Friend of a friend of my wife has a problem.

The friend 30 years ago married an American man.

Her husband died this year, and the woman wants to come back to Thailand.

She entered Thailand on a US passport, and now wants to know what to do to get a Thai ID-card again.

Went to the local Amphur in Khon Kaen, and was sent away, could not be helped, cannot get her US-pension into Thailand, blah-blah-blah

The facts:

- Born in Thailand 62 years ago, ergo Thai nationality

- Parents were both Thai, since deceased

- Still has some family living in Khon Kaen neighbourhood

- Has her Thai birth certificate, don't know if she still has old Thai passport or ID-card.

What must she do, besides getting an extension/visa on her US-passport entry?

Re-visiting the US is possible, indeed necessary clear her house and to arrange various affairs, financial, pension, house, etc.

Thanks

Sounds like her house registration in Thailand has lapsed? Or is it still in Khon Kaen?

If she does still have a house registration here, it should simply be a matter of going to the local ampur where she is registered and getting a new ID made up. Does she still have family here who know the Ampur people and can vouch for her?

If not, then her name will have been moved to the central registry, where people who are not on a house register get put. My mother, who was out of Thailand for nearly 30 years, had this happen to her.

I suggest a couple of things. If she is going back to the US anyway, I suggest she go back to the Thai embassy there and apply for a Thai passport as a matter of priority. As long as she has documents which prove she is a Thai citizen (eg old passport, original birth certificate, old ID cards etc) they should be able to issue her with a Thai passport with less red tape than is required in Thailand. Embassy's in my experience usually have a bit more leeway in how they handle things. It will take a month or so for the passport to be issued however.

Once with the new Thai passport, she should re-enter Thailand on that, so she no longer has her visa issues. She can then track down where she is actually registered and work with the authorites to get her name back on someones house registration. Then the ID can be issued.

If she has problems getting an ID card in Thailand, then there is no way she will be able to apply for a Thai passport in Thailand, as it requires an ID card to do so. As I said, that requirement can be waived at embassy's overseas, given they usually come across people in your friends situation.

Thanks for the answer.

I did already had the idea, from what I read on TV, the Embassy route might be the best.

She left Thailand 30 years ago after marriage to a US-military and left the country as a military US-subject, I think.

She does not remember if she went to the amphur for de-registration, but I guess not.so

She also forgot to do anything to keep the Thai paperwork in order, so there you are.

Hans

As long as she's got an old but original Thai birth certificate, as well as any other valid US paperwork to prove her identity, the Thai embassy *should* be able to help her.