Dual Citizenship Against The Law ?

[skippybangkok]

Just noticed that Thaksin is an honourary citizen of bannana republic some where. Wasnt there are rule about thai citizens having to forgo their thai passport if they hold citizenship in other countries ?

[jcon]

No such rule exists.

[Lite Beer]

Plenty of people have Thai / Other citizenship.

[Maestro]

An off topic post about Laos has been deleted.

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Maestro

[Twiggy44]

Plenty of people have Thai / Other citizenship.

You are right Light Beer, me my self has a two citizenship I am holding a Thai passport and a Filipina passport.But if i have to work in Thailand as a Thai I have to turn my Phil.Passport to the Philippines Goverment.But to the P.I.goverment this is not a big issue just keep it up to u...LOL

[Felt 35]

I don’t think Thailand have a rule saying their people can have only Thai citizenship but that its depend on the rules in the other Country in question.

If we move back to Europe, my Thai wife will have to choose. Only in very special circumstances a Citizen back home can have two Citizenship.

[Maestro]

…If we move back to Europe, my Thai wife will have to choose. Only in very special circumstances a Citizen back home can have two Citizenship.

It depends on what you mean with “back home”. So far I have seen only one European country mentioned as not allowing dual citizenship and many countries that allow it. There is most certainly no common European policy on this.

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Maestro

[jcon]

I don’t think Thailand have a rule saying their people can have only Thai citizenship but that its depend on the rules in the other Country in question.

If we move back to Europe, my Thai wife will have to choose. Only in very special circumstances a Citizen back home can have two Citizenship.

Which European country are you referring to Felt35?

[jamesjdaly]

Just noticed that Thaksin is an honourary citizen of bannana republic some where. Wasnt there are rule about thai citizens having to forgo their thai passport if they hold citizenship in other countries ?

I wouldn't call The Bahamas a banana republic!! Wouldn't mind being exiled there with billions in my bank a/c!!

[kiakaha]

Just noticed that Thaksin is an honourary citizen of bannana republic some where. Wasnt there are rule about thai citizens having to forgo their thai passport if they hold citizenship in other countries ?

did you hear that rule from a barstool "lawyer" ?

My wife was born and raised in New Zealand with Thai parents and has been a dual citizen her whole life.

[Pib]

Just noticed that Thaksin is an honourary citizen of bannana republic some where. Wasnt there are rule about thai citizens having to forgo their thai passport if they hold citizenship in other countries ?

The Thai law for dual citizenship changed in the early 1990's. It's been OK since to be dual citizen.

[Kapin]

The Thai law for dual citizenship changed in the early 1990's. It's been OK since to be dual citizen.

Can anyone finally confirm that Thai citizens can hold dual nationality?

My son (two years old) was born in the UK and holds both Thai and UK passports but we were told by the staff at the Thai Embassy in London in 2007 that he will need to decide which nationality he wishes to keep when he is eighteen years old. The UK would allow our son to have dual nationality for life but apparently Thailand do not.

We travel to Thailand extensively. Our son exits the UK with his UK passport and enters Thailand on his Thai passport. He leaves Thailand with his Thai passport and re-enters the UK on his UK passport. No problems and no visas.

My wife has indefinite leave to remain in the UK and can now apply for British citizenship if she wishes, having completed all the prerequisites to apply Again, the UK don't mind if she keeps her Thai passport. But the question if Thailand will accept her dual nationality or insist she gives up her Thai nationality is a worry.

We know of others who hold both a Thai and another passport and simply keep the non-Thai one in the draw somewhere and never admit to owning it to the authorities in Thailand. They use their second passport on arrival to the other country but never admit to having it when they go through Thai immigration.

I hear you saying already, "what's the problem, do the same" but I return to my question, does Thailand allow dual nationality?

Can someone definitively confirm the law has indeed changed and point me to an official document that shows it because the staff in the Thai embassy in London seem to not to be aware of this change in the law. Maybe the law is country specific? Anyone know for sure?

Thanks in advance.

Kapin

[cushendall]

I don't think Thailand have a rule saying their people can have only Thai citizenship but that its depend on the rules in the other Country in question.

If we move back to Europe, my Thai wife will have to choose. Only in very special circumstances a Citizen back home can have two Citizenship.

What part of europe is that?, Im a dual national by birth, due to the fact, that i was born in northern ireland, we have british and irish nationality. Im also a naturalized american citizen, that makes three, all quite legal , i suppose going for the thai one, would be a bit of a long shot.

[mahjongguy]

..we were told by the staff at the Thai Embassy in London in 2007 that he will need to decide which nationality he wishes to keep when he is eighteen years old. The UK would allow our son to have dual nationality for life but apparently Thailand do not.

Your son can keep his Thai citizenship but it will make him eligible for the draft. Unless the law changes before that time, he will need to draw a marble for the military. That's something you would want to discuss with a Thai lawyer when he gets to his teens.

[KhaoNiaw]

I hear you saying already, "what's the problem, do the same" but I return to my question, does Thailand allow dual nationality?

Can someone definitively confirm the law has indeed changed and point me to an official document that shows it because the staff in the Thai embassy in London seem to not to be aware of this change in the law. Maybe the law is country specific? Anyone know for sure?

Thanks in advance.

Kapin

From previous discussions here, it seems that while Thai law doesn't explicity permit dual nationality, nor does it forbid it. And to give up their Thai nationality, a citizen has to actually renounce it - it can't be taken away from them.

