In order to be eligible to apply for a residence permit, a foreign national must:
1.1 is in possession of a passport bearing the nationality of his or her present residence, has been issued a NON-IMMIGRANT VISA, and has been authorized to remain in the Kingdom of Thailand under the terms of a one-year visa extension for a total of at least three years prior to the application submission date.
1.2 possesses personal qualities that fall on one of the following headings:
(1) investment class
(2) Category: Work and Business
(3) Humanity Reasons Category: He or she must be related to a Thai national or an immigrant with a valid residency visa in the following ways:
(1) Investment Category
(2) Working/Business category
(3) Humanity Reasons category: he/she must have a relationship with a Thai citizen or an alien who already possessed a residence permit as the following: 1) A legal husband or wife. 2) A legal father or mother. 3) A child who is under 20 years of age up to the application submission date and must be single.
(4) Expert category
(5) Extra circumstances on a case by case basis (For more information please access to https://www.immigration.go.th – Applying for a resident’s visa in Thailand).
2. Submission period- For the applications the Ministry of Interior will announce the annual quota of foreigners to be granted residence permit and such announcement will be published in the Government Gazette.
Application can then be submitted until the last working day of the year. Detailed information about the date and documents required for each category can be obtained at Sub-Division 1, Immigration Division 1, The Government Complex Commemorating His Majesty The King’s 80th Birthday Anniversary, 5 th December, B.E. 2550 (2007), Building B, 2 Floor, Counter D, 1 2 0 Moo 3, Chaengwattana Road, Thungsonghong Sub-District, Laksi District, Bangkok 10210 Telephone 0 2141 7867, 0 2141 9899 or at Provincial immigration offices, or https://www.immigration.go.th – Applying for a resident’s visa in Thailand Applicants must submit the applications in person and bring all documents required, for each category, together with all of their passports.
3. Procedures after the applications are accepted
3.1 The immigration officers will grant the applicants for 180 days extension of stay on the date of application submission first and the next extension will be granted for 180 days until the results of the applications come out from The Immigration Commission.
3.2 The applicants and those who get involved with the applications will get an appointment card to come for an interview with the immigration officers. The interview includes the test of the understanding of Thai language: speaking and listening (the applicants must come for the interview on the date of appointment; otherwise, without an appropriate reason, it will be automatically taken into the consideration that they cancel the applications.)
3.3 The applicants who are 14 years of age up to the application submission date must be checked their criminal records as the followings:
(1) Their fingerprint sheets are sent to the Criminal Records Division for the criminal record’s check in Thailand.
(2) Their passports are checked by the black list system whether they are considered as “prohibited persons” according to the Immigration Bureau.
(3) They are to be checked whether they are wanted by a foreign warrant of arrest by the Foreign Affairs Division.
4. Applications Consideration- 4.1 The applications will be submitted for the consideration by The Immigration Commission which consists of the representatives from The Ministry of Interior, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand, The Royal Thai Police Headquarters, The Ministry of Labour, Office of the Attorney General, The Board of Investment of Thailand, The Secretariat of the National Security Council, The Tourism Authority of Thailand, and The Immigration Bureau with the final approval by The Prime Minister and The Minister of Interior.
4.2 To grant approval for the residence permit application, The Immigration Commission will take into its consideration the applicants’ qualifications in terms of income, assets, knowledge, professional expertise, relationship with a Thai citizen, national security, personality, health, the understanding of Thai language, and other appropriate conditions due to current economic and social surroundings, and government policy.
4.3 Timing for the consideration process varies each year, depending on the policy of The Immigration Commission and The Ministry of Interior.
5. Fees- A non-refundable fee for each application is 7,600 baht. (whether permission is granted or not. Application fee is not refundable.) 5.2 If the application is approved, the fee for the residence permit is 191,400 baht. However, the residence permit fee for spouses and children (under 20 years of age) of aliens who already had the residence permit or Thai citizens is 95,700 baht. Remarks : Documents which are in foreign language must be officially certified by the applicant’s national embassy located in Thailand, translated into Thai (e.g. name, telephone number), that can be verified later, must also be provided. And certified by the Official of Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand. WARNING: Submission of false documents or the provision of false statements are criminal offences.
