Does Not Going To Vote Affect Her Visa...?

[Cruz]

Heya!

As you know beginning of next month Thai people vote their new government. My girlfriend just learns German in Chiang Mai and would have to go home only for that. At all she'd have to sit 25 hours on bus, spend 2000 THB and waste about 3 days of our holiday. So our plan was to do this voting by mail but she told that the date to ask for this possibility already passed.

So can you tell us anything about what may happen if she not go to give her vote? She is sure that staff at embassy would ask her why she did not go and this also may affect her visa for Germany. I told that I dont believe this as we're married and nobody may deny her visa anymore as long as she may proof A1 and other stuff everybody has to show. Also it's the german embassy which gives the visa so I would not understand why they should ask a Thai national about this?

Regards,

Dennis

Edited June 6, 2011 by Cruz

[KamnanT]

Voting was made compulsory in Thailand by the 1997 Constitution but not voting is not a criminal offence. The penalty for not voting is essentially a loss of political rights until after the next election (for example, if you did not vote in the last election, you cannot run as a candidate in this election). Voter turnout in general elections varies year-by-year, but rarely tops 75%, so your GF would certainly not be the only person in the country who did not vote.

German Embassy staff would have no way of knowing if your girlfriend did or did not vote and even if they did, it would not be relevant to any past or future decision about visa eligibility for Germany.