Camerata's Guide To The Permanent Residence Process

[mortenaa]

I am still working on getting my Tabien baan. Been back to Khed for three times. The process was a bit more bureaucratic than I thought, but they have been very friendly at Khed Wattana (Bangkok). I'm just waiting for a letter from the Police now, and I should be able to  pickup my Tabien Baan soon.

 

Anyway, I'm actually considering moving to another province . Have anyone done this before? Do I have to go through the same process, issue new letters, new alien book at the new province etc?

[frankphuket]

Applied in Dec'15 for my PR and just got a call yesterday that it is approved and I have to urgently pick it up in Bkk (Live in Phuket).

 

Can somebody kindly summarize for someone living outside Bkk what has to be done after receiving the PR. Go Police station? what else?

I believe they will tell me, but a quick heads up would be welcome.

cheers

 

[mortenaa]

11 hours ago, frankphuket said:

Applied in Dec'15 for my PR and just got a call yesterday that it is approved and I have to urgently pick it up in Bkk (Live in Phuket).

 

Can somebody kindly summarize for someone living outside Bkk what has to be done after receiving the PR. Go Police station? what else?

I believe they will tell me, but a quick heads up would be welcome.

cheers

 

 

Police station to make Alien Book, then Amphur / Khed. Apply for Tabien Baan. Might take a few trips. After you apply, they need a confirmation letter from immigration and the police. Then go again, with witnesses. Bring copies of everything, and a total of 12 passport sized pictures.

Edited March 22, 2017 by mortenaa
Clarification / police station

[thedemon]

14 minutes ago, mortenaa said:

 

Police station, then Amphur / Khed. Apply for Tabien Baan. Might take a few trips. After you apply, they need a confirmation letter from immigration and the police. Then go again, with witnesses. Bring copies of everything, and a total of 12 passport sized pictures.

 

According to my recollection that is correct. However I think that you need to have the Alien book issued by the police before Immigration will issue a Re-entry/Endorsement.

[mortenaa]

1 minute ago, thedemon said:

 

According to my recollection that is correct. However I think that you need to have the Alien book issued by the police before Immigration will issue a Re-entry/Endorsement.

 

Yes, first step is police station to get the alien book. Shouldn't take more than a couple of hours if they are familiar with the procedure. 

 

I haven't made any endorsement, as I have no plans to go abroad for now.. 

[SteveB2]

Hi Folks - I received my own PR book last week.

 

Does anyone know where you can get the RED alien registration booked issued in the Pattaya / Jomtien area. Every police station I've visited so far (even the Nongprue head office) hasn't got a clue.

 

Thank you in anticipation for your help 

[stbkk]

From what I remember when I got mine, you have to go to the police station responsible for the area where you live, not just any old cop shop. Not sure if that's any help at all, especially if they don't know anything about it.  

[SteveB2]

1 hour ago, stbkk said:

From what I remember when I got mine, you have to go to the police station responsible for the area where you live, not just any old cop shop. Not sure if that's any help at all, especially if they don't know anything about it.  

 

Yes - spot on 

 

I went to the main police station in the area where I live (as mentioned at the top of the CW 'notice to issue an alien red book' letter) and they didn't have a 'Scooby-Do'...

 

Never mind, the local Tetsabaan Office seams happy putting my name in the dark blue tabien baan book, plus issuing the pink Thai ID card - so once that all that is out the way, I'll go and pay Jomtien Immo a visit and see if they can help recommend a local police station who can process the request.

 

Plainly, not many Thai officials see Farang with PR - for many, it's the first time and they have no idea how to handle the admin - I don't think that anyone who actually gets issued with PR will get annoyed with this - since by this stage,  any PR holder will surely know that in Thailand absolutely  nothing improves in Thai bureacracy when we get annoyed - the opposite is almost certainly true. Just keep plugging at it slowly, bit by bit, often being passed from one official to another until you find the mandarin who knows what to do, then it will gradually be sorted at the end  

[thedemon]

2 hours ago, SteveB2 said:

Hi Folks - I received my own PR book last week.

 

Does anyone know where you can get the RED alien registration booked issued in the Pattaya / Jomtien area. Every police station I've visited so far (even the Nongprue head office) hasn't got a clue.

 

Thank you in anticipation for your help 

 

I had a similar experience with my police station even though it is quite a big station. They flat out denied that any such document had ever been issued there.

 

After a lot of persistence a very junior (but commissioned) officer was found that was aware of the procedure. He asked if I could leave the documents with him for a couple of days because he had never done it before.

 

Stbkk is right. It must be done at the station covering your area.

 

 

[skyaslimit]

 

I had a similar experience with my police station even though it is quite a big station. They flat out denied that any such document had ever been issued there.

 

After a lot of persistence a very junior (but commissioned) officer was found that was aware of the procedure. He asked if I could leave the documents with him for a couple of days because he had never done it before.

 

Stbkk is right. It must be done at the station covering your area.

 

 

Let your police station call the immigration officer who dealt with your PR book, they will guide them where to obtain red book if they don't have one in their stock.

