Thai citizenship when born overseas
Am I a Thai citizen?
Children born overseas to at least one Thai parent are eligible for Thai citizenship, regardless of the place of birth of that parent.
There is often some confusion about the eligibility of a child born to a Thai parent overseas. The easy answer is that a child born to a Thai citizen, whether in Thailand or outside of Thailand, is automatically born a Thai citizen.
In the case of Thailand, citizenship by birth is by blood, or to use the Latin phrase “jus sanguinis” (by the right of blood). In layman terms, it means the right to citizenship through one’s bloodline or ancestry. The main exception is when a child is born in Thailand to two foreign parents who both have permanent residence status in the kingdom at the time of birth. In that case, the child will be a Thai citizen from birth due to their parents’ permanent residence status.
As such, if you were born to a Thai parent overseas, or your children born overseas to a Thai parent, they are eligible to receive Thai nationality.
Apply for a Thai birth certificate in the country of birth
Thailand does not issue ‘citizenship via descent’ certification like many countries. Thai citizenship when born overseas needs to be established by a Thai birth certificate (สูติบัตร). This is the primary document proving one’s status as a Thai citizen throughout their life. Without one, it is impossible to be registered on a Thai House Registration – the ‘tabien baan’ (ทะเบียนบ้าน) or have a Thai passport (หนังสือเดินทาง) or ID card (บัตรประชาชน) issued.
A Thai citizen born overseas will go through life with two birth certificates: the one issued by their country where they were born, as well as their Thai birth certificates which is issued by the Thai embassy in that country.
The first step is to apply for a Thai birth certificate at the Royal Thai embassy in the country of birth. For example, all children born to a Thai parent in the United Kingdom and on the island of Ireland must apply to the Thai Embassy in London, whereas a child born to a Thai parent in the United States must apply to the Thai Embassy in Washington DC.
Requirements for a Thai birth certificate will vary slightly depending on the embassy, however general requirements should include:
- Full birth certificate issued in country of birth*.
- Marriage certificates of the parents**
- Photo’s of the applicants
- Passport/identity documents of the parents
- Thai ID card and house registration copies of the Thai citizen parent.
*Local birth certificate will need to be legalized in the country of birth by the appropriate body. Please contact the relevant embassy for the appropriate national counterpart. For example, in the US this will be the Secretary of State and Department of State respectively.
**Please see individual embassy requirements in the case where parents are not married, divorced or deceased.
It is generally not necessary to attend the embassy to apply for a birth certificate; however, it is possible that the father and mother will be asked to attend the Thai embassy in person if the child was born before 1 March 1992.
Below are links for obtaining birth certificates at major Thai embassies around the globe.
AUSTRALIA
Royal Thai Embassy, Canberra
Click this link
GERMANY
Royal Thai Embassy, Berlin
Click this link (available in Thai and German only)
UNITED KINGDOM
Royal Thai Embassy, London
Click this link
(available in Thai only)
UNITED STATES
Royal Thai Embassy, Washington DC
Instruction for applying (Thai only): click this link
List of forms: click this link
Birth certificate form: click this link
Thai Consulate, LA
List of forms: click this link (Thai)
List of forms: click this link (English)
Thai birth certificate for a foreign-born child – in Thailand
In some cases, a person who is eligible for a Thai birth certificate has already moved back to Thailand using a foreign passport.
For a person who is born outside of Thailand to a Thai parent, only the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok can assist you in obtaining a Thai birth certificate by liaising with the Thai embassy in the country of birth for the child.
Details of the Department of Consular Affairs are:
Legalization Division, 3rd floor
Department of Consular Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
123 Chaeng Wattana Road
Bangkok 10210
Tel: 0-2575-1058 and 59 Fax: 0-2575-1054
Service hours: 08.30 – 14.30 hrs. (Closed on Saturday – Sunday and Public Holidays)
Email: [email protected]
Myth buster: It is important to note that your district office (สำนักงานเขต) in Thailand CAN NOT issue a foreign-born child with a Thai birth certificate. Some will claim that they can, but it isn’t possible. The reason is a local district office in every region in Thailand is only able to provide birth certificates for those who are born within their boundaries. As such no district office in Thailand will be able to issue a Thai birth certificate. Once you have obtained the birth certificate from the Thai embassy in the country where the child was born however, the district office can then register them in the family house register, or ‘tabien baan’ (ทะเบียนบ้าน).
When should one apply for a Thai birth certificate overseas?
A person is eligible for Thai citizenship when born overseas can be granted a Thai birth certificate any time. There is no time limit to do so. People have known to have applied and received their birth certificates in their 40’s!
However, please note that it can be more difficult (though not impossible) to prove your Thai citizenship without documents from the Thai parent proving such eligibility. The death, divorce, or parent absconding, or the loss of the parents Thai identity papers are all very common problems. In such cases, DNA testing back in Thailand using links to remaining relatives is the only other method of establishing one’s rights to Thai nationality, and understandably this process can be cumbersome and expensive.
As such, it is recommended to apply for a Thai birth certificate overseas as practically as possible after the child’s birth.
What if I can’t get the documents required?
In some cases, a person born to a Thai citizen won’t be able to gather the documents necessary. In recent years the Thai government has become quite active in assisting this group of people, allowing DNA testing to be used to match an applicant to another Thai citizen relative. We have outlined the process in an article here for those who are, for whatever reason, unable to take advantage of the standard ‘paperwork route’ to Thai citizenship.
Does this make me a dual citizen?
Yes it does! As such, you’ll be able to travel with two passports, both your Thai and non-Thai one, maximising the number of countries you can travel to visa free! Thailand has absolutely no issue with dual citizenship, so the world is your oyster!
Your first Thai passport
Once you have a Thai birth certificate, the Thai embassy will generally allow you to apply for your first Thai passport through them.
Normally a Thai passport requires being registered on a house registration (tabieen baan/ทะเบียนบ้าน) in Thailand and for those over 15 years of age, to have a Thai ID card. This requirement is waived for the first passport someone with Thai citizenship born overseas if they apply for the passport at the same time as receiving the birth certificate.
Registering your name on the house registration in Thailand
The expectation however is that for the purposes of getting subsequent Thai passports – and to get your first Thai ID card, the name of the overseas born Thai citizen will be added into the house registration at an address in Thailand, either by the person themselves, or in the case of minors, via a parent or other authorised representative doing so on their behalf.
When coming to Thailand for the first time, if the embassy has issued you with a new Thai passport, then you should enter Thailand on that passport. Once stamped in, you can head to a district office to be registered on a house registration or ‘tabieen baan’.
Normally most overseas born Thais opt for being registered on the tabieen baan of family members, and ideally the same house registry as your Thai parent. While it isn’t strictly necessary, it does help make the process a lot easier. Generally, for this, you’ll need to go to the district office personally with the following documents:
- Thai birth certificate issued by the embassy
- Thai passport which you entered Thailand on (if you have it – otherwise a copy of your foreign passport will be fine)
- Copies of your Thai parent’s Thai ID
- A copy of your non-Thai parents’ passport or other official ID (in many cases this will have to be officially translated as the tabieen baan will require the Thai spelling of this parent’s name)
Also needed will be two Thai citizens who can vouch for your identity. This will likely include the ‘house master/เจ้าบ้าน’ who has control over the tabieen baan document, and one other person. It helps (though not compulsory) that they are relatives. In more remote areas you may also be asked to being the village head.
