After I received a letter recently from the Immigration folks to ask me if I am still interested in applying for Thai residency(I submitted my hefty application in December 2008...) I then promptly submitted my form to say YES I would still like to apply and be relieved of 190,000 Baht to be granted this Thai version of a "green card". A few weeks passed then I got a mysterious call from someone at the Immigration office asking me if I was still interested and that they called me because my number was in their phone, I said yes and then the person said applications are being forwarded to the Interior Minister and that pending applications until 2009 and earlier would be approved in the next 6 months or by the end of this year.

Have any of you or has anyone you know recently(2012) had their application approved?

...and be relieved of 190,000 Baht to be granted this Thai version of a "green card".

Does it really cost over $6,000 to apply for citizenship? Yikes.

Edited May 7, 201214 yr by attrayant

...and be relieved of 190,000 Baht to be granted this Thai version of a "green card".

Does it really cost over $6,000 to apply for citizenship? Yikes.

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I am here: http://maps.google.c...0749,100.547350

Not citizenship ...... PR is the right to live in the country forever.

Citizenship is a lot cheaper. But harder for men to get.

That's not citzenship it's permanent residency status. Two different things.

...and be relieved of 190,000 Baht to be granted this Thai version of a "green card".

Does it really cost over $6,000 to apply for citizenship? Yikes.

half price if you are married to a local.

PR for 190,000 Baht (50% if married to Thai) or Non-Immigrant "O" Visa for 800,000 Baht (50% if married to Thai).

With the "O" visa the money still belongs to you, isn’t it?

What are the pros and cons?

(other than the annual renewals of the "O" visa?

Yes, with an extenson of stay the money still belongs to you.

Read all about PR here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/74654-cameratas-guide-to-the-permanent-residence-process/

Wondering if you have to pay the 195,000 before it then sits on someone's desk for several years awaiting the rubber stamp, I know quite a few people who are 'waiting for processing, approved in theory, but never come across someone who has actually got the permanent residence

You pay something like 7,900 baht for applying if memory serves me well. Not untill your application is approved do you pay the 195,000 for permanent residency.

Just out of curiosity, if you're granted residency, are you then able to buy land/a house?

Just out of curiosity, if you're granted residency, are you then able to buy land/a house?

not land. Anyone can buy a house, just not the land it sits on unless they have Thai citizenship.

What it does do though is give you much better access to getting loans etc from the banks for condo's etc.

...and be relieved of 190,000 Baht to be granted this Thai version of a "green card".

Does it really cost over $6,000 to apply for citizenship? Yikes.

Yes that expensive. A real Green Card on the other hand is much cheaper at $745 and offer much more rights and they are approved in a much shorter time frame.

Edited May 7, 201214 yr by Time Traveller

... PR is the right to live in the country forever...

...forever, provided you never forget to obtain a re-entry permit before you travel abroad and never forget to report to the local police station for a stamp in your resident book every five years or so (don't know what the interval is nowadays)

As a Permanent Resident, you also have the privilege of paying a higher fee for the re-entry permit than foreigners on an annual extension. I believe one's age is one of the factors to be considered when pondering whether buying PR is good value for money.

... PR is the right to live in the country forever...

...forever, provided you never forget to obtain a re-entry permit before you travel abroad and never forget to report to the local police station for a stamp in your resident book every five years or so (don't know what the interval is nowadays)

As a Permanent Resident, you also have the privilege of paying a higher fee for the re-entry permit than foreigners on an annual extension. I believe one's age is one of the factors to be considered when pondering whether buying PR is good value for money.

My thoughts on the age factor is do I want to make 90 day reports and go through the annual extension process for the rest of my life (I plan on staying here until they take me to the temple for cremation). The time might come when I wouldn't be able to (or feel like it) show up for the annual extensions or make the annual trek to the consulate for the income document.

Edited May 8, 201214 yr by ubonjoe

Just out of curiosity, if you're granted residency, are you then able to buy land/a house?

not land. Anyone can buy a house, just not the land it sits on unless they have Thai citizenship.

What it does do though is give you much better access to getting loans etc from the banks for condo's etc.

I remember reading somewhere that holding a PR allows you to buy land up to 1 rai to build a house for your own residence. Dont know where to verify that though.

...and be relieved of 190,000 Baht to be granted this Thai version of a "green card".

Does it really cost over $6,000 to apply for citizenship? Yikes.

---

I am here: http://maps.google.c...0749,100.547350

Not citizenship ...... PR is the right to live in the country forever.

