Yellow House Books

[AlexO]

All I can say is speaking from my 17 years with Udonthani Immigration Office I have always had the Yellow Book and a copy of the Yellow attached to my application for extension of the retirement Visa not once have seen any of the official remove the copy of the Yellow Book from the application they always look at it, hand the book itself along with the Passport back to me leaving the copy attached to the application.

And do you pay extra for the contemptuous glare??

[papafarang]

I guess nong khai province is not udon thani province then ? Whenever I need to use my passport I always use the yellow book too . but that's udon , can't say about nong khai as I don't live there. It also depends on what visa .the 12 month multiple entry visa from Laos is impossible to get without a yellow book.

So what visa would that be then ?They have never given a imm o 12month multi entry in Laos since the 12 years i have lived here , with or without a yellow book . will only give 90 days
I tried a few times even printing out where its say on MFA website that you can get a 12 month multi at any consul outside thailand and showed it to them . She said they say i can but she says i cannot so i spent about 4 years geting 90 with 60 day extension in udon then back to laos for another 90 days so would would be interested to find out what visa i can get for 12 month multi entry in case i have problems again

12 month multi entry non 'o' from savahnaket . I was on them until the covid thing so changed to retirement for obvious reasons. The real odd thing is they would not give me a 3 month non 'o' , had to take 12 months , if I wanted just 3 months I have to go to Vientiane ,and there you can only get a 3 month.

[noosard]

So what visa would that be then ?They have never given a imm o 12month multi entry in Laos since the 12 years i have lived here , with or without a yellow book . will only give 90 days
I tried a few times even printing out where its say on MFA website that you can get a 12 month multi at any consul outside thailand and showed it to them . She said they say i can but she says i cannot so i spent about 4 years geting 90 with 60 day extension in udon then back to laos for another 90 days so would would be interested to find out what visa i can get for 12 month multi entry in case i have problems again
[/quote]

12 month multi entry non 'o' from savahnaket . I was on them until the covid thing so changed to retirement for obvious reasons. The real odd thing is they would not give me a 3 month non 'o' , had to take 12 months , if I wanted just 3 months I have to go to Vientiane ,and there you can only get a 3 month.
[/quote]

12 months non O visa multiple reentry from Savannakhet Laos based on marriage was the easy one to get till covid
Same as HCMC where Hanoi wont give 12 months

[papafarang]

So what visa would that be then ?They have never given a imm o 12month multi entry in Laos since the 12 years i have lived here , with or without a yellow book . will only give 90 days
I tried a few times even printing out where its say on MFA website that you can get a 12 month multi at any consul outside thailand and showed it to them . She said they say i can but she says i cannot so i spent about 4 years geting 90 with 60 day extension in udon then back to laos for another 90 days so would would be interested to find out what visa i can get for 12 month multi entry in case i have problems again

12 month multi entry non 'o' from savahnaket . I was on them until the covid thing so changed to retirement for obvious reasons. The real odd thing is they would not give me a 3 month non 'o' , had to take 12 months , if I wanted just 3 months I have to go to Vientiane ,and there you can only get a 3 month.
[/quote]

12 months non O visa multiple reentry from Savannakhet Laos based on marriage was the easy one to get till covid
Same as HCMC where Hanoi wont give 12 months
[/quote]

Same thing when I first started the retirement visa , still wanted to see a yellow book

[Niggly]

None of this will work in Nong Khai you know.
Or is that just a generalisation & could be distilled down to anywhere that Giggles visits.

Aah paradise

[Whistler]

The final chapter in my mini saga ended today.

The new manager informed my headman when he signed the witness papers last week, I should be prepared to 'take care' when picking up the document. This was confirmed when I arrived this morning with a firm request for 1,000 bhat, no receipt issued.

I was told it would not be possible to get a pink card until 4:00pm. After lunch, a trip to Macro and other fill-ins, I got back there about 3:15pm and was told I had to wait. The staff at the counter mostly chatted and played with their phones until a few minutes past 4, when they started processing pink cards for the five farangs who had queued. By 4:20 I was able to pick up my pink card and head home. I was number one in the queue.

