Thailand grants citizenship to half a million people – but not farangs

[Dazinoz]

A bit of a story here about an ex girlfriend from Myanmar. Please don't ask how she was in the first place, she is and thats that.

 

When I met her she had no ID, no bike license, no bank account. I helped her get her pink non Thai ID.The agent was "her boss" as far as the work permit on the back of the ID. She managed to get a bank account and bike license from that, although for some reason could not register bike in her name. After 2 years the work permit section expired so she went back to the agent and he said he was no longer doing. She looked around but could not find anyone who could help. 

 

One night we were in a bar/restaurant and talking to cashier who was from Myanmar. She said she would talk to her uncle in Chiang Rai to see if he could help. After awhile we went to CR and paid a lot money to get a "white Thai ID". This was semi legal as legal ID but not obtained 100% kosher. She managed to open another bank account in CR with it. Was told that and living in CR was all she could do with it. Bit cheesed off after what we (read me) paid.

 

Told the cashier and she said you go back to CR (btw she lives in Chiang Mai) in a year and get it upgraded. We did that at the official government office. Sorry no can do.

 

So she left it like that with 2 IDs (different names). We are still friends and she recently asked could I help as the pink ID itself was due to expire. Her DL has expired and her bank account she uses her is on the expiring ID. Initially I was looking at the DLT online learning for license. It would not accept her Thai ID number. So I did a search on Thai ID numbers. The first digit from 0 to 8 says what type of ID it is. Hers is 0 and zero says NOT a Thai ID. So we were conned. 

 

Anyhow went to CR last week. Went to DLT to try for license, no can do. Went to government office, no can do but maybe later. Went to another bank to open account but needed letter from the office we had been at. So we gave up and came back to CR.

 

So has anyone had similar experience with their girlfriend (or boyfriend or non binary friend) and can offer some advice?

[DrJack54]

So this is posted in a forum that does not allow illegal practices? 

[OneMoreFarang]

My gf is 100% Thai, but her birth was not registered at that time.

She applied for a Thai ID card when she was about 18. Lots of people had to sign that they knew her and her family.

She received first (as far as I remember) a pink document and later a Thai ID card.

Her ID card number starts with a 5. I think that number indicates that some documents were missing or something like that.

I saw information about the Thai ID number system some time ago on the internet, but I don't have a link.

 

I think the important part for you is that Thai ID cards are not all the same. The first number has a meaning and makes a difference. 

[FritsSikkink]

Get an ID from Myanmar and stop trying to buy an illegal Thai ID. 

[Dazinoz]

40 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Get an ID from Myanmar and stop trying to buy an illegal Thai ID. 

Wasn't trying to buy illegal Thai ID. I wanted a legal one for her.

 

She will probably get more ripped off in Myanmar as she is not very smart. She has been in Thailand over 10 years and I think would have been entitled to a Thai ID if she had proof of that.

 

She is going back to Myanmar with a friend soon hopefully to get ID.

[Dazinoz]

52 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I think the important part for you is that Thai ID cards are not all the same. The first number has a meaning and makes a difference. 

 

[Dazinoz]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

So this is posted in a forum that does not allow illegal practices? 

Well we thought what we were doing was legal as we did goto government offices, but...........

[Dazinoz]

I did neglect to mention in my OP that she did visit the Myanmar Consulate in Chiang Mai to try obtain Myanmar ID but they seemed not too helpful. Hard for me to understand not knowing the language as she cant relay something after as she doesn't understand and also extremely forgetful.

 

[Dazinoz]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

So this is posted in a forum that does not allow illegal practices? 

I am sure a mod can delete if not meeting the rules.

 

Sometimes very hard to tell the truth to get help and stay within rules.

 

[Caldera]

2 hours ago, Dazinoz said:

The first digit from 0 to 8 says what type of ID it is. Hers is 0 and zero says NOT a Thai ID. So we were conned. 

You were conned? She isn't Thai, so if you attempted to obtain the kind of ID that Thai citizens have, THAT would have been fraudulent.

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, Dazinoz said:

Wasn't trying to buy illegal Thai ID. I wanted a legal one for her.

 

She will probably get more ripped off in Myanmar as she is not very smart. She has been in Thailand over 10 years and I think would have been entitled to a Thai ID if she had proof of that.

 

She is going back to Myanmar with a friend soon hopefully to get ID.

"She would talk to her uncle in Chiang Rai to see if he could help. After awhile we went to CR and paid a lot money to get a "white Thai ID". 

Sure looks like it. You get an ID from the government after you submit paperwork. Not from an uncle and pay a lot of money.

[FritsSikkink]

1 hour ago, Dazinoz said:

Well we thought what we were doing was legal as we did goto government offices, but...........

Why did you say did then: " This was semi legal as legal ID but not obtained 100% kosher."

It was 100% not legal 

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, Dazinoz said:

anyone ... offer some advice?

Yes, don't buy a fake Thai ID again.

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, Dazinoz said:

2 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Get an ID from Myanmar and stop trying to buy an illegal Thai ID. 

Wasn't trying to buy illegal Thai ID. I wanted a legal one for her.

Yes, you were, if you didn't know that a Myanmar national cannot "buy" a Thai ID from the uncle of a girl in a bar, there's no hope.  

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, Dazinoz said:

She has been in Thailand over 10 years and I think would have been entitled to a Thai ID

Serious question, is that a facility offered for Burmese or just your wishful thinking? 

