The Permanent Residence Permit in Thailand is an opportunity that the Thai government offers to only 100 people of each nationality every year. The Interior Minister is responsible for issuing the announcement each year that the quota is open for submission of applications, usually in December.
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A Permanent Resident permit gives the holder many privileges including:
 
- To live permanently in Thailand without having to apply for an extension visa.
- Obtaining a work permit is easier for a permanent resident than for a non-resident.
- To buy a condominium without being required to transfer money from abroad
- To apply for naturalization in accordance with the law concerned
- Have Thai citizen automatically granted to children who are born in Thailand
- Able to be a director of a Thai public company
- Able to apply for an extension of stay or permanent residence for non-Thai family members.
 
The applicant must meet the following qualifications:
 
1. A foreign applicant must hold a passport that bears a Non-Immigrant visa that was granted with only one application submission, and the applicant has been living in the Kingdom for at least 3 consecutive years.
 
2. An applicant must be holding a Non-Immigrant visa at the time of submitting an application.
 
3. The applicant has personal qualifications that fit one of the following categories:
 
     (1) Investment category
 
     (2) Working/Business category
 
(2.1) The applicant must be in a high position such as the president of a committee or a committee of juristic persons registered in Thailand with a capital of at least 10 million Baht, and the applicant has been authorized as a signatory for such juristic persons for at least one year up to the date of application and submission. The applicant must earn at least 50,000 Baht per month for a period of at least 2 consecutive years up to the date of submission (a tax return is also required)
 
(2.2) The business in which employs the applicant must be of an interest to the national economy i.e.
 
1. International commerce where its export value in foreign currency in the past 3 years reached a threshold of 20 million Baht on average. This fact must be certified by a letter issued by a commercial bank concerned or a company that provided loans to a domestic manufacturing company by bringing it into Thailand within the past three years,  with foreign currency of no less than 100 million Baht, or
 
2. A tourism-related business which in the past 3 years has brought into this country at least 5,000 tourists on average. This fact must be certified by a letter issued by the authority concerned or
 
3. Other types of business that the applicant holds shares of at least 5 million baht for a period of 2 years up to the date of application.

 
2.3 In cases where the applicant lacks any qualification as mentioned in 3.2.1 and 3.2.2 then the following requirements are applied.
 
1. The applicant must be a holder of a work permit for at least 3 consecutive years up to the date of application, and
 
2. The applicant must have been working in their current company for at least 1 year, up to the date of application, and
 
3. The applicant must earn at least 80,000 Baht per month for a period of at least 2 years up to the date of application, or have been filing tax return for the amount of annual income of 100,000 baht for at least 2 consecutive years, up to the date of application.
 
     (3) Humanity Reasons category: he/she must have relationship with a Thai citizen or an alien who already holds a residence permit as the followings:
 
3.1 Spouse: To provide patronage or to be under the patronage of a Thai national spouse
 
If the patronage provider works in Thailand:

1) Be a lawful spouse and have registered their marriage for at least 2 years before the date of application. Further, the couple must have a biological child together, or, in the case of infertility, a letter stating infertility issued by a hospital. In the case of infertility without a certification letter, the couple’s marriage registration must have been made at least 5 years before the date of application, and
2) One party or both parties must earn enough to provide patronage or having an income of an average of at least 30,000 Baht per month for 2 consecutive years before the date of application (evidence of tax returns is also required), and
3) There is a Thai national who states that their purpose is to provide patronage or to be under the patronage of the applicant.
 
If the patronage provider is elderly:

1) Up to the date of application, the applicant must be at least 50 years old, and
2) Be a lawful spouse and registered their marriage for at least 2 years before the date of application, and
3) The patronage provider must earn at least 65,000 Baht per month on average for at least 2 consecutive years up to the date of application, and
4) There is a Thai national who states that their purpose is to provide patronage or to be under the patronage of the applicant.
 
3.2 A legal father or mother.
 
3.3 A child who is under 20 years of age up to the application submission date and must be unmarried.
 
(4) Expert category
 
(5) Extra circumstances on a case-by-case basis
 

Submission period for the applications:
 
The Ministry of Interior will announce the annual quota of foreigners to be granted residence permit (normally in December), and the applicant can submit the application until the last working day of the year. The results will normally be announced in May the following year, and the residence permits will be issued in December.

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