Residence Permit: The Holy Grail?

[jonnyboy 0]

I read lots about retirement visas on this forum before reading about residence permits on www.thaivisa.com. Apparently up to 100 people of each nationality can apply for such a permit every year as long as they recieved permission for yearly stays on a non-immigrant visa for three years. For a fee of between 100-200K foreigners can hold a permit, stay in Thailand forever and do lots of things that Expats otherwise cannot do.

Does anyone have experience of this permit? I assume that many, many, more expats are applying for this permit than the quota allows. It would be greatly appreciated if anyone could shed light on this permit. I expect there will be lots of stories of related corruption, bribes and greed etc.

Cheers,

[Gary 4,125]

I read lots about retirement visas on this forum before reading about residence permits on www.thaivisa.com. Apparently up to 100 people of each nationality can apply for such a permit every year as long as they recieved permission for yearly stays on a non-immigrant visa for three years. For a fee of between 100-200K foreigners can hold a permit, stay in Thailand forever and do lots of things that Expats otherwise cannot do.

Does anyone have experience of this permit? I assume that many, many, more expats are applying for this permit than the quota allows. It would be greatly appreciated if anyone could shed light on this permit. I expect there will be lots of stories of related corruption, bribes and greed etc.

Cheers,

 

I looked into the PR permit. In addition to jumping through a lot of hoops, you need to speak pretty good Thai and last but not least there is the FEE! For a guy married to a Thai it will cost you 95,000 baht and double that if you are not married to a Thai. I pay 1,900 baht for my retirement visa and won't live long enough to ever make it financially viable. If you are a young guy it may be worth it to you to try.

[joekicker 53]

A red book is a decent thing to have. It's sort of like a green card. But in the past 15 years or so they have become less lovely to have, because now you will still require a work permit. Some guys, grandfathered thank goodness, have books that ARE like green cards and can work anywhere, change jobs -- basically are, legally speaking, Thais who can't vote and require an exit visa (like a re-entry) when leaving Thailand.

 

Go ahead and look into it. The application fee has gone up again and is horrendous. You don't have to speak Thai, Gary, you're thinking of citizenship, although speaking Thai won't hurt you and frankly if you want to be a resident you should speak Thai, why not?

 

There is not that much advantage. You don't have to go through the annual application stuff, but you do have to report annually and get a stamp, just to prove you're still alive more or less.

 

Immigration and its website have lots of info. The 100-person rule can be and frequently is waived if you have the right connections, which you should have if you're thinking of being a full-fledged Thailand resident.

[aqua4 2]

Garry is correct. You have to speak Thai. I only know of one person who has one and it in my view is not worth the trouble.

[joekicker 53]

Garry is correct. You have to speak Thai. I only know of one person who has one and it in my view is not worth the trouble.

 

His name is Gary. He isn't correct about this. I know about 50 people with resident visas, and have come in contact with a lot more than that. Here is an unofficial translation of guidelines from the immigration folks about the mechanics of it. I was wrong, by the way, about the huge payment, which is NOT for the application but for the actual visa.

 

First, though, let me repeat something I've written many times here in many ways. "Rules" here are... pliable. Gary could well have been told absolutely that you have to speak Thai for a residence visa. It may be that the guy/gal in charge of the office where he goes will absolutely not give a residence visa to someone who doesn't speak Thai. Down the road, hell, ACROSS the road you may find a different rule. When the office chief changes, you may find a different rule. And there are always, ALWAYS exceptions to the rules.

 

I hope this helps:

 

 

The annual quota for granting permanent residency in Thailand is a maximum of 100 persons per country. The Interior Minister is responsible for issuing the announcement each year that the quota is open for submission of applications, usually from in December.

 

The Immigration Commission has the power to define all regulations concerning permanent residency. The Immigration Bureau is the agency that handles all procedures concerning permanent residency applications.

 

Qualifications of an applicant:

 

1. An applicant must have received permission for yearly stays in Thailand on a non-immigrant visa for at least of three years prior to the submission of an application for permanent residency. Holders of multiple NON-Immigrant visas can not appy. You must have 3 consecutive yearly extensions in order to qualify.

 

2. An applicant must be holding a non-immigrant visa at the time of submitting an application.

 

Documents required

The list of required documents, including Visa type, depends on the category under which the application is made. Investment, Business, Expert, or married to a Thai

 

Fees:

Application for a residence permit, non-refundable - 7,600

Approval of a residence permit (payable on receipt of residence book) - 191,400 baht

Approval of a residence permit (payable on receipt of residence book) for a foreigner married to a Thai, the spouse of a resident, and any of their children who have not reached the status of a Thai juristic person (i.e., unmarried children aged below 20 years) 95,700 baht.

 

The Thai Immigration Bureau has set quotas for all expatriates applying for residence permits at 100 persons per nationality.

 

All foreigners may qualify to apply for a Permanent Residence permit if he or she -

 

1. Holds a passport of his/her current nationality, which was granted a Non-Immigrant visa, and the individual has been permitted to stay in Thailand for at least 3 subsequent consecutive years by 1-year visa extensions up to the application submission date.

2. Has personal qualifications that meet one or more of the following categories:

1) Investment category (minumum 3 - 10 Mil. Baht investment in Thailand)

2) Working/ Business category

3) Support a family or Humanity Reasons category: He/she must have relationship with a Thai citizen or an alien who already possesses a residence permit and is -

- A legal husband or wife

- A legal father or mother

- A child who is under 20 years of age up to the submission date of application and must be single

4) Expert / academics category

5) Other categories

 

Submission period for the Residence permit applications-

 

The applicants can submit the applications once a year. Recently, the opening date for the applications has been in December. Due to the extensive information required in, and with the application, it would be best to start preparing the required documents 1-2 months earlier. Once opening date for applications is announced, applications can be submitteduntil the last working day of the year. The results are usually announced in May of the next year, and the residence permits will be issued in December of that year.

 

If approved, a residence blue book is issued to the foreigner. The new Permanent Resident permit holder must register their place of residence in Thailand at the local Amphur Office and obtain a house card. 7 days after receipt of the residence certificate he/she then applies for an alien book (red book) at the local police station. And he/she must re-register there every year - the fee is 200 Baht.

 

.....

 

An alien with permanent residency status will be eligible to apply for Thai citizenship after 10 consecutive years under this classification.

[torrenova 649]

Fees went up massively in July 2004 I think. Now some ridiculous 193k or thereabouts. Half that if married to a Thai.

 

Still cannot own land, still have to report, stil need a WP (I think) but it does put you on the road to citizenship (which takes longer than most people have left).

 

3 years paying tax on back to back extended visas. Miss one day, start again.

 

Not worth the hassle, especially as I think you have an interview in Thai and have to answer questions in Thai.

[Gary 4,125]

I'm only going on hearsay but the guys I talked to DID say that they were interviewed in Thai and one of them was requested to recite the Thai National Anthem.

[joekicker 53]

I'm only going on hearsay but the guys I talked to DID say that they were interviewed in Thai and one of them was requested to recite the Thai National Anthem.

 

Wow, that used to be the standard citizenship language test. Sounds like a hard marker there. Never heard of that happening, although they can do what they want, of course. Was this in Bangkok or.....???

[Gary 4,125]

Wow, that used to be the standard citizenship language test. Sounds like a hard marker there. Never heard of that happening, although they can do what they want, of course. Was this in Bangkok or.....???

 

Again, I'm not sure. Those guys were interviewed in Bangkok and I got the impression that all PR permits are processed in Bangkok. That may just have been my impression.