Thai man with farang wife - automatic permanent residency status / does she need work permit?

[Phimeow]

Hi,

Hopefully the topic says it all.

Been searching this forum for clear and concise answer but most topics are regarding Thai wife and farang man.

I am Thai currently living overseas. Looking to move back to Thailand with my Aussie wife soon.

Does she automatically receive PR or will she need to apply for PR either in Australia or on arrival here in Thailand?

Further, will having a PR allow her to work? Will she need a work permit?

I don't need marital advice..just visa related advice - thanks. :-)

[ubonjoe]

There is no automatic PR. Even with PR a work permit is needed.

Extensions of stay based upon your marriage is easier for her to get is the first advantage you have. She will need to get a non-o visa from the embassy to apply for that,

Then there is a shortcut to obtaining Thai citizenship for her. She does not need PR to get it.

[casualbiker]

i believe no and yes are the answers

[samran]

She gets an annual extension of stay just like everyone else. The only difference is you don't have to provide a minimum income to get it.

Rest is more or less the same. 90 day reporting. Need a work permit if she is going to work.

There is a short cut to citizenship, three years of marriage cut down to one if you have kids. So long as you earn 15k per month and have done your military service, you are more or less able to apply for citizenship for your wife.

Been there, done that. More or less in the same boat as you.

[Phimeow]

Ubonjoe/casualbiker/samran...thanks for excellent replies.

Hopefully national service is not a mandatory requirement - I have missed that while studying overseas and have since past the conscription age.

[samran]

Ubonjoe/casualbiker/samran...thanks for excellent replies.

Hopefully national service is not a mandatory requirement - I have missed that while studying overseas and have since past the conscription age.

having a certificte that you are relased from duty is certainly needed if you want to apply for Thai citizenship for your wife.

However, not a huge issue to get one. If you are over 30 you are automatically exempt. You still need to visit the conscription office, but they will automatically release you and provide you a certificate saying as much.

A small fine is payable. Max is 400 baht. I paid 200 for reporting late, but doing so voluntarily.

[Sirbergan]

Thai wife and pharang man, pharang wife and Thai man - what's the difference? Legally it's 100% the same, a Thai national married to a foreigner.

[guavagirl]

She should apply for a 90-day non-immigrant 'O' visa at a Thai embassy in Oz. Then when you get here go to your local immigration and get a 1 year extension of stay based on marriage. She will still need a work permit if she is going to work, which she can not get until she actually has a job in place.

[ubonjoe]

Thai wife and pharang man, pharang wife and Thai man - what's the difference? Legally it's 100% the same, a Thai national married to a foreigner.

True they are the same when it comes to the marriage.

But there are different rules for extensions of stay and obtaining Thai citizenship.

[wolfmanjack]

Thai wife and pharang man, pharang wife and Thai man - what's the difference? Legally it's 100% the same, a Thai national married to a foreigner.

True they are the same when it comes to the marriage.

But there are different rules for extensions of stay and obtaining Thai citizenship.

I am surprised the women libbers from the west are not demanding equal rights with the men from the west and want to get rid of the double standard.

Just kidding. I am not surprised at all.

[Guitar God]

What are the differences?

It sounds like there's preferential treatment for farang women married to Thai men.

Do children in the marriage change the rules for farang men married to Thai women as far as PR or citizenship?

Thai wife and pharang man, pharang wife and Thai man - what's the difference? Legally it's 100% the same, a Thai national married to a foreigner.

True they are the same when it comes to the marriage.

But there are different rules for extensions of stay and obtaining Thai citizenship.

[ubonjoe]

What are the differences?

It sounds like there's preferential treatment for farang women married to Thai men.

Do children in the marriage change the rules for farang men married to Thai women as far as PR or citizenship?

Thai wife and pharang man, pharang wife and Thai man - what's the difference? Legally it's 100% the same, a Thai national married to a foreigner.

True they are the same when it comes to the marriage.

But there are different rules for extensions of stay and obtaining Thai citizenship.

For PR having children just gives additional points.

For citizenship it can be done after one year instead of 3 and gives additional points.

[sometimewoodworker]

There is no requirement for a UK citizen to renounce citizenship when acquiring citizenship of a 2nd (or 3rd) country. And while you may have to announce you intend to renounce your original citizenship when acquiring Thai nationality there is no law requiring that you do in fact renounce your original citizenship. So you can continue to hold both under Thai and UK law. Other country's have other laws.

Edited April 21, 2014 by ubonjoe
removed quote of removed post giving false info

[ubonjoe]

There is no requirement for a UK citizen to renounce citizenship when acquiring citizenship of a 2nd (or 3rd) country. And while you may have to announce you intend to renounce your original citizenship when acquiring Thai nationality there is no law requiring that you do in fact renounce your original citizenship. So you can continue to hold both under Thai and UK law. Other country's have other laws.

You will note I removed the reply you quoted that gave false info that I have removed.

.Your post is correct.

You only have to make a statement that you will renounce your other nationality when you apply for Thai nationality. There is no clause of the nationality act that says you have to do it.

[dighambara]

There is no automatic PR. Even with PR a work permit is needed.

Extensions of stay based upon your marriage is easier for her to get is the first advantage you have. She will need to get a non-o visa from the embassy to apply for that,

Then there is a shortcut to obtaining Thai citizenship for her. She does not need PR to get it.

However, I have met 3 foreign women (Lao, Filipina, American) who each claimed they received PR within a month of arriving. Each said her husband applied and had no difficulties...

[Phimeow]

Thanks GuavaGirl.

[ubonjoe]

There is no automatic PR. Even with PR a work permit is needed.

Extensions of stay based upon your marriage is easier for her to get is the first advantage you have. She will need to get a non-o visa from the embassy to apply for that,

Then there is a shortcut to obtaining Thai citizenship for her. She does not need PR to get it.

However, I have met 3 foreign women (Lao, Filipina, American) who each claimed they received PR within a month of arriving. Each said her husband applied and had no difficulties...

You said it correctly when you wrote claims.

There is no provision in the immigration act or the ministerial regulations for getting PR that fast for anybody.

They could of gotten extensions of stay based upon their marriage that fast but even that is stretch.

[Somtamnication]

Talk about a double standard.

[samran]

There is no automatic PR. Even with PR a work permit is needed.

Extensions of stay based upon your marriage is easier for her to get is the first advantage you have. She will need to get a non-o visa from the embassy to apply for that,

Then there is a shortcut to obtaining Thai citizenship for her. She does not need PR to get it.

However, I have met 3 foreign women (Lao, Filipina, American) who each claimed they received PR within a month of arriving. Each said her husband applied and had no difficulties...

Believe me, if there was a provision I would have applied for my wife long long ago. There isn't and they are just on bog standard extensions of stay.

They can apply for citizenship, but that isn't an overnight process either.

[samran]

Talk about a double standard.

Not much of one these days. Still have to do the 90 day reporting. Still have to do the annual extensions.

Granted I don't have to show income, but I wouldn't be living here if all I could scrape together was 40k per month.

The need to meet cost of living expenses and school fees are a more effective measures of if we stay in Thailand or not. Certainly not low threshold immigration rules that most of you blokes moan about.

Edited April 22, 2014 by samran