Questions about Permanent Resident Visa

[siamike]

The process and requirements to obtain a Permanent Resident Visa (PR) are adequately explained on the Thai Immigration web pages, https://www.immigration.go.th/en/?page_id=1744  But the steps needed (if any) to maintain your PR once you have it are vague and contradictory at best.  As an example, one web page describing the process states that your must be renewed yearly at your local police station, while a different source was told that 90 day reports are still required, with the only change being that you must do them at the local police station.  Neither of these "requirements" are mentioned on the immigration web pages.

 

If anyone has a PR and is willing to provide PR maintenance requirements, or has reliable knowledge (UbonJoe) I would appreciate any clarification you can provide.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

I have held PR for more than 20 years.

 

A year after initially obtaining PR and the red police book, one has to return to the local police station where one's PR is on file and provide a new photo, pay a small fee, and re-confirm one's address. After that first year, this process is repeated at five-year intervals.

 

In order to maintain PR if going abroad, a re-entry permit is needed in one's passport as is an endorsement in the residence certificate book. These stamps are obtained at the immigration office. The re-entry permit and the endorsement are good for one year. If one does not return by the end of the validity of the re-entry and endorsement, PR is automatically cancelled. If one has no plans to travel abroad, one does not need these items and there is no need to visit an immigration office. 

 

PR holders do not make 90 day reports.

[EricTh]

23 minutes ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

I have held PR for more than 20 years.

 

A year after initially obtaining PR and the red police book, one has to return to the local police station where one's PR is on file and provide a new photo, pay a small fee, and re-confirm one's address. After that first year, this process is repeated at five-year intervals.

 

In order to maintain PR if going abroad, a re-entry permit is needed in one's passport as is an endorsement in the residence certificate book. These stamps are obtained at the immigration office. The re-entry permit and the endorsement are good for one year. If one does not return by the end of the validity of the re-entry and endorsement, PR is automatically cancelled. If one has no plans to travel abroad, one does not need these items and there is no need to visit an immigration office. 

 

PR holders do not make 90 day reports.

 

Does your PR card contain a newly given Thai name in Thai script or just your English name? or both names are printed on the card?

 

Do you still have to pay foreigner's fee instead of local fees when entering certain places?

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 11, 2022 by EricTh

[tomazbodner]

Your permanent residence is permanent. There are 3 parts of it (ok, a bit more than 3):

- Blue book (Residence Certificate) which, when you replace it, becomes white book... This is issued by immigration

- Red book (Alien Registration)... This is issued by the police station, responsible for the area

- Blue House Registration book (so called Tabien Baan)...

 

When you are approved, you get blue book from immigration. That's what you pay that 192k baht for (half less if married to a Thai), after which you need to go to police station for the area of your address, to get red book (cheap, takes maybe an hour to hand write), and with both these books you go to housing authority to get your name entered into tabien baan. You can also get the Pink ID at the same time.

 

Now, blue book is permanent. It does not expire. HOWEVER, that's only true as long as you stay in Thailand. IF you wish to leave Thailand, it will expire, and you would no longer have permanent residence on your return. To prevent that, you apply for Non-Quota Immigrant Visa and Endorsement (stamps similar to re-entry permits that are put into both the blue book and your passport), and are valid for 1 year. Like for re-entry premit, they are single entry or multiple entries. They cost similar to re-entry permit, however you must get them at immigration office, you can NOT get them at the airport.

 

With these 2 stamps, you can travel out or Thailand and back, but you must return before expiry of the re-entry permit, so maximum you could be away would be just shy of 1 year. Other than that, or if you never leave Thailand, there's nothing else needed to maintain the blue book.

 

The Red Alien Registration book can be issued for 1 or 6 years and subsequently extended by 1 or 5 years at the local police station that is responsible for the area. You need to report any change of address so it's updated in this book. Changes aren't charged for, 5 year extension is I think 800 baht... been a while, forgot how much it cost but below 1000 baht.

 

Then house registration - this is to enter you as a tenant or owner of the property, and is valid until you remove yourself from the book by changing address (your new address will be listed in old Tabien baan, and old address will be entered into your new Tabien baan along with date of move). This is tied to property and doesn't expire.

 

Then there's PinkID which I think lasts 10 years? It's 60 baht and is valid until expiry or until you change address, at which stage they would issue you a new one with new address listed.

