Reverting to Thai citizenship

[mikkyR]

My wife aquired norwegian citizenship many years ago, and since Norway do not allow dual citizenship, she had to shred the Thai passport as well as signing a document that she was not a Thai anymore.

Now she wants to move back to Thailand and regain Thai nationality. From the general talk on forums all over the internet, it does not seem to be like a big problem to regain Thai citizenship (for people with Thai parents, and birthcertificate intact, which we have).

The thing we are pondering, is if the fact that she signed a document renouncing her Thai nationality something that can make trouble in the process?

[Satcommlee]

Most countries allow you to revert (change your mind) at least once.. Maybe Thailand has the same policy..

[samran]

Who did she sign the paper to? Was it a norwegian document to say she was not Thai? Or did she actually go to the Thai embassy and renounce her citizenship.

This is important to know because the only was a natural born Thai loses their Thai citizenship is if they voluntarily go to the Thai embassy, sign the renunciation papers, and then that application is accepted and the renunciation is published in the official royal gazette Thailand. If that happened, then yes, she has lost her Thai citizenship. If it didn't, she is still Thai and should just go to the embassy and apply for a new passport.

[Mario2008]

Per above, she might still be Thai.

If she realy renounced her Thai nationality and it was accpeted it should indeed be relatively easy to regain Thai nationality (with losing Norwegian nationality). As a former Thai national she can easily get a visa and 1 year extension of stay, till her Thai nationality has been settled.

[ubonjoe]

How would Norway know if you she got herself a Thai passport. The only possible way would be if they were to notice that she had no Thai entry/departure stamps in her Norwegian passport.

Thailand has no problem with dual nationality.

[mikkyR]

Thank you for your answers. We are going to get more information with the Thai embassy aswell.

Who did she sign the paper to?

A norwegian document. We have no idea if they sent that forward to the Thai embassy, and nothing from Thaliand or the Thai embassy has been sent to her to warn her or to confirm that she has been officially removed.

If she realy renounced her Thai nationality and it was accpeted it should indeed be relatively easy to regain Thai nationality (with losing Norwegian nationality).

You have any idea about how the process is?

As a former Thai national she can easily get a visa and 1 year extension of stay

I am a little bit curious here, do there exist its own kind of visa or rules for former Thais visiting the Kingdom?

[technologybytes]

The answer has already been stated. If she did not renounce her Thai citizenship in a Thai embassy/consulate then she is still Thai.

If she wants to travel on her Norway passport then she will get 30 days on entry stamped into her passport, but the moment she arrives she can renew her ID card if necessary and apply immediately for a passport, as she has always been Thai in the eyes of Thailand she does not even need to mention that she has Norway passport when getting her new Thai passport.

In order to keep her Norway passport in good standing she would want to then leave Thailand with her Norway passport (going to Malaysia will be fine) and enter the destination country with her Thai passport, then just come back with her Thai passport.. easy.

[lopburi3]

To obtain passport in Thailand she would have to be listed on a home register in Thailand. She likely is but if not that must be done. But with proof of ever being Thai (like BC or old ID/passport) a one year extenion on foreign passport is easy to obtain under section 2.23 from immigration. If planning to live in Thailand much better to be here as Thai on Thai documents but for those living overseas and not having documents and just wanting extended stays (to help parents/family type reasons) the extension on foreign passport can be an easy answer (conditions below). But for OP it appears this will be a return so should get Thai documents.

1. Application form

2. Copy of applicant’s passport

3. Copy of documents proving that the applicant used to have Thai nationality or that his/her parent

is or was of Thai nationality

(In the case that the evidence of having Thai nationality is inconsistent with the information shown in

the passport, the applicant must submit a confirmation letter from the embassy or consulate, or

document verifying the applicant as being the same individual, such as an affidavit from a reliable

person.)

[mikkyR]

Thank you Lopburi3, that was really useful information. I found this document stating the paragraphs u refer to, is this the same document that you use, or do there exist a more updated page on the internet?

Also I still wonder how long and complicated process it would be to get back to Thai nationality if it turns out that she is listed in the royal gazette and has officially left Thai nationality.

[lopburi3]

The extension provisions are in police order 777/2551 and the documents to meet in 305/2551.

Believe getting citizenship restored is routine and not difficult but seriously suspect citizenship has not been lost.

[Arkady]

The extension provisions are in police order 777/2551 and the documents to meet in 305/2551.

Believe getting citizenship restored is routine and not difficult but seriously suspect citizenship has not been lost.

Getting Thai citizenship back is not routine. The process is not dissimilar to applying for naturalisation, although it might be a little quicker. There is a process for those who renounced Thai citizenship in order to obtain the citizenship of a foreign spouse but they need to show evidence that they are divorced from the foreign spouse in order to qualify. I don't think there is any way to get back Thai citizenship, if you renounced it for other reasons.

