Language Test For Residency Applications

[bembaman]

I intend applying for residency and will score highly in all categories except one - the language. I am told by someone who did it last year that there is a multiple choice test with 10 questions then you sit in front of a video camera for 5 minutes and talk about yourself, famil, job etc.

I heard somewhere that there is a points system in use which makes sense as most nations do it that way. My question is, does anyone know the points structure so I can work out how important the language is? If I totally screw up the language bit, not assured but a possibility, what impact would it have assuming high scores elsewhere?

[Bobcat]

I obtained my PR earlier this year. There are 100 points in total, 30 of which are "language" related. The first 10 points is for your "interview" with the officer, where they ask you to basically confirm your personal details - name, address, telephone number etc. They may also ask you if you are married/have a girlfriend/boyfriend etc, a bit of small talk. The second set of 10 points is the multiple choice test. They will read the questions to you if you cannot read Thai. The thrid set of 10 points is the video. You need to introduce yourself, where you come from, job, salary (don't forget that), why you like Thailand and why you would like to have PR. Dont's forget to wai at the start and at the end of the video. I was told by the officer that you need to pass BOTH parts - ie the 30 point language part and the 70 point remainder. I specifically asked what would happen if one obtained a perfect score on the non-language related 70 points and failed the 30-point language portion, and was told that the person would fail, notwithstanding having received at least 70 out of 100. I must say that I am not sure if this is true or not, and I doubt it to be honest. But you never know. The most important factor is your job and your salary.

You have plenty of time before your interview, which, if you apply in Dec 2005, will be in March 2006. You have more than enough time to practice your video presentation. Also, the multiple choice questions are not difficult, but you need to brush up on your Thai listening skills if you are unable to read Thai yourself.

Good luck,

Bob

[Andrew Mac]

Just out of interest, Bobcat, do you happen to remember what the other 70 points consisted of? Or do you know of a web site somewhere that might explain the whole process?

Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to give.

[Bobcat]

I do not recall the exact breakdown, Andrew, but I believe that the 70 points are made up of the following matters: length of time in Thailand, employment history, monthly salary (probably the most important), tax payments, nationality, age, relationship with Thai persons (ie marriage - but not sure how much this matters), details of employer. There may be others, but these are the main considerations.

Cheers,

Bob

[Neeranam]

How can you apply for residency in a country if you can't speak their language? Crazy, but good luck.

[Bob Karl]

People in the USA do that on a daily basis and get residency

[jingjingna]

Bobcat, congratulations on obtaining PR. You stress the importance of salary, would you care to elaborate?

[jingjingna]

...and in the U.K too Bob!

[Bobcat]

I'm sure if you were unable to carry on a simple conversation in Thai you may not get through. However, I believe that the expectations of the Immigration Department when it comes to foreigners speaking/understanding/reading the Thai language is quite low. When I told the person examining the test that I would like to read the multiple choice questions myself rather than having them read to me, she laughed. It was only after I read the questions aloud to her that she believed that I was able to read. This just goes to show that expectations are not particularly high. make sure you brush up on your Thai general knowledge (geography, Royal Family, provinces etc), be able to converse at a basic level and learn your personal introduction and I'm sure you'll be just fine.

Cheers,

Bob

Edited November 9, 2005 by Bobcat

[guy_braverman]

Hi Bob,

Did you apply your self, or did you use a lawyer?

Guy

[Bobcat]

I applied by myself, Guy, but I did have a couple of people assist me in preparing all of the necessary documents, of which there are many. However, I understand that many people have a Thai person go with them to Suan Plu (Room 301), whether it be their spouse, a lawyer or someone else.

Edited November 9, 2005 by Bobcat

[guy_braverman]

I was hoping you (or someone else) could recommend an experienced and reliable lawyer to do the job for me.

Guy

[bembaman]

Thanks Bobcat, that is excellent precise info. I am sure I would not score zero but then again i would be surprised if I got more than 50% on the video and questions. I am fairly confident of getting through the interview so overall my chances might be OK.

