Story Of My Thai Citizenship Application

[Arkady]

21 hours ago, XGM said:

That's interesting, could you elaborate on this? what was the reason for the change and what was the procedure for that?

SB insisted that I should apply as married to a Thai, even though we had been married for less than 3 years and junior had not yet arrived.  They claimed that having PR meant that it was not necessary to have been married 3 years.  I was very skeptical and I insisted that I wanted to apply on the basis of PR and was happy to sing, as I had already done for points and got full marks for Thai.  Actually I believed they had done the application on the basis of PR until 2.5 years later when I chased up the MOI and was told that my application could not proceed because SB had written the covering letter referencing the part of the Act that gives exemption from knowledge of the Thai language to those married to Thai women.

 

The procedure to fix that was that the MOI knocked my file back to SB to correct their mistake. This involved getting a new salary letter, tax receipts, bank statement and resubmitting WP etc which took SB 6 months. Another officer at SB, who was not my case officer but was the longest standing officer in the outer room, told me when no one else was around that his colleagues had done the same thing to several people and the files were all coming back.  He said he had advised them to frame the applications on the basis of PR but they refused to listen because they thought the singing was too difficult and were worried about being criticised the MOI for sending over applicants that couldn't sing well enough. He also said that I was lucky that the MOI sent my file back before interview as finding someone is unqualified at or after the interview means that the application is axed and you have to start again from scratch. He said that they had just got 5 or 6 back after interview and showed me the files.  Most were people with PR for less than 5 years.  The MOI had been letting people use time on a WP before they got PR to count towards the 5 years but a new section head had reversed the policy.  Some people with less than 5 years PR still insisted on applying because they or their lawyers knew of others who had got through like that but all were knocked back.

[XGM]

@Arkady Understood. BTW is there a difference in processing time between applying using the PR route vs. the marriage route? And to follow on that - for those who don't have PR, is there any advantage of any kind (not necessarily time related) of applying for that first and then applying for citizenship? I guess that in the event of a divorce an application based on marriage will not be worth much - does being a parent of a Thai child change that?

[DrJoy]

2 hours ago, XGM said:

I guess that in the event of a divorce an application based on marriage will not be worth much

No difference in processing times.

If you apply on the basis of married to a Thai, your wife must be with you during the MOI interview.

 

If not, consider it cancelled

[GarryP]

13 hours ago, DrJoy said:

No difference in processing times.

If you apply on the basis of married to a Thai, your wife must be with you during the MOI interview.

 

If not, consider it cancelled

Extenuating circumstances accepted.  My wife did not attend either of my two interviews with MOI. 

[DrJoy]

38 minutes ago, GarryP said:

My wife did not attend either of my two interviews with MOI. 

As I remember from your earlier posts your wife had cancer, thats why she was exempted.

 

No exemption for divorcees 

[GarryP]

27 minutes ago, DrJoy said:

As I remember from your earlier posts your wife had cancer, thats why she was exempted.

 

No exemption for divorcees 

Yep. Getting divorced while in the process would render the application void. 

[rsskga]

Update and question...

 

Although we were warned that the initial police investigation might be delayed due to the election and my husband being abroad for 3 months this summer, I *think* we may have moved to the next phase.

 

I received a call and a request for documents from the National Intelligence Service today. My Thai remains a work in progress so I was unable to ask questions competently. Does this mean the initial investigation performed by our local police station is likely over? Or do these things sometimes occur concurrently?

 

If this is already the next phase, I'm very pleasantly surprised by this quick pace.

[david143]

Just now, rsskga said:

Update and question...

 

Although we were warned that the initial police investigation might be delayed due to the election and my husband being abroad for 3 months this summer, I *think* we may have moved to the next phase.

 

I received a call and a request for documents from the National Intelligence Service today. My Thai remains a work in progress so I was unable to ask questions competently. Does this mean the initial investigation performed by our local police station is likely over? Or do these things sometimes occur concurrently?

