Thai Citizenship

[sriracha john]

"Technically" is definitely the right answer. I have tried, and failed. Not because of any qualification limitations but because the provincial police are unaware that any of them can do the job! We went to apply, and noone knew how to do it! They just shook their heads, said "Not me!" and suggested we try Immigration (it must be done through the police). Will keep trying!

There is at least one TV member who does have citizenship (male) that I know of. Lots of requirements but, apparently, doable (if you live in Bangkok )

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Its amusing how some people sound off without bothering to do the most basic and elementary research.You cannot apply to be a citizen without the necessary prerequisite of having had permanent residence for 10 years (though I believe this number may have been reviewed.)

Then, why Boris, do the national Thai police tell me that I can apply for Thai citizenship after simply having been married to a Thai man for over 5 years? (I have no PR, haven't lived in Thailand for 5 years and was married in the UK!). Where did you get this information? The Thai nationality act does not state the need for a PR.

boris

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Last Seen: 19 May 2006

This is Boris's answering service. He's been indisposed for the past 11 months, but if you care to leave a message, we will gladly forward it to him and see to it that he gets back to you within the next decade.

[brianinbangkok]

(JanJane @ 2007-04-27 11:30:01)

Then, why Boris, do the national Thai police tell me that I can apply for Thai citizenship after simply having been married to a Thai man for over 5 years? (I have no PR, haven't lived in Thailand for 5 years and was married in the UK!). Where did you get this information? The Thai nationality act does not state the need for a PR.

Well I think the answer is actually that Thai law is not the same for male and female !

a male foreigner can't get married to a Thai male

a foreign male married to a Thai woman can NOT apply for Thai citzenship after having been married to Thai woman for more then 5 years , please prove me wrong I have a PR and have been married for more then 5 years to a Thai woman.

The requirements for foreign males are not the same as for foreign females to apply for Thai citizenship.

Thats why they tell you a other story then they tell a male foreigner.

I am told that until a few years ago a Thai woman who married a foreigner even lost her right to own or buy land in Thailand ,

this has never been the case for a Thai male....

Edited April 27, 2007 by brianinbangkok

[chiangrai57020]

<span style='color:blue'>Just out of curiosity, how many males out there have managed to acquire Thai citizenship? Also has your lives really been changed to since you got it? I know that foreign women married to Thais, can technically get citizenship, and I have come across one or two. Though I have yet to come across a foreign male who has Thai citizenship, even though they may have been married and living here for over 20 years.</span>

The following MAY help:

Mirror Art Group

ATTN: Parisudha Sudhamongkala

106 Moo 1 Ban Huay Khom

T. Mae Yao, A. Muang

Chiang Rai 57100 THAILAND

+66 53 737 412 E-mail ; [email protected]

Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) (OrBorJor)

Thai citizenship procedure

I’m thinking of applying for Thai citizenship and I have read that it is theoretically possible. But I’ve also heard from a couple of people that applications are never approved, so it is in fact impossible to get Thai citizenship. Is that so?

Thursday, October 28, 2004 Henrik, Chalong.

"To qualify to apply for Thai citizenship, the applicant must meet the following criteria:

He or she must be 18 years old or older and also have reached legal majority in his or her country of origin.

He or she must be of good behavior and background. The following will be checked: criminal record; political background; involvement with illegal drugs and, in the case of Vietnamese applicants, personal behavior.

If working in Thailand, he or she must have an income of at least 80,000 baht a month or have paid taxes in the year the citizenship application is made of 100,000 baht or more.

If living in Thailand for "reasons of humanity" such as being marriage with a Thai people or having a Thai-born child or having graduated from a university in Thailand, he or she must have an income of at least 30,000 baht a month and be able to prove that he or she has paid taxes in Thailand for at least three years.

He or she must have lived in Thailand contunously for at least five years before applying.

The applicant must know the Thai language, including speaking, listening and understand, be able to sing the National Anthem and Sanserm Phra Baramee and pass an interview in Thai with government officers.