How long did you talk on the video and what was their expectation?

Also, do you remember any of the multiple choice questions? I know they will change but I am trying to gauge what level of Thai I actually am.

Edited November 10, 2005 by bembaman

[Bobcat]

I was a bag of nerves for the video. I spoke too quickly and omitted some of the information that I should have given. The officer was very nice and she promted me to add more information.

With respect to the multiple choice part, I understand that there are a total of different 10 sets of questions, each containing 10 questions. Some the 10 questions I received are not the ones you might get - although I think that they should be roughly asking things of the same category. I cannot remeber them all, but the ones I do remember are as follows:

In what part of Thailand is Phuket? South, North, East or West?

Where in Doi Inthanon? Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket or Pattani?

When is the New Year celebrated in Thailand? 1 Jan, 13 April, 28 December, 12 August?

If applying for PR in Thailand, what is the fee if the applicant is married to a Thai person? (I forget the exact number, but the right answer was something like 95,600 baht)

Which of the following colors is blue? They then had four colored squares on the paper - blue, black, red and orange.

How many provinces are there in Thailand? 77, 76, 56 or 65?

That is all I can remember. Others may be able to recall some additional questions, but I have heard of questions about the Royal Family, Thai cultural events (Loy Kratong, Songran etc).

Cheers,

Bob

[Thai Chi]

Thanks Bobcat, that is excellent precise info. I am sure I would not score zero but then again i would be surprised if I got more than 50% on the video and questions. I am fairly confident of getting through the interview so overall my chances might be OK.

How long did you talk on the video and what was their expectation?

Also, do you remember any of the multiple choice questions? I know they will change but I am trying to gauge what level of Thai I actually am.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

bembaman, good luck with your application for Thai Residency If you are succsessful you will NOT become a Thai person of ANY level. You will remain till your dying day, a Farang living in Thailand You may save some money on extension applications, you may be able to work here without going through all WP shit, you maybe even be able to put your name in the blue book? I really do not know. If you stay here long enough, you may even earn some respect from the Thai people you associate with. If you are serious about residency, why ask for the answers from the test, have a go at it by yourself. At least that way, if you pass, YOU can be proud.

[mijan24]

How can you apply for residency in a country if you can't speak their language? Crazy, but good luck.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

People in the USA do that on a daily basis and get residency

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

...and in the U.K too Bob!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Australia no language test for Permanent Residency but there is for Citizenship.

I find the posts very interesting and the expectations of the Thai Government very reasonable - In Australia there is not a set test they provide some guidelines but nothing as comprehensive as being discussed here.

In Australia the applicant is in the hands of the interviewing Immigration Officer (IO) who seem to apply their own standards.

I would give Thailand a tick in the Good box and Australia a cross in the "leaves a lot to be desired" box.

[bembaman]

Thanks Bobcat, that is excellent precise info. I am sure I would not score zero but then again i would be surprised if I got more than 50% on the video and questions. I am fairly confident of getting through the interview so overall my chances might be OK.

How long did you talk on the video and what was their expectation?

Also, do you remember any of the multiple choice questions? I know they will change but I am trying to gauge what level of Thai I actually am.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

bembaman, good luck with your application for Thai Residency If you are succsessful you will NOT become a Thai person of ANY level. You will remain till your dying day, a Farang living in Thailand You may save some money on extension applications, you may be able to work here without going through all WP shit, you maybe even be able to put your name in the blue book? I really do not know. If you stay here long enough, you may even earn some respect from the Thai people you associate with. If you are serious about residency, why ask for the answers from the test, have a go at it by yourself. At least that way, if you pass, YOU can be proud.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You really are a bit of a prick aren't you.

Firstly, I did not ask for the answers and I already knew there were 10 different sets of questions - I wanted to gauge the difficulty or otherwise of the questions. It is called doing your research. I will not need to save any money on renewal visas and WP's as I already get 2 year visas & WP's as MD of a BOI company and the company pays for all that anyway. I have 3 or 4 acquaintances who have successfully applied for citizenship and I see this as just one step along that line, whether i get it or not of course is unknown and I need a few more years yet probably anyway.

