Residence certificate with tourist visa

[IamNDK]

Hi all,

 

My Thai driving licence expired and I require a residence certificate to renew it. In BKK and Nonthaburi it's not possible to obtain one with a tourist visa (at least earlier this year).

 

So what are my options for staying a few days in a hotel and get a residence certificate?

 

I know Pattaya is possible (but I prefer not going there). I once read Udon Thani gives a residence certificate if you stay for a few days?

 

Any other provinces where I can go?

 

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

J.

[IamNDK]

No one has an idea on where this is possible? Which provinces? I originally did it in KK but no idea if it's still possible there.

 

 

[Gweiloman]

Residence certificates are for residents. Tourists don’t need one. 
Also, as a tourist, you don’t need to have a Thai driving licence to rent a car. Your home country licence will suffice. 

[cerox]

Chiang Mai Immigration  issued me a residence certificate two months ago on visa-exempt. They required extension first, which I did, because the rule is you need 30 days or more on your current stamp.

 

As reason I specified "sell motorbike" which was true in my case.

[jackdd]

8 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

Residence certificates are for residents.

A resident doesn't need such a "certificate of residence", he can just use his house book.

The "certificate of residence" was made specifically for temporary visitors, so what you say is just wrong.

 

8 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

Also, as a tourist, you don’t need to have a Thai driving licence to rent a car. Your home country licence will suffice. 

Depends on from which country he is, and he might also need to have an IDP.

Many people also might not have a motorbike license in their home country, but they get a Thai motorbike driving license.

Edited December 1, 2019 by jackdd

[Langsuan Man]

One of the many unintended consequences of the new O-A Visa mandatory health insurance is that many who relied on the Non Immigrant nature of the O-A visa will have a real problem if they attempt to go the tourist visa route when it come to "residency certificates"

 

I don't know how all Immigration offices handle "residency certificates" but Pattaya insists on a non immigrant visa, backed up with 90 day reports and of course their fee for a free service before they will issue one 

 

Hopefully by the time my DL needs renewing the US Embassy will still issue residency certificates that the Land Transport Office will accept everywhere, thus allowing renewal on any type of visa.  But for all I know embassies issuing "residency certificates" may have gone away like the "income certificates" did 

[IamNDK]

I have a Dutch driving licence for my car + IDP.

 

I obtained my Thai motorbike driving license here 2 years ago on my Tourist visa with a residence certificate in Khon Kaen, but now it's expired so would like to renew it since I don't have a valid Dutch one for the motorbike.

 

Thanks for the info so far. I consider going to CM then.

 

 

[IamNDK]

I obtained a residence certificate in February with a tourist visa in Pattaya, but the licence office didn't want to extend my driving licence because it first had to expire (this was 3 weeks before expiration). 

 

I left shortly after as I only spent 3 months here

[Peter Denis]

27 minutes ago, IamNDK said:

Thanks for the info so far. I consider going to CM then.

Best you call them before actually going there and ask what documents need to be provided, so that you do not come unprepared.

Particularly the TM30 might be a spoil-sport, if CM requires it.

[IamNDK]

Yeah I just read that CM requires a TM30 slip for a residence certificate, so I have to make sure the hotel I stay can provide me one.

 

Quite an effort for renewing a driving licence...

[IamNDK]

3 hours ago, cerox said:

Chiang Mai Immigration  issued me a residence certificate two months ago on visa-exempt. They required extension first, which I did, because the rule is you need 30 days or more on your current stamp.

 

As reason I specified "sell motorbike" which was true in my case.

Did they ask you for a TM30 slip when applying? 

 

 

I still have 50 days left so that's covered.

 

Thanks for the info

[cerox]

If you ask for a res. cert. in CNX, you will need you residence there, otherwise they would direct you to your local Immigration office.

Yes, they checked my TM30 slip in the passport - also my rental contract. I think your plan to travel to CNX for a night with a hotel booking  will not be successful so easily.

 

My point was: they did it on visa-exempt / without non-Immigrant visa. But it is different because I really lived there.

Edited December 1, 2019 by cerox

[IamNDK]

29 minutes ago, cerox said:

If you ask for a res. cert. in CNX, you will need you residence there, otherwise they would direct you to your local Immigration office.

Yes, they checked my TM30 slip in the passport - also my rental contract. I think your plan to travel to CNX for a night with a hotel booking  will not be successful so easily.

 

My point was: they did it on visa-exempt / without non-Immigrant visa. But it is different because I really lived there.

Ok I see. Guess it will be going to Udon or Pattaya then, because as far as I am aware they still give it based on being in a hotel a few days. 