 

[SteveB2]

On 3/27/2017 at 5:06 PM, skyaslimit said:

Let your police station call the immigration officer who dealt with your PR book, they will guide them where to obtain red book if they don't have one in their stock.

 

 

On 3/27/2017 at 1:30 PM, thedemon said:

 

I had a similar experience with my police station even though it is quite a big station. They flat out denied that any such document had ever been issued there.

 

After a lot of persistence a very junior (but commissioned) officer was found that was aware of the procedure. He asked if I could leave the documents with him for a couple of days because he had never done it before.

 

Stbkk is right. It must be done at the station covering your area.

 

 

OK - got it.

 

As per advice received from Jomtien IMMO...

 

For the Pattaya/Jomtien Area, if you don't have any luck at the local police station that covers your area, go to Room 304 on the 3rd floor at the main Banglamung Police station on Sukhumvit road (About 1km North of the Nakluah traffic lights). They have a department dedicated to alien registration administration. They issue the red books directly from this office. 

 

Note: You need to have an official translation of your own birth certificate clearly showing the names of your mother and father. These should have already been entered on your yellow tabien baan used for the PR application - however, if like me you were originally in an 'up country' tabien baan, the grass chewing registrar up in those parts might not of entered them 

 

FYO - this month (March 2017) must be seeing a lot of PR's being issued by CW BKK. The registrar at our local police station said that he had seen 3 recently issued Farang PR books presented to him for processing just this week.

 

The recent surge in PR issuance has to be good news for all us long stayers. The last decade has not been kind to PR applicants, with issuance delays sometimes lasting several years being common place.

 

A high level contact from Bangers now informs me that IMMO is now recommending that PR applicants apply directly for Thai citizenship - the complexicity is similar and the costs are greatly reduced.

 

I'd never considered myself good enough or to have sufficient high level Thai friends to recommend me for such a loft perch... perhaps the times, they are a changing?  

 

[skippybangkok]

Agreed - only difference is time waiting , about 1 year versus maybe 4 or more


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[mortenaa]

On 3/29/2017 at 11:13 AM, SteveB2 said:

 

OK - got it.

 

As per advice received from Jomtien IMMO...

 

For the Pattaya/Jomtien Area, if you don't have any luck at the local police station that covers your area, go to Room 304 on the 3rd floor at the main Banglamung Police station on Sukhumvit road (About 1km North of the Nakluah traffic lights). They have a department dedicated to alien registration administration. They issue the red books directly from this office. 

 

Note: You need to have an official translation of your own birth certificate clearly showing the names of your mother and father. These should have already been entered on your yellow tabien baan used for the PR application - however, if like me you were originally in an 'up country' tabien baan, the grass chewing registrar up in those parts might not of entered them 

 

FYO - this month (March 2017) must be seeing a lot of PR's being issued by CW BKK. The registrar at our local police station said that he had seen 3 recently issued Farang PR books presented to him for processing just this week.

 

The recent surge in PR issuance has to be good news for all us long stayers. The last decade has not been kind to PR applicants, with issuance delays sometimes lasting several years being common place.

 

A high level contact from Bangers now informs me that IMMO is now recommending that PR applicants apply directly for Thai citizenship - the complexicity is similar and the costs are greatly reduced.

 

I'd never considered myself good enough or to have sufficient high level Thai friends to recommend me for such a loft perch... perhaps the times, they are a changing?  

 

 

I didn't use any yellow tabien baan for my application, nor did I need any translation of a birth certificate. They just asked me the names of my parents, which they translated themselves. 

[Zam]

Hello Seniors,

1--I wanted to know for PR holders in Bangkok who are businessmen can they get a APAC card.

2-For applying citizenship can one apply after holding an PR for 3 years. What is the time they take to give you this if you qualify. Considering one has stayed there for over twenty years.

Appreciate.



Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[thedemon]

1 hour ago, Zam said:

Hello Seniors,

1--I wanted to know for PR holders in Bangkok who are businessmen can they get a APAC card.

2-For applying citizenship can one apply after holding an PR for 3 years. What is the time they take to give you this if you qualify. Considering one has stayed there for over twenty years.

Appreciate.



Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

1 - You can only apply for an APEC card from the country of your citizenship and, of course that has to be an APEC member country. The exception to this rule is Hong Kong, where Permanent Residents are eligible to apply. But unfortunately it is only HK.

 

Might be worth noting, I have Thai friend's with APEC cards issued in Thailand. The Thai govt has set the bar pretty high to qualify. It's not easy to get. 

 

2 - As I understand, for Thai citizenship you are eligible to apply based on marriage to a Thai citizen after 3 years. Applying based on holding PR requires 5 years with PR.

 

So if you qualify on the basis of marriage it probably makes sense to skip the PR route since the requirements are similar.

[Zam]

1 - You can only apply for an APEC card from the country of your citizenship and, of course that has to be an APEC member country. The exception to this rule is Hong Kong, where Permanent Residents are eligible to apply. But unfortunately it is only HK.
 
