Residency

[jjp]

Hi guys,

I need some advice on should I or should I not apply for residency.

Here's a rundown on my situation.

I have lived here for the last 6 years on non imm B with a work permit.

I owe a condo and car in my name.

Here are the 2 stumbling blocks me thinks

1) I am not married to a Thai and have no kids.

I read in another thread that this is irrelevent (not sure on this as my friend went to imm room 301 and the first Q the women asked him was R u married to a Thai?)

2)My salary is about 50,000 baht a month so i pay only about 4,000 tax a month. I sometimes get overtime so tax varies from month to month. So over the year i pay between 50/ 60 000 in taxes.

Can anyone tell me if these would affect my application for residency or should I apply anyway and hope for the best.

Thanks in advace for ur help.

JJP

[wca01]

Many times your questions are already answered on this board.

The most important point: You have to stay at least for 3 years on a Non-immigrant Visa in Thailand, before you can apply.

Despite other opinions, yes to have a Thai wife can be relevant. Your salary is also in line with the request (Baht 50,000 absolut minimum)

But for the moment, don't think about your residency, you have still 2 1/2 years ahead and who knows, perhaps you even get married by then.

WCA

[phormio]

Many times your questions are already answered on this board.

The most important point: You have to stay at least for 3 years on a Non-immigrant Visa in Thailand, before you can apply.

Despite other opinions, yes to have a Thai wife can be relevant. Your salary is also in line with the request (Baht 50,000 absolut minimum)

But for the moment, don't think about your residency, you have still 2 1/2 years ahead and who knows, perhaps you even get married by then.

WCA

You probably already realized that the original poster said 6 YEARS, not six months, as your post suggests - and I quote him/her:

I have lived here for the last 6 years on non imm B with a work permit.

Mai Pen Rai

about the only Thai I can SIGH....T

[lopburi3]

Many times your questions are already answered on this board.

The most important point: You have to stay at least for 3 years on a Non-immigrant Visa in Thailand, before you can apply.

Despite other opinions, yes to have a Thai wife can be relevant. Your salary is also in line with the request (Baht 50,000 absolut minimum)

But for the moment, don't think about your residency, you have still 2 1/2 years ahead and who knows, perhaps you even get married by then.

WCA

2 1/2 years for what? He has been here 6 years not months.

[jjp]

Cheers guys for the quick response.

2 and half years to find a RICH Thai wife me thinks.

No seriously I know many answers can be found on this forum but i was wondering if anyone has applied and be successful regarding the min salary.

I heard on the grapevine that they will only accept the application if ur salary is round about 70 to 80k. Is this true or Bull....?

I have heard this is not a written requirement along with being married to a Thai and I also know the final word comes from the top but will the imm at room 301 still accept the application.

I was also going to add a supporting letter from the owner of the international school where I work. Would this help?

[phormio]

Cheers guys for the quick response.

2 and half years to find a RICH Thai wife me thinks.

No seriously I know many answers can be found on this forum but i was wondering if anyone has applied and be successful regarding the min salary.

I heard on the grapevine that they will only accept the application if ur salary is round about 70 to 80k. Is this true or Bull....?

I have heard this is not a written requirement along with being married to a Thai and I also know the final word comes from the top but will the imm at room 301 still accept the application.

I was also going to add a supporting letter from the owner of the international school where I work. Would this help?

Depends on what ya tink rich means, don't it?

[phormio]

Sorry for being so flippant(a little)!

I've read in other posts that its really hard to get a PR, not to say u should not try.

I'm living in the US now, but will emigrate with my Thai wife and 1 yr old daughter to the LoS in a few months.

I've read in these forums that the quota is something like 100/yr per country for PRs in Thailand.

In your case, I think it would really help you if you had (semi)fluency in Thai and has some very reputable (HI-so/rich) Thais to put in the good word for you.

Best Wishes

( I hate in when Thais say Good luck to you - sounds so sarcastic - in an unintentional sort of way)

P.S.: lop is THE MAN, I'm just happy I beat him on the mis-read by 30 secs

[wca01]

Sorry for the confusion about "6month" and "6years". It seems I need new glasses.

