If you are retired, does it bother you that you will never be a Thai Permanent Resident?

[Photoguy21]

Not in the least

[Watawattana]

If not being able to get PR is a big issue to me, then I won't move to Thailand.  Simples.  If I lived there and I decided it was a big issue due to hassle of renewing/maintaining then I'd move.  It's unlikely I'd bitch about it too much, I'd either accept it as outside of my control so why bother, or I'd move.

[brewsterbudgen]

It doesn't bother me even though I've worked here for nearly 20 years.  It does bother me that my kid, should he decide to live in Thailand, will have to cope with visas/Extensions all his life unless he meets the requirements for PR when he's odler.

[KannikaP]

3 minutes ago, Elvis Presley said:

still a pain though innit,

 

PR is better.

I have bigger problems to put up with. 

Why does my lawn need cutting every week or so, or if there is no sun, why does it go brown?

Why does my 3BB internet, electricity, and water sometimes go off?

Why does my Mrs like Hawaiian pizza?

Why does the GBP go down in value against THB and BTC?

Why do I reply on Asian Now to silly posts?

[scottiejohn]

1 hour ago, jvs said:

Bob's trade mark,when starting a new topic he always forgets to start with a capital!

Bob has a few other posting trade marks which he has carried forward from Bob/Colin et al!

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, Elvis Presley said:

Sorry Charlie, but I disagree.

 

I would rather live here knowing that I have full legal rights to remain here on a permanent basis regardless of my financial status, and never having to do another 90 day report again is definitely an added bonus. As is having the option to become a naturalized Thai citizen after 5 years if I so choose.

 

Elvis from Tupelo.

You can become a Thai citizen without going for PR.

[Elvis Presley]

Just now, FritsSikkink said:

You can become a Thai citizen without going for PR.

I don't want to yet.

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, Ben Zioner said:

There is also the little tax advantage, every year that goes by I save over 800k.

Do you not mean that you do not have to have THE SAME 800k sitting in a bank year after year?

If you are SAVING over 800k tax, your income must be phenomenal.

[connda]

1 hour ago, Elvis Presley said:

I am Elvis from Tupelo.

Aka 'bob smith' aka 'BarBoy.'

[CharlieH]

2 hours ago, Elvis Presley said:

Sorry Charlie, but I disagree.

 

I would rather live here knowing that I have full legal rights to remain here on a permanent basis regardless of my financial status, and never having to do another 90 day report again is definitely an added bonus. As is having the option to become a naturalized Thai citizen after 5 years if I so choose.

 

Elvis from Tupelo.

Entitled to your view of course, but frankly that is unrealistic and shows a distinct lack of understanding of the land you are living in and its people, how it works, and what is realistic of the same.

 

But you can have your "in an ideal world" view. 😆

[ChumpChange]

Ah, Belching Bob, sorry; Elvis from Tupelo now, is it? Back once again like a bad butt rash that festers like a Trump tariff, but this time with an extra sprinkle of smugness. My, my, what a journey it’s been. From Bob Smith, the high-flying East End geezer flush with cash, houses and Rolexes, to BarBoy, the hapless, Dorset-born Colin Neville, to Elvis Presley who died on the porcelain throne pinching a loaf, but now the soon-to-be Permanent Resident of the Kingdom. At this rate, mate, your next incarnation might be the big, sweaty, Mango-Mussolini who decides to run off to South Africa with Elaine and elope.

 

But let’s break this down, shall we? Here we have Brokeback Bob, the same fella who’s spent the last decade from a barstool on Soi 6/1 moaning about taxi drivers, uncomfortable motorbike seats, rude waitresses, and the outrageous injustices of 7-Eleven pricing, suddenly on the verge of loving it all in Patts and securing Permanent Residency. A true inspiration, mate. And there we were, thinking immigration procedures required patience, financial stability, a job, connections, and, you know… a general ability to function in society without throwing a wobbly over bar girls not displaying enough stretch-marks for your own liking.

