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A pink ID card is an identity card for people who are not Thai nationals. The district registration office issues it to people whose names are entered in a house register — for a foreigner on a temporary stay, that is usually the yellow house book, Tor Ror 13. A tax ID is a different document: it is a number the Revenue Department issues to anyone who needs to file a Thai tax return but has no Thai civil registration number; you apply for it on form L.P. 10.1. You do not need a pink ID card to file a return.
In short
- Two different offices issue these documents: the district registration office for the pink card, the Revenue Department for the tax ID.
- The pink card comes after the house-book entry, not before it — so the house book is the first step, not the card itself.
- The card costs THB 60 and, as Thai lawyers report, is valid for ten years.
- If you have no civil registration number, you apply for a tax ID within 60 days of first earning assessable income in Thailand.
- Neither document gives you a visa, a right to stay, a work permit or any right over land.
What the pink ID card is
The pink ID card (บัตรประจำตัวคนซึ่งไม่มีสัญชาติไทย) identifies a person who is not a Thai national. The district registration office issues it once your name is entered in a house register for the address where you live.
This is where the confusion usually starts. Some expats assume the card is only for people with a Thai spouse, a Thai surname, or long-term family ties. It is not: nothing in the rule ties the card to a Thai marriage or a Thai-sounding name. What matters is the house-book entry, plus a 13-digit civil registration number and whatever supporting documents your district office asks for. For a foreigner on a temporary stay, the entry is usually made in the yellow house book, Tor Ror 13, which is the route that leads to the card.
Our lawyers can help you work out which document applies to your situation.
The yellow house book comes first
Before you can apply for a pink card, your name needs to be entered in a house book. For a foreigner on a temporary stay, that is usually the yellow house book, Tor Ror 13, and it requires the consent of the property owner where you live, under the Department of Provincial Administration's guide on registering a foreigner on a temporary stay. Without that consent, the registration office will not make the entry.
Document requirements differ from one district office to another, so there is no single checklist that works everywhere. We suggest asking your own district office in Phuket for its current list before your first visit — it saves a second trip.
If you are still working out where to live and which documents to prepare in your first weeks on the island, our guide on moving to Phuket covers the sequence most newcomers go through, from the visa to housing.
Getting a pink ID at the district office
The order is: the house-book entry first — usually the yellow book, Tor Ror 13, for someone on a temporary stay — then the application for the card itself, normally at the same district office. The fee is THB 60, as the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) states, and the card is valid for ten years, as Thai lawyers report. We found no official figure for how long the card itself takes to process, so we do not quote one.
Alongside ordinary applications, Thai police and the Interior Ministry have been checking irregular registrations of foreigners in house books. That enforcement is aimed at irregular entries, not at people applying through the normal process.
The tax ID: where and why
A tax ID (TIN) is a separate 13-digit number, and the Revenue Department issues it — not the district registration office. If you already hold a 13-digit Thai civil registration number, that same number works as your tax ID; there is nothing extra to apply for.
Foreigners who have no civil registration number apply on form L.P. 10.1 at any Area Revenue Office, within 60 days of first earning assessable income in Thailand. Holding a tax ID does not, by itself, make you a tax resident: residency is a separate question, decided by the 180-day rule for the calendar year under section 41 of the Revenue Code.
This last point matters for retirees and remote workers who file a Thai return for the first time. A tax ID gets you a filing number; it says nothing about whether your days in Thailand have crossed the 180-day threshold for the year, or about how a pension or remitted income is taxed once they have. For the documents and deadlines a PND 90 or PND 91 return actually needs, see Thai tax return filing support.
For retirees and remote workers filing a Thai return
Tax residency is decided by one rule: spending an aggregate of 180 days or more in Thailand during a calendar year (Revenue Code, section 41). A pink card plays no part in that test and is not required to file a PND 90. A tax ID is a separate matter: if you have no Thai civil registration number and you earn assessable income in Thailand, apply for a tax ID on form L.P. 10.1 within 60 days of first earning that income — do not wait until you reach 180 days, since the two deadlines run on different clocks.
The pink card is a household and identity document tied to where you live; the tax ID is a filing number tied to income and the 60-day deadline above. It is worth untangling the two before your first filing season rather than during it.
What each document does and doesn't do
Here is how the two documents differ side by side.
| Document | Who issues it | Condition to get it | What it is for | What it does not give you |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pink ID card | District registration office | A house-book entry, usually the yellow Tor Ror 13 | Identity document for everyday use | A visa, a right to stay, a work permit, permanent residence, or land rights |
| Tax ID (TIN) | Revenue Department | A 13-digit civil registration number — or form L.P. 10.1 within 60 days of first assessable income | Filing a tax return (PND 90/91) | Proof of tax residency on its own |
The pink card changes nothing about visa extensions, 90-day reports or TM30 notifications: it is an identity document, not a basis for staying in the country. If you already hold, or are working toward, a Thai driving licence, the same point applies there too — household documents like the pink card do not substitute for the separate rules that cover a Thai driving licence.
What is still unclear. We found no official list of which visa categories a district office will accept for a house-book entry and a pink card. We found no official guidance confirming whether a DTV or visa-exempt stay qualifies. Ask the district registration office responsible for your address before applying.
What to do next
If you need a tax ID, or you are filing a Thai return for the first time, our team can explain what to bring to the Area Revenue Office and help prepare your PND 90 or PND 91. We answer within 24 hours, and we agree the cost with you before we start any work.
If your question is really about the yellow house book and the pink card, tell us your situation. We will tell you which document you actually need and what Phuket district offices typically ask for.
