Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing Permanent Residence, we are specifically discussing it in the context of the Thai Pink ID Card. For those who are unaware, Thai Pink ID cards, Thais, Thai Nationals have to get what is called a Thai ID Card. It is a National ID card, it has your face in it, vital stats; it is kind of like the way a driver's license operates in the United States insofar as it is ID. It is your basic ID in Thailand. There is what is called a Pink Card that.can be issued to non-Thai Nationals in most circumstances especially here in Bangkok involving foreigners, especially Western foreigners. We mostly see Pink Cards in the context of those who own condos in Thailand because they are able to get what is called a Yellow Tabian Baan or a Yellow House book which is a house book in which a foreigner can be listed and then oftentimes they will go ahead and get a Pink ID card. 

Now the reason for this video stems from a recent comment I read on our channel, quoting directly: "I often using the Pink Card," (I think it is 'I often use the Pink Card'), "which I got with my Yellow Book as an alternative to my passport either to check in at hotels, get service at the bank and hospitals, that is my social security card, discounts at National Parks and so on. It's just not working/being accepted all the time. It's also needed to apply for PR and Thai nationality." 

So let's cut out a couple of things. Yes it can be very useful. It can sort of be used in lieu of your passport here in Thailand if you are a foreigner so if you get stopped by the Police or if you are dealing with the Government or something, you pull that out, that is going to handle most of it. Although that being said, things like Immigration and stuff, they need to see your passport anyway, so for the most part foreigners end up having to show their passport in most cases but again Banking and stuff not necessarily. Where this comment kind of went off the rails from my mind is the quote from the excerpt. Quote: "It's also needed to apply for PR, Permanent Residence or Thai nationality." Not true at all. We process quite a number of Permanent Resident cases in a given year. It has never been a requirement to present a Pink ID Card. It is one more piece of documentation, it doesn't hurt but no it's not dispositive to the issue of Permanent Residence, you do not have to have a Pink ID Card to get Permanent Residence, nor do you need it to get nationality. I can say that from experience because I had a Pink Card and I am a Thai National, excuse me I have never had a Pink Card, I am a Thai National, I have never had to apply for one. It was never a requirement to have a Pink Card. And it is definitely not a requirement associated with Thai Permanent Residence from my experience as well as my personal observation in this last year where we saw quite a number of PR applications being filed while the window was open in December of 2022. Some of them had a Pink Card but not all of them and I can think of two off the top of my head that didn't have a Pink Card at all. So again, the Thai Pink Card is not a requirement in order to obtain Permanent Residence here in the Kingdom of Thailand.