How To Become A Thai

[bichthao]

Hi guys,

I am 30 year old lady from Vietnam, married a Thai for 2 years. I got a kid, he is 3 month old now.

Before married, I stayed in Thai for 2 year for my Master. After married about a year, I was back to study PhD. So, now, I am PhD student (with scholarship) and no income.

When can I apply for Thai citizen or Do I must apply permanent residential first.?

Many thanks,

Rose.

[InterestedObserver]

There are some details missing from your post, but generally you should start with Thai permanent residency. Having no income or record of tax payment does not look good for you. If your Thai husband has any connections it could be easier.

Edited September 26, 2010 by InterestedObserver

[digitalchromakey]

There are some details missing from your post, but generally you should start with Thai permanent residency. Having no income or record of tax payment does not look good for you. If your Thai husband has any connections it could be easier.

Permanent Residency is not a requirement in this case as the poster is married to a Thai man.

[InterestedObserver]

Actually, permanent residency is not required for anybody to apply for Thai citizenship, just a good place to start the process.

Edited September 26, 2010 by InterestedObserver

[samran]

Rules to obtain citizenship are much easier for a foreign woman married to a Thai male. PR is a waste of time especially give the relative cost compared to citizenship and that PR applications are back logged.

The OP should head down to the special branch HQ on rama 1 rd in BKK and ask for the latest set of rules. My wife has applied and been accepted for consideration. But we expect to wait another 2 to 3 years, and we've waited 2 and a half already

[bichthao]

The OP should head down to the special branch HQ on rama 1 rd in BKK

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Could you please kindly give me more details about that place? is there Immigration office special branch? Thanks

[samran]

The OP should head down to the special branch HQ on rama 1 rd in BKK

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Could you please kindly give me more details about that place? is there Immigration office special branch? Thanks

National police HQ on Rama 1 Road, opposite Central World shopping centre in downtown Bangkok (the one which has burnt down). Ask for the special branch - building 24, top floor, where the nationality department is.

It is not immigration.

Edited September 26, 2010 by samran

[bichthao]

Dear Samran,

I would like to ask if I apply for Thai citizen, do I need to cancel Vietnamese citizen?

Thank you.

[Mario2008]

I think that is a bit unclear, the rules say you can't make use of your other nationality and also you must sign a document that says you intend to renounce your old nationality. That is however only an intention and doesn't mean you really have to renounce it. But it does show that the rules are tightening and in the future they might very well require from new applicants that they renounce their old citizenship.

People wanting Thai citizenship and wanting to keep their current nationality I would urge to apply as soon as they qualify. Better safe than sorry.

[phuketrichard]

as a female married to a thai u can work so why go for residencey>>

So many hoopes to jump thru whiuch inlcude speaking thai and signing the national antheme

Plus being married to a thai and female you get a 1 year visa as well

[lopburi3]

They get the same as anyone married to a Thai. They have to qualify and apply for extension of stay the same as anyone else. The only change is the male, being Thai, does not have to have 400k/40k financials. But they both must visit immigration every year and be approved for a new one year stay.

[samran]

as a female married to a thai u can work so why go for residencey>>

So many hoopes to jump thru whiuch inlcude speaking thai and signing the national antheme

Plus being married to a thai and female you get a 1 year visa as well

as a female married to a Thai you are not automatically eligible to work, and you have to go for work permits the same as everyone else.

As for going for citizenship, the process is hardly onerous. Mainly lining up the right documentation and then waiting 3 years for them to get around to processing.

[phuketrichard]

as a female married to a thai u can work so why go for residencey>>

So many hoopes to jump thru whiuch inlcude speaking thai and signing the national antheme

Plus being married to a thai and female you get a 1 year visa as well

as a female married to a Thai you are not automatically eligible to work, and you have to go for work permits the same as everyone else.

As for going for citizenship, the process is hardly onerous. Mainly lining up the right documentation and then waiting 3 years for them to get around to processing.

Are u sure of this as i know two western ladies married to Thai's

and both work and do not have /need work peremits here in Phuket. Oe works for a big hotel the other runs there business

They have to qualify and apply for extension of stay the same as anyone else. The only change is the male, being Thai, does not have to have 400k/40k financials.

So the thai male does not need the 400,000, ( of course not as he is Thai) then does the married western lady? not according to my friends here who both get 1 year extensions to stay

Edited December 8, 2010 by phuketrichard

[lopburi3]

There is no 400k required as the supporter (in Thailand that is the male) is Thai.

[samran]

as a female married to a thai u can work so why go for residencey>>

So many hoopes to jump thru whiuch inlcude speaking thai and signing the national antheme

Plus being married to a thai and female you get a 1 year visa as well

as a female married to a Thai you are not automatically eligible to work, and you have to go for work permits the same as everyone else.

As for going for citizenship, the process is hardly onerous. Mainly lining up the right documentation and then waiting 3 years for them to get around to processing.

Are u sure of this as i know two western ladies married to Thai's

and both work and do not have /need work peremits here in Phuket. Oe works for a big hotel the other runs there business

Well if it is true, then it is something new and unreported. I rather suspect that they are both working off the books.

My wife has always needed a work permit and her being a husband of a Thai national (me) has never made anything any easier. It is a heck of a lot easier to simply be in Thailand as a wife on an annual basis - extensions of stay are a formality - but that never automatically allows you to work legally.

[Arkady]

Are u sure of this as i know two western ladies married to Thai's

and both work and do not have /need work peremits here in Phuket. Oe works for a big hotel the other runs there business

Sorry but this is rubbish, unless they already have Thai citizenship. The only exemptions from the requirement to have work permits in the Working of Aliens Act apply to people working for foreign embassies or multilateral agencies like the UN and those doing short term emergency work for the Thai government. There is no mention of spouses of Thai citizens anywhere in the law. Even permanent residents need work permits.

Edited December 8, 2010 by Arkady

[Arkady]

Actually, permanent residency is not required for anybody to apply for Thai citizenship, just a good place to start the process.

Permanent residence is required by anyone wishing to apply for Thai citizenship who is not married to a Thai citizen. It is not a good place to start the process, if you are married to a Thai because it is expensive, takes a long time and applications are backlogged since 2006 with no applications being accepted at all in 2010.

[Arkady]

Dear Samran,

I would like to ask if I apply for Thai citizen, do I need to cancel Vietnamese citizen?

Thank you.

I am not sure if foreign women married to Thais are required to do this, as they apply under a separate section of the Thai Nationality Act, but foreign men applying for Thai citizenship, since 2010, are required to make a declaration of intention to renounce their existing citizenship. When your application has been approved the Thai Interior Ministry will inform your embassy. Vietnam changed its nationality law in 2008 to allow dual nationality, recognizing the reality that there are millions of ethnic Vietnamese living abroad who already have two passports and millions more who would like to get their Vietnamese nationality back. Now they even allow foreigners married to Vietnamese to get Vietnamese nationality without having to give up their original nationality. So when the Vietnamese Embassy is informed that you have become Thai, they are not likely to take any action. It will be left up to you to give it up, if you want to, but you should ask your embassy to be sure. Funnily enough Thailand is trying to move in the opposite direction on dual nationality which has never been explicitly permitted in Thai law, while Vietnam is saying they have to get up-to-date and stop trying to be so old fashioned by not openly accepting dual nationality.

If you have not already done so, go along with your husband to National Police Headquarters, as Samran suggests, to ask for information about applying for Thai citizenship. The staff are very friendly and helpful. As Mario says, apply as soon as possible as it takes a long time to get it and the rules change and usually get tougher.

Edited December 8, 2010 by Arkady