 

Yet somehow, you, Bob the Moaner, Bob the Menace, Bob the “I’m Leaving for Spain” Smith, has cracked the code. Just a few more hoops to jump through, you say? What are we talking about now? A PowerPoint presentation on the injustices of lukewarm Chang beer? A dramatic monologue about the betrayal of a 600-baht short-time ladyboy special where the bloke laid a death grip on your unit with his anoose?

 

And the best part? The not-so-subtle dig at the “lowly Non-Immigrant” status, as if you haven’t spent your entire Thailand career knee-deep in the very same queue whilst clutching zillions of photocopied passport pages in your own sweaty paws. Oh, but now that you’re almost in the exclusive club, it’s all about how tedious and beneath you it all is. Classic Bar-Booty-Bob behavior.

 

But tell us, mate, what happens when Elvis leaves the building again? When the PR dream inevitably crumbles, do we get another farewell speech? Another dramatic flounce off to somewhere like Colombia, Cambodia, or Cucamonga? Or will we be blessed with a new, exciting character, perhaps Bargain Basement Bob, the half-French half-Thai and half-witted bum-gun aficionado?

 

One thing’s for sure, mate. It’s really great to be alive at the moment. Just knowing you’ll always come back for another cheeky round of Bob's Bareback Buffoonery.

[Elvis Presley]

25 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Entitled to your view of course, but frankly that is unrealistic and shows a distinct lack of understanding of the land you are living in and its people, how it works, and what is realistic of the same.

 

But you can have your "in an ideal world" view. 😆

why is it unrealistic? 

 

I will be granted PR soon. What is unrealistic about that?

[scottiejohn]

1 minute ago, Elvis Presley said:

why is it unrealistic? 

 

I will be granted PR soon. What is unrealistic about that?

Bob.

The only PR you are going to get is for LA LA Land!

[Elvis Presley]

4 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

Bob.

The only PR you are going to get is for LA LA Land!

yet another miserable retiree with no chance of getting out of Non-Immigrant status....

 

How sad.

[CharlieH]

8 minutes ago, Elvis Presley said:

why is it unrealistic? 

 

I will be granted PR soon. What is unrealistic about that?

Personal Relief is not the subject , but I dont doubt you'll get that  😆

[thesetat]

NO

[Elvis Presley]

2 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Personal Relief is not the subject , but I dont doubt you'll get that  😆

I'm confuzzled, Charlie.

 

Hope you are ok though dude.

[ukrules]

3 hours ago, Elvis Presley said:

does it bother you that you have to perpetually go to immigration year in year out, photos, cap in hand, 800K bank balance etc just to stay here? it must be so cumbersome, especially when you are over 60 or so..

 

PR is useful if you're spending you're working life in Thailand, I know one or two who have it. There are strings attached and it can be lost if you don't continue to fulfill whatever the ongoing requirements are - I think it was mainly continuing to live in the country and renewing it every few years, perhaps every 3 years (from memory) but we're going back  a while when I last discussed this with the guy I know who's had one for a long time.
 

Now this guy was married, worked here for decades, had a few kids and still needed to provide DNA tests proving the kids were his before he could get his PR - the entire thing seems very hostile - as in they don't want to issue it and you need to persuade them to do so - I don't know anyone who got this without being really quite wealthy, like ten million US dollars and up wealthy.

 

There are people out there who seem to think they can get a PR by earning slightly above the minimum amount and paying tax for 3 years - in my opinion they will almost all be very disappointed when they're turned down after paying all sorts of fees and completing masses of paperwork.

 

Personally I never worked for a Thai company in any way and don't ever plan to.

 

I've been using those Thailand Elite visas for about 10 years already now and the current membership expires some time in 2040, I'll review the situation as 2040 approaches. I will be nearly 70 at that point, so yes, I'm using Elite well into and beyond the retirement qualification age range as I don't want to deal with any of their hassle.

 

500k Baht for 15 years extension of my Elite membership - well worth it. They even give you new visas as all visas only last for a maximum of 5 years when you arrive at the airport!