 

I've been here for almost thirty years and I can prove it, does that mean that I can get Thai nationality on that basis alone?

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, Dazinoz said:

 

About all the comments about illegal activity:

She might be able to get a Thai ID card of categories 6 up to 8.

But I am a little confused how anybody can get a Thai ID card if they are not Thai (6 to 8).

Like 6: A Thai ID card for illegal immigrants. What?

[sometimewoodworker]

2 hours ago, Dazinoz said:

She has been in Thailand over 10 years and I think would have been entitled to a Thai ID if she had proof of that.

Regrettably there is no nationality clause allowing for extended stay to permitting Thai nationality, so she will never get a white Thai ID unless she qualifies to change nationality or gain permanent residency, she may possibly qualify for a pink ID number, I have one as a longtime (though temporary not permanent) resident.

[zyphodb]

31 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

About all the comments about illegal activity:

She might be able to get a Thai ID card of categories 6 up to 8.

But I am a little confused how anybody can get a Thai ID card if they are not Thai (6 to 8).

Like 6: A Thai ID card for illegal immigrants. What?

My Pink Thai ID card starts with a 6. would be upgraded to 8 if I had permanent residence I think...

[Michael Hare]

3 hours ago, Dazinoz said:

 

Thank you for this information. I have PR and so my ID number is 8. My son has dual nationality so his ID number is 5. My wife is 3 and her two daughters are 1. Most of my staff are 3, except for two, who are 5, because their parents did not notify the authorities in time. 

[Dazinoz]

7 minutes ago, Michael Hare said:

Thank you for this information. I have PR and so my ID number is 8. My son has dual nationality so his ID number is 5. My wife is 3 and her two daughters are 1. Most of my staff are 3, except for two, who are 5, because their parents did not notify the authorities in time. 

A bit more info on the rest of the numbers if interested.

[problemfarang]

4 hours ago, Dazinoz said:

Well we thought what we were doing was legal as we did goto government offices, but...........

Dont worry about what you posted. This forum is full of 'go to agency'or 'which agency is better' suggestions. Well bribing a gobernment officer is a crime and illegal. So... i dont think you posted anything bad.

 

Though my suggestion is send her back to myanmar and tell her to get an ID. Also i feel like your scammed when your buying her a thai id.

[Dogmatix]

57 minutes ago, Dazinoz said:

A bit more info on the rest of the numbers if interested.

I have an ID card with prefix 8. I got the number when I got PR and kept the same number when I upgraded to citizenship which was convenient as there was no need to change my driving licence or tax ID. 

 

I believe pink IDs can be issued with the 0 prefix and tax IDs and possibly yellow tabian baans and pink IDs can be issued with the prefix 6 but will be changed to a new number with the prefix 8, if the foreigner gets PR or citizenship.

 

Messing around with fake IDs may be the way to go for many foreigners from neighbouring countries and Chinese who can pass as Thai at a casual glance.  But they need to accept that being caught with a fake ID can land them in the slammer and get them permanently blacklisted from Thailand (under their own name that is). If the only way they can earn a decent living and send money back to families is to live with that Sword of Damocles hanging over them that may descend at any moment, then I can understand that may be the way to go for many.  

[ugghuggh]

9 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

So this is posted in a forum that does not allow illegal practices? 

555 chill... Much more interesting than reading how to obtain drivers license.. Visa, Bike registration or other cops and custom dealings..   

[mikebike]

6 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

But I am a little confused how anybody can get a Thai ID card if they are not Thai (6 to 8).

Like 6: A Thai ID card for illegal immigrants. What?

Not a Thai ID card, but EVERYONE (farang) who got a covid jab here got a 13 digit Thai ID number starting with 6...

[Mutt Daeng]

10 hours ago, mikebike said:

Not a Thai ID card, but EVERYONE (farang) who got a covid jab here got a 13 digit Thai ID number starting with 6...

Not EVERYONE. My covid ID number begins with 0.

[novacova]

17 hours ago, ugghuggh said:

555 chill... Much more interesting than reading how to obtain drivers license.. Visa, Bike registration or other cops and custom dealings..   

5! Yet he condones some of these in other threads ????

[SuperSilverHaze]

Why get wrapped up in drama of illegal aliens? Seriously.

 

 

Maybe some old codgers could help these poor people in obtaining a pink ID lol

Edited January 18, 2023 by SuperSilverHaze

[crouchpeter]

On 1/17/2023 at 2:36 PM, Dazinoz said:

Wasn't trying to buy illegal Thai ID. I wanted a legal one for her.

 

She will probably get more ripped off in Myanmar as she is not very smart. She has been in Thailand over 10 years and I think would have been entitled to a Thai ID if she had proof of that.

 

She is going back to Myanmar with a friend soon hopefully to get ID.

She's not the only one who's not real smart!

[Neeranam]

23 hours ago, Michael Hare said:

 My son has dual nationality so his ID number is 5. My wife is 3 and her two daughters are 1. Most of my staff are 3, except for two, who are 5, because their parents did not notify the authorities in time. 

I and my kids are dual national and none of us have 5 as initial number. 

[Neeranam]

On 1/17/2023 at 9:16 AM, Dazinoz said:

After awhile we went to CR and paid a lot money to get a "white Thai ID".

Why? This is a card for a stateless person and not a Thai ID card.