Hi,

Have been based in Thailand for 10 years on Work Permit/Non-Im B for the entire duration. As of four years ago I started covering the costs of the work permit myself as I moved into consultancy. I've also been married to a Thai national for four years. My work permit is up for renewal this October, but was wondering if there's an alternative route I could now take to living and working here legitimately without having to fork out the costs for a work permit each year.

I understand there's PR, but I still need to apply for a work permit if actually working here?

Thanks for any info provided.

I

Yes, even permanent residents still need a work permit.

If you're working in LOS you need a work permit, until you obtain a Thai passport.

Why not have a look at Thai Citizenship as you are married to a Thai, am sure the new regulations state you can go straight to that instead of PR. Dependant on your Nationality keeping two passports is not a problem as far as I am aware.

Am sure the guys in the know will be online soon to offer better advice. Also check out the pinned topic about PR

Citizenship is WAY out of your league IMHO. It's possible, but Residency is a step on the ladder to getting Citizenship.

OP is married to a Thai so can directly apply for Thai nationality.

OP is married to a Thai so can directly apply for Thai nationality.

Mario. Do you have a link to the requirements / costs etc? I'm sure my Thai is not adequate as yet but there's time

With the bottleneck in PR applications are nationality applications actually being processed?

Do not believe they require much language if married under the new rules - suspect most posting has been done in the pinned PR subject.

Thai nationality is cheaper and the requirements are not that hard, also the apllications are being processed and for people being married the income part is reduced and there is no language test (Believe it is optional)

A lot of information on Thai nationality is here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/121353-story-of-my-thai-citizenship-application/

Great feedback - big thanks for the info and links!

Looks like citizenship could be the best approach, with PR second. Will investigate both options further and try and keep this thread updated with how it proceeds.

The pinned topic on this really needs some editing or a new entry that is locked telling people how to go about both PR and Citizenship, all the steps and requirements, as the original topic is 21 pages long. Am sure it could be done just listing and then locking it, only to be opened when new requirements are announced.

http://www.thaivisa.com/300.0.html

http://www.thaivisa.com/301.0.html

The above are the basic web pages for PR and Citizenship.

http://www.thaivisa.com/300.0.html

http://www.thaivisa.com/301.0.html

The above are the basic web pages for PR and Citizenship.

yes basic they are, they do not tell those of us married to Thais what is actually required, surely these front pages should be

updated regularly.

I read it had to be 3 years tax returns, or is it proof of WP for 3 years.

On the front page, the link above it does not say that a foreigner married to a Thai does not have to speak Thai or sing the

National Anthem to gain Citizenship.

If the front pages were updated with information that has been announced or found out from other members and verified, then half the questions in the forum would never be asked or could be answered with the link to the front page regarding their query

Edited August 22, 201114 yr by beano2274

It is 3 years in Thailand on yearly extensions of stay. You will need to have a work permit if you work and evidence that you paid tax. The income/tax is an important factor in granting citizenship.

I am a Thai national who study law in Thai University and My professor who expert in private international law told me that a new nationality law which allow foreign male who married to Thai women eligible for applying Thai citizenship isn't really want foreign male to apply citizenship. The real purpose of the lawmakers who make the law is just to fix some bad structure in the law which occur in the past.

( I don't know what was the problem either )

So If some foreign male apply for Thai citizenship based on marriage. The application will approved by the minister only if you have A REAL GOOD REASON such as contribute so much to a Thai society.

If you just only want Thai citizenship because of something else you will be denied citizenship by the minister.

(I just visitting this website regulary and seen this thread so I want to share what I know from my teacher because nationality law is a part of private international law study in Thailand )

Edited September 16, 201114 yr by beethovenzz