New Criteria For Naturalisation

[smoz]

Yesterday the Bangkok Post ran a small aricle about stricter criteria for foreigners who seek Thai nationality. The new rules "require an applicant to earn at least Baht 80,000 a month and have paid personal income taxes for at least three years. The tax payment must amount to at least Baht 100,000 a year".

Nothing is mentioned about a 10-years stay in Thailand with a residence permit in hand.

Are the criteria as reported by the newspaper indeed to obtain Thai nationality or is it Residency?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Yesterday the Bangkok Post ran a small aricle about stricter criteria for foreigners who seek Thai nationality. The new rules "require an applicant to earn at least Baht 80,000 a month and have paid personal income taxes for at least three years. The tax payment must amount to at least Baht 100,000 a year".

Nothing is mentioned about a 10-years stay in Thailand with a residence permit in hand.

Are the criteria as reported by the newspaper indeed to obtain Thai nationality or is it Residency?

I didn't see the article, but is sounds like citizenship. Was a commencement date set for the changes ?

[Bobcat]

I didn't see the article either, but I would assume if it's saying things will be stricter then it is referring to residence rather than citizenship. As I understand, in order to obtain Thai citizenship you need to have residence for 5 years. In order to have residence, you need to be here on extensions for a minimum of 3 years. So, as far as I know, citizenship means, all up, 8 years.

[smoz]

Text of the whole Bangkok Post article:

The Interior Ministry has toughened its criteria for foreigners who seek Thai nationality, but has yet to decide if the new rule should cover people who have already filed their petitions.

According to a source at the ministry the new rule requires a foreigner who wants Thai nationality to earn at least 80,000 bath a month and have paid personal income taxes for at least three years. The tax payment must amount to at least 100,000 baht a year.

A foreigner who has a Thai spouse must earn at least 30,000 baht a month and have paid personal income taxes for at least three years. The old rule required minimum income of 10,000 baht a month.

The source who asked not to be named said the new rule was aimed at preventing poor foreigners from simply seeking jobs in Thailand and then acquiring Thai nationality. It also intends to block transnational criminals who increasingly move to Thailand.

Recently the national police office asked if the new rule took effect on foreigners who had filed requests for Thai nationality.

The interior minister has not replied, but is probably waiting for a directive from the nationality committee that Interior Minister Wan Muhamad Nor Matha heads.

[Bobcat]

I would like to see the new "rules" in Thai to see what they actually say. What was written only talks of a tax requirement. Perhaps this is additional to the 3+5 years. Does anyone else have any additional information?

[dr_Pat_Pong]

It'll take a while before anything like a decision is taken. A long while

[sbk]

Interesting, we were told of these income requirements by the police in bangkok several months ago when we first started asking about naturalization for me. My husband's impression at that time was that they were already in place.