 

That's all there is.

 

If you are leaving Thailand and want to return, you'll need non-quota visa and endorsement (30 min to get it done at CW immigration if you're in Bangkok) valid for a year, if you are always staying inside country, you only need to extend red book every 5 years and optional PinkID when it expires.

 

If address changes, blue certificate of residence is not updated. Has no place for updated address. Instead they just put your new current address into the new book when previous one is full.

 

Last bit - when you leave/return to Thailand, although you could use e-Channel (but note if your blue book changes, you could be locked out of it and might not be able to re-register), but counter or e-gates, you'll need to have both certificate of residence and passport stamped in and out of the country each time. So you need to carry both of them with you out of the country. You were supposed to keep red alien registration with you as form of identification at all times, but never been asked for it. PinkID is useful, however only officially accepted as proof of identity in province it's issued in. It can't be used for anything where your name is written in Latin - as it only has name in Thai on it.

 

Hope that clarifies it.

Edited January 11, 2022 by tomazbodner

[tomazbodner]

49 minutes ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

A year after initially obtaining PR and the red police book, one has to return to the local police station where one's PR is on file and provide a new photo, pay a small fee, and re-confirm one's address. After that first year, this process is repeated at five-year intervals.

That's not the case if you ask for 6 years (I think 1 year is 200 baht and 6 years is 1000 baht) alien registration red book validity. After that you can extend it every 1 or 5 years, up to you, which one you choose. However when lawyers are involved, they always go for shortest possibility so they can charge you again a year later. There are no photos needed for extension of red book.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

13 minutes ago, EricTh said:

 

Does your PR card contain a newly given Thai name in Thai script or just your English name? or both names are printed on the card?

 

Do you still have to pay foreigner's fee instead of local fees when entering certain places?

 

 

 

 

 

For PR one does not take a Thai name or get a blue Thai ID card.

 

My name appears both transliterated into Thai as well as in English in my residence certificate. The police book and blue tabien baan are both all in Thai using my English name transliterated into Thai.

 

I'm not aware of any places that would give me Thai prices based upon having PR, although some will do so if I show my Thai driving license proving that I'm not a tourist. Those are mostly privately-owned attractions. I don't think any government ones would do so.

 

[tomazbodner]

32 minutes ago, EricTh said:

 

Does your PR card contain a newly given Thai name in Thai script or just your English name? or both names are printed on the card?

 

Do you still have to pay foreigner's fee instead of local fees when entering certain places?

 

 

 

 

 

I assume PR Card means Pink ID - it's only in Thai, no English.

 

I went to that floating market or whatever it was called in Pattaya once... the shops and food places on top of a shallow pond... and they accepted it, didn't need to pay entrance fee. That was a while back. Don't remember other places, except that Wat Phra Kaew didn't budge and demanded farang price. Not like it's a place I would ever want to visit again. Always preferred Wat Pho behind it but sometimes visitors wanted to see it...

 

It was accepted however for registering fiber internet, opening a bank account (surprisingly!), I think my mobile SIM is also registered with it, and at couriers like Kerry, or post office, and it was demanded when applying for driver's license. I'm told (never tried) it can't be used for flights since it lacks name in Latin characters. Others state they used it to check-in at hotels. I've never tried.

 

Now note that PR holders have number starting with 8. There could be a difference in acceptance if it starts with something else.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

10 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

That's not the case if you ask for 6 years (I think 1 year is 200 baht and 6 years is 1000 baht) alien registration red book validity. After that you can extend it every 1 or 5 years, up to you, which one you choose. However when lawyers are involved, they always go for shortest possibility so they can charge you again a year later. There are no photos needed for extension of red book.

After the first year, I've always opted for the 5-year extension as I've seen no reason to do otherwise.

 

Up until my most recent extension of the red police book, I had always been required to provide a new photo and they were duly affixed in the book. I was told the last time I went to extend it that after 20 years I no longer needed to supply one.

[EricTh]

11 minutes ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

For PR one does not take a Thai name or get a blue Thai ID card.

 

My name appears both transliterated into Thai as well as in English in my residence certificate. The police book and blue tabien baan are both all in Thai using my English name transliterated into Thai.

 

I'm not aware of any places that would give me Thai prices based upon having PR, although some will do so if I show my Thai driving license proving that I'm not a tourist. Those are mostly privately-owned attractions. I don't think any government ones would do so.

