Thai Immigration Now Accepts Applications For Permanent Residency

[PoodMaiDai]

c) You must give the Immigration Bureau information about your income, assets, family status and education background.

As if education matters in a place like this.

Most of us were better educated than 95% of their population by the time we finished the 6th grade. And that is not a slam, that is the painful truth.

[kingstonkid]

Does one qualify if they receive 100% of income transferred from abroad (royalties, interest income, dividends, etc., for example) and meets all other requirements? Seems silly to require that one work in Thailand if they have enough means to not have to work in Thailand. I know, I know: TIT. Still, if one in such a situation did obtain a work permit for no other reason than to meet the qualifications, would they still have to actually perform WORK in Thailand?

It seems pretty stupid to make one show payment of the monthly taxes on the "reported work income" for 3(?) years to meet the work permit requirement if one a) does not actually work and does not have to work.

Check to see if you qualify as an investor.

That is what I am looking at as i will not have worked in the country for 3 years but would like to be able to not worry abut annual crap.

[dighambara]

hi!

One question !

If I married a thai woman, but my monthly income is lower then 80000k

Is it them the same rule like for non married people ?

Makes the law any different between married or not?

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

The rules actually say 30,000 baht combined income proven by Tax receipts if married to a Thai Lady under the humanitarian category of the rules. Source: http://www.immigrati...n_notice_en.pdf

So you should be able to apply but getting it is another question.

Not available to retirees who have no taxable income...??? Yes, a retirement income, but tax exempt.

Also, the numbers don't balance - many permits being issued for people applying in greater than acceptable numbers...

Meaning the reported limit was 100 per year, which works out to only a 300 year wait if every elegible foreigner applied.

[dighambara]

My Thai wife got a Swedish Citizenship and a Swedsih passport all for free just for staying in Sweden for three years or so, just admin fees and such.

I have stayed in Thailand for 16 years and must pay 200,000 Bath plus for just a residence thingie, sorry Im not going for that scam...

The US fast track is also 3 years for citizenship. I know of folks who did not stay in the US for the entire time, but still got citizenship - apparently no one checks.

[Dork]

c) You must give the Immigration Bureau information about your income, assets, family status and education background.

As if education matters in a place like this.

Most of us were better educated than 95% of their population by the time we finished the 6th grade. And that is not a slam, that is the painful truth.

If you're a tourist and want to come and spend your money then no, education doesn't matter. But if you want to have the right to spend the rest of your life here then the bar has to be set reasonably high to filter out people like you. And by and large it works. That is also the painful truth.

[Time Traveller]

My Thai wife got a Swedish Citizenship and a Swedsih passport all for free just for staying in Sweden for three years or so, just admin fees and such.

I have stayed in Thailand for 16 years and must pay 200,000 Bath plus for just a residence thingie, sorry Im not going for that scam...

Since you have a Thai wife, you could try and go for Thai nationality instead of PR.

He could, but isn't he trying to say, that he does not need to apply for PR or citizenship to live here. He's been here 16 yrs already without either.

[TommoPhysicist]

My Thai wife got a Swedish Citizenship and a Swedsih passport all for free just for staying in Sweden for three years or so, just admin fees and such.

I have stayed in Thailand for 16 years and must pay 200,000 Bath plus for just a residence thingie, sorry Im not going for that scam...

Since you have a Thai wife, you could try and go for Thai nationality instead of PR.

He could, but isn't he trying to say, that he does not need to apply for PR or citizenship to live here. He's been here 16 yrs already without either.

When citizenship only cost 5000bht, it seems foolish not to apply, if you have the Thai income.

He would have saved 30k on married person extensions.

[likewise]

Hmm, I am married, been on yearly extensions based on that for the last 4 years now, been here all together for 17 years. Must look into the citizenship procedure then. Speak, read and write the language.

[samran]

The fact that the paid funds of 200K is non refundable should sound some alarm bells for some peoples, its a scam!

How is it a scam? You only pay if successful.

