Son wants to join UK RAF .

[Monkeypants]

Help Please.

My son who is a Dual National Thai/Uk

wants to join the RAF here in the UK

He has lived here in the UK from an early age, but was born in Thailand.

He his registered in Thailand , house book and ID card.

He is not 17 as yet so doesn’t need to report anything to the Sessadee (military officer) regarding Thai conscription.

The problem lies with the fact that in order to join the British RAF he needs some sort of letter from the Thai authorities releasing him from having to join the military in Thailand.

He wants to enter the RAF when he is 18 .

Surely he can’t be the first to  ever been in this position.

I have searched here but cannot find an answer.

Thanks in advance

 

[nglodnig]

My son when ghe was younger wanted to join the army (british citizen, no Thai passport) but was living in Switzerland - we went to one of those Army recruitment places in the UK and were told he has to have lived in the UK for the last five years - howvever I can't find this requirement on the Barmy web pages (this was  more than twenty years ago) And being dual nationality does NOT protect you from being conscripted by the other country - I know this happened to several people who had lived all thier lives in the UK but were for example Spanish (back in the eighties) a friend had to go to the spanish Embassy every year where they would tell him there was no war and he could go home. So if the Thai government won't release him the UK government won't help

[howerde]

I know link refers to the Army but it likely refers to all services, so it would seem he would need to be released from Thai conscription, 

https://british-army.career-inspiration.com/app/discussions/view/102914/can-british-dual-citizen-thai-and-british-serve-in-the-british-army

This might help, see the the post from the British consular team

 

[Monkeypants]

Thanks

[RayC]

Hope that it works out for your lad and he gets what he wants. Good luck.