Yellow House Book -Tabian Baan

[TEFLKrabi]

A completely useless document that serves no other purpose except to confirm your address.

Not sure he was asking for your opinion, I think he wants advice.

As said above, ask at your local Amphur what they require. In my experience, it tends to vary around the country. If your wife knows someone who works there it should make things easier!

[ubonjoe]

Got mine in Khon Kaen in one day.

All quite simple.

Address document from Immigration.

Document from Police Station.

Back to Amphur to meet up with our Pyu Yai Baan as witness.

Yellow book issued within a few minutes.

Can I ask when you got book please very diffrent story from my experience in KK

Probably a different Amphoe. It could be anyone of the 26 Amohoes in KK.

[Eclipse]

Got mine in Khon Kaen in one day.

All quite simple.

Address document from Immigration.

Document from Police Station.

Back to Amphur to meet up with our Pyu Yai Baan as witness.

Yellow book issued within a few minutes.

Can I ask when you got book please very diffrent story from my experience in KK

Probably a different Amphoe. It could be anyone of the 26 Amohoes in KK.

Got it in KK town center about three years ago.

[KhunBENQ]

Mine BTW was also in KK province.

The Amphoe being nr. 6 on the list, very "rural" so to say.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khon_Kaen_Province

Edited April 20, 2016 by KhunBENQ

[transam]

A little off topic but.....

Over the years a few farangs have asked me about the yellow book, they virtually all said their lady said it was toooo difficult to get...

I said no probs, told them how to do it. One time a "lady" was listening....I got some serious LOOKS...

Told Mrs.Trans, she said lady fear he have 'foothold' with yellow book.....

[NoshowJones]

Every foreigner is entitled to a House Book, regardless of marital status or owning/renting property.

The problem comes with the different requirements requested by the Amphurs.

You will almost definitely need your landlord or Pyu Yai Baan as witnesses and signatories.

Some remote Amphurs haven't got a clue what the requirements are, frightened to get in trouble for issuing such a book, and won't ask another Amphur for advice for fear of losing face. It should be a straight forward procedure........but TIT.

When I went to get my yellow book, my wife said to me, "the man said maybe yes and maybe no", so I gave her 1000 Baht

and told her to give him it, she did and then I got it, so, as you said Faz TIT.

[Eclipse]

Just looked at my book and got it 4 years ago in Khon Kaen center.

I remember asking years ago and it was so complicated we decided not to bother.

Much easier now though.

[siamcrut]

Some remote Amphurs haven't got a clue what the requirements are, frightened to get in trouble for issuing such a book, and won't ask another Amphur for advice for fear of losing face. It should be a straight forward procedure........but TIT.

Agree a 100%.

That's what the guy in the Amphur told my wife, when I wanted to change my yellow book to our new home. Of course I was waiting outside during the enquiry.

[avander]

A completely useless document that serves no other purpose except to confirm your address.

On the other hand.... I have found my Yellow Book handy when travelling here and for any "official requirements" such as Immigration and banking etc.. Maybe I could use my driving license but the Yellow Book seems to carry more weight. Local authorities always seem "impressed" I have bothered to obtain one. Maybe they just think I am stupid for doing so but I don't think so.

I also use it (and the id number inside) to get Thai rates for many parks and attractions etc.

My wife originally suggested it and came with me and helped with the various doco required, It's wasn't expensive.

[Anon999]

I would say that they are useful for buying transport, opening bank accs, etc. But every Amphore seems to have different rules about getting one, also the size of bribe that you have to pay to get the head Honchos signature on it varies enormously, eg. my Amphore, fairly straightforward document wise & a thousand baht bribe, my friends Amphore 40 Km away, a long list of documents & they actually want 10,000 bahts to do it....

Needless to say they are supposed to be free but TIT

Mine was free.

[billrose]

To the OP, it depends very much on what you need it for. Only you can decide if it's worth the hoops you may have to jump though to get it.

It seems pretty obvious from the replies here that each Amphur has it's own criteria, so you can only ask your local Amphur, and it depends how well in you are with the local Pu Yai Ban as to how much his/her reference is going to cost you.

Personally I've lived here nearly 10 years and never needed one. I don't own my car and motorbike, they're both in my wife's name. Not a problem for me!

I got a 1 year and subsequent 5 year driving licence with "residence letters" from Immigration. The first one was free, the second one was 500 baht! I'm pretty sure my local LTD won't accept a yellow book as proof of residence for a licence, only the immigration letter.

I have accounts with 4 different Thai banks and never needed a Yellow book to open an account with any of them.

I'm not intending to apply for permanent residence so I won't need it for that.

So I'm quite happy spending the rest of my days here without a Yellow Tabien Ban.

