Thai is the best nationality there is!" Former American pays through the nose to renounce US citizenship

[Surasak]

How dumb can some people be? I always thought stupid couldn't be taught !

[Caldera]

It just confirms that the mental effects of severe and prolonged brainwashing in school aren't limited to native Thais. He did go through Thailand's infamous education system, after all.

 

That said, he seems to be genuinely happy with his life. Good for him!

 

[samran]

A lot of bitter people on this thread, that is for sure.

[Vacuum]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

Regarding the cost of the certificate he added diplomatically and with a smiley face: "I have no comment on that one". 

Sponsored by the government?

[Krataiboy]

Very irresponsible, in the middle of a viral pandemic, to pay through the nose for anything.

[SiSePuede419]

21 hours ago, Sujo said:

They cant take it away as a person cannot be stateless.

Not true.  Your passport is Gum'mint property.  You just get to use it.  It can be revoked.

 

"On June 21, 2013, the United States Department of Justice unsealed charges against Snowden of two counts of violating the Espionage Act of 1917 and theft of government property,^[2] following which the Department of State revoked his passport."

 

[keystonecoppers2]

 

 

 

                              Good on him.  Let`s just hope he don`t have a second thought

                              later in life and come running for the rescue.

 

                              I wish him well in his life here!

[mtls2005]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

I believe the US does not allow dual citizenship anymore?

 

Fairly certain you are mistaken.

 

But feel free to provide any sort of citation.

 

Thailand obviously allows dual-citizenship.

 

Obviously there are a lot of Thais, and Thai-Americans (~ 250,000?), living in the U.S.A. Assume they went for a good reason, and are happy.

 

 

 

[Moo 2]

I don't know what he is smoking but my advice is to cut down a bit.

[abrahamzvi]

I think that Udom should be congratulated, not because he has chosen the Thai citizenship. That is his decision and if he feels his loyalty lies with Thailand, I think he is absolutely right in becoming a Thai and renouncing his US citizenship. I think he should be congratulated for drawing the attention to a phenomenon which has become most popular recently and that is carrying two or more passports of different countries. It seems to me that most people nowadays consider passports as a document that makes one's life easier travelling. The fact is, or should be that this is a tag of one's national identity and loyalty. This is the reason why I am against dual nationality. One reads nowadays of people buying a second or third nationality (passports), of people in the UK, who for many years, justifiably or not, decried the new democratic Germany now applying for German nationality in addition to the British one that they hold. There are other examples. I sincerely believe that national loyalty is not something that can or should be divided. If a person lives in a country other than his/her native one and feels that he/she belongs there, he/she should try to demonstrate his loyalty for his adopted national home by trying to get naturalized and at the same time demonstrate his loyalty to his new home by renouncing the loyalty to his old one, by renouncing its citizenship. There are, of course exception, such as a child of a mixed marriage. Even in such cases, I believe that at reaching legal maturity (18or21 years of age) they should make a choice.

[emptypockets]

20 hours ago, Happy Grumpy said:

Great for him.

 

 

I'd rather be Ugandan than American. ????

Here you go...I've done the hard work for you:

applicants for citizenship by naturalization will have to fulfill all the five conditions stated in the laws. Hence an applicant must have lived in Uganda for 20 years, and must be a resident in Uganda continuously for a period of two years prior to the date of application.

[Geordie59]

21 hours ago, Chrysaora said:

You're incorrect, as it shows nothing of the sort.   Your conclusion is not logical.

Whether or not you think it is illogical is irrelevant. It is true. If you owe US taxes you need to pay off your debt before you can renounce US citizenship.

They also quiz you heavily about your reasons. It the best you can come up with is to avoid paying US taxes they will not allow you renounce officially. A work ate did this some time ago and he said he was "interrogated about his reasons and it was quite scary" at the time. 

[SenorCJ]

Up to Udom. But if he could have maintained his US citizenship, maybe not the wisest decision. My son had duel citizenship with Korea. Gave up his Korean citizenship because all males are required to serve in the military. 

[abrahamzvi]

6 minutes ago, SiSePuede419 said:

Not true.  Your passport is Gum'mint property.  You just get to use it.  It can be revoked.

 

"On June 21, 2013, the United States Department of Justice unsealed charges against Snowden of two counts of violating the Espionage Act of 1917 and theft of government property,^[2] following which the Department of State revoked his passport."

