Thai Permanent Residency

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Permanent Residency in Thailand – Key Advantages

  • You can live permanently in Thailand with PR status, which does not expire and is only revoked in rare cases.
  • No need to apply for visas, extend your stay annually, submit 90-day reports, TM 30, or fulfill other visa-related duties. Actions like changing jobs or retiring won’t cause headaches due to visa status changes.
  • It’s easier to get a work permit.
  • You can become a director of a Thai public company.
  • You can register for useful Thai documents, like the Blue House Book (Tabieen Baan).
  • You don’t need to bring funds from abroad to buy a condo in Thailand.
  • At border crossings, you can use automated passport control for Thai citizens.
  • You can apply for stay extensions for family members; they can also get PR status.
  • You can apply for Thai citizenship after living in PR status for five years.

General Requirements for Permanent Residency in Thailand

Applications for permanent residency are processed by the Royal Thai Immigration Commission with an annual quota of 100 people per country, typically from October to December. Applicants must:

  1. Hold a Thai non-immigrant visa for at least three years before applying.
  2. Have a valid non-immigrant visa at the time of application.
  3. Fit into one of these categories:
  • Investment (investing 3-10 million baht in Thailand).
  • Work/Business.
  • Family Support or Humanitarian Reasons (be a husband or wife; father or mother of a Thai citizen or a foreigner with PR status; or a guardian of a Thai child under 20 years of age).
  • Experts/Scientists.
  • Other categories as determined by the Immigration Bureau.

The required documents vary based on the application category.

Obtaining PR Status in Thailand Through Employment

Obtaining PR status in Thailand through employment typically involves working and paying taxes in Thailand. Requirements include:

  1. Employment Duration: Applicants must work in Thailand for at least three consecutive years prior to applying, holding a work permit and a non-immigrant visa during this period.
  2. Current Employer: Must be employed with the current employer for at least one year before applying.
  3. Income: For at least two consecutive years before applying, the salary should be a minimum of 80,000 baht per month, or a monthly income of 100,000 baht as per tax returns. For applicants married to a Thai citizen, the monthly income requirement is 30,000 baht, and they can apply after two years.

Fees: Application fee is 7,600 baht. Upon approval, a fee ranging from 95,700 to 191,400 baht is charged depending on the type of permanent residency granted.

For official information on permanent residency status, visit the Immigration Bureau website.

Have questions about Thai PR?  Email me or use the form below.

Photo by Pervez Robin on Unsplash

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