Benefit Of Bieng Born In Thailand?

[Zazzyy]

I was born in 1992 in Bangkok when my parents came here for work for their company. We lived in Bangkok till 1995 then we came back to Pakistan. My parents are both Pakistani nationals and so am I.

Just wondering do i get any benefit of bieng born in Thailand? maybe an indefinate visa or anything? or is it possible to get Thai citizenship? I am willing out to immigrate out of Pakistan due to the frustrated way of life here and all the socio-political issues. Please help.

[lopburi3]

Sorry but birth to foreigners here carries no special status.

[samran]

those born between 1972 and 1992 to foreign parents are able to apply to be registered as Thai nationals - so long as they have a long and ongoing link to Thailand. (ie being educated, speaking the language, having strong family ties).

Unfortunately, you don't appear to have this, so you won't have any luck I would think.

[Zazzyy]

Thanks for the info lopburri3 and samran. Now if i am going to do 4 years bachelors in engineering in Thailand, from Asssumption university, are there any prospects of getting citizenship or indefinate visa in Thailand after the completion of my degree programme in four years ?

[Heng]

Probably not. Plenty of Indians and Pakistanis living here without visas or citizenship though.

Immigration turns a semi blind eye to them (not as blind as to say many Eastern Asians but still fairly near sighted IMO), not sure why, perhaps a lot of shared cultural issues, and perhaps because they tend to rise above their socio-economic start points relatively quickly... but Indians and Pakistanis often (not always) get a pass in terms of harrassment from the authorities compared to other Southeast Asian illegals and of course westerners.

[nam-thip]

Having a Thai ID card issued to a foreigner doesn’t always give you the same benefits Thai’s enjoy.

Around 12 years ago an English female flew into Thailand and stayed in one of my guest rooms whilst she applied for a Thai ID card. It was her first visit to Thailand since she left at one year old. She spoke no Thai and it took her all of two weeks to learn the words “nam keng” which she wanted in her soda water.

The story is her father worked at the British embassy in Bangkok. His wife lived here with him.

This lady was born in Bangkok and left Thailand at one year old when her father and mother returned to the UK.

She applied for and received a Thai ID card then went working for a Phuket dive company who as much as they disliked the ruling had to employ so many Thai nationals as dive masters.

A farang having a Thai ID card to them was just what the doctor ordered but no one realised the problems it would bring. The few Thai’s employed as dive masters but never used due to their poor command of English were none to happy about a farang with a Thai ID working alongside them and continually complained to the Phuket town labour office who in turn hounded the dive company with regular visits and inspections.

In the end the dive company had no choice but to let her go and after what she experienced she tore up her Thai ID card and booked a flight to Australia.

[morphious]

Perhaps a call up to join the Thai army will have you scampering back tp where ever you are now

[samran]

Having a Thai ID card issued to a foreigner doesn’t always give you the same benefits Thai’s enjoy.

Around 12 years ago an English female flew into Thailand and stayed in one of my guest rooms whilst she applied for a Thai ID card. It was her first visit to Thailand since she left at one year old. She spoke no Thai and it took her all of two weeks to learn the words “nam keng” which she wanted in her soda water.

The story is her father worked at the British embassy in Bangkok. His wife lived here with him.

This lady was born in Bangkok and left Thailand at one year old when her father and mother returned to the UK.

She applied for and received a Thai ID card then went working for a Phuket dive company who as much as they disliked the ruling had to employ so many Thai nationals as dive masters.

A farang having a Thai ID card to them was just what the doctor ordered but no one realised the problems it would bring. The few Thai’s employed as dive masters but never used due to their poor command of English were none to happy about a farang with a Thai ID working alongside them and continually complained to the Phuket town labour office who in turn hounded the dive company with regular visits and inspections.

In the end the dive company had no choice but to let her go and after what she experienced she tore up her Thai ID card and booked a flight to Australia.

I've seen you post this story before. While I'm sure it is very true, I think it is a rare occurence.

