Renunciation/revocation Of Thai Nationality

[srisatch]

My brother's kids want to renounce their Thai nationality, formally. Presently they have dual UK and Thai passports and UK and Thai Birth Certificates. They are 14 and 16 years old. Both born in BKK. The boy reasons that it is necessary to do this to avoid 'conscription'...the girl says that she wishes to visit Thailand as a UK national and not therefore be treated as a Thai citizen with no recourse to whatever services/protection a UK citizen might have in Thailand...(worried, I think, that Mum might try and force her to stay in LOS when she goes back)...no evidence for this...!!..not much as far as I can tell...but anyway!.(also knows that if she has a child he/she must be born in UK to acquire UK citizenship) Can this be done? Is there any point? I have heard!..hearsay..that it is impossible to revoke Thai nationality...even if you so do, you can always ..if you have a Thai Birth Certificate and Tabian Baan..get an Thai ID card and a Passport. Also heard..again hearsay...that though there is a regulation(is there?) requiring choice of nationality..at 18?/21? in practice people don't make that choice, nor is it enforced. Anyone got any experience of this?

[samran]

For a child born to at least one foriegn parent, at between ages 20 and 21 there is the opportunity to renounce Thai nationality, but if you read the law, only during that one year. I doubt it is possible to do so before then as the boy has not reached the age of majority required for this decision to be made.

If the boy lives outside of Thailand, then he really has nothing to worry about. So long as he is unable to attend conscription (ie being out of the country) then he'll be fine. It helps also if he is off the house registration.

So long as he doesn't come back to live full time in Thailand till he is 30, he'll be fine. If he is in university, he'll also be fine as they can easily defer their service (if actually called up for the lottery). After 30 he will be ineligible.

I came and went from Thailand very often till I was 30 without a problem. Same with many others. At age 30, I turned up to the conscription office, and after paying a 200 baht fine for not reporting earlier (max fine 400 baht) I was issued with my formal release papers.

In my opinion, there is no need, indeed impossible, for him to renounce before he turns 20 anyway.

As for the girl, well, if she thinks entering Thailand on a Brit passport is going to somehow give her some sort of untouchablity from Thai law, then she is mistaken. Consular services to those in trouble with Thai law is limited, and is no get out of jail free card. As a dual national, it is likely that she will be ineligble for consular service regardless, as thailand will consider first and foremost a Thai national, regardless of what other passport she holds.

[Mario2008]

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