Quick Question

[harrismac]

Here's my situation. I am a US citizen. I was born in Thailand and my Mom is a Thai citizen currently living in Chiangmai. I left Thailand at six months old to come to Florida, USA. My Mom left also to raise me while my Dad finished his time in the military and retired. Dad passed in 1991, when I made my first visit back to Thailand as a child with my Mom to see family in Lampang. Stayed 3 months. Went back to US with Mom, and she stayed until 2004, after she remarried a retired Canadian pilot who decided the two of them were moving to Chiangmai to build a home and retire there. She was able as she never became a US citizen after being in the States since 1978 to 2004. She did visit me here bi-annually to maintain her green card for America. She did so until last year when she failed to travel here and the green card expired. Reason being is her husband, my step-dad, had a stroke and she didn't want to leave him to be cared for by a nursing home in Chiangmai. She did so herself with a home health aide. Anyways, he just passed in February of 2013. I went there for an entire month to Chiangmai to help her with arrangements and to cope. Truth is when I went to Thailand in 1991, I hated it, but I was just a teenager. This past trip I loved it! I now want to live there. Ok, I am disabled due to military injuries suffered in Iraq and Afghanistan. I get a monthly stipend for the rest of my life that totals over the $1,200 required for retirement VISAs. Since I was born there, my Mom a citizen who still lives there with a few houses and rental properties, so she has an income that is over the $1,200 requirement, and she is 66 years of age now. Anyways, should I have an issue with getting a VISA to live there? I'm in my mid 30's now, unmarried, no children, and have a little bit of a savings, too. What do you recommend? Hell, my uncle is a 3 star general in the Thai Army, too. Ha! Can he pull strings or no? Grandpa is a retired police chief of Chiangmai, too. Just saying. Would that help? My biological father is of Irish descent, but born and raised in New York. Retired Sergeant Major of the U.S. Army. Adding all of this in, just in case it can give me any kind of pull in the situation. Thanks for your time.

[lopburi3]

Your mother is Thai so does not need a visa/retirement. You can not use retirement as an American until age 50 and the requirement is 65k baht per month income which is about double the amount you mentioned. But you have a Thai mother so can claim Thai citizenship so that is what you should be doing now (laws were change about a decade ago so anyone born of a Thai parent is a Thai or can gain citizenship). Others should be able to advise more - many people do claim there citizenship every year. Once you have that you can enter on a Thai passport and not have to meet any of the requirements foreigners need to meet.

[Suradit69]

Your mother is Thai so does not need a visa/retirement. You can not use retirement as an American until age 50 and the requirement is 65k baht per month income which is about double the amount you mentioned. But you have a Thai mother so can claim Thai citizenship so that is what you should be doing now (laws were change about a decade ago so anyone born of a Thai parent is a Thai or can gain citizenship). Others should be able to advise more - many people do claim there citizenship every year. Once you have that you can enter on a Thai passport and not have to meet any of the requirements foreigners need to meet.

"But you have a Thai mother so can claim Thai citizenship ..."

You may want to get more explicit advice about the process since that would normally mean giving up US citizenship. Some people manage to get dual citizenship, but that's something to explore, possibly with someone at the US Embassy.

Not sure what sort of medical coverage you have from your military service, but you need to find out whether becoming a Thai citizen would have any effect on your disability payments and/or medical coverage with the VA (I assume you have that).

I hope you find life in Thailand great and settle in permanently, but don't burn bridges behind you. Do try to keep as many options open to yourself as is possible. Are you fluent in Thai? Do you intend to look for work? How strong are your ties to people and activities back in the US?

Edited April 23, 2013 by Suradit69

[asiaexpat]

US citizens do not need to give up US citizenship to regain Thai citizenship. If you were born a Thai citizen as you seem to have been, then you can maintain dual citizenship. My children all did this, some in Thailand and some in USA. Search post here on TV for more details.

[TerryLH]

"You may want to get more explicit advice about the process since that would normally mean giving up US citizenship."

As state above; not correct.

[sbk]

Contact the Royal Thai Embassy in the US and ask them exactly what you need to apply for a Thai passport in the US before coming to Thailand. Otherwise, you will need to enter Thailand on your US passport and apply for a Thai ID card in Thailand, be listed on your mother's house registration, then apply for a Thai passport and then leave the country on your US passport and re-enter Thailand on your Thai passport.

No need for any influence here, your mother is Thai, you are a Thai citizen

[lopburi3]

One off-topic post removed.

[ubonjoe]

Do you have a copy of your Thai birth certificate?

If yes you could then get listed on your mothers house book and get a Thai ID card. Then apply for a Thai passport here and then fly out and back using your Thai passport for entry.