There are many ethincally N.European people born in thailand pre-1972 who automatically aquired Thai citizenship due to the laws at the time. You may not know that they are 'Thai' - primarily because they are in plain sight - but they are about, particularly in BKK and seem to get on quite well, and don't face any particular form of discrimination in terms of going about life, buying businesses, land etc.

[samran]

Perhaps a call up to join the Thai army will have you scampering back tp where ever you are now

which is what this guy will have to deal with. If he manages to come and study, and wangle a Thai ID based on his birth between 1972 and 1992, then he'll be liable for military conscription and a grand salary of 120 baht per day for 2 years.

[samran]

Thanks for the info lopburri3 and samran. Now if i am going to do 4 years bachelors in engineering in Thailand, from Asssumption university, are there any prospects of getting citizenship or indefinate visa in Thailand after the completion of my degree programme in four years ?

No.

Your best bet is to work the angle of getting citizenship by showing a long term committment to Thailand. Even then, it will be a line ball as I beleive the 1992 cut off will be the day that the the 3rd version of the Thai nationality act came into effect, ie (March 1992?).

[Heng]

Having a Thai ID card issued to a foreigner doesn’t always give you the same benefits Thai’s enjoy.

Around 12 years ago an English female flew into Thailand and stayed in one of my guest rooms whilst she applied for a Thai ID card. It was her first visit to Thailand since she left at one year old. She spoke no Thai and it took her all of two weeks to learn the words “nam keng” which she wanted in her soda water.

The story is her father worked at the British embassy in Bangkok. His wife lived here with him.

This lady was born in Bangkok and left Thailand at one year old when her father and mother returned to the UK.

She applied for and received a Thai ID card then went working for a Phuket dive company who as much as they disliked the ruling had to employ so many Thai nationals as dive masters.

A farang having a Thai ID card to them was just what the doctor ordered but no one realised the problems it would bring. The few Thai’s employed as dive masters but never used due to their poor command of English were none to happy about a farang with a Thai ID working alongside them and continually complained to the Phuket town labour office who in turn hounded the dive company with regular visits and inspections.

In the end the dive company had no choice but to let her go and after what she experienced she tore up her Thai ID card and booked a flight to Australia.

I've seen you post this story before. While I'm sure it is very true, I think it is a rare occurence.

There are many ethincally N.European people born in thailand pre-1972 who automatically aquired Thai citizenship due to the laws at the time. You may not know that they are 'Thai' - primarily because they are in plain sight - but they are about, particularly in BKK and seem to get on quite well, and don't face any particular form of discrimination in terms of going about life, buying businesses, land etc.

And it certainly beats what non-citizens have to put up with.

[TerryLH]

"And it certainly beats what non-citizens have to put up with."

In most cases they've made a choice, and have chosen to put up with it.

They are still free to complain about it, but after a while, the whining and moaning becomes tiresome.

[live]

Plenty of Indians and Pakistanis living here without visas or citizenship though.

what if they get caught? will they force to get back to their country ? and no more enter to Thailand for life time?

chinese will be the same ?

[Arkady]

Having a Thai ID card issued to a foreigner doesn’t always give you the same benefits Thai’s enjoy.

Around 12 years ago an English female flew into Thailand and stayed in one of my guest rooms whilst she applied for a Thai ID card. It was her first visit to Thailand since she left at one year old. She spoke no Thai and it took her all of two weeks to learn the words “nam keng” which she wanted in her soda water.

The story is her father worked at the British embassy in Bangkok. His wife lived here with him.

This lady was born in Bangkok and left Thailand at one year old when her father and mother returned to the UK.

She applied for and received a Thai ID card then went working for a Phuket dive company who as much as they disliked the ruling had to employ so many Thai nationals as dive masters.

A farang having a Thai ID card to them was just what the doctor ordered but no one realised the problems it would bring. The few Thai’s employed as dive masters but never used due to their poor command of English were none to happy about a farang with a Thai ID working alongside them and continually complained to the Phuket town labour office who in turn hounded the dive company with regular visits and inspections.

