We are indexing a question/answer FAQ section as we receive lots of inquiries from Thais living overseas, expats and foreigners wanting to reside in Thailand.

Exporting:

Do you need a license? Yes. Do you need a company? Yes      Do you need a work permit? Yes

What license do I need? An  export license. Cost:10,000 baht

What if I want to export commodities? You need 2 licenses 10,000 baht. To export rice you need to do a special license in Bangkok. 

If using our lawyer how much does it cost? 10,000 baht for a commodity licenses plus transportation to Bangkok 5,000 baht including expenses..

PERMANENT RESIDENCY:

Can we help? Yes.   Costs: Will depend on work but normally includes Transportation to Bangkok & costs.

When does the residency visas come up? November to December.

What is the criteria? You must have resided for 3 years continuously on non immigrant visas with no overstays nor bad record on your passport.

Long term visa for retirees, how much? 10,000 baht.

FOREIGNER MARRYING A THAI:

What must I do? Obtain a Certificate  from your Consulate to certify that you are unmarried or single.

Who does this? You have to personally.

Then what? A translation for certificate from Thai to English,translated and certified by the foreign ministry.

What does my Thai wife/husband need? -Original Thai ID card and house register for the Thai (if the Thai was  married before he/she needs the original Divorce certificate)

Can I register the marriage? Yes. Where do I go? The register office will register the marriage for you if they have all the documents and can register at any registery office.

If a lawyer helps how much does it cost to translate? The price for do the  translation is 2,500 baht.

The price for registering the marriage by us?  5,000 baht 

What if we have to travel from Chiangmai to Bangkok?  Add 5,000 baht transportation & costs.

ID cards: How long does it take for to obtain? 5 minutes

FIANCEE VISA:

Can we help?  You must do the filing yourself as the US consulate will want to interview you and they help you with the paperwork. However we now have a lawyer who will assist you.

Where do I obtain the forms? At any US Consulate

Can I file papers myself? Some things you can; others you cannot. With a finance visa you can file yourself if you wish. eg. You can file your own paperwork for company name, company papers, work permits, visas, buying a motor vehicle etc

How many times can I file? You have one shot at it. If the Thai person leaves you then you cannot redo again.

USING A LAWYER:

Whats the advantage of using a Barrister? A proper lawyer is a professional in his/her areas so they get things done quickly and efficiently & can alleviate any further scrutiny. They are professionals who look after their clients.

I understand there are freelances? Yes in Thailand some law Offices are run by notaries or ex law clerks who use lawyers to stamp their documents. 

Should I use one of these? You can but inevitably you may not receive the special client/lawyer service you want. The other reason is that normally the fees become erratic and they provide little after hour services & backup.

I was offered a cheaper price from a friend? Yes this may be so but you may be scrutinized more closely by say the labour Office eg  If doing your own work permit you will be inspected.

But I was saving 4000 baht by using my friend? You may save today but next year you may find the paperwork wasn't actually done properly.

Then why use a barrister at Law? Because they belong to the Law Society, are registered in their practice and are bound by the law code of ethics as set by the Law Society.

If using a notary or friend am I liable? Yes it is your fault for using a cheap way to action your requirements.

HOUSING REGULATIONS:

How far can one build to my fence & boundary? if using the fence as a wall the owner of the adjoining property must as the other owner & be granted permission.

But the neighbour wanted to build a wall with no windows? Then he must build the wall 500cm from the boundary fence.

What about having windows. What is the distance allowed from the boundary fence? 1-2 floors with windows one must be 2m from the boundary fence.

What if its 3-4 floors high? Then its 3m from the boundary fence.

Why have a title search? To find out who the real owner is of land and property as sometimes the owners are different.

Who undertakes this? We do.

What does this cost? approx 7000 baht but does not include travel costs if we have to travel.

How long does it take for  the transfer on ownership when I buy a house? 60 days approx. 30 days in and 30 days out.

Can I obtain an Onsite Inspection before buying the house to make sure I buying the right property? Yes we conduct an intensive onsite inspection if buying a new or old house. Following inspection you receive an in depth report on our recommendations, maintenance, what we think is good and bad and any likely faults in the near future.

What do I receive? Full print out report on the house from foundations to electrical, plumbing and house structure. Pictures and negatives of faults and visual reports. Our recommendations, 5 page printout.

What does this cost? New house under 2 years old= 2000 baht; over 2years old 4000 baht. Does not include travelling costs.

WORK PERMITS:

How long does it take to obtain? 3-4 weeks if all documents are in order.

What if I live in korat and want to use our service? Cost is 12000 baht plus transportation & costs to Korat. Look at between 15,000- 18,000 baht. It can take approx 1 or 2 trips to secure but the paperwork can be achieved via corrspondance.

Can I obtain a work permit outside Thailand? No you must file at the Labour Office in Thailand.

What visa do I need? You must be the holder of a non immigrant B visa before you apply.

Do I need to be in a company? Yes either a company with 7 shareholders or limited partnership with from 2 upwards.