[Michael Hare]

I received my PR during the time of Thaksin. I applied in December 2001 and was granted it in August 2004. It is the best thing I ever did. No more visas, no more 90 day reporting in. Every five years I report to the Ubon Police station and pay 800 baht for another 5 year extension.

[ubonjoe]

My Thai wife got a Swedish Citizenship and a Swedsih passport all for free just for staying in Sweden for three years or so, just admin fees and such.

I have stayed in Thailand for 16 years and must pay 200,000 Bath plus for just a residence thingie, sorry Im not going for that scam...

The fee for PR is 95,700 baht if married to a Thai or have Thai children plus non refundable 7,600 baht application fee.

Source immigration Fee.

Edited December 8, 2012 by ubonjoe

[smotherb]

Smotherb, yes retiree is easier and there are many other ways that will allow you to stay in the kingdom, but it is always the dream of every retiree and expat to be able to stay in a country without having to worry about such things as 90 days reporting, passport checks and so on or when the immigration officers are coming to hazzle you or your business or your family etc....

ingvar, this expat has no such dream. I know my immigration guys and get exemplary service, and the immigration office is ten minutes from my house. Planning and scheduling my friend.

[Tim7]

Hello there,

I have read through your page but i'm still not sure. In my case i have already stayed here about 4 years now. My work permit had expired somewhere this year but my visa will expire soon so am i eligible to apply for Permanent Residence status?

.

Thanx in advance to any erxpert on this matter.

[Michael Hare]

Hello there,

I have read through your page but i'm still not sure. In my case i have already stayed here about 4 years now. My work permit had expired somewhere this year but my visa will expire soon so am i eligible to apply for Permanent Residence status?

.

Thanx in advance to any erxpert on this matter.

You have not got a chance of getting PR with an expired Work Permit and currently no job.

[Gary A]

I certainly wouldn't consider the 200,000 baht price tag even if I did qualify.

Sour grapes but they seem to have plenty people applying who are qualified and willing to pay the fees which are 50% less for those married to Thais. So I guess they aren't going to lower the bar for you.

For those who do wish to apply it is good news that they have opened for applications quite early in December. In previous years, they tended to open just before Christmas, making it hard for those who had travel plans over the holidays to get everything together in time. Last year the order setting the quota was signed by the Interior Minister on 14 Dec and was published in the Royal Gazette on 20 Dec. This year it was signed on 15 Nov and published on 19 Nov. That seems to indicate that the new minister is likely to continue to the momentum created by his predecessor who signed off on a huge backlog of PR applications, not to mention hundreds of citizen applications by minority groups.

I don't recall suggesting that someone lower the bar for me. I just happen to think that fee is ridiculous. A once a year extension for 1,900 baht suits me fine.

[notime]

You've got to be kidding me. What a great way to bring the rich people into Thailand! The 200,000 is absolutely absurd. And who in their right mind would ever want a Thai citizenship (not PR, they do mention this at those pages)?

Who in their right mind? Me.

I've got it, and it is bloody useful if you want to base your life/work in Thailand and the region.

Yeah? Oh, maybe I'm missing something. Could you please explain that "usefulness"? What exactly does this PR entitles you to?

Citizenship was what I was responding to. Able to own my company, property and conduct business pretty freely. Given I travel around Asia often, usually on short notice, it is highly useful in getting into ASEAN countries with a minmum of hassle. Even the Myanmar embassy gives Thai passport holders the express queue. China, India, quick visa turn around times.

Flash that ID card in Thailand, and Thailand is your oyster.

Friends with PR? Stability I'd guess. Able to stay, get mortgages. Work permits, though needed, seem to be formality. A stepping stone to citizenship too for those not married.

Lucky you to have the citizenship! I'm sorry I misread your previous post thinking you were referring to PR. Citizenship .. nice, different cup of tea.

[Time Traveller]

as samran stated citizenship is quite useful, however I think samran was born with it, correct?

