Story Of My Thai Citizenship Application

[saakura]

3 hours ago, gettingby said:

Just checking assumptions here (not overtly meant to editorialise or complain).  I would appreciate any input that contradicts, confirms, or ads insight.  I am just trying to plan for the next couple of years especially as I will be out of the country for extended periods and might not be able to immediately jump and flyback to show up for a call to an MOI interview.

 

I received notification that my application was accepted from Santiban for consideration from MOI on May 1 2023.  After reading the latest few pages in this thread I first congratulate those who recently received citizenship.  It is indeed a long and tiring process.

 

Second, am inclined to believe that :

 

1.  that currently the MOI is still processing and inviting for applicants from 2019 or perhaps 2020 (the year the MOI accepyed these applicants for final processing)

 

2.  the only naturalization annoucements that have gone forward likely with Anupongs old signature and to date nothing has gone anywhere requiring Anutin's signature

 

3.  It appears to be a safe expectation that given the current government, political situation, and political priorites, one can expect to wait 4-6 years for being called in for a MOI interview from the date of the letter notifying MOI has accepted your case from Santiban.  

 

4.  Even so, things have been changing for a while and it may take longer as the MOI looks to replace Sanitban (with DOPA) in the process entirely and there seems no urgency to set and issue new procedures and regulations, much less what to do with applications that have already been vetted by Santiban and the NIA.

 

5.  From the above posts, it feels like DOPA and district officials are already trying to insert themselves in the normal processing such as the "back end" final processes of getting your new national identity documents by adding on their own new internal ad hoc regulations and "needs" for addition documents or signed physical copies (which are already approved in the system and approved by everyone including the Royal Household).  And (like I experienced in getting my PR,  which was certainly not a "welcome to Thailand interview" feeling but rather a show of personal power) they seem to be requiring eyeballing each person and even interviewing that person again (after approval has been announced in the Royal Gazette).

 

6.  This raises a lot of process questions at the least but also begs the question if the district officer doesnt like someone because of the way they look or how they interviewed - imagine if after all the processes, after 20+ years as one above poster asserted, sitting and waiting for a district officer to take an extra hour or two at lunch time and then being asked to sing the royal or national anthem on demand to the district officer and an applicant gets irritated and shows it.  Can the district officer then undo an approval? 

 

7.  In sum, does it seem reasonable that I should realistically expect to be called in for the MOI interview  no earlier than 2026?  This would be also assuming that processing is somehow going on at all right now and that things might get more efficient in second half of 2024.

I will answer No.7 only. Under the present circumstances and the speed at which it is moving, it will be a miracle if you get called even in 2026. I am one of those waiting since 2020 and there are some before me too.

[onthemoon]

1 hour ago, saakura said:

I will answer No.7 only. Under the present circumstances and the speed at which it is moving, it will be a miracle if you get called even in 2026. I am one of those waiting since 2020 and there are some before me too.

I've been waiting for the MOI interview since May 2019.

[david143]

3 hours ago, saakura said:

I will answer No.7 only. Under the present circumstances and the speed at which it is moving, it will be a miracle if you get called even in 2026. I am one of those waiting since 2020 and there are some before me too.

Number 6.
District has no power to undo anything, Royal Gazette is the last and line on the Rock, after RG no one can undo your status to be again as Tang dao ,  in terms district staff don't like you , so nothing to worry once RG is published you are done.

[G_Money]

Why any farang would want to be a Thai citizen is mind boggling.

[DrJoy]

9 hours ago, gettingby said:

 the only naturalization annoucements that have gone forward likely with Anupongs old signature and to date nothing has gone anywhere requiring Anutin's signature

 

 

9 hours ago, gettingby said:

Can the district officer then undo an approval? 

Rev Dr. Anutin had signed a batch around May 2024.

 

Once your name is published in the Royal Gazette, since that very moment you are a Thai citizen, not by holding a Thai ID card 

 

 

[saakura]

20 hours ago, DrJoy said:

 

Rev Dr. Anutin had signed a batch around May 2024.

 

Once your name is published in the Royal Gazette, since that very moment you are a Thai citizen, not by holding a Thai ID card 

 

 

True, you become a Thai citizen the moment it is published in the Royal Gazette. (This is one of the questions asked in the multiple choice questionnaire they give you at the begining of the citizenship application process at the SB)

[DrJoy]

@saakura Did you call MOI and ask about your application?

[prakhonchai nick]

On 6/14/2024 at 4:34 PM, G_Money said:

Why any farang would want to be a Thai citizen is mind boggling.

I have had Thai Residency for over 30 years. Saves the 90 day hassle and yearly extensions. However I  have never seen the need to take matters further and go for citizenship.

[GarryP]

3 hours ago, prakhonchai nick said:

I have had Thai Residency for over 30 years. Saves the 90 day hassle and yearly extensions. However I  have never seen the need to take matters further and go for citizenship.

