Story Of My Thai Citizenship Application

[david143]

1 minute ago, GarryP said:

For voting, you must have held your ID card for 5 years.

 

For leasing, I would assume it is upon being able to present your ID card. I have not had any problems buying a house or land, but then I did not buy immediately after getting my ID card. 

Thank you so much for reply.

 

[qualtrough]

Just got the long awaited call.

 

Assuming (knock on wood) I pass, what is the current estimate for the length of time between the MOI interview and approval and RG publication?

 

And I know people have said not to sweat it, but any advice, things not to forget to bring/do, etc?

[david143]

Moi to Oath 8 to 10 Months
Oath to RG 2 to 4 Months

Good luck
 

[yankee99]

29 minutes ago, qualtrough said:

Just got the long awaited call.

 

Assuming (knock on wood) I pass, what is the current estimate for the length of time between the MOI interview and approval and RG publication?

 

And I know people have said not to sweat it, but any advice, things not to forget to bring/do, etc?

In regards to the moi my advice is suit and tie. If your fluent in thai short 1-2 word answers no need to get in a conversation they have all your details already. If you're like me and have the worst thai out of all the applicants try and answer 1 or 2 questions and let your wife take over. They asked my wife why i didn't speak much thai. She said i speak thai but not this type of conversation. Someone basically told her she could help and i never said a word except thank you (in thai) at the end. 2 minutes i was out of there. To be honest i think you really have to f&#k something up not to pass the moi. 

[david143]

43 minutes ago, qualtrough said:

Just got the long awaited call.

 

Assuming (knock on wood) I pass, what is the current estimate for the length of time between the MOI interview and approval and RG publication?

 

And I know people have said not to sweat it, but any advice, things not to forget to bring/do, etc?

Brother do you got a interview call from MOI ?

[jayson1]

17 minutes ago, qualtrough said:

Just got the long awaited call.

 

Assuming (knock on wood) I pass, what is the current estimate for the length of time between the MOI interview and approval and RG publication?

 

And I know people have said not to sweat it, but any advice, things not to forget to bring/do, etc?

1. If you are married to a Thai, no need to sing so no need to stress. Interview started out with how do you meet, how long have you been together, what do you both do for jobs etc. In my case, they had general interest Qs about my work - as the organisation I worked for had been in the news in the past - so they just had some random questions that was more out of general interest than anything nefarious. After 10 minutes, it was over. If you can speak Thai, just spend an hour so in advance thinking of how to answer the Qs in Thai, ask your wife how she will answer (or how she will translate your answers, if this is necessary). More to put your mind at ease than anything necessary. I tried to give relatively succinct and polite answers. 

 

NOTE: There are 15-20 officials in the room. Missus found this surprising.

 

2. I was told to bring work permit, passport, and marriage certificate. They only very briefly looked at my passport (there were photos of both of us on the screen in the interview room so they know who you are).

 

3. BORA is in the middle of nowhere. I arrived at 08:30 and left at 15:00.  I would wear a suit, with your wife being similarly dressed. Try to be there by 08:30. Ask what number you on the list so you know how many hours of waiting you will be in for. The further down you are on the list, the longer it will take. Then, you just spend hours waiting around so have something to do do (I listened to podcasts). 

 

For other process details, see https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/121353-story-of-my-thai-citizenship-application/?do=findComment&comment=11934696 which broadly matched my experience. 

[onthemoon]

45 minutes ago, qualtrough said:

Just got the long awaited call.

 

Assuming (knock on wood) I pass, what is the current estimate for the length of time between the MOI interview and approval and RG publication?

 

And I know people have said not to sweat it, but any advice, things not to forget to bring/do, etc?

How long did it take in your case from the documents being forwarded from SB to MOI until you got the call?

[Big Guns]

49 minutes ago, qualtrough said:

Just got the long awaited call.

 

Assuming (knock on wood) I pass, what is the current estimate for the length of time between the MOI interview and approval and RG publication?

 

And I know people have said not to sweat it, but any advice, things not to forget to bring/do, etc?

As other people hsve said, wear a suit & tie ,& of course be polite. If you don't speak much Thai let your wife take over. I found it a little nerve racking, but just relax. Treat yourself to a nice meal afterwards. I've been Thai for 3 years now & I wish I'd known my wife could do the talking before I had the interview ????

[qualtrough]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I believe my file was received by  the MOI in April last year, so just about 1.5 years.

 

I will wear a suit. Been so long I might have to have it let out :)

 

I can speak Thai well enough so the wife won't need to pitch in unless they ask her something directly.

 

Will try to bring any document they might want to look at.

 

Fortunately it's not that far from where I live, but I plan to get there early.

[david143]

1 hour ago, qualtrough said:

Thanks everyone for your advice. I believe my file was received by  the MOI in April last year, so just about 1.5 years.

