I’m seeking advice or insights from anyone who may have gone through a similar situation.

I’ve been living and working in Thailand for the past 17 years as a university instructor. I’m a U.S. citizen and have held a valid work permit and visa throughout my time here.

Recently, I officially obtained Thai citizenship through my mother, who is Thai by birth. I now have my Thai National ID card and have submitted all necessary documents to my workplace so that my employment records are now under my Thai ID instead of my U.S. passport.

Here’s where I’m unsure:

My current work permit and visa (issued under my U.S. passport) are valid until October 2025. I asked my employer what I need to do about closing or canceling them, and they told me I don’t need to do anything—that I should just let them expire since I’m now legally Thai.

That doesn’t sound quite right to me. I feel like there should be some formal process to close out the old visa and work permit under my foreign passport. I’m worried that “doing nothing” might leave a loose end or even a negative mark in the immigration system, especially if I ever need to re-enter Thailand in the future using my U.S. passport (just hypothetically).

Has anyone here been through this process or have advice on what steps I should take? Any insights would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Is this directive from 2023 still in effect, or is this purely up to the immigration officer at the airport? I called immigration in Thailand today and they informed me they are not sure what this directive is. With the introduction of TDAC I wanted to know how this applies.

Can anyone advise please?

So my wife (Thai) and I have been married for 25 years this year. We've lived in the UK for most of those years, but now looking to retire to Thailand in 2 years when our son finishes uni.

Our son is 19 and holds a British passport. He was born in the UK. Would he be able to move with us and claim Thai citizenship without messing around with visas?

My concern is the whole national service thing. We didn't register him as eligible for national service as we live in the UK and at the time we had no intention of moving back to Thailand. It would be good if my son has the option of moving with us, even if it's only for a year or two.

Would this be an issue? Cheers

My original nationality is Brazilian and I have been living and working in Thailand for 4 years with a valid Work Permit. I am also married to my Thai wife.

I can speak Thai well but I'm still learning to read and write.

I have already bought a house to live in.

I would like to know if I already meet all the requirements to obtain permanent residency in Thailand.

If possible, I would like advice from a specialist agent who could help me with all the documentation and a quote for the amounts to be paid.

I have a roundabout Thai visa question. My Thai wife of 45 years has owned a few houses in Thailand. One in NamPhong and 1 or 2 in Nakon Phanom. But I have never seen an ownership document like a Property Deed - โฉนดที่ดิน. So I was wondering where she could get that document. ( she isn’t very good with paperwork). So if I secure that document, I was thinking of applying for a 1 year non-immigrant visa to visit my wife ( family) in Thailand. We are both in Florida currently, but technically we would fly to Thailand together and then I would be visiting her. I have had 3-4 non-immigrant visas in the past but over 10 years ago. It seems that the TM 30 is more important now than in the past and maybe I could be put on the House Registration that would simplify the TM 30 process. Good idea or some other alternative???

For Returning Thai Nationals – My Immigration Appointment Experience (Inheritance Visa for Adoptees / Thai Descent)

I wanted to share my experience with Thai Immigration for those who, like me, are returning Thai nationals — especially adoptees or individuals born in Thailand. This is for those reclaiming Thai citizenship or status.

If you have a Thai birth certificate and also your civil registry form issued by a district office, you may qualify for what's commonly called an "Inheritance Visa" — an extension that is valid for up to one year and renewable. This is a route available to people of Thai descent who are not yet listed in the Thai national registry (tabien baan) or holding a valid Thai ID but are in the process of reclaiming it.

Here’s a summary of my appointment process and some helpful tips:

Where: Immigration Division 1 – 3rd Floor, IT Square, Bangkok

Why: I booked the appointment online under the category for "Returning Thai National Reclaiming Thai Status"

When: I arrived around 8:00 AM for an early spot in the queue

Link to Online Appointment: [members only]

Documents I brought (and what they required):

TM07 form filled out correctly (I will upload a sample for reference)

Copies of my Airbnb receipt + payment history as proof of residence

Copies of my TM30

Copies of entry stamp

Certified translated name change document with MFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) stamp

Copies of my Adoption Registration in Thai

Copy of my U.S. passport (bio page)

Most importantly:

Original & copies of my Thai birth certificate ( I had a recently issued copy by the district office)

Original & copies of my civil registry form also issued by the District Office.

Tips from my experience:

They are extremely meticulous about document accuracy and completeness. Be sure your translations are official and certified by MFA or else you'll be asked to provide them in both original form and copy form.

Have extra original copies and multiple photocopies on hand — just in case.

Even though my appointment time had technically expired, they acknowledged my Thai status and gave me a priority queue card, allowing me direct entry to the immigration office.

The longest part of the process was the initial queue, which took about 2 hours, but this is necessary for your documents to be verified before the immigration officer can process your extension.

The process is very manageable if you are organized and respectful, and the staff were professional and helpful once my documents were confirmed.

Hope this helps someone going through the same journey! Feel free to message or comment if you have any questions.

Make sure you have cash only on hand to pay the €1,900 baht extension fee.

NOTE: Depending on your reclamation timeline, you have to report your residence information every 90 days, it can be done online on the immigration website.

Im on a DTV now but plan a long term marriage visa soon. Has anyone gone through the process of setting up a business in Thailand? I did my LLC in the States in about 5 minutes I dont think its nearly that easy here. Should I break down and get a lawyer? Recommendations?

My husband and I have retired in Thailand, where he was born and has acquired citizenship. We entered the country on a retirement visa, but are experiencing difficulties in obtaining the necessary paperwork to legally reside in Thailand as his spouse. We possess a valid marriage license and certificate issued in the USA. Should we consider remarrying in Thailand to simplify the process, given our 28 years of marriage?

Hello ☺️🙏 me and my 2 babies (swedish citizen) entered Thailand on 60 days visa exempt. Im getting married to my thai boyfriend (the father) and doing the non o visa and the 1 year extension here in Thailand.

Does anyone here know what happends to my children? Can I somehow include them in my non o visa or they have to do visa runs?

Any help is appriciated ☺️

Hi hopefully you guys can point me in right direction,

Couple of quick questions.

Do I need my Thai ID before I can apply for my Thai passport?

What documents will I need to prove to apply for passport ID ?

My mother is Thai but I was born and live in the UK, we have houses and land in Bangkok and surrounding areas, will this help me at all?

Thanks 🙏