{"id":4284,"date":"2022-11-24T08:57:39","date_gmt":"2022-11-24T01:57:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thailand-real-review.com\/en\/?p=4284"},"modified":"2024-10-10T10:30:43","modified_gmt":"2024-10-10T03:30:43","slug":"pros-and-cons-of-thai-permanent-residency-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thailand-real-review.com\/en\/4284.html","title":{"rendered":"Comprehensive Guide: Advantages and Disadvantages of Obtaining Permanent Residency in Thailand"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Hello, everyone I am Chifumi Maeda, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

a Japanese female president living in Bangkok.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Thank you, guys, for visiting this <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTrue comments from Japanese female presidents living in Thailand\u201d blog<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

I would like to talk about merits and demerits of obtaining Thai permanent residency rights<\/span> today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve applied for permanent residency in 2011 and was granted with the right in July 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Even people who have been living in Thailand for a long time<\/p>\n\n\n\n

do not necessarily have permanent residency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Some people say, <\/p>\n\n\n

\"\"<\/div>
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I don’t need permanent residency, it is useless.<\/p>\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

but on the other hand there are people who say<\/p>\n\n\n

\"\"<\/div>
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I’m glad I got permanent residency, you should get one too.<\/p>\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

I am glad that I actually obtained permanent residence in Thailand, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

and when if my friend ask me if they should or not, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would advise them that if they meet the requirements, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

they should aim for permanent residence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

In my case, I run my own company, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

but as long as I work and live in Thailand, I am a foreigner here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A work permit (Non-Immigrant B: commonly known as a business visa) is required, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

as well as a work permit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The conditions for renewing work permits are getting stricter and stricter every year, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

and they may change depending on the government policy <\/p>\n\n\n\n

and therefore I wanted to reduce the risk as much as possible and thus aimed to acquire it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Let me then talk about the merit and demerit of having the status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pros and Cons of Getting Thai Permanent Residency<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pros of Getting Thai Permanent Residency<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ease of Obtaining and Renewing Work Permits<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

First of all, if you are a company owner or a person who works for a company, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

you will need to obtain a Non-Immigrant B (commonly known as a business visa), <\/p>\n\n\n\n

and then apply for a work permit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A visa is just a permit to stay, and if you want to work, you need a work permit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is same even when you have a permanent residency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Normally, the conditions for obtaining a work permit are; <\/p>\n\n\n\n

to employ one foreigner, the company must have capital of at least 2 million baht, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

and employ 4 Thais.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Able to teach skills and techniques to Thai people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company has not been in the red for the past 3 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

These are the conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Permanent Residency rights holders are exempt from this requirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The status holder is counted as Thai nationals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the standpoint of a person running a company, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I feel that the biggest merit is that I no longer have to worry about my visa <\/p>\n\n\n\n

and that it has become easier to renew my work permit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Simplified Visa Renewal Process<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The immigration office is always packed with people renewing their tourist visa, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

business visa, spouse visa, and etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a lot of documents, and it is very common that it takes a whole day for visa renewal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there are many people, it is often the next day…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people use visa agents, but of course it costs money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Renewal of a permanent residency visa (Non-Quota Immigrant Visa) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

has no waiting time (because there is no one), <\/p>\n\n\n\n

and it takes only about an hour from application to receipt of renewal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Definitely easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Access to Thai National Lanes during Immigration<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Thai airports are always crowded, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

and you have to line up in long lines when you enter or leave the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Permanent residents can use the lane for Thai nationals, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

so they can pass in 5 minutes without lining up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is stress free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

No Remittance Proof Required for Real Estate Purchase<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Proof of remittance from foreign countries is not required <\/p>\n\n\n\n

when purchasing real estate (condominium) in Thailand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In some cases, you can also have a loan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Exemption from 90-day Immigration Bureau Reporting<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Foreigners residing in Thailand are obliged to report their place of residence every 90 days, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

but since the rights holders are permanent residents, this procedure is not necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 90-day report can be submitted via the Internet, by mail, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

or by going to the immigration office but the internet is often go out of service, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

and mail may not be delivered to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end, people often ends up going to the immigration office, which also takes time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Using an agent will cost money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s a waste of time and money, and it’s not good for your mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

I think it was good that I obtained the status <\/p>\n\n\n\n

because I can live in Thailand with peace of mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s now look at some demerits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cons of Getting Thai Permanent Residency<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

High Costs of Processing Permanent Residency<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Many people who have not obtained permanent residency say that the fees are expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fees seem to be a bottleneck when considering \u201ccost-effectiveness\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

For business application, the fee is 191,400 baht.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For spouse application, the fee is 95,700 baht.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If they do not see the benefits of spending that kind of money,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

they don’t seem to think about getting it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Restrictions on Land Ownership<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In principle, Thailand does not allow foreigners to own land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Land ownership by “companies” approved by the Thailand Board of Investment <\/p>\n\n\n\n

and “companies” located in the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand <\/p>\n\n\n\n

is permitted to own land but in principle, l<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and ownership by foreign individuals is not permitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Partially permitted if for residential use)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Even if you obtained permanent residency, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

you cannot buy land because you are still a foreigner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is possible to purchase a condominium room, but there is a limit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

51% or more in one building must be owned by Thai nationals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n
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\"ICON
ICON SIAM and Oriental residence<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Requirement of Work Permit for Employment<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Acquiring permanent residence does not change the fact that you are a foreigner, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

so you will need to obtain a work permit, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

although the acquisition requirements will be relaxed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

If you do not have a work permit, you will be considered as working illegally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having said that, as I\u2019ve mentioned in the merit part, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

it is easy to obtain and easy to renew the work permit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n
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\"Thailand
Thai Work Permit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Complex Application Procedures<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve also wrote in \u201cHow to apply Thai permanent residency\u201d, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

the application time is only once a year, and the acceptance period is specified. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it takes a lot of time to prepare the documents.<\/p>\n\n\n

\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\u3042\u308f\u305b\u3066\u8aad\u307f\u305f\u3044<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHow to apply Thai permanent residency<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tI\u2019d like to share with you how I\u2019ve acquired permanent residency in Thailand that submitted the application in 2011 and granted with the right in 2015. …<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Documents in foreign languages must be translated into Thai,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and the translation must be certified by the diplomatic mission in Thailand, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

and then certified by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This process is quite troublesome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

It seems that there are many people who are frustrated <\/p>\n\n\n\n

by the type and preparation of documents and call a quit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

If you are working in a company, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

the cooperation of the company is absolutely necessary for the procedure and, without a Thai helper, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think it would be a high hurdle to apply for everything by yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

In the case of a spouse application, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

the documents cannot be completed without the cooperation of the spouse (husband in my case) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

and the cooperation of the spouse’s company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

In addition, in my case, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I often had to ask family members living in Japan or contractors (administrative scriveners, judicial scriveners) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

to obtain a copy of the family register, etc., <\/p>\n\n\n\n

and it takes quite some time and money to apply is not cheap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

However in my case, I think I\u2019ve made a good decision <\/p>\n\n\n\n

to obtain the status considering all the demerits there are. <\/p>\n\n\n