 

I will wear a suit. Been so long I might have to have it let out ????

 

I can speak Thai well enough so the wife won't need to pitch in unless they ask her something directly.

 

Will try to bring any document they might want to look at.

 

Fortunately it's not that far from where I live, but I plan to get there early.

When is next meeting at MOi.

Few of my friends still not got a call.

[Neeranam]

4 hours ago, qualtrough said:

Just got the long awaited call.

 

Assuming (knock on wood) I pass, what is the current estimate for the length of time between the MOI interview and approval and RG publication?

 

And I know people have said not to sweat it, but any advice, things not to forget to bring/do, etc?

 

Don't sweat it, it's over in 5 minutes!

My only advice is to show a lot of obeisance, wai etc.

We arrived at MoI at 8.30, signed our names on the second floor. Didn't have to show any ID the whole time.

Was sent to a room upstairs to wait until 10.30. A woman came in and said to call her in 3 months to see if everything is OK and signed by Gen Anupong and the PM. She said it would be 6 months before being signed by HM the king.

Back to the 2nd floor, some were told to go to lunch at 11.40, but 3 couples were told to wait. Then at 12.05, we were told that the referees were having lunch for 30 minutes. So we were 3rd in the queue and finished by 1pm.

We had to sit in the corridor while I heard them say my name and my number of points, 53. 

The first question they asked was why we live in Isarn when my wife was from Central Thailand. My wife answered that(to open a restaurant with a friend) Then they asked where my daughters studied and how much it cost. They asked how I could afford to pay the high fees on a low salary. 

Then they asked why I came to Thailand first. Then someone else asked if I was a Buddhist and I gave some babble about I was a mixture of that and Hinduism, as I believed in God He said he wanted to talk more about this but didn't have time. Another then asked if I didn't want to go back to England. I replied that I was from Scotland then ended up giving a lecture on how Great Britain was 3 countries and the UK was 4. Someone else asked about Ireland which confused things and I told them about how N.Ireland was not part of Ireland but part of the UK, not GB and Ireland was remaining in the EU and started talking about Brexit. 

[onthemoon]

3 hours ago, qualtrough said:

Thanks everyone for your advice. I believe my file was received by  the MOI in April last year, so just about 1.5 years.

Thanks. 1.5 years is in line with what I had gathered from other posts here too, so all is still on schedule.

[david143]

is there any MOI meeting coming ahead and when it is.

 

[Kwarium]

On 9/16/2020 at 3:45 PM, qualtrough said:

Just got the long awaited call.

...

On 9/16/2020 at 3:45 PM, qualtrough said:

 

And I know people have said not to sweat it, but any advice, things not to forget to bring/do, etc?

Also wore a suit, and recommend it. I am also of the belief the interview is a formality, maybe to weed out obvious nut cases? 

 

While waiting in the hallway to go in next, the handler lady mentioned that we had ‘the happy guy’ and things were going well all day. Sure enough, the conversation was similar to one might have with a taxi driver. He was jovial and he and I both got a few laughs from the committee, who did not have any questions for me. I defered a few questions to my wife, and I also answered 1 in my broken Thai in a way that did not address the question. (I misunderstood what he asked.) That got kind of a laugh, too.

 

5 hours of waiting, had lunch in the ground floor canteen (like what you find at the DLT offices), meeting done in under 10 minutes, seemed like 5.

 

Relax and be yourself is my advice!

 

Congrats to all of you long-timers that are finally coming through the process!

 

Note about yellow book address:

Since MOI will send a confirmation letter to the Amphur office your yellow book is registered at, do not change the yellow book amphur or province after the MOI interview (like I did). It required the amphur sending the change information to MOI, and then a wait for MOI to send a confirmation letter to the new amphur in the new province which I had changed to. No big deal except adding another month or more to the process.

 

My thinking is if the yellow book change was made before MOI interview, they could update your files and proceed normally. I could be wrong.

 

The only doc I showed at the MOI interview was passport.

 

Good Luck!

[yankee99]

11 hours ago, Kwarium said:

Note about yellow book address:

Since MOI will send a confirmation letter to the Amphur office your yellow book is registered at, do not change the yellow book amphur or province after the MOI interview (like I did). It required the amphur sending the change information to MOI, and then a wait for MOI to send a confirmation letter to the new amphur in the new province which I had changed to. No big deal except adding another month or more to the process.

 

My thinking is if the yellow book change was made before MOI interview, they could update your files and proceed normally. I could be wrong.

My sb officer suggested i change my yellow book before the oath so all papers would go to my home amphur. Hope it doesn't add a month to my id card

[heiri007]

If the students' awakening keeps the gov't busy, there will be more and longer naturalization delays. Anyone?

