Residency

[geordie]

I am thinking of taking up Thai residency in the future and i am wondering what visa i would need to be on for the 3 years prior to applying.

I have a multi entry non immigrant 0 visa based on marriage at the moment.

I work offshore on a 6 week on 6 week off rotation.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Geordie

[lopburi3]

You must be here on an extension of stay for three years to apply for PR and the chance of obtaining it without employment/tax payments in Thailand may not be that good.

So you would need to go to immigration with that O visa you have during the last 30 days of a 90 day entry (catch 22). Perhaps you can convince immigration to wave the (apply during last 30 day) requirement but then you have the further problem of being here on the renewal date. Now if you can be double lucky and also arrange that your passport also has to be here about 40 days later to receive the final stamp.

I would talk it over with immigration as believe most people are well served by the visa you currently have when working overseas - but most are not trying to obtain PR. Good luck.

[geordie]

Thanks for the info Lopburi 3.

I will be home on Wednesday and i have to go to immigration for my address letter for the driving licence.

So i will have a talk to them about it then.

Geordie

[Sunbelt Asia]

WHEN APPLYING FOR A RESIDENCE PERMITIN THE CATEGORY OF SUPPORTING THAI CITIZEN

Application form (TM.9)

Health certificate from a hospital (issued within the previous 3 months prior to the application submission date)

Certificate of no criminal record from the applicant’s domicile which must be officially certified by Thai consulate in that country or the applicant’s national embassy located in Thailand

Copy of the family status certificate e.g. marriage certificate or marriage registration, birth certificate, child legitimation registration certificate. The documents which are issued by foreign organizations must be officially certified as the document in # 3. If the registration is made in Thailand, it must be certified by the concerned organization

Copy of the identification card and house registration of Thai citizen together with the originals

Copy of the applicant’s educational certificate

Copy of all of the supporter’s work permit(s)(every single page that contains information, if applicable) and the employment certification letter from the supporter’s work place which is signed by the company’s authorized person

Copy of the supporter’s annual personal income tax form (por ngor dor 91 or 90) with receipts for the previous 3 years prior to the application submission year which must be officially certified by the revenue officers

Copy of the supporter’s monthly income tax form (por ngor dor 1) with receipts from the beginning of the year of application submission (January) until the previous month of application submission which must be certified by the company’s authorized person

Copy of the supporter’s certificate of the juristic person registration that must be issued within the previous 3 months prior to the application submission date

Copy of the juristic person’s share holders list which is issued within the previous 3 months prior to the application submission date (in case that the supporter is the share holder of the juristic person)

Copy of the value added tax (VAT) or the specific business tax registration e.g. phor phor 01, phor phor 09, or phor phor 20

Copy of the financial statements (balance sheet, profit and loss statement) together with phor ngor dor 50 (company income tax) and receipts of the year prior to the application submission year

In case that the company is considered as one of BOI support, the copy of the BOI card or other documents indicating that support are needed

Bank certification letter and copy of the supporter’s bank book

Map of residence and place of work

Copy of all of the applicant’s passport (every single page) to indicate the duration of stay in the Kingdom at least 3 consecutive years

Personal information sheet and the applicant’s portfolio which includes detailed information about family background, knowledge and ability, working experience, special ability, social work, work place, residence together with photo (using the A4 document folder)

Additional documents which are considered as appropriate by the immigration officer.

All copies of the personal documents must be certified by the person to whom the documents belong

Copies of the company’s documents must be certified by the company’s authorized person

Documents which are in foreign language must be translated into Thai and the translation must be certified by the translator with the translator's information (e.g. name, telephone number) which can be verified later.

[Billion]

I'm qualified to apply for PR as I have 3 consecutive years in Thailand

and I can meet all the requirements except the Thai language.

My question is:

Will I have any chance as I don’t read, write, and speak fluent Thai?

[lopburi3]

I'm qualified to apply for PR as I have 3 consecutive years in Thailand

and I can meet all the requirements except the Thai language.

