The immigration laws can be a bit challenging to understand sometimes. 

 

Is it still possible for a foreign spouse to apply for/get registered in the "yellow book" ?? This is supposed to be the farang version of the "blue book" for Thai citizens. 

 

I'm over 50 & my Thai husband is over 60. We're newlyweds, there will be no children between us. He has a son from a baby momma & not friendly. 

 

My biggest concern is that he might pass over before I do & I'd suddenly find myself a widow being deported. 

 

I've been unable to locate the immigration laws that I had read online a number of years ago. But it seemed that after 3 consecutive marriage visas, the spouse could apply for the "yellow book" & once approved, they could not be forced to leave if widowed, that instead there would be a "widows certificate" that could be used to continue the marriage visas. 

 

Alternately, could I apply for a Thai passport after 5 to 8 years of marriage that would be a doorway to dual citizenship?? 

 

Just wondering if I should even consider the marriage visa option or just go with a retirement visa. But retirement visa doesn't lead to a "yellow book" or dual citizenship. 

 

TIA 

 

 

The yellow book is unrelated to any immigration matters

You are unfortunately very wrong on many levels:

1. You can't get permanent residency just by being married to a Thai husband. People can only apply for permanent residency, if they fulfill certain conditions, like having worked and paid taxes for at least 3 years, but if you hold a non-immigration Visa (non-O or non-OA with extensions), then you do not qualify. 

2. The yellow book (and the pink Thai-ID-card for foreigners) are related to where you live permanently. In order to get a yellow book, the Housemaster of the place where you live (the housemaster is the person on the first page in the blue book of the residency) must agree with that, and then of course, there are other conditions that must be met. Yellow book and pink ID card both have nothing to do with being married or not. 

3. The yellow house book and the pink ID card both have nothing to do with your visa status / permission to stay in Thailand. Even if you have a yellow house book, if you don't fulfill the conditions for an extension of stay (i.e. the financial conditions for a retirement or marriage extension), then you would be denied the next extension and - yes - would be ordered to leave the country.

4. No, being married by itself does NOT give you a path to citizenship. There are again other conditions, like having worked and paid taxes, that must be met before you can apply for citizenship. 

5. Every foreigner - man of woman - who is married to a Thai, has to make sure that in the case of death (or divorce) from his/her partner, he/she has an alternative way to ask immigration for a new type of visa, i.e. retirement, Elite Visa etc.  There is no such thing as a widow/widower certificate to continue applying for marriage extensions.

 

And that is actually where you are right. If you apply for a retirement visa, then you definitely have one thing less to worry about, should your husband die. You still can get a yellow house book, if the housemaster of your residency agrees to that. And you are right, with a retirement visa, you can not apply to residency status or citizenship, but - see above - neither can you do this with a marriage visa alone. 

SunnyJ, welcome.

There is an extensive thread about  permanent residency on this forum. Perhaps even too extensive, but by browsing the latest posts you could find useful info.

My personal take is that there are too many hurdles to pass, and that a retirement visa based on your own finances is an easier options if possible. There are of course some benefits in the PR, but not worthy the hassle IMO.

The above posters are very helpful. 

Retirement extensions of stay are your only realistic option.

 

I understand residency also requires fluency in spoken and written Thai. Challenging in itself, especially to an aging mind like mine! 

3 hours ago, chalawaan said:

The above posters are very helpful. 

Retirement extensions of stay are your only realistic option.

 

I understand residency also requires fluency in spoken and written Thai. Challenging in itself, especially to an aging mind like mine! 

Not fluency. Just be able to understand and converse in a reasonable manner, which someone married to a Thai could conquer in a couple of years.

 

While PR might be a waste of time for you (it's expensive), being married to a Thai, you could pursue Thai citizenship instead. It's much cheaper and has more or less same conditions as a PR. Now, for that you will have to have a job, get reasonable income, and pay taxes. You'll also need to learn Thai, have good personality, etc. Being married to a Thai you won't have have sing the anthems.

 

In your case, if you intend to stay here permanently, I would check that path. PR is not practical for you as it achieves less than citizenship, costs more, and isn't any easier to get. PR is a way towards staying visa-free, entered into blue book, without need of any reporting, without need to bring funds from abroad to buy a property - for those who are not married to a Thai.

you have not mentioned whether you own or rent property .  Is your husband retired ,working and /or have financial means to support you adequately if you were left on your own . Your financial status may affect a proposal to alleviate your situation of being forced to leave .  

If you own property ,put in joint names ,  put necessary money in the bank for a retirement visa then your husband makes a Will and leaves all to you .  

3 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

Now, for that you will have to have a job, get reasonable income, and pay taxes.

Not required as foreign wife with a Thai husband.

9 minutes ago, FriendlyFarang said:

Not required as foreign wife with a Thai husband.

That's great and makes even more sense for OP

Unfortunately nobody has replied with the right answer which is its very easy for a woman married to a Thai man to obtain citizenship as long as your husband has income and is paying taxes in Thailand. 

 

I believe you can apply after 3 years of marriage with no children. 

Though you asked about PR, as others have said, a foreign woman married to a Thai husband can apply after three years of marriage. All those married to Thai's can effectively skip PR and go straight for citizenship, though there are different rules surrounding foreign husbands vs foreign wives married to Thai spouses

 

There is a very informative blog on this.

 

https://www.thaicitizenship.com/thai-citizenship-based-on-marriage-to-a-thai-husband/

 

 

There is also a related facebook group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2116997095087609/

I'm surprised to hear that if the Thai spouse died, then one has to leave Thailand.

 

Would it not be better to have a Thai child instead?

22 minutes ago, kiwiaussie said:

Though you asked about PR, as others have said, a foreign woman married to a Thai husband can apply after three years of marriage. All those married to Thai's can effectively skip PR and go straight for citizenship, though there are different rules surrounding foreign husbands vs foreign wives married to Thai spouses

 

 

What is the success rate for those applicants? What happens if after getting the citizenship, there is a divorce?