What's your thought on permenant residency??

[Captain Monday]

7 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

Now that's not true. You can apply for Thai citizenship after 5 years on Thai Permanent Residence. Without being married to a Thai... or to anyone. If you are married to a Thai (man or woman since 2008) you can apply for citizenship directly. It is more economical than PR, and receives about the same amount of scrutiny. Has about same requirements. And takes about the same time to process. Just final approver is different, and Thai language test is significantly more serious. And then, if you're coming from PR, there's national and royal anthem singing, not required if you're married to a Thai national.

 

PR does constitute legal residence in Thailand. I am no longer resident of my former country, nor am I a tax resident there. Apart from things like not owning real-estate there and staying in that country below 180 days in a year, PR in another country was a requirement to move my tax residency out of EU, so I don't have to pay tax on earnings in Thailand again there.

 

Finally, for a while even Thais were not allowed back into the country. PR is always a weird category because very few people have it, many businesses and sometimes even government offices don't know what to do with you. They're used to dealing with tourists and non-immigrants. But once you are even just in the process of PR application, both immigration and labour department start treating you very differently. They are far nicer and helpful to deal with.

 

As such... most of your post above is incorrect, Captain.

What you posted to the above being good to the letter of law,  citizenship still constitutes an almost unachievable goal for most. Look at the numbers in the Gazette. Sparse. I would be interested in Thai citizenship and would renounce US but I wont marry a Thai. Thai airways only takes Thais and I have no other marketable skills. Citizenship is quite easily achievable and mostly a formality in my country -US- after about 7 years of permanent residence even with a record of minor offenses, as long as you pay your taxes. In the case of marriage is basically automatic. The main point to take. Once one has that green card one is treated as an absolute equal to an American Citizen, under force of law, and can only be removed if convicted of serious crimes, and then like most major nations only after legal process and appeals. Only limited to voting, running for office, and serving as an Officer in the military. Now unfortunately serious crimes include minor drug issues and thefts thanks to decades of get tough right wing legislation and culminating in Trump who is openly anti-immigrant and xenophobic. So yes people with PR are deported routinely now.

 

Thai PR cannot even get into the country is it is not a legal residence from the perspective of Thai authorities. Your tax arrangements with your home county are irrelevant. Why you even mention it boggles the mind.

 

 

Question, how hard would it be for a PR to be driven out of Thailand? if one runs afoul of "influential person"?  Simple charge or accusation?  A small packet of drugs planted in the residence (doportation)?

 

•  

Edited August 17, 2020 by Captain Monday

[thedemon]

2 hours ago, Captain Monday said:

Thai PR cannot even get into the country is it is not a legal residence from the perspective of Thai authorities. Your tax arrangements with your home county are irrelevant. Why you even mention it boggles the mind.

 

Not sure what you mean by this. A PR can enter Thailand and has been able to for some time now. Of course entry is subject to the same rigmarole as everyone else.

 

Quote

Question, how hard would it be for a PR to be driven out of Thailand? if one runs afoul of "influential person"?  Simple charge or accusation?  A small packet of drugs planted in the residence (doportation)?

 

The only case I have ever heard of is was in 2014 where precisely what you describe happened. That PR is still here.

 

https://www.pattayamail.com/thailandnews/court-protects-satish-from-eviction-35926

[tomazbodner]

6 hours ago, Captain Monday said:

What you posted to the above being good to the letter of law,  citizenship still constitutes an almost unachievable goal for most. Look at the numbers in the Gazette. Sparse. I would be interested in Thai citizenship and would renounce US but I wont marry a Thai. Thai airways only takes Thais and I have no other marketable skills. Citizenship is quite easily achievable and mostly a formality in my country -US- after about 7 years of permanent residence even with a record of minor offenses, as long as you pay your taxes. In the case of marriage is basically automatic. The main point to take. Once one has that green card one is treated as an absolute equal to an American Citizen, under force of law, and can only be removed if convicted of serious crimes, and then like most major nations only after legal process and appeals. Only limited to voting, running for office, and serving as an Officer in the military. Now unfortunately serious crimes include minor drug issues and thefts thanks to decades of get tough right wing legislation and culminating in Trump who is openly anti-immigrant and xenophobic. So yes people with PR are deported routinely now.

 

Thai PR cannot even get into the country is it is not a legal residence from the perspective of Thai authorities. Your tax arrangements with your home county are irrelevant. Why you even mention it boggles the mind.

 

 

Question, how hard would it be for a PR to be driven out of Thailand? if one runs afoul of "influential person"?  Simple charge or accusation?  A small packet of drugs planted in the residence (doportation)?

 

•  

Fair points. If you have a decade to burn on the process, you could apply for PR this December. I assume you would have a 3 years work permit and back-to-back annual extensions. Once you're granted PR status, after 5 years you can apply for citizenship, which should take about 2 years in total (assuming no coups in between - that was the main reason for PR processing pause from 2006 to 2012). By this you do not require to marry anyone. Just request it based on employment. Unfortunately there's no shortcut without PR when you're not married to a Thai.

 

About difficulties in acquiring PR/citizenship, compared to some other countries - yes, I take your point. It's difficult, but still possible when planned for it.

[Purdey]

On 8/17/2020 at 8:37 PM, thedemon said:

Some of the provisions in the 2008 Nationality Act, including references to revocation of Thai citizenship only apply to naturalized Thai citizens, not citizens by birth so wouldn't apply to someone like Abhisit in any case.

Mark Abhisit Vejjajiva was born in Princess Mary Maternity Hospital, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England (from Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhisit_Vejjajiva). Sorry, but this case is confusing. 

[thedemon]

11 hours ago, Purdey said:

Mark Abhisit Vejjajiva was born in Princess Mary Maternity Hospital, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England (from Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhisit_Vejjajiva). Sorry, but this case is confusing. 

Place of birth doesn't matter. If you are born in Thailand to foreign parents you have no rights to citizenship. However, if born abroad and at least one of your parents is a Thai citizen, you are considered Thai from birth.

[Purdey]

5 hours ago, thedemon said:

Place of birth doesn't matter. If you are born in Thailand to foreign parents you have no rights to citizenship. However, if born abroad and at least one of your parents is a Thai citizen, you are considered Thai from birth.

Thanks for the explanation.