Story Of My Thai Citizenship Application

[Neeranam]

14 minutes ago, yankee99 said:

That's f%$ked ???? several here applied 2018 like myself and in November will have my 2year anniversary 

We got in at the right time for sure. I applied Dec 2017 and got my ID card Dec 2020. ???? 

[DrJoy]

4 hours ago, david143 said:

yesterday one of my friend was @ MOI to find out by himself , why he didn't received  a last interview call,  he applied in October 2019

I am now sure that they (MOI) are 100 % Blatant Liars.

 

My friend has been told that he will be called for MOI interview around Feb 2024, he applied in March 2022.

 

File received by MOI - Oct 2022.

 

They told your friend from 2019 batch the same thing and the same thing to @onthemoon

 

Wow

[Dogmatix]

1 hour ago, onthemoon said:

Since you are already Thai citizens, you can go into politics and actually change things! ???? Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

But we are banned from politics under the constitution.  Any those who are Thai from birth are eligible.

[onthemoon]

26 minutes ago, DrJoy said:

I am now sure that they (MOI) are 100 % Blatant Liars.

 

My friend has been told that he will be called for MOI interview around Feb 2024, he applied in March 2022.

 

File received by MOI - Oct 2022.

 

They told your friend from 2019 batch the same thing and the same thing to @onthemoon

 

Wow

No, I wouldn't call them liars. They tell you what they believe is right, but the final date is not up to them. For example, sometimes there aren't any meetings/interviews for months, and that is out of their control. They invite the applicants to the interviews only one week in advance, because nothing is for sure any earlier.

[Dogmatix]

18 minutes ago, DrJoy said:

I am now sure that they (MOI) are 100 % Blatant Liars.

 

My friend has been told that he will be called for MOI interview around Feb 2024, he applied in March 2022.

 

File received by MOI - Oct 2022.

 

They told your friend from 2019 batch the same thing and the same thing to @onthemoon

 

Wow

I think it possible that David's harsh talking friend was overlooked or deliberately put to the back of the queue but may have been put back in the queue somewhere around the middle following his and his wife's harsh words.  It always seems worth going out there, if you feel genuinely behind schedule but politeness is recommended, however frustrated one may feel. The staff have to put up with enquiries all day long and most are from minorities who often have no clue how the system works (I sat in their office for a few hours waiting for my interview).  They get frustrated too and most of the errors are likely caused by someone else.

[XGM]

5 hours ago, Neeranam said:

We got in at the right time for sure. I applied Dec 2017 and got my ID card Dec 2020. ???? 

Kind of discouraging that a total of 3 years from application to completion is now considered amazingly fast...

[onthemoon]

1 hour ago, XGM said:

Kind of discouraging that a total of 3 years from application to completion is now considered amazingly fast...

If you want to stay here forever, what are 3 years? ????

[Neeranam]

2 hours ago, XGM said:

Kind of discouraging that a total of 3 years from application to completion is now considered amazingly fast...

Actually, Covid slowed my down by some months. 

[rsskga]

I'm prepping the docs for the NIA. Female married to a Thai male with registration of marriage abroad and คร.22. Thus far, I have kept my own last name, but I'm not opposed to taking my husband's name.

 

Does anyone know if I need to reserve a Thai name? I've been assuming not, but now looking at the checklist from NIA feel a little less certain.

[onthemoon]

1 hour ago, rsskga said:

I'm prepping the docs for the NIA. Female married to a Thai male with registration of marriage abroad and คร.22. Thus far, I have kept my own last name, but I'm not opposed to taking my husband's name.

 

Does anyone know if I need to reserve a Thai name? I've been assuming not, but now looking at the checklist from NIA feel a little less certain.

It has nothing to do with NIA but yes, you have to reserve a Thai name. Everybody does, married or not. You don't need to use it, though.

[kiwiaussie]

1 hour ago, rsskga said:

I'm prepping the docs for the NIA. Female married to a Thai male with registration of marriage abroad and คร.22. Thus far, I have kept my own last name, but I'm not opposed to taking my husband's name.