 

If only my local immigration office would provide it. Would make life much easier ????

[cerox]

Also ask before if you can get the residence certificate on the next day for a fee.

In CNX last time for me it was free only, with waiting for about 10 days.

No paid version like before. But that constantly changes - next time when I need it, it is gonna be different.

[DrJack54]

2 hours ago, IamNDK said:

Ok I see. Guess it will be going to Udon or Pattaya then, because as far as I am aware they still give it based on being in a hotel a few days. 

 

If only my local immigration office would provide it. Would make life much easier ????

I don't get this thread. You talk about going to anywhere in Los to obtain one. Clearly not living in area where you apply. Talk about obtaining one with tm30 done by random hotel. BTW generally you don't attend imm an obtain RC on the spot. You need return days or week later.

If desperate why not obtain from your embassy. Yes they charge but your plans will cost more. 

[IamNDK]

 

56 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

I don't get this thread. You talk about going to anywhere in Los to obtain one. Clearly not living in area where you apply. Talk about obtaining one with tm30 done by random hotel. BTW generally you don't attend imm an obtain RC on the spot. You need return days or week later.

If desperate why not obtain from your embassy. Yes they charge but your plans will cost more. 

I stay in Thailand on a tourist visa because I'm here for less than 3 months.

 

2 years ago on a tourist visa I obtained a motorbike licence in Khon Kaen (residence certificate on the spot) and that one expired earlier this year.

 

Last year and this year I'm staying in Nonthaburi but they won't give residence certificates to anyone on a tourist visa (don't know why).

 

So in February I drove to Pattaya. Checked into a hotel, went to immigration the next day and they gave me a residence certificate the same moment.

 

Unfortunately, the driving licence office didn't want to renew until after expiring (3 weeks later) so all was for nothing and I left Thailand.

 

Now I came back to Thailand and still have to renew my licence. Since I don't particularly like either Udon or Pattaya I asked if anyone was aware of another province where this can be done.

 

I asked my embassy as well, but they can only provide if officially registered in Thailand and unregistered in my home country which I am not since I only stay here for 3 months max.

[Myran]

9 hours ago, jackdd said:

A resident doesn't need such a "certificate of residence", he can just use his house book.

The "certificate of residence" was made specifically for temporary visitors, so what you say is just wrong.

 

Depends on from which country he is, and he might also need to have an IDP.

Many people also might not have a motorbike license in their home country, but they get a Thai motorbike driving license.

Plenty of residents are renting their accommodations and would therefore not have their names in a house book, so you're at least as wrong as he is.

[jackdd]

27 minutes ago, Myran said:

Plenty of residents are renting their accommodations and would therefore not have their names in a house book, so you're at least as wrong as he is.

One of the necessary steps to become a resident in Thailand is to get registered in a house book, afaik you can't complete the process without this step. So every resident is registered in a house book, afaik there is no way arround it. I think that's similar to a Thai person who has to be registered in a house book to be able to obtain a Thai ID card.

So you are probably wrong.

[scubascuba3]

9 hours ago, Langsuan Man said:

 

 

I don't know how all Immigration offices handle "residency certificates" but Pattaya insists on a non immigrant visa, backed up with 90 day reports and of course their fee for a free service before they will issue one 

 

 

Weird. I've got many residency certs from Pattaya Jomtien on a tourist visa, 300 baht

[Myran]

1 hour ago, jackdd said:

One of the necessary steps to become a resident in Thailand is to get registered in a house book, afaik you can't complete the process without this step. So every resident is registered in a house book, afaik there is no way arround it. I think that's similar to a Thai person who has to be registered in a house book to be able to obtain a Thai ID card.

So you are probably wrong.

You're confusing getting "permanent residency" with being a resident. Being a resident is simply living somewhere long-term, which you can do just fine in Thailand without permanent residency status, such as with an Non-O extension or Thailand Elite visa.

[jackdd]

31 minutes ago, Myran said:

You're confusing getting "permanent residency" with being a resident. Being a resident is simply living somewhere long-term, which you can do just fine in Thailand without permanent residency status, such as with an Non-O extension or Thailand Elite visa.

I'm not confusing anything, i'm just sticking to the commonly used meaning. In official Thai texts people everybody who is in Thailand with some kind of visa / extension is called a "temporary visitor", not a resident. News articles often refer to people on non-immigrant visas / extensions as "long term visitors", not residents.

I think you are confused about what a "resident" is. Of course you could say if you live long term in a country you are a resident, but this would also make me a resident, even though i'm in Thailand on tourist visas. So if you do this you just confuse people.

