Story Of My Thai Citizenship Application

[Pokati]

Hi,

 

Great thread with a lot of info. I'm having a few questions regarding my personal situation.

 

I'm living and working in Thailand 4 years. I'm officially married to my thai wife for 1.5 years (traditionally married almost 2). My income and taxes paid will not be a problem for the naturalisation process. However since recently I am considering to change my career at some point later on. I might even want to take up a study for a while.

 

So for me the time the whole application process takes is a consideration in the process. Basically I would have 4 options:

 

• Do nothing and have marriage visa if I would stop working

• Get PR, which would take about a year

• Get citizenship, which in the best case for what I’ve read would take 2 years, but more likely 3

• If possible start both the PR and the citizenship process at the same time.

 

So my questions:

• Do I need to keep working during the process of both PR and citizenship. I saw some posts which seem to confirm this

• Would I be able to apply considering I’m married for only 1.5 years?

• Would it make sense to start both processes, pr and citizenship, at the same time? As sort of a double chance for permanent status

Many thanks

 

[GabbaGabbaHey]

1 hour ago, Pokati said:

So my questions:

• Do I need to keep working during the process of both PR and citizenship. I saw some posts which seem to confirm this

• Would I be able to apply considering I’m married for only 1.5 years?

• Would it make sense to start both processes, pr and citizenship, at the same time? As sort of a double chance for permanent status

Hello,

 

To my knowledge:

 

1) Yes
2) Without children you can't apply before you've reached 3 years of marriage
3) Based on the previous one, it seems you can only apply for PR at the moment

 

PR has an advantage over marriage visa, it will give you some security where you will no longer rely on your spouse (nor your employer) to reside in the country.

 

[Pokati]

5 minutes ago, GabbaGabbaHey said:

Hello,

 

To my knowledge:

 

1) Yes
2) Without children you can't apply before you've reached 3 years of marriage
3) Based on the previous one, it seems you can only apply for PR at the moment

 

PR has an advantage over marriage visa, it will give you some security where you will no longer rely on your spouse (nor your employer) to reside in the country.

 

Thanks, PR it will be to start with. If I'm still happily employed afterwards I can continue for the citizenship immediately after. 

 

I'll move over to the PR thread then ?

 

I'll be back here in 1.5 years possibly 

[MrPatrickThai]

15 hours ago, Pokati said:

Hi,

 

Great thread with a lot of info. I'm having a few questions regarding my personal situation.

 

I'm living and working in Thailand 4 years. I'm officially married to my thai wife for 1.5 years (traditionally married almost 2). My income and taxes paid will not be a problem for the naturalisation process. However since recently I am considering to change my career at some point later on. I might even want to take up a study for a while.

 

So for me the time the whole application process takes is a consideration in the process. Basically I would have 4 options:

 

• Do nothing and have marriage visa if I would stop working

• Get PR, which would take about a year

• Get citizenship, which in the best case for what I’ve read would take 2 years, but more likely 3

• If possible start both the PR and the citizenship process at the same time.

 

So my questions:

• Do I need to keep working during the process of both PR and citizenship. I saw some posts which seem to confirm this

• Would I be able to apply considering I’m married for only 1.5 years?

• Would it make sense to start both processes, pr and citizenship, at the same time? As sort of a double chance for permanent status

Many thanks

 

I'd suggest get your Citizenship application in immediately.

 

Why waster 5 years getting a PR?

 

It takes 2 + years at the moment, which passes quickly.

 

You need to keep working for 1 year I'd say after making your application until the Ministry of Interior interview. After that, I think you would get away without having to prove that you're working. It's the 3 previous years that are of utmost importance.

 

Just my humble opinion.

[MrPatrickThai]

On 9/16/2018 at 11:49 PM, khongaeng said:

For me no news means frustrating waiting with nothing to update. It has been a long time since someone reported that they got called for their MOI interview. I would love to hear if anyone has been interviewed at all this year. My hope still remains that somehow I’m able to clear the MOI hurdle before a next years elections. 

A watched kettle never boils!

 

 

[GabbaGabbaHey]

2 hours ago, MrPatrickThai said:

I'd suggest get your Citizenship application in immediately.

