Story Of My Thai Citizenship Application

[Big Guns]

Yes but I don't think I'm eligible to vote for 4 years after gaining citizenship. I seem to remember this figure from somehere

[Arkady]

18 minutes ago, Big Guns said:

Yes but I don't think I'm eligible to vote for 4 years after gaining citizenship. I seem to remember this figure from somehere

 

Under the constitution you are eligible to vote in national and local elections 5 years after gaining citizenship. Technically that should be from date of RG publication but they may take it from the date of your first ID card or naturalization certificate.

[Neeranam]

23 hours ago, qualtrough said:

Thank you. The documents were the originals of the ones you already submitted to the SB during the application process? What's the next step? I forget!

The SB didn't give me back any of the original documents that they needed.

I just needed marriage cert, house books, degrees, passport,  WP. Best to take along everything you have though. Letter from work also.

Just remembered, they asked for proof of three kid going to school, birth certificates, and needed a letter from the school(but that might have been for the local cops who came to the house)

Edited April 27, 2018 by Neeranam

[qualtrough]

16 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

The SB didn't give me back any of the original documents that they needed.

I just needed marriage cert, house books, degrees, passport,  WP. Best to take along everything you have though. Letter from work also.

Just remembered, they asked for proof of three kid going to school, birth certificates, and needed a letter from the school(but that might have been for the local cops who came to the house)

 

Thanks. I have submitted everything now but need to supply an updated พงด 50 which should be ready next week. Then I take some kind of Thai quiz.

[khongaeng]

On 4/26/2018 at 8:32 PM, yankee99 said:

They were original but some like my divorce papers were never submitted to SB. They gave my wife a list before we went there. 

 

Next step is for SB to send the file to moi. My SB contact said 3-4 months. 

I have been waiting now for 8 months since NIA for my application to be sent to MOI.  As Arkady mentioned, Waiting Waiting Waiting is par for the course.

 

Talking with SB officers lately, they seem to be doing a lot more to manage expectations in their communications.  When I applied last year, I was told that I could expect to be finished with everything in 2-3 years.  Now I have been told subtly a few times that they are just now processing applications at MOI from 2012 or that they are not sure which year the MOI interview will happen for me....  Waiting, Waiting, Waiting

[Neeranam]

11 hours ago, khongaeng said:

I have been waiting now for 8 months since NIA for my application to be sent to MOI.  As Arkady mentioned, Waiting Waiting Waiting is par for the course.

That seems a long time. I'm also waiting for the same, but only been 3 months. I wonder why they are not sent sooner, what are they doing?

I heard it would be 2/3 months. Then after the interview , around 2 years.

Have SB told you that the reason is just a back log?

 

Do you think They could speed it up  with regular phone calls or visits, asking how it is going, or could this delay it?

 

Even once the MOI get it, there is a wait for the interview.  

 

I really hope to get the interview with MOI soon, then I can leave my job, which I don't need but feel it wise to stay there for the work permit, even though the MOI might not all for it.

 

It would beer nice to hear the times from NIA interview to MOI interview from others.

 

[GabbaGabbaHey]

5 hours ago, Neeranam said:

It would beer nice to hear the times from NIA interview to MOI interview from others.

From this forum's applicants data: 6 to 21 months, with an average around 12-14 months. And I'm currently at 7 months past NIA interview. 

Edited April 28, 2018 by GabbaGabbaHey

[carthaivisa]

Hi..if you got Thai nationality..is it important to return back the Certificate of Residence (PR book) to Immigration office as someone in SB informed that it is not necessary to do so  despite that they told to return it and this someone asked me to keep it unless that the immigration has requested officially from you to return..any idea?

[carthaivisa]

3 hours ago, carthaivisa said:

Hi..if I got Thai nationality..is it important to return back the Certificate of Residence (PR book) to Immigration office as someone in SB informed that it is not necessary to do so .. despite that in ceremony, they told me to return it and this someone recommend me to keep it for future unless that the immigration has requested officially from me to return..any idea?

 

Edited April 30, 2018 by carthaivisa

[sathuluv]

On 4/27/2018 at 9:40 PM, khongaeng said:

I have been waiting now for 8 months since NIA for my application to be sent to MOI.  As Arkady mentioned, Waiting Waiting Waiting is par for the course.

 

Talking with SB officers lately, they seem to be doing a lot more to manage expectations in their communications.  When I applied last year, I was told that I could expect to be finished with everything in 2-3 years.  Now I have been told subtly a few times that they are just now processing applications at MOI from 2012 or that they are not sure which year the MOI interview will happen for me....  Waiting, Waiting, Waiting

Waiting is the way. Until you have some special connections and/or accelerated route with special fees :)

2-3 years seems realistic.