My question is:

Will I have any chance as I don’t read, write, and speak fluent Thai?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Do not believe fluency is required so if you can string a few words together you may have a shot. Believe the employment you have had and the impression you make is probably more important. From what I have seen posted it would be good to talk it over with immigration prior to application as they seem to be candid on your possibilities and might save you a few baht.

[Billion]

Thanks Lopburi3, you are a big asset to Thai Visa.

I will talk to Imm next extension of stay 2006 and

I can speak little Thai but not read and write the language

so I hope my impression and work will be more important.

I also have a large sum of money I can transfer and show

in Thai bank account if needed. Abroad asset!

[Maestro]

Talking about residency (Residence Permit) – for which to apply I may qualify in four years – I was wondering about the requirement of the re-entry permit. From what I’ve read the alien resident also needs to get this before travelling abroad, but instead of getting stamped into his passports it gets into one of his two books (blue and brown).

Is the cost of the re-entry permit for a Permanent Resident the same as for the holder of a non-O visa? I believe it is, the web site of the Immigration Bureau makes no distinction.

[thaiflyer1]

I'm qualified to apply for PR as I have 3 consecutive years in Thailand

and I can meet all the requirements except the Thai language.

My question is:

Will I have any chance as I don’t read, write, and speak fluent Thai?

Question is.................is it worth applying for?

[Maestro]

Question  is.................is  it  worth  applying  for?

In terms of baht and satang, comparing the savings on annual extension fees (currently THB 1,900) with the PR application fee and the fee for the Residence Permit (currently THB 95,700)?

Of course there’s more to it than the monetary aspect but nevertheless it is a question to which also I have begun to give some preliminary thought and I have, in fact, started a comparative table that I will modify and complete as I continue to gain more knowledge on the subject. (In my original Word document, the blue underlined text passages are links to relevant Internet pages)

In the end, the financial evaluation will depend primarily on:

-- life expectancy

-- future development of fee for annual extensions

Both items are difficult to quantify. But shall I want to trudge to the Immigration office at the age of 107, dragging my wife along, too?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I'm qualified to apply for PR as I have 3 consecutive years in Thailand

and I can meet all the requirements except the Thai language.

My question is:

Will I have any chance as I don’t read, write, and speak fluent Thai?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Question is.................is it worth applying for?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I doubt it.

[Artisi]

I intend applying this December for PR (fingers crossed) and like Maestro I am of the opinion that there is more to it than the relative costs.

All other visa's, with the exception of employment is based on income from o/seas, money in the bank etc, etc., which is something that can be changed at any time to suit the powers to be at the time.

At least once you have PR it seems that you are free from all these variables.

Last year I had an opportunity to discuss with a senior officer about PR, the view / comments were :- PR is not easy to get as we are fairly strict and careful in whom we give it to, (which I believe is reasonable) but once you are given PR we forget about you - no more annual reporting, forms, fees, rule or criteria changes etc.

I believe that you need to report to the local police every few years to confirm your residential address.

Seems to me it is well worth the time, effort and costs to be able to breath easy and not be dragging your butt to immigration every year.

[Billion]

I which you good luck with your PR, Artisi!

I believe the PR is something to go for as we will be

not dragging our butts to immigration every year, LOL

[Sunbelt Asia]

Will I have any chance as I don’t read, write, and speak fluent Thai?

For some interviews they have asked simple questions in English like "What is the Thai word for bird?"

Other interviews were all in Thai( answers and responses)

Who is the King?

What Dynasty is he from?

What do the colors of the Thai flag represent?

What is your purpose in Thailand?

What do you like about Thailand?

What do you dislike about Thailand?

What is the procedure of becoming a Thai permanent resident?

.....Never heard of written or reading skills tested.

Is the cost of the re-entry permit for a Permanent Resident the same as for the holder of a non-O visa? I believe it is, the web site of the Immigration Bureau makes no distinction.

The cost 5,700 Baht for a reentry permit Which is more than on a non immigrant visa which is 3,800 Baht.

www.lawyer.th.com

[Bobcat]

These are the things I view as benefits to having PR:

Security - I feel more secure having PR. I cannot be kicked out if I lose my job. I don't need any visa to stay in Thailand.

