Answered5 years ago
What are the benefits of having a yellow house book and a pink ID card in Thailand?
What is the yellow house book and pink ID card, what are the advantages of having them?
Answer summary
The yellow house book serves as proof of address for foreigners in Thailand and may be required for various administrative tasks like renewing driving licenses and passports. The pink ID card acts as a general identification, allowing foreigners to engage in activities without carrying their passport, such as checking into hotels and accessing health services. While some users express doubts about their usefulness, many note that these documents provide significant advantages, including convenience in travel, participation in community events, and access to local healthcare.
48 repliesnewest first
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Colin ********
OPresidency cost about 200K and only about 100 applicants a year are excepted, the process takes about 18 months and you have to take a Thai language test etc.
Andy **********
None
David ********
Can i convert my blue book to a yellow book?
Colin ********
OPSo technically, if I lease the land our home is built on from my wife I could get a blue book also?
Frédéric ******************
@Colin *******
Every house has a blue book. One house number = one book. Then if Thai nationals decide to live officially in that house, their names will be written in the blue book. If foreigners decide to live in that house, they will put their names on a yellow copy of the blue book.David ********
@Colin *******
the lawyer handed it to me when we made the final payment. Colin ********
OP@David *******
cheersDavid ********
@Colin *******
the cobtract covered the house the contents and the leaseColin ********
OP@David *******
on the land lease?Colin ********
OPYes, so you lease the land the house is built on? But I thought you needed to own the land for the blue book?
Edward ******
@David *******
LOL get blue first 🤪David ********
@Edward *****
i have a blue book for long time when i bought house. David ********
@Colin *******
i bought the house on land which i lease ie part of a development. Is that clearerDavid ********
@Jp ******
my name is not in the blue book
Jp *******
@David *******
is your name in the blue book or just an empty one ?Colin ********
OP@David *******
foreigners cannot own land therefore you cannot buy a house and if your company bought it that has to have a Thai partner with 51% shares, so how can you? Or do you mean your wife?
Simon *******
Blue book is for Thai nationals, the yellow one for foreigeners. More Thai discrimination TBH
Frédéric ******************
@David *******
No need to convert it. When you ask the authorities to put your name as a resident in the blue book, they will automatically give you a yellow one, the blue one is reserved for Thai national names only.
Luka *****
@Frédéric ****************
i beg to differ... my name is in the blue book, the land i have built on is leased from a thai national but i am the owner of the building i paid for, and will get compensation for it if the person i lease from refuses to renew the lease.Frédéric ******************
@Luka ****
Your name is at the end of the blue book as owner of the house. But you are not listed in the book as living in that house (with ID number, birth date, nationality and parent names). If you want to be a householder, they will give you a yellow book.David ********
@Frédéric ****************
thank you. Can i become a resident on retirement visa? Or even a non O?David ********
@Frédéric ****************
thanks for your help. I think i understand. Frédéric ******************
@David *******
Any long term visa.Just to clarify, by "resident" they mean you'll be a resident/inhabitant of the district/town. This won't give you permanent residency in Thailand.
Bob **********
You'll get to stay in a field hospital if you get Covid 😎😎😎
Andy ********
Yellow book is proof of address, I have used this for renewal of driving licence and when I renewed my British Passport.
Pink ID is used for general ID meaning no need to carry passport or copy of it. It can be used to check into hotels. I use mine for entry to National Parks and attractions. My success rate of getting the Thai price when accompanied by a smile is about 8 out of 10.
I recently booked my COVID-19 vaccination online with it.
Personally I definitely think it is worth the hastle to get it. If you are regularly changing address it probably isn't.
Pink ID is used for general ID meaning no need to carry passport or copy of it. It can be used to check into hotels. I use mine for entry to National Parks and attractions. My success rate of getting the Thai price when accompanied by a smile is about 8 out of 10.
I recently booked my COVID-19 vaccination online with it.
Personally I definitely think it is worth the hastle to get it. If you are regularly changing address it probably isn't.
Dan **********
New times .. not useful anymore
Joseph *********
Worthless 😏
Robert *******
I will ask
@Sebastian **************
’s he has the number 1 card I have only lived at the address on the card for 5 years I got the card when they were first issued Date on card *****
Frédéric ******************
Oh and you can participate to villager's meetings and give your voice or suggest improvements in village matters.
Frédéric ******************
It was useful to get a COE last summer when they allowed only residents getting into Thailand.
It is useful to report your address at the immigration without bothering any Thai householder to come with you.
It is useful to travel back to your place in case of province lockdown.
Etc, etc.
It is useful to report your address at the immigration without bothering any Thai householder to come with you.
It is useful to travel back to your place in case of province lockdown.
Etc, etc.
Ekkehard *******
Robert *******
@Joseph ********
Do you have them? If not how would you know!Joseph *********
@Robert ******
had them 10 years , worthless 😏 how is your experience or don’t you have them 
Michael ********
@Robert ******
Maybe Korat Phuket has been issuing for quite a whileRobert *******
@Michael *******
this only states the law that made pink cards legal dose not stay when they started issuing them Robert *******
Also pink card has only been available for about the last 5 years I have number 5 in korat so you have not had them for 10 years
Robert *******
@Joseph ********
House book 17 years very useful (home address etc) pink card 5 years ( I D, get a lot of Thai benefits (hospital was able to get covid shot appointment,etc)
Alan *********
Yellow House book proof of your address but last time I made a driving licence it wasn't proof ! So I had to go to immigration show them my yellow book pay them 500 thb for a paper to prove my address.. you getting the picture .
Ekkehard *******
@Alan ********
In Buri Ram DLT, my yellow housebook was also accepted for my driving licence extension (as was the case several times before).Alan *********
@Ekkehard ******
I have used yellow book many times also, but April this year they told me it wasn't accepted. Andy ********
@Alan ********
like so much in Thailand this is dependent on where you are. In Cha Am the DLT accepted my yellow book without question. Alan *********
@Andy *******
all ways have in Bkk until April 
Canice ******
Register at govt hospital, driving license...
Steve *******
@Canice *****
You can do both of those without a yellow housebook and pink ID card.Canice ******
@Steve ******
some hospital doesn't know how to read or type in English. Especially when you stay in North East :) that why having pink card is an advantage on that.. as all is in Thai words Canice ******
Police checkpoint stop
Tony *********
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