Information about registering on the house registration for overseas born Thai’s is available here (Thai language only).
Hello, I was born in Thailand. Mother is Thai. I haven’t been in or to Thailand for many years. I’m almost 50 now. Would like to go and stay for a while. I have my Thai birth certificate and my Certification of birth abroad. The only passport I have was from the U.S. when I was a baby. Will you tell me what steps and documents I need to acquire my Thai passport please.
Hi Richard,
You’ll need to go to the district office where your Thai birth certificate was registered. Your birth certificate will have a Thai ID number written at the top, as well as your mothers Thai ID number and name. Though the ID numbering system has been updated since you were born it will be easy enough to cross reference. Bring any and all Thai ID that you have and that that of your mothers.
You’ll then need to be put on a house registration (as per the article). In most cases, there will likely be the need for two Thai citizens to vouch for you, ideally they should be relatives. In the most extreme circumstances, the district office *may* order a DNA test with one of your mothers close relatives to verify the claim. After you are registered on the house registration then you can get a Thai ID card issued, and at that point it is possible to get the passport issued.
Hope this is of help.
So I got my thai birth certificate. Can I get my Thai ID in Thailand?
Indeed you can. Check out the end of the article and it goes through what the next steps are.
Hello friends, I am an Australian child who has a Thai mother. We wish to travel to Bangkok this year and present ourselves to the Department of Consular Affairs in Bangkok. Is it possible to get my Thai birth certificate issued in Bangkok that way?
Any advice is appreciated!
Hi Daniel
Yes that is the only way if you are in Thailand, however do note that all they’ll be doing is liaising with the Thai embassy in Canberra, who you could just also contact directly to organize your birth certificate.
Cheers
TC
Thanks for your reply TC!
Yes I did look into contacting the Thailand embassy in Canberra. However it is slightly problematic with some of the documents I need to supply in Australia. It will be easier when we visit in July, because my Thai mum is getting some documents renewed, example is her Thai passport.
Do you have a list of documents I need to bring to Thailand to obtain my Thai birth certificate? I am bringing these documents:
– Australian passport
– Australian birth certificate
– Divorce certificate for my parents (cannot obtain marriage certificate unfortunately)
– Mums thai passport (valid)
– Mums thai ID card
– My mum will be with me also
Ok any other documents you can advise me to bring?
Thank you!!! ????
Hi there
So the documentation will be exactly what the embassy in Australia will want, so whatever the latest guidance is on the RTE website in Canberra is you’ll need to follow that as the department of consular affairs will also do the same.
Hopefully your mum renewing her documents in Thailand helps things though.
Hi Charlie,
Just found your site, thanks so much for your efforts. I’m travelling to Thailand soon and I am foreign born (Australia) with one Thai parent. My Thai passport is expired and they won’t issue me a new one without house registration (this wasn’t required bc I was a minor at the time).
When I go to Thailand, I would like to do the house registration so I can renew my passport. Am I correct in thinking this is what I require?
– my Thai birth certificate
– my expired Thai passport (or my current Australian passport)
-copy of my Thai parent’s Thai ID
-copy of my non-Thai parent’s passport (+ get an official translation of his name?)
– two Thai citizens to be present with me when I go to the District office
Also, is it okay for me to do my house registration with the house of another Thai citizen (a non-relative) but close friend.
Thanks so much!!
Hi Anya – thanks for finding the site.
Yes, basically thats it. It can be helpful if you do it on a relatives house book just to begin with, but that is normally the case when the person doesn’t have any form of Thai ID (ie passport) as it is helpful if one of the two witnesses is a relative.
Having said that it shouldn’t matter in your case as you have other forms of Thai ID to cross reference things, so things should be fine.
Good luck with it all – TC
OMG this is a great site. My issue is me and my Mother are estranged. She hasn’t been back to Thailand in quite sometime. I reached out to the embassy but they cant locate her. I’ve seen her twice my whole life and I’m 45. So we are not close unfortunately.
I have her Temp Thai passport (expired in 2008) and divorce documents from my father 1980. I’m trying to reconnect but its hard. What are my options? I feel like without her support I have no shot.
I appreciate any help, I truly do.
Sadly after reading the Reddit site Im SOL it appears.
Hi James – to have gotten a temp Thai passport it means you would have had some sort of documentation to get it, including a Thai birth certificate. Can you share with me what you have document wise?
ps… you can always get it via a DNA test. If you have any contact via your mums siblings then there are methods by confirming your citizenship with DNA matches with them.
My mother got a Thai temp passport it was expired in 2008. I have a divorce decree from 1981 from the state of Michigan. We rarely talk I know nothing of my Thai side of the family…sadly.
I’m trying to reconnect with her, its been slow. She doesn’t have her Thai birth certificate or Thai ID card. She married my Father and moved to the US in 1977. Originally shes from Nakhon Phanom.
I reached out to the Thai embassy and they can not locate her at all in the system. I was told she needs to go back to Thailand and reestablish. After seeing this site I reached out to her and we spoke, so thank you for that courage. We might go to Thailand together at the end of the year. I hope to establish my birthright then. I wont stop until I get it.
Hi Robert – thanks for update. I must apologise, I thought the temp passport was yours, but now I understand it was your mothers. If it was yours there were other potential paths. However, as you say, the standard way will be for your mum to re-establish her paperwork on the Thai side, which should pretty straight forward, and then you can begin the process on the US side at Thai embassy to get the Thai passport there. If not, then you’ll have to rely on the co-operation of one of your mums relatives back in Thailand (an aunt or an uncle blood relative) to do joint DNA test with you, which will establish your blood relationship to Thai citizens, and hence, your actual citizenship claim. Good luck with it all and feel free to ask any questions later if you have them.
TC
Just as an FYI, if you was born before 1992, the Thai embassy in London will not allow you to apply for a Thai Passport on the same day as registering your Thai birth certificate.
Hi Spencer,
Thanks for the intel. Do the still let you apply for your first one overseas? Do you have to wait for the Thai birth certificate first? I’ll update the article with this info if you can share it.
Many thanks
TC
Hi, I’m Canadian and my male partner is Thai. We are legally married in Canada and have a daughter via surrogacy. Both our names are listed on the birth certificate as the parents of our daughter. Is our daughter eligible for a Thai passport even though Thailand does not recognize same-sex marriages? Thanks.
I stand to be corrected but the answer ‘depends’. Is your daughter genetically related to your Thai partner? I only ask this because Thai citizenship is normally passed down by blood. So if they are, then (via a Thai government approved DNA test) your daughter will be able to get Thai nationality via him directly by proving that link.
The only other way I can think of (and I’m pretty much thinking out loud here – you’ll really need to consult with a lawyer who understands Thai surrogacy law) is that if he isn’t already viewed as the legal guardian under Thai law, then it might be worth looking at him formally adopting her under Thai law, as my understanding is once this is done the child is automatically considered a Thai citizen. Having said that, these are ‘educated’ guesses’ as Thai legislation is a bit muddled when it comes to surrogacy. Sorry I can’t be of more help but hopefully these are paths that you might be able to explore.
All the best with it!
Cheers
TC
Thank you for your reply. I was actually a bit worried your reply would be of that nature because our daughter is genetically related to me, not my spouse. But if we do pursue this further we will definitely consult with a lawyer.
Hi my wife was born in Thailand, what steps need to be taken for her to get a Thai I.D. ?
Hi Steve,
I write this assuming at least one of her parents was a Thai citizen at the time of her birth, or both of her parents were foreigners but with Thai permanent residency.
