The applicant must know the Thai language, including speaking, listening and understand, be able to sing the National Anthem and Sanserm Phra Baramee and pass an interview in Thai with government officers.

For those who are interested, the application process for Thai
Citizenship in my case went as follows:

Late 2003 - Picked up the checklist from the Police Headquarters on
Rama 1 Road

January 2004 - Took all my documents to the Police Department, in what
I thought was a word perfect application. However, since I was
applying in January and this being a new tax year, my tax returns from
the three preceding years were not enough. An oversight on my part, so
waited until I got my most recent tax retirn PNG 91 for 2003

March 2004 - Try again. This time my application was successfully
lodged. Paid the 5,000 Baht fee. Got fingeprinted. Signed my name (in
Thai) on dozens of firms. Took two Thai witnesses and later my wife
plus kids to show that they were real. Took forms issued to me by the
police department to immigration and my disctrict office. Later went
back to pick up the completed forms and take them back to the police
department

April 2004 - Thai language interview at the Police Department

September 2004 - Invited to the Interior Ministry. Showed them my work
permit, passport, alien registration certificate and certificate of
residence. Then, I was shown into a room with around 40 people
watching me. I was given a microphone and asked to sing the Thai
National anthem and Phra Baramee (the one they play in the cinema).
Yes, really. Managed to keep a straight face. Got interviewed in Thai
- basic Q&A about my circumstances. Around the same time, a group of
three officials from the Interrior Ministry visited my house to see if
my domestic circumstances were as described on my application form

Waited

Waited

February 2006 - Got the good news that the then Interior Minister Khun
Kongsak had approved my application

March 2006 - Got a letter to notify me of the above

Waited

(September 2006 - military coup)

Waited

November 2006 - Got the good news that the King had countersigned my
application

December 2006 - One of the most memorable parts: the oath. Just
after the King endorsed my application, I was asked to report to the
police department in business attire, armed with a candle, a lotus
flower and an incense stick. I then had to stand with these in my
hands while clasped in a wai, in front of a Buddhist shrine, repaeting
an oath of allegance to King and country, and promising to be an
upright and law-abiding citizen.

Waited

Waited

April 2007 - Got the good news that the new Interior Minister Khun
Aree had announced in the Interior Ministry notices that a bunch of
applicants including me could now get Thai nationality

May 2007 - Got the paperwork and certificate from the Police HQ to
take to the disctrict office to get my ID card. Now I must return my
work permit, alien residence certificate and certificate of residence
to respective authorities as these are no longer needed. Now I can
apply for a passport

Told that my application was one of the faster ones these days.
Getting Thai Citizenship IS a pain in the arse - but look on the
bright side:

1) Now I can own what I buy, land, house, etc

2) No need for a work permit, and no restricted occupations. I can now
drive a Tuk Tuk for a living if the going gets tough in the IT
industry

3) Now I can get in free to the Grand Palace and pay the Thai rate for
national parks

4) I can own a business

5) I can get a Thai passport and visit countries like Laos and Vietnam
visa free

6) No need for that expensive old yearly Resident Return visa. No
limit to the amount of time that I spend out of Thailand without
losing my residency

7) I can use the Thai passport lane at the airport (shorter queues)

8) In my case, no need to give up my old nationality

9) I have a new Thai identity, forename and surname. Good for
travelling to places that dislike my country of origin

10) I think that I can even vote, although I am not sure who is worth
voting for

All you need to do is satisfy the following to apply:

http://www.phuket...asp?id=759

Golden rules are:

1) Be patient and never get upset. The people that handle your
application do not make the rules and do not have any power over what
happens in the Interior Ministry

2) Get a coach. Not an expensive lawyer - just make friends with one
of the officials that handles your application

To qualify to apply for Thai citizenship, the applicant must meet the following criteria:

He or she must be 18 years old or older and also have reached legal majority in his or her country of origin.

