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Quick update... I ended up ordering the 1100 lumen version from Shopee (shipped from Hong Kong). Turns out the lamps I'd ordered from IKEA have a 13 watt maximum. I hadn't even checked their wattage rating because I'd assumed it would be more than adequate to handle the low wattage output of LED bulbs. So, I was wrong there and will definitely explicitly check this in the future. The 1600 lumen Hue bulbs have a maximum output of 13.5 watts. While this difference seems tiny and like it should be insignificant, after reading several threads on Reddit and Quora I decided better safe than sorry and went with the lower wattage bulb that will operate within the specified max of the lamps. Thanks to all for the tips!

My husband and I went to Special Branch today. There is a specific office dedicated to women applying through their husbands. We were delighted to meet the very helpful Police Senior Sergeant Major that had advised us by phone briefly last year. We received the application forms (one for my husband and one for me) that we'll need to fill out as well as the witness forms. I had looked for them online but had never been able to find them. Some of the answers are pre-filled on my application form. For instance, in response to a question regarding income, property and securities, it is pre-filled to say that my occupation is housewife and I will be financially dependent on my husband. In response to a question regarding membership in any organization, association or club, it is pre-filled that I am not a member of any. And in response to questions about having ever declared bankruptcy, ever received insignias, or ever required criminal punishment it is pre-filled that I never have. A few takeaways from our experience thus far (subject to change as the process unfolds): • The senior sergeant major indicated that if my husband had been previously married and divorced they would want records of it, but that he doesn't think there will be any interest in the foreign wife of a Thai man having had a prior marriage and divorce to a non-Thai. Still, I'm prepared with my divorce decree and intend to have a related affidavit notarized at my embassy. I'll likely have an affidavit related to my "intention to denounce" my American citizenship notarized at the same time so I'll be prepared with both and can minimize trips to the Embassy since their online scheduling process is a source of frustration for me. • The senior sergeant major requested that my husband file a PND 90 for 2022 and get the official tax receipt so that we can include it with our application. My husband claimed 40,000 THB per month in self-employment income for 2021 and we'll do the same for 2022. The senior sergeant major is aware that my husband actually works remotely for an American company, and that we're filing Thai taxes specifically to create the necessary paper trail for my citizenship application. I believe my husband offered to further substantiate/document his income but the officer indicated the tax receipt is all he wants/needs. • We asked about my ability to travel outside of Thailand during the process (I want to be prepared in case I need to visit my parents urgently). We were advised that I should remain in Bangkok for about 4 months after submitting the application so that I am available for a home visit and other interviews. After that traveling might be ok, and after the first year traveling should be ok. My husband was very excited after our visit to Special Branch. He feels reassured that they want us to succeed with our application, and that we do have everything in order that we should need for the process.

Thank you! I've used the Google Translate website extensively and didn't realize the native app has more advanced capabilities. I installed it today and I've used this feature already to transcribe hardcopy documents into an editable format.

I'm definitely still here! The transfer of the condo that my father-in-law owned to my husband has been completed. We'll be going to visit my in-laws this weekend to collect the paperwork and update our Tabien Baans to Bangkok so that I can file my application with Special Branch. I was a little surprised that I needed to sign some of the documents related to the condo transfer. To be honest, I'm unsure what I signed. I imagine it has something to do with how marital property works in Thailand, but since this was a gift between father and son and I have no investment at stake, I didn't ask too many questions. Perhaps someone here can enlighten me though? What is the recommended way to package all the documents when submitting the application?

My husband (Thai born but living abroad for the last ~20 years) and I recently moved to Thailand. He works for an American company so we are up during the night and sleep during the day. Because of this, I want to get some Philips Hue products to help support our sleep-wake cycle. According to the Philips Hue website, E27 color bulbs with an input voltage of 220-240 and a max lumen output of 1600 are available in Australia and the UK (and possibly elsewhere). However, the max output listed for an E27 color 220-240v bulb in Thailand is 1100 lumens, and I'm unable to find a retailer that actually sells them. The max output I can find for purchase is 800 lumens. I'm wondering if the reason for this is a simple lack of demand? Or are there regulations of some sort limiting the maximum lumen output per bulb? If it's a simple lack of demand and it's permissible for me to import them for personal use, any ideas how I could get a product from Amazon Australia into Thailand if the Amazon seller doesn't ship directly to Thailand? Thanks! Edit: Looks like I could use AUSFF or a similar forwarding service.

Ok, yes, as an American I was assuming that higher education would be more expensive for non-Thais than Thais. It's true that Americans who attend state schools outside their own state of residency are charged higher tuition, but there can also be many mitigating factors to lower these costs including need-based grants, merit-based scholarships, etc. I'm not an expert on the matter (speaking from personal experience and mere suspicion), but I believe many of these cost-savings are unavailable to non-American students. Thanks to all for helping clarify.

I’m reading about intensive Thai language programs and of course have come across Chula’s. Now I’m wondering, how does acquisition of citizenship impact one’s ability to enroll in higher education programs and their associated costs?

Excellent, I will do this. Fortunately, we've already done this for 2021 based on the advice we received from the Special Branch officer last year. We'll continue filing yearly now. The final piece for us is moving our Tabien Baan from Phitsanulok to Krung Thep, which we hope to accomplish next week. Then we'll submit the application! Thank you very much for your detailed, informative reply. Much appreciated!

