Hello Few -Farang

[Oldman]

If I were Farang I could have appreciated a grate life time holiday which Thailand is very much offering to most of those who could not have enjoyed the same any where else as here with financial present status.

I get very much surprise not angry with those few who tend to ask very ambiguous questions, raise demands, criticized those who welcome us NICE THAI PEOPLE and also trying to forget their status of being visitors.

[Ian]

When I have described and explained to my Thai friends the hoops us Farangs have to jump throught to stay here, they are amazed and shocked. One Thai friend came with me for my last 90 day clock in, he ended up very angry and could not understand my philosophical attitude, I just said that after a few years you get used to it.
If you have a Farang friend, particularly on a retirement visa, ask if you can go with him when he goes for his annual renewal, don't make any other plans for that day

[villager]

When I have described and explained to my Thai friends the hoops us Farangs have to jump throught to stay here, they are amazed and shocked. One Thai friend came with me for my last 90 day clock in, he ended up very angry and could not understand my philosophical attitude, I just said that after a few years you get used to it.
If you have a Farang friend, particularly on a retirement visa, ask if you can go with him when he goes for his annual renewal, don't make any other plans for that day

Hey Ian, you,ve got to admit it this Noaksy guy is really "on the ball" ain,t he, I also concur with your post too, it would appear these people have a lot to learn , I just hope for their sakes it is not the "hard way" ,LOLOLOL.

[Ian]

When I have described and explained to my Thai friends the hoops us Farangs have to jump throught to stay here, they are amazed and shocked. One Thai friend came with me for my last 90 day clock in, he ended up very angry and could not understand my philosophical attitude, I just said that after a few years you get used to it.
If you have a Farang friend, particularly on a retirement visa, ask if you can go with him when he goes for his annual renewal, don't make any other plans for that day

Hey Ian, you,ve got to admit it this Noaksy guy is really "on the ball" ain,t he, I also concur with your post too, it would appear these people have a lot to learn , I just hope for their sakes it is not the "hard way" ,LOLOLOL.

It seems mr Oldman is a Thai, so unless he adopts my suggestion he cannot learn.

[villager]

Hey Ian, you,ve got to admit it this Noaksy guy is really "on the ball" ain,t he, I also concur with your post too, it would appear these people have a lot to learn , I just hope for their sakes it is not the "hard way" ,LOLOLOL.

Thanks Villager. Grudging praise is better than none at all and I accept it graciously and humbly.

Cheers

Hey Noaksy , there was nothing grudging about my comments on your excellent post I always,s try and give credit were credit is due , your insight on how it really is here in THAILAND breathe,s a breath of fresh air throughout the forum.

[bkpforummod]

"Thai residency". Takes three years of subsequent work permits and 1 year work visas along with a 200,000 THB fee (last time I checked), but a secratary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommended I do it. This year I will. Gets you a five year mutiple entry visa, OPEN work permit and the right to reside; (still gotta do all the 90 day check-ins)...

No other rights, no right to own property, no citizenship prospects, BUT your 'open work permit' sets you in the field of a Thai - you can apply and compete against them for jobs that usually are only advertised as 'Only Thais can apply'. Because you have an open ability to work here. So roll out the BBQ cart - you're in business!

You gotta renew every 5 years, and as you might have guessed another 200k BHT is involved. But considering that even that as a legally employed farang here for 1 year on a work permit costs about 12,000 THB for visa (multiple entry)/work permit at the end of the day, 60,000 vs. 200,000 might be acceptable, IF you have the right to reside, unemployed, and seek employment openly, while being on a five year visa. Employers would love you too by the way, all they need to do is hire you and send the equivilant of an email to the Labor Department. BONUS for them! And you will outstreatch your Thai comptetition, unless they are seeing Thai spreakers...