 

Does anyone know if I need to reserve a Thai name? I've been assuming not, but now looking at the checklist from NIA feel a little less certain.

Females married to Thai husbands don't need to reserve a Thai name.

https://www.thaicitizenship.com/thai-citizenship-based-on-marriage-to-a-thai-husband/

[onthemoon]

25 minutes ago, kiwiaussie said:

Females married to Thai husbands don't need to reserve a Thai name.

https://www.thaicitizenship.com/thai-citizenship-based-on-marriage-to-a-thai-husband/

I stand corrected.

[DrJoy]

1 hour ago, onthemoon said:

I stand corrected.

Females dont need to change/reserve name.

 

Reason - They are adopting their Husbands Thai nationality, its not Naturalization as we know.

 

For this very reason they(females) are not provided a Certificate of Naturalization, only a letter stating that they have been allowed to convert their nationality into Thai + Certified RG copies.

 

Only foreign men Naturalize as Thai citizen as per the Thai law.

 

Having no naturalization certificate may prove to be a problem later in life, but thats how it is.

[onthemoon]

52 minutes ago, DrJoy said:

Females dont need to change/reserve name.

 

Reason - They are adopting their Husbands Thai nationality, its not Naturalization as we know.

 

For this very reason they(females) are not provided a Certificate of Naturalization, only a letter stating that they have been allowed to convert their nationality into Thai + Certified RG copies.

 

Only foreign men Naturalize as Thai citizen as per the Thai law.

 

Having no naturalization certificate may prove to be a problem later in life, but thats how it is.

Oh, I see. 

[kiwiaussie]

1 hour ago, DrJoy said:

Having no naturalization certificate may prove to be a problem later in life, but thats how it is.

Curious to understand what makes you say that? A certified copy from SB of the RG seems to work pretty well. In any case, once you have an ID card, its never asked for again.

[qualtrough]

I stopped participating in r/Thailand on Reddit as part of my New Year resolution. Actually the entire site. But from time to time I check the Thai threads just to make sure I don't miss anything important. The other day when I visited, someone inquired about the Thai citizenship process, and as always, the amount of misinformation was staggering. I mean almost every other post contained incorrect information. And along with that you have the usual suspects wondering what benefit there is to acquiring citizenship or belittling it. Similar to what happened here when Mr. Brenn first posted. 

 

BTW, Mr. Brenn, thank you so much for your doing that. It has made a huge difference in my life here, and I suspect I am far from the only one.

[DrJoy]

I hope that this month may have an MOI interview

 

Good luck to all waiting

[Neeranam]

On 7/31/2023 at 7:09 PM, qualtrough said:

BTW, Mr. Brenn, thank you so much for your doing that. It has made a huge difference in my life here, and I suspect I am far from the only one.

Absolutely, it it hadn't been for this thread, I'd still be going to immigration every 90 days! 

[yankee99]

5 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Absolutely, it it hadn't been for this thread, I'd still be going to immigration every 90 days! 

This thread was essential for me too!

[GarryP]

2 hours ago, yankee99 said:

This thread was essential for me too!

It has been a big help to me too, but without the kind suggestion of @aidenai, I wouldn't have even bothered applying as I was sure I didn't qualify. 

[Marcati]

FYI we were told this morning that there are more than 200 applications waiting at the Palace for final signature by HRM. As of next month my paperwork is there for 1 year already ????

Edited August 9, 2023 by Marcati

[Neeranam]

On 8/9/2023 at 12:39 PM, Marcati said:

FYI we were told this morning that there are more than 200 applications waiting at the Palace for final signature by HRM. As of next month my paperwork is there for 1 year already ????

Shouldn't be long now, jai yen yen.

It was hard for me but at least you know it is 99.99% sure. 