Might be worth noting, I have Thai friend's with APEC cards issued in Thailand. The Thai govt has set the bar pretty high to qualify. It's not easy to get. 
 
2 - As I understand, for Thai citizenship you are eligible to apply based on marriage to a Thai citizen after 3 years. Applying based on holding PR requires 5 years with PR.
 
So if you qualify on the basis of marriage it probably makes sense to skip the PR route since the requirements are similar.

Thanks for the feedback and have a pretty clear direction now.


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[brianinbangkok]

Thanks for the feedback and have a pretty clear direction now.


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

As far as I know you also need a WP.
I have had a PR for over 10 years but understand I can not apply for citizenship unless I have a Thai WP.
Any news on this welcome :)

[ubonjoe]

16 minutes ago, brianinbangkok said:

As far as I know you also need a WP.
I have had a PR for over 10 years but understand I can not apply for citizenship unless I have a Thai WP.
Any news on this welcome :)

You to have to have a work permit and 3 years of tax payments to prove an income to apply for citizenship.

[Arkady]

On 9/15/2006 at 11:04 PM, AmeriThai said:

I was surprised to see only a handful from the US applied for PR. I would've guessed those (from the US) wanting to apply, (I should say those whose apps qualified) would've easily reached the max of 100 applicants/country/year. Evidently my guess wasn't even close. Thanks Tywais for including the html page.

I doubt that much has changed since 2004.  Most of the people who apply for PR (and citizenship) are, in fact, from other Asian countries with Chinese and Indians at the top of the list.  I think Chinese are the only ones that ever hit the 100 quota limit, partly because Taiwan has to be considered as China for quota purposes. 

 

Just think about all the farangs who ask you why on earth would you want to apply for PR in Thailand.  They are the farang norm., even though they often have cause to regret not applying once it is too late for them. 

[Arkady]

On 4/15/2017 at 1:55 PM, brianinbangkok said:

 

As far as I know you also need a WP.
I have had a PR for over 10 years but understand I can not apply for citizenship unless I have a Thai WP.
Any news on this welcome :)

As Ubonjoe says, that is correct.  You need to show at least 3 years continuous WPs and tax receipts from a salary in Thailand.  This is because the Nationality Act requires applicants to have an occupation in Thailand, so there is no way around it (except of course for foreign women married to Thais).  

 

Please see this thread for detailed information of applying for citizenship. 

 

[MikeyIdea]

On 2017-4-15 at 2:13 PM, ubonjoe said:

You to have to have a work permit and 3 years of tax payments to prove an income to apply for citizenship.

 

Is there a rule that you must keep successive work permits until you get citizenship and do you have to be married?

 

[ubonjoe]

12 minutes ago, MikeyIdea said:

 

Is there a rule that you must keep successive work permits until you get citizenship and do you have to be married?

 

If not married to a Thai you have to have permanent residency for 5 years before you can apply for Thai citizenship.

You must maintain a work permit while waiting for approval of the citizenship application.

[MikeyIdea]

20 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

If not married to a Thai you have to have permanent residency for 5 years before you can apply for Thai citizenship.

You must maintain a work permit while waiting for approval of the citizenship application.

I thought so, then I will fail. I have PR and consecutive work permits for nearly 20 years but the company will only want me another 1-2 years.  

[mortenaa]

On 4/30/2017 at 10:32 AM, ubonjoe said:

If not married to a Thai you have to have permanent residency for 5 years before you can apply for Thai citizenship.

You must maintain a work permit while waiting for approval of the citizenship application.

When I got my PR a couple of months ago, they told me I could apply for citizenship now. I haven't really looked into the details, but why would they tell me otherwise? 

Edited May 1, 2017 by mortenaa

[Jujus]

2 hours ago, mortenaa said:

When I got my PR a couple of months ago, they told me I could apply for citizenship now. I haven't really looked into the details, but why would they tell me otherwise? 

That's big news if it's true. I wasn't told that when I got mine... Anyone else can either confirm or refute that information?

[mortenaa]

3 hours ago, Jujus said:

That's big news if it's true. I wasn't told that when I got mine... Anyone else can either confirm or refute that information?

Some places it says you need to be in the country on extensions and WP for 5 years, which most PR holders have been already. Some places it says you need be on Blue Tabian Baan for 5 years, which in case means I have to wait another 5 years before applying.. 

[Jujus]

23 hours ago, mortenaa said:

Some places it says you need to be in the country on extensions and WP for 5 years, which most PR holders have been already. Some places it says you need be on Blue Tabian Baan for 5 years, which in case means I have to wait another 5 years before applying.. 

Then I guess the immigration officer who told you that simply didn't know the correct rule...

[camerata]

Could someone remind me if I need to show my tabien baan when I renew my Alien's Book at the local police station? I don't have any recollection of documents requested last time.

[onthemoon]

6 hours ago, camerata said:

Could someone remind me if I need to show my tabien baan when I renew my Alien's Book at the local police station? I don't have any recollection of documents requested last time.

I'm pretty sure they will want to see it - I would suggest to bring it along just in case.

[YetAnother]

why is it called 'permanent' and why is it tied to work here ?