 

What I meant is your pink Thai ID card.

 

I showed my 5 year Thai driving license and they still charged me foreigner fee. There's no distinction between tourist and non-tourist foreigner in entrance fees.

 

That was in Sankampaeng hot spring.

Edited January 11, 2022 by EricTh

[Morpheus42]

Was it difficult for you guys to get the PR? You tried more than one year? I read they are just accepting 100 people per country every year, is this true? Or just a way to earn some money under the table?

[tomazbodner]

1 minute ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

After the first year, I've always opted for the 5-year extension as I've seen no reason to do otherwise.

 

Up until my most recent extension of the red police book, I had always been required to provide a new photo and they were duly affixed in the book. I was told the last time I went to extend it that after 20 years I no longer needed to supply one.

Interesting. It could be down to immigration office. No new photos for mine, and book was issued for 6 years the first time, just extended by another 5 years maybe 9 months ago. Asked for nothing other than the book to update and I think 800 baht. Always dealt with the same police lady and she's awesome.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

6 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

 

Now note that PR holders have number starting with 8. There could be a difference in acceptance if it starts with something else.

Naturalized Thais also have ID numbers starting with 8, so that may be why a PR's number is accepted when others are not.

[tomazbodner]

7 minutes ago, Morpheus42 said:

Was it difficult for you guys to get the PR? You tried more than one year? I read they are just accepting 100 people per country every year, is this true? Or just a way to earn some money under the table?

It definitely requires good planning of several years before applying, but after application was finally accepted, and getting that application letter typed up by immigration officer, getting fingerprinted and Thai exam over, it was just a waiting game and extending PR under consideration stamps every 6 months. Considerably less painful than previous non-B visa extensions, which required mountain of paperwork - here nothing was needed - fill out one form in front of them, and they even ran around to make photocopies to arrange me the re-entry permit while I waited at their desk. It was a very different treatment. One day they just asked me to check my mail at the office and there was letter telling me to come within a week to pay the fee and get the book issued.

 

Now I have applied after the Thaksin removal coup, when everything stopped for years. So I only got it issued 6 years after applying, when there was finally someone there to sign it. But normally it's about 6 months to a year or so.

 

Side note: I followed Camerata's guide on this forum and had no lawyer.

Edited January 11, 2022 by tomazbodner
added last line

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

5 minutes ago, EricTh said:

What I meant is your pink Thai ID card.

 

I showed my 5 year Thai driving license and they still charged me foreigner fee. There's no distinction between tourist and non-tourist foreigner in entrance fees.

 

That was in Sankampaeng hot spring.

The only thing on my pink ID card that would differentiate me from non-PR holders is that my Thai ID number starts with 8. That's too fine a point for most people to pick up on except perhaps for immigration officers, PR holders and possibly some other government officials.

 

I have had some experience with showing my driving license at some privately-owned places and have gotten in at the Thai price, but not any government attractions. I don't expect that having PR will get me Thai pricing in most instances.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

16 minutes ago, Morpheus42 said:

Was it difficult for you guys to get the PR? You tried more than one year? I read they are just accepting 100 people per country every year, is this true? Or just a way to earn some money under the table?

My PR was issued in the '90s when Chuan Leekpai was PM. It took about ten months from application until it was granted. 

 

It was simply a matter of paperwork and an informal Thai language interview with one immigration officer. I understand it is a bit more rigorous now and the fees have gone up substantially.

 

The quota of 100 persons is usually not filled for applicants from Western countries, or at least it did not back when I applied. I heard that it does fill up for some Asian applicants.

[LukKrueng]

8 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

with both these books you go to housing authority to get your name entered into tabien baan...

 

Then house registration - this is to enter you as a tenant or owner of the property, and is valid until you remove yourself from the book by changing address

There is no such thing as housing authority. It is done at the district office (khet in BKK and ampoe in other provinces). Registration in the blue book has nothing to do with property ownership. It is simply an address registration. The blue book does not expire if you change address. You (as a tenant) are deleted from this book and must be registered in the book of your new address. The new address is not registered in the old book and the new book doesn't show the old address

[scorecard]

10 hours ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

I have held PR for more than 20 years.

 

A year after initially obtaining PR and the red police book, one has to return to the local police station where one's PR is on file and provide a new photo, pay a small fee, and re-confirm one's address. After that first year, this process is repeated at five-year intervals.

