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[Mario2008]

Small correction, fee for PR application is now 7,600 baht according to the immigration police website.

[Arkady]

Mario2008, on 2012-05-09 14:12:48, said:

Small correction, fee for PR application is now 7,600 baht according to the immigration police website.

Thanks Mario.

[camerata]

I renewed my Alien's Book today and was in and out of the police station in 10 minutes. No documents required other than the Alien's Book and no copies requested. They didn't seem to care that my passport had changed. I just signed the form, and paid 800 baht for 5 years.

[Arkady]

camerata, on 2012-05-10 15:47:25, said:

I renewed my Alien's Book today and was in and out of the police station in 10 minutes. No documents required other than the Alien's Book and no copies requested. They didn't seem to care that my passport had changed. I just signed the form, and paid 800 baht for 5 years.

Well, its an curious piece of bureaucracy from a bygone age that nobody seems to care much about it these days.  It used to be an essential document for the police to use in controlling the large Chinese immigrant population who could be stopped and asked to show it at any moment.  Try and use it in a bank or such like to prove your identity today, explaining that it is your Thai government issued personal identification document, and they just look at it with a puzzled expression and say, "Passport please".

[tombkk]

Arkady, on 2012-05-11 12:35:23, said:

camerata, on 2012-05-10 15:47:25, said:

I renewed my Alien's Book today and was in and out of the police station in 10 minutes. No documents required other than the Alien's Book and no copies requested. They didn't seem to care that my passport had changed. I just signed the form, and paid 800 baht for 5 years.

Well, its an curious piece of bureaucracy from a bygone age that nobody seems to care much about it these days.  It used to be an essential document for the police to use in controlling the large Chinese immigrant population who could be stopped and asked to show it at any moment.  Try and use it in a bank or such like to prove your identity today, explaining that it is your Thai government issued personal identification document, and they just look at it with a puzzled expression and say, "Passport please".

And when they say "Passport please", I give them my Thai driver's licence and everybody is happy.

You are right that the Alien's Book is a part of the bureaucracy from a bygone age. In Taiwan ten years ago, I had an Alien Registration Card (ARC), which was about the size of a credit card. The staying permit (a stamp in the passport) was valid as long as the work permit, regardless of whether I wanted to leave the country in the meantime or not, so no need for a re-entry permit.

[Peabody]

Note: I applied for PR just this past December (2011). Yesterday, I was told to go in on 24 May (next week) for my language interview. I hope things keep rolling along.

[laceman]

Arkady, on 2012-05-09 13:58:03, said:

puyaidon, on 2012-05-08 13:00:48, said:

I had a friend (US) years ago who had a permanent residence visa and after what he went through, he said he would not do it again.  He had to hit the police station every year for their clearance and then to immigration for their stamp.  It boiled down to either 191,400 baht (if single) or 95,700 baht if the spouse of Thai national or 1,900 baht for a retirement visa.  He still had to get a re-entry permit each time he planned on leaving the country.  I am an American also and having listened to him, I will stick to the retirement visa option.  It is a choice of what you want.  $6,000 is not something I like to spend just to apply with a possibility of refusal.  Not a good option.

You don't need to go to the police station every year for "clearance".  You need to go every five years to renew your alien book which is a simple, routine and inexpensive procedure. You need to go to Immigration once a year for an endorsement in your resident's book, if you wish to travel abroad. If not, you don't need to go to Immigration.  That annual endorsement at Immigration is effectively your re-entry permit and there is no need to get it for each trip abroad, unless you choose to pay a one off re-entry fee instead of the one year multi-entry fee.  Even so, you can buy several one off re-entry permits at a time, rather than go to Immigration each time but the multi-entry endorsement is what regular travellers are advised by Immigration to get.

You would not risk paying the full fee and losing it if rejected.  The full fee is only payable on approval.  The non-refundable application fee is Bt 5,000.  Since you are on a retirement visa, you are ineligible to apply for PR which requires a job with work permit and salary tax receipts for three complete calendar years.  So it is good thing you are satisfied with your lot, even though your reasons for not wanting PR status make no sense.