So you need to go and talk to your local Amphur to check their requirements, and have a word with your Pu Yai Ban, then make your own decision as to whether it's worth it or not.

Edited April 20, 2016 by billrose

[mgjackson69]

To the OP, it depends very much on what you need it for. Only you can decide if it's worth the hoops you may have to jump though to get it.

It seems pretty obvious from the replies here that each Amphur has it's own criteria, so you can only ask your local Amphur, and it depends how well in you are with the local Pu Yai Ban as to how much his/her reference is going to cost you.

Personally I've lived here nearly 10 years and never needed one. I don't own my car and motorbike, they're both in my wife's name. Not a problem for me!

I got a 1 year and subsequent 5 year driving licence with "residence letters" from Immigration. The first one was free, the second one was 500 baht! I'm pretty sure my local LTD won't accept a yellow book as proof of residence for a licence, only the immigration letter.

I'm not intending to apply for permanent residence so I won't need it for that.

So I'm quite happy spending the rest of my days here without a Yellow Tabien Ban.

So it's up to you to make your own decision as to whether it's worth it or not.

There you have it. It is "worth it" or not to the individual. But an individual's perspective does not make it a "useless" document.

I have obtained driver's license with the "residence letter" and with the yellow tambien baan. For me, to not have to go to Immigration for a residence letter to renew a drivers license, or to register a vehicle (we tend to buy and sell on a regular basis), is "worth it" to me.

I see it this way...governments run on paper. Any official document one can produce can help; at worst, not help or hinder. Any document I can have in my possession is a plus.

As an example, I have used a photocopy of a cancelled work permit to open a bank account. So even a copy of an official document can be useful.

[transam]

To the OP, it depends very much on what you need it for. Only you can decide if it's worth the hoops you may have to jump though to get it.

It seems pretty obvious from the replies here that each Amphur has it's own criteria, so you can only ask your local Amphur, and it depends how well in you are with the local Pu Yai Ban as to how much his/her reference is going to cost you.

Personally I've lived here nearly 10 years and never needed one. I don't own my car and motorbike, they're both in my wife's name. Not a problem for me!

I got a 1 year and subsequent 5 year driving licence with "residence letters" from Immigration. The first one was free, the second one was 500 baht! I'm pretty sure my local LTD won't accept a yellow book as proof of residence for a licence, only the immigration letter.

I have accounts with 4 different Thai banks and never needed a Yellow book to open an account with any of them.

I'm not intending to apply for permanent residence so I won't need it for that.

So I'm quite happy spending the rest of my days here without a Yellow Tabien Ban.

So you need to go and talk to your local Amphur to check their requirements, and have a word with your Pu Yai Ban, then make your own decision as to whether it's worth it or not.

How come my LTD is very happy with a yellow book and yours is "not". Extensions very happy with yellow book, in fact all are happy to see a yellow book....?

[Kwasaki]

Different rules in some DLT's my local one excepts yellow book and on my 5 year DL the Thai ID number in book is put on the DL instead of passport number.

[Pattaya46]

For anyone to say it is "useless" knows nufink...............

It just depends where you live in Thailand.

This document is supposed to confirm you address, but in Pattaya area this Yellow Book is *not* accepted as proof of address for a Thai Driving Licence (they want an Address Certificate from Immigration) and is *not* accepted by several banks to open a bank account (they want this same Certificate from Immigration, or a work permit)

I know only one case where I could have use it: when I bough my motorbike.

So yes: in Pattaya it's nearly useless for most of us.

[transam]

For anyone to say it is "useless" knows nufink...............

It just depends where you live in Thailand.

This document is supposed to confirm you address, but in Pattaya area this Yellow Book is *not* accepted as proof of address for a Thai Driving Licence (they want an Address Certificate from Immigration) and is *not* accepted by several banks to open a bank account (they want this same Certificate from Immigration, or a work permit)

I know only one case where I could have use it: when I bough my motorbike.

So yes: in Pattaya it's nearly useless for most of us.

Wonder why..........

[khunPer]

You qualify for a Yellow House Book, but there may be huge difference from province-to-province what they demand. Some posters talk about how easy it is – and they even get free hospital – others, like me, need to go through a process like obtaining "residency", apart from a language test; i.e. two witness of which one must be neighbor and one government employed, long interview, authorized Thai translation of documents, etc.

Have your girlfriend to check at the local office, what they need, so you can prepare yourself; or knowing it's just walking in and get it...

The Yellow House Book mainly serve as proof-of-address, which can be helpful in some cases like vehicle registration, where you otherwise may need a letter from Immigration. If you are a house owner, you can have title of something like "house master" in the Yellow House Book; that mean, that nobody can be entered in either House Book, blue or yellow, without your permission.

