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Thailand is a sought-after destination in Southeast Asia. The country offers an affordable and high standard of living. Its attractions include spectacular ancient ruins, scuba-diving sites, tropical islands, an exciting nightlife, palaces, Buddhist temples, and several UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
If you have lived in Thailand for a considerable number of years, you can apply for Thailand Permanent Residency, provided that you have been living there with one of the eligible visa types.
This article will detail the Thailand Permanent Residence Permit: the benefits, who is eligible, how to apply for one, as well as the requirements.
With its rich cultural history, affordable yet exceptionally high standard of living, and favorable tax regime, Thailand is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for travelers and professionals, even as a second home destination.
Thailand’s exclusive residence program gives foreign nationals the right to live in the country for up to 20 years. The Thailand Elite Residence Program is the first program of its kind worldwide, offering unlimited access to the jewel of Southeast Asia, as well as a range of complimentary VIP privileges.
The residence permit (privilege entry visa) is issued by the Thailand Privilege Card Company Limited (TPC) — a wholly owned subsidiary of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, under the Ministry of Tourism and Sport. The ‘Land of Smiles’, as the country is often referred to due to the friendly disposition of its citizens, has become one of the most sought-after destinations in Southeast Asia, with an increasing number of wealthy families and retired individuals seeking to take advantage of its temperate climate, spectacular landscape, and outstanding leisure facilities.
All applications for Thai Permanent Residency are processed by the Royal Thai Immigration Commission. The annual quota for granting permanent residency in Thailand is a maximum of 100 persons per country. The application period for Thai PR usually from October to the end of December of every year.
In order to apply to become a Thai Permanent Resident, you must meet the following criteria:
You should note that the list of required documents for the application depends on the category under which the application is made.
Once your application for Thai Permanent Residency is approved, a residence blue book is issued to you. You must then register your place of residence in Thailand at the local Amphur and obtain a house card. A week after the receipt of your residence certificate you can then apply for an alien book (red book) at the local police station, which is the equivalent of the Thai national ID card. You must re-register there every year.
The Residency Permit itself never expires unless revoked. To be able to leave the country and return to Thailand, however, requires you to apply for a re-entry permit (endorsement).
You can file an application to become a Thai naturalized citizen after holding Permanent Resident status in Thailand for 10 consecutive years.
If you get Permanent Resident status in Thailand, you can enjoy the following benefits:
In order to be eligible to receive a Thailand Permanent Residence Permit, you must fulfill one of the following criteria:
However, in addition to that, everyone who applies for a Permanent Residence Permit in Thailand cannot be over the allotted number of permits per country. The Thai government only issues 100 Permanent Residence Permits per country every year.
When you apply for Permanent Residency in Thailand, you must have several documents which support your application. The documents differ depending on the type of visa you held at the time of making the application. However, these roughly include:
The Residence Certificate in Thailand is issued to any foreigner who is living in Thailand, permanently or temporarily. It is a document that confirms the legal status of your residence in Thailand and states your current address in Thailand.
You need this document for several reasons, such as obtaining/renewing a driver’s license, setting up a bank account in Thailand, or buying a vehicle.
The residence permit (privilege entry visa) obtained through the TPC does not lead to permanent resident status or citizenship because it is not classified as a non-immigrant visa.
In order to apply to become a Thai permanent resident, applicants must have had a Thai non-immigrant visa for at least three years prior to the submission of the application and must have three consecutive yearly extensions in order to qualify. The applicant must also be a holder of a non-immigrant visa at the time of submitting the permanent residence application.
An application for citizenship can be filed to become a Thai naturalized citizen after holding permanent resident status in Thailand for 10 consecutive years. Thailand does not recognize dual citizenship, but there are exceptions.
There are thousands of foreign nationals in Thailand who, like you, once had a dream of living and working in Thailand, or somewhere else in Asia, but didn’t have a clue what they would do.
There are always teaching opportunities available in Thailand.
Bear in mind that you can always earn extra money on the side teaching privately, and by getting weekend spots at language schools.
Language schools are also worth contacting regarding full-time work. Staff turnover is above average at language schools, so popping in and leaving your resume for future reference is a good idea.
Language schools tend to provide an environment more conducive to teaching, too. Most teachers teaching in state-run schools will tell you that given the limited resources and ability to influence the curriculum, making progress with the kids is often hindered.
There are a number of agencies that service the web and mobile industries and employ foreign nationals in a variety of positions.
While the local marketplace has an abundance of talent in this area, many companies have western clients and deal with multinationals in Thailand, so it makes good business sense to have some western employees to work on certain projects that require high-level communication skills and at times higher-level skillsets that be difficult to recruit locally.
This is good news for those wanting to live abroad and have more autonomy over their working lives.