[GabbaGabbaHey]

5 hours ago, heiri007 said:

If the students' awakening keeps the gov't busy, there will be more and longer naturalization delays. Anyone?

I don't think so. Naturalization under the current administration seems quite fluid process that grants citizenship to perhaps 400 people per year, and there are very well defined entities (SB, NIA, MOI) with civil servants that do well their job without I believe direct impact from what happens on the public scene. The actual government part appears reduced to the law aspect, the final important signatures that are required and any political decision to pause or delay anything, but so far so good and the process has been quite smooth for many of us who started our application since 2016. There are regular MOI interviews on a monthly basis and they are now catching up with the missed months due to Covid19.

Edited September 18, 2020 by GabbaGabbaHey

[qualtrough]

On 9/18/2020 at 1:45 PM, heiri007 said:

If the students' awakening keeps the gov't busy, there will be more and longer naturalization delays. Anyone?

Historically the Thai bureaucracy keeps chugging along despite the occasional coup or civil unrest. Having said that, if there is a real upsetting of the current system that could certainly change the situation. Particularly if the person needed to finally sign off on applications is no longer around or too worried about things more important than signing off on new citizenship applications. The latter is a distinct possibility.

[heiri007]

2 hours ago, qualtrough said:

Historically the Thai bureaucracy keeps chugging along despite the occasional coup or civil unrest. Having said that, if there is a real upsetting of the current system that could certainly change the situation. Particularly if the person needed to finally sign off on applications is no longer around or too worried about things more important than signing off on new citizenship applications. The latter is a distinct possibility.

Question being, does the office sign? Everything published in the RG needs signing. That's a mountain of paperwork.

[david143]

if talk about Citizenship.
Signatures already done From H.M , PM, Minister MOI, Applicant done the Oath too, file send back to MOI in Printing RG department, rest is don't need any signatures.
if you notice in RG publications there are no signatures on RG, only Mentioned Minister of Interior Gen. Anupong
พลเอก อนุพงษ์ เผ่าจินดา
รัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงมหาดไทย

But for those who done MOI and waiting next step, if current situation sparked and things dramatically change, which is i don't believe it will change, but lets say I.E yes then only Ministers will change, and it will add up more time for signatures. 
But since this Govt they are at least very efficient in Processing Citizenship applications.
Every month Meetings, every 2 month RG.
Cheers

[GabbaGabbaHey]

Does anyone know for what kind of administrative paper the three SB-signed RG copies are requested? I already gave one to my district for the preparation of the ID issuance, I assume the passport division could require one (just assuming) and I'd like to know if it'll be required for cancelling WP/PR? for buying land or house? for changing province of residence? for changing marital status?... I have no clue but would be happy to get any information on this. BTW did anyone ever had to go back to SB to get more of these RG-signed copies?

[Kwarium]

1 hour ago, GabbaGabbaHey said:

Does anyone know for what kind of administrative paper the three SB-signed RG copies are requested? I already gave one to my district for the preparation of the ID issuance, I assume the passport division could require one (just assuming) and I'd like to know if it'll be required for cancelling WP/PR? for buying land or house? for changing province of residence? for changing marital status?... I have no clue but would be happy to get any information on this. BTW did anyone ever had to go back to SB to get more of these RG-signed copies?

You are correct on your assumption about the three signed originals of the RG letter which SB gives us.

1st- To Amphur where yellow book is registered to cancel yellow book, enter me in blue/Thai housebook and issue Thai ID .

2nd- To passport office to issue Thai passport.

3rd- still in my possession after almost 2 years.

 

iirc, I showed a copy of the letter to immigration when cancelling my visa, but they gave it back to me. I did not want to give away the last one! However, as we are legally and officially naturalized Thai citizens, only Thai ID and housebook should be required for any future beauracratic dealings.

 

Congrats!

 

 

 

[Kwarium]

On 9/18/2020 at 6:54 AM, yankee99 said:

My sb officer suggested i change my yellow book before the oath so all papers would go to my home amphur. Hope it doesn't add a month to my id card

SB certainly should know better than I! The goal is to get the letter sent from MOI directly to the correct Amphur where your yellow book is registered. The house owner will need to visit the amphur with you and sign.

 

In my case the house owner my yellow book was on changed and we did not know the new (condo building) owner. At that point, we changed to another province and MOI had to send a new letter to the new Amphur, where TW was the house owner. Thus, a month delay, but easily within the 90 days to process the Thai ID.

 

(It was a bit stressful as I never knew of the existence of such a letter and I was slow to understand what was going on!)

