Tata Young Is Not A Thai Citizen

[TheGameJustIs]

my thai friend told me that when Tata Young was interviewed and asked what she wanted from Thaskin, she said that she wanted to be a Thai citizen because at the age of 21 the United States made her pick Thai or American citizenship... This makes zero sense to me and I am fairly sure my thai friend misunderstood. Can anyone clarify.

If an American and a Thai have children, can the children keep both citizenships for the rest of their life?

[soihok]

Are you making plans for your large family already?

[ade100]

Makes zero sense to me too.

Both Thailand and the US are countries that allow dual nationality. (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1753.html)

And even if the US had made her drop her Thai nationality what's it got to do with the Thai government?

And even if it had something to do with the Thai government, what's it go to do with Thaksin?

[GuestHouse]

The US recognizes dual nationality

There's even a line in the back of US passports referencing dual nationality (and stating [sic] the US government cannot indemnify dual nationals from obligations to their other nation - specifically military service).

But there is a catch - If as an adult a US citizen swears allegiance to another state/government s/he may loose rights to US citizenship.

There are however exceptions - swearing allegiance to obtain natural rights (birth rights) and obviously, given the statement about not protecting dual nationality US citizens from military service, swearing allegiance as a drafted recruit to the military in the second nation.

- Conversely volunteering to serve in a military overseas would be breaking the rule (a blind eye is turned to that rule with respect to one notable nation).

[wilko]

Ihaven't got Thai citizenship either - so what?

[submaniac]

It may make sense in that many years ago, Thai citizenship was based upon the citizenship of the father, not the mother. Specifically if your father was farang, your child was not a Thai citizen. The children then had a special type of status where they could remain in Thailand, but did not have a Thai passport. If they left Thailand, they may not be allowed to come back. This was in effect about 16 years ago, and since Khun Tata is in her 20's she may have been affected. This of course has changed.

[roamer]

It may make sense in that many years ago, Thai citizenship was based upon the citizenship of the father, not the mother. Specifically if your father was farang, your child was not a Thai citizen. The children then had a special type of status where they could remain in Thailand, but did not have a Thai passport. If they left Thailand, they may not be allowed to come back. This was in effect about 16 years ago, and since Khun Tata is in her 20's she may have been affected. This of course has changed.

that rings very distant bells....seem to recall something about stateless kids fathered during the Vietnam era when many US troops stationed there ? Anyone able to confirm this ?

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Is Tata Young wanting visa free entry to laos?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

my thai friend told me that when Tata Young was interviewed and asked what she wanted from Thaskin, she said that she wanted to be a Thai citizen because at the age of 21 the United States made her pick Thai or American citizenship... This makes zero sense to me and I am fairly sure my thai friend misunderstood. Can anyone clarify.

If an American and a Thai have children, can the children keep both citizenships for the rest of their life?

Duality of nationality is quite OK. No objections will be raised by either the US or Thailand. The lady can reclaim her Thai nationality at a Thai Embassy or Consulate.

[submaniac]

From cursory research (cursory because I am not getting paid for it, nor need to know because my citizenship is secure), it looks like children with Farang fathers are discriminated by both the laws of the U.S. and Thailand.

Found this old thread (not THAT old) regarding how Thai children of farang fathers may lose nationality (including living in the father's country for 5 years!):

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...28856&st=25

Found this from the U.S. government:

http://travel.state.gov/law/info/info_609.html

It appears that even if your father is a U.S. citizen they may not automatically grant U.S. citizenship. Specifically if a child is born out of wedlock, it must meet certain criteria, including that the father agrees to provide financial support until the child is 18 years old. And the child must be 'legitimized' by the father.

So I guess if you have a farang father, your parents aren't married, and he bails out, without putting in writing that he will support you, you don't get citizenship.

[LomSak27]

The US recognizes dual nationality

because at the age of 21 the United States made her pick Thai or American citizenship... This makes zero sense to me and I am fairly sure my thai friend misunderstood.

It makes perfect sense to me as it has been a US government policy for the last 10 to 20 years. I need to go no further than my niece and nephew, or a former next door neighbor, a Canadian citizen working in the US, to back that up.

