

10 hours ago, elviajero said:

Yes, but not many western expats want to take Thai nationality.

I disagree, I know many who would love to.

 

[roamer]

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

I disagree, I know many who would love to.

 

Yes, for some of us it makes a lot of sense as we can be dual nationals. Norway, Netherlands, Singapore, Malaysia and quite a few others state that if you voluntarily take up citizenship of another country you lose your original citizenship. I suppose if you keep it quiet though.....

[vukovar77]

3 hours ago, Neeranam said:

So you have a job paying more than 80k a month?

Not important at all,but yes,I have more than 80k and I can speak Thai fluently and I have Thai wife ,but my retirement is not from my job here and I have no interest to change my EU citizenship.Besides,permanent residence and citizenship is not same.

[tomazbodner]

2 hours ago, vukovar77 said:

Not important at all,but yes,I have more than 80k and I can speak Thai fluently and I have Thai wife ,but my retirement is not from my job here and I have no interest to change my EU citizenship.Besides,permanent residence and citizenship is not same.

Given the name I'd guess Croatian. Very few Croatians are applying for PR so on the annual quota you're covered. The 85k+ salary from a Thai company and proof of paying taxes would be needed, on top of 3 annual extensions of stay (not sure if it makes difference whether it's based on Non-B or Non-O visa, I had it on Non-B+WP), and for the rest you'd need your paperwork notarised and translated into English.

 

I would guess you'd be in same situation I was (your former neighbour), where all paperwork had to be notarised (certified copy), then court translated to English, court certifying translator, then Ministry of Justice certifying court, and Foreign Ministry certifying Ministry of Justice... Last step was supposed to be done by your country's Embassy or Consulate in Thailand but in my case that wasn't going to work so eventually it was Thai Consulate in my birth country certifying Foreign Ministry. Finally all had to be court translated to Thai and certified by Thai Foreign Ministry... Only then documents were accepted.

 

Documents that were required from me were:

- no criminal record (issued by Ministry of Justice)

- education records

- birth certificate (which wasn't anywhere in the list of required documents but was asked for - luckily already issued in English)

 

The rest of documents from my side were all Thai-issued:

- employment contract

- tax records from myself and my company for past 3 years

- map of home and map of office and photos of the places form outside

- photos of office and every coworker with their name

- photo of me at my desk at work

- photos of every room of my place with me in each of the photos (and they had to be printed on photo paper and glued onto the paper, just printing them on A4 paper was rejected)

- original health certificate from Police General Hospital, which included urine drug test (toilet cubicle had more cameras than an average bank branch), blood test, X-ray and a few more I don't remember...

- ALL my passports from the first time I entered Thailand (original + copy) and they actually went page by page through all of them to make sure every page was copied

- all my work permits (but after telling them my accountant cancelled old one and I never got the book back, however I had copies of it, they accepted that)

 

Later they did ask for more documents, but they were mostly about company, not personal.

 

On submission of application the officer had a conversation about what was in the papers and made me verbally confirm them, while another one was typing things up. The record was then read to me and I had to sign it. Collected 7k or so fee and gave me a number with country code and sequential number for that year - that number was used for all the identification later.

 

That was followed by an appointment to get fingerprinted. And another appointment for language test. The rest was just every 6 months an extension of stay and re-entry permit, none of which required any documents at all (unlike extension of stay based on WP which required a mountain of paperwork). Here was just one form and photos on it, signature at the bottom for reentry permit, and just one form without even a photo to get another 6 months "under consideration" stamp.

 

Finally one day they asked me if I didn't yet receive a letter... I didn't. Then we found out they sent it to previous address of company which has since moved... Luckily I could get a copy of the document and make an appointment for receiving it at the end of that week as you need to make appointment within 7 days or reapply...

 

On the day of appointment for receiving it, fingerprinting again, leaving passport at Immigration, paying that near 200k and receiving a piece of paper to come back a couple of days later... Picking it up fingerprinted again (this time on digital reader, not ink pad and paper), getting blue book, and asked to go to police station with my shiny new handwritten booklet... to get another red handwritten booklet 3 hours later, just to proceed to land department to list myself into the blue book - that required a witness. Some 12 photos and another 2 hours later, process was complete.

