A Draft Amendment Of The Nationality Act

[thai_narak]

i've reading the bangkok post just now and quite shocked with this news:

excerpt from BP:

"Two other laws on gender equality are awaiting Cabinet approval: The draft Name Prefix Bill, which will give women the choice of a name change after marriage, and the draft amendment of the Nationality Act, to allow foreign men who marry Thai women to request Thai nationality. Foreign women who marry Thai men already have this privilege."

read it all here: http://www.bangkokpost.com/Outlook/13Dec2007_out54.php

well, i think it's about time... although permanent residency is already more than enough for me (relaxing this law).

Edited December 13, 2007 by thai_narak

[LivinLOS]

Cant imagine they will give away keys to the kingdom based on if Little Lek from baan nork has found herself a hubby..

Will watch and see tho.. Still have Leks number somewhere..

[Prakanong]

Cant imagine they will give away keys to the kingdom based on if Little Lek from baan nork has found herself a hubby..

Will watch and see tho.. Still have Leks number somewhere..

Little Lek can now raise her sin sot as the guy will get to remain in Thailand

Marriages of convenience anyone.............. followed by blackmail and loss of assets

[madjbs]

Well this is good news, let’s hope it gets passed instead of them deciding to go the other way and stop allowing women to apply for citizenship.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I reckon that it would be a very popular move.

[Furbie]

I reckon that it would be a very popular move.

Have you guys forgotten what country you are in? Even if they allow this as a reason to be eligible to apply for citizenship, you will still have to go through the application process, including the part about Thai language, which I suspect most guys marrying little Lek will never be able to pass. The only benefit I see to this is allowing people to skip the step of permanent residency. However, keeping Lek in style through the application and approval process is probably not in the cards for most.

[raslin]

This implies that these new nationals would be able to own property.

[simon43]

It would ceratinly be a good move to eliminate the geneder discrimination that currently exists for citizenship applications. And Thailand would not be flooded with 'farang Thais' as a result because most foreigners living in Thailand simply cannot be bothered to learn the language or about local culture etc etc.

A good move, but I doubt if this law will ever see the light of day.

Simon

[paulsmithson]

I wish!!!!!!!!! Pum pood passa Thai ---Pum reuy mahg----- If only

[GuestHouse]

There will be icicles hanging off the roof of Wat Po before this amendment gets passed into law.

[ade100]

Does anyone know if Thailand accepts dual nationality? I know in Singapore they don't so any Expat taking a Singapore passport, has to give up their original nationality.

[TonyLeung]

If this gets passed a lot of guys will have to find something else to complain about and will probably go into depression.

[Gimbo]

Imagine all the interesting discussion at the gates of national parks

[Taijitu]

Does anyone know if Thailand accepts dual nationality? I know in Singapore they don't so any Expat taking a Singapore passport, has to give up their original nationality.

Yes, Thailand accepts dual nationality

[Taijitu]

...........the draft Name Prefix Bill, which will give women the choice of a name change after marriage...................

I'm not 100% sure as to what you mean by "the choice of a name change after marriage" but Thai women have had the option to retain their maiden name after marriage since October 2002.

[sweetchariot]

...........the draft Name Prefix Bill, which will give women the choice of a name change after marriage...................

I'm not 100% sure as to what you mean by "the choice of a name change after marriage" but Thai women have had the option to retain their maiden name after marriage since October 2002.

Bloody hel_l Taijitu. I spent ages yesterday trying to find an avatar that I've not seen before, and now I'm gonna have to do it all again.

Thanks alot.

[pointofview]

I would gladly change my name to - Somchi Watana - to avoid all the visa hassle. But would i get away with paying the correct fare on a baht bus

[david96]

I reckon that it would be a very popular move.

I think they mean permanent residence status would be made easier for foreign men who marry Thai women.

Thailand does not have a formal immigration programme as in Western countries and where one is encouraged to obtain citizenship eg, Australia,USA and the UK after being granted permanent residence. And it does not need it.