The US (and other countries) has been quietly trying to eliminate as many of the dual nationals as possible. No no, not through some squads using extreme prejudice they use an equally effective means of persuasion, bureaucrats. If they can, they will force you to choose a nationality, as in one or the other but BUT not both. The Canadian has a work visa and qualifies for US citizenship but if he does want the passport the US will ask him to renounce Canadian citizenship. Not a big deal as he wants to keep his Canadian citizenship he has a visa/permit to work in the US and stay here indefinetly, retire in the US if he so desires, its just how they do things now. The US government does not care they are just actively trying to cut down on the number of dual citizenship holders. My brother in law is a dual national (UK/US citizenship) and hold two passports but trying to get the two for my niece and nephew has proved to be very different situation. When BIL got dual citizenship years ago the US couldn’t care less, today they do so unless the N&N go to the UK and do it there the US puts hoops in their path.

Bottom line they allow dual nationals, but they actively trying to cut down the numbers of them whenever it is within their power to do so. Tata, given here age is obviously in the same boat.

.

[ovenman]

Assuming this is true and that Tata Young is only a US citizen (i.e. technically a non-Thai), does this mean she needs to make visa runs and requires a work permit to perform in Thailand?

[Heng]

She's a Thai citizen, have seen both her and Prame in the Thai passport queues at the airport 2-3 times now. As expected, she looks MUCH better on TV.

[Jacqqq]

But ... but .... I've been on the Thai national passport queue a handful of times before despite not being a Thai national. Well, having to struggle with a wriggly sproglet in arm and later a precocious toddler did help.

[Briggsy]

She certainly has Thai citizenship. Entertainers tell all kind of baloney to reporters in this country. In this case she was playing the "I love Thailand" card as some rags had reported her as being not truly loyal to the Kingdom.

Most entertainers here get really sick of the journos on the entertainment beat as their questions are childish, repetitive and nosy. They realise however these same people are to some extent their livelihood so they churn out pat answers regardless of whether or not they vaguely resemble the truth.

She don't look too good in real life though, does she?

[pop_corn]

does it affect her voice? (the nationality matter?)

[Scott]

The US does NOT require people to renounce their citizenship in another country. It does ask that you swear allegiance to the US as a part of the oath. Singapore, on the other hand does require that you renounce your citizenship and do so in writing at the embassy to become a citizen of Singapore.

If you are recognized as a US citizen (by birth right), it's quite difficult to lose it. Naturalized citizens may, if it was through fraudulent means. Much of my family has dual citizenship and has experienced no problems.

[richm7]

Not true, Scott. When you become a US citizen the oath is:

"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."

Note I said "become" because if you are born a citizen (as was Tata) you don't have to do it. I've heard talk of being forced to choose at 18, but except in high profile cases like Tata, how the heck does Homeland Security know? I don't believe the "choose" stories are true, though I confess I don't know for a fact.

If you are a Brit, renouncing allegiance in the US oath means nothing, because it is a bureacratic hassle to renounce British citizenship and you have to stand up in front of some high ranking civil servant to do it. Now, having said that, by pledging allegiance to the US they reasonably expect you to honor that, so as previously alluded to, if you join the military of become an MP or carry out some other overtly nationalistic activity, the yanks will pull your citizenship.

As for Thailand, my daughter was born before we were married and we had no problem whatsoever getting her a passport, Thai or British, so dual nationality does not seem to be a problem for the Thais. I have no idea what will happen when she turns 20 or 21, whatever. Frankly, I think nothing, because the Thais have no idea she has a British passport, so why should anything happen? (Nor, I might add, do the Brits know she has a Thai passport, though they might reasonably guess; it matters not, because they don't care - Nationality act of 1948 or thereabouts).

Tata in her twenties.....you must be joking. She's well past 30, I reckon. My missus says she's 28 but if she is, she sure is not wearing too well. Must be those farang genes..........................

[Neeranam]

She's a Thai citizen, have seen both her and Prame in the Thai passport queues at the airport 2-3 times now. As expected, she looks MUCH better on TV.

Doesn't mean much - I use the Thai passport queues too sometimes and there's no problem. So obviously Tata wouldn't have a problem.

What I can't understand is, why would anyone in their right mind choose American citizenship over Thai?

She is a Thai citizen - she just said that to avoid doing her army time, maybe.