WC

[sabaijai]

I heard on the grapevine that they will only accept the application if ur salary is round about 70 to 80k. Is this true or Bull....?

It's true, according to three high-level immigration officers I met with earlier this year. Not a written rule, but the level they believe to be appropriate. Marriage helps as well.

Edited October 16, 2004 by sabaijai

[trajan]

Im single and got an RP...they never asked if I was married....(but my salary is a bit higher than discussed here....dont know if that made a difference). The RP booklet took alittle over a year to get though......

[boris]

Im single and got an RP...they never asked if I was married....(but my salary is a bit higher than discussed here....dont know if that made a difference). The RP booklet took alittle over a year to get though......

There is a common misconception on this forum that marriage to a Thai national is very helpful to an application for PR.Reality is that it can be marginally helpful (assuming spouse is presentable,educated, not BG type etc) but applicant's level of education, tax paid, prestigious job, salary level,length of time in Thailand etc much more important.Oddly enough though there is a simple Thai language/culture test I don't get the impression this aspect is all that critical to success.

[danone]

most important is that you present yourself and your situation as

riep roi

they must be convinced that you honour thai culture, society and nationhood.

for me it definitively helped to have a thai wife and a kid.

as mentioned before, minimum salary should be over 50k. the 50k rule was valid three years ago, but since then they strengthened requirements.

also of importance is your nationality. fact is: they prefer some nationalities, some not.

if you want to apply this has to be done in one week after mid-december. you better hurry getting the basic papers together.

also consider the fee you'd have to pay as a being-not-married-to-a-thai.

your fee would be nearly 200k, application fees not included.

if this is worth for you, I'd give it a try. if you fail you still can re-apply on a later occasion.

[phormio]

most important is that you present yourself and your situation as

riep roi

they must be convinced that you honour thai culture, society and nationhood.

for me it definitively helped to have a thai wife and a kid.

as mentioned before, minimum salary should be over 50k. the 50k rule was valid three years ago, but since then they strengthened requirements.

also of importance is your nationality. fact is: they prefer some nationalities, some not.

if you want to apply this has to be done in one week after mid-december. you better hurry getting the basic papers together.

also consider the fee you'd have to pay as a being-not-married-to-a-thai.

your fee would be nearly 200k, application fees not included.

if this is worth for you, I'd give it a try. if you fail you still can re-apply on a later occasion.

See bolded(mine) text, above:

A. What's "riep roi", my Thai's a bit rusty

B. Which nationalities do you think have an advantage?

V. 200K fee without a Thai wife, what's the fee with a Thai wife?

Thanks,

[phormio]

most important is that you present yourself and your situation as

riep roi

they must be convinced that you honour thai culture, society and nationhood.

for me it definitively helped to have a thai wife and a kid.

as mentioned before, minimum salary should be over 50k. the 50k rule was valid three years ago, but since then they strengthened requirements.

also of importance is your nationality. fact is: they prefer some nationalities, some not.

if you want to apply this has to be done in one week after mid-december. you better hurry getting the basic papers together.

also consider the fee you'd have to pay as a being-not-married-to-a-thai.

your fee would be nearly 200k, application fees not included.

if this is worth for you, I'd give it a try. if you fail you still can re-apply on a later occasion.

Sorry, forgot - seems as though I read on this forum a few months ago, and I've had trouble locating the discussion, that if somebody invests 10million baht(which is appx $250,000 USD) in real estate/condo then this also gives eligiblity for a PR in Thailand; if correct, this is one way to get around minimum salary requirements that are above the original poster's salary.

Yeah! Made it to 200 without getting drummed of the forums!!

[sas_cars]

A. What's "riep roi", my Thai's a bit rusty

B. Which nationalities do you think have an advantage?

V. 200K fee without a Thai wife, what's the fee with a Thai wife?

Thanks,

A. What's "riep roi", my Thai's a bit rusty

Rieb roi is everything in order,suitable,complete.Many Meanings up to the context

B. Which nationalities do you think have an advantage?

This is a new thing for me.I just knew that some nationalities are discriminated What I knew is about the quota system for per nationality per year

V. 200K fee without a Thai wife, what's the fee with a Thai wife?

Fee with a thai wife is around 95K

[PvtDick]

If you're really interested in residency, I suggest you get down to Suan Plu and have a chat with the pleasant women in room 301. They will give you a very frank assessment of your chances, and offer suggestions how to present yourself in the best light.