She needs to find the district office where she is registered at and ask a Thai ID card to be printed. She should bring along her Thai birth certificate and any and all other forms of Thai ID she might have, as well as copies of her parents ID.
Depending on how much proof she has, she may be asked to provide a DNA match to a close Thai relative to prove her relationship to a Thai citizen, but that is very uncommon, particularly if you have strong documentary evidence linking you to a Thai parent and have family witnesses vouch for you.
Cheers
TC
I have a question in which I hope you can assist me.
I am born in the Netrhelands and am a Dutch resident, Father Dutch and Mother (passed away) was a Thai. I have a Thai Birth Certificate and now also want a Thai ID, So I can Buy a house and have a Bank account in Thailand in the future. is it correct I now have to register myself in a Thabien Baan with for example my thai aunt whom lives in Thailand in order to get a Thai ID? and if so, what are the steps in this Procedure? Go to the City Hall where my aunt resides in and register myself in her household? How long does this take? as i am going to Thailand soon, but only for 3 weeks. Will the procedure to obtain my Thai ID Card be long? I`d like to know so I know exactly what to do Without coming short of time. ANd do I also need my Dutch ftahers Birth Certificate or copy of his passport translated in Thai with me? because according to Thai law my parent are not married (as oversea marriged is not legally resgistered in Thailand).
Hope you can provide me with some advise, would be uch appreciated!
Hi Alexander,
Thanks for your message. So you have the steps correct (and it is covered towards the end of this article as well with a link to the official Thai website). You will need to go to the Ampur (district office) and ask for an ID card to be made. I suggest you get your Aunt to go now and ask for a list of documents you will need for someone who is born overseas. One misconception, if you parents are married in the Netherlands that will be recognised in Thailand. Also given your mother has passed away, this may or may not complicate things. What I’d bring along is the following:
– Both your parents ID’s
– Any and all of your mothers Thai ID (old passports, ID cards etc)
– Your mother’s death certificate. (Note, the Thai embassy in the netherlands can also issue you with a Thai death certificate – while I’m not sure this is 100% needed I suspect it might be useful).
– Your Dutch passport
– If you have a Thai passport you should bring that too. Given you are overseas the Thai embassy in the Netherlands should be able to issue you your first one. You should ask.
Your aunt should also ask which of the documents need to be offically translated. Unfortunately there is a bit of a backlog in Thailand at the moment getting documents translate and then certified by the ministry of foreign affairs, so you might want to try to get as many things as possible done in advance before you arrive.
Anyway, hopefully this is helpful.
TC
Hi,
Thank you very much for your reply.
I already have all documents of my (passed away) mother, such as her ID card, passports and even the official documents in which she changed her first name a few times (because the believe of bad karma).
My mother passed away in Thailand, so I also have her Death Certificate made in Thailand. The reason I thought oversea marriage is not registered in Thailand was because when my mother passed away my father could not arrange anything regarding the death certificate, as he was told that according to thai law he was not her husband, and so my aunt had to arrange all, but perhaps they just found that an easier too deal.
I Do not have a Thai passport because I thought you could only acquire this after getting an Thai ID Card, I will try with the Thai Ambassador here, thank you for the tip.
I will ask my aunt to check in advance with the Ampur as you advised.
I still have 3 questions of which I hope you could advise me as well:
1) How long does it take (when all documents ok) to make an ID Card, counted from the day I go to the Ampur for the first time?
2) I am 37 years of age, how about Military Service? Is there anything I need to do/know about that? I am a fulltime working husband and father of 4 kids, so it would be impossible for me to actually to enter the Military at this point.
3) I have a dutch drivers license, and always buy a international license (which if active for a year) in order to drive a car in Thailand. But can I overwrite it to a Thai license as well, when I have a Thai ID card?
Once again thank you very much for your time advising me, it helps a lot!
The length of time could be anywhere from one to two days to a couple of weeks. It really depends on the district office and how efficient they are. Hence asking your aunt to get the paperwork sorted, making enquiries etc will minimise the time so the district office doesn’t ask for anything new to be translated at the last minute.
For military service, please check out our article, but over 30, you are exempted.
As for the DL, easy to change over once you have your ID. You’ll just have to resit the sight and depth perception test as well as sit through a boring safety video.
Thank you so much for your advise, very much appreciated!
Hi there.
First off thanks for the useful article. Questions if I may.
My mum is Thai and my father was British. He’s since passed away. Trust a death certificate would suffice documention to that?
When you apply for your Thai birth certificate do you automatically get a Thai ID card? I understand you can apply for a passport on a same day appointment as well..
Only now finding out I can apply for a Thai passport after 35 years..late gift?!
Hi Spencer,
Sorry to hear about your dad. Yes, that should suffice but as always, best check with the embassy on it. Marriage certificates and any old ID would be useful just in case. In terms the passport, you should be able to apply for your first Thai passport at the same time. Normally Thai passports require an ID card to get one, but given you were born overseas and never had a chance to get one, they normally grant an exemption for the first passport only.
You can’t apply for your first Thai ID card in the UK. For that, as per the article, you’ll need to return to Thailand and get registered on a house registry and then get the ID card. So long as you stay on the house registry you’ll be able to apply for subsequent Thai ID cards via any Thai embassy or consulate which has the facilities to issue them.
Hope this all helps.
TC.
Hi! I am determined to get my Thai passport. I’m American and my mother was born in Thailand. The clarity which you provide over the rest of the interwebs is refreshing and invaluable. A massive thank you!
You are most welcome!
Hi,
First of all, thank you very much for providing these valuable information! I have always believed that having dual citizenship was not permitted and that one was only tight to the other citizenship one has. After reading your different posts about conscirption, I still have one question in mind – which I hope you could clarity:
I was born in Germany and only have my German citizenship. My mother is a Thai citizen from Phitsanoluk, and I currently only posses a German birth certificate. In a previous post you mentioned that it is advisable for overseas born nationals to postpone moving to Thailand after the age of 30 in order to avoid conscription. I never served in the military as Germany has suspended conscription. I am 28 years old now and I don’t have any intention to move to Thailand long-term for the forseeable future.
Would I still need to worry about conscription or lottery if I started the process of obtaining my Thai passport?
Your advice on this would be much appreciated!
Mark
Hi Mark
Nothing to worry about.
The thing that puts you on the radar for military service is when you get your name put down on the house book in Thailand, something you don’t have to immediately do.
Nevertheless it advisable to get your Thai birth certificate now via the Thai embassy while you still have your mum around, and the embassy normally allows you to get your first Thai passport at the same time (something that normally requires a house book and ID card).
Having the birth certificate and passport will be invaluable later down the track when you do finally decide to be registered in Thailand – which will make it much easier bureaucracy wise compared with those who leave it till after their Thai parent isn’t with them any more.
And given you will be post 30 it won’t matter anymore from a military perspective.
TC
I have my BC but the embassy doesn’t issue you with a Thai passport unless you’re registered on the house book first . They might do that for children, but not for adults.
Hi there – it does vary it seems. Some are willing to issue a Thai passport to first time holders born overseas (particularly if they apply at the same time as the BC). As you say, others won’t.
In that case you’ll need to enter Thailand on your foreign passport and work to get the house registration and ID card etc. Good luck with it all!
