Immigration opens applications for Permanent Residency

[visionchaser45]

You need to be here 3 consecutive years on extensions of stay working with a work permit and paying taxes. Info here: http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/base.php?page=residence

What if you have 3 years of continuous extensions and are married to a Thai, but you are retired and get all of your income from outside Thailand? Does that mean you can't ever become a permanent resident?

[ubonjoe]

You need to be here 3 consecutive years on extensions of stay working with a work permit and paying taxes. Info here: http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/base.php?page=residence

What if you have 3 years of continuous extensions and are married to a Thai, but you are retired and get all of your income from outside Thailand? Does that mean you can't ever become a permanent resident?

That's correct. They will not accept the application unless you are working. Same for getting citizenship.

[Mario2008]

Actually, with PR you don't need to have a job if mariied to a Thai national, provided your spouse has an official income of at least 30,000 baht a month. (This is a minimum, more is advised).

[ubonjoe]

Actually, with PR you don't need to have a job if mariied to a Thai national, provided your spouse has an official income of at least 30,000 baht a month. (This is a minimum, more is advised).

But there have been reports that they will not accept applications on that basis or told not to bother because it will not be approved.

[SamMunich]

 

And what about people beyond the age of working? How can they apply? Nada, "we didn't expect that" will be the likely answer to such a question. Even though such people don't take away a job for a Thai...

Sam M.

There is no age restriction but you do need to submit 3 complete calendar years' of tax receipts from employment in Thailand covered by a valid WP for that period ...

So in fact you have to be at least working for 3 years in order to apply. To come here and apply as a retired person is not in their plan.

OTOH I think your explanation about Chinese and Indians being the primary target does make a lot of sense. Only,- can they a) provide so much money, when it's due and can they provide regular (!) paid and taxed employment records? Most Indians I see I would think they fly below the radar of the police, immigration etc. In Chinatown (Yaowarat) there are supposed to be quite a number of Chinese, who never venture out of the area and don't speak Thai either. These can't be the ones to apply...

Sam M.

[Chook]

Hi Will they ever let a person living here on an Ausy pension get a PR?

I live here with my Thai wife with no thoughts of ever going back to Aust.

I do enjoy the short trips do do my visa run but would like to have some better type of visa for a longer stay

chook

PS what does it take for Thaivisa to stop calling me a newbe?

[ubonjoe]

Hi Will they ever let a person living here on an Ausy pension get a PR?

I live here with my Thai wife with no thoughts of ever going back to Aust.

I do enjoy the short trips do do my visa run but would like to have some better type of visa for a longer stay

chook

PS what does it take for Thaivisa to stop calling me a newbe?

 

You could get an extension of stay at immigration instead of the visa you have now.

You have to be working here on extensions for 3 years to get PR.

You need 41 more posts to get out of newbie status.

[Hardie]

Admission of application for residential permit in the year B.E. 2556(2013):

It is up to everybody personally to decide, if it is worth to apply for this RP. I don't think it is as difficult in other countries like in Europe or the USA (equals Green Card???).

And what about people beyond the age of working? How can they apply? Nada, "we didn't expect that" will be the likely answer to such a question. Even though such people don't take away a job for a Thai...

In any case, they made it exclusive by jacking up the price a couple of years ago from around 50K to 200K, when it is granted. That was the point in time, when I buried the thought of doing this, even if I have had good prospects. 40 years of a regular Non-Im for a year until you break even with the cost of the RP. And what do I know, what next year will be? Maybe another xenophobic guy like Taksin et al at the helmet and then what?

But then again, as long as so many people apply, they can set the price up and upper, that is called a market-driven price... As for me, I prefer to leave the country every 3 months, just for the change of environment. A week here or a week there, outside Thailand, why not? The world is bigger and has more on offer than only Thailand...

Sam M.

[Hardie]

US 'green card' for my wife was a breeze, no requirements beyond those required to get there in the first place, did all the paperwork myself, nothing more to do since then...