Apparently OT at the Amphur kicks in at 4:00pm

[Niggly]

^ congrats

Perseverance paid off

It’s worth having if only to launch another tirade from Giggle about how little value it gives for continued life in paradise

[bigsnake]

All I can say is speaking from my 17 years with Udonthani Immigration Office I have always had the Yellow Book and a copy of the Yellow attached to my application for extension of the retirement Visa not once have seen any of the official remove the copy of the Yellow Book from the application they always look at it, hand the book itself along with the Passport back to me leaving the copy attached to the application.

And do you pay extra for the contemptuous glare??

NOPE, not yet. about 15 years ago shortly after I got the Yellow Book I had an official ask me to draw a map to my place other then that it seems to be just another part the application.

[ajarnudon]

For 11 years I rented a house in Udon which was owned by a prominent Udon business person, and I held a Yellow Book for 10 of those years. There was never any involvement of my then live-in girlfriend (now my wife), and I cannot see why a housebook etc from a girlfriend's parents would not suffice if there was a signed lease in your name. She is not involved - it is purely a transaction between the the tenant and property owner. Moreover, I did not need to have any paperwork from my home country (not the UK) whatsoever. I have always been on a longterm visa, and my experience has been similar to Arjay's. There was not a lot involved - I think a copy of the 12 month lease, certified copies of his blue house book and ID card and a letter from Udon Immigration confirming the residential address (who charged a fee). It was a once-only exercise and, as said earlier, I held that yellow book for 10 years.
It certainly smoothed several processes including DLs and ownership of my pickup and three different MCs over the years. I have opened accounts with a few different banks over the years, but have never been asked for proof of residence - a longterm visa (with the attendant requirement for 90 reports of residency) was the prime requirement. In more recent times I have built a house on land that my wife and I bought (and of course the Chanote is in her name) and we moved into it about 18 months ago. She did the paperwork and received her blue book shortly after. Some time later we went to the District Town Hall to apply for mine, but had forgotten about the letter from Immigration. Went down to Udon, paid the 500 baht fee and came away with said letter. Next day we fronted up at the Ban Phue Town Hall to be confronted with locked doors and signs saying that it was shut because of Covid. And so it was for several months. When they did reopen, I had to go back to Udon Immigaration as the letter was only valid for 90 days (residential reporting). Happy to say that Immigration gave me a new letter and graciously waived the fee. I now have a yellow book for the "house that Jack built".

[Giggle]

I've lived here permanently since April 2006. I never needed a yellow book but was implored to get one by the Oracle and other fonts of all knowledge Thailand. In 2011 I got one after months of to-ing and fro-ing. My life hasn't changed. Not one jot. For 10 years my coveted and highly prized yellow book has remained in a lock box, unused with the single exception of when I bought a truck several years ago. I could have easily bought the tuck without a yellow book.

It's an unnecessary pain in the ass perpetuated by those who have one, and continually fantasize that it's some kind of golden ticket or a pass into Thailand's First Class Lounge. They're delusional. It serves no purpose other than to demonstrate what massive idiots some farang are.

[Potamoi]

I got a yellow book in 2011 after my neighbour recommended doing so. I can't say that it was an absolute necessity but I thought it may help show long term residence and intent if perhaps one day I wanted to apply for a permanent residence status.

We understood that we needed the local mauban chieftain to sign off on the application. He came ‘round for tea and after some extended small talk asked for 1000 baht for his help. The wife politely told him to bugger off and got her sister, a Nong Khai gov employee, to accompany us to apply. Apart from that little hitch and needing some dates and places from my parents’ history it was very easy to do.