TC
Hello,
I would like to apply for Thai citizenship as my biological father is Thai. However, he is not my father on my Thai birth certificate. I understand that DNA tests are required first. Does this process need to be done in Thailand or can it be done from Australia. Thank you
Hi Alysa,
So the DNA tests will have to be done via an approved Thai government hospital. I don’t know the exact ins and outs of the process, but your biological father will need to speak to the district office where he is registered to find out how to kick off the process.
One thing is slightly confusing – you mention you have a Thai birth certificate – I assume you were born in Thailand? All Thai birth certificates state if you have Thai nationality at the top of them. What does yours say?
Regards
TC
Hello. I have a unique situation and wondered if you have any insight or recommendations.
I was born in a northern Thailand village near chiang saen in the late 1980s. My mother is Thai but my grandmother lost all her documentations and she never obtained her official Thai ID or citizenship. My birth was also never registered when I was born since my dad is Laotian so I do not have my Thai birth certificate. I was born in the village and not the hospital. We moved to the U.S in 1990. How do I go about obtaining my Thai birth Certificate and ultimately my Thai citizenship?
Thank you for any guidance.
I was born and live in Malaysia, I don’t know who is my father, but my mother is Thai Citizenship (but she abandoned me in Malaysia and I don’t know where she is now). Am I entitled to the Thai Citizenship?
You will have to find her and establish a link. Alternatively if you know any of her relatives (your uncles or aunts by birth) you can do DNA testing to establish your relationship and this claim to Thai citizenship.
Hello
Thank you for clearing up a lot of questions I have on Thai citizenship . I’m a 23 year old Malaysian born to a Thai mother and Malaysian father. My mother is still Thai with a Thai passport and ID there fore from what I read , I am allowed to have Thai citizenship. Should I go through the embassy here in Kuala Lumpur or go to Thailand to get a birth certificate ?
Appreciate all that you do.
Thanks
Hi Dan,
Thanks for your comments.
As per the article if you were born in Malaysia to a Thai parent then you apply via the Thai embassy in KL for your Thai birth certificate.
Cheers
TC
Hello,
First of all, allow me to thank you for all the invaluable advice you’re providing people. I’ve learned a lot reading over your articles as well as your answers in the forums. I tried to see if others in a similar situation to mine have already asked a question, but couldn’t find anything so I’ve decided to make a post of my own.
Simply put, I’d like to know the definition of being “automatically” born a Thai citizen. My understanding is that the place of birth doesn’t matter, but is there a difference between having two Thai parents as opposed to one? Your article doesn’t make a distinction, but the following webpage appears to do so:
https://magnacarta.co.th/home/faq-section-2/acquisition-of-thai-citizenship/
To offer some background for my question, I am a Thai-Australian with an Austrian wife, and my children are eligible for citizenships in all three countries by descent (our older two have obtained them, and we’re currently working on it for the third). However, the staff at the Austrian Embassy recently told us that Austria only allows a child to be a citizen of another country if said citizenship is acquired “automatically.” In order to avoid potential complications with Austria, which is apparently quite strict, I’d like to confirm the definition of “automatic.”
In the case of my older two children, we have successfully applied for their Thai birth certificates by providing proof of descent (my passport, Thai ID, house registry details etc.). I assume that, even in situations when both parents are Thai, you would still need to undergo the same process and provide the same proof, but is there any difference in the eyes of the authorities between our situations? E.g. are my children merely “eligible” for Thai citizenship as opposed to “automatically” acquiring it? Or are they automatically citizens, and it’s just a matter of formalizing things by acquiring the birth certificate?
Thank you very much in advance, and please let me know if anything is unclear.
Ken
Hi there. So you’ve articulated it pretty well – they are automatically citizens it’s just a matter of formalising the paperwork.
In Thailand if a child is born it still a gap of time following the birth to get the birth certificate which states they are ‘Thai’ at the top of it. But they are Thai from the moment of birth.
Same if born overseas, but in this case you are just waiting for the embassy to issue the birth certificate as opposed to the district office.
Hope this helps!
Thank you very much for your reply! It helps a great deal, clearing up our concerns that we might fall afoul of the Austrian authorities. Going forward, we might have more questions for you, specifically regarding putting the children in the house registry–but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Thanks again!
Does anyone know how long it normally takes to get the Thai birth certificate after application approval at the embassy?
It varies from embassy to embassy, but normally is only a couple of weeks. You should check with the embassy themselves.
I am a US citizen born in China with a Thai mother. My mother and I have left China and lived in the US for many years. Is It possible to apply for a Thai birth certificate through a Thai consulate or embassy in the US or from anywhere except China? My mother’s age (91) and the covid-19 lockdown as well as other problems in China all are preventing us traveling to China.
Hi there.
So to be clear, you don’t have to travel to China. A Thai birth certificate can be done remotely, by mail, but given you were born in China only the Thai embassy in Beijing can issue you with a Thai birth certificate.
As outlined in the article above, if you are in Thailand the Department of Consular affairs in Bangkok can liaise with the embassy in Beijing to issue you with the birth certificate. I am not sure if a Thai consulate or Thai embassy in the US will be offer the same services however, but it can’t hurt asking.
The Thai embassy in China has specific instructions on how to get a birth certificate issued (in Thai only) which you can read here: https://thaiembbeij.org/th/thai-service/thai-service/birth-certificate-death-certificate/
Cheers
TC
Thank you so much for the prompt reply. Unfortunately almost everything could be different and difficult when it is relating to China. I did read over the website of Beijing Thai embassy. They require an applicant (my mother) to sign the application forms in front of the consular officer and bring in with the original Thai ID and Thai passport. The whole process is designed for a face to face application and it is very different from that of Thai embassy in the US and Thai consulates in other countries. They also require something called Medical Certificate of Birth that is not issued until 1996 by the Chinese government health department. I have a birth certificate issued by the Chinese Notary Public Office, a local government department in 1993 that is accepted by the US government and likely by the Thai consulates in the US. The birth certificate cannot be accepted in China even the Chinese Consular officer in the US notified me that it was still valid and could be used in China.
In your article above states a person can get the birth certificate from the Thailand department of consular affair. Does this person have to reside in Thailand? Can I just travel to Bangkok or let someone like a lawyer in Bangkok applying for me?
Hi
So firstly apologies for the misleading information on my behalf, I didn’t realise that the Thai embassy in there would be *that* different as the processes are pretty standard everywhere else.
To answer your question, the Department of Consular Affairs does in Bangkok is liaise with the embassy in China to issue you the birth certificate, but has no power to issue you with one themselves. They likely will have the power to witness signatures etc if required in place of a Thai consular official in Beijing, but I’m not sure how that makes things much easier unless your mum is able to travel to Bangkok.
You may want to check if a Thai consulate or embassy in the US has the power to witness these documents on behalf of the embassy in China too.
I rarely suggest lawyers, and in the first instance if you have any friends or relatives in Thailand who could go speak to them I’d suggest that first just to get an outline of what they might need, but failing that yes a lawyer going to speak with them might be your only option.
There is no need to reside in Thailand to use this office.
Hi,
It is not your fault and is not necessary to apology because you have never live in there I supposed. It is understandable that the procedure of Beijing Thai embassy is different because the local law and regulation is different. China does NOT have a notary public like that of Thailand and the US. China also does not allow dual citizenship. The procedure certainly cannot be designed for my case and my situation is quite special.
I am still in the process of preparing application forms and documents but I will be following your advice. I will let my relatives in Bangkok check it out for me. The Thai consulate in the US was very nice and helpful in a couple times when I got their services in the other matters. Hopefully they can help me too this time.