 

If this is already the next phase, I'm very pleasantly surprised by this quick pace.

when NIA called and you sent them email all the documents, they will check all the documents and verify them along with the visit to your place, once done, NIA will forward back your report to SB, this is the last stage of verification as you are applicant , then SB will forward your file to MOI for final interview process and you will be in QUE  until 12 to 18 months, depend on the situation of Thailand.
Congrag you almost cleared your first stage.

[yankee99]

51 minutes ago, david143 said:

when NIA called and you sent them email all the documents, they will check all the documents and verify them along with the visit to your place, once done, NIA will forward back your report to SB, this is the last stage of verification as you are applicant , then SB will forward your file to MOI for final interview process and you will be in QUE  until 12 to 18 months, depend on the situation of Thailand.
Congrag you almost cleared your first stage.

Sadly I think those 12-18 months between NIA and MOI are gone i know some applicants waiting over 2y and are still waiting 

[david143]

Just now, yankee99 said:

Sadly I think those 12-18 months between NIA and MOI are gone i know some applicants waiting over 2y and are still waiting 

just assume as per procedure and process

[Arkady]

2 hours ago, yankee99 said:

Sadly I think those 12-18 months between NIA and MOI are gone i know some applicants waiting over 2y and are still waiting 

A friend was told by someone who claimed to have an inside source at the MOI that there were about 1,000 in the queue for interviews at the moment.  If this number is correct, that probably translates in about about a 2 year queue at least which is still faster than before the 2014 coup when 3.5 years was the typical wait.

 

It is impossible to predict how things will go under a new government but, suffice it to say, an old style politician replacing Gen Anuphong as Interior Minister would not be a positive.  Gen Anuphong, who has been minister since 2014, streamlined the citizenship and PR processes and improved transparency to reduce the potential for corruption but the weeds have been noticeably growing back over the last couple of years.

 

[DrJoy]

1 hour ago, Arkady said:

A friend was told by someone who claimed to have an inside source at the MOI that there were about 1,000 in the queue for interviews at the moment.

This is absolutely correct, I was told the same thing by a trusted source inside MOI

[DrJoy]

4 hours ago, rsskga said:

I'm very pleasantly surprised by this quick pace

This quick pace ends as soon as your file reaches MOI.

 

Currently 2020 candidate are being called so almost a 3 yrs wait to get an interview with MOI

[DrJoy]

4 hours ago, david143 said:

until 12 to 18 months, depend on the situation of Thailand.

@onthemoon is waiting from April 2020, 3yrs + wait

 

She has just applied this year, at this rate you can imagine when she may be called for an MOI interview !

[XGM]

50 minutes ago, DrJoy said:

@onthemoon is waiting from April 2020, 3yrs + wait

 

She has just applied this year, at this rate you can imagine when she may be called for an MOI interview !

I recall you mentioned somewhere that they expedite it for 500,000 baht. Was that a serious comment or a humorous one...?

[yankee99]

19 minutes ago, XGM said:

I recall you mentioned somewhere that they expedite it for 500,000 baht. Was that a serious comment or a humorous one...?

That of course would be illegal and may get your citizenship revoked .

 

if their are 20 committee members thats only 25k each not much 

[Arkady]

1 hour ago, XGM said:

I recall you mentioned somewhere that they expedite it for 500,000 baht. Was that a serious comment or a humorous one...?

I don't think there has been any credible suggest that it has been possible to expedite things by paying a bribe of that order in recent times, although it might have happened in the dim and distant past.  The process was cleaned up by Anuphong in 2014 and he has been minister since then. Some people will always trying to see if their high level connections can help get things expedited (some willing to pay and others not).  Feedback that I have heard recently is that nothing can be done to expedite things even with connections and no one has been asked for a bribe.  Just wait in the queue.

[XGM]

On 1/31/2022 at 6:04 AM, DrJoy said:

Sure they will speed up for you , when u pay THB 500,000/- (Hard Cash)

@Arkady
@yankee99
Reading this, I wasn't sure if it's a joke or not (I now realize it was). BTW, didn't read it as a bribe, programs such as Elite Visa charge millions per piece for example, so who knows.

