PR Changing residence to a new police district

[Ed Knuth]

Hi folks!  I am a PR holder with a basic question about moving from one district to another.  My question is whether the jurisdiction that you are departing from needs to do anything.  Do you just have to go to show up at the new police station in the new district with the new tabien baan (i.e. the Thai person who holds the tabien baan in your new district)?  Or does the police station in the district you are departing from have to approve the move?  

 

Thanks for the help from anyone who has gone through the process. 

[Sydebolle]

Yes, there are a few simple steps. 

a) the brown/"red" police book is usually revalidated in five years intervals. The very same office has to be notified about your move as the police should send the file to the new district. I did not know that, went back (750kms) to do the notification and, luck had it, I was given the file so I could bring it to the police station in the new district myself. This change of residence (and residential district) is also recorded in said book. 
Beware of the five-years-reporting; that interval does NOT change, i.e. you are not due five years after moving districts but in the normal five-years-interval as from the beginning of your PR status. 

b) get a complete set of copies of your blue house register (Tabien Bahn) of your present place. See the municipality office (Amphur) at the new place with the house registration booklet. The head of the household of your new place has to come along to sign his/her agreement, that you will be living in their place. Your data then will be entered into the house register. 

c) if you are moving outside Bangkok, beware of the Certificate of Residence (TM17, initially blue, following booklets white). If that booklet is full, you can either request a new one at your new residence immigration office which will take a month to receive as everything goes/comes from the immigration's head office in Bangkok. If you cannot be without that booklet for at least a month (if you travel etc.) then you will have to get it yourself at Chaengwattana; with a little contribution to the coffee till (500) you can wait for the booklet, otherwise they ask you to be back 4 days later as "boss not here for sign". 

Yeah, and as you might know, most of this can and usually takes time as they continue to be very, very generous with your time. 

Good luck! 

[FarangRimPing]

2 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

Yes, there are a few simple steps. 

a) ...
Beware of the five-years-reporting; that interval does NOT change, i.e. you are not due five years after moving districts but in the normal five-years-interval as from the beginning of your PR status. 
 

I transferred everything to my new area, all in accordance of how things are supposed to work. I was 3 years into my 5 year period at time of transfer.

 

When I went for my 5-year notice to the local police station, the police 'specialist' said it would take a day to do all the paperwork, but my wife and thought he was asking for time to find out how to process this because he never did it before. A few hours later, he called and said everything was all set and for us to go pick up my documents. 

 

When we arrived, I had to pay a small 'fine' because he said that when I transferred, it was only good for one year from the transfer, not the original 5 year period, even though the red book was dated such that it was good until the original 5-year period date. Nowhere in the red book did it show the 1 year date after transfer, but I was 'fined' because I renewed after the 1-year anniversary of the transfer. The 'fine' was small and clearly no one in the police station knew the rules, so I just paid the fee and fine. 

Edited October 8, 2021 by FarangRimPing

[Sydebolle]

Well, if it soothes the pain, the "fine" was not an official contribution to the state coffers of the Kingdom; the five years interval is not interrupted or put back to Square One by moving a district or province. 

But, as you said, he might well not have had the slightest idea and, in all fairness, the bureaucracy here is not only mind-boggling but increasing like an avalanche on almost daily basis. 

Welcome to Thailand; we're all here on our own free will ........... and my birth country features also interesting bureaucratic 1d1ocy - through the looking glass! 

[Ed Knuth]

Thanks folks!  This is quite helpful.  Reading a few other comments on the famed Camerata monster thread, it seems it is highly dependent on the experience that your local police station has had with the process.  Some guys seem to sail through without a problem, others just get blank stares and confusion.  So far I'm getting the latter, and I'm trying to figure out how to educate the departing jurisdiction on what they need to do.