 

I did it without agency/lawyer, following Camerata's guide to permanent residency on this forum.

 

If you wish to see the actual documents, PM me. I keep a copy of all.

[vukovar77]

Tomasbodner

Slovenian,right?Nice to meet You on this forum.

Yeah,all seems pretty difficult,but main question for me is what I can get with PR and what I can lose like a citizen EU?I have already TAX number,Taabian Baan,NON-IMM visa which I can change to marriage Visa and I can open bank account almost in all banks here without hassle.

I am afraid that I can lose health insurance in my country which is important for me and some other benefits.If I decide to apply,need to know much more,pro and con. for apply for PR?

[tomazbodner]

20 minutes ago, vukovar77 said:

Tomasbodner

Slovenian,right?Nice to meet You on this forum.

Yeah,all seems pretty difficult,but main question for me is what I can get with PR and what I can lose like a citizen EU?I have already TAX number,Taabian Baan,NON-IMM visa which I can change to marriage Visa and I can open bank account almost in all banks here without hassle.

I am afraid that I can lose health insurance in my country which is important for me and some other benefits.If I decide to apply,need to know much more,pro and con. for apply for PR?

Correct. You keep EU passport, but when moving PR to Thailand you are no longer tax citizen in your home country, hence you don't have to declare Thai income there and pay the difference in taxes. You can no longer have ID Card in that country, as that's only for permanent residents there. That also removes your health care/insurance in your country. That is however only if you inform your country of it. Thai government won't.

[ericthai]

On 8/29/2019 at 2:23 PM, the guest said:

I wouldn't even bother, applications are not being processed, and haven't for many years. Normally 100 applicants per country can apply each year. 

Not true my friend just got his in January this year. 

[dimitriv]

11 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Are you working here?

 

You need to be working to get PR obviously,  like most countries in the world.

 

He is married with a Thai wife. Usually if you are married for a couple of years you will get permanent residency or even a passport, also without a job. I think Thailand is the only country that requires you to have a job also. 

 

[Neeranam]

14 hours ago, vukovar77 said:

Not important at all,but yes,I have more than 80k and I can speak Thai fluently and I have Thai wife ,but my retirement is not from my job here and I have no interest to change my EU citizenship.Besides,permanent residence and citizenship is not same.

If you are married, I believe it is 50k.

It sounds like you are retired so can't  get PR.

[Neeranam]

7 hours ago, dimitriv said:

 

He is married with a Thai wife. Usually if you are married for a couple of years you will get permanent residency or even a passport, also without a job. I think Thailand is the only country that requires you to have a job also. 

 

Can you tell me one country where a retired man can go, get married and get a passport or PR?

[vukovar77]

6 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Can you tell me one country where a retired man can go, get married and get a passport or PR?

I do not want Thai passport,cos. passport EU is valuable and I do not want PR or citizenship  ,cos. I can lose much more than I can get!We are  just talking about pro. and con. arguments.

[HampiK]

So far I know you not need to work in Thailand for become PR or Citizenship. There is a second way (at least according to law).
you need to Invest 10 million baht in government bonds or something (condos not count)!

I have no knowledge about anybody who gone this way.. but should work!

 

[Neeranam]

6 hours ago, vukovar77 said:

I do not want Thai passport,cos. passport EU is valuable and I do not want PR or citizenship  ,cos. I can lose much more than I can get!We are  just talking about pro. and con. arguments.

You couldn't get it even if you wanted it as you don't work here.

[Neeranam]

54 minutes ago, HampiK said:

So far I know you not need to work in Thailand for become PR or Citizenship. There is a second way (at least according to law).
you need to Invest 10 million baht in government bonds or something (condos not count)!

I have no knowledge about anybody who gone this way.. but should work!

 

I don't know who told you this but no longer the case.