You can work in Thailand, or any other country and, as long as you have a stable Internet connection, you can travel freely. Whether a hotel room, an airport, or by the pool, as long as you fulfil your work duties you can live life on your terms.
Many progressive companies see the value in hiring remote workers – because they tend to make for happier, more productive workers – and have set up their employment eco-system around this concept.
I’ve lost count of the number of estate agents who have contacted me over the years wanting a feature on the blog, so I know there are many foreign nationals working in this space. And believe it or not, many years ago I had a meeting about a potential job at CBRE.
Once you’re PADI qualified (The Professional Association of Diving Instructors), you could join a diving school and teach on one of the popular diving spots like Koh Tao, Phi-Phi Island or Krabi.
This is a genuine career pathway that can lead you to live in many countries around the world.
Instructors earn around 30- 40k per month, which is about the same as a teacher. However, pay will increase the more senior you become. And who knows, you may end up starting your own school one day.
If you aren’t currently qualified, you can take lessons and train to become an instructor.
Whether copywriting for sales pages and websites or writing articles for online magazines, there’s a wide range of writing jobs out there.
If you’re traveling around and need some extra money for your trip, then why not share your experiences and get paid as a travel writer?
Of course, you need to be adept at penning magazine-worthy articles, and you’ll need to submit work on spec to get your name out there.
But if you’re good enough, you could well land a few writing jobs with travel websites, in-flight magazines and Thai newspaper supplements and end up carving out a career for yourself.
This is also work you can do at any time, from anywhere. You can pause your gig and work when you want to, giving you the freedom to travel and wake up when you want!
If you have a talent that people are prepared to hire you for, this is a great way to earn money remotely.
Some popular gig ideas are:
If you’ve got solid managerial experience, put a resume together and put yourself out there by sending it off to relevant companies.
If you’re currently working a job in your home country, perhaps the company you work for has a branch in Thailand and you can negotiate a transfer?
Occasionally, job openings come up with foreign embassies and the United Nations.
Of course, you will apply for jobs at your respective embassy (your home country).
These openings have very specific requirements and the application process can be laborious, but it’s worth it. The benefits in terms of pension, healthcare and privilege can be a real sweetener for what is usually a tough job.
You will need to check the relevant websites regularly to keep abreast of openings.
If you’ve got social/aid development qualifications then there may be openings with NGOs, GOs and other aid projects.
These positions are usually term-funded, meaning they run for a term of say 1-2 years until the position is renewed, or not, as the case may be.
My cousin and her husband used to be based in Bangkok for their jobs on behalf of the US government, in health and biology, respectively. They had great salaries and a beautiful downtown apartment as part of their package.
At the lower end of the scale, a movie extra can make about the same as an expat teacher (state school), and at the higher end of cameo appearances and modeling, earnings can soar past 100k a month.
Extra work starts at approximately 1,500 Baht per day. Cameo appearances range from 5-20k, and modeling work can fetch anything from 5-150k per job.
The downside is that is inconsistent. You’ll need to go to lots of castings that will often lead to nothing, and there can be lots of waiting around on set.
Quite often you’ll see a foreigner running a bar or restaurant in Thailand, particularly on islands like Samui and Phuket and in downtown Bangkok.
These jobs are usually handed to relocating friends/ family of the owner, but if you’ve got good experience then it’s worth going in and having a chat with the owner to let them know.
A bar or restaurant will often employ a foreign national as a manager and justify this to the labour department due to needing someone with a specific level of language skill, experience or culinary expertise.
There’s plenty of room for entrepreneurship in Thailand and it’s a great place to inspire ideas and begin developing a business.
The great thing about starting a business in Thailand is that you’re able to keep living costs low while you set up business.
According to Thai law, foreigners can work in the country but factors such as the national security, as well as the need of alien labor for the development of the country is being considered. Thai nationals are still to be given priority.
Under the Alien Employment Act, the following occupations are closed to foreigners and is reserved for Thai nationals only:
Thailand is considered as a preferable option for Work because of its friendly people and welcoming culture. If you plan to work in Thailand, the most important step will be applying for a Work Visa. Here are all the essential details one needs to know to receive their Thailand visa.
A foreign national planning to work in Thailand will need to obtain a Non-Immigrant Category B visa before entering Thailand. If the applicant is accompanied by any family member (i.e. spouse or children) they will be required to obtain a Non-Immigrant O visa.
Before applying for a Thailand work visa, you must prepare the following documents:
A foreigner entering Thailand on a Non-Immigrant visa will be allowed to stay in the country for a maximum period of 90 days. Within the 90 days stay period the applicant must apply the Work Permit and visa extension.
G-Axis offers reliable visa services for all countries. Our team of experienced Visa experts will guide you through the process step-by-step, from verifying your documents to the submission of your visa documents to the Thai Embassy. We also have a dedicated call center to answer all your queries regarding your Thailand work visa application.
