American/Thai Finally Got My Thailand Id Card

[oldfatslob]

I have read about folks like myself, being half Thai, having difficulties finding information on how to become naturalized in Thailand. Many folks online mention going to a Thai Embassy in the country they were born. However, in my case, I am already in Thailand, and my father trying to talk with the Embassy as well as a Thai woman who moved to the U.S. trying to talk to them, got nowhere. The folks at the Embassy were less than helpful and told my father that unless I have my mothers birth certificate, there is no chance of me ever becoming naturalized. But, my father scanned and emailed me copies of my mothers death certificate (which was made in the US), several of my mothers Thai passports (new and old), their marriage certificate that was made here in Thailand, and her non resident US ID (green card). I then had to go to the US Embassy in Bangkok to get an affidavit by them and then to a Translation service (which was a very bad translation by the way, several mistakes) along with my birth certificate, and then to the Immigration departments that certifies the (certified) translation, go figure. Then with my Thai uncle and Thai cousin, (without whom things might not have worked), I took all the info and their house book to resister me on and copies of their IDs to the local Amphor. The good woman called her boss, then prepared the paper work, after several hours and (us) signing a lot of paperwork, they took my picture and made my NEW THAI NATIONAL ID CARD!!!!

Basically, it is not as complicated or difficult as I first though, just had to do a lot of leg work, and have a lot of patience and talk to the right people (the Amphor).

P.S. My mother was in America long enough for her not to make her Thai National ID card, so I did not have that, as well as I did not have her Birth Certificate, nor could the Amphor find any record of her, because she had CHANGED HER NAME AND AGE before marrying my father 43 years ago believe it or not!!! My mother also did not tell us (the US family) about all the family I had here. After living in America for 40 years, I fulfilled a promise to my mother to bring her remains after she died to be with her family here in Thailand, and found out I have AN OLDER SISTER that I never met before, as well as an Uncle, an Aunt, and countless cousins. Since then, I have vowed to remain in Thailand for the next 40 years to learn and love this family here.

[Maestro]

Happy to hear you got it sorted out. You were a Thai national by birth and after satisfactorily proving your origin to the amphoe boss you now have the document you need, the Thai ID card, to exercise your rights as a Thai.

[TongueThaied]

Did you know that the number on your ID card identifies you as a naturalized mixed race person? The number on Thai National ID'd has all sorts of such coded information so an examining officer immediately knows some of your history. None of this changes your rights, but I was still surprised when I learned it.

[Mario2008]

Congratulations,

The passport is easy, just apply at a passport office and for 30 baht extra they send it home to you in a few days.

What you do next is leave Thailand on your foreign passport with wich you entered Thailand and return on your Thai passport. In the mean time you cna get extensions of stay from immirgaiton by just showing your Thai ID-card.

[sburdic]

Congratulations! It must be a good feeling to finally have something that should have been yours for so long. I'm also trying to get my ID situation sorted out. But I was made to go the DNA route since I was born in Thailand (so the Thai embassies in the US would give me no assistance), and I had no Thai documentation (Thai Birth certificate, previous amphur registration etc). The DNA test my mother and I were required to submit to is done, and now I only have to wait until January for the results.

It kinda seems that the procedure depends on where you try to register at. I have spoken to some people that have nearly identical situations as me, and they were not required to do DNA testing, and were registered with minimal fuss.

Oh, and I can believe about your changing her name and age before marrying your father. My mother did the same thing 41 years ago! It added additional confusion when trying to get my situation sorted out.

A couple of questions: Were you born in Thailand? and was your father in the military perhaps? Your situation is like someone else I know as well.

[oldfatslob]

............ etc

A couple of questions: Were you born in Thailand? and was your father in the military perhaps? Your situation is like someone else I know as well.

I was born in Alabama, and have lived in the US until this year, when I first came here to bring my mothers remains. My father was in the US Marines during the Vietnam War and met my mother while on leave.

And thanks to everyone for the congratulations!