Camerata's Guide To The Permanent Residence Process

[onthemoon]

1 hour ago, rimmae2 said:

There is no requirement to hold WP after receipt of PR as stated, unless I am mistaken? 

That is correct, unless you want to work. You can stay without working (if you can afford to), and then you won't need a work permit.

This is a big advantage over non-imm visas, which expire the moment you stop working.

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, rimmae2 said:

There is no requirement to hold WP after receipt of PR as stated, unless I am mistaken? 

That's not my actual experience.

 

At the original application and at every renewal the Labour officers have checked to see my PR / Police books match the WP personal details, and there are separate WP application documents for PR holders.

 

A WP officer has never indicated in any way that PR holders don't need to have a WP. 

[NewlyMintedThai]

WP is still required to work legally. But if you no longer want or need to work, it is no longer needed.


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[Arkady]

As mentioned above, PRs who were already working legally and paying tax when the first WP law came in in the early 70s were exempt from WPs for life, if they remained in the same profession. All PRs since then have needed a WP to work but, of course, there is no obligation to work. How could they force people to work into their 80s and 90s?  In fact it is not even a problem, if you become unemployed during the PR application process once you have passed the all the checks and panel interview.  Many people have either retired or been made redundant while waiting, especially during the time before the coup when they made applicants cool their heels for 5-7 years.

[THAIJAMES]

Does anyone know if I can get an endorsement and multiple re-entry with only one month validity in my passport

[Bangel72]

On 8/30/2019 at 6:19 PM, Arkady said:

As mentioned above, PRs who were already working legally and paying tax when the first WP law came in in the early 70s were exempt from WPs for life, if they remained in the same profession. All PRs since then have needed a WP to work but, of course, there is no obligation to work. How could they force people to work into their 80s and 90s?  In fact it is not even a problem, if you become unemployed during the PR application process once you have passed the all the checks and panel interview.  Many people have either retired or been made redundant while waiting, especially during the time before the coup when they made applicants cool their heels for 5-7 years.

That becoming unemployed during PR application process was a grey area when I went to pick up my PR 5 years ago, took an on the spot 'we can fix' this fee or visa cancelled there and then.

[GabbaGabbaHey]

4 hours ago, THAIJAMES said:

Does anyone know if I can get an endorsement and multiple re-entry with only one month validity in my passport

Why don't you wait for the new passport? (since you need a new one to use these re-entry...). One side question being: does one have to pay to transfer the re-entry from an expired passport to the new one? I don't remember the answer I read on this topic some years ago, maybe someone can refresh our mind on this.

[Arkady]

7 hours ago, Bangel72 said:

That becoming unemployed during PR application process was a grey area when I went to pick up my PR 5 years ago, took an on the spot 'we can fix' this fee or visa cancelled there and then.

That's interesting. Going back a few years there were a number of people reporting here that after waiting for many years for PR they had no trouble from the fact that they no longer had WPs when they picked up their PR. 

[stbkk]

12 hours ago, GabbaGabbaHey said:

Why don't you wait for the new passport? (since you need a new one to use these re-entry...). One side question being: does one have to pay to transfer the re-entry from an expired passport to the new one? I don't remember the answer I read on this topic some years ago, maybe someone can refresh our mind on this.

I suspect you do. I know this is not quite the same, but when I got a replacement for my blue PR book because it was full, I had to pay for a new re-entry and endorsement, they would not transfer the old one.

[onthemoon]

13 hours ago, GabbaGabbaHey said:

Why don't you wait for the new passport? (since you need a new one to use these re-entry...). One side question being: does one have to pay to transfer the re-entry from an expired passport to the new one? I don't remember the answer I read on this topic some years ago, maybe someone can refresh our mind on this.

You do. The re-entry (actually, it is called Immigrant Visa for us, but same meaning) will not be transferred to the new passport, you get a new one and have to pay for it.

 

I was in a similar situation, and immi at CW advised me to get the new passport first, for exactly this reason.

[Mattd]

A couple of my colleagues are applying for PR, they will go to CW to formally submit the application tomorrow and have been told that they will be questioned about the application in Thai, they are understandably a little nervous about this mainly they are not sure what to expect.

Does anybody have any recent experience of this? i.e. what kind of questions will be asked and what level of Thai will be expected of the applicants?

[Haddo]

can anyone confirm that with your PR visa/re-entry, you can let it expire if you are in the country?

And then renew it just before you need to leave?

