Dual-citizenship Threatened

[thaigene2]

For those of you following the developing news story in the south of Thailand..Khun Thaksin has threatened to change the laws requiring Thais with dual Thai-Malaysian citizenship to revoke their Malaysian nationality.

While this may be a pressure tactic on Muslim Thais in the south, it has pretty serious implications for the rest of us 'farang' and other foreigners here, Japanese, Chinese, etc, who are married to Thais and have Luuk-Krung kids. Any change to laws allowing dual-citizenship could mean our own kids might be required to give up their British, American, Canadian, Japanese passports too.

Anyone know any more about this?

[astral]

It all depends on what the other nationality is.

Some countries do not accept that you can give up their nationality.

The last time I checked this applied to Brits.

Thailand may ask a Brit to give up the passport,

but the British Embassy will return it to the owner in

a plain envelope, with the recommendation that it be kept out

side Thailand

[otherstuff1957]

I wouldn't worry about this too much. If it actually happens it will probably only apply to Malay-Thai's. The worst case would be the extension of the ban to other muslim countries. Most likely the government will do one of their flip-flops once they think this matter through.

While I'm no fan on Toxin, he has done a couple of things that have helped Thai women who are married to Farangs. He was responsible for allowing Thai's who live abroad to vote. He also had the laws changed to allow Thai wives to take their Farang husband's names. Previously, Thai women who took Farang surnames lost their rights to own land in Thailand. Given this record, I don't think that measures that really hurt Thai families will be enacted or enforced.

[Guest chingy]

if you are holding British, American, Canadian, Japanese, and any 1st world country PP, i wouldn't worry about it, this is only aim at the southern thailand and Malaysia, any how Malay doesn't support dual PP, so its not like the law change or anything, i guest just enforcing the law lol, in some way i like the idea tho, make it hard for trouble maker to have easy access to Thailand.

[samran]

its all hot air.

Every 6 to 8 months when a Malaysian and Thai PM get together for biltateral talks, they say that they will change the law on the dual citizenship issue. This happened when the democrats were in power as well. A quick check on google shows of past proclamations shows nothing ever comes of these commitments to change the law.

The reason why it is unlikely to change are three fold. Firstly, too many hi-so thais have dual citizenship, including a few politicians and Thaksins son who was born in the US. They will resist change.

Secondly, the laws on this issue which took the ban on dual citizenship away were passed only in the early 90's, so it is unlikely to be reversed so soon.

Thirdly (and thankfully in this case), it is common for all thai legislation to take years, yes years, to be drafted and become law. Which is why you many notice it is hard to change anything in Thailand