Citizenship is a lot cheaper. But harder for men to get.

But of course.

you guys use some agency to apply for this ? if yes can recommend me one ?

or have a good source how to begin at this ?

I would like to apply this year for this status of permanent resident after being here for 3 years on a work permit...

I am married with a Thai Wife ... so i would get the discount rate

Is anyone going to answer the original question? I am going to apply in December and a friend told me that his application from two years ago is still unsigned and unapproved due to this backlog, although he has the correct stamp in his passport so that effectively he is accepted, just not officially.

I am curious if real action is being taken now or not too. Thanks.

...and be relieved of 190,000 Baht to be granted this Thai version of a "green card".

Does it really cost over $6,000 to apply for citizenship? Yikes.

Yes that expensive. A real Green Card on the other hand is much cheaper at $745 and offer much more rights and they are approved in a much shorter time frame.

Am I to assume that a "Real Green Card" is the USA variety - or have I missed some Thai option here?

is it correct that to apply for P R status one has to pass a kind of an exam including knowledge of Thai language?

is it correct that to apply for P R status one has to pass a kind of an exam including knowledge of Thai language?

The process is described in detail here:

The funny thing about residing in this country without the PR, is that for a country like let's say Italy, they oblige their citizens to put their residence as "Thailand" if you stay here for more than 6 months in a year, then Thailand will refuse you as a resident, in fact leaving you as a sort of apolide or lets say "stray" individual...

...and be relieved of 190,000 Baht to be granted this Thai version of a "green card".

Does it really cost over $6,000 to apply for citizenship? Yikes.

Yes that expensive. A real Green Card on the other hand is much cheaper at $745 and offer much more rights and they are approved in a much shorter time frame.

Green cards are of no use in Thailand.

Back on topic has any one received a permanent residency card recently?

My thoughts on the age factor is do I want to make 90 day reports and go through the annual extension process for the rest of my life (I plan on staying here until they take me to the temple for cremation). The time might come when I wouldn't be able to (or feel like it) show up for the annual extensions or make the annual trek to the consulate for the income document.

For UK nationals you can make your annual confirmation of income letter application, to the British Embassy, on line.

My thoughts on the age factor is do I want to make 90 day reports and go through the annual extension process for the rest of my life (I plan on staying here until they take me to the temple for cremation). The time might come when I wouldn't be able to (or feel like it) show up for the annual extensions or make the annual trek to the consulate for the income document.

For UK nationals you can make your annual confirmation of income letter application, to the British Embassy, on line.

Not from UK. I have to go in person and swear that what I am stating on an income affidavit is true. So it is a long trip to Bangkok and back for me.

...and be relieved of 190,000 Baht to be granted this Thai version of a "green card".

Does it really cost over $6,000 to apply for citizenship? Yikes.

Yes that expensive. A real Green Card on the other hand is much cheaper at $745 and offer much more rights and they are approved in a much shorter time frame.

Green cards are of no use in Thailand.

Back on topic has any one received a permanent residency card recently?

My brother also received his "letter" just recently, like the OP. Apparently, all the applications have been gathering dust for years and are now being re-opened for consideration. He has not yet received the book yet though.

...and be relieved of 190,000 Baht to be granted this Thai version of a "green card".

Green cards are of no use in Thailand.

Back on topic has any one received a permanent residency card recently?

My brother also received his "letter" just recently, like the OP. Apparently, all the applications have been gathering dust for years and are now being re-opened for consideration. He has not yet received the book yet though.

Thank you for being the only person to even remotely stay on the original topic. Will this be the only response to the original poster's question?

Who else has had a response on their old or new PR application?

...and be relieved of 190,000 Baht to be granted this Thai version of a "green card".

Does it really cost over $6,000 to apply for citizenship? Yikes.

No. This thread is about permanent residency. It costs US$328 to apply for Thai citizenship by naturalization.

You pay something like 7,900 baht for applying if memory serves me well. Not untill your application is approved do you pay the 195,000 for permanent residency.

Yes, I checked on that a few weeks ago and that is correct. The 195,000 is about 90,000 if you are married to a Thai.

Yes there does seem to be a breakup of the logjam and applications are again being processed - how fast it is cleared (or if only partial) can not be known yet.

One item to remember is that retirement can not be used but marriage to a Thai can - but you will still have to meet rather large income financials for period of stay to have much chance (there will always be variations due to other factors but this seems rather consistent at about 80k from reports). So it is something to be done during working life here rather than in twilight years when it is really more attractive.