[Arkady]

I think we all owe a deep debt of gratitude to Dbrenn for starting this thread way back in May 2007 and sharing his experiences. I had been thinking about applying for some time when I first found the thread not long after it began.  But I had no idea how the process worked in reality and, like many, I assumed it was really hard and biased in favour of those with big connections and/or willing to pay substantial bribes. Reading this thread for a few weeks incentivised me to get off my posterior and start getting my qualifications line up.

 

And how much has changed since 2007.  At that time males could only apply on the basis of PR.  The amendment of the Act allowing males with Thai wives to bypass PR came only 2008 but the guidelines were never amended to take account of this and it took a while before applications started coming in on that basis. Since 2007 the documentation has become a lot more burdensome with requirements for notarised documents and home country police clearance etc.

[qualtrough]

On 8/11/2023 at 10:44 AM, Arkady said:

I think we all owe a deep debt of gratitude to Dbrenn for starting this thread way back in May 2007 and sharing his experiences. I had been thinking about applying for some time when I first found the thread not long after it began.  But I had no idea how the process worked in reality and, like many, I assumed it was really hard and biased in favour of those with big connections and/or willing to pay substantial bribes. Reading this thread for a few weeks incentivised me to get off my posterior and start getting my qualifications line up.

 

And how much has changed since 2007.  At that time males could only apply on the basis of PR.  The amendment of the Act allowing males with Thai wives to bypass PR came only 2008 but the guidelines were never amended to take account of this and it took a while before applications started coming in on that basis. Since 2007 the documentation has become a lot more burdensome with requirements for notarised documents and home country police clearance etc.

I wish I had seen this thread much earlier than I did. Because I have a company, my annual visa/WP renewal was pretty complex and involved a ton of paperwork. I mean a stack 3-4 inches high. So I used the services of a woman who handled the process for a living. Several times I asked her about applying for citizenship and she always replied that it was extremely difficult, blah blah blah. In hindsight, I was stupid to ask her because she had a vested interested in keeping me as a customer. Doh!  Long story short, I could have been a citizen 10 years ago rather than last year if I had only done my own research. 

 

The realization that you no longer have to visit immigration or the WP office is wonderful, along with all the other myriad benefits of being a citizen of the country you live in.

 

I advise anyone considering or undergoing the process to take it one day at a time, be patient, and to keep your eye on the prize.

[rsskga]

On 7/28/2023 at 1:10 PM, DrJoy said:

Having no naturalization certificate may prove to be a problem later in life, but thats how it is.

Out of curiosity, what sort of problems could this lead to? Primarily that the granting of the citizenship itself could be challenged? Or other things? Thanks!

 

If not married to a Thai man, or if married to a Thai man but choosing to apply on the basis of PR instead, then would a woman receive a naturalization certificate?

[rsskga]

A work permit + visa question if that's alright...

 

I'm preparing to apply for a work permit for the first time via a service provider. I'm in the process of being re-hired by an American company that I've worked for in the past (remote work from home - I realize I may not truly need a work permit since I am not taking a job from a Thai, but I'd rather be safe than sorry). Since the company has no presence in Thailand they are unable to help me obtain a work permit, hence the service provider. I'm currently on a non-immigrant O visa which will expire in October. I'm unable to extend it as my husband is working in the US right now and he would have to be physically present with me in Thailand to apply for the extension (or so I've been told by one immigration officer).

 

I'm aware of my options regarding the visa. I can leave Thailand, apply for a new non-immigrant O, and all should be well. Or, I could work with the service provider to switch me to a B visa (extra costs involved that I'll avoid if practical).

 

My question is, what happens with my work permit if I do either of those things? Is the work permit connected to the exact visa I have when I apply for it? Or can the work permit be transferred to the new visa? Should I get a new visa before applying for the work permit?

 

Thank you!

[samran]

15 hours ago, rsskga said:

Out of curiosity, what sort of problems could this lead to? Primarily that the granting of the citizenship itself could be challenged? Or other things? Thanks!