Again thank you so much for your great advices.
Best regards.
Hello! I am American-Thai who now lives in Thailand and already have my Thai BC. I am in the process of getting added to my uncle’s tibian baan in Pak Chong. What questions can I expect during the interview process? (I don’t speak Thai yet)
Also, Amphoe said they will contact me in the following months letting me know if I’m approved after all interviews are conducted (me, mom, aunt then they will do individual interviews with my uncle, another aunt, and village head). My question is will I be able to obtain my Thai ID in Chiang Mai where I live if approved?
Hi Kris
To be honest, the process they are putting you through sounds incredibly weird and irregular. At most it should be a couple of days give you have a Thai birth certificate already and it just should be a matter of two thai citizens to vouch for you.
So I’d ask them why it’s taking so long.
Second strange thing is there is no interview. It’s purely an administrative process of getting you into the tabieen Baan, as at most they will need to know how to spell your parents name in thai so they can enter those details onto your tabieen Baan entry.
Honestly if they are saying it’s going to take months, I’d look to be put on another tabieen Baan maybe in a bigger city where the officials know what they are doing. As said this should be a matter of days, not months.
In any case once you are in the tabieen Baan you can get your first ID card at the district office you are registered at and that is good for many years. If you decide to then move your house registration to another district office in Chiang Mai then you can get a new ID card issued there when you are done.
Thank u so much for answer.But the issue is i am not sure whether my Dad has registered my name in house book /Tabieen ban.Cause soon after i was born i moved with my mom.So i am not sure whether my dad put my name in Tabeeanban. But i have birth certificate with me now. Is it possible to put my name on House book/Tabeeamban if in case my father
hasn’t registered my name yet???And am I still eligible to get Thai citizenship because i am already 20+ years old. And my Thai language still weak .Do u have any contact that i can ask u more question regarding to Thai citizenship??
Your birth certificate at the top will state your nationality. It will likely say ‘Thai’.
It is easy enough to go into any district office in Thailand to find out where you are registered. They will take the ID number on your birth certificate and do a search and you will find where you are registered. Given you are born in Thailand you will be registered. Even if your dad for some reason didn’t register you on a tabieen baan, your name will be on the record of the district office which issued your birth certificate.
You need to understand that you ARE ALREADY Thai. You just need to go and make sure to find out where you are registered and get an ID card. The district office will tell you what you need. But if your dad can come with you, and you bring along all your old Thai documents, that should be all you need.
Hope this helps.
TC
I was born in Thailand to a Thai mother and American Father in 1972. I have a Thai birth certificate, but was not issued a Thai ID at birth. I have been living in the US since 1973. My Thai passport issued when I was a child expired 30+ years ago. I believe I need to travel to Thailand to register at a family members household (my cousin lives there so that won’t be a problem.) Then apply for a Thai ID, then passport. My issue however is when I got married, I changed my last name so it no longer matches my Thai birth certificate. I would very much appreciate any guidance so I can ensure I have any necessary documentation and steps complete before travel to Thailand.
Hi Jane,
So long as you have your marriage certificate, the name change won’t be an issue. You’ll need to get the marriage certificate translated in Thailand and officially certified (don’t worry, translating agencies here can do the whole thing). Otherwise, any other official document from the US signifying the name change will do.
In terms of you being registered, given you have a Thai BC you will most likely have an ID number at the top of the birth certificate which was given to you at birth. That may be under the old system but the officals will know how to track it down. Additionally, you would have likely been already registered at a household after birth – which is compulsory for all Thai citizens within 15 days of birth.
I would head to the district office that registered your birth (it will be listed on the BC) and ask them to look you up and tell you where you are currently registered – which may or may not be an address under the juristiction of that district office (similar to a city hall). Once you know where you are registered, you have two options.
You’ll need to speak to the district office for that address – this assumes you know who the people are on the house book and the ‘house master’ should come along to vouch for your identity, so the ID card can be issued.
Otherwise go to the district office for a new address you wish to be registered (ie cousins place) and the new district office can move your name off the old address and onto the new one, and issue you with an ID card.
Bring any piece of Thai ID you have along with your current US ID. They’ll give you an idea on what you need, but it will most likely be what I’ve listed, plus the ‘house master’ who is in charge of that house book.
Edit: also forgot to add. Any Thai and US ID you mother has will also be very handy.
Hope this helps.
Thank you so much! This is very helpful! My end goal is to apply for Thai citizenship for my 3 children who were born in the US. This is what brought me to your site. I understand that I have some legwork to get my own papers in order prior to working on their citizenship. Your website has been extremely helpful! Thank you!
Thanks Jane. Glad you found it useful!
Hi.I was born in Bangkok in 1993 and my dad is Thai.I have my birth certificate with me Now i back to Thailand after 20 years .How can i apply for the Thai citizenship.
Hi there,
You are already Thai. No need to apply. Your Thai birth certificate will say at the top you have Thai nationality. You are likely already registered on a house book/tabieen baan. You simply need to go to the district office where you are registered, with any ID you have (Japanese translated into English, any old Thai documents) and have an ID card issued. After that you can apply for a passport.
Hope this helps.
TC
Hello,
I am born and living in HK now, my mom is Thai, and was trying to get Thai citizenship 2 years ago. I have obtain the Thai birth certificate and Thai translation of my HK passport already, and was originally planning to go to Thailand with my mom to apply the Thai citizenship ID card. However COVID came and the plan was postponed until now as I want to continue the plan.
As far as I know I’m suppose to do this next after arriving thailand:
1) Register my name in a Thai house through police station (I have relatives living in Chiangmai, we planned to register my name under that house)
2) apply the Thai ID in police station (take all documents, house name registration, Thai birth certificate, Thai translated passport of my HK passport)
However since 2 years have passed, I am not sure if the requirements are the same or not.
My question is are the requirements the same to obtain the Thai ID? Or What should do next?
Much thanks
Hi Ivan,
You’ve got the steps exactly right so you shouldn’t have any difficulties. Good luck with it all!
Hi Ivan, interestingly I’m on the same boat as you. Dad is from HK and mom is Thai from Chiangmai. Were you told that your mom needs to come along for all these paper work in thailand or you can sort it out alone?
Also didn’t know that you need to get hk passport translated. Do you know where to get it down in Hk? Also do you have BNO? Happy to connect and solve this long process with each other’s help 🙂
Hi,
I am a 34 years old man born to a Thai mother overseas.
When I was a kid my parents issued my Thai Birth Certificate and my first Thai passport which is now long expired.
In my twenties we tried to register my name on the Thai House Registration, but the office discouraged us to do so due to the military conscription. My sister didn’t have this problem and was issued an ID card and her Thai passport.
I am travelling back to Thailand this month and would like to make sure of the documents I need to bring with me to complete the process.
I have my original Thai Birth Certificate and my first expired Thai passport.
I’ve read here that I am supposed to enter Thailand with my Thai passport to make things easier. But can I really enter Thailand with a Thai passport expired in 2005? As I don’t speak Thai very well, I am afraid this might bring too much confusion at the border.
Does it really matter whether I enter Thailand on my Thai or Foreign passport?
I am planning to go to the House Registration Office with my Thai mother, my Foreign father, both of their IDs, my old Thai passport and my original Thai Birth Certificate.
Will this be sufficient or would I need any other documents/persons to vouch for me?