Married less than 3 years and no child... he does not qualify at the moment.

[SWW]

On 9/16/2018 at 11:49 PM, khongaeng said:

For me no news means frustrating waiting with nothing to update. It has been a long time since someone reported that they got called for their MOI interview. I would love to hear if anyone has been interviewed at all this year. My hope still remains that somehow I’m able to clear the MOI hurdle before a next years elections. 

The MoI interviews are going at a rate of one per month, at the moment. The last one was on 2018-09-14 (last Friday).

 

It seems that at the moment, there is about a two-year wait between the documents being sent from Special Branch to the MoI, and being called for the MoI interview.

[mal129]

Wow what a great thread! Thanks to all that contributed. Trying to get through it. 

 

I see by all accounts you need to WP for at least 3 years to qualify. Is it possible to apply for citizenship being only married to a Thai and having a child together with that Thai? (no WP) 

 

 

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, mal129 said:

I see by all accounts you need to WP for at least 3 years to qualify. Is it possible to apply for citizenship being only married to a Thai and having a child together with that Thai? (no WP) 

You have to be working with a work permit and paying taxes for 3 years to apply for citizenship. There is no other way to do it.

[Neeranam]

On 9/19/2018 at 10:59 AM, SWW said:

The MoI interviews are going at a rate of one per month, at the moment. The last one was on 2018-09-14 (last Friday).

 

It seems that at the moment, there is about a two-year wait between the documents being sent from Special Branch to the MoI, and being called for the MoI interview.

I read recently on this thread that it was around 10 months.

 

[qualtrough]

16 hours ago, Neeranam said:

I read recently on this thread that it was around 10 months.

 

It would be wonderful if that is correct. Anyone?

[GabbaGabbaHey]

19 minutes ago, qualtrough said:

It would be wonderful if that is correct. Anyone?

I can't remember having read that precisely but it's however possible. When I compute figures based on facts from recent applicants, I see the process has some 3+ year timeline those days: 1 year for gathering documents and having SB process them including requests for amendments, then when the file is transferred from SB to MOI one more year to get scheduled the interview and obtain the subsequent approval, finally one more year to complete the rest (signatures, oath, gazette...). So technically, theoretically and on the paper... yes, 8-10 months seems aligned with this. I should be able to confirm or invalidate soon as I'm currently 6+ months after SB transferred my application.

[danielcondo]

Hi All, 

 

need some advise regarding the Renunciation letter, basically I have applied for Thai citizenship and my application is at the Interior Ministry at the moment awaiting the interview date,  I have a contact inside who told me that my letter did not clearly state that I was willing to give up my current citizenship when I become Thai and they want me to go to the Canadian Embassy and make a new one. In all honesty I clearly wrote on the letter that the Canadians have no issue with me applying for thai citizenship or me giving it up, however the Thais want me to write categorically that I will give it up. 

 

Personally i I want to keep both, I know a lot of foreigners with Thai nationality but have kept their original nationality as well, also I know a lot of Thais with dual nationality such as US , EU etc and they never have any issues as well. 

 

Im not comfortable with writing something like that specially as well as I’m not sure if the Canadians would make issues for me in the future as well even though they officially allow dual nationality. 

 

Anyone been in a smiliar situation ? Your feedback would be appreciated 

[GarryP]

It is basically a declaration of intent. A few years ago I did it at the British Embassy and they had a laugh. Basically, I could declare anything and they would endorse it then (a little bit more difficult now). At the end of the day it is up to you whether you follow up on it or not. I intend to do a lot of things but I probably will never do half of them. Have a word with a Canadian consular official, explain your predicament and I am sure they will do it for you. 

 

BTW I still have my British passport. My intentions have since changed. ????

Edited September 27, 2018 by GarryP

[danielcondo]

Thanks for the feedback, did you already get your Thai citizenship ?

[Big Guns]

I did the same as Garry & I'm now Thai British and loving it. Don't worry about the letter of intent as its0 only an issue for countries that don't allow dual citizenship

[yankee99]

Surprised as i cant imagine the SB forwarding a application to the moi without this critical document. 

 

How do you know that your file is at the moi? 