 

If not married to a Thai man, or if married to a Thai man but choosing to apply on the basis of PR instead, then would a woman receive a naturalization certificate?

There is no issue. Sounds like speculation to me.

 

My wife got announced in the RG 8 years ago this month. All she's got is a certified copy of the RG announcement + ID card and tabien baan. She's never had an issue and ID card (and perhaps a copy of the TB) has all she has ever needed. She is well and truely 'in the system'.

[Neeranam]

On 8/11/2023 at 10:44 AM, Arkady said:

I think we all owe a deep debt of gratitude to Dbrenn for starting this thread way back in May 2007 and sharing his experiences. I had been thinking about applying for some time when I first found the thread not long after it began.  But I had no idea how the process worked in reality and, like many, I assumed it was really hard and biased in favour of those with big connections and/or willing to pay substantial bribes. Reading this thread for a few weeks incentivised me to get off my posterior and start getting my qualifications line up.

 

And how much has changed since 2007.  At that time males could only apply on the basis of PR.  The amendment of the Act allowing males with Thai wives to bypass PR came only 2008 but the guidelines were never amended to take account of this and it took a while before applications started coming in on that basis. Since 2007 the documentation has become a lot more burdensome with requirements for notarised documents and home country police clearance etc.

I, and I know I'm not alone, were helped immensely by your expert knowledge on the subject. 

Your help was invaluable, especially when I was hit by some curved balls when trying to collect all the required documents. 

I am forever grateful for your detailed PMs as well as on the thread, as I was close to giving up! 

[khongaeng]

16 hours ago, rsskga said:

A work permit + visa question if that's alright...

 

I'm preparing to apply for a work permit for the first time via a service provider. I'm in the process of being re-hired by an American company that I've worked for in the past (remote work from home - I realize I may not truly need a work permit since I am not taking a job from a Thai, but I'd rather be safe than sorry). Since the company has no presence in Thailand they are unable to help me obtain a work permit, hence the service provider. I'm currently on a non-immigrant O visa which will expire in October. I'm unable to extend it as my husband is working in the US right now and he would have to be physically present with me in Thailand to apply for the extension (or so I've been told by one immigration officer).

 

I'm aware of my options regarding the visa. I can leave Thailand, apply for a new non-immigrant O, and all should be well. Or, I could work with the service provider to switch me to a B visa (extra costs involved that I'll avoid if practical).

 

My question is, what happens with my work permit if I do either of those things? Is the work permit connected to the exact visa I have when I apply for it? Or can the work permit be transferred to the new visa? Should I get a new visa before applying for the work permit?

 

Thank you!

Non-O visa and work permit are separate. I was unemployed, then employed by a Thai company, then employed by my own company all while maintaining an extension of the original Non-O visa.

 

Be careful where you get a work permit from, because when you apply for citizenship, you will have to provide various documents from your employer (letter of employment, PND1, and possibly others).  It your employer is a pseudo-company that just provides work permits for foreigners, they probably won't provide you with the required information, because they will most certainly not want to bring unwanted attention to their grey-zone arrangement with foreigners to provide work permits.

 

You may consider opening your own company. Taxes, accounting fees, visas, WPs and everything included will cost you about 4000 EUR per year to open and maintain a company (based on my own experience).  If you do your own accounting, except for the annual audit, you can save considerably, but it all depends on how much effort you want to put into the process.  If you have your own company, you can generate the required paperwork whenever you want, and even adjust your salary to get more points (but also pay more tax).

[DrJoy]

9 hours ago, samran said:

There is no issue. Sounds like speculation to me

One time I had to apply for a Japanese Business Visa on my non Thai PP.

 

I truthfully declared my Thai citizenship.

 

That time the vfs did not say anything, next day got a call from the Embassy that they require my Thai citizenship certificate.

I had to visit the Embassy again and present my original Thai citz certificate, they wouldn't even look at ratcha kitcha.

 

What would you or your wife do in such a situation?

or what will any female do in this situation?