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THAIJAMES

Member Since 2006-03-03
Offline Last Active 2012-03-10 14:28
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Posts I've Made

In Topic: Could Not Connect With Thai Visa For Two Days.

2011-07-20 07:51:20

View Postdavehowden, on 2011-07-20 07:26:33, said:

I had this problem a bit yesterday (19 july).


I have not been able to access Thaivisa for 3 days

In Topic: Camerata'S Guide To The Permanent Residence Process

2011-06-02 05:57:27

View Posthimachal, on 2011-06-01 20:58:03, said:

Hi
Hoping for a bit of clarification regarding the current state of play for PR applications, please. (Forgive me if the answers I'm looking for are somewhere in this thread and I've been too lazy to go and find them).

First; because of the processing backlog, are applications no longer being accepted, or can I apply at the end of the year?
Second; would I be better off applying at my local one-horse immig. office in Pathum Thani or should I go to Chaeng Wattana?
Third; if my application is accepted, I have to cough up a serious sum of money.... but how much? have heard different figures.

If someoner can help to answer these questions, I'd be most grateful.
Best of luck to all those waiting.

H

At this time they are no longer accepting applications.  The situation might change towards the end of this year if the Interior ministry give immigration a quota of persons allowed to apply.  They did not last year and this is the reason for no new applications.

The only reason to go to Bangkok for your application is if you have difficult or special circumstances.  The cost I am also too lazy to look up but it is around 110K for Married applicants and about 220K for single or those that do not include their spouse as part of the application.

Having said this, you best bet is always to go to the local office and start the process anyways.

In Topic: Cnxwood

2011-05-25 12:47:18

The first phase which is moving exiting animation facilities from Kat SuanKaew is almost complete with all staff to be relocated within a month or two.
Most of the land for the project has been acquired.  BOI has given approval for many of the companies and projects that will be operating there.

But as has been mentioned, the success of the project and the other phases depend a great deal on getting investments.  They have hired a new CEO especially for that purpose.  Plans have already been developed for all phases of the project.

It is happening, it is just a matter of how much investment they will get, and how quickly.  I would say another 5-20 years to realize the full project.

In Topic: Camerata'S Guide To The Permanent Residence Process

2011-04-04 07:24:17

View PostArkady, on 2011-04-02 18:00:35, said:

ThaiJames, Thailand is like disdainful, beautiful woman that can never foresee a day that she will not be so attractive to suitors any more. It views itself as so attractive and unrivalled that it can always attract foreign investors and tourists, however badly it treats them.  I don't think they would be capable of seeing a connection between investment and residence readily attainable for skilled expat workers in the way that, say, Singapore does.  Keeping the protectionist Foreign Business Act which now leaves them uncompetitive compared with China, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam reflects a far more deranged attitude to foreign investors than the unexplained trashing of PR applications.  If they start to suffer from a shortfall in FDI the response will almost certainly be a series of costly but ineffectual round the world roadshows for large groups of dreary, self important bureaucrats and their families travelling first class on Thai Airways. The only beneficiaries would be Harrods, Tiffany, Louis Vuitton and other luxury stores along the way.  One day Burma will awaken from its deep sleep and eat their lunch.

Sounds like my girlfriend.

In Topic: Camerata'S Guide To The Permanent Residence Process

2011-04-02 07:01:21

View PostArkady, on 2011-04-01 21:13:27, said:

View PostMario2008, on 2011-03-30 20:46:58, said:

View Postlaceman, on 2011-03-30 20:32:20, said:

Just the courtesy of an announcement would be nice as government has money from applicants unless of course application fees already gone away under table and another government employee becomes billionaire without ever doing a real days work.

Permanent residency is done completely above the table. The fee is clear and official receipts are being issued.

Perhaps the fact that the process was largely free of graft for the last couple of decades it operated is the reason why it has been allowed to grind to a halt. It is not worth any one's while to make an effort to free up the log jam that has now spanned the tenures of half a dozen different Interior Ministers without any official explanation.  

Compare with processes that are potentially far more hazardous to the Thai public than issuing residencies but are not free from corruption, for example, issuing gun licences. Various powerful politicians, including Sanan and Thaksin have tried to quash completely or severely restrict the rights of Thai citizens to own guns.  These ideas are always fiercely resisted by the police, which on the surface seems strange as one would think they would prefer to be only people in town packing legal guns.  However, the police central licensing department and provincial police forces openly make a substantial under the table income from the issue of gun licences. Applications from parsimonious ordinary citizens lacking in generosity towards the police and without big shot connections languish in a bottom drawer for a few years before being rejected on some technicality.  

The society is so corrupt that graft in dealings with the government is often essential to oil the wheels and keep things moving.  Things would be very different for PR applications, if every applicant had to hand over a brown envelope containing B500k to be shared along the Immigration and Ministry of the Interior food chain.  There would have been plenty of senior bureaucrats willing to go into bat on behalf of foreign residents at the first hint of a moratorium.

I agree with your assessment.  Unlike in other countries where the issue of accountability is enough to ensure action.  There is no incentive for officials involved to go forward with the PR process.  As a result, any group of persons for example existing elite can put pressure to stop the process.

This is only likely to change when the economic situation changes and Thailand desperately needs to attract foreign investors, which is not the case now.

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