On the other hand, it is pretty obvious that signing a form in Norwegian and shredding one's Thai passport is not tantamount to renouncing Thai nationality, although you might be guilty of destroying government property. The form is probably just for the Norwegians to be able to revoke the Norwegian citizenship, if they find that she still has Thai citizenship. As Samran says, you need to make a formal application in person at a Thai Embassy abroad or at Special Branch in Thailand to renounce Thai citizenship and this requires the approval of the Interior Minister, after which the renunciation will become final on publication in the Royal Gazette. If the OP thinks his wife might actually have done this without his knowledge, he can go into the Royal Gazette and either search for her name or look through all the many notices of voluntary renunciations around the time he thinks she might have renounced it. If there is no announcement, she still has it which seems almost certainly the case.

I don't think former Thai citizens are entitled to automatic 1 year extensions to stay in Thailand, although this is indeed the case for existing Thai citizens who enter Thailand on foreign passports. Former Thai citizens are entitled to permanent residence in Thailand and are excluded from the quotas by nationality. I don't know how long it would take for their PR applications to be processed but I think there is a thread about some one who did this and got PR quite fast. However, once you have a alien book as a PR, you are no longer entitled to recover Thai citizenship.

[lopburi3]

This is the PDF from Canberra Royal Thai Embassy comment on recovery of Thai nationality - suspect it may be easier from outside than from within (as it is for passport issue also). By routine my meaning was more that there was a process in place for doing so.

3. Whether a person of Thai nationality who has renounced his/her nationality can re-apply

for Thai citizenship?

A person is entitled to apply for recovery of Thai citizenship by filing an application to the

Consul.

http://canberra.thaiembassy.org/doc/info/info_migration.pdf

[Mario2008]

I don't think former Thai citizens are entitled to automatic 1 year extensions to stay in Thailand, although this is indeed the case for existing Thai citizens who enter Thailand on foreign passports. Former Thai citizens are entitled to permanent residence in Thailand and are excluded from the quotas by nationality. I don't know how long it would take for their PR applications to be processed but I think there is a thread about some one who did this and got PR quite fast. However, once you have a alien book as a PR, you are no longer entitled to recover Thai citizenship.

Section 2.23 of police order 777/2551 gives 1 year extensions of stay if you are a former Thai or your parents are Thai, for both visiting and returning to Thailand.

Evidence of former Thai nationality or the Thai nationality of the parents is enough.

[Arkady]

I don't think former Thai citizens are entitled to automatic 1 year extensions to stay in Thailand, although this is indeed the case for existing Thai citizens who enter Thailand on foreign passports. Former Thai citizens are entitled to permanent residence in Thailand and are excluded from the quotas by nationality. I don't know how long it would take for their PR applications to be processed but I think there is a thread about some one who did this and got PR quite fast. However, once you have a alien book as a PR, you are no longer entitled to recover Thai citizenship.

Section 2.23 of police order 777/2551 gives 1 year extensions of stay if you are a former Thai or your parents are Thai, for both visiting and returning to Thailand.

Evidence of former Thai nationality or the Thai nationality of the parents is enough.

I stand corrected. Thanks for pointing this out.

Is that the same legal basis for issuing 1 year extensions to Thais who enter on foreign passports? It would be odd to have a police order that specifically endorses dual nationality but most would qualify under this section on the grounds of having Thai parents, even though they are existing rather than former Thais.

Perhaps former Thais whose Thai nationality was revoked for staying abroad for over 5 years would qualify too but not, if it had been revoked for a criminal offence, as they would have been blacklisted.

[Arkady]

I don't think former Thai citizens are entitled to automatic 1 year extensions to stay in Thailand, although this is indeed the case for existing Thai citizens who enter Thailand on foreign passports. Former Thai citizens are entitled to permanent residence in Thailand and are excluded from the quotas by nationality. I don't know how long it would take for their PR applications to be processed but I think there is a thread about some one who did this and got PR quite fast. However, once you have a alien book as a PR, you are no longer entitled to recover Thai citizenship.

Section 2.23 of police order 777/2551 gives 1 year extensions of stay if you are a former Thai or your parents are Thai, for both visiting and returning to Thailand.

Evidence of former Thai nationality or the Thai nationality of the parents is enough.

I stand corrected. Thanks for pointing this out.

Is that the same legal basis for issuing 1 year extensions to Thais who enter on foreign passports? It would be odd to have a police order that specifically endorses dual nationality but most would qualify under this section on the grounds of having Thai parents, even though they are existing rather than former Thais.

Perhaps former Thais whose Thai nationality was revoked for staying abroad for over 5 years would qualify too but not, if it had been revoked for a criminal offence, as they would have been blacklisted.

[lopburi3]

Yes it is used by those here on foreign passport entry to extend there says - years on end for some - and have seen them using it. I suspect rather than being "former Thai" the other criteria "or a person whose father or mother is or once was a Thai" clause is used to avoid asking dual nationality questions.

[Mario2008]

Correct, that is the same basis.

But there is also the basis of 2.29 in case someone needs to proof his Thai nationality. That get's one extensions of stay of 180 days to proof Thai citizenship.