As for everyone else (non-thais), to acquire citizenship is likely to take at least 10yrs or more of waiting and there really are no benefits with just PR. It seems a little unreasonable, unless you really want to commit to the rest of your life here for whatever purpose. But I suspect many business people, the ones who really would be of benefit to the country, will go where ever the money is and the best deal. Those places always seems to change with global economic conditions, and as stated most other countries in the world offer easier, cheaper and better rights for immigrants than thailand, as well as more a more transparent process. There's no point complainig about the cost for thai PR, either it's worth the money or it's not, that's each person's own decision based on what is offered elsewhere.

[TheChiefJustice]

Does anyone know of a Farang who received Thai Residence during the rain of the Taksin family old and new?

Yes, I did.

[TheChiefJustice]

Having PR was very good for me. I didn't need any visas, no 90 reporting, and work permit renewals were a breeze. On the financial front, PR was a boon. It allowed me to get a mortgage on my first condo, which freed up cash for a major remodeling project. When I sold the condo a few years later I made a profit of THB 20m. Without PR, and the mortgage it allowed me to obtain, that would not have been possible.

So, yeah, having PR was pretty good for me.

[Arkady]

The fact that the paid funds of 200K is non refundable should sound some alarm bells for some peoples, its a scam!

The total amount is not refundable because the balance is only payable on approval. Only the application fee is non-refundable.

Most of those whose complain about the cost are obviously unqualified for Pand R maybe not even working in Thailand. Those who have good enough jobs to qualify and be considered favorably by the Immigration Commission based on amount of tax paid and contribution to Thailand are unlikely to be too bothered by the fees which are 50% less for those with Thai wives.

Edited December 10, 2012 by Arkady

[SylviaBKK]

Can someone help forward me the link for the check list of documents required for applying PR. And when is the deadline?

My father has recently granted a Thai citizenship based on the marriage with a Thai birth woman and I've been following him and living in Thailand for 20 years. At first I thought I don't have to go through the naturalisation process and can go straight apply for the Thai citizenship because of case decent. But I was advised that they won't accept because my father was not originally Thai birth in Thai soil, and I will have to apply on my own merit. So I need to know what paperwork I have to prepare and how many days I left for my submission.

[sas_cars]

Having PR was very good for me. I didn't need any visas, no 90 reporting, and work permit renewals were a breeze. On the financial front, PR was a boon. It allowed me to get a mortgage on my first condo, which freed up cash for a major remodeling project. When I sold the condo a few years later I made a profit of THB 20m. Without PR, and the mortgage it allowed me to obtain, that would not have been possible.

So, yeah, having PR was pretty good for me.

Is it really that easy to obtain such large mortagages for a PR holder? I don't think that most of the businesses/banks really know what a PR means actually? Usually they just know Passport/Workpermit for a foreigner and ID card/Tabien Bahn for Thai Citizen. Do they really recognize a category for a Foreigner with Passport/Workpermit/PR ?

[TheChiefJustice]

Is it really that easy to obtain such large mortagages for a PR holder? I don't think that most of the businesses/banks really know what a PR means actually? Usually they just know Passport/Workpermit for a foreigner and ID card/Tabien Bahn for Thai Citizen. Do they really recognize a category for a Foreigner with Passport/Workpermit/PR ?

The department who handles mortgages at SCB and BBL are certainly aware of the fact that there is a Bank of Thailand regulation that specifically allows PR holders to obtain mortgage loans. I have taken out several additional mortgages since the first one in 2004. Whether or not you can obtain a large mortgage is not just dependent on holding PR, though. Like any other finance transaction, they will look at the collateral and also your current financial status, including your other assets and your earnings.

Edited December 10, 2012 by TheChiefJustice

[ubonjoe]

Can someone help forward me the link for the check list of documents required for applying PR. And when is the deadline?

My father has recently granted a Thai citizenship based on the marriage with a Thai birth woman and I've been following him and living in Thailand for 20 years. At first I thought I don't have to go through the naturalisation process and can go straight apply for the Thai citizenship because of case decent. But I was advised that they won't accept because my father was not originally Thai birth in Thai soil, and I will have to apply on my own merit. So I need to know what paperwork I have to prepare and how many days I left for my submission.