[sathuluv]

On 4/28/2018 at 9:42 AM, Neeranam said:

That seems a long time. I'm also waiting for the same, but only been 3 months. I wonder why they are not sent sooner, what are they doing?

I heard it would be 2/3 months. Then after the interview , around 2 years.

Have SB told you that the reason is just a back log?

 

Do you think They could speed it up  with regular phone calls or visits, asking how it is going, or could this delay it?

 

Even once the MOI get it, there is a wait for the interview.  

 

I really hope to get the interview with MOI soon, then I can leave my job, which I don't need but feel it wise to stay there for the work permit, even though the MOI might not all for it.

 

It would beer nice to hear the times from NIA interview to MOI interview from others.

 

Good piece of advice is to keep cool and calm.
More the Why's you ask the more the delay it may or may not cause. So, far the SB officers were kind and supportive. Make one officer who is dealing with your application a friend thru line. Visit them during the important days with gift hamper.
We built a good rapport with one officer and we all know the important values here, food and relationship.

Again its my personal experience dealing with the government officials there could be some better ways too :)

[khongaeng]

On 4/28/2018 at 9:42 AM, Neeranam said:

Have SB told you that the reason is just a back log?

I was told a similar timeline when I applied last year.  

 

Apparently there is a final review stage requiring the head SB guy to give the final ok to send the documents on.  He is apparently rarely in the office, quite often on vacation, and when the stars align, they have the meeting once per month.  

 

I have reached out at least once every 2 months whether it be a face to face visit or a call.  It doesn't seem to help at all.  I also don't think they operate in any First in First Out order, based on comments from others in the forum. 

[THAIJAMES]

9 hours ago, khongaeng said:

I also don't think they operate in any First in First Out order, based on comments from others in the forum. 

The Thai way (and in many other countries) is if everyone agrees in a committee and there are no questions then approve.  If anyone brings up any questions kick the can down the road and work on the easy ones first.  I could imagine that some applicants could be on hold for years like I was for PR because their circumstances are special or the committee is faced with difficult questions or decisions that everyone cannot come to agreement on. 

 

As khongaeng has noted they don't operate in First in First Out. 

[sathuluv]

 Anyone from Jan'18 (took oath) had your name on RG already? Saw some updates in announcement last week for foreign woman marring Thai man.

 

[Arkady]

22 hours ago, carthaivisa said:

Hi..if you got Thai nationality..is it important to return back the Certificate of Residence (PR book) to Immigration office as someone in SB informed that it is not necessary to do so  despite that they told to return it and this someone asked me to keep it unless that the immigration has requested officially from you to return..any idea?

 

You need to return it along with your red alien book to Immigration at CW.  Maybe nothing will happen to you, if you don't, but Immigration certainly has a procedure for cancelling your PR status with them and your alien status with the police. It takes about 20 minutes at CW and you can do it on the way to the nearby passport office to apply for your first passport.

[Arkady]

5 hours ago, THAIJAMES said:

The Thai way (and in many other countries) is if everyone agrees in a committee and there are no questions then approve.  If anyone brings up any questions kick the can down the road and work on the easy ones first.  I could imagine that some applicants could be on hold for years like I was for PR because their circumstances are special or the committee is faced with difficult questions or decisions that everyone cannot come to agreement on. 

 

As khongaeng has noted they don't operate in First in First Out. 

 

The procedure according to the Nationality Act is that you are interviewed by the sub-committee comprising representatives from the 15 agencies prescribed in the Act.  Then applications are reviewed by the main committee with more senior representatives from the same agencies, usually within 2 or 3 months of your interview.  Most of the applications passed by the sub-committee are approved on the nod by the main committee but in rare cases they may reject someone or ask them back for another interview to clarify something.  Then applications are referred to the minister for signature. 

 

Definitely no FIFO system.  These are not accountants and there is mostly no rhyme or reason why someone gets ahead or behind the queue.  It is probably due to an inefficient system for sorting applications whereby they are thrown in a bucket and batched at random.  Applicants are not yet citizens and have no recourse to complain about being left waiting a long time in a process that legally depends on ministerial discretion. 

[Ron19]

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[Kwarium]

15 hours ago, Arkady said:

 

The procedure according to the Nationality Act is that you are interviewed by the sub-committee comprising representatives from the 15 agencies prescribed in the Act.  Then applications are reviewed by the main committee with more senior representatives from the same agencies, usually within 2 or 3 months of your interview. .... 

Just passed 9 months after the MOI meeting, not a peep from anyone. Pretty simple case so far, no complications or questions about paperwork. Still on same work permit, although it was never asked for at MOI, even though I offered to show it. (Actually not a single doc was asked for at MOI.)

 

My contact at SB, to use the term loosely, ignores texts, doesn’t seem to be on Line, speaks so fast even my wife finds him difficult to understand, so it’s frustrating calling him. Should I make a trip down there or just sit tight? We have asked about the progress twice so far, but not in the past year.