I've had PR for about 6 years, but have always renewed before the old one expired as I travel a lot, but this time probably won't be travelling out of the country for a month or so (but will be travelling/working away from home within Thailand when the current one expires)

thanks

[sas_cars]

can anyone confirm that with your PR visa/re-entry, you can let it expire if you are in the country?
And then renew it just before you need to leave?
I've had PR for about 6 years, but have always renewed before the old one expired as I travel a lot, but this time probably won't be travelling out of the country for a month or so (but will be travelling/working away from home within Thailand when the current one expires)
thanks

Yes it's perfectly fine. I am also a PR and I usually only get the re entry once I have a trip planned. Other than that, I let it lapse.

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[Arkady]

1 hour ago, sas_cars said:

Yes it's perfectly fine. I am also a PR and I usually only get the re entry once I have a trip planned. Other than that, I let it lapse.

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I second that. I let the re-entry expire a couple of times when I had PR without issue.  It is a re-entry endorsement that allows you to re-enter without loss of PR.  It is not a visa because you already have a life-time visa in PR.  So logically there is no need to have one, unless you intend to leave the country and return.

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, Haddo said:

can anyone confirm that with your PR visa/re-entry, you can let it expire if you are in the country?

And then renew it just before you need to leave?

I've had PR for about 6 years, but have always renewed before the old one expired as I travel a lot, but this time probably won't be travelling out of the country for a month or so (but will be travelling/working away from home within Thailand when the current one expires)

thanks

 

Exit/re-entry stamps for PR holders are not compulsory.

 

You only need to have the exit/re-entry stamps in your passport and in your PR book as needed.

 

For folks who travel abroad a lot then yes it's a good idea to renew the stamps (multiple entry) when the one year life of the stamps are about to expire.

 

And there are plenty of PR holders who haven't had exit/re-entry stamps for years because they had no plans to travel abroad, and they fully aware that if they need to travel they need to get exit/re-entry stamps:

 

- Can be single exit/re-entry within 1 year of getting the stamps.

 

- Can be multiple exit/re-entry stamps, good for unlimited journeys within 1 year of getting the stamps.

 

Single or multiple stamp is your choice.

 

 

[Siamfan]

Any advice about the procedure of renewing the blue permanent residency book? Mine is full with stamps now... I heard if you renew, new one is white color?  Where to renew and what paperwork/form is needed please? 

Thanks a lot!

[Siamfan]

On 6/8/2019 at 10:52 AM, onthemoon said:

You can use the "manual" Thai lane right away. Show your passport, blue PR book and the boarding pass to the officer. You can also still use the Foreigners' lane, but that is usually longer. Important is to have the PR book wiht you.

 

If you want (and I would recommend it), you can apply for the auto-channel (which your quote above calls "the Thai citizen lane"). It is not mandatory. There is a whole other thread about the auto-channel for PR holders.

Where can I find this thread please....about how to apply for auto channel...

[scorecard]

47 minutes ago, Siamfan said:

Any advice about the procedure of renewing the blue permanent residency book? Mine is full with stamps now... I heard if you renew, new one is white color?  Where to renew and what paperwork/form is needed please? 

Thanks a lot!

You need to go to an immigration office (Chaeng Wattana in bangkok) and show them your blue PR book is full and ask for a replacement / new book.

 

Yes the cover of the second (and third and fourth....) PR book is white, but inside it's the same as the original dark blue covered book.

 

Take with you:

- Passport and signed copy

- Signed copy of all used pages of red covered police registration book (must be still valid in terms of time - within the expiry date of the most recent endorsement) 

- Signed copy of Tabien Baan book (signed by you)

- Full PR book and signed copies of all used pages.

- New photos (they may tell you to bring the photos back when you pick up the new PR book).

- Cash (I think it's still 3,800Baht).

 

The staff in that small section will take all your documents and check the docs are correct / complete.

 

Staff will tell you to come back in 4 working days.

 

NOTE: This is a mechanical replacement book process. There is no action whatever to renew your actual PR status, there is no interview or test or review at all, language can be Thai or English.

____

 

You can if you want, it's not compulsory, also get a new exit / re-entry stamp in both books (passport and PR book). After pick up of new PR book (you must take your passport with you and photos) walk 10 steps to the next section 'exit/re-entry stamps' and get the new stamps in both passport and PR book, usually done in 10 - 20 minutes 1,800Baht cash.

 

Good luck.

[rimmae2]

51 minutes ago, Siamfan said:

Where can I find this thread please....about how to apply for auto channel...

Above and others.

[Siamfan]

Thanks a lot for scorecards advice re renewing blue residence book. 

 

All went perfectly smooth, in and out in 15 minutes, (!)