As for the respect of the Thai people, speak for yourself. I am having dinner with an ex-prime minister of Thailand in 2 weeks time with my family and his (his invitation and not my request) so the fact that the bar slags and noodle vendors you probably intermingle with do not respect you, does not necessarily apply to others.

If you have nothing positive to say then why not just go and join some of sex tourist & idle broke losers forums and you can banter all you want. The fact you live in Buriram says it all.

Edited November 11, 2005 by bembaman

[Artisi]

Thanks Bobcat for your clear accurate input on PR application, I appreciate it as I'm sure will others.

At the risk of you repeating yourself, I would like to clarify a couple of points with you if I may.

1. I assume for the video you need to speak in Thai.

2. The interview etc is actually some time after you make your application and not at the same time you present your application.

Thanks

[Tywais]

1. I assume for the video you need to speak in Thai.

I'm interested in that question too. Also, can you use notes like an outline to keep on track while you are doing the video.

Oh, and thank you for your useful and motivating posts.

Edited November 11, 2005 by tywais

[samran]

Thanks Bobcat, that is excellent precise info. I am sure I would not score zero but then again i would be surprised if I got more than 50% on the video and questions. I am fairly confident of getting through the interview so overall my chances might be OK.

How long did you talk on the video and what was their expectation?

Also, do you remember any of the multiple choice questions? I know they will change but I am trying to gauge what level of Thai I actually am.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

bembaman, good luck with your application for Thai Residency If you are succsessful you will NOT become a Thai person of ANY level. You will remain till your dying day, a Farang living in Thailand You may save some money on extension applications, you may be able to work here without going through all WP shit, you maybe even be able to put your name in the blue book? I really do not know. If you stay here long enough, you may even earn some respect from the Thai people you associate with. If you are serious about residency, why ask for the answers from the test, have a go at it by yourself. At least that way, if you pass, YOU can be proud.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You really are a bit of a prick aren't you.

Firstly, I did not ask for the answers and I already knew there were 10 different sets of questions - I wanted to gauge the difficulty or otherwise of the questions. It is called doing your research. I will not need to save any money on renewal visas and WP's as I already get 2 year visas & WP's as MD of a BOI company and the company pays for all that anyway. I have 3 or 4 acquaintances who have successfully applied for citizenship and I see this as just one step along that line, whether i get it or not of course is unknown and I need a few more years yet probably anyway.

As for the respect of the Thai people, speak for yourself. I am having dinner with an ex-prime minister of Thailand in 2 weeks time with my family and his (his invitation and not my request) so the fact that the bar slags and noodle vendors you probably intermingle with do not respect you, does not necessarily apply to others.

If you have nothing positive to say then why not just go and join some of sex tourist & idle broke losers forums and you can banter all you want. The fact you live in Buriram says it all.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ole Barnharn getting a bit lonely in his retirement then?

Just joking…appears you are well on the way to getting residency. I’m sure you’ll be fine. Good luck.

[Bobcat]

At the risk of you repeating yourself, I would like to clarify a couple of points with you if I may.

1. I assume for the video you need to speak in Thai.

2. The interview etc is actually some time after you make your application and not at the same time you present your application.

I am delighted to be of assistance to anyone who is going through this process. Having successfully applied and received PR, I have personal, practical experience. As to the additional questions, my responses are as follows:

1. You must speak Thai in the video. The video is reviewed by the PR Committee of the Immigration Department. This committee consists of 6 to 10 members. It is a way for them to see you, your behaviour (remember, you should wai at the start and at the end of the video to show your "Thainess"). I'm not sure if you can use notes, although I would not think this would be a problem as long as you were not ready a script. After all, this is a test of your Thai, your appearance and how you present yourself when dealing with the Thai Government.

