getting dual citizenship

[jerryb78]

hello every one

i have a question reguarding dual citizenship program in thailand and would like clerification and advice from anybod in thailand.

i was born in Thailand in 1978 (B.E. 2521) and my father (an American Tourist) ask that i be given a U.S. Citizen (at birth) in according to the Order of the Revolutionary Party No.337. And my mother was a native Thai citizen.

Some of my friend have received a Dual Citizenship status and are now living in Thailand, U.S.A, Germany and Canada.

my questions is that i would like to gain a Dual Citizenship Status, how do i file for Dual Citizenship Status ?

I am currently living in the USA with my Thai mother- who i am careing for. My Father- a US Citizen has pass away/ died in Thailand in 1993 and i only have one remaining US relative. Once my last US relative pass away/ died. I would like to come live in Thailand and Take care of my mother and my other close relative. And start a new life. I am tire of the USA

Please advice me reguarding this issue. I would like to know more. I have mail this request to several department of thai foreign affiar. as i do not know which department handle or have the knowledge of this type of affair.

I can read and write in thai, but i am not able to type in thai. so, your corresponse can be either in thai or in english. and i will wait patiently for your answer.


Sincerly,

Gerald Bryant III

[juta]

You cannot apply for a dual citizenship in Thailand. There is no such thing. What you should do is register yourself as a Thai at the nearest Thai consulate if this hasn’t been done before. But since you were born in Thailand, chances are you have been registered somewhere in Thailand. Bring that birth certificate to the embassy coupled with your mum’s thai house registration and her thai ID card and apply for your thai passport. Your mum’s documents are needed to show that she is Thai and therefore you as her son will be entitled to a Thai citizen as well. The problems will occur if your mum had been deregistered as a Thai when she married your American father. If this is the case, she must make a request to reinstate her citizenship before you can proceed with your thai passport.

Check out these websites:

http://www.mfa.go.th/web/206.php
http://www.mfa.go.th/web/903.php

[jerryb78]

thx you and i understand what you are saying. but i don't think i willbe getting my thai ID or thai passport here in the USA. i would do it in thailand when i went back to visit.

My house registration in thailand has my name in it. it also has a thai ID number next to my name. i was really surprise to see it since i am not thai - then i should not have any thai ID number assighn to me. But next to it , state my nationality as US citizen and not Thai.

as for my thai birth citificate, it said clearly on top left corner that my father is an american who request that i have a american citizen at birth. and it even said so on the birth certificate itself.

now will this be an issue when i go to apply for a ID card/ passport since both thai birth certificate and house registration said that i am a US citizen and not thai?

eventhough my mom married an american, she kept her thai last name and never use my dad last name. she only use it in title only. and never in any legal document what so ever.

now since my birth certificate and home registration said clearly that i am a US citizen, how do i proceed ?

i wonder if they will ask question and i am sure they will since i am 28 and have never got an ID card or driver license and never paid tax. And after i get my ID, my name will be put automatically on to the list of name for the next year military draft. I can take care of the draft issue. just want to get my ID.

[juta]

Anyone who has resided in Thailand can have their names registered in a House Registration if they want to. I don’t think the number next to your name is your ID number; it’s just the number of an individual on the paper. You will not have an ID number until you’re 15 years old (if I’m not wrong about the eligible age to have ID card).

As I mentioned earlier, if your mum hasn’t been denounced from Thai citizenship, the matter is just about getting your ID card and then a passport. In the past, if women married to foreigners they might have to surrender Thai citizenship. If this is the case, your mum has a choice to ask to be reinstated Thai citizenship. How your mum has been using her last name is irrelevant.

According to the family law (of which on the websites I referred to previously), children born between Thai woman and foreign man, whether or not they are legally married, will be entitled to a Thai citizen. So I guess even though on your birth certificate you’re an American citizen that doesn’t prevent you to have Thai citizen as well. Not too long ago, dual citizenship was not accepted. You see, Thai law can be very confusing, they don’t spell out how things should be precisely. If you ask at any Immigration office about your status, I guess no one will ever tell you have a dual nationality.

Obviously you will be asked questions when you apply for your ID card. But the only question they will ask is why you don’t make the card when you turn 15. It has nothing to do with taxes, or driver license. Just advise them that you were living overseas and now you want to have it done properly. You will be charged for this late registration (only a few baht) and within half an hour you will get your ID. This is what happened to me when my ID card had been expired for several years. Make sure you have all documents ready, both yours and your mum’s.

And yes, you will be conscripted for the next year military draft.

[Douglas]

Hi Jerry,

I was born to a Thai mother and American father in Thailand. I was later adopted by a single Canadian father who took me to live in Canada when I was 7 years old. I later obtained Canadian citizenship after living there for several years.

When I left Thailand in 1976 the Thai governement did not issue a Thai passport for me and I had to depart on a special "emergency travel certificate". The reason they did not issue me a Thai passport is not clear, but as correctly mentioned above by another person, Thai law is never very clear and precise and left up to a lot of individual interpretation.