If you dig up previous threads on this topic, you'll find links to explanantions by immigration officials of how to use the two passports, and other websites where the issue is dealt with in detail.

[monty]

I don’t think Thailand have a rule saying their people can have only Thai citizenship but that its depend on the rules in the other Country in question.

If we move back to Europe, my Thai wife will have to choose. Only in very special circumstances a Citizen back home can have two Citizenship.

Don't think there are many European countries left which prohibits dual citizenship.

Belgium used to be like that, but just like many other countries changed the law to allow it quite recently (June the 9th 2007 I think).

Even then there remain exceptions, If a Belgian national takes on the nationality of following countries they will automatically lose their Belgian nationality: Austria, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom.

[Mario2008]

Kapin, the question about Thailand allowing dual nationality is a bit complicated. Thai law states that your son has to choose when he becomes 21. However, there is no penalty for not choosing. If he doesn't choose, he will keep both nationalities, as the Thai law doesn't state what what will happen when he doesn't choose.

Thai nationality act:

http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs3/THAILAND...onality_Act.htm

[skippybangkok]

Just noticed that Thaksin is an honourary citizen of bannana republic some where. Wasnt there are rule about thai citizens having to forgo their thai passport if they hold citizenship in other countries ?

The Thai law for dual citizenship changed in the early 1990's. It's been OK since to be dual citizen.

18 years out of date then.

Thanks for the update.

[coventry]

Don't think there are many European countries left which prohibits dual citizenship.

Germany doesn't recognise it. Is there a difference to prohibiting it ?

Edited November 13, 2008 by coventry

[JimGant]

Even then there remain exceptions, If a Belgian national takes on the nationality of following countries they will automatically lose their Belgian nationality: Austria, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Ah, yes, very questionable countries. Becoming a Somalian ok?

[MiG16]

Germany doesn't recognise it. Is there a difference to prohibiting it ?

I was told by German friends that according to German laws, it cannot make anybody stateless. ie. it will not denounce your citizenship, unless you securely have another citizenship already. (I cant eleborate on the conditions why the govt would want to denounce its citizens, but perhaps there are cases. however, if and when such cases occurs, they are not allowed to do so unless the person in question has proper recourse to being able to live as a citizen in another country).

as to the Thai dual citizenship - have been hearing different things over the years, but never managed to read/see anything concrete.

as someone mentioned, Ive heard lots of 'luk kruengs' having to choose one of 2 nationalities when they turn 21. (from my understanding - not because the counterpart country, but as per thai requirement)

however, in recent years there was a lot of talk about cancelling dual citizenship to curb and stop trouble makers in south thailand with dual thai-malaysian citizenship from moving between the 2 borders on their 2 passports to escape authorities (which would imply it is currently legal to do so?)

[Mario2008]

Regarding dual nationality one also has to distinguish between having dual nationality by way of law and getting dual nationality out of your own free will. In some cases people have dual nationality by way of law, the aquire it because they meet the conditions of having nationality under the laws of the respective countries. Most countries allow dual nationality in this case. Note that some countries don't allow you to renounce their nationality.

Then you have the case of where someone gets another nationality because he applies for it. This one does out of free will, you choose to get another nationality. Many countries have provisions in their nationality law that if you get another nationality out of your own free will you wil lose your original nationality.

[BakMah]

Don't think there are many European countries left which prohibits dual citizenship.

Germany doesn't recognise it. Is there a difference to prohibiting it ?

Yes they do. My Thai born daughter has both german and thai passport. Only some EU countries forbid dual nationalities, Germany is not one of them.

[harrry]

Kapin, the question about Thailand allowing dual nationality is a bit complicated. Thai law states that your son has to choose when he becomes 21. However, there is no penalty for not choosing. If he doesn't choose, he will keep both nationalities, as the Thai law doesn't state what what will happen when he doesn't choose.

Thai nationality act:

http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs3/THAILAND...onality_Act.htm

Are you sure that that is not a scan of an old copy of the law.

I know that my daughter was told by the Thai Embassy in Australia that the law had been changed and she could apply for a thai passport if she wished as she still was a thai citizen as she was born in Thailand and her mother was thai.

[Mario2008]

Kapin, the question about Thailand allowing dual nationality is a bit complicated. Thai law states that your son has to choose when he becomes 21. However, there is no penalty for not choosing. If he doesn't choose, he will keep both nationalities, as the Thai law doesn't state what what will happen when he doesn't choose.

Thai nationality act:

http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs3/THAILAND...onality_Act.htm

Are you sure that that is not a scan of an old copy of the law.

I know that my daughter was told by the Thai Embassy in Australia that the law had been changed and she could apply for a thai passport if she wished as she still was a thai citizen as she was born in Thailand and her mother was thai.

You can find the current Thai nationality act, ammended in 2008, under our pinned topics.

But I agree, Thai law allows for dual nationality and under Thai law you are a Thai citizen when one of your parents is a Thai national.

[ubonjoe]

The act says that at 20 a person can choose to revoke their nationality. That is also is the age of consent for Thailand. So before 20 they could not make that choice.

[fred2007]

Don't think there are many European countries left which prohibits dual citizenship.

Germany doesn't recognise it. Is there a difference to prohibiting it ?

Yes they do. My Thai born daughter has both german and thai passport. Only some EU countries forbid dual nationalities, Germany is not one of them.

So how come when I moved to Australia and became Australian citicen I had to surrender my German passport? Mind you this was a long time ago