[sabaijai]

Im single and got an RP...they never asked if I was married....(but my salary is a bit higher than discussed here....dont know if that made a difference).  The RP booklet took alittle over a year to get though......

There is a common misconception on this forum that marriage to a Thai national is very helpful to an application for PR.Reality is that it can be marginally helpful (assuming spouse is presentable,educated, not BG type etc) but applicant's level of education, tax paid, prestigious job, salary level,length of time in Thailand etc much more important.Oddly enough though there is a simple Thai language/culture test I don't get the impression this aspect is all that critical to success.

Care to name your source, Boris? The immigration officers I spoke with over a long weekend, one of whom was the chief internal auditor who reviews every PR application, certainly did not give the impression that marriage to a Thai citizen was "marginally" helpful. In fact I was given the clear impression it was on a level with the unwritten income standard. They told me in no uncertain terms that if I were to register my marriage to a Thai national (we were already married at that point, just hadn't jot tha-bian yet) my chances for PR would be much increased.

Obviously not every successful PR candidate is married to a Thai national but according to the officers I spoke with, most are and many would have been turned down had they not been. The underlying question in immigration's mind is "Why would a person from a 'rich' country want to live permanently in Thailand?" Income alone doesn't answer that question sufficently for most, nor does khwaam riap rawy.

[PvtDick]

I'm not married to a Thai national, and the matter didn't even come up when I applied for (and received) my PR.

[Tippaporn]

I'm not married to a Thai national, and the matter didn't even come up when I applied for (and received) my PR.

Given the different criteria for PR consideration, and given that things can (and do) work differently here for seemingly each singular case, I think the point is that it's better to have as many bases covered as possible.

What's truly possible in Thailand is as good as anybody's guess. If legalities were absolutely cut and dry here then there would be little need of this forum.

[boris]

Im single and got an RP...they never asked if I was married....(but my salary is a bit higher than discussed here....dont know if that made a difference).  The RP booklet took alittle over a year to get though......

There is a common misconception on this forum that marriage to a Thai national is very helpful to an application for PR.Reality is that it can be marginally helpful (assuming spouse is presentable,educated, not BG type etc) but applicant's level of education, tax paid, prestigious job, salary level,length of time in Thailand etc much more important.Oddly enough though there is a simple Thai language/culture test I don't get the impression this aspect is all that critical to success.

Care to name your source, Boris? The immigration officers I spoke with over a long weekend, one of whom was the chief internal auditor who reviews every PR application, certainly did not give the impression that marriage to a Thai citizen was "marginally" helpful. In fact I was given the clear impression it was on a level with the unwritten income standard. They told me in no uncertain terms that if I were to register my marriage to a Thai national (we were already married at that point, just hadn't jot tha-bian yet) my chances for PR would be much increased.

Obviously not every successful PR candidate is married to a Thai national but according to the officers I spoke with, most are and many would have been turned down had they not been. The underlying question in immigration's mind is "Why would a person from a 'rich' country want to live permanently in Thailand?" Income alone doesn't answer that question sufficently for most, nor does khwaam riap rawy.

My source is one of the top Thai immigration lawyers who has processed hundreds of successful applications over many years.Also on an anecdotal basis I know of at least 30 permanent residents of which only 4 have registered Thai marriages.In my own case (I received PR earlier this year) the question never even arose.

However let me stress there is little doubt that marriage to a Thai national can in certain circumstances be helpful as part of the package of requirements.My point was that it's definitely not a formal requirement and there are other criteria which are more important.

[sas_cars]

I assume that the Tax Paid and Income level is the most important criteria in considering a PR application?Someone correct me if i m wrong.

[camerata]

The underlying question in immigration's mind is "Why would a person from a 'rich' country want to live permanently in Thailand?" Income alone doesn't answer that question sufficently for most, nor does khwaam riap rawy.

I wonder if they really care what the reason is, as long as the applicant has one and it corresponds to the category of PR being applied for? It would seem pointless to have a category for "business" and for "investment" as well as for "support a family," if everyone was expected to be married.