 

In order to maintain PR if going abroad, a re-entry permit is needed in one's passport as is an endorsement in the residence certificate book. These stamps are obtained at the immigration office. The re-entry permit and the endorsement are good for one year. If one does not return by the end of the validity of the re-entry and endorsement, PR is automatically cancelled. If one has no plans to travel abroad, one does not need these items and there is no need to visit an immigration office. 

 

PR holders do not make 90 day reports.

FROM ABOVE:  "...A year after initially obtaining PR and the red police book, one has to return to the local police station where one's PR is on file and provide a new photo, pay a small fee, and re-confirm one's address. After that first year, this process is repeated at five-year intervals..."

 

I also have PR (24 years), with all due respect to the poster can I please add a little for clarity:

 

- PR is not actually a visa (it's officially described as a 'Certificate of Residence' (in Thailand).

- The approved applicant takes the official letter of approval to an Immigration office or to a larger local gov't office to be issued with their 'Certificate of Residence' book.

 

There's a time limit on the issue of the 'Certificate of Residence' book. It was 7 days after receiving the actual letter of approval, but maybe that's changed.

 

The 'Certificate of Residence' book does not need to be replaced or re-approved after 1 year or at any time in the future. PR / 'Certificate of Residence' is for lifetime. The only time it is replaced is:

 

- When the book has been lost or destroyed.

- When the book is full (full meaning full of departure from Thailand and arrival in Thailand stamps) This is a simple mechanical transfer of the relevant details (in the first few pages) from full book to a new empty 'Certificate of Residence' book. There is no re-approval, no interview etc.

 

The RED police book (also issued when the foreigner has been approved for PR ('Certificate of Residence') has a different approach. As is obvious this is how the local police know who is living in their area and holds a 'Certificate of Residence'. As mentioned it must be re-stamped with a new photo after 1 year, then after every 5 years. Again it's a very mechanical process (maybe 20 minutes or less), there's no re-approval process involved in any way.  

[jomtienisgood]

11 hours ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

I have held PR for more than 20 years.

 

A year after initially obtaining PR and the red police book, one has to return to the local police station where one's PR is on file and provide a new photo, pay a small fee, and re-confirm one's address. After that first year, this process is repeated at five-year intervals.

 

In order to maintain PR if going abroad, a re-entry permit is needed in one's passport as is an endorsement in the residence certificate book. These stamps are obtained at the immigration office. The re-entry permit and the endorsement are good for one year. If one does not return by the end of the validity of the re-entry and endorsement, PR is automatically cancelled. If one has no plans to travel abroad, one does not need these items and there is no need to visit an immigration office. 

 

PR holders do not make 90 day reports.

Absolutely correct.....

[Sir Bogdiver]

12 hours ago, Morpheus42 said:

Was it difficult for you guys to get the PR? You tried more than one year? I read they are just accepting 100 people per country every year, is this true? Or just a way to earn some money under the table?

All approvals are posted on the immigration web site every year.  You will see that per year there are usually between 200 and 300 approvals in total for all countries together. So the 100 maximum per country does not really make any difference.

[jayboy]

12 hours ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

The only thing on my pink ID card that would differentiate me from non-PR holders is that my Thai ID number starts with 8. That's too fine a point for most people to pick up on except perhaps for immigration officers, PR holders and possibly some other government officials.

 

I have had some experience with showing my driving license at some privately-owned places and have gotten in at the Thai price, but not any government attractions. I don't expect that having PR will get me Thai pricing in most instances.

For the record the pink ID card has nothing to do with PR (I have both) and does not in any sense form part of the documentation for PR.I appreciate it was referred to as "optional" but the key point it is available to most resident foreigners.Some PR holders have it and some don't. On a personal basis I would recommend getting one as it is gradually getting more known about and hence more useful than hitherto.This was illustrated recently in the vaccine rollout.

[Morpheus42]

1 hour ago, Sir Bogdiver said:

All approvals are posted on the immigration web site every year.  You will see that per year there are usually between 200 and 300 approvals in total for all countries together. So the 100 maximum per country does not really make any difference.

Wait, my name and personal data will be published on a government website for everyone to see? Non-censored?

[chilli42]

17 hours ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

I have held PR for more than 20 years.