I find it useful for just a few things:

1. Substitute for Immigration proof of address letter for a driving license
2. Udon Immigration first 90 day (after which, finally, they can be done online)
   Nong Khai Immigration does not care about the yellow book for me since they like to think I live at my Nong Khai office address
3. Proving my home address when showing my face for my Thai Social Security
   (This may have been done without it but I gave the SS lady my driver’s license and yellow book, she used the yellow book to copy and be a part of the back pay application earlier this year)
4. It’s a precursor to getting a Pink Card which also has little use but again dead easy to get

Many people like using a Pink Card for airline and hotel check in instead of carrying around their passport but I always found a Thai driving license works just as well and leave me passport in the home safe.

[nutosf]

Last month, I went through the process of getting a yellow book in Nam Som. Other than a few TIT moments, really not any problems. Be sure to get checklist from the local officers for which documents & witnesses they require. Not having the info caused needless back and forth visits to the office for me.

[sgt]

Can a farang get yellow book if he lives alone, no Thai partner? I was given that reason for refusal by the office.

[sometimewoodworker]

Can a farang get yellow book if he lives alone, no Thai partner? I was given that reason for refusal by the office.

Yes you can. However different offices can refuse to issue one, in that case your only recourse is to wait until the officers rotate out, usually the top person. Having an influential Thai with you can change the answer.

[Wee Jimmy]

Was always under the impression that when renewing the Thai 5 year driving license that having a yellow book l didn't need a letter from immigration. Was also told this by the driving school office on the Nong Khai Rd where l went yesterday for the paperwork and the usual reaction and eyesight test.
Then off to Phen for the license to find out l had to go all the way back to Udon immigration for 2 letters.
As l see it these office don't know what the other office wants.
I also have never found the yellow book nor the Thai id card to have any advantages during the time I've had them.

[sometimewoodworker]

Was always under the impression that when renewing the Thai 5 year driving license that having a yellow book l didn't need a letter from immigration. Was also told this by the driving school office on the Nong Khai Rd where l went yesterday for the paperwork and the usual reaction and eyesight test.
Then off to Phen for the license to find out l had to go all the way back to Udon immigration for 2 letters.
As l see it these office don't know what the other office wants.
I also have never found the yellow book nor the Thai id card to have any advantages during the time I've had them.

It is dependant on the particular office you go to as to what they will accept.

For example the main DLT office in Non Sung will accept photocopies of all documents for the second license, I don’t know if they accept the yellow book.

The DLT office in Nong Nan will accept photocopies of all documents for the second license and the yellow book and pink card, so I will never need to change my license because my passport number has changed because my diving licenses have my pink card number.

You can choose which office you go to to renew your license, there are 3 or 4 closer offices than Nong Nan to me however I chose that office as it is known to be not unfriendly to foreigners (you will need a translator with you)

TIT YMMV

[Potamoi]

Was always under the impression that when renewing the Thai 5 year driving license that having a yellow book l didn't need a letter from immigration.
...
I also have never found the yellow book nor the Thai id card to have any advantages during the time I've had them.

Strange but not surprising, I suppose. I have never had to show an IMM letter at the DL place on KK road nor my new favourite place in Nong Han. Yellow book always worked and last time they put my Pink ID number on my DL instead of my passport (which would not have been my preference) so in 5 years time I may not show the Pink Card unless asked.

[tamada]

Was always under the impression that when renewing the Thai 5 year driving license that having a yellow book l didn't need a letter from immigration. Was also told this by the driving school office on the Nong Khai Rd where l went yesterday for the paperwork and the usual reaction and eyesight test.
Then off to Phen for the license to find out l had to go all the way back to Udon immigration for 2 letters.
As l see it these office don't know what the other office wants.
I also have never found the yellow book nor the Thai id card to have any advantages during the time I've had them.

I was unaware that you could do "the paperwork and the usual reaction and eyesight test" at anywhere other than the office issuing/renewing the Thai DL.

[Wee Jimmy]

Apparently if I'd had the yellow book number on the old license instead of my passport number it would have been ok.

[wazza]

They do feel threatened with even basic changes and no.one wants to accept responsibility