[DrJoy]

1 hour ago, XGM said:

@Arkady
@yankee99
Reading this, I wasn't sure if it's a joke or not (I now realize it was). BTW, didn't read it as a bribe, programs such as Elite Visa charge millions per piece for example, so who knows.

I said that in a light mood humor.

 

The fee for Thai citizenship is 5100/- thb currently, nothing extra apart from that.

[Dogmatix]

30 minutes ago, DrJoy said:

I said that in a light mood humor.

 

The fee for Thai citizenship is 5100/- thb currently, nothing extra apart from that.

Nevertheless it is a question that many people ask which is not surprising, given the level of corruption in Thailand. In fact, if you ask many lawyers and brokers, they will tell you a substantial bribe is essential which they can arrange discretely for you. Then they will proceed to pocket the whole lot for themselves and spend the next 3 years coming up with excuses as to why the client's citizenship wasn't expedited as promised.  I know someone going through this at the moment. He ignored my advice not to pay the expressway fee to the lawyer who is now claiming that the Chinese have bid up the bribes so much that he needs to make a top up payment to be taken seriously. 555

[Neeranam]

During General Anupong's reign, he certainly cleaned up any bribery within the Ministry of Interior. 

In other areas, it wasn't quite as efficient, however not as open as previously. 

 

 

[david143]

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 , first MOI can't find his data in Computer, then staff told him and his wife please wait , after wait about 45 min, his data showed up in Computer and officer informed him he may get call for interview about end of this year or Feb march 24, due to there are 587 people Que above him, he was kinda angry person and his wife talk little harsh , why at the first point you can't found data and we have to wait for 45 min to see our data in computer, what my friend and his wife believed they haven't input the data , officer unable to reply them, she kept quite all the time, so this is yesterday updates.
June July 2023 no interview meetings was held

[onthemoon]

1 hour 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 , first MOI can't find his data in Computer, then staff told him and his wife please wait , after wait about 45 min, his data showed up in Computer and officer informed him he may get call for interview about end of this year or Feb march 24, due to there are 587 people Que above him, he was kinda angry person and his wife talk little harsh , why at the first point you can't found data and we have to wait for 45 min to see our data in computer, what my friend and his wife believed they haven't input the data , officer unable to reply them, she kept quite all the time, so this is yesterday updates.
June July 2023 no interview meetings was held

Hm, and they thought getting angry and talking harsh will speed up the process?

[david143]

1 minute ago, onthemoon said:

Hm, and they thought getting angry and talking harsh will speed up the process?

i don't think so but at least staff should know that they suppose to reply to query once someone contacted without delaying , as everyone paid Govt fees .

 

[onthemoon]

19 minutes ago, david143 said:

i don't think so but at least staff should know that they suppose to reply to query once someone contacted without delaying , as everyone paid Govt fees .

Since you are applying for Thai citizenship, I would think you have lived here for a while. Hence, I am surprised about your reply. ????

[david143]

1 minute ago, onthemoon said:

Since you are applying for Thai citizenship, I would think you have lived here for a while. Hence, I am surprised about your reply. ????

never mind brother we are already Thais ???? .
yeah i am in Thailand since 2004.

[onthemoon]

1 hour ago, david143 said:

never mind brother we are already Thais ???? .
yeah i am in Thailand since 2004.

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

[david143]

1 minute 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.

we will never become politicians , as we are not born with Thai parents.
I wish so someday i will meet Pita he always hanging around here and there. ???? 

[onthemoon]

7 minutes ago, david143 said:

we will never become politicians , as we are not born with Thai parents.
I wish so someday i will meet Pita he always hanging around here and there. ???? 

I meant this tongue-in-cheek. 

[yankee99]

3 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 , first MOI can't find his data in Computer, then staff told him and his wife please wait , after wait about 45 min, his data showed up in Computer and officer informed him he may get call for interview about end of this year or Feb march 24, due to there are 587 people Que above him, he was kinda angry person and his wife talk little harsh , why at the first point you can't found data and we have to wait for 45 min to see our data in computer, what my friend and his wife believed they haven't input the data , officer unable to reply them, she kept quite all the time, so this is yesterday updates.
June July 2023 no interview meetings was held

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