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13,827 Persons Given Thai Nationality

george
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george Legendary Member

george

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Thousands given Thai nationality

BANGKOK: -- Approval of 13,827 citizenship requests is biggest in Thai history, Kongsak says; Highlanders form the largest group. Almost 14,000 migrants and their children were granted Thai nationality yesterday, the biggest such approval in history, Interior Minister ACM Kongsak Wantana said.

Of the 13,827 approved, 4,272 were migrants to Thailand, while 9,555 were children who had been born here.

The total comprised 2,279 Vietnamese, 3,175 Burmese, 6,363 highlanders, 704 Nepalese, 28 Tai Lue, 287 tribal people, 978 Chinese (ex-military Chinese from Yunnan, also known as Jeen Hor), and 13 from ex-Communist Malaysia.

“This is the result of years of working. In some cases it took as long as three years to complete the inspection and confirmation process,” Kongsak said.

“It is my policy to grant nationality as quickly as possible, as I consider it has a huge impact on people’s lives. Many children and young people face difficulties in their studies and work without Thai nationality, even though they were born in Thai territory.”

Kongsak admitted that the approval process had in the past been very slow due to security issues, and previous ministers therefore being reluctant to issue approval.

The proposals were checked at district level first before passing to the provincial level for a second check and then on to the national level in Bangkok, he said.

“To qualify for citizenship, applicants have to show that they do not pose any risk to national security, could be of benefit to the Kingdom and paid taxes,” the interior minister said.

“This is the highest number of approvals of the past seven ministers, and has taken five months of work under my administration.

“I am pretty sure that all of them are qualified to be Thais. In the worst case, if a mistake has been made in the approval processes, we should be able to trace it.”

However, the minister did not reveal how many people who had submitted requests were still waiting for their green cards.

--The Nation 2006-01-03

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george Legendary Member

george

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Update:

Thai Grants Citizenship To 13 Ex Communists From Malaysia

By D. Arul Rajoo

BANGKOK: -- Thirteen ex- Communists from Malaysia are among 13,827 people who were granted citizenship by the Thailand government.

Interior Minister ACM Kongsak Wantana told the local media that the approval was the biggest in Thai history and in some cases, took three years to process.

He said the successful applicants comprised 4,272 migrants to Thailand and 9,555 children born in the country.

Highlanders comprise the highest number with 6,363 while the rest are 2,279 Vietnamese, 3,175 Burmese, 704 Nepalese, 28 Tai Lue, 287 tribal people, 978 Chinese (ex-military Chinese from Yunnan) and 13 ex-Communist from Malaysia.

Kongsak, however, did not give the details of the applicants, including the Malaysian ex-Communists.

The former Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) members, including its secretary general Chin Peng, have been living in the southern border town of Betong after the CPM reached an agreement with the Malaysian government to end the war in 1989 and Thailand agreed to grant them asylum.

Last year, Chin Peng applied to the High Court in Malaysia seeking return to Malaysia.

Kongsak, the former Air Force Chief who took over the ministry five months ago, said that the applications went through strict vetting process, with particulars being checked at district and provincial levels before final assessment in Bangkok.

Applicants applying for the citizenship have to show to the authorities that they do not pose any threat to national security, he said.

Kongsak said the granting of citizenship was necessary to help the affected people who were deprived of good lives, especially children and youths who faced difficulties in obtaining good education or work.

-- Bernama.com.my 2006-01-03

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george Legendary Member

george

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Thousands Vietnamese given Thai nationality

BANGKOK: -- The Thai Government has granted Thai nationality to 2,279 Vietnamese, according to Interior Minister Kongsak Wantana.

“This is the result of years of working. In some cases it took as long as three years to complete the inspection and confirmation process,” Kongsak was quoted by The Nation as saying.

“It is my policy to grant nationality as quickly as possible. Many children and young people face difficulties in their studies and work without Thai nationality, even though they were born in Thai territory,” he said.

Kongsak admitted that the approval process had in the past been very slow due to security issues, and previous ministers therefore being reluctant to issue approval.

“To qualify for citizenship, applicants have to show that they do not pose any risk to national security, could be of benefit to the Kingdom and paid taxes,” he added.

Additionally, as many as 14,000 foreign residents including 3,175 Burmese, 6,363 highlanders, and 978 Chinese were granted Thai nationality.

--VNA, Vietnam 2006-01-03

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samran Star Member

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And not a single Farang expat among them......................  :o

yes, but I wonder how many farang actually bothered applying (and we know there are quite a few with PR who would be eligible). For most of those 13-odd thousand, Thai citizenship would be a step up for them in the scheme of things. For most farangs, I'm guessing having Thai citizenship in addition to their additional passport is neither her nor there, especially when they already have PR.

