PR (Permanent Residency)

[Bobcat]

This is a question for those of you who have already attained PR status in the Kingdom. What documents have you received to evidence your PR? Do you get a plastic card with your photo (like a Thai ID card) or do you get a passport type book without photo?

Thanks,

Bobcat

[alanw]

I'll run through the steps and documents (this is from my experience 6+ years back, but doubtful that it's changed):

- You receive a letter saying your Permanent Residence has been approved. The letter is actually signed by a member of the Council of State. My letter was singed by General Prem.

- The letter says that you must report to Soi Suan Phlu, with the approval letter, within 7 days from the date of the letter (including counting Sat, Sun Public hols), to have the letter converted into a Permanent Residence Certificate. (I recall that my agent was quite serious that we attend as quickly as possible and must be within the 7 days.)

PR certificate is in fact a small a small book, hard dark blue cover, gold Garuda symbol and Perm...Res...Cert, both in Thai and English printed on front in gold. Book is a little shorter than passport size, and a little wider than standard passport width.

Book has about 20 pages, poor quality paper, fairly large photo of holder is glued on first page, and your thumb print is placed partially across one corner of the photo. Next several pages contain various pieces of information about you, all hand written in Thai. Front page also includes your PR Certificate number in big printing - .. / year of issue.

Fingerprints are recorded on numerous forms. As part of this process you are not given a Thai Id number.

When the book is handed over you now must pay the current actual PR fee - 50,000Baht (for a person not married to a Thai) when I got it, plus you have to pay 3 Baht for the cost of printing the book. (25,000 Baht for someone married to Thai, but of course both of these fees have risen substantially in recent times.)

Large stamp is also placed in your passport indicating that you have PR visa, and this is given a number from some form of numbering system which is different to the PR Certificate number.

When PR book is issued it's advisable to immediately get a single, or multiple re-entry stamp inserted in this book, duplicate of this is also stamped in your passport

Everytime you depart / re-enter Thailand departure and arrival stamps are inserted in both your passport and your PR book. I'm told that it's quite important that you present book Passport and PR book every time (rather than passport alone).

(When PR book is full of said stamps it is replaced, at Soi Suan Phlu, with a white covered book. Takes 7 days to process the replacement, there is no 'application for re-approval' as such, but 7 days is supposedly so that Immigration can recheck whether you have established a criminal record.

I work all over Asia, and often go in and out 4 to 5 times each month, so I've had to have the PR book replaced twice. Up to now I've not been asked any questions about finances. I've offered my work permit, but they are clearly not wanting to see this.

If the book is never filled, then (I guess) you would never have to go again to have any further administration performed on this book, except the exit/re-entry stamp requirements.)

- After initial issue of PR book you must now go (again strictly within 7 days) to the local district Police Station, with passport and PR book and register yourself as an alien living in that police district.

Police now issue you with a Police Alien Registration Book. Much thicker than PR book, same width as passport, a little taller than passport height. Dark Red Cover, gold garuda, writing etc.

Inside page also contains large photo, thumb print etc, and further inside the police write the domicile address that you provide (which obviously must be within that police district).

You are told that you must refresh the address detail every 12 months (not an approval process, just refresh the address detail). The next part seems to be a little flexible. You are initially told that you must refresh the address detail every 12 months for 5 years, then you can do it once every 5 years, then once every 10 years. Every time it's refreshed you have to pay a processing fee, from memory about 150 Baht. Your fingerprints are taken on each visit.

However at the second 12 month visit, the policeman (very polite and courteous, treated me like a VIP) asked me whether I would like to have a 5 year stamp. I obviously agreed. No suggestions of any 'smoothing fee'.

- The next part is about recordingyour name in Tabien Baan book. I must be honest I'm not fully conversant with this part. In my case the lawyer who handles the company returns etc for the company I set up was very keen for me to have my name recorded in the Tabien Baan book for the house owned by said company.

This was done, however when the lawyer and myself went to the district office there was total confusion. It was quite legal and proper, but that district office had never done it before. At the suggestion of my lawyer they used my mobile phone to call another district office who knew the procedure, which is quite complex.

Your name is written in the Tabien Baan book (obviously in Thai) and at the same time you are given a Thai ID number. But you are not issued with a Thai ID card - this would happen on issue of a Thai passport, but obviously not with PR.

Two other points that might be useful:

1. If the person was maried to a Thai woman, then maybe some of this could be different - to be honest I just don't know.

2. Can you lose PR?. Yes, in two circumstances:

2.a Establish a criminal record and PR can, and probably would be, cancelled.

2.b If you are physically outside of Thailand for a total (in one block of time) of 365 days or more, then PR is automatically cancelled. My lawyer says, in this circumstance, there is no form of appeal.

Hope this answers your questions?

If anyone has more up to date information, then please contribute.

Any further questions?

Regards

[Bobcat]

Alan, what a totally brilliant and informative response. That is exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks so much.

[huski]

alanw,

thanks that was a good detailed description of maintaining your permanent residency status here in thailand...i'm going to give this thread a favorites in my browser to refer back to it.

good job

[PvtDick]

I think it is fairly normal to be given a 5 year stamp in your red book after an initial 1 year stamp. That is what they told (and gave to) me.