It makes life easier and if you are short of money for health insurance in your dotage, you can rely on the 30Baht scheme. Wish I'd done it sooner but the law didn't change until 2008. I'd never bothered with PR as I foolishly thought it was too expensive and the citizenship law would change. Luckily, it did, but if it hadn't, I would be stuck on annual visa extensions. 

[saakura]

14 hours ago, DrJoy said:

@saakura Did you call MOI and ask about your application?

No, and I do not have a number to call at MOI. Besides, since there are 2019 applicants waiting, I thought it was 'first in first out'.

[IsaanExpat]

Just got done reading this Thread and feel like I have known most of you regular posters quite well by now! 17ish years worth of information here that is quite a treat for someone who also wishes to attempt Citizenship!

 

Good Luck to all those in the process! And thank you to all the people who've been here for so long making it easier for an obsessive researcher like myself.

-I.E.

Edited June 16 by IsaanExpat
Spelling

[onthemoon]

19 hours ago, prakhonchai nick said:

I have had Thai Residency for over 30 years. Saves the 90 day hassle and yearly extensions. However I  have never seen the need to take matters further and go for citizenship.

In addition to what other's said:

- Citizenship allows you to own your own company. Once the AEC Blueprint is implemented, you will also be able to own more than 50% of your company in certain other ASEAN countries.

- You can buy the land on which your house stands. Or any other land in Thailand for that matter.

- You can choose jobs that are forbidden for foreigners, such as becoming a motorcycle taxi driver.

- You won't need a visa for Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Russia and other countries. 

- And of course, no more yearly hassle for the re-entry permit (pardon me, Non-Imm Visa and endorsement) which make the PR anything but permanent. This is admittedly more a pet peeve of mine than a real problem.

[gettingby]

I have yet to have heard from anyone or anywhere who or what dept or what tel number to call at MOI.  I know it is DOPA somewhere in Lumlukka, but other that that noone ever provides any specifics.   Got a Tel number or a department to contact?

[desertsky]

1 hour ago, gettingby said:

I have yet to have heard from anyone or anywhere who or what dept or what tel number to call at MOI.  I know it is DOPA somewhere in Lumlukka, but other that that noone ever provides any specifics.   Got a Tel number or a department to contact?

ฝ่ายเสียสัญชาติ (ฝ.สส.)

0-2791-7332

https://www.bora.dopa.go.th/menu-ssb/#ssb-contact

[DrJoy]

8 hours ago, saakura said:

I do not have a number to call at MOI

02-791-7329 MOI Pathumthani.

Keep your Pink card handy for them to check your credentials

 

Arrange for a Thai speaker, if you dont speak Thai.

 

@gettingby

[Dogmatix]

On 6/14/2024 at 8:57 AM, gettingby said:

Just checking assumptions here (not overtly meant to editorialise or complain).  I would appreciate any input that contradicts, confirms, or ads insight.  I am just trying to plan for the next couple of years especially as I will be out of the country for extended periods and might not be able to immediately jump and flyback to show up for a call to an MOI interview.

 

I received notification that my application was accepted from Santiban for consideration from MOI on May 1 2023.  After reading the latest few pages in this thread I first congratulate those who recently received citizenship.  It is indeed a long and tiring process.

 

Second, am inclined to believe that :

 

1.  that currently the MOI is still processing and inviting for applicants from 2019 or perhaps 2020 (the year the MOI accepyed these applicants for final processing)

 

2.  the only naturalization annoucements that have gone forward likely with Anupongs old signature and to date nothing has gone anywhere requiring Anutin's signature

 

3.  It appears to be a safe expectation that given the current government, political situation, and political priorites, one can expect to wait 4-6 years for being called in for a MOI interview from the date of the letter notifying MOI has accepted your case from Santiban.  

 

4.  Even so, things have been changing for a while and it may take longer as the MOI looks to replace Sanitban (with DOPA) in the process entirely and there seems no urgency to set and issue new procedures and regulations, much less what to do with applications that have already been vetted by Santiban and the NIA.

 

5.  From the above posts, it feels like DOPA and district officials are already trying to insert themselves in the normal processing such as the "back end" final processes of getting your new national identity documents by adding on their own new internal ad hoc regulations and "needs" for addition documents or signed physical copies (which are already approved in the system and approved by everyone including the Royal Household).  And (like I experienced in getting my PR,  which was certainly not a "welcome to Thailand interview" feeling but rather a show of personal power) they seem to be requiring eyeballing each person and even interviewing that person again (after approval has been announced in the Royal Gazette).