IMHO this draft will never be passed by the NLA now or in the future if it actually does refer to citizenship.

[chicowoodduck]

There will be icicles hanging off the roof of Wat Po before this amendment gets passed into law.

Hold the press.....acccording to Al Gore, the ice age and floods will be happening shortly and in our area, so ANYTHING is a possibility!

[david96]

Does anyone know if Thailand accepts dual nationality? I know in Singapore they don't so any Expat taking a Singapore passport, has to give up their original nationality.

Yes, Thailand accepts dual nationality

If a Thai national obtains citizenship of a foreign country eg Australia, Thailand does not require that the Thai formally renounce their Thai citizenship. Australia recognises dual citizenship.

If a foreign citizen eg an Australian (most unlikely) was to obtain Thai citizenship he /she would have to renounce his/her

Australian citizenship in the correct formal manner. In this case Thailand does not recognise dual nationality.

Dual nationality is becoming more widely recognised in many western countries.

You can be a national of the country one was born in and be a citizen of another. You can loose your citizenship of a country but never your nationality, unless your country of birth ceases to exist, it which you would become stateless.

[Kerryd]

Dual nationality is becoming more widely recognised in many western countries.

You can be a national of the country one was born in and be a citizen of another. You can loose your citizenship of a country but never your nationality, unless your country of birth ceases to exist, it which you would become stateless.

We saw a (good ?) example of this a couple of years ago when Israel invaded Lebanon. Suddenly, 50,000 Lebanese "dual citizens" suddenly decided that they were actually Canadians who were just there on holidays. The government (Canadian) had to scramble to evacuate them, and then endure the criticisms for not reacting quickly enough (from half-way around the world with no advance warning), and little things like the cruise ships that were chartered weren't luxurious enough.

Being a citizen of a country should mean that you owe allegiance to that country. How can you swear allegiance to one country, while maintaining your allegiance to another country ? Take for example people from Iran that gain US citizenship, or Chinese that are granted Canadian citizenship. If they still retain their original citizenship (and allegiance), and those countries have a dispute, whose side will they take ?

If an Aussie marries a Thai (and gains Thai citizenship), and Australia and Thailand ended up at war, who would the Aussie be loyal to ? The land of his birth, or his adopted country ? Would his adopted country ever trust him, knowing he still owed allegiance to his home country ? Would his home country ever trust him, knowing he had sworn allegiance to another country ?

Adults should have to pick which country they wish to be a citizen of (assuming they have a choice), and make the commitment to that country by giving up their citizenship(s) to any other country.

Often times, when a child is born in a foreign country (or on territory belonging to a foreign country), that child is granted citizenship of that country in addition to it's home country. I remember an old discussion about this years ago, where the scenario was a pregnant (Canadian) woman was on a cruise ship (registered in Norway), captained by an Englishman. She gives birth while the ship is sailing in US territorial waters. The child could end up with 4 (or more) different citizenships. (not sure if those rules/laws are still applicable, but from what I remember, when such a child reached 18 he/she would have to give up some of those citizenships) The point being that, once the child becomes and adult, he/she should have to chose which country to swear allegiance to. Hard to be loyal to more than one master after all.

If I recall correctly, my dad had dual US/Canadian citizenship until he was 18. At that time he had to chose which country he wanted to be a citizen of (he picked Canada) and his US citizenship was revoked. (He was born in Canada, but raised in the US after his parents died when he was a young child).

If I end up marrying a Thai woman and being offered Thai citizenship (some time in the distant future, if ever), I would have to give that some serious thought. Fortunately, it's not something I will have to consider for some years to come (I think).

[markwhite]

"Foreign women who marry Thai men already have this privilege."

Can anyone confirm how this works right now for a farang woman marrying a Thai man?

Do they have they have to go through some application to get Thai nationality or is it automatically granted (somehow?) at the time of marriage?And how does this affect visa requirements?