 

[baansgr]

3 hours ago, MarkT63 said:

"especially when you are over 60 or so"

 

It is difficult for us "over 60's" when we cant even walk in to a room without forgetting why we went in there in the first place. 🤣🤣

And when everyone looks at you...not because you are a handsome man, because you pee your pants 

[Dewey]

7 minutes ago, ukrules said:

 

PR is useful if you're spending you're working life in Thailand, I know one or two who have it. There are strings attached and it can be lost if you don't continue to fulfill whatever the ongoing requirements are - I think it was mainly continuing to live in the country and renewing it every few years, perhaps every 3 years (from memory) but we're going back  a while when I last discussed this with the guy I know who's had one for a long time.
 

Now this guy was married, worked here for decades, had a few kids and still needed to provide DNA tests proving the kids were his before he could get his PR - the entire thing seems very hostile - as in they don't want to issue it and you need to persuade them to do so - I don't know anyone who got this without being really quite wealthy, like ten million US dollars and up wealthy.

 

There are people out there who seem to think they can get a PR by earning slightly above the minimum amount and paying tax for 3 years - in my opinion they will almost all be very disappointed when they're turned down after paying all sorts of fees and completing masses of paperwork.

 

Personally I never worked for a Thai company in any way and don't ever plan to.

 

I've been using those Thailand Elite visas for about 10 years already now and the current membership expires some time in 2040, I'll review the situation as 2040 approaches. I will be nearly 70 at that point, so yes, I'm using Elite well into and beyond the retirement qualification age range as I don't want to deal with any of their hassle.

 

500k Baht for 15 years extension of my Elite membership - well worth it. They even give you new visas as all visas only last for a maximum of 5 years when you arrive at the airport!

 

 

Got my PR last year (with work not marriage) and yes, they will try to discourage you as much as possible (officer rude AF, asking different documents every time you go) but after almost 2 years process I got it without paying a single bribe (you can secure your PR with an agent but it will cost you double).

 

There is 2 way you can lose your PR, if you commit a crime or if you go out of the country without the re-entry stamp (4.5k a year for multiple) in your passport (200k down the drain).

[Elvis Presley]

16 minutes ago, ukrules said:

 

PR is useful if you're spending you're working life in Thailand, I know one or two who have it. There are strings attached and it can be lost if you don't continue to fulfill whatever the ongoing requirements are - I think it was mainly continuing to live in the country and renewing it every few years, perhaps every 3 years (from memory) but we're going back  a while when I last discussed this with the guy I know who's had one for a long time.
 

Now this guy was married, worked here for decades, had a few kids and still needed to provide DNA tests proving the kids were his before he could get his PR - the entire thing seems very hostile - as in they don't want to issue it and you need to persuade them to do so - I don't know anyone who got this without being really quite wealthy, like ten million US dollars and up wealthy.

 

There are people out there who seem to think they can get a PR by earning slightly above the minimum amount and paying tax for 3 years - in my opinion they will almost all be very disappointed when they're turned down after paying all sorts of fees and completing masses of paperwork.

 

Personally I never worked for a Thai company in any way and don't ever plan to.

 

I've been using those Thailand Elite visas for about 10 years already now and the current membership expires some time in 2040, I'll review the situation as 2040 approaches. I will be nearly 70 at that point, so yes, I'm using Elite well into and beyond the retirement qualification age range as I don't want to deal with any of their hassle.

 

500k Baht for 15 years extension of my Elite membership - well worth it. They even give you new visas as all visas only last for a maximum of 5 years when you arrive at the airport!

 

500K for a visa that I currently get for 1,900 baht annually.. times that by 10 and it equates to 19,000 baht for me.

 

How are you getting a good deal?...

[short-Timer]

1,900 Baht (about 45 quid) for a one-year visa to live in Thailand without ever having to leave the country, cheap and cheerful. The process is simple: a quick trip to the bank in the morning once a year to get some printed paperwork, followed by an hour at immigration in the afternoon. No waiting around either, thanks to an online queue booking system. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, mate.

[NoDisplayName]

4 hours ago, Elvis Presley said:

does it bother you that you have to perpetually go to immigration year in year out, photos, cap in hand, 800K bank balance etc just to stay here? it must be so cumbersome, especially when you are over 60 or so..

 

Not at all, and not in the slightest cumbersome.

