Confusing Question About Having Children In Thailand

[austallia_1980]

My wife is confusing the hel_l out of me.

Her: When our kids turn 21 they have to choose Australlian or Thai citizenship. They cannot have two passports, the same as Tata Young.

Me: Well, if they choose Australlian Citizenship then how can we pass our land onto them?

Her: They can still own land.

Me: Even if they do not have Thai citizenship anymore?

Her: They are still Thai Citzens

Me: I thought you said they had to choose between Thai and Australlian citizenship at 21?

Her: Yes

Me: Well, if they choose Australlian Citizenship can they still be Thai Citzens as well?

Her: No

Me: So if they choose Australlian Citizenship how can they own land?

Her: They can reapply for Thai citizenship?

Me: Wouldnt they have to then give up Australlian Citizenship?

Her: No

Me: That makes zero sense. If they can be dual citizens after reapplying, why do they have to choose one citizenship at the age of 21 years old?

Can you please settle my confusion.

[sbk]

Is that Australian law requiring them to choose citizenship? Because as far as I am aware, it is not applicable in Thailand. There are quite a few dual citizen members on this forum. Samran for one, he is also Aussie I believe. I suggest you contact him (do a member search in your control panel) to confirm your suspicions.

[Simmo]

Her: When our kids turn 21 they have to choose Australlian or Thai citizenship. They cannot have two passports, the same as Tata Young.

Wrong.. They can have dual passports and be dual citizens and it's been this way for quite awhile. Do a search in the visa forum for previous discussions about it.

[samran]

Yep, as SBK pointed out, I have both, and it has never been a problem keeping them.

Australian law clearly allows it, and so does Thai law at the end of the day.

Many many Thai's are still confused as Thai law used to prohibit dual nationality, but that was prior to 1992. Those who lost it prior to that (like my mum for marrying a foreigner and taking up Aussie citizenship) were effectively allowed to resume it automatically following the ammendment of that law.

Today, essentially, the Thai law gives one the option of applying to renouncing Thai nationaity between ages 20 and 21. And only generally between 20 and 21. Even then, the minister has to approve the renounciation, a process that can take a while.

So what happens if you don't renounce between those ages? Absolutely nothing. And that was more than a decade ago in my case.

[vinny]

See also Thailand’s Nationality Act and AUSTRALIAN CITIZENSHIP ACT 1948, as amended, together with On Dual Citizenship under Australian Law.

[astral]

Remember Thai citizenship means military service, if they are boys.

[samran]

Remember Thai citizenship means military service, if they are boys.

Only if they are registered on the tabieen baan in Thailand, so the Military Draft board know where to find them.

If you off the tabein baan, say, living overseas then it isn't a problem. It is very possible to have your thai nationaity registered at the embassy, a passport issued, but you only have to be put on the tabien baan if you actually come and live in Thailand.

And then after the age of 30, they effetively can't draft you anymore. Well they can, but you'll get automatically released for being too old.

[tom yum goong]

i have dual nationality and the national service thing was something that was always at the back of my mind growing up. I couldn't do the Lor Dor training in high school as I went to boarding school in the UK. They allow you postpone while you are still in full-time education and I managed to postpone it til last year (I was 24).

i went for the draft in the knowledge that my mother had paid some money to make sure i wouldn't get drafted but it was still worrying. Worked out fine in the end though as they already had enough volunteers. This was in Bangkok, but i hear outside of Bangkok the situation is a lot different and there is a good chance of having to do the "lucky dip".

However, by the time your kid(s) grow up they may have abolished national service anyway. They've been talking about it for ages so you never know.

[chuckd]

Just for what it's worth....Tata Young is American due to her father being American, not Australian.

The US will permit and recognize dual citizenship, provided the second nationality is where the child was born.

Unless the State Department has changed their minds recently. If you are Mexican you don't even have to take up US citizenship to get everything. Just wade across the river and start getting the freebies. (Off Topic and mouth now closed!)

[Nawtilus]

i have dual nationality and the national service thing was something that was always at the back of my mind growing up. I couldn't do the Lor Dor training in high school as I went to boarding school in the UK. They allow you postpone while you are still in full-time education and I managed to postpone it til last year (I was 24).

i went for the draft in the knowledge that my mother had paid some money to make sure i wouldn't get drafted but it was still worrying. Worked out fine in the end though as they already had enough volunteers. This was in Bangkok, but i hear outside of Bangkok the situation is a lot different and there is a good chance of having to do the "lucky dip".

However, by the time your kid(s) grow up they may have abolished national service anyway. They've been talking about it for ages so you never know.

Interested to know how much was paid for this, I know it happens as it has been offered to us for when my son is old enough, long way away yet and I thought I heard mention of sums of 50k baht ?? Is this correct do you know and do you get a written receipt and guarantee of full refund if you by chance get drafted after payment even ??

[Guest endure]

I know someone who spent 15 years on the lam and then had their record changed to show they'd done National Service. It cost 25,000bt

[tom yum goong]

Interested to know how much was paid for this, I know it happens as it has been offered to us for when my son is old enough, long way away yet and I thought I heard mention of sums of 50k baht ?? Is this correct do you know and do you get a written receipt and guarantee of full refund if you by chance get drafted after payment even ??

I believe it was 15,000 baht. My mother spent quite some time finding the right person to talk to. And no i don't think she ever got a receipt.

I have heard there you can also get fake draft exemption certificates, so you don't even have to go to the draft. However, reputable Thai companies generally check up on this and won't hire you if have a fake one.

[Nawtilus]

Interesting. Yes I am not really sure if the 50k was related to this or something else, so I could surely have the amount wrong.

I guess it is pointless worrying about it now, my son still has 17 odd years to go before have to think about it. But no way would I let him into play with guns with the monkies they draft in this country.

[samran]

20K from what I have heard in BKK.

[Jockstar]

I asked a question a couple years ago. Is it possible to hold 3 passports? Ok. I'm Scottish(British passport) The wife is Thai. We are moving to Oz in October. So if we have kids born in Oz then technically they can have 3 passports. Or so i have been told. So they in turn will have more options than me when they are older.

[samran]

I asked a question a couple years ago. Is it possible to hold 3 passports? Ok. I'm Scottish(British passport) The wife is Thai. We are moving to Oz in October. So if we have kids born in Oz then technically they can have 3 passports. Or so i have been told. So they in turn will have more options than me when they are older.

If either one of you has permanent residence in Australia, or are an Australian citizen, then, the answer will be yes. My cousin, the lucky B@astard, was born in OZ to a UK born father and a Thai mother (my mums sister) and has three passports. Never have so many passports been wasted on such a plonker...

Note however, if you only have temporary visas, then your child won’t be eligible.

[Jockstar]

I asked a question a couple years ago. Is it possible to hold 3 passports? Ok. I'm Scottish(British passport) The wife is Thai. We are moving to Oz in October. So if we have kids born in Oz then technically they can have 3 passports. Or so i have been told. So they in turn will have more options than me when they are older.

If either one of you has permanent residence in Australia, or are an Australian citizen, then, the answer will be yes. My cousin, the lucky B@astard, was born in OZ to a UK born father and a Thai mother (my mums sister) and has three passports. Never have so many passports been wasted on such a plonker...

Note however, if you only have temporary visas, then your child won’t be eligible.

This is true mate. I have residency for Oz. By the time we have kids i'll hopfully be a citizen.