Stateless schoolgirl at risk of missing Genius Olympiad in US

By The Nation

 

Yonladee Phiyatat

 

A STATELESS schoolgirl risks losing the opportunity to attend an international high-school competition in the United States, if help does not come her way in time.

 

Growing up and studying in Thailand, Yonladee “Ploy” Phiyatat was invited to attend the Genius Olympiad in New York, but now finds herself entangled in problems related to her travel documents. 

 

“I am stateless and according to law cannot travel out of Thailand,” Yonladee posted on Facebook. “I am told I have only two choices: getting a Thai citizenship or losing the opportunity to attend the competition.” 

 

Yonladee Phiyatat, a stateless but outstanding student at Satree Ranong School, is captured delivering her presentation to the class in English.

 

According to the 17-year-old, she was born in Thailand and has always studied hard in the hope of contributing to the country’s development. She said that though she missed the May 1 application deadline, she still hopes to find some way of taking part in the competition.

 

The competition is scheduled to kick off in the middle of next month. The girl is being fully supported in her endeavours by her teachers at the Satree Ranong School in Ranong province, and with her case now attracting public attention, she has also won support from many others. 

 

The Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec), for instance, has promised to step in and coordinate with the Interior Ministry for her. “We cannot guarantee she will get Thai citizenship, but we will ensure she receives all the opportunities she can,” Obec secretary-general Boonlux Yodpheth said, adding that Yonladee’s participation in the international competition will be good for Thailand too. 

 

Rukthai Prurapark, a lecturer at Srinakharinwirot University, was also quick to contact Yonladee after learning about her situation. “I am ready to pay for her trip and be her guarantor for the US visa,” he said, adding that he has told Yonladee about his offer and she has said she will discuss it with her teachers and Obec. 

 

Surapong Kongchantuk, who previously led the Lawyers Council of Thailand’s subcommittee on human rights, the stateless, migrants and displaced persons, said he hoped Yonladee would be granted a visa because she was in the process of seeking Thai citizenship and had been given certification letters from Thai authorities. "It's so clear that she intends to visit the US for participation in the academic competition," he said.

 

Mong Thongdee, who was in a similar situation a few years ago, also expressed support for Yonladee on Facebook. More than 10 years ago, Mong had problems travelling out of Thailand to represent the country in a paper-plane competition.

 

However, despite the publicity his case gained, Mong was only granted Thai citizenship last year, just like the stateless boys who were rescued from the flooded Tham Luang Cave.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30369007

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-05-08

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There is probably one person reading this Forum who has some juice in the USA somewhere (Congressman, Senator, etc) who can pull some strings for this young lady.....

5 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

There is probably one person reading this Forum who has some juice in the USA somewhere (Congressman, Senator, etc) who can pull some strings for this young lady.....

No, there isn't much anyone can do without a travel document from another a country.   It is possible, but it is a long complicated process and to the best of my knowledge, is only used when people have been declared refugees and are being resettled.  

 

The big problem is that even if she is admitted to the US for the competition, she would not be allowed to return to Thailand as she would still have no passport.  

 

Why is she stateless?  The article says she was born in Thailand, yet now at the age of 17 still has no Thai ID, no Thai Passport?  Obviously more to the story than is in the article.

Statelessness is a problem primarily among the hilltribe people, who were never given Thai nationality.   In order to be a Thai national, you have to have a parent who is Thai.   If her parents were not given Thai nationality, then she doesn't have it.  

 

Years ago, the law was that the father had to be a Thai national or the child was not Thai.   They did change that law, but a lot of children were not Thai nationals including children born illegitimately.

 

Thailand is all about connections or money,saddley,qualifications or ambition mean very little

In 1990 it was 3 out of 3, mother, father Thai and born in the country. In 1991 Anand changed that to 2 out of 3, which suggests the girl doesn't have a Thai parent. All around the border areas and even in centres of cheap labour, their are thousands with this problem. Put aside the prestigious competition and just imagine what talent this country is wasting by sidelining these kids who without proper nationality are often unable to get decent jobs.

if winning a paper plane competition can get you a temporary passport for travel, I don't see why prayut cant do the same for an academic achievement such as this

She should not despair, make as much noise as possible and keep working hard.  There will be other opportunities.   

• This young woman should be encouraged and supported.
• Does anyone know the General who runs the Department which controls citizenship??
•  Then fast track application for passport and thank goodness some generous person has offered to cover the costs for her

Why dont they simply allow her to make the presentation via video phone? 

Not being the property of a state now a days is basically like being an un-person.  You can't get a job, bank account, travel, board a plane or train, drive a car or participate in most things ordinary people do every day.  Ever since countries started "identifying" their citizens with little plastic cards then passed laws requiring businesses to check them this ball started rolling.  Unless you have one of those select plastic cards you aren't a real person and this poor girl can't get one because politics.  And no government or regime would ever abuse this power by denying legitimacy to some person or group for devilish reasons would it?  No tech company would ever try to deplatform you by getting your bank account closed or drivers license denied for wrong think?  Dystopian future has arrived.

10 minutes ago, aqua4 said:

Why dont they simply allow her to make the presentation via video phone? 

Better if the young woman can associate with peers, swap ideas face to face, more to attending than the presentation.

Good idea though if no travel documents 

A post containing a disallowed reference to the PM has been removed.  Referring to Thailand or the government as a dictatorship, military dictatorship or other such terms will be removed.

 

 

A troll post was removed as well. 