If everything is cleared, I guess they can issue an ID card and a passport right away?
As I don’t travel to Thailand very frequently, I’d like to do things correctly this time.
Thank you so much for your help!
Hi there.
So it will be perfectly okay entering on your foreign passport.
Taking all those documents along with your parents etc should be more than fine.
You’ll definitely need two Thai citizen witnesses to vouch for you. They can be anyone. I think even your mum will count as a witness.
Once on the tabieen Baan the ID card can usually be done at the same place.
Passports are done at the passport office but they are quick and efficient. While normally you only need an ID card for that process, bring along copies of your tabieen Baan and your original birth certificate just in case as I recall you might need it (but just for your first one).
The reason why I suggest entering on a thai passport if you have one is that it saves having to exit Thailand on your foreign passport to ‘close out’ your stay on that one.
Hope it all goes well (which it should).
Cheers
TC.
Thank you so much for your help and quick reply!
It makes me more confidant in the process!
I truly appreciate your help. Thank you as well for your comprehensive website! It is very useful to many people.
All the Best,
Tomy
I am a Thai citizen and lived together with foreign girlfriend in thailand. At one point we had some issue came up and she left Thailand. I didn’t know she was pregnant at that time. Now my kid is 8 years old and I want to get Thai ID to him and live here with me. I also have registered marriage with my girlfriend some years ago. I have asked some persons about it most of them said to test DNA. May I know is any clinic or hospital DNA test is legal or only government hospital are require? Is DNA testing can get my kid to Thai citizen?
Thank you in advance for your help and advise. Appreciate it.
Hi Jack,
Given your son was born overseas you need to follow the process outlined by the Thai embassy in the country he was born. They will then issue him with a Thai birth certificate. Have you checked with the embassy or their website yet? The embassy may or may not require a DNA test.
This article outlines the standard process to get the birth certificate and then the process you’ll need to get him his first thai passport and then to register him on the tabieen Baan.
Thank you TC for your kind information.My girlfriend is burmese(myanmar) and it is very hard to work with that country.In my son’s burmese birth certificate, there is no my name in it.Because they don’t write foreign name on theirs birth certificate and that is their law.That’s the issue I am facing.Any suggesting would be much appreciated.Thank you.
If you are a thai citizen and it is hard to get the normal documentation then you can seek to prove his thai citizenship via DNA testing. This article outlines the process https://www.thaicitizenship.com/thai-citizenship-using-dna-testing/
My mother was Thai, father American and I was born in Iran. Both passed 2 years ago and I have been unsuccessful in becoming a Thai citizen since then. I have a certificate of birth abroad from the US consulate, but no Iranian birth certificate. I never had one ever. Thai embassy in Tehran tells me they can’t do anything without an Iranian birth cert. Immigration lawyer in Bangkok says they can take what paperwork I do have and get it done..for $10,000 dollars! I’m really running out of options. Any assistance would be appreciated. thank you
I think we’ve communicated on Reddit before. If the Thai embassy can’t assist, what is left if for you to speak to the district office where you have near Thai relatives. They can order a DNA test and if there is proven linkages to your mothers relatives, then they’ll be able to register you in the house book as a thai citizen. You’ll need all of your mums available thai documentation, any US document that proves your relationship to her, and the cooperation of one of her siblings or other accepted relative for DNA matching purposes.
Hi,
I was born in the US and both of my parents are Thai born citizens. My parents were married at the time of my birth but have divorced and I no longer have a relationship with my mother. Would I be able to obtain a Thai Birth Certificate with only my fathers information/statements; I am single and have his last name. Thank you.
Hi Jennifer,
So you’ll need to prove that you no longer have a relationship with your mother – the Thai embassy in DC (or the most responsible consulate closest to you – in Chicago or LA) will be best placed to advise you on that may entail with respect to evidence or paperwork. They may ask for a DNA test to be done with your father, for instance. But in principle none of this should stop you from claiming your right to Thai citizenship. Maybe your father may have old documents of your mother from Thailand – anything and everything will be useful.
Good luck with it all.
Hi, I was born in UK in 1982 to my thai father and Scottish mother. Looking to obtain my thai birth certificate to apply for thai passport and ID. What steps do I need to take to get this. Thanks.
Hi Kyle
Given you were born in the UK, the Thai embassy in London is required to issue you with a Thai birth certificate. In this article I’ve include links to the embassy in London and the outline of what they require for a thai birth certificate to be issued. At the same time you should also be able to apply for your first thai passport via the embassy.
TC
Thanks! Does the fact that they are now divorced, but still remain in contact change anything regarding documentation needed? Thanks again.
My understanding is so long as your parents were married at birth citizenship automatically passed down from your father to you. Even if they weren’t then I think there there is a fairly straight forward process whereby your dad might have to officially acknowledge your birth. But apart from that it shouldn’t be an issue. The Thai embassy should be able to advise on this one as there are slightly different rules for those born before or after Feb 1992. Either way, you’ll be eligible – but that date does have a bearing on the paperwork needed.
Thank you sooo much na kub! 🙏🏽
I’m a US citizen. I was born in a Thai refugee camp in 1985 when my Hmong parents fled Laos. Am I eligible for Thai citizenship because I was born in Thailand? My husband is Thai/Lao. His mother is Thai citizen. He was also born in Thai refugee camp as well. Is he eligible for Thai citizenship if so where does he start? We both do not have Thai birth certificate as we were born in the refugee camps our parents did not have it.
Hi Mai,
Being born on Thai soil in and of itself doesn’t confer Thai citizenship to you, unless your parents were also Thai citizens.
With respect to your husband, does his mother have any verifiable proof that she is a Thai citizen? If not, she’ll need to return to Thailand and go to the district office in the area where she was born, have them go through old files to dig up her old birth certificate, at which point she can be registered in the house register and then have an ID card issued. Your husband can then work to establish his claim to Thai citizenship. For this, he’ll most likely need to come back to Thailand and speak to the district office (basically like the town hall) in the district he was born in. The district office can then amend his Thai birth records, if they exist, to state his nationality as Thai. This may or may not involve a DNA test with his mother. As said, she’ll need also to prove her Thai nationality as part of the process.
She has her Thai ID. She past away in 2019. Will that be difficult to obtain Thai citizenship?
So you’ll need to speak to the district office where you were born who will likely have a record of your birth. It’s good that you have her ID and ID number. They are going to want to establish your relationship to her. This may be done via paperwork – finding your Thai birth record with your mums name on it. Or it may require DNA matching of you with another sibling of your mother who also has Thai citizenship. It just really depends on what documentation exists at present.
My mother is Thai and Dad is Lao. I was born in a Thai refugee camp in 1983. I don’t have a Thai birth certificate. Where do I start to get my Thai citizenship?
Hi Jack,
So if your mum is Thai, and she has verifiable Thai documentation proving she is a Thai citizen, then you’ll most likely need to come back to Thailand and speak to the district office (basically like the town hall) in the district you were born in. They can then ammend your Thai birth records, if they exist, to state your nationality as Thai. This may or may not involve a DNA test with your mother. As said, she’ll need also to prove her Thai nationality.
I was born in the Thai refugee camp called Soon Na Pho in 1983, have you heard of this camp and would know which district it is in?