My husband is Thai, but has been living in the US for the last 20+ years. About a year ago, he bought a truck here in Thailand when we were just visiting (with his father as a co-signer due to my husband's source of income being foreign). The associated vehicle loan is the only item currently on his Thai credit report. I'm wondering if he can qualify for a Thai credit card? Is foreign income ever accepted for the proof of income qualification?

Any updates on how new applicants should apply for citizenship? The Special Branch instructions for applying through a Thai husband are still up on their website. I'm unable to read the text embedded in the image right now on the BORA subdomain of the DOPA site, but it also seems the same as it was last year. The list of links for all application types is here. My husband and I just returned to Thailand after six months in the U.S., and will be ready for me to apply very soon (just need to move our Tabien Baan from Phitsanulok to Bangkok, which we're happy to do even if strictly unnecessary since we are actually living in Bangkok now). I'll have my husband reach out to the officer at the Special Branch that we spoke with in April 2022 later today, and will report back if we learn anything pertinent.

Some other complexities related to our case... advice welcome. Taxes My husband works remotely full time for an American company. We did just file a Thai personal income tax return PND 90 on which he cited ฿480,000 of freelance income for 2021. Basically, he voluntarily paid tax that he didn't actually owe (we were not yet residents of Thailand in 2021) so that we technically meet the requirements for my citizenship application. We were already thinking of doing this, and the Special Branch officer my husband spoke to encouraged us to do it. Income Verification My husband wrote himself an income verification letter for the freelance income, and we've also requested an income verification letter from his American employer which we will translate. A little unsure how strict they are going to be about his income being "Thai income". Perspectives welcome. Divorce Registration (Form Kor. 6 or Form Kor.7) (if any) My husband's only marriage is to me. I was previously married and divorced in the U.S., but of course there is no Kor. 6 or Kor. 7 as evidence of this. Do I need to document this for them? Or just pretend like it didn't happen since it didn't happen within Thailand?

I want to simply share some information here in case it is helpful to anyone else in the future. My husband and I are childless so need to show that our marriage has existed for 3 years prior to my citizenship application. We've been in a committed relationship for nearly 10 years, with evidence like shared bank accounts, life and health insurance policies, pets, photographs, etc. for more than 5 years. We got a marriage license in San Francisco in 2017 with the intention of tying the knot at city hall, but I was having health problems at the time and we were unable to keep the appointment. Shortly thereafter, we moved to New Mexico, and then to Iowa, where my immediate family resides. The State of Iowa recognizes Common Law marriage, wherein an affidavit can be signed in lieu of a traditional marriage ceremony/license/certificate. Affidavits of this nature can be effectively backdated. While Thailand does not directly recognize common law marriage within Thailand, most states and nations will recognize marriages that are/were legal and valid where and when they occurred. Wanting to have our marriage recognized in Thailand, we signed an affidavit at the U.S. Consulate in Chiang Mai citing the marriage statues of Iowa. We then mailed this affidavit to my mother in Iowa, and she graciously filed it with the records department there. This process resulted in a public records document identification number which can be referenced as a marriage license number surrogate. After translation and legalization of these documents, we were able to register the foreign marriage at our local Amphur and receive a Kor Ror 22 Family Status Registration document to use within Thailand as proof of our marriage. In our case, we have close family connections in Iowa, are registered to vote in Iowa (my husband has dual Thai-American citizenship), and other evidence to legitimize the validity of our relationship. Because some other U.S. also recognize common law marriage, and because one needn't necessarily be a resident of a state to get married in the state, I thought this approach might be helpful for others in the future. I could share the actual documents we used upon request. Let me know if anyone is interested in seeing them.

Sawasdee ka I am an American woman seeking citizenship through my Thai husband. I've read this entire thread, have a couple questions, and will share details about our approach so far. My husband has already established contact with the Special Branch in Bangkok, though we have not yet submitted my application. First, my immediate question. I am in the process of being issued a yellow tabien baan in Phitsanulok, where my husband's parents live. My father-in-law is the head of household / yai tabien baan. Once we receive this tabien baan (hopefully tomorrow), we will start the process of transferring it to a condo in Bangkok which my father-in-law currently owns. Although many have spoken on this thread regarding the importance of transferring the tabien baan to Bangkok for citizenship application purposes, the process of transferring has not been covered in detail, therefore I am looking for advice. In our case, we have both short-term and long-term goals. The short-term goal is to get me registered in Bangkok ASAP so we can submit my application there. The long-term goal is that my father-in-law wants to transfer the condo to my husband by affection (i.e., give it to him for free). Apparently, this process will take time because my father-in-law will need to get permission from the property management company that controls the condo complex. He estimates that the process will take a week or two at a minimum and he will need to be in Bangkok during that time (he's reluctant to fly due to COVID so we'll need to drive him there which is a little tricky to schedule). Then, my husband will become the yai tabien for that property. My question is... should we try to transfer my yellow tabien baan while my father-in-law still owns it? Will this work if my father-in-law is unwilling to travel to the khet in Bangkok (Don Mueang in this case)? Or will we better off in the long run if we wait for the property to be transferred to my husband and then move my tabien baan? Thank you for any insights. I'll post separately about our progress thus far because there are some interesting details.