There must be lots of single applicants who, like myself, have been working here 10-20 years and are obviously committed to staying. Having paid taxes in Thailand much of their lives, it would be self-evident that these applicants have nothing much to go back to in their home countries (job, pension, etc) and are as likely as not to marry a Thai in the future.

My guess is that if Immigration doesn't consider your value to Thailand to be significant enough in terms of your job or investment, the fact that you are supporting a Thai family gives added weight to the application.

What I keep hearing is that they like your job to be something "prestigious" and that good references are important.

[sabaijai]

However let me stress there is little doubt that marriage to a Thai national can in certain circumstances be helpful as part of the package of requirements.My point was that it's definitely not a formal requirement and there are other criteria which are more important.

Agreed. Clearly it's not a requirement as PvtDick and plenty of other single candidates have obtained PR. Strong supporting evidence, that's about it ...

[wca01]

Talking about salary. If one pay taxes for only 50,000 Baht a month, but the company pays additional housing, car and other allowances for another 80,000 Baht (tax free), which amount will count for the residency applicant?

50,000 or 130,000?

WC

[Indo-Siam]

It is my understanding that there are two separate approval paths/routings/criteria used to evaluate PR applications - one based on "compassionate" grounds (involving having Thai family members), and the other based on business or NGO activity.

Meaning: There are people with Thai wives and children who can get PR, who - if they were not married to a Thai, would have been rejected - because their accomplishments and contributions to Thailand were not sufficient, on their own, to justify approbal of PR status.

I am informed that there are also very different paths for PR request from Chinese and Indians, as compared to caucasian applicants. This is evidently based on very long-standing precedent.

Finally, I'm told that approvals of PR requests are largely dependent upon who is sitting in the chair of the Interior Minister - there have evidently been Interior Ministers (including quite recently) during whose tenure NO PR applications were approved (they were not disapproved either - there was simply no action taken) - at least for caucasian applicants.

All of the above information came to me from a good source - but not a completely infallible one. So - I add it in only as one set of data points.

Cheers!

Steve

Indo-Siam

[yim noi]

I applied for residency last year. I received an official letter about 3 weeks ago saying that my application had been denied. No reason was given. However, about a week before the letter arrived, a member of the immigration division visited my school to speak to the principal. He said my application was about to be declined because they weren't paying me enough money. To be more precise, I wasn't paying enough taxes. He said I should be paying taxes on at least 80,000 baht for a period of time. He said I shouldn't apply again unless my cirumstances changed - i.e., a payrise or I get married to a Thai national.

Obviously if they had told me this in the beginning then I would have saved the 7000 baht application fee and all the hassle of getting the documents together.

[sas_cars]

I applied for residency last year. I received an official letter about 3 weeks ago saying that my application had been denied. No reason was given. However, about a week before the letter arrived, a member of the immigration division visited my school to speak to the principal. He said my application was about to be declined because they weren't paying me enough money. To be more precise, I wasn't paying enough taxes. He said I should be paying taxes on at least 80,000 baht for a period of time. He said I shouldn't apply again unless my cirumstances changed - i.e., a payrise or I get married to a Thai national.

Obviously if they had told me this in the beginning then I would have saved the 7000 baht application fee and all the hassle of getting the documents together.

somnamna You should have inquired about the regulations or at least come to check Thai Visa Postings about Residency.So you wouldn't have lost the 7000 Baht Fees and the hassle you suffered

[danone]

STEVE - you talk about the applicants under then-purachai - all the cases are solved by now. that year (people who applied in 2001 and went through 3 interior ministers) was formally dediced mid of this year. all together 163 applicants got their residencies issued.

but you're right: people who applied in 2002 got their responses much earlier ... probably also the 2004 round ...

I think they streamlined the whole process in a way to be even chosier.

but then again: its always better to do now what you anyway plan to do tomorrow. it wont become cheaper, it wont get easier, so if you want that residency hurry up and give it at least a try - next round is just around the corner.

gd luck! -

d.

[Bobcat]

Yim Noi - I am sorry to hear that your application was unsuccessful. Who issued the rejection letter? The Department of Immigration or was it from the Minstry of the Interior? Also, what is your nationality?

Thanks,

Bob