 

6.  This raises a lot of process questions at the least but also begs the question if the district officer doesnt like someone because of the way they look or how they interviewed - imagine if after all the processes, after 20+ years as one above poster asserted, sitting and waiting for a district officer to take an extra hour or two at lunch time and then being asked to sing the royal or national anthem on demand to the district officer and an applicant gets irritated and shows it.  Can the district officer then undo an approval? 

 

7.  In sum, does it seem reasonable that I should realistically expect to be called in for the MOI interview  no earlier than 2026?  This would be also assuming that processing is somehow going on at all right now and that things might get more efficient in second half of 2024.

 

2. I suspect that the recent announcements were indeed approved by Anuphong and that Anutin merely approved publication in the RG which he cannot withhold, at least in the case of naturalisation (not wives of Thais) because HMK has countersigned for them already.

 

4.  By end 2022 he MOI had  produced the new draft ministerial regulation which included axing SB from the process, as it was required to do in the January 2022 cabinet resolution.  But it was apparently shelved, as nothing more was ever heard of it after the announcement that he draft was ready.  Obviously the police were not happy with the proposal and quite likely it was shelved to avoid having to fight with them.  Anutin may indeed decide he is big enough to take on the police and revive the ministerial regulation which could be put into effect quickly, perhaps with some amendments, since it is already drafted.  Apart from the opposition of the police it was impractical to set up application centres in every province, given that some provinces may not receive an application in 100 years.  The obvious solution would be to let Bankok handle the surrounding and central provinces, assign a centre for each region outside Bangkok - Phuket for the South, Chiang Mai for the North, maybe Korat for the NE and Pattaya for the East.  Or just make everyone come to Bangkok like they do for PR.  But they would probably not be able to get their minds around a practical solution like that.  It is just speculation that Anutin will revive the draft ministerial regulation but not beyond the bonds of possibility, as it fits in with his ideas of expanding DOPA's power at the expense of the cops in line with his raids on pubs using the DOPA SWAT team without any police present.

 

Whatever thoughts Anutin has about the process, one can assume that, given his sentiment expressed on foreigners during COVID, streamlining, speeding up the process and making it more transparent, as Anuphong set out to do are unlikely to be his priorities.  His father's track record as IM is also not a positive indicator.  He signed very few applications and created a large backlog by the time he got his marching orders. 

 

5.  There have always been some unpleasant experiences getting that first ID card from district offices.  In fact the OP of this thread complained that nearly 20 years ago the head of registrations at his DO made things so difficult that he moved to another district on a friend's tabien baan and got his ID card there before moving back a couple of weeks later with a big smile on his face. Whether this unpleasantness has now become universal or is ordered by DOPA I can't say.  I suspect that the real nasties are rogue officers coming up with their ways to torment new Thais combined with a bit of pressure from things like the cases Big Joke highlighted of Chinese criminals with either genuine naturalisation or ID cards they were not entitled to issued by corrupt district officials. But suffice it to say that everything to do with citizenship and PR gets steadily harder. Even with some lighter touches under military rule the long term trend is down.  For example PR took under a year in the late 90s and citizenship took, I think, 1-2 years. The arrival of the first Thaksin government was what caused a sudden deterioration and reduction in transparency in the processes, along with wholesale rejections and greatly extended waiting periods. Now Thaksin is back which combined with Anutin is a double negative.  But hey things can always pick up and maybe there will be another military coup. 

[DrJoy]

20 minutes ago, Dogmatix said:

there will be another military coup

Hope for the best

[yankee99]

5 hours ago, DrJoy said:

Hope for the best

Everybody has a opinion on this. I saw tons of infrastructure being completed, open airports and no fighting in bkk. Last but not least citizenship was around 3 years from document submission to ID card. Im sure there might have been issues with military control but i liked how the country was be run.

[sidneybear]

I have a question on healthcare, given that hospitals get more expensive, and Thai healthcare is as good as many western countries these days....

 

Have any of you naturalised Thais tried registering for or using the free healthcare services that the locals use? The scheme that used to cost 30 Baht, or whatever replaced it.

 

I'd heard somewhere that naturalised Thais don't get the same perks as ethnic Thais.

 

Edited June 20 by sidneybear

[Marcati]

Afternoon all,

 

Extremely happy to report I finally got my Thai ID card yesterday. Took 2 1/2 hours. Can't believe all the paperwork that needed to be processed and signed 😂 Felt like applying for my Citizenship again.

 

Ironically, ran over to MBK to get my passport and the registration took only 10 min and the passport is coming today!

 

Time to celebrate 🎉 🎊 🥳

[GarryP]

13 minutes ago, Marcati said:

Afternoon all,

 

Extremely happy to report I finally got my Thai ID card yesterday. Took 2 1/2 hours. Can't believe all the paperwork that needed to be processed and signed 😂 Felt like applying for my Citizenship again.

 

Ironically, ran over to MBK to get my passport and the registration took only 10 min and the passport is coming today!