He or she must be of good behavior and background. The following will be checked: criminal record; political background; involvement with illegal drugs and, in the case of Vietnamese applicants, personal behavior.

If working in Thailand, he or she must have an income of at least 80,000 baht a month or have paid taxes in the year the citizenship application is made of 100,000 baht or more.

If living in Thailand for “reasons of humanity” such as being marriage with a Thai people or having a Thai-born child or having graduated from a university in Thailand, he or she must have an income of at least 30,000 baht a month and be able to prove that he or she has paid taxes in Thailand for at least three years.

He or she must have lived in Thailand contunously for at least five years before applying.

The applicant must know the Thai language, including speaking, listening and understand, be able to sing the National Anthem and Sanserm Phra Baramee and pass an interview in Thai with government officers.

Points are awarded to applicants on the following basis: Age and education, 25 points; Occupation, 35 points; Length of residence in Thailand, 10 points; Relationship with Thai people and Thailand, 10 points; Thai language knowledge, 10 points; Personality, 10 points.

Applicants must score a total of at least 50 points in order to qualify for consideration. They must also have two guarantors of their behavior and assets. These guarantors must not be relatives.

Documents applicants must supply are;

Five copies of passport

Five copies of documents verifiying address in Thailand

Five copies of work permit

Five copies of house registration

Five copies of marriage registration (translated into Thai)

Two copies each of ID cards and house registrations of two people who guarantee the applicant’s behavior and assets.

Copy of birth certification, ID card or passport of a wife or husband and children, if any. If the applicant has changed names or surnames, documents relating to these must also be provided.

Documents showing income tax paid over the past three years.

In the case of applicant being a director or partner in a limitewd liability company or partnership, documents verifying that company taxes have been paid for three years.

Two copies each of company or partnership registration, licenses, lists of shareholders, value-added taxes and other related documents of the organization the applicant works at.

Two documents verifying occupation from the organization where he or she works. Salary and position of the applicant must be stated, and the documents must be signed by an authorized person in that organization.

Two documents verifying the applicant’s educational background and those of his or her children, if any.

A document verifying bank accounts, and showing they contain a minimum of 80,000 baht.

A document verifying donations to charity. These should total not less than 5,000 baht and the money must have been donated a long time ago – not just a time to support the citizenship application.

A dozen photographs, 2.5x2.5 inches in size, showing the applicant dressed politely.

A document verifying that the applicant has reaches majority according to the laws in his or her country of origin.

Applicants must present all original documents in person, along with an application fee of 5,000 baht fee. Bangkok-resident applicants should go to the Nationalization Office, Special Branch, Royal Thai Police, the 5th building, Phraram 1 Rd, Kwang Bangmai, Pathumwan Bangkok.

Residents outside Bangkok should apply to the Provincial Police.

Documents will be sent to the relevant authorities for checking. The officers will present those documents to higher ranking officers.

The Interior Minister is the final authority for the decision. There is no exact timetable for consideration – it depends on the length of the checking process.

Last year 48 people applied for Thai nationality. Ten received approval from the Minister of Interior. ”

Thursday, October 28, 2004 Pol Lt Col Somdej Khanthawong, Special Branch, Royal Thai Police, Bangkok

phom skrev:

Mon ikke det især er de mange børn der har dobbelt statsborgerskab indtil de fylder 22år og alle de ægtefæller der bor i Danmark og som har permament opholdtilladelse der får glæde af de nye regler.

Som regler er nu, kan konen jo ikke bare flytte med til Thailand når man bliver pensionist og så flytte med hjem til Danmark efter en længere årrække i Thailand. Hvis økonomi eller heldbred gør, at man gerne vil tilbage til Danmark. Da opholdtilladelsen, som udgangspunkt, udløber hvis man fraflytter Danmark.

Man der skal da nok også findes en del danskere der kan overveje, om de ikke også burde få et thai statsborgerskab.