Edited December 1, 2019 by jackdd

[Myran]

30 minutes ago, jackdd said:

I'm not confusing anything, i'm just sticking to the commonly used meaning. In official Thai texts people everybody who is in Thailand with some kind of visa / extension is called a "temporary visitor", not a resident. News articles often refer to people on non-immigrant visas / extensions as "long term visitors", not residents.

I think you are confused about what a "resident" is. Of course you could say if you live long term in a country you are a resident, but this would also make me a resident, even though i'm in Thailand on tourist visas. So if you do this you just confuse people.

Haha, Jesus Christ that's some mental gymnastics. The literal meaning of a resident is someone who is living somewhere long-term. That's it. Look it up. What some Thai articles allegedly calls anyone doesn't matter one bit. This is an English language site where we use English words with their English meanings.

 

People who live somewhere long-term are residents of that place, regardless of what visas or extensions they're using or what others are referring to them as. A law could claim that all foreigners are bananas, but that doesn't make it so.

[jackdd]

11 minutes ago, Myran said:

Haha, Jesus Christ that's some mental gymnastics. The literal meaning of a resident is someone who is living somewhere long-term. That's it. Look it up. What some Thai articles allegedly calls anyone doesn't matter one bit. This is an English language site where we use English words with their English meanings.

 

People who live somewhere long-term are residents of that place, regardless of what visas or extensions they're using or what others are referring to them as. A law could claim that all foreigners are bananas, but that doesn't make it so.

You can call it whatever you want, but it might confuse people.

Some people here also refer to extensions as "visas" (even some immigration offices do this), but this often causes confusion here on Thaivisa because other people don't know what this person is talking about.

If you use the correct terminology (related to Thailand, not to an english dictionary) it becomes easier for everybody to understand what you are talking about.

[Gweiloman]

1 hour ago, jackdd said:

You can call it whatever you want, but it might confuse people.

Some people here also refer to extensions as "visas" (even some immigration offices do this), but this often causes confusion here on Thaivisa because other people don't know what this person is talking about.

If you use the correct terminology (related to Thailand, not to an english dictionary) it becomes easier for everybody to understand what you are talking about.

Going by your rather convoluted logic, how can a Certificate of Residence be issued to a temporary visitor? Doesn’t residence imply residing in a particular place?

[jackdd]

10 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

Going by your rather convoluted logic, how can a Certificate of Residence be issued to a temporary visitor? Doesn’t residence imply residing in a particular place?

Because "residence" and "resident" have different meanings. I guess you read it like "Certificate of residence status".

But that's not what it says. Residence is just used as another term for house or dwelling place, so you should understand it like "house certificate".

 

Edited December 2, 2019 by jackdd

[Myran]

14 hours ago, jackdd said:

You can call it whatever you want, but it might confuse people.

Some people here also refer to extensions as "visas" (even some immigration offices do this), but this often causes confusion here on Thaivisa because other people don't know what this person is talking about.

If you use the correct terminology (related to Thailand, not to an english dictionary) it becomes easier for everybody to understand what you are talking about.

Not confusing at all. When people speak about having permanent residency in Thailand, that's what they say, because that's the correct term. You're advocating doing the exact opposite, equating being a resident to having permanent residency status. In other words, using the incorrect term, just like people who say visas when they really mean extensions.

 

And just like you pointing out to people that they really mean "extension" when they say "visa", I'm pointing out to you that being a "resident" and having "permanent residency" is not the same thing. Because using the correct terms minimizes confusion.

[IamNDK]

I just want to give a quick update for anyone having a similar question in the future.

 

I took a plane from BKK to Udon arriving at 13.30. Checked in at 14.00 (booked 2 nights) at my hotel, walked to immigration and arrived at 14.30. Walked out of immigration 14.45 with my residence certificate on my tourist visa (35 days left).

 

I have been in Thailand for almost a month and prior to the check-in to the hotel no TM 30 had been submitted.

 

I paid 500 BAHT and will renew my licence hopefully tomorrow morning.

 

Thanks for the input.

 

J.

[freeman01]

Just in case for those interested, this can be done in Hua Hin as well on a tourist visa.

- Passport copy + copy visa / stamp

- TM6 card

- 2 photos

- Rental contract / hotel bills

- phone number

- 500 THB

 

[IamNDK]

9 minutes ago, freeman01 said:

Just in case for those interested, this can be done in Hua Hin as well on a tourist visa.

- Passport copy + copy visa / stamp

- TM6 card

- 2 photos

- Rental contract / hotel bills

- phone number

- 500 THB

 

If I had known this I would have gone that direction! Next time perhaps.