[cooL_guY_corY]

>>I wish!!!!!!!!! Pum pood passa Thai ---Pum reuy mahg----- If only <<

lolz

yea good luck passing this bill..

[yorkman]

"Foreign women who marry Thai men already have this privilege."

Can anyone confirm how this works right now for a farang woman marrying a Thai man?

Do they have they have to go through some application to get Thai nationality or is it automatically granted (somehow?) at the time of marriage?And how does this affect visa requirements?

They have to make an application.

[david96]

"Foreign women who marry Thai men already have this privilege."

Can anyone confirm how this works right now for a farang woman marrying a Thai man?

Do they have they have to go through some application to get Thai nationality or is it automatically granted (somehow?) at the time of marriage?And how does this affect visa requirements?

Thailand has a quota system for foreigners who wish to obtain Thai citizenship 100 per country.Temporary resident status first. Later permanent resident status if you meet the criteria.

Permanent resident status is as far as anyone can go in practice. A person who is granted Thai nationality/citizenship does not need a visa to enter or live in Thailand and he/she can hold a Thai passport.

I may be incorrect here but I think that in Thailand the husband is required look after his wife and that is the reason it is easier for her to obtain permanent resident status.

[david96]

Extract from the Australian DFAT website regarding "dual nationality". Informative only.

WHAT IS DUAL NATIONALITY?

An increasing number of Australians are migrants, children of migrants, or were born overseas. This means that many Australians are dual nationals, or could be regarded as dual nationals by another country.

You may not even know that you are a dual national.

If you are a dual national, you need to know that your dual nationality may have implications for you if you travel to the country of your other nationality. For example:

you might be liable for military service

you might be liable for prosecution for offences under the laws of that country, even if they were committed outside it

if the government of that country does not recognise dual nationality, the ability of Australian officials to provide you with consular assistance may be limited.

HOW DO PEOPLE BECOME DUAL NATIONALS?

People can become dual nationals

by birth

by descent, because their parents are citizens of another country

by marriage to a citizen of another country

by naturalisation

by grant of citizenship

by state succession, which can occur when sovereignty over a state changes.

Whether you are a dual national depends on the laws of the country involved. You could be considered and treated as one of its nationals by another country even if you don't accept that nationality.

In some countries, a woman may automatically acquire her husband's nationality on marriage.

Many countries have laws that prevent citizens giving up their nationality under any circumstances. A number of countries have laws that prevent citizens giving up their nationality except by a formal act of renunciation.

--------------------------------------------------------

Note It is quite a complex subject and can be very interesting.

[markwhite]

I may be incorrect here but I think that in Thailand the husband is required look after his wife and that is the reason it is easier for her to obtain permanent resident status.

Ah okay - so it's pretty much the same as applying for PR, but maybe the criteria are different with it not being expected that the farang woman is the main income earner?

[thai_narak]

"Foreign women who marry Thai men already have this privilege."

Can anyone confirm how this works right now for a farang woman marrying a Thai man?

Do they have they have to go through some application to get Thai nationality or is it automatically granted (somehow?) at the time of marriage?And how does this affect visa requirements?

Thailand has a quota system for foreigners who wish to obtain Thai citizenship 100 per country.Temporary resident status first. Later permanent resident status if you meet the criteria.

Permanent resident status is as far as anyone can go in practice. A person who is granted Thai nationality/citizenship does not need a visa to enter or live in Thailand and he/she can hold a Thai passport.

I may be incorrect here but I think that in Thailand the husband is required look after his wife and that is the reason it is easier for her to obtain permanent resident status.

farang husband also has to look after the thai wife and wife's family ++. this should be the reason why they have to make it easier for farang husbands to get PR or even citizenship (i hope).

[thai_narak]

and yes, i will not give up my citizenship in my home country but i would love to have a PR (permanent resident) status in thailand to be with my family.

[quiksilva]

The cynic in me tells me that this has been designed as nothing more than a confidence boosting measure.. a populist policy for the farang population that will never see the light of day...

But I hope it will.