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LaoPo Star Member

LaoPo

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6.363 Highlanders..... :o

Maybe everyone else know what kind of people they are, but I don't.

Can someone explain to me where they are from? Up-country Triangle?

LaoPo

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jackr Diamond Member

jackr

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6.363 Highlanders..... :o

Maybe everyone else know what kind of people they are, but I don't.

Can someone explain to me where they are from? Up-country Triangle?

LaoPo

Somewhere loftier than sea level :D

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LaoPo Star Member

LaoPo

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6.363 Highlanders..... :D

Maybe everyone else know what kind of people they are, but I don't.

Can someone explain to me where they are from? Up-country Triangle?

LaoPo

Somewhere loftier than sea level :D

You mean loftier than your Chang-level? :o

BUT...still no answer from any of you 'loftier' intelligent ladies or gentlemen....I'm coming to LOS for more than 25 years but NEVER heard of 'Highlanders' in LOS....hmmm must be me :D

BambinA...........PLEASE HELP?!

LaoPo

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Dragonman Gold Member

Dragonman

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6.363 Highlanders..... :D

Maybe everyone else know what kind of people they are, but I don't.

Can someone explain to me where they are from? Up-country Triangle?

LaoPo

Somewhere loftier than sea level :D

You mean loftier than your Chang-level? :o

BUT...still no answer from any of you 'loftier' intelligent ladies or gentlemen....I'm coming to LOS for more than 25 years but NEVER heard of 'Highlanders' in LOS....hmmm must be me :D

BambinA...........PLEASE HELP?!

LaoPo

Mainly Hmong, Karen, etc. It's only been in recent years that the Government has made any attempt to go out and encourage registration of many of these people, as they saw it a way of keeping a check on illegal immigrants in the area. This is a drop in the ocean as there are hundreds of thousands of them.

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meadish_sweetball Star Member

meadish_sweetball

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Dragonman: thanks, ok I understand.

Didn't the King go there not so many years ago and talked to the Hmong and Karen (amongst others)?

LaoPo

There are plenty of hill tribes/highland people of various ethnicities in Thailand, the highest concentrations are in the far Northern provinces. Even those of them that were born on Thai soil have been considered foreigners, but the recent steps show a change in attitude may be coming, which is very welcome.

Some examples of highland people: Hmong, Mien, Akha, Karen (various subgroups), Lahu (various subgroups), Lisu (with subgroups), Khamu, Shan (whose language and customs are closely related to the Thais and Laotians). These are just some - there are plenty of others, too.

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dr_Pat_Pong Star Member

dr_Pat_Pong

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Dragonman: thanks, ok I understand.

Didn't the King go there not so many years ago and talked to the Hmong and Karen (amongst others)?

LaoPo

There are plenty of hill tribes/highland people of various ethnicities in Thailand, the highest concentrations are in the far Northern provinces. Even those of them that were born on Thai soil have been considered foreigners, but the recent steps show a change in attitude may be coming, which is very welcome.

Some examples of highland people: Hmong, Mien, Akha, Karen (various subgroups), Lahu (various subgroups), Lisu (with subgroups), Khamu, Shan (whose language and customs are closely related to the Thais and Laotians). These are just some - there are plenty of others, too.

Well put Meadish :o

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sabaijai Diamond Member

sabaijai

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Strictly speaking, the Shan aren't 'highlanders' or hill tribes. They settle in lowland river valleys just like other Tai groups. They traditionally have not had a problem getting citizenship if they were born here. There are of course many Shan refugees in Thailand without citizenship, but they're unlikely to be granted Thai nationality.

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steveromagnino Platinum Member

steveromagnino

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Farangs never apply because the Thai gov't won't grant them ciitzenship unless they are very very rich. All these people who were granted Thai citizenship should of already been citizens because there background is Thailand, but there blood is not.

er.... that's pretty inaccurate. Plenty of westerners on this forum and living in the sticks to refute that who have Citizenship already and aren't really really rich.

Even my previous boss is getting in on it shortly; and he isn't that rich. Cannot speak Thai.

And plenty of dem applying too....

WP for 3 yeas then PR.

2 years more.

Apply. Pass a few basic tests, show commitment to the country, speak a bit and so on.

And you are in.

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samran Star Member

samran

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How many westerners were granted citizenship so far? I would like to hear from westerners with citizenship?

Mal,

why don't you do something a bit productive and either ring immigration or consult the government gazette where these things are announced?

Also, go to the immigration website and download the list to see the people who were granted PR last year. As Steve has said, PR is the first step to citizenship, and there are a fair few farangs there who have got it.

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