You need to speak a modicum of Thai, mid-level, to get through the test. They do not require reading/writem Thai. Test is English - at least as far as the written bits. For the writen bit it is mostly history, and I implore you - do not add opinion; come back to this forum for that. Talk straight, simple: "This is what happened". Study back to the days of the first family...

As for the oral interview/test, they are not to hardcore, but they will test you on numbers, politness, knowledge of Thailand, locations, 'the Family' - especially in terms of names and dates, history. Proper pronuciation and applicable moniker designations when speaking about them in Thai language ('Nong', '\\ ////'. 'Khun', 'Pra', 'Jao fai chai', 'Ta wai bung kuomg')...

Might seem hard, but I have only been here for 7 years an consider my Thai to be \\////, but the secretary at MOFA told me after speaking with me in mostly Thai after a half hour about the above aforementention that I should apply, as I would 'easily qualify'...

BTW - If you fail - that 200K application fee is non-refundable. But did you expect anthing less?

[sulasno]

didn't they make you sing the national song as well ?

[villager]

Thanks again. Sorry for my cynicism but I can't help it and I have a good excuse. According to legend, when I was born I was so handsome that the doctor in charge of my delivery felt extremely jealous. So jealous, in fact, that he ordered one of his staff to poison me. He told him to use arsenic. Newspaper reports quoted him as saying, "Inject a good dose of arsenic in him." Fortunately for me the staff member was deaf in one ear and dyslexic, so instead of injecting me with arsenic, he injected me in the ar.se with a good dose of cynicism, and this has made me the man I am today.

Hi Noaksy, been coming here since 89 and lived full time since Nov 03 over that period i,ve personally seen and heard of some REAL heartache,s and grief with farang /Thai partnership,s and I came to the conclusion years ago that the difference between a cynic and a realist is roughly the thickness of a cigarette paper!!.

[Oldman]

By Blood Im not Farang and not Thai as well - By Love Im more to Thai then Farang. Well to all those friend who think I’m Thai Am not and I have to spend many hours and a lot of transit time to get here in Thailand – I love them – I don’t mind doing that since it is the best place I can consider in the world. Hi to all those who are complaining about Immigration process have you forgotten about your side of the world how this process works. Lets Thais deal with their own Land and if coming here to start another settlements, this people are more intelligent then you think, you can spend your holidays and go back home happily without thinking of taking part of it with you either here or back home. Lets the sun shine and as it is Golden every body is happy then ever. I love them. Dear friends Farang stop worrying Thai are kind people and will always welcome you as a visitors knowing that you will one day go back home and let other Farang like you visit this amazing Land.

[alex1]

For a residence permit there is also a quota - a maximum of 100 persons from each country per year.

If you want to work, you still need to obtain a work permit. I don't expect that to be free. So all you are saving is the cost of five annual visas (5 x 1,900 single entry = 9,500B; 5 x 3,800 multi-entry = 19,000B) but you're paying up to 199,000B for residency. And you still need to get a re-entry permit if you leave the country and want to come back (cost 1000 baht).

An alien with permanent residency status will be eligible to apply for Thai citizenship after 5 consecutive years under this classification. They must be of the age of majority, be of good character, be gainfully employed, have continuously lived in Thailand for not less than FIVE years and have knowledge of the Thai language. The applicant must complete an application form and submit various required documents to the Criminal Investigation Division Group I, Subdivision 3, Police Department, R.ama I Road, Bangkok. The official fee is Baht 5,000. The processing takes 2 to 3 years. (http://www.thaivisa.com/301.0.html)

How long will it all take? 10 to 11 years minimum (3 years plus 5 years plus 2 to 3 years), if you pass all the criteria (language test, criminal background check etc,), provide copies of even more documents, can afford all the various fees, and are lucky enough to be one of the quota of 100 from your country. Not so difficult after all. Bring on the hoops of fire.

I still wonder, how to get 5 consecutive years if you need to leave the country at least once a year, to get a new visa?
In this country to apply for something and pay the fee you can do, but to get what we want is another cup of coffee.