Applying for residency after 3 years?

[Sir Maxwell Greene]

Hi all, looking to get some info in regards to residency in Thailand. 

I have been working in Bangkok for almost 3 years consecutively at the same company(BOI listed) on a British passport. I have a NON IMM Multiple Entry WP. due to expire in August this year. 

I am not 100% sure if I will be kept on at the job due to this covid situation, its 50/50 at the moment. (I'm looking at options for me to stay here legally)

I am unmarried, however plan to marry sometime later.

 

My question is, am i able to apply for residency any time soon? I've heard its after 3 consecutive years on a WP...

Do I meet the requirements, or what are the requirements for me to qualify? 

 

Also, due to the company i work for being registered BOI, is my office able to apply and do anything for me from there end?

Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

[ubonjoe]

You can find the requirements here. Permanent Residency Requirements June 2019.pdf

They will announce later this year when the application are be accepted. It was July to December 29th last year.

You will have to apply in person. Your employer can help by getting the required documents for the application.

[Sir Maxwell Greene]

Thank you so very much. 

[tomazbodner]

You need 3 years of consecutive annual extensions, if that hasn't changed, not a multi-entry visa. But Joe already shared the link so I'll leave it at that.

[SteveB2]

I know that it is theoretically possible, but does anyone know someone who has successfully applied for PR with only 3 years of consequetive annual extensions?

 

[varun]

There's a salary requirement as well I think - min. of 80k THB/month gross, maybe that's changed.

If you're above that, you might be good to go.

[smutcakes]

You will need 3 years of completed tax filings so that would not be until early next year. Theoretically it may be possible, but unfortunately in practice very difficult.

[Max69xl]

21 minutes ago, varun said:

There's a salary requirement as well I think - min. of 80k THB/month gross, maybe that's changed.

If you're above that, you might be good to go.

Not if he doesn't have 3 consecutive 1 year extensions. 

[Wilson Smith]

something to consider if your company "may" let you go it may be a reach to think they will give you the needed documents that are required from the company. These documents are ussual highly confidential. BOI companies do not need to show some of these documents for annual renewal so you may get a big NO from the company.

[Aarin]

Impossible to get if you are going to unemployed. Your best bet is Retirement or wait and get Spouse visa when you get married. 

[varun]

On 5/19/2020 at 11:52 AM, Max69xl said:

Not if he doesn't have 3 consecutive 1 year extensions. 

Read carefully. 
It is already understood that the OP is close to the 3 consecutive yearly extensions mark.

 

He specifically asked if met the requirements, 

and obviously, he needs to meet all the requirements, an 80k THB pm monthly salary also being one of them.

 

[Sir Maxwell Greene]

On 5/20/2020 at 2:11 PM, varun said:

Read carefully. 
It is already understood that the OP is close to the 3 consecutive yearly extensions mark.

 

He specifically asked if met the requirements, 

and obviously, he needs to meet all the requirements, an 80k THB pm monthly salary also being one of them.

 

Thanks for the replies all. 

I did not see any mention about there being a minimum salary requirement for the application, no where in the app does it mention this. Is this said somewhere else? Currently my salary is below the 80k mark...

 

[Sir Maxwell Greene]

On 5/20/2020 at 10:08 AM, Wilson Smith said:

something to consider if your company "may" let you go it may be a reach to think they will give you the needed documents that are required from the company. These documents are ussual highly confidential. BOI companies do not need to show some of these documents for annual renewal so you may get a big NO from the company.

I'll be meeting with the big man from the company this week to discuss. Hopefully he will assist me with the tax doc requirements. 

[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, Sir Maxwell Greene said:

Thanks for the replies all. 

I did not see any mention about there being a minimum salary requirement for the application, no where in the app does it mention this. Is this said somewhere else? Currently my salary is below the 80k mark...

 

As far as I know it is still a minimum salary of 80k baht if applying on the basis of working.

If married to a Thai it is 50k baht.

 

[Sir Bogdiver]

To allow you to apply you need to have 3 years of consecutive 1 year visas without any break.  If you renew your visa with immigration in Thailand this is the case.  If you renew your visa every year at an embassy outside Thailand it does not count as the visa is considered expired every time.  Every time the visa expires you start anew. Once you have your one year visa from immigration you can get a multiple re-entry visa.

Once you have applied your application will first be going to an immigration committee.  If this committee approves your application it will move on to a committee at the ministry of the interior.  After approval there it will go to the minister of the interior for signing.

To get approval it is a points system where you will need to score a minimum of 50 points.

Some of the requirements that will give you points are:

1) Having paid tax on an income of a minimum of Baht 80,000 per months.  This income does not need be all in Thailand.  You can pay Thai tax on any income gained abroad if you wish to do so.  This requirement is absolute.  If you do not meet it you will not get approved.

2) Thai language test.  This is a multiple choice test in Thai but you do not have to read it yourself if you cannot read and write Thai.  They will read the test to you and you choose from the available answers. 

3) Investment in Thailand

4) Thai wife and/or children

5) Donations to charity

6) Interview by Thai immigration in Thai which is video taped.

7) length of stay in Thailand prior to the application. 3 years is the minimum but longer is better.

 

If requirements 1,2 and 6 go well you are already a long way there to get the required 50 points.

 

[JackThompson]

10 minutes ago, Sir Bogdiver said:

To allow you to apply you need to have 3 years of consecutive 1 year visas without any break.  If you renew your visa with immigration in Thailand this is the case.  If you renew your visa every year at an embassy outside Thailand it does not count as the visa is considered expired every time. 

You need 3 years of consecutive EXTENSIONS OF STAY in Thailand, w/o any break. 
Visas are something else - usually a big sticker that goes in your passport with an "enter before" date on it, and sometimes a big stamp from immigration that says "90-days," if you converted a Tourist Entry to a Non-Imm type entry before starting on the Extensions.

 

I'm not just playing semantics, here - this is a case where the difference really matters.  Good info on all the rest.

[Sir Greg]

Am planing on doing this this year, but one question - I easily meet all of the requirements listed above, but my taxes for the past two years were paid late. They were fully paid - but paid late. Will this matter for PR? I had a friend who went to get citizenship but was disqualified for this very reason - all taxes have to be paid on time, no wiggle room. I'm wondering if the requirements for citizenship are more stringent and formal than they are for PR. Thanks.

[Sir Bogdiver]

On 5/24/2020 at 3:58 PM, JackThompson said:

You need 3 years of consecutive EXTENSIONS OF STAY in Thailand, w/o any break. 
Visas are something else - usually a big sticker that goes in your passport with an "enter before" date on it, and sometimes a big stamp from immigration that says "90-days," if you converted a Tourist Entry to a Non-Imm type entry before starting on the Extensions.

 

I'm not just playing semantics, here - this is a case where the difference really matters.  Good info on all the rest.

You are absolutely right.  I've had my PR for about 20 years now so am a bit rusty on that it was extension of stay, not a visa

[Sir Bogdiver]

23 hours ago, Sir Greg said:

Am planing on doing this this year, but one question - I easily meet all of the requirements listed above, but my taxes for the past two years were paid late. They were fully paid - but paid late. Will this matter for PR? I had a friend who went to get citizenship but was disqualified for this very reason - all taxes have to be paid on time, no wiggle room. I'm wondering if the requirements for citizenship are more stringent and formal than they are for PR. Thanks.

When I did my PR I also paid my taxes late for 1 year.  This was not a problem at the time but this was 20 years ago.

[varun]

Finally, the OP doesn't qualify for PR, because his salary doesn't meet the 80k THB pm requirement.