 

A passport can be revoked, but most countries do not revoke citizenship, if it makes people stateless. These countries, can do so, if the concerned person(s) holds a second citizenship.

[Skallywag]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

came to Thailand aged 2 with his missionary parents and never left.

 

21 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai is the best nationality there is!"

Of course he does not know any other "nationality" 

Like saying Hamburgers are the best beef there is when you have never eaten Prime rib

[Mitkof Island]

Good for him. The guys here attacking him just give him more reasons to avoid foreigners like you.

[Gerard052]

2 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said:

Good for him. The guys here attacking him just give him more reasons to avoid foreigners like you.

Nice coconuts.

[emptypockets]

13 hours ago, sanemax said:

No, U.N rules state that a person cannot be stripped of nationality if that makes him stateless

'The UN is not my father' stated a prominent Thai in recent times.

[Gerard052]

2 hours ago, johnhw said:

comments like yours make ME wanna belch and ram a rag down YOUR throat, much like too many of the indoctrinated ignoramus parrots I know hang out here.

Boo hoo.

[Zack61]

Good luck. Apart from the few on TV he now has billions fewer enemies around the world. 

Best wishes to him going forward 

[Ebumbu]

Now he can visit Cuba. 

[JJNThailand]

 If 72,000 bht is a lot of money to him, then I thank him for staying here. Already too many bottom feeder, under achievers in the US.

 

 

 

[jayboy]

21 minutes ago, abrahamzvi said:

I think that Udom should be congratulated, not because he has chosen the Thai citizenship. That is his decision and if he feels his loyalty lies with Thailand, I think he is absolutely right in becoming a Thai and renouncing his US citizenship. I think he should be congratulated for drawing the attention to a phenomenon which has become most popular recently and that is carrying two or more passports of different countries. It seems to me that most people nowadays consider passports as a document that makes one's life easier travelling. The fact is, or should be that this is a tag of one's national identity and loyalty. This is the reason why I am against dual nationality. One reads nowadays of people buying a second or third nationality (passports), of people in the UK, who for many years, justifiably or not, decried the new democratic Germany now applying for German nationality in addition to the British one that they hold. There are other examples. I sincerely believe that national loyalty is not something that can or should be divided. If a person lives in a country other than his/her native one and feels that he/she belongs there, he/she should try to demonstrate his loyalty for his adopted national home by trying to get naturalized and at the same time demonstrate his loyalty to his new home by renouncing the loyalty to his old one, by renouncing its citizenship. There are, of course exception, such as a child of a mixed marriage. Even in such cases, I believe that at reaching legal maturity (18or21 years of age) they should make a choice.

Disagree.In fact most aware people these days pay less attention to their country of birth than the values they share with people of many different countries.Well educated younger people certainly feel this way.As for this fellow, he has been raised in Thailand and is suffused with local culture so I can understand his attachment to Thailand.He is nevertheless foolish to have given up his US privileges since I understand there is no legal requirement to renounce them.

[shackleton]

Agree with quite a few on here

It's his life and as he has spent nearly all his time since 2 years old  here in Thailand also  married with children 

It's his choice  to decide what Nationality he wants best of luck to him 

[malibukid]

propaganda

[raccos21]

Sound like he running away from taxes.

[sanemax]

Just now, raccos21 said:

Sound like he running away from taxes.

No he  is not 

[Neeranam]

22 hours ago, genericptr said:

How many naturalized Thai citizens are there and does Thailand even allow dual-citizenship? Something tells me the Thai government is very eager to avoid naturalizing foreign citizens, especially those will multiple passports.

Nonsense, there are 70+ naturalized citizens every month.

Also. Many senior officials have dual/multiple citizenship. The former PM, Mark, has dual.

[Neeranam]

1 hour ago, Caldera said:

It just confirms that the mental effects of severe and prolonged brainwashing in school aren't limited to native Thais. He did go through Thailand's infamous education system, after all.

 

That said, he seems to be genuinely happy with his life. Good for him!

 

Indeed, I know many Yanks who are clueless about the corruption and brainwashed.

[Neeranam]

How many foreigners here can honestly say they wouldn't want Thai citizenship instead of their current one?

Strangely. It's the ones that could never qualify that criticize those of us who do.