 

I make an online appointment with immigration.  Drive an hour to Korat, stop at the bank for the required papers (20 minutes), drive 10 minutes to immigration, get a new TM-30 receipt, check paperwork, hop across the street for a coffee, go to the appointed appointment (30 minutes).  Done.  I've got another year of glorified tourist visa, a re-entry permit, and the nice lady resets my 90-day schedule.  Then it's off to lunch and some shopping in the big city.

 

No big deal. 

 

In fact, super easy, barely an inconvenience!

 

Now I don't have to bother learning Thai or singing a song.

And considering they'd be the first to fall under global taxation.......

 

***Just peeked at the requirements..

 

There are a few things you need to do in order to keep your permanent residence active.

Before leaving Thailand, you need to get both a one-year endorsement of your residence book and also a re-entry permit. 

You also need to report to a local police station every 5 years. 

 

...

Upon applying for permanent residence, you need to pay 7,600 baht for the initial government fee. 

Once your permanent resident status is approved, you need to pay another government fee of 95,700 baht or 191,400 baht, depending on your category. 

..., it can take up to 3 years or more ...

 

LTR or Elite would be a better deal.

[scottiejohn]

54 minutes ago, Elvis Presley said:

yet another miserable retiree with no chance of getting out of Non-Immigrant status....

 

How sad.

Talking about yourself again are we?

[Elvis Presley]

3 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

Not at all, and not in the slightest cumbersome.

 

I make an online appointment with immigration.  Drive an hour to Korat, stop at the bank for the required papers (20 minutes), drive 10 minutes to immigration, get a new TM-30 receipt, check paperwork, hop across the street for a coffee, go to the appointed appointment (30 minutes).  Done.  I've got another year of glorified tourist visa, a re-entry permit, and the nice lady resets my 90-day schedule.  Then it's off to lunch and some shopping in the big city.

 

No big deal. 

 

In fact, super easy, barely an inconvenience!

 

Now I don't have to bother learning Thai or singing a song.

And considering they'd be the first to fall under global taxation.......

sounds like an absolute ball-ache to me bud!

[scottiejohn]

1 hour ago, Elvis Presley said:

why is it unrealistic? 

 

I will be granted PR soon. What is unrealistic about that?

 

23 minutes ago, Elvis Presley said:

500K for a visa that I currently get for 1,900 baht annually.. times that by 10 and it equates to 19,000 baht for me.

 

How are you getting a good deal?...

Which one is it, PR which now according to you is not a good deal or just staying as you are on  a 1900BHT/year extension?

 

As a matter of interest which visa extension are you on since you have said earlier that you are not retired?

[NoDisplayName]

2 minutes ago, Elvis Presley said:

sounds like an absolute ball-ache to me bud!

 

A couple of hours each year?

 

You should see a gynecologist about those sensitive dangly bits.

[Ben Zioner]

2 hours ago, KannikaP said:

If you are SAVING over 800k tax, your income must be phenomenal.

If a modest 4 million Baht is "phenomenal" what would be E. Musk's ? Funny...

 

The Thai IT is grossly progressive for lower and medium incomes while lenient for the rich, with a marginal rate at 35%.

[worgeordie]

3 hours ago, Elvis Presley said:

Much harder for them to kick you out if your are a PR. 

 

No need to renew visas or do 90 day reports.

Visa extension takes all of 1.5 hours a Year  , 90 days I do online ,maybe 10 mins,

Thai Immigration very good they even email you when its due ,

 

regards worgeordie

[sqwakvfr]

Not one bit.  Now if SIngapore or S. Korea offered then I would be interested.  Thailand is a fine place to get value for your money in most cases but quality is rare. Also, sometimes doing the simple things get complicated.  For example I exchanged some money at a local Bankgok Bank branch today(I am going back to LA soon),  I wanted some dollars.  The entire exahange process took 15 minutes and beside presenting my passport I had to sign three different documents, give them my address, phone # and email address.  Then the teller had to notify her manager/supervisor. I told the teller I have an account with BK Bank that didn;t  matter. I was exchanging Baht to Dollars.  I thought this was very bureaucratic for a bank.  On a postive note I got a very good exchange rate and no fee.  TIT "love it just the way it is or leave".