I was there last week at 4am for Retirement visa, and was 4th in line, and there was 1 person in the line for Volunteer (which is the next line across from the Retirement line) at that time. Obviously, it will vary day by day

TM30 links to TM6 (arrival form) so that's why they make a bigger fuss about updating if you've left the country, as their system no longer matches up

Tod Daniels if you have permanent residency, then you would have a Thai national ID number issued (starting with 5 if memory serves me right) so you wouldn't have (or need) a yellow book. But PR is pretty rare. I know only 3 guys (two in BKK and one in Phuket) who have PR and all have substantial businesses, speak excellent Thai and been here for some years. One of them I know paid (or had someone pay on his behalf) to facilitate his PR, but apparently, under the junta, it hasn't been neccessary

If you are talking about getting a yellow book, then sure, I wouldn't disagree with that at all (presuming that you have a supportive landlord, who is prepared to jump through any hoops required by the local Amphur office)

Daniel Schwarting Do what? Get a Pink ID card? How would you get your Thai national ID number? The clear understanding is that you would need one already issued (e.g. through yellow book or permanent residency card) BEFORE going to get a Pink ID card, not least as the national ID number is issued from BKK, and not the local Amphur (who issue the Pink ID card).

Once you have the Yellow Book, the Pink ID card takes half an hour to get, although you will need to take a Thai speaker if you aren't fluent as they do query why you need it (possibly as there isn't any actual requirement for Westerners to have one and/or the relative rarity of it) and they ask you some questions (such as religion) which they input into the Thai national database.

The yellow book is meant to be registration for 'long-term' residents, so maybe that's how they have defined long-term residence. I applied for mine having been resident for less than a year, although by the time it was actually issued, I had just over a year's residency. I was on a Non-Immigration ED Visa at the time (3 monthly visa cycle), and wasn't married (although I did have a live-in partner at the time).

You need a Thai ID number (starting with 6 for foreigners) in order to get a Pink ID. The only process that I am aware of (for Westerners at least) that provides that ID is the process for obtaining a yellow book, which is official registration on the Thai system.

Pink ID card....you need a yellow book to get one

You can't get re-entry permit for tourist visa

@Tod ********

?