Recent Permanent Residency

[passingas]

Has ANYONE been even considered for this in the last 7 years? I read that those applications way back then (2008) are still in the hopper? WTH? Is this just a waste of time and money to try and get? If it is, I would certainly like to know in advance, as I am sure...a lot of others would, too. Thanks to all for any input on this issue. pg

[Rhys]

DUDE,

I have not read up this for sometime... Is there really any benefit for permanent residency.. you are still jumping over the same holes... they put out for us..I think it is a waste of money..

anyway, my baht worth.. cheers mate

[Arkady]

There have been a lot of applications in the last 7 years. It does take a while these days but a batch into the hundreds has just been approved and before that a large batch was approved in 2013 which took care of most the 2007-09 applicants. It is not a particularly easy or transparent process and it is fairly expensive, particularly for those who don't get the discount for being married to a Thai. Those who apply seem to believe it is worth their while and those who don't, don't apply. If you are working in Thailand, which is a requirement, it is up to you to decide. For those who are interested, there is a wealth of information in this thread http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/74654-cameratas-guide-to-the-permanent-residence-process/page-103.

[passingas]

Thanks, Arkady....

Appreciate the input. With the screwy laws they're trying to enact in certain countries overseas....to void passports and even not renewing them, I'd sure like to get that done and behind me. I got screwed last time around, as the time was changed, but ready for this next round. I have my entire portfolio in order, but will have to update a few of the items. pg

[falang07]

DUDE,

I have not read up this for sometime... Is there really any benefit for permanent residency.. you are still jumping over the same holes... they put out for us..I think it is a waste of money..

anyway, my baht worth.. cheers mate

One of the benefits can be becoming a tax resident of Thailand.

[samran]

DUDE,

I have not read up this for sometime... Is there really any benefit for permanent residency.. you are still jumping over the same holes... they put out for us..I think it is a waste of money..

anyway, my baht worth.. cheers mate

One of the benefits can be becoming a tax resident of Thailand.

You become a tax resident in thailans if you reside here more than 183 days per year. You don't need PR to have that happen.

[gamini]

If you can get it I think it's well worth it. I have had it for many years and I give below the reasons
you don't have to go to the immigration again and you don't have to do any 90 day reporting. If you want to leave you only need to get a re-entry permit which is valid for a year. They never ask you any questions because they know that they must give it to you
the most useful thing is that you get your own blue house book which I unlike the yellow one is very useful. With this you can register at your nearest hospital and get free medical treatment and emergency treatment at any hospital in Thailand. This is a bit of a hassle because they don't like giving free medical treatment to foreigners. And they even will tell you it's not possible, but if you persist like I did, you will get your free treatment registration. This aspect is very attractive because when you get old (like me) you cannot get health insurance. So if for instance you had a heart attack you get free emergency treatment which otherwise would cost a lot even at a government hospital
if you don't intend to leave Thailand you don't need a passport any more you can use your Thai alien registration book
if you stay on your permanent residence for 10 years you might find it very easy to get Thai nationality. During these 10 years you can go and come to Thailand using a re-entry permit. The required 10 years is not the amount of time you spend in Thailand but the validity of your permanent residence.I do not know if the same situation applies today but I would think that having Thai permanent residence for 10 years would make it easier to get Thai nationality.

[Old Guy]

Gamini has just mentioned that if you have P.R. you get a blue house book with which you can get free treatment at hospitals. I have P.R. and the only (very dark) blue book given to me was the Certificate of Residence. Is this the 'house book' to which you refer ? I am old and cannot get independent insurance cover, so if this is the correct book, then I am most grateful for this info. !

[ubonjoe]

Gamini has just mentioned that if you have P.R. you get a blue house book with which you can get free treatment at hospitals. I have P.R. and the only (very dark) blue book given to me was the Certificate of Residence. Is this the 'house book' to which you refer ? I am old and cannot get independent insurance cover, so if this is the correct book, then I am most grateful for this info. !

You may not have the house book from the Amphoe because you were registered in a Thai's persons house book. You just need a copy of that registration.

[gamini]

Gamini has just mentioned that if you have P.R. you get a blue house book with which you can get free treatment at hospitals. I have P.R. and the only (very dark) blue book given to me was the Certificate of Residence. Is this the 'house book' to which you refer ? I am old and cannot get independent insurance cover, so if this is the correct book, then I am most grateful for this info. !

The small dark blue book is your PR book which you seldom need unless you leave Thailand.

As a PR you have the absolute right to a blueTambien baan, Same as Thais have.It is not quite as dark as the PR book but nearly twice the size.. You can apply for it at your amphur.

[Old Guy]

Thanks Ubonjoe and Gamini. I am already on the House Registration book, added to my wife's name on obtaining P.R., so now I will just go to my nearest (but obviously Government) hospital and try my luck.

[Arkady]

Only 5 years as a PR is required to apply for Thai citizenship but you also need 3 years in a job on a WP earning over B80k per month (40k if married to a Thai) and 3 years' tax receipts. A lot of people say you need 10 years as a PR but actually that has never been a requirement in any of the Thai Nationality Acts since the first one in 1913.

I have never been able to find anything in Thai about foreigners' entitlement to universal healthcare. When the 30 baht scheme started I was already in a blue tabien baan as a PR and received a letter from the district office informing me I was in the scheme. At first I thought that was a mistake but years later I went to the district office to find out, if I was in the scheme or not. They looked in the computer and said I was but that the regulations had been changed since then to exclude any foreigners that were not already in it. The scheme was started before the 2008 amendment to the Civil Registration Act made it compulsory for DOs to register all foreigners on 1 year extensions in yellow tabien baans. That obviously increased the number of foreigners eligible dramatically and may have prompted them to exclude foreigners registered in tabien baans, or at least try to stonewall them. There seems to be little consistency between DOs. Some seem to register new foreigners, even sometimes including those on a yellow tabien baan, while others refuse to register any foreigner.

I have never used the healthcare scheme and, although I am registered, I am not technically allowed to use it because I am still working and in the SSO scheme. I was told by the DO that all I needed to do was to go to my designated govt hospital, the name of which they gave me (I had never heard of it) and present my passport, tabien baan, alien book etc and they would find me in the database and treat me (assuming they also didn't find out I was in the SSO scheme). My father-in-law, who is retired, tried to get treatment at a govt hospital and they looked in the database and found he was in the Civil Servants' Scheme because his eldest daughter (my wife's step sister) is a civil servant. The only problem was that my wife's step sister had disappeared without leaving any contact details (I think to escape from an abusive ex) without properly completing his registration in the civil servants scheme. So my father-in-law was ineligible for the 30 baht scheme and wasn't properly registered for the civil servants scheme and no hospital would treat him. My wife then spent several months calling government departments to find her long lost step sister and was eventually successful in finding her and getting her father in the civil servants scheme which is the best of the 3 govt schemes.

BTW it is not only a right but an obligation for all PRs to be in a blue tabien baan. You will not be able to get a new residence book when you have filled the first one up without a tabien baan. So you will not be able to leave the country. It is also now an obligation for DOs to give other foreigners on one year extensions a yellow book, although some will try to argue otherwise because they are ignorant of their own regulations or just don't want to register foreigners.