Thai Alien Id Card

[Neeranam]

I've just been told by my bank that I must go to the local Amphur to get an Alien ID card. They say as because I have a yellow 'tabien bahn' house registration, I qualify for one. I've never heard of one before, apart from the migrant labourers from neighbouring countries.

Has anyone here got one?

[ubonjoe]

Some Amphoes have been reported as issuing them if you have a yellow house book or PR but certainly not all.

It is not a mandatory requirement that is certain.

Edited May 20, 2013 by ubonjoe

[Arkady]

There seems to be some overlap and lack of coordination here. The alien ID cards have an inscription on the back saying the holder is not allowed to leave the district without permission, as if all holders are stateless.

Some PRs have reported being issued them but that makes no sense because PRs have "Alien Certificates" that are supposed to be the equivalent of an ID card that you are told you should carry everywhere. In fact they pre-date Thai ID cards, as they go back to the late 20s and I think are unchanged in format since then, while ID cards came out around the late 50s. They are large red books like old fashioned passports that start falling to pieces after a few years but are supposed to last a life time. It makes sense to get rid of the Alien Certificates and the Certificates of Residence and replace them with alien ID cards. The problem is that the first two are issued by the local police station and Immigration respectively and the ID cards are issued by district offices. No part of the police wants to give up any process that justifies more staff, the more convoluted and inefficient the better.

Edited May 20, 2013 by Arkady

[gamini]

This is confusing . I have an alien certificate which I have to update every 5 years at my local police station. I got it when I became a PR. I have no idea what an alien ID is.

[Mario2008]

This is confusing . I have an alien certificate which I have to update every 5 years at my local police station. I got it when I became a PR. I have no idea what an alien ID is.

An ID-card similair to the ones Thai nationals have, but this one is pink and normally given to refugees/stateless persons living in Thailand. But some have now reported that they got an alien ID-card as well.

[samran]

Look up 'Dork'. He's posted on the process. Might be helpful.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

"An ID-card similair to the ones Thai nationals have, but this one is pink and normally given to refugees/stateless persons living in Thailand. But some have now reported that they got an alien ID-card as well."

Mario

Are you talking here about two different cards? A pink one for refugees/stateless, and a different one for other "alien," who just might be here legally?

I do have the Yellow Tambien Ban. Asked about an "alien ID card" at the local friendly thesaban office this morning. Explained that I saw a reference to it on the internet. They'd never heard of it, but suggested I print out and bring in the details and they'd call over to the Head Shed and ask.

So, any way to get a form number for this card? Even better a scanned copy, with the personal details blacked out?

Mac

[Mario2008]

No, it is the same card. Not a different one for foreigners on a household registration.

As samran said, check the posts from member "dork". He reported to have such card.

[Mario2008]

See this post:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/74654-cameratas-guide-to-the-permanent-residence-process/page-79?p=6424267#entry6424267

for manual and additional info.

[Neeranam]

I see that all aliens are by law supposed to apply for a certificate of residence within 30 days of arriving in the country. Have you done so?

This is according to the Alien Registration Act of 2493

พระราชบัญญัติการทะเบียนคนต่างด้าว

[Mario2008]

According to the alien immigration act you must register your presence at an address within 24 hours.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Well, gave it a try at the local thesaban, didn't work. Answer came back was that this is for non-farangs, like Cambodians, Burmese, Lao, etc.

Handed over copies of:

-- my Yellow tambien ban

-- Kowit's order

-- Relevant pages of the Manual

Mac

http://www.dopabook....9896&booktype=2

Refer to page 102-103 which I think is the framework for amendments in 2008.

http://www.dopabook....8209&booktype=2

The details are in pages 81-89 (in Thai numerals) or PDF page numbers

95-103. I think this dates from 2011.

[JAS21]

According to the alien immigration act you must register your presence at an address within 24 hours.

My wife phoned Nonthaburi Immigration yesterday morning ... twice ...She asked what to do when we come back into this country, reply was, and we have the officers name ... if you are going to the same address as you put on the card you hand in when you entered Thailand then no need to do anything else either by you or the house master. Just do your normal 90day report when it's due.

If later you go visiting, hotel or whatever then the housemaster there needs to report BUT there is no need to make a report by anyone when you return to the address that you gave when you entered the country.

If Nonthaburi stick to that well and good.

[Maestro]

A sensible immigration officer.

[samran]

Mac, had a look at Kowit's letter and my reading is that basically you have to have PR. Being on a yellow tabieen baan suggests you don't have this, so I think you'd struggle with the ID.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Samran

Thanks, and you're correct, I just have the Yellow tambien ban. I checked with "Dork" and he as the PR, which perhaps enabled him to get the "foreigner's" ID card.

Re the Yellow book, only translation I had was of our U.S. marriage certificate. We've not registered that in Thailand. Our amphur was quite helpful with the application process, no witnesses, walked out with it in about one hour.

Mac

[Neeranam]

Mario2008, on 24 May 2013 - 14:51, said:

According to the alien immigration act you must register your presence at an address within 24 hours.

But you get 7 days to get the ID card.

For some reason, it seems that they have decided not to bother giving it to 'farang'. According to the law they should, so maybe I'll print out the law and go demand one.

[Arkady]

I have now got some more specific information on this after reviewing links posted by Dork in the PR thread which look like the same links posted above by ThanyaburiMac. Ministerial regulations and procedures on this were issued pursuant to the 2008 Civil Registration Act. It is very clear that alien ID cards are issued to the following categories:

1. Foreigners with permanent residence

2. Foreigners who are illegal immigrants but have special permission to remain in the Kingdow, e.g. hilltribes, refugees.

3. Labourers from neighbouring countries permitted to work under various MOUs.

Unforunately that doesn't include foreigners on temporary visas who not labourers from neighbouring countries, even though they have a yellow tabien baan.

Categories 1 and 2 get the same kind of pink card with wording on the back that says the holder is prohibited from leaving the district where the card was issued without permission, unless he or she also has an alien book. Category 3 holders also get a pink card which specifies details of their work place. Now I have the information I am going to apply for one of these. Based on a ministerial regulation of 2008 it is now a legal requirement for PRs to have and carry one (in addition to their red book, if they are out of their district!), although I don't suppose many people including district officers and police are aware of that.

Scroll down the Word attachments

Ministerial Regulations Regarding Civil Registration of Aliens and Schedule of Fees 2008 TH.pdf

DOPA Directive on Issue of ID Cards to Foreigners 2008.docx

DOPA Manual on Civil Registration and Nationality 2011.docx

Edited May 28, 2013 by Arkady

[Arkady]

I see that all aliens are by law supposed to apply for a certificate of residence within 30 days of arriving in the country. Have you done so?

This is according to the Alien Registration Act of 2493

พระราชบัญญัติการทะเบียนคนต่างด้าว

Think you are a bit out of date on that one. The law you refer to is a law of 1950 which has been repealed. In those days foreigners coming for the longer term got permanent residence automatically without any quota and had to register for that within 30 days of arrival. Soon after that they introduced the quota of 100 per year per nationality, increased the fees tenfold and introduced a more laborious application and screening process, essentially to stamp out Chinese immigration which it did successfully.

Registration of aliens is now governed by the 1991 Civil Registration, as heavily amended by the 2008 Civil Registration Act and the 1979 Immigration Act.

Edited May 28, 2013 by Arkady

[brianinbangkok]

So can you apply at any ampur office or does it need be my local one upcountry as thats where I am on the blue book of my wife's dad ?

[Arkady]

So can you apply at any ampur office or does it need be my local one upcountry as thats where I am on the blue book of my wife's dad ?

Where you are registered in a tabien baan.