[GarryP]

6 hours ago, GabbaGabbaHey said:

Does anyone know for what kind of administrative paper the three SB-signed RG copies are requested? I already gave one to my district for the preparation of the ID issuance, I assume the passport division could require one (just assuming) and I'd like to know if it'll be required for cancelling WP/PR? for buying land or house? for changing province of residence? for changing marital status?... I have no clue but would be happy to get any information on this. BTW did anyone ever had to go back to SB to get more of these RG-signed copies?

I always take it with me when I am going to do something out of the ordinary, such as buy a house or buy land. It really depends on the Land Department Office you are dealing with as to whether they will want/need to see it. I took it with me to the Land Department in Somdej, Kalasin, earlier this year as I had bought some land, and showed it to the official responsible for giving out queue numbers as she could not believe I was Thai despite the ID card showing that I was, but when she went to discuss the matter with her boss he said there was no real issue.   

 

I seem to recall showing it the first time I had all my bank accounts updated, but have never shown it since. For opening new bank and mutual fund accounts it has never been needed and I have been able to rely on my ID card. 

 

I will keep it out of harms way and away from insects though, as knowing my luck, as soon as it turns to dust it will be needed again. 

[GabbaGabbaHey]

37 minutes ago, GarryP said:

I always take it with me when I am going to do something out of the ordinary, such as buy a house or buy land. It really depends on the Land Department Office you are dealing with as to whether they will want/need to see it. I took it with me to the Land Department in Somdej, Kalasin, earlier this year as I had bought some land, and showed it to the official responsible for giving out queue numbers as she could not believe I was Thai despite the ID card showing that I was, but when she went to discuss the matter with her boss he said there was no real issue.   

 

I seem to recall showing it the first time I had all my bank accounts updated, but have never shown it since. For opening new bank and mutual fund accounts it has never been needed and I have been able to rely on my ID card. 

 

I will keep it out of harms way and away from insects though, as knowing my luck, as soon as it turns to dust it will be needed again. 

Thanks. In such case I'm going to give the first ones to the district and the passport office but I won't give the last one easily. After all, I don't see why other offices (such as bank, insurance, labour dpt, my employer...) would not accept a self-certified printed copy of the certified-copy ????

[GarryP]

1 hour ago, GabbaGabbaHey said:

Thanks. In such case I'm going to give the first ones to the district and the passport office but I won't give the last one easily. After all, I don't see why other offices (such as bank, insurance, labour dpt, my employer...) would not accept a self-certified printed copy of the certified-copy ????

Apart from the District Office, I haven't given an original to anyone. Certified true copies are fine. However, you may sometimes need to show the original too. You most definitely should retain one original for yourself.  

[qualtrough]

4 hours ago, GarryP said:

I will keep it out of harms way and away from insects though, as knowing my luck, as soon as it turns to dust it will be needed again. 

We have had birth certs, company docs, marriage cert, etc. laminated to protect them and have never had any problem with that from officials. This climate doesn't treat paper very well.

[Neeranam]

20 hours ago, Kwarium said:

You are correct on your assumption about the three signed originals of the RG letter which SB gives us.

1st- To Amphur where yellow book is registered to cancel yellow book, enter me in blue/Thai housebook and issue Thai ID .

2nd- To passport office to issue Thai passport.

3rd- still in my possession after almost 2 years.

 

iirc, I showed a copy of the letter to immigration when cancelling my visa, but they gave it back to me. I did not want to give away the last one! However, as we are legally and officially naturalized Thai citizens, only Thai ID and housebook should be required for any future beauracratic dealings.

 

Congrats!

 

 

 

Did you ask for the originals back from the Amphur and Passport office?

I'm going to tell them that I only have one and it's important to keep. 

I think I'll ask for extra copies from SB when the time comes. 

[GarryP]

17 hours ago, qualtrough said:

We have had birth certs, company docs, marriage cert, etc. laminated to protect them and have never had any problem with that from officials. This climate doesn't treat paper very well.

That seems to work in Thailand, but all laminated official documents were rejected in the UK where they do not allow it due to potential forgery. I had to get a replacement birth certificate, and marriage certificate because I had laminated the originals. So I would say it is fine laminating Thai official documents, but not documents from other countries if you are going to use them overseas. You would need to check on a country by country basis. 

[Kwarium]

On 9/22/2020 at 9:09 AM, Neeranam said:

Did you ask for the originals back from the Amphur and Passport office?

I'm going to tell them that I only have one and it's important to keep. 

I think I'll ask for extra copies from SB when the time comes. 

No, Amphur and passport office kept the originals. Wouldn’t want to impact their quota for gathering mountains of paper each month! Lol!

 

What do you anticipate needing extra official copies of the RG for? Btw, I have seen that a color photocopy is indistinguishable from the original copy. Not mine of course.

 

As far as laminating, I was concerned that the plastic would yellow and age before the paper of the original docs. Mine are in plastic sleeves in a dark ‘safe’ place, but not laminated.