In the end the dive company had no choice but to let her go and after what she experienced she tore up her Thai ID card and booked a flight to Australia.

I've seen you post this story before. While I'm sure it is very true, I think it is a rare occurence.

There are many ethincally N.European people born in thailand pre-1972 who automatically aquired Thai citizenship due to the laws at the time. You may not know that they are 'Thai' - primarily because they are in plain sight - but they are about, particularly in BKK and seem to get on quite well, and don't face any particular form of discrimination in terms of going about life, buying businesses, land etc.

And it certainly beats what non-citizens have to put up with.

I have also seen this story before and find it dubious as the Nationality Act has never provided for Thai nationality for children born in Thailand to parents working in diplomatic missions. See Section 8 of the 1965 Nationality Act:

"Section 8. A person born within the Thai Kingdom of alien parents does not acquire Thai nationality, if at the time of his birth, his father or mother was:

(1) Head of a diplomatic mission or a member thereof;

(2) Head of a consular mission or a member thereof;

(3) An officer or expert of an international organisation;

(4) Member of a family, either as a relative under patronage or servant, who came from abroad to reside with the person in (1), (2) or (3)."

If she did have a Thai ID card, then the Thai employees were in fact right to complain, since it must have been obtained through fraudulent misrepresentation. However, I knew some one who applied for a Thai ID card on the basis of having been born in Thailand before 1972, after growing up overseas. She had the devil of a job getting it and it took two years with lawyers making representations to the Interior Ministry on her behalf. Maybe she lucked out in Phuket but I would expect the district office people would attempt to stonewall such an application, even from somewhat who was entitled which she wasn't. It seems more likely that some one sold her a fake ID. But suppose she had a genuine Thai ID card that she was entitled to, I wouldn't see why the dive company would let her go. The local Immigration and Labour officials would quickly get bored of coming to investigate the same false complaint. It's unusual for farangs with Thai nationality not to speak Thai but there are quite a few farang Thais, either born here before 1972 or naturalized, and they don't get hassled like that.

[Zazzyy]

Thanks for the info lopburri3 and samran. Now if i am going to do 4 years bachelors in engineering in Thailand, from Asssumption university, are there any prospects of getting citizenship or indefinate visa in Thailand after the completion of my degree programme in four years ?

No.

Your best bet is to work the angle of getting citizenship by showing a long term committment to Thailand. Even then, it will be a line ball as I beleive the 1992 cut off will be the day that the the 3rd version of the Thai nationality act came into effect, ie (March 1992?).

That makes it tough for me then, I'm a birth of 18 March.

[Arkady]

Thanks for the info lopburri3 and samran. Now if i am going to do 4 years bachelors in engineering in Thailand, from Asssumption university, are there any prospects of getting citizenship or indefinate visa in Thailand after the completion of my degree programme in four years ?

I would say the chances are not great because you have not being living continuously in Thailand since you were born here. However, the 2008 Nationality Act does provide for children born in Thailand to foreign parents up to 1992, who have a long standing connection with Thailand, to be granted Thai nationality at the discretion of the Interior Ministry. An American woman was granted Thai nationality under this provision last year. She had spent nearly all of her life in Thailand, apart from college in the US, had attended Thai schools, spoke Thai without an accent and was culturally Thai. Since it's discretionary, there is no way of telling how the ministry might choose to interpret the "long standing connection with Thailand" at any given moment. I would think that graduating from a Thai university (even an English medium one like ABAC), speaking and writing Thai fluently, having a job in Thailand and a Thai wife and family and being able to demonstrate the intention to settle here permanently would all help, although I can't say whether any of these would be enough to get around having spent one's childhood overseas. I think they are really looking for people who have grown up in Thailand, and can blend in as being culturally Thai but it doesn't matter what race they are. But bear in mind that the intent was to grant citizenship to "deserving" children of hill tribe people, Burmese or Indochinese people born in Thailand and who have lived their whole lives here, so that they are effectively indistinguishable from other Thais. I would suggest trying to get some one to make enquiries for you with the Interior Ministry.