 

Time to celebrate 🎉 🎊 🥳

Congratulations.

 

[DrJoy]

4 hours ago, sidneybear said:

I'd heard somewhere that naturalised Thais don't get the same perks as ethnic Thais.

Utter rubbish.

Don't believe any bar stool gossip.

[DrJoy]

1 hour ago, Marcati said:

Afternoon all,

 

Extremely happy to report I finally got my Thai ID card yesterday. Took 2 1/2 hours. Can't believe all the paperwork that needed to be processed and signed 😂 Felt like applying for my Citizenship again.

 

Ironically, ran over to MBK to get my passport and the registration took only 10 min and the passport is coming today!

 

Time to celebrate 🎉 🎊 🥳

Great !

Enjoy

[sidneybear]

1 hour ago, DrJoy said:

Utter rubbish.

Don't believe any bar stool gossip.

Have you done it yourself? Registered and used local healthcare? I was hoping for a more detailed reply on the step by step process of how you yourself did it.

[GarryP]

1 hour ago, sidneybear said:

Have you done it yourself? Registered and used local healthcare? I was hoping for a more detailed reply on the step by step process of how you yourself did it.

Take your ID card and House Registration to the hospital which serves your area and register. Going forward, you will only need to present your ID card. If you are living in Bangkok, you can check the health center which serves your address (it may not necessarily be a "hospital"). For example, the health center serving Sukhumvit 101 was the Wat Thathong Health Center near Ekamai. Up country it is a bit easier as it is going to be pretty much always the nearest government hospital or health center (mine is about 500 meters from my home). 

 

You cannot just walk in to any gov't hospital for care unless it is an emergency such as an accident. If you have a serious issue that your health center can't help with, they will give you a referral to the nearest gov't center that can provide the required treatment. You should not just turn up at a government hospital of "your" choice for the treatment you want, unless you are willing to pay. You should obtain the necessary referral first.    

[sidneybear]

22 minutes ago, GarryP said:

Take your ID card and House Registration to the hospital which serves your area and register. Going forward, you will only need to present your ID card. If you are living in Bangkok, you can check the health center which serves your address (it may not necessarily be a "hospital"). For example, the health center serving Sukhumvit 101 was the Wat Thathong Health Center near Ekamai. Up country it is a bit easier as it is going to be pretty much always the nearest government hospital or health center (mine is about 500 meters from my home). 

 

You cannot just walk in to any gov't hospital for care unless it is an emergency such as an accident. If you have a serious issue that your health center can't help with, they will give you a referral to the nearest gov't center that can provide the required treatment. You should not just turn up at a government hospital of "your" choice for the treatment you want, unless you are willing to pay. You should obtain the necessary referral first.    

Thank you for your detailed answer. 

[DrJoy]

2 hours ago, sidneybear said:

Have you done it yourself?

Indeed, my experience matches as per Khun Gary.

 

I am registered at Phramongkutklao Hospital , took 1 hour or so for the first time, future visits = 10-15 minutes

[qualtrough]

On 6/14/2024 at 4:34 PM, G_Money said:

Why any farang would want to be a Thai citizen is mind boggling.

You sound bitter, so I am not even sure why you would be hanging around this sub. But to answer your question, and assuming that a farang wants to live in Thailand, the benefits of being a citizen are almost uncountable:

 

1. No need to give up your other citizenship unless you are citizen of a relatively small number of countries who require that.

 

2. No more need to waste time or money on visas, keep a  large deposit of money in the bank, or purchase an expensive long term visa under one of the  several schemes.

 

3. No need for 90 day reporting.

 

4. Free to start and run a business, or do any job you want.

 

5. Free to own land and or a home without engaging in risky workarounds.

 

6. Qualify for various universal health care schemes.

 

7. Visa free entry to ASEAN countries.

 

8. No hassles opening up bank accounts, applying for 7/11 cards, etc. and etc.

 

9. Thai pricing at national parks, which can be up to 10 times cheaper than farang prices.

 

And much, much more. If that's doesn't seem worthwhile for you I don't know what more to say.

 

 

[onthemoon]

12 hours ago, Marcati said:

Afternoon all,

 

Extremely happy to report I finally got my Thai ID card yesterday. Took 2 1/2 hours. Can't believe all the paperwork that needed to be processed and signed 😂 Felt like applying for my Citizenship again.

 

Ironically, ran over to MBK to get my passport and the registration took only 10 min and the passport is coming today!

 

Time to celebrate 🎉 🎊 🥳

 

Congratulations! How long did it take 1.) From your documents arriving at the MOI to the interview, and 2.) From the interview to yesterday? 

[DrJoy]

On 6/14/2024 at 4:34 PM, G_Money said:

Why any farang would want to be a Thai citizen is mind boggling.

This thread is not to make fun or joke around, this is to help future / in progress candidates.