I posted info earlier in this topic. Link: http://www.immigrati...?page=residence

For the child of a Thai citizen you can not do it unless you are under 20 years of age and single. Unless you meet the following criteria.

Age under 20 years old and not yet married but if the child is over 20 years old, then justification of such parental patronage is required such as studying for Bachelor Degree or equivalent and such education started before the age of 20 years old and in continuity where documentary evidence is required or the child is ill and can not take care of oneself where medical certifying letter issued by the hospital is required

Source: http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/doc/residence/26122546_regulation_notice_en.pdf

Edited December 11, 2012 by ubonjoe

[TommoPhysicist]

Is it really that easy to obtain such large mortagages for a PR holder? I don't think that most of the businesses/banks really know what a PR means actually? Usually they just know Passport/Workpermit for a foreigner and ID card/Tabien Bahn for Thai Citizen. Do they really recognize a category for a Foreigner with Passport/Workpermit/PR ?

If you work for a financial institution in BK, it's easy, if you don't, it's not.

Bankers, Traders, etc., get big perks from their fellows.

[TheChiefJustice]

Is it really that easy to obtain such large mortagages for a PR holder? I don't think that most of the businesses/banks really know what a PR means actually? Usually they just know Passport/Workpermit for a foreigner and ID card/Tabien Bahn for Thai Citizen. Do they really recognize a category for a Foreigner with Passport/Workpermit/PR ?

If you work for a financial institution in BK, it's easy, if you don't, it's not.

Bankers, Traders, etc., get big perks from their fellows.

I'm not in any of those professions. If you have PR and are financially stable you can get a mortgage. PM me for contact details at the banks.

[Dork]

Is it really that easy to obtain such large mortagages for a PR holder? I don't think that most of the businesses/banks really know what a PR means actually? Usually they just know Passport/Workpermit for a foreigner and ID card/Tabien Bahn for Thai Citizen. Do they really recognize a category for a Foreigner with Passport/Workpermit/PR ?

If you work for a financial institution in BK, it's easy, if you don't, it's not.

Bankers, Traders, etc., get big perks from their fellows.

I'm not in any of those professions. If you have PR and are financially stable you can get a mortgage. PM me for contact details at the banks.

Agree. Local banks are very eager to lend as long as you meet the basic criteria, just like anyone else. I haven't tried to borrow for a condo through the PR route but over the years have had many mortgages/loans via proxies even though the banks know that it is really a foreigner that's going to pay.

At the branch level you may meet some resistance but evaluation for major lending (mortgages etc) are handled by area offices and I would be surprised if they don't know the rules (about PR).

[Time Traveller]

Is it really that easy to obtain such large mortagages for a PR holder? I don't think that most of the businesses/banks really know what a PR means actually? Usually they just know Passport/Workpermit for a foreigner and ID card/Tabien Bahn for Thai Citizen. Do they really recognize a category for a Foreigner with Passport/Workpermit/PR ?

If you work for a financial institution in BK, it's easy, if you don't, it's not.

Bankers, Traders, etc., get big perks from their fellows.

I'm not in any of those professions. If you have PR and are financially stable you can get a mortgage. PM me for contact details at the banks.

Agree. Local banks are very eager to lend as long as you meet the basic criteria, just like anyone else. I haven't tried to borrow for a condo through the PR route but over the years have had many mortgages/loans via proxies even though the banks know that it is really a foreigner that's going to pay.

Agree with what? TheChiefJustice is saying you need PR to get a loan, and you just said you got many loans without "the PR route" and get finance "as long as you meet the basic criteria, just like anyone else".....From my experience with banks is that you get a loan based solely on your ability to repay it. Or are Thai banks slipping back into their old habTits like in the 90's ?

[wilcopops]

Is there a literacy or language requirement for residency?

[ubonjoe]

1.4 The applicant must be able to understand and speak Thai language.

Source: http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/doc/residence/26122546_regulation_notice_en.pdf