Points are awarded to applicants on the following basis: Age and education, 25 points; Occupation, 35 points; Length of residence in Thailand, 10 points; Relationship with Thai people and Thailand, 10 points; Thai language knowledge, 10 points; Personality, 10 points.

Applicants must score a total of at least 50 points in order to qualify for consideration. They must also have two guarantors of their behavior and assets. These guarantors must not be relatives.

Documents applicants must supply are;

Five copies of passport

Five copies of documents verifiying address in Thailand

Five copies of work permit

Five copies of house registration

Five copies of marriage registration (translated into Thai)

Two copies each of ID cards and house registrations of two people who guarantee the applicant’s behavior and assets.

Copy of birth certification, ID card or passport of a wife or husband and children, if any. If the applicant has changed names or surnames, documents relating to these must also be provided.

Documents showing income tax paid over the past three years.

In the case of applicant being a director or partner in a limitewd liability company or partnership, documents verifying that company taxes have been paid for three years.

Two copies each of company or partnership registration, licenses, lists of shareholders, value-added taxes and other related documents of the organization the applicant works at.

Two documents verifying occupation from the organization where he or she works. Salary and position of the applicant must be stated, and the documents must be signed by an authorized person in that organization.

Two documents verifying the applicant’s educational background and those of his or her children, if any.

A document verifying bank accounts, and showing they contain a minimum of 80,000 baht.

A document verifying donations to charity. These should total not less than 5,000 baht and the money must have been donated a long time ago – not just a time to support the citizenship application.

A dozen photographs, 2.5x2.5 inches in size, showing the applicant dressed politely.

A document verifying that the applicant has reaches majority according to the laws in his or her country of origin.

Applicants must present all original documents in person, along with an application fee of 5,000 baht fee. Bangkok-resident applicants should go to the Nationalization Office, Special Branch, Royal Thai Police, the 5th building, Phraram 1 Rd, Kwang Bangmai, Pathumwan Bangkok.

Residents outside Bangkok should apply to the Provincial Police.

Documents will be sent to the relevant authorities for checking. The officers will present those documents to higher ranking officers.

The Interior Minister is the final authority for the decision. There is no exact timetable for consideration – it depends on the length of the checking process.

Last year 48 people applied for Thai nationality. Ten received approval from the Minister of Interior. "

Thursday, October 28, 2004 Pol Lt Col Somdej Khanthawong, Special Branch, Royal Thai Police, Bangkok

[JanJane]

I have been told by Special Branch that the rule is five years continuous residence in Thailand, based on your name appearing on household registration. You must be on household registration to have PR, but can register yourself before PR is attained.

So, my understanding is that if you register yourself on a household registration on arrival, satisfy the requirements for and obtain PR after three years, then wait another two years, you can apply for citizenship (assuming you meet the other requirements such as language, etc.).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You can get on a house registration with ease ? Only ways without PR are owning a condo or having BOI investment privileges as I understand it

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Exactly my question Dr Pat. I was at the Ampour about a month ago, and they are friendly and sympathetic, they know I paid for the land and the house, there response was not possible and can't think of a way to do it, gifts, no gifts nothing.

So this argument is almost seems like an etherial Catch-22, you can't get your name in the book until you have PR, but you can't get PR until your name is in the book.

I've recently been to the Thai Police HQ in Bangkok (Rama 1 Rd) and they say I can get on the house registration papers (yellow book) as I've been married for over 5 years to a Thai man. I need my passport certified by the British Embassy and translated into Thai then certified by MFA, Thai marriage cert, British marriage cert (also certified by British Embassy, translated into Thai and certified by MFA) husband's ID card and house papers. They then say I can apply for Thai citizenship after this (but I haven't been living here for 5 years yet) to my provincial police, but I then must go to provincial immigration and give up my British nationality. I think the main problem is that Amper offices outside Bangkok rarely know the procedures (my local Amper office has told me for 2 years that I cannot get on the house reg papers). However, I will believe I can if and when I finally see my name on the house reg papers!