2. Your application will be made in December of the year you apply, usually in the last two weeks. Make sure you know when the application period opens and ends. If you miss the deadline, you'll need to wait another 12 months. You MUST apply in person. So be careful for those who intend to travel outside Thailand in the last two weeks of December. On the date of your application, you will be given an interview date, which will usually be in mid-February to mid-March of the following year. You must not miss your interview. After your application is submitted and before your interview, you may be asked to suuply additional information, for example your tax return information for November and/or December of the tear you apply - as these usually will not be available at the time you apply.

If you have any more questions, please let me know. As I said, I am delighted to help anyone who is going through this process.

Kind regards,

Bob

Edited November 11, 2005 by Bobcat

[Thai Chi]

Thanks Bobcat, that is excellent precise info. I am sure I would not score zero but then again i would be surprised if I got more than 50% on the video and questions. I am fairly confident of getting through the interview so overall my chances might be OK.

How long did you talk on the video and what was their expectation?

Also, do you remember any of the multiple choice questions? I know they will change but I am trying to gauge what level of Thai I actually am.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

bembaman, good luck with your application for Thai Residency If you are succsessful you will NOT become a Thai person of ANY level. You will remain till your dying day, a Farang living in Thailand You may save some money on extension applications, you may be able to work here without going through all WP shit, you maybe even be able to put your name in the blue book? I really do not know. If you stay here long enough, you may even earn some respect from the Thai people you associate with. If you are serious about residency, why ask for the answers from the test, have a go at it by yourself. At least that way, if you pass, YOU can be proud.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You really are a bit of a prick aren't you.

Firstly, I did not ask for the answers and I already knew there were 10 different sets of questions - I wanted to gauge the difficulty or otherwise of the questions. It is called doing your research. I will not need to save any money on renewal visas and WP's as I already get 2 year visas & WP's as MD of a BOI company and the company pays for all that anyway. I have 3 or 4 acquaintances who have successfully applied for citizenship and I see this as just one step along that line, whether i get it or not of course is unknown and I need a few more years yet probably anyway.

As for the respect of the Thai people, speak for yourself. I am having dinner with an ex-prime minister of Thailand in 2 weeks time with my family and his (his invitation and not my request) so the fact that the bar slags and noodle vendors you probably intermingle with do not respect you, does not necessarily apply to others.

If you have nothing positive to say then why not just go and join some of sex tourist & idle broke losers forums and you can banter all you want. The fact you live in Buriram says it all.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

bembaman, luckily for you, being thick-skinned is not a requirement for PR I apologize if my post offended you in anyway. I beleive my comments were warranted as they specifically addressed your comments. No, you did not ask for the answers to the multiple choice questions. What you did ask was "do you remember any of the multiple choice questions?" Therefore you would be able to find the answers before hand. Therefore, CHEATING on the test I can vividly remember my Father telling me a long time ago, "whatever you do in life, do not cheat others, and never cheat yourself" It didnt make much sense to me until I read the following:

When you get all you want and you struggle for self,

and the world makes you king for a day,

then go to the mirror and look at yourself

and see what that man has to say.

For it isn't your mother, your father or wife

whose judgement upon you must pass,

but the man, whose verdict counts most in your life

is the one staring back from the glass.

He's the fellow to please,

never mind all the rest.

For he's with you right to the end,

and you've passed your most difficult test

if the man in the glass is your friend.

You can fool the whole world,

down the highway of years,

and take pats on the back as you pass.

But your final reward will be heartache and tears

if you've cheated the man in the glass.

(By Anonymous)

So maybe now you can see where I am comming from. Try it one day, in fact try it right now. Go to the mirror and ask the person you are looking at if he really is your friend. And as far as your rather unkind / unjust remarks about Buriram and my bar slags and noodle vendor friends, its just water off a ducks back. I live here by choice and enjoy it very much. I do have genuine respect from my many Thai friends here in Buriram BTW I am also going to a party in about 2 weeks. Its for my wifes best friends birthday. And I reckon I am going to have a lot more fun than you are

Good luck with your PR bembaman. I will also go down that path in the future. And after I get it, I think I may just go and have a little talk to my friend in the mirror