Getting permanent residency in Thailand
How to become a permanent residence in Thailand?
Permanent residency, also known as PR in Thailand, is a permanent visa that you are being granted and which allows you to stay in Thailand forever. But as you can read below, there are some very important things that you need to consider before taking action and also some things you need to consider after you get permanent residency in Thailand.
There are many different categories you can apply for PR under. They are investment, business, employment, humanity and expert. However, most applications fall under "Employment".
Also, do not confuse being a permanent residence in Thailand as getting Thai citizenship, this is something else.
The cost of PR in Thailand
Depending on your marital status, the cost is different. If you get approved for PR in Thailand and you are married to a Thai women, the cost is 95 000 THB. However, if you are not married to a Thai women, the cost is 195 000 THB.
The requirements
The requirements and the amount of work you need to do is the biggest challenge of them all. There are around 30 different steps you need to follow when submitting your application.
For an example, you need to show monthly tax statments preceding 3 years that your Thai company filled for your salary.
You need to have held a Non-immigrant B visa for at least 3 years, non broken. It is very important that this employment is legal where your employer does everything correctly.
You need to show a full, formal background check on you as a person from your home country. If you are an american, clients needs to get fingerprinted at the US Embassy, that gets sent to FBI who later sends the background check to Thailand.
You need to have a salary of at least 80 000 THB and you need to have worked at your current company for at least one year. You also need to have a Tabian Baan, a house registration.
You cannot apply for PR the year around. Usually the Thai government opens up a 14 week period at the end of the year where you get a change to apply for your PR. So you basically work on your application for one year and then when they are accepting applications, you hand over all of your papers.
Once your application has been submitted, it can still take around 1-3 years before you get a decision. However, if you can fulfill all the requirements, you will be granted for permanent residency in Thailand.
It is not a work visa
Getting PR in Thailand does not give you the right to work. You still need a work visa even if you have permanent residency in Thailand. PR is just a lifetime visa, nothing more, nothing less.
You cannot own land
Even if you have PR in Thailand, you cannot own land like a Thai person can. You can register property in your name (and of course own a condo in your name) but you can not own any land that gets registered in your name.
However, when you have PR in Thailand, you do not need to transfer money fram abroad when buying a condo. The money you are going to use to make the purchase can already be in Thailand.
You can still lose your PR visa status
To hold on to your PR status, you need to be in Thailand for a least one day a year. So let's say that you live in Thailand for 18 years and have been granted PR during this time. After 18 years, you decide to move somewhere else or back to your home country. It is now very, very important that you come back to Thailand for at least one day a year or otherwise the Thai government will revoke your PR visa, simple as that.
Also, if you have been granted PR and you leave Thailand for a holiday, remember to always bring your PR book. If you leave the Kingdom of Thailand without your PR book and you return to Thailand, your PR status will be rescinded and will have to go through the same process all over again.
And one more thing, do not forget to get a re-entry permit before you leave Thailand.
If you do not have this and you leave Thailand, you will lose your PR.
No more 90 days check-ins
When you have PR in Thailand, you do not need to do any more 90 days check-ins at the Immigration office.