 

2 or 3 years to completion? Good luck with that! I applied and interviewed with SB on the same day, 4 years ago this June.

 

wait, wait, wait....

 

Good luck to all and big thanks to Arkady and the regulars here for keeping this thread alive and helpful!

[GabbaGabbaHey]

5 hours ago, Kwarium said:

2 or 3 years to completion? Good luck with that! I applied and interviewed with SB on the same day, 4 years ago this June.

 

wait, wait, wait....

If I calculate well, between the moment SB passed your application to MOI until the MOI interview, you waited for 2 years (24 months). Am I right?

Edited May 2, 2018 by GabbaGabbaHey

[Kwarium]

6 hours ago, GabbaGabbaHey said:

If I calculate well, between the moment SB passed your application to MOI until the MOI interview, you waited for 2 years (24 months). Am I right?

Yes.

Long reply with timeline lost due to being automatically logged out.

[Arkady]

13 hours ago, Kwarium said:

Just passed 9 months after the MOI meeting, not a peep from anyone. Pretty simple case so far, no complications or questions about paperwork. Still on same work permit, although it was never asked for at MOI, even though I offered to show it. (Actually not a single doc was asked for at MOI.)

 

My contact at SB, to use the term loosely, ignores texts, doesn’t seem to be on Line, speaks so fast even my wife finds him difficult to understand, so it’s frustrating calling him. Should I make a trip down there or just sit tight? We have asked about the progress twice so far, but not in the past year.

 

2 or 3 years to completion? Good luck with that! I applied and interviewed with SB on the same day, 4 years ago this June.

 

wait, wait, wait....

 

Good luck to all and big thanks to Arkady and the regulars here for keeping this thread alive and helpful!

 

Sounds like you're still on track but, if you haven't been in touch for a year and your SB officer is difficult to understand on the phone, a visit to say hi you were in the area and thought you would drop by would not be amiss.  It is not bad to remind them of who you are to motivate them to contact you promptly, if anything comes up.  They were all on LINE during my application and I had to deal with more than one of them.   If you were concerned you had been forgotten, a call to the MOI would be in order but 9 months after your interview I would not think this is necessary. 

[Neeranam]

On 02/05/2018 at 5:51 AM, Kwarium said:

Still on same work permit, although it was never asked for at MOI, even though I offered to show it. (Actually not a single doc was asked for at MOI.)

That's encouraging news. Thanks for sharing.

[khongaeng]

Does anyone have an idea of the volume of applicants that apply every year?  I seem to remember from a post around page number 80 or so showing that the average number of naturalized men is less than 100 each year.  We on this forum, I suppose, are a preselected active bunch that are willing to ride the process out to the end, and if I recall no one has posted that they have been rejected outright.  I am wondering if anyone has heard what the dropout rate is, or rejection rate.  Is it safe to say that if you have patience, that if your application is accepted by SB and sent to MOI, there is a very high likelihood that you will make it to the finish line sooner or later?

[Arkady]

1 hour ago, khongaeng said:

Does anyone have an idea of the volume of applicants that apply every year?  I seem to remember from a post around page number 80 or so showing that the average number of naturalized men is less than 100 each year.  We on this forum, I suppose, are a preselected active bunch that are willing to ride the process out to the end, and if I recall no one has posted that they have been rejected outright.  I am wondering if anyone has heard what the dropout rate is, or rejection rate.  Is it safe to say that if you have patience, that if your application is accepted by SB and sent to MOI, there is a very high likelihood that you will make it to the finish line sooner or later?

 

I think you are about right which means that SB is processing around 2 new applications a week, i.e. less than one per head but rushed off their feet compared to the alien registration officers in every police station in Bangkok.  The attrition rate must be under 5%.  Most of the people who get as far as filing an application are rather determined, as you say. A very few drop out because they have to leave Thailand for some reason or other.  Others may have to drop out or are rejected after getting divorced, if they applied on the basis of a Thai spouse.  Some drop out when the paper chase at the beginning gets too hard but that is usually before they have filed the application, so they don't count as failed applicants, just people who lacked the necessary determination to keep plugging on regardless of what banana skins are thrown in their path.   

[GabbaGabbaHey]

1 hour ago, Arkady said:

 Some drop out when the paper chase at the beginning gets too hard but that is usually before they have filed the application, so they don't count as failed applicants, just people who lacked the necessary determination to keep plugging on regardless of what banana skins are thrown in their path.   

Not to mention a big number who would like to apply but simply fail the requirements or the 50 points required and thus never pass SB.