I travelled back to Thailand on a Canadian passport in 1991. Then contacted my Thai relatives who held the original house registration certificate with my name in it. She then took me to the local registration office in Bang Sue (Bangkok) and the whole process was very easy. One of the officers called me in and asked me some questions about where I had been all these years and why I did not report for the draft. I simply replied that I was living overseas and studying all those years (it's good advice to mention that you were studying). That was enough and he then asked to see my Canadian passport, viewed it and then passed it back to me. I was very surprised about that since as mentioned elsewhere in this forum, A Thai citizen cannot have duo citizenship, therefore he should have confiscated my Canadian passport. A Thai ID card was issued about 30 minutes later (they weren't computerized back then and it now takes about 5 minutes).

Regarding the military issue, the officer who interviewed me sent me upstairs to register, but the military people saw that I had already passed the draft call and gave me a choice to register or not. Be warned though, if you choose not to register then you won't be able to make a Thai passport later because in oder to make a Thai passport you have to have a small slip from the military saying that you attended the draft (Bai Sor Dor).

My birth certificate and house registration papers clearly state my father as being American and my mother as being Thai. My nationality is also stated as being Thai, but like one other member of the forum stated above, this does not seem to important. The main things of importance here should be that you were born to at least one Thai parent in Thailand.

What you require is the original house registration with your name and your original birth certificate. You should also have at least one listed family member from the house registration to go along with you because the officials will require a witness to confirm that you are the person listed in the house reggistration and on the birth certificate.

I know that this is a very late reply, but I happended to stumble on to this forum while searching for information about how to travel back to Canada for a visit using both Thai and Canadian passport. I hope that you find this information helpful.

[Rooster]

Douglas had gone the right route in returning to Thailand to properly following the procedures. However, one procedure step was missing from Douglas's note. Technically, there is a criminal background check required before the district office can issue you an ID card. With the modern day computerized central processing, it is easier now to have your criminal background check done. For Thai male, you will need Bai Sor Dor or Draft Registry document before you can receive your passport. It would not be necessary if you are over 45 y/o.
According to Thai law in the new constitution, anyone born of Thai parents or parent are eligible for application for Thai citizenship. It is a long process if you are bornt in the foreign countries. It is up to your Thai parent(s) to file for your citizenship at the Thai Consulate. If you are bornt in Thailand, you are Thai citizen...if one of your parent is a Thai. By being born in Thailand, it does not necessary make you a Thai citizen if one of your parents are not Thais as in the cases for those refugees and illegal alliens. Technically, Thai law does not allow for dual citizenship. But there is another law that protect the right of Thais and their children who bornt in the foreign countries. When dealing with laws between countries, each nations have their own set of laws. Dual citizenships are as common for those who living and travel internationally. Obviously, you can not use two or three passports when you are travelling. It is up to the individual to decide in their case to use one or another passport. The modern Thai ID card has biometric information and the informations are centrally maintained. Once you are in their mainframe system, you can go to any governmental district office to do your government businesses.

[Rooster]

Jerry. You will only have to take a long vacation to visit your relatives in Thailand. Thai ID card can only be issued initially at the district of your house registry. It does not matter whether you are a US citizen as long as your mother is a Thai citizen. Technically, you are a Thai citizen. You stated a desire to return and to live in Thailand someday. Do you have a college degree or higher? Or do you have some type of technical degree and or licenses/certificate? I would recommend that you have some type of skill/certificate to show your potential employers and or to start your own business.

[juta]

Douglas - june 26 ..
Quote - I was very surprised about that since as mentioned elsewhere in this forum, A Thai citizen cannot have duo citizenship, therefore he should have confiscated my Canadian passport. -

I'm afraid you've misunderstood. Many Thais have dual citizenship, but this is a privilege – or rights to be precise - of having parents of two different nationalities. And a passport will always be a property of that nation; no one can confiscate it except the government which it belongs to.

Quote - The main things of importance here should be that you were born to at least one Thai parent in Thailand.

This is also not true. You can born overseas by Thai parents to qualify for Thai citizenship. However, you will not be regarded by law as Thai if your father is Thai but is not married to your foreign mother. In this case the father has to prove that the child is his and this can be very complicated.

[Aussie Dave]

Douglas 26th ...............Hi there, i know its none of my business, but did you ever get in contact with your birth parents again. And if so, how did it go for you .

[Rooster]

The question of who is the father seemed trivial and making it too complicated. It is actually very simple and whether your parents are married or not ...is not very a question if one or both of your parents are Thai citizens. It is all happened in the hospital and where the initial birth certificate is issued to the child in question. The birth certificate would have the names of the attending physician, mother, and father beside the name of the hospital clerk. This birth certificate is than submitted to the district office and household registry. Common law marriage is so common in Thailand, and it is up to the fathers to claim their children at the time of births. If the fathers did not make claim to their children, than the children will take the mother's last name. Of course, the birth certificates would not have the name of the fathers in question. If the mothers named the fathers in question, than the mothers would have to file police report and or the hospital clerks would have to hold the birth certificates until the matters are cleared by both parties.