Residency

[wow_woww]

Regarding 3 years on a non-immigrant visa as a way to become illegible for residency in Thai, can anyone advise me if this has to be a full non-stop of 3 years or can it be broken for a few days?

Also I have a 1 year multiple entry visa which expires on June 29th 2004, if I was to enter Thailand on June 20th 2004 would I be given the usual 3 month stamp to stay in Thailand?

[george]

1. No broken stay is allowed. No even 1 day.

2. Yes you can enter until June 28, 2004,and you will get a full 90 days.

[Charlie]

Dear George,

Assuming that I have a retirement visa plus a multiple re-entry permit.... and practically every month for the next three years I will be going in and out of Thailand to Malaysia (my home). My question is this: Will my three years be still be counted for residency or will it be forfeited. I ask this because you replied ' wow_woww ' by saying " No broken stay is allowed. Not even one day. "  Please kindly advise.

Thank you.

Regards,

charlie.

 

[lopburi3]

Believe George is using 'broken stay' to mean leaving without a re-entry permit or going outside the country to obtain a new type of visa.  Believe as long as you maintain a visa extension for a full three years you can apply for resident permit at the next opening.  You are free to travel as long as you always have a re-entry permit.

[george]

Lopburi3 is right here!

[Charlie]

Dear Mr. Lopburi3 and Mr. George,

Your reply is very encouraging.

Thank you very much to both of you.

Regards,

charlie

[wow_woww]

Thanks Charlie

[wow_woww]

BTW if you had a mutiple entry permit, why would we need a re-entry permit?, if we were to exit Thailand, or wouldn't we need one?, can you advise please? - George or Lopburi3.

[easymoney]

this exact as it gets if you enter on a non immigrate Type O you can apply at end of fist 90 days if 1 year or 6 months and the visa dates back to the entry prior to the request for extension. Now after receiving extension that begins clock for three years. You must get a reentry permit if you are going to leave country. I have always bought the mulitple one double the cost. At end of the extension period and provided you reported every 90 days(yes I know some offices don't push but begging this year the Bangkok office is last word) you can extend again but remember to get reentry permit again. After 3 laborous years you can apply for residency. I have been here for 5 years on mutiple entry non immigrate "o"  visa before I started process and guess what doesn't count.

[lopburi3]

BTW if you had a mutiple entry permit, why would we need a re-entry permit?

If you just use this type of visa, and many do, you would not need a re entry permit.  But you also would not have lived here on one year visa extensions for three years to make residence permit application provision and you would have to cross a border every 90 days or less.

If you extend your stay with one year extension the visa is no longer a requirement (you will not get a new multi entry visa again).  You just keep extending your stay each year.  During this time if you want to exit the country you have to have a re entry permit, which will act as your visa when you return.

The above assumes you are talking about a multi entry visa rather than "permit".  The permits are for re entry.

[sabaijai]

One other thing, as I understand it from talking to Mr Skonchai, who among other distinctions has been quoted on this website on the new visa fee structures, you not only need three years uninterrupted stay (on one-year visa extensions), you also need to have a work permit. Whether you need to have the work permit the full three years before you apply for PR or whether you need only show it at the time of application for PR, is not clear to me.

Anyone else know anything about this aspect of applying for PR?

[lopburi3]

If you are working you would need a work permit as they will be checking all aspects of your life in the approval process.  But if you are not working, as in retired or being supported, you would not require a work permit.

[sabaijai]

Lopburi3, Mr Skonchai told me that all PR applications require a work permit at the time of application, and that there is no PR yet for retirees.

[sabaijai]

Question: Has anyone on this forum ever received permanent residency status from the Thai gov't? It seems like their are lots of judgements and partial facts about the process floating around here, but I haven't yet read any posts by anyone who actually got it. I'd sure like to hear a first-hand account of a successful application!