Hi Jack,
I haven’t. There appears to be a ‘Napho’ camp in NE Thailand. Is this the one? There is an old map here: https://calisphere.org/item/ark:/13030/hb1d5nb0sm/
It looks to be in Nahon Phanom province.
https://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n94094589/
https://www.worldcat.org/title/489726248
Hi,
I was born in Malaysia to a Thai mother but my Thai birth certificate was lost. Currently, I’m holding Malaysia passport and citizenship. But can I still get my Thai citizenship due to I’m mixed.
Hi Ian, yes the Thai embassy in KL should have records of your previous thai birth certificate given they are the only ones who are authorised to issue you with the Thai birth certificate.
As to you holding thai nationality, not a problem from the Thai side though I believe Malaysia does not allow dual nationality, so you should also research that.
Hi,
I was born in Thailand to a Thai mother but never issued a Thai passport or anything. I have my original Thai birth certificate from the hospital and am wanting to get a Thai passport. If I have no access to relatives or my mums documents is there a way to apply for the passport still. Unsure how to do the house registration or Thai ID without being able to contact a relative. Is there a way I can still do this?
If you were born on Thailand to a thai parent you are automatically a thai citizen by birth and your thai birth certificate will say as much. It also means that you are also registered on a house registration in Thailand – somewhere. This will either be someone’s house, or your name will have been moved to the central government register.
The first thing you need to do is head to the district office which issued your birth certificate and find out where you are registered. Bring ALL forms of foreign ID, and anything you can scrape up from your mother side (I realise you have said their isn’t much – Thai or foreign ID from her will help).
The district should be able to tell you where you are currently registered.
With any luck so long as the district office is convinced that you are saying who you are, then your name can be entered onto any house book, regardless of if they are a relatives or not, but you will need someone willing to allow your name to be on their house book. Once done the ID card can be issued.
With the ID you can then get a passport.
Would one be eligible for Thai citizenship if born to a mother eligible for Thai citizenship (i.e., born to father that was a Thai citizen), who never claimed her citizenship? If so, how would the process work?
Yes you would, but your mother needs to go through the process herself of claiming citizenship. If she was born outside of Thailand then the process outlined here is applicable to her. Once done, then you can then do the same.
application wants photos of applicants but i cant find what size they want
You need to check the website of the Thai embassy in the country you are applying in as their requrmeents will differ. The Thai embassy in the US for instance wants 2×2 inch. The Thai embassy in London wants photos to be 35mmx45mm.
So it will just depend.
Hello, I am 26 years old, male and born in Germany. My mother is a Thai citizen and registered in her aunt’s house register. I was given a Thai passport at birth, but I lost it. Since the loss, the Thai consulate in Germany has not been able to issue me a new passport. they want me to provide proof of registration in the house register in Thailand. My question is, if I let myself be entered in the house register, will I be detained immediately when I leave the country because I didn’t register for the military.
Hi Rifat
As you say, you won’t be able to renew your Thai passport unless you are registered on the house register and have a Thai ID card.
You won’t be immediately arrested – it doesn’t work that way. They will also need to send you call up papers etc first. For many who register at a later age, they never get them anyway.
Even if you do get the call up papers, as long as you live outside of Thailand then you are unable to attend any the call up dates, then you’ll be fine.
I was born in a French hospital in Bangkok to my mother, who is from Phuket and to my father who is from the u.s. my original birth certificate from the hospital was lost years ago, but I gave my American birth certificate and my u.s.passport that I traveled on from Thailand to the states after my birth. My parents have passed away, what are my next steps?
So if you were born in Thailand your birth is registered somewhere. Normally it is at the district office which covers the area where you were born. You don’t say the name of the hospital, but you’ll need to search out where it was located and then connect with the district office there. With luck, they can dig up your old records if they are there.
You’ll need evidence of your mum’s Thai citizenship for sure – as that will help the district office search up your details. Hopefully the US birth certificate has some clues about where exactly in Bangkok you were born too.
Worse comes to worse, and they can’t find evidence of your birth, you can seek to get proof of Thai citizenship via DNA testing here in Thailand. However you’ll need one of your mums direct relatives to participate to prove the link to them. The district office where they are registered may have details on how you can do this.
Hello, I have my Thai birth certificate and would like to start the process of getting my Thai ID. On my birth certificate, it does not have my Thai National ID number only my parents, would this raise any concerns when I go to the City Hall in Thailand?
Not at all. Thai citizens born overseas aren’t automatically issued ID numbers at birth. You’ll need to go to the district office where they will issue one as part of the process of being put on the tabieen Baan. Totally standard and nothing to worry about.
A bit similar to a previous question – my mom is Thai/born in Thailand/has a Thai passport from when she moved to the US as a child. The passport is obviously expired by now and she doesn’t have a Thai ID since she was just a kid when she moved here. In order for me to claim Thai citizenship, would I need her AND her mother/relative to go to the district office in Thailand to get her ID, then I myself would need to go to the embassy in Washington DC to apply for my birth certificate and then passport, and then go to Thailand to get myself on a house registration and get and ID?
Hi Annie,
Check – you might get away with being able to get a birth certificate from the embassy in Washington DC off the back of your mothers old documents. Her Thai birth certificate is never invalid and should contain most of the information the embassy needs to issue you with a birth certificate. While the Thai passport is expired, it is evidence of your mothers Thai citizenship. It too will have a traceable ID number recorded in it as well. I know in my personal case, I was the in the same position as you but the Thai embassy in Australia was able to issue me with a new Thai birth certificate. Granted, this was in 1992, so its worth checking with the embassy. If they say ‘no’ then I expect what you outline will probably need to be done.
Hi, I was born in Namibia, Africa to a Thai mother, and I am living in Australia now.
I am currently in Namibia, and have access to all the required documentation (from my parents’ side, as well as my Namibian birth certificate etc.). However the thing that proves to be the main challenge is obtaining the Thai birth certificate in my country of birth, Namibia, as they only have a consul here, that is supervised by South Africa, and there are no links/info etc. available on how to obtain a thai birth certificate here.
Are there any other options for me, i.e. apply in Australia, where I now reside?
Any advice or recommendations would be much appreciated. Thanks
Hi there Dan,
So you’ll have to deal directly with the Thai embassy in Pretoria from the sounds of it to get your birth certificate issued. You can’t apply in Australia I’m afraid as the Thai embassy there has no consular jurisdiction over Southern Africa. Definitely have a chat to the consul general there in Namibia, Dr Gabriel T. Uahengo – Tel: (+264) (61) 233-737 and (+264) (61) 233-788, email: [email protected], but I suspect speaking directly with the Thai embassy in SA will probably be the best route for you. Note that in most cases, you can do the Thai BC by mail, but your first Thai passport will have to be done in person at the embassy. Their list of documents for a Thai BC is outlined here: https://image.mfa.go.th/mfa/0/3Vsp0C7LTs/migrate_directory/services-20140617-114107-665323.pdf
Cheers
TC
Finally completed the whole process, got my Thai Birth certificate, Thai ID card and passport, being born to a thai mother in the uk!
One question, I entered Thailand with my UK passport and then I got my Thai passport here in Thailand. Do I need leave the country on my UK passport before the visa expires with the uk passport. Or can I now just stay here past the UK visa expiry and just simply leave the country with my thai passport with out any issues?
Hi Stephen,
Nice one, congrats! So technically, yes, you should leave on your UK passport just to close that loop. Some try and just leave on the Thai passport and the reports of success are varied. Some people leave no problems, others have the system cross match passports on them and then are subject to a maxium 20,000 fine if they happen to be overstaying on the foreign passport.