[danielcondo]

I actually showed the SB guys the letter and they all said it looked fine and all the interviews went through fine last year, the file was sent to MOI late last year , luckily I do have some links in the SB and MOI so I was pushing them to get some information about the timeframe for the interview , they told me my letter had some issues now since it didn’t clearly state I would give it up.  So they expect me to go make a new one, I’m going to have a talk with them again tomorrow to see if it can be sorted out without making another trip to the embassy

 

[yankee99]

3 minutes ago, danielcondo said:

I actually showed the SB guys the letter and they all said it looked fine and all the interviews went through fine last year, the file was sent to MOI late last year , luckily I do have some links in the SB and MOI so I was pushing them to get some information about the timeframe for the interview , they told me my letter had some issues now since it didn’t clearly state I would give it up.  So they expect me to go make a new one, I’m going to have a talk with them again tomorrow to see if it can be sorted out without making another trip to the embassy

 

SB actually has a pattern letter for you to give the embassy or write it as a sworn affidavit. 

[Neeranam]

1 hour ago, Big Guns said:

I did the same as Garry & I'm now Thai British and loving it. Don't worry about the letter of intent as its0 only an issue for countries that don't allow dual citizenship

The British embassy stopped doing this letter of intention to give up British citizenship until further notice, meeting with home office.

I just got in there on time, but who knows, the MOI might not be happy with it.

 

[GarryP]

13 hours ago, danielcondo said:

Thanks for the feedback, did you already get your Thai citizenship ?

Yes. I have both now.

[Kwarium]

On 9/16/2018 at 10:29 PM, qualtrough said:

Awful quiet here lately! Hoping no news is good news.

 

No news is... “The Story of My Thai Citizenship Application”!

 

51 months and 1 week, but who’s counting...

 

????

 

@danielcondo, I replied in your other thread about the letter.

Edited September 30, 2018 by Kwarium
Mention other reply

[BKKBike09]

On 9/27/2018 at 11:57 PM, Neeranam said:

The British embassy stopped doing this letter of intention to give up British citizenship until further notice, meeting with home office.

I just got in there on time, but who knows, the MOI might not be happy with it.

 

Since when did the BE stop doing this letter (or rather, witnessing a declaration of intent to give up British Citizenship)? It looks like there may be new Home Office guidance as of start of this year. Nonetheless, if British by birth you still retain the right (once only) to get back your citizenship, if obliged to renounce it in order to obtain another nationality.

 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/677713/renunciation-of-all-types-of-british-nationality-v3.pdf

 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/632943/registration-as-a-British-citizen-following-renunciation-v1.0.pdf

 

[Neeranam]

19 hours ago, BKKBike09 said:

Since when did the BE stop doing this letter (or rather, witnessing a declaration of intent to give up British Citizenship)? It looks like there may be new Home Office guidance as of start of this year. Nonetheless, if British by birth you still retain the right (once only) to get back your citizenship, if obliged to renounce it in order to obtain another nationality.

 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/677713/renunciation-of-all-types-of-british-nationality-v3.pdf

 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/632943/registration-as-a-British-citizen-following-renunciation-v1.0.pdf

 

May,  I believe.

[skippybangkok]

 

No news is... “The Story of My Thai Citizenship Application”!

 

51 months and 1 week, but who’s counting...

 

????

 

[mention=149490]danielcondo[/mention], I replied in your other thread about the letter.

 

 

Still about and additional 30 months from my time

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Kwarium]

@skippybangkok, Do you mean yours was about 80 months to completion? Ouch. 

[skippybangkok]

@skippybangkok, Do you mean yours was about 80 months to completion? Ouch. 

Yep


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[danielcondo]

Thanks for all the feedback guys, already had the letter made and rechecked that it would have no value since no official forms or declaration of renunciation was made, in fact they said i can tear up the letter if i dont need it after its done. 

 

On another positive note i got my interview date for later this month, fingers crossed all goes well.

[Neeranam]

2 hours ago, danielcondo said:

On another positive note i got my interview date for later this month, fingers crossed all goes well.

What date are they doing the interview this month?

[Neeranam]

I just got a new passport. 

I'm waiting for the MOI interview.

 

Will going to interview with a different passport from the one I applied with cause any complications? 

 

What about the later processes, do I have to show my passport?