Ratchada Law Firm

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 consecutive years on a 1-year visa extension basis up to the application submission date.

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

1) Investment category (minimum 3 – 10 Million Baht investment in Thailand)

2) Working/ Business category

Earn monthly income not less than 30,000 Baht (for those who married Thai for five years)
Earn monthly income not less than 80,000 Baht (for those who are single)
Have been filing tax return for the amount of annual income of Baht 100,000 for at least 2 consecutive years.

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 as the followings:

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

A permanent resident has the privileges as following:

1. Able to buy a condominium in Thailand without being required to transfer money from bank account abroad;
2. Can apply for naturalization citizenship in accordance with the law concerned.
3. Children born in The Kingdom will be granted Thai nationality.
4. Can be a director of a public company in Thailand.
5. Able to apply for an extension of stay or permanent residence for non-Thai family members.

How to Apply for Thai Residency?

First step 

will assist you to prepare all documents required, we suggest you to prepare those documents 1-4 months prior to the open date for submit the application which is normally once a year in December. Basically once the date is announced, the applications can be submitted until the last working day of the year.

Second step 

Once the application date is announced Tila will submit your application along with all documents required to the Thai Immigration Bureau. The result of the application will normally be announced in May and the residence permits will be issued in December. Thai residency permit will never expire, except it has been revoked. However, if you plan to leave the country, you need to apply for re-entry permit. After you live in Thailand for FIVE consecutive years with permanent residence permit, you will be eligible for applying for Thai citizenship. After your application has been approved then a residence blue book is issued to the foreigner. The foreign resident must register the place of residence in Thailand at the local district office and obtain a house card. 7 days after receipt of the residence certificate you then apply for an alien book (red book) at the local police station.