When I applied in the 90s the cost was Bt 2,000 non-refundable and Bt 50,000 on approval and approval or rejection was guaranteed within 12 months.  At the time many expats ridiculed me for going to such a hassle and expense but later had cause to regret not applying themselves when they suddenly lost their jobs and work permits or struggled with the ever changing rules for various types of temporary visa.  Some of them changed their minds belatedly and have been in the logjam waiting for PR for several years.  These things only ever get more difficult in Thailand.

I applied in 2006.  I retired last month after working and paying taxes in Thailand since 1999.  Will my application still be valid even though I am now on a retirement visa..

[brother52]

laceman, on 2012-05-15 20:28:45, said:

I applied in 2006.  I retired last month after working and paying taxes in Thailand since 1999.  Will my application still be valid even though I am now on a retirement visa..

The application is valid until the final decision is made to grant the permit or to deny it. The only thing anyone should do in that case is to go to the permanent residence section and get the 6-month extension of stay under residence application. But perhaps you cut the link with the process and did something else? Anyway you should go to see them.

[Arkady]

Peabody, on 2012-05-15 08:49:26, said:

Note: I applied for PR just this past December (2011). Yesterday, I was told to go in on 24 May (next week) for my language interview. I hope things keep rolling along.

I hope your interview went well.  I heard that a batch of about 40 2011 applicants were interviewed by a panel of quite senior looking civil servants.

Edited by Arkady, 2012-05-25 09:54:55.

[scorecard]

Arkady, on 2012-05-11 12:35:23, said:

camerata, on 2012-05-10 15:47:25, said:

I renewed my Alien's Book today and was in and out of the police station in 10 minutes. No documents required other than the Alien's Book and no copies requested. They didn't seem to care that my passport had changed. I just signed the form, and paid 800 baht for 5 years.

Well, its an curious piece of bureaucracy from a bygone age that nobody seems to care much about it these days.  It used to be an essential document for the police to use in controlling the large Chinese immigrant population who could be stopped and asked to show it at any moment.  Try and use it in a bank or such like to prove your identity today, explaining that it is your Thai government issued personal identification document, and they just look at it with a puzzled expression and say, "Passport please".

Agree, the bottom line is that most government employees, including the police don't even know what the Resdence Certificate (actually a small book) is.

On numerous occasions when pulled over by the police I have shown my 'book', watched the policemans face and it's clear they don't know what it is, and on most occasions they have gone into small panic mode: saluted, clapped their shoes and very politely informed me to proceed with lots of whistle blowing and hand signals to get me back into the traffic flow.

Another example - 2 years back my car registration was up for renewal and I decided to transfer the ownership (the blue book) to my adult Thai son's name.

Son took all the expected documents to the land transport office at chatujuck and had the misfortunate to meet the dragon from hell. She insisted that:

1. My son's Thai ID card was false because it's illegal for Thai people to have a farang surname, he also produced his passport, again she said it was fake, and
2. My Resident Certificate book was a fake because there is no such thing in Thailand.

After several return visits my son was informed that the dragon from hell was off sick, and a couple of other staff very quickly processed the registration transfer with some serious apologies to my son.

Edited by scorecard, 2012-05-25 22:11:05.

[tombkk]

scorecard, on 2012-05-25 22:07:24, said:

Another example - 2 years back my car registration was up for renewal and I decided to transfer the ownership (the blue book) to my adult Thai son's name.

Son took all the expected documents to the land transport office at chatujuck and had the misfortunate to meet the dragon from hell. She insisted that:

1. My son's Thai ID card was false because it's illegal for Thai people to have a farang surname, he also produced his passport, again she said it was fake, and
2. My Resident Certificate book was a fake because there is no such thing in Thailand.

After several return visits my son was informed that the dragon from hell was off sick, and a couple of other staff very quickly processed the registration transfer with some serious apologies to my son.

You should have insisted on talking to their superior rather than having to come again. There used to be a rule that you have to choose a Thai name when you naturalize, but that was changed years ago. She might have mixed that up. The fault was not with the "dragon" but with her superior for not having trained her properly. She thought that what she said was the law, and it is correct that she had to uphold the law.
In one case I had a government officer call to the ministry who then informed her that she was wrong and I was right. This was not at immigration but at another government agency. The problem is that the government officers are not trained and updated properly.