[mgjackson69]

I wonder though...it is just as likely that some Immigration functionary got burned on a deal where some farang sold his yellow book to someone else, and the third party pulled some sort of low-level scam using that book.

It did not amount to jack-shit, but someone lost face because it happened. So some slightly-higher functionary said we cannot let this happen again.

I know, TIT and all, but it still amazes me how local offices of a national department can make their own rules.

Fortunately, I live in an area where the rules play in my favor, or at least not against me.

[willr]

It is not difficult to get in Prachonchai, done in one day,they just don't like giving them out and tend to put you off, just remind them they are council people and work for the people.my wife rang the head guy and all was done in a couple of hours.

[sandrabbit]

Obtained it last year in Rayong amphor and it was difficult, took 3 visits including the first one to ask the requirements. I had 3 Thai witnesses not including my wife, (one was my regular taxi driver I've used for years) and the others Thai friends. It seems Rayong has become very strict over this as friends who had previously acquired their yellow books couldn't believe the complexity to obtain it. I had a similar thing this year changing my retirement visa to a marriage visa, the head of the immigration office asked why I wanted to change when I had more than enough money in the bank for a retirement visa. My advice is to get your yellow book, visa etc sorted before they change rules again & make it more complicated.

[asiaexpat]

Obtained my Yellow Tabien Baan from a Bangkok Ket that followed the BORA issued manual of instructions. It took getting a copy of my passport verified by my embassy and then translated into Thai with MFA verification stamp. Had to make an initial appointment to answer a a set of questions and present documents. When called to come back several weeks later I was told to bring two witness (used in-laws.) After another hour of questioning I received my Yellow TB. Process cost about 1500 baht due to using a translation service and took several weeks. Seems some District Offices follow the manual and some do not.

[greenchair]

You are just unlucky in your amphur, some other amphurs are much more reasonable in their requirements to issue the Yellow tambien ban.

I use it for address, it was also very handy when opening up a new bank account when the local SCB branch upcountry was insistent that I had to have a work permit, which I don't have. It also seems to be a starting document for the pink foreigner's ID card, which I'm told is in process for me now.

Mac

What is the pink foreigner id. ???

[Apiwan2]

Seems different places have different requirements.

In ladproaw they want a translation of my passport.

But I will be applying in thonburi who I find are a lot easier.

I want to get this book to put a car in my name.

So do I have to have passport translated then verified by MFA or embassy.

Still none the wiser

[khunPer]

Seems different places have different requirements.

In ladproaw they want a translation of my passport.

But I will be applying in thonburi who I find are a lot easier.

I want to get this book to put a car in my name.

So do I have to have passport translated then verified by MFA or embassy.

Still none the wiser

You shall check what the office want, where you are going to apply for Yellow House Book.

Normally your passport need to be translated by an authorized translator – often a lawyer – who has the right documentation, which proof become the major part of your translation folder. Often the price is equivalent to the documentation and right rubber stamp.

Are you sure you need a Yellow House Book for vehicle registration, and not just an address-approval-letter from Immigration together with Non-immigrant Visa..?

Edited April 20, 2016 by khunPer

[avander]

It just depends where you live in Thailand.

This document is supposed to confirm you address, but in Pattaya area this Yellow Book is *not* accepted as proof of address for a Thai Driving Licence (they want an Address Certificate from Immigration) and is *not* accepted by several banks to open a bank account (they want this same Certificate from Immigration, or a work permit)

I know only one case where I could have use it: when I bough my motorbike.

So yes: in Pattaya it's nearly useless for most of us.

And maybe also the phase of the moon?...

I am in the Pattaya area; got me license from Nong Prue. They were happy with my Yellow Book and no problem using it for bank accounts either? In nearly 3 years I haven't needed a "residence certificate" from Immigration for anything.

[Maestro]

Removed an off-topic post and the reply to it.

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Greenchair

Check out the 6 page, so far, thread on the ID card for non-PR foreigners here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/898085-id-card-for-farangs/

Mac

[hml367]

These are just my own opinions:

1. The reason they might ask for a passport translation is that your legal name is in the Yellow Tabian Baan in the Thai alphabet. It must be correct so that whenever the yellow book is used as ID, the name in the Thai alphabet will be the same. I was fortunate when I got my yellow book in Hang Dong, Chiang Mai, they had someone in their office make the translation of my name. It has been a few years.

2. If foreigners continue asking for Yellow Tabian Baans when they are not necessarily tied to the physical address (that is they may change residence at any time) and not do the correct cancellations of the registration, it will only get harder to obtain the yellow books.

[Lazybones]

Also helps to get the 'Thai' rate at national parks

[Lazybones]

I applied for mine while I was building my house.I had to have doors and windows in the house before I could get it. Otherwise no problens, no bribes,