Revive the tambien baan into residency status

[Jiraa]

Hi, I've been reading Thaivisa posts all day looking for information on how to turn my blue tambien baan into resident status in Thailand. The information is pretty confusing.

My name is on a blue tambien baan in Khon Kaen.  But I've been living in the US for the last 30 years.  I have US citizenship.  I've been to Thailand many times during the 30 years but I never bothered to do anything about the tambien baan.  Now that I'm retired, I want to go back to Thailand to live permanently. How do I revive this tambien baan into residency status - meaning the ability to enter or leave Thailand as I please, as many times as I need to, and get a driver's license, etc.
 

Would appreciate any help!  Thanks!

[ubonjoe]

If you had residency many years ago that allowed you to be registered in a blue tambien ban your permanent residency status is gone since you did not maintain it by getting a re-entry permit. Even if you had gotten a re-entry permit it would also be gone if you stayed out of the country for more than a year.

[timkeen08]

Same goes for US green card holders but no re-entry permit required. I was surprised to find green card holders in Thailand that did not know this and overstayed.

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[jcates29]

Is the OP a Thai citizen, as well as US?  The original post did not make this clear.    My wife, originally Thai, left Thailand for many years and became a US citizen.  When we moved back to Thailand she was able to reestablish her Thai citizenship.  Her name was on the Tabian Baan for her previous residence on Nong Bua Lamphu.  We successfully transferred her name to Chiang Rai.   In order to establish her Thai citizenship, she was required to take a DNA test along with a close relative (her older sister).  

Edited June 6, 2017 by jcates29
Edited to add details

[Jiraa]

I was a child. I don't think I had citizenship.

 

Sounds like all is lost.  I have to resort to visas like a true farang.

[Weddings Parties Anything]

1 hour ago, Jiraa said:

I was a child. I don't think I had citizenship.

 

Sounds like all is lost.  I have to resort to visas like a true farang.

What are your parents citizenship? A child of a thai citizen is automatically a thai citizen from birth.

 

In addition, your citizenship is also mentioned in the blue tabieen baan. 

[QuantumMech]

6 minutes ago, Weddings Parties Anything said:

What are your parents citizenship? A child of a thai citizen is automatically a thai citizen from birth.

 

In addition, your citizenship is also mentioned in the blue tabieen baan. 

Yeah, if you're in the tabien baan, take a look at it and see what it says about you. Name, citizenship, sex, ID number, date of birth, parents' names and ID numbers, etc...

[Jiraa]

Wow!  I will look that up.  

My dad passed on 10 years ago, but he was born in Chiang Mai.  He didn't live in Thailand either for the last 30 years of his life. 

Thank you, all.

[QuantumMech]

Good luck! Hopefully you'll find that you already have Thai citizenship. My mom moved from Thailand to the US over 50 years ago and didn't keep any of her Thai documents. But last year, we went back to the amphoe where she was registered, they looked her up in the computer and found her tabien baan entry, and printed her a new blue book. She then needed to get some witnesses to confirm that she really was the person named in the tabien baan—she still has a lot of relatives in the area, and her childhood friend's son is the local phu yai ban, so that wasn't a problem. They made a new Thai ID card for her, which she then used to get a Thai passport.

 

Since you've only been gone 30 years, I suspect your records should be easy to pull up :)

[timkeen08]

Good catch on the Thai citizen question. Good news for a change.

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