Citizenship - After having PR for 5 years, I can apply for a Thai passport. With a Thai passport, you can own land and don't need a work permit.

No More Tor Tor 3 Etc - If I buy a condo, I do not need to show that the money has come from abroad before my name is registered on the title deed.

Borrowing Money - It is easier to borrow money from a Thai bank.

Blue Tabian Baan - My name is now in my blue tabian baan for my condo. This has proved very useful to me in many situations.

No 90-day Reporting - With PR you do not need to do the 90-day reporting.

Airport Convenience - With PR, you can use the "Thai Passport" line at the airport when leaving and returning to Thailand. This is one of my favourites!

Of course, we all have very different ideas about what is important. To me, the above things make my life here feel more stable and convenient.

Cheers,

Bob

[Maestro]

Is the cost of the re-entry permit for a Permanent Resident the same as for the holder of a non-O visa? I believe it is, the web site of the Immigration Bureau makes no distinction.

The cost 5,700 Baht for a reentry permit Which is more than on a non immigrant visa which is 3,800 Baht.

That’s interesting, and it begs the question of the re-entry permit’s validity.

For a non-O with extension of stay I understand the validity is until the end of the permitted stay, regardless whether the re-entry permit is for a single entry (THB 1,000) or multiple entries (THB 3,800)

For a Permanent Resident, what is the

– validity of the multiple re-entry permit?

– cost and validity of the single re-entry permit?

[lopburi3]

Is the cost of the re-entry permit for a Permanent Resident the same as for the holder of a non-O visa? I believe it is, the web site of the Immigration Bureau makes no distinction.

The cost 5,700 Baht for a reentry permit Which is more than on a non immigrant visa which is 3,800 Baht.

That’s interesting, and it begs the question of the re-entry permit’s validity.

For a non-O with extension of stay I understand the validity is until the end of the permitted stay, regardless whether the re-entry permit is for a single entry (THB 1,000) or multiple entries (THB 3,800)

For a Permanent Resident, what is the

– validity of the multiple re-entry permit?

– cost and validity of the single re-entry permit?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

One year.

Endorsement and Re-entry Permit

The foreign national, who has a permanent residence certificate, wishes to leave the Kingdom with intention to return, shall present his Residence Certificate to the competent official for endorsement of departure. He/She shall return to the Kingdom within one year from the date of endorsement. Failure to return to the Kingdom in reference to the time prescribed, shall result in the expiration of the Residence Certificate.

[Maestro]

One year.

Endorsement and Re-entry Permit

The foreign national, who has a permanent residence certificate, wishes to leave the Kingdom with intention to return, shall present his Residence Certificate to the competent official for endorsement of departure. He/She shall return to the Kingdom within one year from the date of endorsement. Failure to return to the Kingdom in reference to the time prescribed, shall result in the expiration of the Residence Certificate.

Thank you, Lopburi.

You know, I almost developed carpal tunnel syndrome looking for that information on the Immigration’s website. Now, I found reference to the one-year validity in Section 50 of the Immigration Act.

That fee of THB 5,700 for a PR’s re-entry permit is quite hefty and, like any other fee, may increase in future. It puts a new aspect on the question whether PR is worth it for me (over 50), unless I would want to consider naturalisation down the line, for which I lack the inclination at the moment.

At any rate, I would rate very low as a candidate for citizenship. Thailand – any country, for that matter – wants young people with a long working and tax-paying life in front of them, better even business owners who provide employment.

[Maestro]

That fee of THB 5,700 for a PR’s re-entry permit is quite hefty

Eureka! I figured out how Immigration arrived at that fee of THB 5,700 for a PR’s re-entry permit: it is equal to the sum of a non-O holder’s annual extension fee and multiple re-entry permit. Crafty fellows!

[Artisi]

That fee of THB 5,700 for a PR’s re-entry permit is quite hefty

Eureka! I figured out how Immigration arrived at that fee of THB 5,700 for a PR’s re-entry permit: it is equal to the sum of a non-O holder’s annual extension fee and multiple re-entry permit. Crafty fellows!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very crafty, it just means things are still equal if you have hold any other type of visa.