Thailand is one of the most visited countries by foreigners; a huge number of foreigners visited the country and have some ideals about this beautiful country. Knowing more about Thailand attracts more foreigners, and some are deciding to stay permanently here in Thailand.
For those who plan to stay permanently in Thailand, citizenship is a must. Demand is growing for Thailand citizenship as the country offers a unique lifestyle and also day by day becomes a stronger passport. Thailand has a strategic location in Southeast Asia, and it’s one of the biggest economies in the region.
Thailand passport is currently the 63rd strongest passport in the world with visa-free access to countries like Argentina, Brazil, Japan, and Turkey. With Thai citizenship, you are getting visa-free movement right within 96 countries.
We are going to explain everything about Thailand citizenship, from the eligibility to the application process, and the latest updates about Thailand citizenship will be explained in this article. You will learn about all the possible ways to obtain Thailand citizenship, required documents, citizenship process time, and also about new updates about Thailand citizenship by the government of Thailand.
Thailand Citizenship Explained
The Thai citizenship or Thailand citizenship is regulated by the Thai Nationality Act, according to this law, foreigners can become Thai citizens if they meet the requirements. Those who are becoming Thai citizens will have 100% rights like a native Thai citizen. They can live without any further requirement in the country permanently, they can work, open businesses, own property, vote, and be elected.
According to Thai nationality law, some foreigners obtain or become eligible quickly for Thai citizenship, and some others need more time. Those foreigners who are married to a Thai citizen can obtain Thai citizenship in 3 years; if they have children, citizenship will be granted in 1 year.
If one parent is a Thai national, then the newborn baby will be a Thai citizen automatically. And those who just want to become Thai nationals on their residence base in Thailand need to live legally for 5 years in Thailand.
If both parents are foreign, a baby cannot become a Thai citizen automatically, but the process and required residence time will be short for him/her. If parents hold Thailand permanent residence, this will help the baby become a Thai citizen in a short time.
Thailand Permanent Residency and Citizenship
Permanent residency give you the right to reside in Thailand for unlimited time without needing a visa. You will be able to work and live in Thailand, buy a property, bring your family members. However you can’t vote. To get permanent residency in Thailand, there are several requirements that should be met by the applicant.
After living for 3 consecutive years in Thailand, a foreigner can apply for permanent residency. Of course, it has some additional requirements too, like a job, language, income, etc.
Permanent residency is important for citizenship. When you are applying for citizenship in Thailand, you must hold Thailand permanent residency. If you are a couple and you have permanent residency and your baby is born in Thailand, he will obtain Thailand citizenship very quickly.
Permanent residency holders can live in Thailand forever. Thailand citizenship has stronger benefits. For example, if you are holding a Thai passport, wherever your baby is born, he/she will automatically become a Thai citizen. It it extend to your family members; you can also apply for Thailand citizenship.
Thailand Citizenship Requirements
Thailand citizenship has different requirements for each category; for example, if you are married to a Thai woman, you don’t need to pass a Thai language test, but if you are applying through naturalization, you need to pass a Thai language test. Here we will list all requirements, and then we will explain each category with deeper details:
1- 3-5 years legally residency in Thailand
2- Thai language proficiency
3- A good income job ( 1200 to 2400 USD)
4- Holding a permanent residency
5- Clean criminal record
6- Proof of income tax payments
7- Have a work permit
8- Be at least 20 years old
How to Get Thailand Citizenship?
There are different ways and methods available to get Thailand citizenship through it. However, mainly you can get it through naturalization, as Thailand does not guarantee automatic citizenship through birth to foreign parents babies.
Getting Thai citizenship is a serious thing; you are required to have strong relations and reasons to get Thai passport and citizenship. So the main thing is that there is residency in Thailand; you are required to live for many years in Thailand. But in some cases, you may not have to live for longer years in Thailand.
Get Thailand Citizenship by Naturalization
Naturalization is one of the most common ways for obtaining second citizenship. If you are living in a country for long years and have a job and life there, then in most countries you have a chance to get citizenship through naturalization.
In Thailand, if you have spent five continuous years of your life in this country, you meet the main citizenship requirement. Residence is the most serious requirement; the rest of the requirements are easy to meet. So you should live for five consecutive years in Thailand to become eligible for Thai citizenship through naturalization.
Read more: Thailand Visa for Pakistani nationals
If you meet the residence requirement now, you need to meet the income requirement. To be eligible for Thai citizenship, you need to be a strong financial person. You should have a job without a minimum 2400 USD salary. By this, the Thai government makes sure that you are a successful person in life.
After this, you need to be able to speak, write, and understand Thai. You will be tested for it, and passing a language exam is a must. A clean criminal record and paying the last three years income tax are also among the requirements.
Thailand Citizenship by Marriage
Marriage is the most guaranteed way to getting new citizenship; in most countries, or we can say in all countries, by marriage, a person becomes eligible for citizenship in a limited time. In Thailand, a person can obtain citizenship by marriage if they stay married for three years.
If you are married to a Thai national, you are required to meet very easy requirements. You need three years of residence if you have a child; you need just one year of residence in Thailand.
You are also except from the language test. Again, in the income requirement, you only need to earn 1200 per month, and you can’t earn this. You and your wife both should be able to earn 1200 USD per month.
These are the main ways through which a foreigner can become Thai national. These are the two most usable ways to obtain Thai citizenship.
How to apply for Thailand citizenship?
If you meet the requirements now, you need to collect all the required documents, such as your current passport, permanent residence card of Thailand, marriage certificate (if married), identity card, bank statement or salary slips, police clearance certificate, work permit, and income tax payment slips.
Once you have collected all these documents, you can visit the police headquarters in your residence province. You need to submit documents to them, and they will submit them to ministry interiors, where the final decision will be made.
It can take 1 to 5 months to proceed with your citizenship request; if it is approved, you will need to register yourself in the civil registry and get your Thai identity card.