[samran]

Jane Jane, I'd take the giving up citizenship clause with a grain of salt. The only 'body' with the power to withdraw your British nationality would be the UK govenrment, via you making an application to renounce it. No way a Thai govt organisation can take away something that does not belong to them on the first place.

[brianinbangkok]

Hi janjane,

I do not believe you really should have to give up your british nationality , maybe legaly you do but they have no way of checking this.

In my case several of my british relatives have more then one nationality and passports to go with it.

The UK allows dual nationality and so does Thailand ? or at least they have no way of checking if you keep you british one....

Besides getting your name on the house book is indeed a problem as the local staff outside of bangkok have not done it before , same for me took hours to get it done even if I had a new PR and a letter from immigration , they are friendly and try and help.

I know its possible so why do you not visit a Amper office in bangkok and talk with the higher level staff there who know how this is done and ask their phone nr so you can give it to the staff at your local Amper office.

Then they have somebody to ask how it should be done , we did something similiar to this and it worked for me.

As usual in Thailand if government staff do not know how to do something they will always answer "it not possible".

Edited April 27, 2007 by brianinbangkok

[chatette]

JanJane, You do not have to give up your British citizenship when you take Thai citizenship. You would have to denounce it to the UK government to lose it . Technically, Thailand does not allow dual citizenship but it is not enforced, hence the explanations above by Samran on how he leaves and enters using his Thai passport and may enter other countries with his Australian passport if it is simpler.

My citizenship application is with the Interior Ministry, and the very long process will hopefully soon reach a favorable conclusion for me. Since women aren't seen as a threat by the law-making males, qualifying criteria is easier for us. Still, the process of application is somewhat more complicated than you've suggested above and includes an undercover national security check among other things (the policeman came to the gate of our townhouse, prompting every dog in the moo baan to erupt in earshattering howling). Nevertheless, if you're here and don't mind waiting several years while calling the police (who take the application) regularly, you will most likely one day end up with an ID card and be able to go to the zoo for the same price as everyone who looks Asian, job hop, and come and go without visas, reentry permits and 90 days reports that your still in the same place. And, best of all, 10 years after getting it, you'll be able to vote for a government that might be kicked out in a coup. Good luck...and patience.

[astral]

Depends on each individual's case. In mine, as an American with no social security benefits coming (I've never paid in), I have nothing to look forward to from the US government in terms of pension or support. I do, however, have to look forward to paying US taxes every year as long as I'm a US citizen.

In any case, I suspect that for many people, the advantage of being free from Thai work permit hassles, and being able to own one's company, land, and home outright, might outweigh any potential disadvantages.

So much easier to travel on that US passport...............

[astral]

but I then must go to provincial immigration and give up my British nationality.

This may be the case but will not be accepted the British Embassy.

Your passport will be returned to you in a plain brown envelope with the advice to keep the passport

safely outside the country.

I have this info from the horses mouth, friends who took out Zimbabwean nationality,

they are now very glad they did not loose their UK nationality.

[leanester]

''...and be able to go to the zoo for the same price as everyone who looks Asian...''

I look like western and I went to the zoo, and paid the same price that everyone who looks like asian...I think it depends on if you know how to read thai numbers or not, if you know what the numbers written in thai means , just pay that number as everybody else...so just learn the 1,2,3 and it's much easier

[Thanna]

Instead of people saying everyone knows how its done (they do not all know) how about some one showing some links to the infomation needed to become Thai.

or

Let us know how it is possible (requirements) etc....

hi, would be great to get info, I'm from a schengen country, female, married to thai, 2 children (thai nat.), living in thailand 16 years, applied for thai nationality 2 y ears ago, went fine w. RTPol, several interviews + simple language test, now my case is stucked (15 month!) at "mahathai", ministry of interior affairs (Santhibaan 3?), got somebody to check but this person only found out, I should "donate" 100 000 up(!) to this small group of people who finally decide. I'm not able and willing to pay such a price. anybody out there who was in the same situation + how long took it without bribery? should I get in touch with the anti-corruption deptm.? in fact I got no evidence, just the word of a local politician . thanks for any info

[lopburi3]

This poll is five years old - thread closed.