 

She asked me how many times I travel per year, as there were 2,5 pages still available, and she wanted to save my money... ???? ( can come back next year...) But as the re-entry stamp alone takes half page, I asked if possible to get new one now- she smiled and said: sure

Have to come back in 4 days to pick up new book and stamps. cost 1900 + 5700.-

 

Only problem was the pictures, total needed 6 pc, need 3 x extra large ( 4 x 6 cm) for the new book and I had only standard size ( 4 x 4,5 cm) ... could use the 4 x 4,5 for the other forms though-  and can bring 3 large ones at pickup next week!

 

 

[scorecard]

Good news, basically painless (except for costs) congratulations.

[samran]

Sorry - I know this is probably covered here somewhere, but just wondering if the income requirement for a Thai PR applicant is lowered if they are married to a Thai citizen?

[sas_cars]

Sorry - I know this is probably covered here somewhere, but just wondering if the income requirement for a Thai PR applicant is lowered if they are married to a Thai citizen?

Yes it's 40K/month for applicants applying on basis of marriage to a thai citizen, regarless of having a PR or not. If applying solely on PR, then it's 80K/month.

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[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, samran said:

Sorry - I know this is probably covered here somewhere, but just wondering if the income requirement for a Thai PR applicant is lowered if they are married to a Thai citizen?

As far as I know it is still 50k baht income if married to Thai instead of 80k baht.

[Arkady]

2 hours ago, samran said:

Sorry - I know this is probably covered here somewhere, but just wondering if the income requirement for a Thai PR applicant is lowered if they are married to a Thai citizen?

If you are married to a Thai and apply for PR you get a 50% discount on the fee payable on success, not on the initial application fee. This is worth having because the fee is c180k but they will scrutinise your marriage carefully to ensure you are not getting something for nothing.

 

Apart from the discount for being married to a Thai doesn't lower any of the required qualifications as far as a I know.  The income requirements are not specified in the guidelines for applying anyway but Immigration, which is much less transparent than Special Branch vis a vis citizenship applications, has internal guidelines on things like salaries and minimum paid up capital of employer (5m I was told in the late 90s when I applied) etc. 

[samran]

2 hours ago, Arkady said:

If you are married to a Thai and apply for PR you get a 50% discount on the fee payable on success, not on the initial application fee. This is worth having because the fee is c180k but they will scrutinise your marriage carefully to ensure you are not getting something for nothing.

 

Apart from the discount for being married to a Thai doesn't lower any of the required qualifications as far as a I know.  The income requirements are not specified in the guidelines for applying anyway but Immigration, which is much less transparent than Special Branch vis a vis citizenship applications, has internal guidelines on things like salaries and minimum paid up capital of employer (5m I was told in the late 90s when I applied) etc. 

Thanks - I know you’ve written before on the lack of transparency for PR scoring criteria vs those for citizenship.

 

When you say the income requirements are not specified in the guidelines, I found this link off the latest PR announcement which mentions 80k under 3.2.3.

 

http://bangkok.immigration.go.th/2notice/residence62/Criterion_and_conditions_en.pdf

 

The rest just gets confusing for me - for instance the category for providing or receiving patronage states a 30k per month requirement, but I suspect that is not the same discount that Ubon Joe or SAS_Cars are taking about. 

 

 

[ubonjoe]

5 minutes ago, samran said:

The rest just gets confusing for me - for instance the category for providing or receiving patronage states a 30k per month requirement, but I suspect that is not the same discount that Ubon Joe or SAS_Cars are taking about. 

That allowance went away years ago. I think you were reading the ministerial order done in 2003 posted on the website.

If you go back to posts around 2012 or so in this topic you will find posts stating it was 50k baht monthly income for marriage.

[samran]

5 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

That allowance went away years ago. I think you were reading the ministerial order done in 2003 posted on the website.

If you go back to posts around 2012 or so in this topic you will find posts stating it was 50k baht monthly income for marriage.

Yeah I was confused why such an old ministerial order was placed on the same page as the 2019 announcement but figured they knew what they were doing...

 

So am i right to understand that if you apply on the basis of having three years consecutive work and visa history - that if you just also happen to be married to a Thai citizen they will automatically lower the income threshold? 

 

Or are you technically applying under another category?

[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, samran said:

Or are you technically applying under another category?

It is under this category shown on page 11 of this PDF file. Permanent Residency Requirements June 2019.pdf

It does not mention a salary requirement. 

[beeper]

I have PR for over 2 years now and have secured a mortgage with UOB (same as available for Thais) to buy a condo. The mortgage has to be accompanied by a life insurance.
Insurance company Prudential is asking me to submit to an HIV test before finalizing the insurance.
Is this standard procedure for all life insurances in Thailand?


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