Arun Mai

Nothing new, alas. My application was submitted (paid the 5,000 baht fee) in October 2021. I had my NIA interview in March 2022 and my file was sent to MOI in July 2022. Since then nothing. I am prepared for the long-haul. As I have PR already it doesn't make a lot of difference to me at this point in time so I'll just wait. One day I expect to receive notification out of the blue, just as with PR.

rsska..... I think this post from Arkady resolves the mystery. I think you only submit what you have from the list. In my case I have a Thai driving licence whereas I don't have a pink ID card.

Yes, I think that is very likely also.

My docs went to MOI on 1st July 2022. Maybe we're on the same list?

It seems the link doesn't work well. When I click it it takes me to the post shown in the image file. With respect to the driving licence, I don't recall the specifics, but what I can say is that it certainly wasn't one of the essential documents for my application. Good luck at the Embassy with your documents.

You say 'driver's license (Arun Mai reports being asked for this here - I only have an American license)'. I must confess, I don't recall remarking about being required to present my driving licence, which isn't to say that I didn't or that I wasn't. Unfortunately the link doesn't pinpoint the post to which you are referring. If you can pinpoint the post, I'd be happy to comment.

But will that always be the case? During covid, restrictions were imposed on retirees such that many effectively couldn't leave Thailand without jeopardising their rights in Thailand principally because many were unable to obtain health insurance coverage of sufficient value.

I have read with interest the various comments made by naturalised Thais of the injustices they have faced notwithstanding their changed legal status as Thai nationals. My application is still winding its way through the system and it is unlikely to reach a conclusions for at least a year or more. I have been a permanent resident for over 6 years. One of the frustrations of being a permanent resident is that the status seems to be viewed more as a favour than an entitlement; one is accorded no special rights as a permanent resident other than the 'right of abode'. Owning land is still restricted as is the right to work, etc., etc. More to the point, Thais in general have been led to expect that all foreigners in Thailand need to have some sort of a visa. During the pandemic when the country was essentially closed to international travel, I did not renew my Non-Quota Immigrant Visa, of course - why would I, unless I wanted to travel? One time when I checked into a hotel in the south the staff took a long time to search every blank page of my previously unused passport looking for a visa, to no avail needless to say. The major benefit that comes of being a permanent resident is that it deprives the immigration department of discretionary powers as to whether or not to renew your visa annually, as far as I can see. It is also preparatory for applying for citizenship unless one is married to a Thai. I think when one is going to contemplate the injustices that naturalised Thais face living in Thailand it is important to also consider the manifold benefits that come of being granted Thai nationality. It may, therefore, be of value for me to recount one of my most recent frustrations as a Thai PR. I have been looking at interest rates on bank deposits. Most commercial banks in Thailand have 'high' interest accounts to attract and retain customers. As far as I can see, almost all banks have some such offering. Siam Commerical Bank's offering is available to foreigners also, although the high interest rate is only available on the first one million baht. I have enquired of about three or four other banks that similarly offer higher interest rate accounts. They all restrict such accounts only to Thais and upon enquiry they explicitly exclude PRs too, although not naturalised Thais. We can all probably think of occasions when 'foreigners' have been discriminated against in the various countries of our formative years and it would be naive to imagine that discrimination doesn't show up everywhere in some form. It is a very human condition after all. So, in summary, it seems to me that the benefits of naturalising as Thai far out way any 'minor' frustrations that may come along with it.

Actually, my renounciation letter dated 2-Nov-21 issued by the British Embassy was written in English. The SB case officer asked us to provide a Thai translation, which we prepared internally (at our office), which was perfectly acceptable to SB - no special treatment with notaries or anything else. The same is true of the certified true copy of my passport.

Do bother trying to deliver the letters to the British Embassy, they're not interested in them. Just apply for: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/notarial-and-documentary-services-guide-for-thailand#supporting-letter-for-thai-nationality-application And also apply for a certified true copy of your passport from the embassy too.

Just a quick update. I had my NIA interview this morning, so it's still fresh in memory. The lady intervieing me was charming, as Thais are culturally predisosed towards being in my experience. Nothing difficult about the interview. The standard sort of questions about family, work, interests, why I would like to become Thai, how long I've been here, what brought me here originally. She also asked me about my views on covid, how many vaccinations I have received and whether I had side-effects. She was also interested in whether I indended to change my name if I am granted citizenship. She was curious, on a personal note she said, to know the rules and whether or not it is obligorty to change one's name upon successfully being granted Thai nationality. I informed her that it is no longer obligatory to do so. All the sort of questions one might expect perhaps. The interview lasted about 45 minutes and was conducted exclusively in Thai and on a LineApp video call. I installed the Line App on my computer so I could sit comfortably during the interview. The lady conducting it informed me that after this my file goes back to the SB.

She is indeed at the NIA. So I am now just awaiting the interview appointment. Presumably there is a second interview at MOI much later in the process, is that so?

That's a good question, thank you for asking it. No, I am not sure that she isn't from the NIA. I shall ask my PA to call her in a day or two to check that the documents already submitted are all in order and to ask her which office she's from.

????

Thank you for your input too. Alas, I'm not famous, hopefully not infamous either, but certainly not famous, so I guess I'll just have to wait. I think my NIA interview should be more or less within 3 months of submitting the remaining outstanding documents which was some weeks after my interview and finger printing (which was done twice). Thanks for the insights regarding the delays between the NIA interview and the file going to the MOI.