[barky]

If she does indeed have duel nationality which I suspect she does, It's typical of the kind of person that shows no allegence to a country that gave her big opportunities and benefits but now to look like a true Thai Ruk Thai she makes the US look like an as***le. But when she needs the benefits of US citizenship she be wearing the stars and stripes. A true turncoat opportunist if ever I saw one.

[JOHN2]

Assuming this is true and that Tata Young is only a US citizen (i.e. technically a non-Thai), does this mean she needs to make visa runs and requires a work permit to perform in Thailand?

Yes you are right,she was on the same bus as me last month going to Poi Pet to get her stamp.She commented that she was worried that she may have to leave the country after 3 consecutive visas.

[Kerryd]

My dad had to make the choice when he turned 18, keep his American or Canadian citizenship. That was back in 1950, and I guess he wasn't keen on getting drafted, so he chose to keep his Canadian citizenship and never looked back.

In fact, I don't think he's ever gone back since then.

[RakJungTorlae]

I just did a Google on this to see if any facts where around the interent, and the only thing I came up with was thaivisa.com “tata young is not a Thai citizen.” I guess theres your answer.

[Ulysses G.]

What I can't understand is, why would anyone in their right mind choose American citizenship over Thai?

Maybe so she can travel freely around the world?

Maybe so she can make a lot more money when she needs to work after her singing career hits the skids?

Maybe so she can get Government assistance when she is elderly?

Maybe so she can own property in her own country even if she wants to marry a white guy?

Who knows what would make her do such a silly thing?

[Groongthep]

my thai friend told me that when Tata Young was interviewed and asked what she wanted from Thaskin, she said that she wanted to be a Thai citizen because at the age of 21 the United States made her pick Thai or American citizenship... This makes zero sense to me and I am fairly sure my thai friend misunderstood. Can anyone clarify.

If an American and a Thai have children, can the children keep both citizenships for the rest of their life?

Tata Young Is Not A Thai Citizen

So what? Neither were her relatives Mighty Joe Young

Or Neil Young

Or Robert 'Father Knows Best' Young

Or Andrew Young

Or even Loretta Young

I don't think too many Thais or Americans are going to lose much sleep over it.

[TerryLH]

"...she just said that to avoid doing her army time, maybe."

Women conscripts? Sure you're thinking of Thailand?

[Paul MBMG]

"...she just said that to avoid doing her army time, maybe."

Women conscripts? Sure you're thinking of Thailand?

More to the point, why on Earth should she choose to probably have to pay US taxes in perpetuity (the price of US citizenship) on worldwide income??

[Heng]

She's a Thai citizen, have seen both her and Prame in the Thai passport queues at the airport 2-3 times now. As expected, she looks MUCH better on TV.

Doesn't mean much - I use the Thai passport queues too sometimes and there's no problem.

With their Thai passports out, like just about everyone else.

[AmeriThai]

She's a Thai citizen, have seen both her and Prame in the Thai passport queues at the airport 2-3 times now. As expected, she looks MUCH better on TV.

Doesn't mean much - I use the Thai passport queues too sometimes and there's no problem. So obviously Tata wouldn't have a problem.

What I can't understand is, why would anyone in their right mind choose American citizenship over Thai?

She is a Thai citizen - she just said that to avoid doing her army time, maybe.

I go through the line for Thai citizens also. I suppose since my wife is Thai it's just as easy to process both of us.

We know a Thai woman who became an American citizen several years ago, more for convenience than anything else. But whenever she travels to Thailand, she still gets the same treatment and benefits as any other Thai citizen. Last time she went there she planned on staying two months. She decided to stay longer to help her mother, I think she was there for almost a year. No visa extentions were necessary, and no overstay fines. Sort of like "once a Thai, always a Thai".

Edited July 19, 2008 by AmeriThai

[kiakaha]

my thai friend told me that when Tata Young was interviewed and asked what she wanted from Thaskin, she said that she wanted to be a Thai citizen because at the age of 21 the United States made her pick Thai or American citizenship... This makes zero sense to me and I am fairly sure my thai friend misunderstood. Can anyone clarify.

If an American and a Thai have children, can the children keep both citizenships for the rest of their life?

What a load of rubbish.

Her father told me (I know him), that she is a Thai citizen.