 

A year after initially obtaining PR and the red police book, one has to return to the local police station where one's PR is on file and provide a new photo, pay a small fee, and re-confirm one's address. After that first year, this process is repeated at five-year intervals.

 

In order to maintain PR if going abroad, a re-entry permit is needed in one's passport as is an endorsement in the residence certificate book. These stamps are obtained at the immigration office. The re-entry permit and the endorsement are good for one year. If one does not return by the end of the validity of the re-entry and endorsement, PR is automatically cancelled. If one has no plans to travel abroad, one does not need these items and there is no need to visit an immigration office. 

 

PR holders do not make 90 day reports.

+1 … exactly same for me

[cocoonclub]

22 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

It definitely requires good planning of several years before applying, but after application was finally accepted, and getting that application letter typed up by immigration officer, getting fingerprinted and Thai exam over, it was just a waiting game

By “Thai exam” I assume you mean the interview in front of the committee which is held in Thai but supposed to be quite easy? Or is there an actual exam? 
 

And do you remember how long it took from submitting the application until they called you for the interview/exam? 

[cocoonclub]

22 hours ago, Morpheus42 said:

Was it difficult for you guys to get the PR? You tried more than one year? I read they are just accepting 100 people per country every year, is this true? Or just a way to earn some money under the table?

I just submitted my application in December so I can only talk about that step. I’ll probably post a longer post with some tips later but these are my key takeaways:

 

1. Make sure you have the support from your employer, and a competent person from HR, Finance or Legal helping you. There’s a ton of tax and corporate documents required which only the company can provide and for which you need someone who knows what those documents are and where and how to get them. 
 

2. Make sure to start early and plan the timelines. Some documents take some time to prepare, especially those from your home country which also need to get translated and then certified twice, but even some documents from Thai authorities can take 6 weeks. 
 

3. Make sure to visit Immigration early on in the process to discuss the requirements and your paperwork with an officer. I thought I was perfectly prepared when I went there but it turned out that there are fine details which aren’t written in their checklist online; other things were written in their checklist but apparently outdated or interpreted differently. So they wouldn’t accept my application but I had to do a lot of rework and come back later. 
 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2022 by cocoonclub

[Kinnock]

1 hour ago, cocoonclub said:

By “Thai exam” I assume you mean the interview in front of the committee which is held in Thai but supposed to be quite easy? Or is there an actual exam? 
 

And do you remember how long it took from submitting the application until they called you for the interview/exam? 

My Thai test had four senior Immigration Officers sitting on a long table, with a video camera facing me, while I was on a low wooden chair in front of them.  

 

They asked me a series of questions in Thai, about my business, the paid up capital, the shareholders and the type of work we performed.

 

Then some basic questions about family, marriage status, where I lived, and what sports or hobbies I had.

 

Not simple, but not too complex so long as you know the business terms in Thai.  I think the Thai test is not a pass or fail test by itself - but it forms part of the overall points system.

 

[siamike]

I want to say a big THANK YOU to all those holding a PR for sharing the details of acquiring and maintaining Permanent Residence status.  The information you've provided has helped me, and likely many others, to make the decision to begin the process of acquiring PR status.

[jomtienisgood]

20 hours ago, jayboy said:

For the record the pink ID card has nothing to do with PR (I have both) and does not in any sense form part of the documentation for PR.I appreciate it was referred to as "optional" but the key point it is available to most resident foreigners.Some PR holders have it and some don't. On a personal basis I would recommend getting one as it is gradually getting more known about and hence more useful than hitherto.This was illustrated recently in the vaccine rollout.

You did notice your pink ID card starts with figure 8 for PR, the other cards start with fig.6 .....

[jayboy]

41 minutes ago, jomtienisgood said:

You did notice your pink ID card starts with figure 8 for PR, the other cards start with fig.6 .....

I'm not sure what point you're making but yes, the number beginning 8 is the same.As a matter of interest, the number allocated at time of PR doesn't actually appear in the Red Book or Blue/White one (at least I haven't found it yet). It's on one's page in the tabien baan.

[tomazbodner]

12 hours ago, cocoonclub said:

By “Thai exam” I assume you mean the interview in front of the committee which is held in Thai but supposed to be quite easy? Or is there an actual exam? 
 

And do you remember how long it took from submitting the application until they called you for the interview/exam? 

Yes, interview.

 

About a year in my case but recently a few months after application.