Sorry if this has been asked already, but I was wondering if someone could help me get a good idea of what's required of me to relocate to Thailand. I saw in the visa section of the forums that it was be helpful to provide my nationality and age. I'm American and 26 years old. I just plan to move to Thailand for a couple years. Please ask me any questions that would help you to answer.

Oh boy.

I'll start with the basic questions.

1. Do you plan to work in Thailand?

2. If so, what kind of work? What experience? Any degrees?

3. Do you plan to marry a Thai?

4. If not planning to work, are you open to a study program (to use the education visa option)?

<br />Oh boy.<br />I'll start with the basic questions.<br />1. Do you plan to work in Thailand?<br />2. If so, what kind of work? What experience? Any degrees?<br />3. Do you plan to marry a Thai?<br />4. If not planning to work, are you open to a study program (to use the education visa option)?<br />

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I do plan to work. I don't have a certification yet, but was planning on getting a CELTA cert to teach English. I also have been working as a tier 1 IT tech for the last 5 years. So I do have very good troubleshooting and problem solving skills with computers. No college degree, though. And I don't really specialize in anything like programming or database. Also, no, I don't plan on marrying a Thai woman.

Lacking a college degree could be a real hindrance in obtaining permission to work LEGALLY in Thailand. I suggest you post in the teaching forum for more info about that. Of course as you probably know, teaching English is the most likely kind of employment potential for someone with your background. However, I do think the lack of degree is a real problem here.

Have you considered Cambodia? Much, much easier to obtain legal permission to stay long term there.

Edited July 6, 201016 yr by Jingthing

...Also, no, I don't plan on marrying a Thai woman.

Nor did I !

I'm not sure why I didn't mention this before, but would it help me out at all if my mom is Thai and my parents are living in Thailand? Would there be any advantage for me? Not for getting a job, but maybe living in Thailand? I know I should probably ask my parents all these question...

Maybe indeed. If you don't get a direct answer here, I suggest contacting the Thai embassy in Washington D.C and/or a nearby consulate. I am just guessing here, but it seems to me you could get a one year non-immigrant visa based on your Thai relations (and then possibly repeated ones later). That still involves border runs every three months. I don't think it would change the work permit situation with teaching generally requiring a college degree. Thai background or not, you probably could land some kind of low paying English teaching work with CELTA, but still without a work permit, not legal. It would be unfortunate for someone like you with close relations in Thailand to expose yourself to being illegal which might ruin your chances of even visiting Thailand in the future.

Edited July 7, 201016 yr by Jingthing

Thank you for the info jingthing. That helps me understand a little bit more. I think I just might have to contact my parents as far as residing in Thailand. I'll keep looking into employment. Thanks again.

If your mother is Thai then you are Thai.

If your mother is Thai then you are Thai.

Really? Even if US passport and no Thai passport?

Anyway from the embassy website --http://www.thaiembdc.org/consular/visa/Non-Img.aspx

<Non-Immigrant Visa Category “O”>

(1) Foreigners who wish to stay with family in Thailand must provide the following documents:

· If you are a former Thai citizen, proof of Thai citizen such as Thai passport, Thai identification card, Thai house register or Thai birth certificate

· If you want to visit as a spouse or family member (son or daughter), proof of relationship such as a copy of marriage license or birth certificate with a proof that your spouse or family member is a Thai citizen

(2) Foreigners who wish to perform duties for the state enterprise or social welfare organizations, to receive medical treatment in Thailand must provide the following documents:

· Letter of invitation or acceptance from the concerned companies/ organizations or institutes with business registration or business license

(3) Foreigners who wish to be a sport coach as required by Thai Government, to be a contestant or witness for the judicial process in Thailand must provide the following documents:

· Letter of invitation or acceptance from the Thai Government or concern organizations Visa

My mother is Thai and my parents are living in Thailand so would any of the strangers on this forum please advise me how to relocate to Thailand ? Something sounds out of wack here , I was always of the opinion that Thai were closeknit families , so what happened here , was this person abandoned as a child or some such thing ? Surely , the first people he should contact are his parents , they should have all of the information he needs to relocate including a place to live until he gets established unless of course he is a black sheep or a prodigal son , mmmmmmmmmm .