If still in the states and you have your birth certificate you could go through the process of getting a Thai passport at the embassy or any of the consulates (LA, Chicago and NY.)

[harrismac]

I do have my original Thai birth certificate. So say I want to travel over there again within a couple of months, I can apply for my Thai I.D. card if my Mom puts me on her house registration? Then I can get a Thai passport and travel back to the U.S. on my American passport. But once I come back to Thailand, I can use my Thai passport to gain entry and then not have to worry about the laws that regular foreigners are faced with? So I keep my US passport and citizenship and now have my Thai passport and Thai citizenship, giving me dual citizenship based on the fact my Mom is Thai? Sounds simple enough. I'd rather do the paperwork over there. I live now in Springfield, Missouri and I'm nowhere near L.A. or NYC, and don't want to waste time traveling to Chicago just to fill out a form that I can fill out when I do go back to Thailand. Kind of a waste of time and money unless I am going to be in Chicago for another reason. Just my opinion. And I do get VA benefits and disability payments. I wonder if that would be affected if i live there. I mean, hell I earned that for all I've seen, been through and done for this country. I can hardly hear now, walk funny....anyways, I'll check into that. Thank you guys for all of your advice. It's appreciated.

[ubonjoe]

I grew up about 60 miles from Springfield.

You plan will work since you have your Thai birth certificate. If shouldn't take more than one trip to the Amphoe but it would be best to take your mother along. Then to the nearest passport office.

I see no problem for your disability benefits. Other than possibly check-ups if required.

You can even have your benefit payment direct deposited into a Bangkok Bank account via their NY branch.

[Suradit69]

"You may want to get more explicit advice about the process since that would normally mean giving up US citizenship."

As state above; not correct.

Quoting out of context ??

You may want to get more explicit advice about the process since that would normally mean giving up US citizenship. Some people manage to get dual citizenship,

I meant normally if someone decided to become a citizen of another country, one gives up US citizenship. I did say that dual citizenship was a possibility and more importantly I suggested he get advice about the process from someone properly qualified to give it ... as opposed to those of us on TV who are expressing an opinion without all the facts.

Edited April 24, 2013 by Suradit69

[lopburi3]

Your information is wrong - people do not normally lose there US citizenship when getting another; and in this case the person already has the other - just does not know it.

[CWMcMurray]

...... And I do get VA benefits and disability payments. I wonder if that would be affected if i live there. I mean, hell I earned that for all I've seen, been through and done for this country. I can hardly hear now, walk funny....anyways, I'll check into that. Thank you guys for all of your advice. It's appreciated.

Lots of folks over here on VA disability, no issue ...

You can open a Bangkok bank account and have it sent over though Bangkok Bank or it may also be useful to keep your US account for direct deposit.

This makes more sense if you have any expenses in US or have US credit card, as very easy to arrange for payment of Credit cards or bills

Also if just 1200 per month, would be cheaper to pay the ATM fees rathe than cost of international transfer fees

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[lopburi3]

Also if just 1200 per month, would be cheaper to pay the ATM fees rathe than cost of international transfer fees

Probably not - BBL fee would be $5 so if using USAA (no fee) for ACH transfer that would not be more than the normal 150 baht ATM fee and suspect conversion done at TT rate minus 1/4% should be as good as Visa or MasterCard rates. But the main advantage in keeping US account is tax payments and mail order items paying with bank card.

[harrismac]

I just cancelled USAA last year. I have Wells Fargo now. Just more convenient, because USAA made it hard to deposit cash with no branch around me within 3 hours. I'm in Missouri now and there isn't a Wells Fargo in the state, so I am looking to switch again. I'll definitely take my Mom along for citizenship when I get there. Having dual citizenship would be ideal for me, because I will not drop my US citizenship for anything. I feel confident now about the topic hearing so many different opinions and most agreeing with one another. I realize with check ups and stuff I'll have to travel back to the US to keep my benefits going, which isn't a problem. I get more than $1,200 a month, but I used that figure since it was used on me saying that's the minimum needed to be able to live here as a foreigner.

[lopburi3]

You might want to return to USAA as they are easy to deal with overseas and if living here you will not have requirement for cash deposits. They do not charge for ACH transfers so easy to transfer money into Bangkok Bank account here online at any time.

Suspect the person using the $1,200 figure was talking about one year extensions for having a Thai wife (which is 40,000 baht per month). Not something you will have to worry about being Thai.

[CWMcMurray]

.... I realize with check ups and stuff I'll have to travel back to the US to keep my benefits going, which isn't a problem.....

Not necessarily ... I am rates at 50% through the VA and have never needed to go back to US for check up with VA to keep benefits.

Been living in Thailand for 8 yrs now and before that 3 years in US since discharge and never any check up required by the VA in 11 years since discharge from the Army

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app