Thai Cabinet approves Permanent Residency certificates for 340,000 waiting individuals in Fang District and beyond

The Thai Cabinet has officially approved a measure to issue Permanent Residency certificates to resolve long-standing personal status issues for hundreds of thousands of people living in Thailand.

According to a report by Prachatai, the resolution was passed by the Anutin government, continuing an initiative started under the previous Srettha administration. The policy sets a strict one-year timeframe to process the backlog of approximately 340,000 individuals who have been waiting for legal status.

The initiative specifically highlights communities in border and highland areas, such as Fang District, where a lack of official documentation has historically restricted movement, employment, and access to state services.

What this means for expats

When Thailand announces changes to "Permanent Residency," it often catches the attention of the foreign community. However, it is important to distinguish this specific humanitarian policy from the standard expatriate immigration system.

If you are a foreign national living in Thailand on a standard visa, this Cabinet resolution does not change your pathway to residency.

Here is what the current resolution entails:

• Target demographic: The policy is aimed at 340,000 stateless individuals and ethnic minorities waiting for legal recognition in Thailand.
• Timeline: Officials have a one-year window to process the pending personal status applications.
• Location focus: The rollout heavily targets specific districts with high populations of undocumented residents, such as Fang District in Chiang Mai.

Standard Permanent Residency (PR) applications for foreign expatriates remain subject to the usual strict quotas—typically capped at 100 individuals per nationality per year—and require a separate application process through the Immigration Bureau.