How long is the work permit valid? If on a non immigrant visa then the work permit is valid from the day of entry into Thailand till the day you must leave. eg. if a multiple visa then every 3 months.

What must I do when the work permit expires? Secure another entry in your passport by leaving the country and on the due date file a renewal form and hand your work permit book into the Labour Office & pay 300 baht fee. You then pick up in 2 days or when they say.

If I am doing NGO work do I need a work permit? Yes you do.

How many work permits can my company have? This depends on the share registration of the company eg. 2m baht = one work permit which then means the company must employ 4 Thai workers. 3,00,001 baht means 2 work permits but the company must employ 8 Thai workers & so on.

Can I obtain a work permit if I have an "O" nonimmigrant visa?  Yes you can use the "O" till it expires and then you must obtain a new "B" Visa.

I need my work permit to show Penang Thai Embassy as need another non immigrant visa? Go to the Labour Office before you leave and fill in a renewal form with reasons why you need your work permit book. Have a copy of your passport and they will give you a receipt when you come back to renew your work permit.

If I take my work permit book to the Labour Office after expiry date? They can either fine you or you may have to do the whole work permit process again.

BUYING A HOUSE:

What is the first step? Look at the house you want then use the services of a [ lawyer ].

What next? The lawyer will conduct a Title search on the property.

Do I ask for a contract? Yes. Also if buying an estate house have your lawyer go over the contract and check to make sure everything is on the contract and check also the house.

Property Sales tax for a condominium? Answer: it is the Tax that the government charges from the seller when they sell the property. Some times the buyer have to pay ,it is depend on the selling agreement.

What is the Stamp duty? Answer:Stamp duty is 0.5 % from the value of the property. (Permanant fee). Note: when there is a property being transferred, the seller or the buyer has to pay -2%   for the the transfering fee .2.5%  for the sales Tax.

Are there any other legal fees associated with the purchase of a condominium? Management fees for front desk, security & or maintenance fee. Make sure you have a title search as many condos are owned by the bank.

As a foreigner cannot have land & house in ones name what to do? Form a Thai company or lease. We can do the paperwork for you---cost 10,000 baht approx.

LEASING LAND & OR HOUSE:

Who can lease land? a foreigner or Thai.

Where do I uplift the forms? At the land department.

Can I amend this form? Yes you can make changes that suit your circumstances

Why lease? A foreigner can buy land/building with a Thai Company but if married to a Thai its sometimes better to lease from your wife or spouse.  You can obtain a 30 year lease.

RETIRED:

I receive approx.$2.000 US in pension and have a 6 year old daughter that would need to go to school,I would need a home and was wondering if we receive enough in pension to be able to live there? Remember International schools charge over 150,000 baht per year then you have clothing, expenses,to look after plus rental, utilities. Again not enough per month to be on a retired visa of either 65,000 baht per month pension or 800,000 baht lump sum ij your account here.

TOURIST VISA:

How many 60 day Tourist visas can a person from the USA obtain in advance from a Thai embassy abroad?
Go to the nearest Thai Embassy. You may obtain a multiple 30 day visa but its entirely up to the Embassy.

I know that the 6o day tourist visa can be extended by 30 days at Thai immigration in Thailand. Can I obtain four multiple Tourist Visas in advance from the embassy and stay in Thailand for one year? No but please ask the Thai  Embassy in your country.
Do I have to cross the Thai border every 3 months? Yes although some lawyers and travel agents will arrange. 
Is there a minimum amount of time I must remain in the bordering country or can I just cross the border and re-enter with a new 60 day Tourist Visa without obtaining a new tourist visa from an American embassy abroad? No minimum time to wait. You can do it in 5 minutes.


I read the Thai website "thaiembdc.org/consular/visa" that there is a temporary one year non-immigration visa available for investors who bring in at least 3 million baht into Thailand and transfer the funds into a Thai bank. Does this visa promotion still exist today?
Yes but you still have to have this money. Its cheaper to start your own company & then obtain a non immigrant B working visa for 1 year?


Also, I read that from about May 1997 to mid July 2000 there existed a special permanent residency for foreign investors through the BOI (Board of Investments) for foreigners to direct invest 10 million baht; also another promotion for permanent residency for foreign investors through immigration bureau (investing 10 million baht into condo, bank deposit,Do both these promotion still exist today?
Yes but you must be here for 3 years with unbroken non immigrant visas.

What are the best or easiest ways to remain in Thailand from year-to-year basis and hopefully attain permanent residency?
Start your own business. Cost with work permit is approx 50,000 baht then you can buy a condo, car etc or anything and have your own work permit and non immigrant B visa. As you are under 55 years this is the best way.

THAIS TRAVELLING ABROAD:

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( Prices quoted include govt fees but please ask us. Changes may occur due to differing Nationalities requirements, client requests, law changes, inclusion of licenses for ones business, baht devaluations & when translating documents into various languages. Please also remember that a lot of the above prices may change . We have tried to outline our basic costs and these may change according to the law & fee updates which are beyond our control. Some costs eg. licenses combined - food, cigs, liquour etc will be a cheaper rate.)