[Neeranam]

5 hours ago, khongaeng said:

Does anyone have an idea of the volume of applicants that apply every year?  I seem to remember from a post around page number 80 or so showing that the average number of naturalized men is less than 100 each year.  We on this forum, I suppose, are a preselected active bunch that are willing to ride the process out to the end, and if I recall no one has posted that they have been rejected outright.  I am wondering if anyone has heard what the dropout rate is, or rejection rate.  Is it safe to say that if you have patience, that if your application is accepted by SB and sent to MOI, there is a very high likelihood that you will make it to the finish line sooner or later?

I think some might be delayed for a few years due to change of job or similar, like I worry I leave my job then get the MOI interview and they ask for the WP. I've heard here that some are asked and some are not.

Should probably ask the SB about this, but don't want to yet, as they might delay sending it to them. I had a delay of 2 months with the provincial police time wasting checking my house etc.

There really aren't that many compared to other countries, surprising that they have a backlog.

[sathuluv]

4 hours ago, Neeranam said:

I think some might be delayed for a few years due to change of job or similar, like I worry I leave my job then get the MOI interview and they ask for the WP. I've heard here that some are asked and some are not.

Should probably ask the SB about this, but don't want to yet, as they might delay sending it to them. I had a delay of 2 months with the provincial police time wasting checking my house etc.

There really aren't that many compared to other countries, surprising that they have a backlog.

Regarding the original document verification. SB checked my Passport, WP and others when I submitted the application. There after till the point I took oath in Jan only passport was asked.

But, I did casually asked the officer, "so, I no more required to have WP right". She replied smiling "No ka. You should have WP until all you receive the certificate".

 

Don't take risk of loosing the track of WP then lead to chaos which we never know the process which might delay further unknowingly.

[GabbaGabbaHey]

13 hours ago, sathuluv said:

Regarding the original document verification. SB checked my Passport, WP and others when I submitted the application. There after till the point I took oath in Jan only passport was asked.

But, I did casually asked the officer, "so, I no more required to have WP right". She replied smiling "No ka. You should have WP until all you receive the certificate".

 

Don't take risk of loosing the track of WP then lead to chaos which we never know the process which might delay further unknowingly.

The tricky situation is, knowing it can take one or two years to get the MOI interview scheduled, that you change job from Corp A (being quite famous in Thailand) to Corp B after your file was sent to MOI. In such situation, I imagine the interview would be going around yourself and Corp A, but now if you start saying  that you are currently with another company -Corp B-, what would be the MOI panel's reaction... delay your approval and perhaps send you back to SB or not? Has anyone faced this and still got approved?

 

[sathuluv]

The tricky situation is, knowing it can take one or two years to get the MOI interview scheduled, that you change job from Corp A (being quite famous in Thailand) to Corp B after your file was sent to MOI. In such situation, I imagine the interview would be going around yourself and Corp A, but now if you start saying  that you are currently with another company -Corp B-, what would be the MOI panel's reaction... delay your approval and perhaps send you back to SB or not? Has anyone faced this and still got approved?
 

Good question. Change of job from Corp A to Corp B is not a question at all. As they asked me on my current job which at the time of application Corp A. During the MOI interview if you might have moved to Corp B. I suggest to explain the Corp A role and handle the question. As this team is there to ask the genuineness of your application. Later when they ask for original WP what is your future plan question then open the recent Corp B job.


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Kwarium]

I was also concerned I might want to change jobs at some point in the years-long process, so I asked SB more than once over the years. Was told each time, after the MOI interview I wouldn’t need a work permit any longer. (MOI didn’t ask me for ANY docs, although I was prepared and had everything imaginable.)

 

So, I went ahead and called the SB guy, actually had someone call with my phone. He knew who was calling and said something to the affect of “Oh Mr. .... I was going to call you! You can come in for the oath next week. Give me a couple days to confirm what day. Bring your work permit, passport, 2 copies of each and 4 pictures 2x2.5 inches. Ok, bye.” I added punctuation for clarity since he talks  in a  nonstop stream! 

 

So, I do need the work permit at the oath... maybe because MOI didn’t check it? And I’m wondering what if I hadn’t called SB? And how long has it been since ‘was going to call you’ has been on his to do list? My MOI was actually just over 8 months ago.

 

My oath is this week and then “3-4 months after oath, everything done by the end of the year.” Quote from SB on Friday May 4th, 2018.

 

FYI- I called him back after waiting a day and a half and got a confirmed date and time for my oath.  My wife is busy with family visiting this week and was hoping to not attend. When I asked SB if that was ok, he got very interested in why she would not attend, as though it was going to be a problem.

 

I smoothed it over quickly by telling him she’ll be there with me! I may show up with MIL and 6-8 extended family members! Can’t decide if that would get some laughs or cause problems!

 

Waiting anxiously for sathuluvs RTG publication timing as that is soon to be my next step!

 

Arkady, your advice to contact SB was spot on! It’s hilarious how invigorating it is each time this normally dormant process shows signs of life!