The sentence that stood out to me was that she missed the application deadline. There’s no explanation provided as to why. It would seem, even citizens would be denied entry if they missed the deadline.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec), for instance, has promised to step in and coordinate with the Interior Ministry for her. “We cannot guarantee she will get Thai citizenship, but we will ensure she receives all the opportunities she can,” Obec secretary-general Boonlux Yodpheth said, adding that Yonladee’s participation in the international competition will be good for Thailand too. 

Now they get interested.. after her lifetime of being stateless!!!

Seems to me this is what Section 44 was made for.  Just say'n

6 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

Why is she stateless?  The article says she was born in Thailand, yet now at the age of 17 still has no Thai ID, no Thai Passport?  Obviously more to the story than is in the article.

Guess you are not aware of Thai or international laws. Just as if 2 brits had a child  here and was raised all his life in Thailand speaks reads and writes fluent Thai he is not a Thai citizen. He would have to apply at  a later date and pass a citizenship test.  The hill tribe people are not considered  Thai and unless 1 of her  parents was a Thai citizen and legally married to the other  she does not have ANY citizenship = stateless person.  Not the same as in the Americas where if you are born say in USA you are automatically US Citizen. Here and other parts of Asia you get nationality by blood/decent not where you are born  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statelessness

genius olympics and thai nationality are incongruent concepts

8 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

There is probably one person reading this Forum who has some juice in the USA somewhere (Congressman, Senator, etc) who can pull some strings for this young lady.....

You are well intentioned and hope you are right, but my congressman classmate cut me off within the 1st year he was elected. I started to give you an icon laugh, but then decided it should be an applauder. 

8 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

Why is she stateless?  The article says she was born in Thailand, yet now at the age of 17 still has no Thai ID, no Thai Passport?  Obviously more to the story than is in the article.

Government officials do not give rats about minorities that are BELOW their standards...

The government isn't interested in hill tribe peoples that are smarter than them.

4 hours ago, Tony125 said:

Guess you are not aware of Thai or international laws. Just as if 2 brits had a child  here and was raised all his life in Thailand speaks reads and writes fluent Thai he is not a Thai citizen. He would have to apply at  a later date and pass a citizenship test.  The hill tribe people are not considered  Thai and unless 1 of her  parents was a Thai citizen and legally married to the other  she does not have ANY citizenship = stateless person.  Not the same as in the Americas where if you are born say in USA you are automatically US Citizen. Here and other parts of Asia you get nationality by blood/decent not where you are born  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statelessness

Although there are many  Thai Hill tribe people who do have full Thai citizenship and are considered to be Thai

2 hours ago, MaxLee said:

Government officials do not give rats about minorities that are BELOW their standards...

 

10 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

The government isn't interested in hill tribe peoples that are smarter than them.

The Thai Government is taking steps to eradicate stateless  in Thailand 

12 hours ago, Tony125 said:

Guess you are not aware of Thai or international laws. Just as if 2 brits had a child  here and was raised all his life in Thailand speaks reads and writes fluent Thai he is not a Thai citizen. He would have to apply at  a later date and pass a citizenship test.  The hill tribe people are not considered  Thai and unless 1 of her  parents was a Thai citizen and legally married to the other  she does not have ANY citizenship = stateless person.  Not the same as in the Americas where if you are born say in USA you are automatically US Citizen. Here and other parts of Asia you get nationality by blood/decent not where you are born  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statelessness

I am aware of such things, but saw no such details about her in the original article.  Who says she is or was a hill tribe person?

13 hours ago, atyclb said:

genius olympics and thai nationality are incongruent concepts

This is not true at all. Thailand produces thousands of intelligent students thru it's high schools annually. Perhaps a few hundred are awarded full scholarships to study abroad (non international / IB schools).

 

She's in an unfortunate position. She will perhaps have difficulties getting into top 3 university here as well as the means to support herself in Bangkok as a foreigner.

 

Odd though, parents migrants, braces on her teeth, well schooled. Facinating story.

 

 

13 hours ago, atyclb said:

genius olympics and thai nationality are incongruent concepts

I met this cute little 13 year old farang stalker who goes with her entire family at the Wat in Phitsanalok every night to catch English speaking foreigners. I hung out and talked with her and her family for an hour and talking to this girl was like talking to a Brit, she was that good. And she could translate on the fly to her entire family who spoke not a whit of english and literally were gape mouthed that their child could go and talk to a foreigner for a hour or so. That was their fun. 

 

She also spoke Isaan, Lao, Thai of course and was learning Khmer.

 

She would surely beat me like a cheap Persian rug if I competed with her....

Edited May 8, 20197 yr by Nyezhov

@Nyezhov,

 

If you can, please convey to that family what a gift of talent and knowledge she has, and how she can use that to make a career. Encourage them as best you can.

2 hours ago, Number 6 said:

16 hours ago, atyclb said:

genius olympics and thai nationality are incongruent concepts

This is not true at all. Thailand produces thousands of intelligent students thru it's high schools annually. Perhaps a few hundred are awarded full scholarships to study abroad (non international / IB schools).

 

She's in an unfortunate position. She will perhaps have difficulties getting into top 3 university here as well as the means to support herself in Bangkok as a foreigner.

 

Odd though, parents migrants, braces on her teeth, well schooled. Facinating story.

 

i dont doubt there are bright students in thailand but it seems they are more the exception and not the rule and likely a lower % on a per capita basis.  a few years ago a thai friend commented on all the thai's studying at high rank usa universities. it is true there were no lack at the likes of mit, etc etc but the reality (confirmed by friends) the majority come from well off families and not infrequently have professional family members.