Firstly, you guys always seem to say "thai wife."

Some of us have assorted hill tribe and the like.

Now, my g/f is Lisu, and has ID. While I am told by some expats it has to be hilltribe and not thai id, it sure looks like thai id and not lisu, but I am a bit confused about this and am always afraid to start asking gov't because:

a. i always get wrong answers or correct answers, and I never know where to know the truth.

b. I am afraid of talking to government officials because it always turns into more of a runaround then this old guy has energy.

My g/f's father seems to be out of the picture, and the mother I know tells me whatever she thinks I want to hear (she has a great personality and loves to make people happy, so lieing to them is perfectly acceptable to her).

my g/f doesn't like thai and won't talk to them, so this issue of what kind of ID does she have is quite confusing!

But, if it's hill tribe ID, and not Thai ID, and if we get married, does that give me the same ability as you guys with thai id'd wives have?

How do u go about getting permanent residency?

Thank you.

If you want another opinion on her ID why not scan it and post it here with her name, address and ID number marked out. I am sure somebody could tell you if she is Thai or not if they have a look at it.

Does she also have a house book?

If she is not Thai I can't answer your question about marriage because I just don't know.

From an earlier post I know you are currently on a retirement visa which makes it difficult if not impossible to get permanent residence.

The main requirements for a PR is 3 years on annual extensions with tax paid income for a previous number of years prior to application.

If married to a Thai you have to be married for 2 years if you have children (or can prove infertility) and 5 if not prior to application and tax paid income of 30K per month for the previous 2 years.

The following will give you a good basic idea of what's required. http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/do...tion4extend.doc

Edited November 23, 200817 yr by ubonjoe

Hilltribe ID is quite different and it is pink in colour whereas Thai ID card is white.

Also marrying a hilltribe woman who has ID is the same as marrying a Thai woman under the law of the land. And she is entitled to have a Thai passport as well.

Edited November 23, 200817 yr by farseer