I don't know the OP's story but he is an adult now and there are many real scenarios that could find a US national adult with a Thai mother/American father (presumably).

also bear in mind that, quite often, Thai nationals are not aware of what's necessary for a non-Thai national to live in Thailand, after all, why would they be? Add to that the usual 'my brother's wife's mum's sister said if you wear one red sock and one yellow sock you can stay for ever' kind of advice that floats around and I would agree with jingthing, talk to the Thai authorities in your home country, also, if your mum's Thai you can find out about getting your Thai citizenship ( I have no idea if it's possible or what your circumstances are but it's certainly worth exploring) cos if you can then you're all sorted. Get her to talk to the authorities in her area and get ready to wear funny socks

I have moved this to the Visa Forum.

If one of your parents was Thai at the time of your birth, than you are automatically also Thai. If born in the US you would need to get a birth certificate from the Thai embassy, for which you need the details of your parents and your US-birth certificate. At the same time you can apply for a Thai passport.

Both the US and Thailand don't have a problem with dual nationality.

Good news for the OP, presuming he wants to obtain dual nationality. If he was born in Thailand, should he also contact the Thai embassy in D.C. to obtain the Thai passport? Is he past the age where Thai military service would ever be an issue? Of course with a Thai passport, he would be able to go for all kinds of jobs with no work permit required, and stay for life without a visa.

Edited July 8, 201016 yr by Jingthing

wow! thanks for all the help/information everyone. well to answer some questions... no, i'm not a black sheep. i'm a total momma's boy, but my dad isn't the kind of person to want to keep in touch with family. so its just uncomfortable for me to contact my dad and ask for some help. but i'lll probably end up doing so anyway. i kind of just wanted to see what i could find out without his help. Also, the dual citizenship wasn't a plan of mine, but i would definitely jump on it if i am elgible.

last thing...not sure if this make a difference, but i am also a military brat. my dad was in the US Army when my parents got married and also when i was born. i was born in the US on a military base.

oh and someone said thais are closeknit... thats probably the case, but like i said i'm a military brat and my dad wasn't very keen on travelling to visit other family or even keeping in touch. so because of that, i grew never really knowing my extended family on either side.

just got off the phone with my dad. he suggested that i go to www.thaivisa.com/forums. hahaha!

he also suggested that i should contact the US embassy in Washington DC to see what i could do about acquiring a visa before i arrive in thailand. said he'd also ask a few questions the next time he's scheduled to go to the immigration office.

he also mentioned that before i turned 18, i was able to make the choice of being either an american citizen or thai citizen. he never told me that before, but i guess it wouldn't have mattered because at that point i would have chosen american. but he's also said that the laws for immigration are going to change again...for better or worse for me, i don't know. maybe some here does.

I agree about contacting the embassy. I am pretty sure with your relation you can get a one year non-immigrant O visa based on visiting family if you don't want to pursue a Thai passport. They should also be able to tell you if/how you can get a Thai passport. You may even want to start another thread about dual nationality so you know what you are getting yourself into if you go that route, assuming you are eligible for it. Your Dad was right that you had a choice of citizenship before. So I don't know what it would mean for you to ask for a Thai passport at your age now, you do already have a US passport, correct?

<br />I agree about contacting the embassy. I am pretty sure with your relation you can get a one year non-immigrant O visa based on visiting family if you don't want to pursue a Thai passport. They should also be able to tell you if/how you can get a Thai passport. You may even want to start another thread about dual nationality so you know what you are getting yourself into if you go that route, assuming you are eligible for it. Your Dad was right that you had a choice of citizenship before. So I don't know what it would mean for you to ask for a Thai passport at your age now, you do already have a US passport, correct?<br />

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Yes, that's correct. I do have a US passport.

You can have a Thai and an American Passport. Many people do.

Believe first step for anything (to show Thai nationality/birth) will be contact with Thai Embassy and making a Thai birth certificate from your US one. Once that is in hand you can obtain Thai passport, non immigrant visas, extensions of stay inside Thailand or travel using Thai passport for entry/exit of Thailand. You are subject to military conscription at your current age so search for threads on that.

You might just want to use work for your extensions of stay for the time being and that would only require a tourist visa for entry and change once employment is found. Work outside the English teaching field would be much easier with your Thai nationality however.

At what age would the issue of Thai military conscription end? I had thought 26 was already past it and I am sure that issue will be of interest to the OP. It's always best to know all the implications of any action like this.

Thai conscription ends in the year you become 30.