I don’t know of your immediate travel plans, but a quick trip down to Singapore or Phnom Penh can facilitate an easy passport swap. Otherwise it is simple enough to get a one year extension of stay in your UK passport of the back of being born to a Thai parent in case you don’t want to travel anywhere just yet. You can find out about that particular visa in the article below.
https://www.thaicitizenship.com/thai-ancestry-visas/
Cheers, TC
Thanks, ended up flying down to Phnom Penh for a day as it had very easy requirements to enter. Left on my English passport and re entered on my Thai passport.
Just for future reference, so when I go to England. I will exit Thai immigration with my Thai passport and enter the English immigration on with English passport. When booking the plane ride, some airlines require you enter your passport info, does the passport i use to check into the flight make a difference?
Hello, I am born out of wedlock at 1997 in Indonesia to a Thai father and an Indonesian mother. They never registered me when I was born back then, and now they both have moved to Thailand. I reside in the USA now, but I would like to make a thai birth certificate. Is it possible? Do we all have to come back to Indonesia since it’s my birth country or can we just take care of it in Thailand? Thank you very much.
Hi there. As outlined in the article, your parents can get the ball rolling in Thailand. They have to go to the department of consular affairs who will then liase with the thai embassy in Jakarta.
Hope this helps.
Hello, I was born in thailand but moved overseas to Singapore and lived there ever since I was 1 year old. My mom is thai. If I were to become a thai citizen, how long will the process take before I am registered as a thai citizen and get my IC and passport?
Hi Dan,
So you are already at Thai citizen if you were born in Thailand to at least one Thai parent. Your Thai birth certificate will also say as much. Most likely immediately after birth you name would have been put on your mothers house registration (called a ‘tabieen baan’). Assuming your name was never removed from that house registration, you simply need to go to the district office where your name is registered and apply for a Thai ID card. Note that given you have been away for so long it is usually wise to bring a relative. Your mother is the best person for this. Also bring along any other documentation that can match your name to the house registration records – even if it is Singapore ID.
Obviously you’ll need to be careful as Singapore forbids dual citizenship. If living in Thailand is a goal however, please note there is a special visa which will allow you to live in Thailand quite easily based on the fact you have a Thai parent.
https://www.thaicitizenship.com/thai-ancestry-visas/
Hi, I am Polish citizen. I have a wife from Thailand. A son born in Poland obtained citizenship and a Thai passport at the embassy in Warsaw when he was3 months old, Now the son is 20 years old – he lives and studies in Poland. He would like to get Thai passport in Thailand. So far he wasn’t registered in Thailand, doesn;t have Thai ID. Is it possible to obtain passport in such a situation wihout risking being called up for military service?
Hi Marek,
Normally applying for a Thai passport requires to have an ID number. However ID numbers aren’t issued to Thai children born outside the country. So what typically happens is that for children in your son’s situation (ie born overseas) the Thai embassy should be able to issue him with his first passport. The expectation is that you then travel to Thailand and register yourself at a district office, receive an ID number etc before you apply for a new passport.
A word of warning, there may however be an issue. The expectation from the embassy is that you apply for the first passport at the same time as when you apply for the birth certificate. I’ve seen reports where people who wait to apply for a Thai passport are told they can’t be issued one, and must go to Thailand and get an ID number first. This may not happen to your son – the embassy may simply issue him with a passport with the ID number section left blank. However, be aware it may happen.
Also, more broadly, please take a look at our article on Thai military service if you haven’t seen it.
https://www.thaicitizenship.com/thai-military-service/
Cheers
TC
Hello,
I am applying for a Thai birth certificate for my son who was born prior to 1992. He was born in the U.S. I have a question on the interview document about providing 4 witnesses and their documents – birth certificate, passport of their parents?, marriage license, and census. Are these necessary in all cases? These are not clear to me. Thank you.
Jirarat
Hi there
Unfortunately I’m unable to comment on specific embassy requirements given they differ depending on the country.
Can you show me a link to what you are referring to and I’ll try and take a look.
TC
My dad moved to America when he was very young; so we have his Thai birth certificate, his old Thai passport; but no Thai ID card. He’s since been married to my mother (American) is it at all possible to submit a request without a Thai ID on his end? Only birth certificate and passport from his childhood?
Hi there
I can’t give you a definitive answer. You’ll need to check with the embassy. However his old thai Passport and his BC should contain his ID number.
Cheers
TC
Hi TC,
Thank you for the swift response and for all of your advice; you’ve given me the faith to persevere and try again!
My family reside in the Bang Lamphu area of Bangkok; however, I cannot recall which district office they tried. I understand that it is one within close proximity to the family home.
My mum’s recent marriage certificate has her last married name instead of her maiden name. I assume I will need to translate both certificates into Thai and certify them accordingly?
Additionally, can I certify the certificate at the UK Thai Embassy, or does it have to be certified by the Thai MFA?
Thanks in advance,
Stacey
Hi there,
My mum was Thai and moved to the UK in the 70’s; she was married twice, both to English men however she did not register either marriage in Thailand and her Thai ID card, passport, house registration still had her maiden name.
My mum passed away in 2012; I was successfully able to obtain my Thai birth Certificate from the Thai Embassy in London. In 2016 I travelled to Thailand to visit my family on my temporary passport. My Aunt and Uncle attempted to register me on the house registration however was unsuccessful as I did not have the same surname as my mum on her ID, additionally on my birth certificate it had her married name.
It was also a traumatic experience trying to leave BKK as the temporary passport I entered with was no longer valid. My father and I were detained and questioned by airport security where I had to try (in my broken Thai) explain the situation. They finally let us board our flight back to London albeit with minutes to spare.
Annoyingly the House Registration were unable to advise me on what I needed to do to rectify this issue and I’m hesitant to try again, for the same scenario to happen again at the airport.
Please can you provide any advice or guidance?
Warmest Regards,
Stacey
Hi Stacey,
Sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience.
To be honest my advice to you is to try a different district office. Can I ask which one you tried at (or at least which city?). Bigger cities tends to be easier.
I was in the exact situation as you, my mother never registered her surname change with the Thai authorities after getting married in Australia (didn’t for 50 years!) but I was able to be registered.
If you didn’t already, what I’d bring along with you however (just to take a ‘belt and braces’ approach) would be the following;
– Your mothers Thai death certificate. If you don’t have one, as long as she passed in the UK, the embassy there will be able to issue you one.
– A copy of your parents UK marriage certificate, translated into Thai and certified by the Thai MFA (you can do that in Thailand)
The marriage certificate should be enough to create the link between the maiden and married name. Not changing one’s Thai ID to a married name isn’t uncommon.
Also note, that your Thai birth certificate in section 2, actually has your mums maiden name on it. So that should line up with her ID card, and obviously you are shown on the birth certificate with your current name.
(NB – also I’m unsure about UK marriage certificates and birth certificates, but don’t they also include the mothers maiden name? If so, I’d point that out to the district office next time you try as that is another evidence of the link between your mum’s names).
Also don’t forget given you haven’t got your full Thai ID sorted there is a special visa for you available in Thailand if you need to spend a bit of time here sorting stuff. You can use your UK passport to enter Thailand and then extend your stay using this:
https://www.thaicitizenship.com/thai-ancestry-visas/
Anyway, hopefully this is all useful.
TC
Thank you so much for this guide! I am mixed English/Thai born in the UK. My mother lives out in Thailand and recently had a ruptured brain aneurysm, so I decided I wanted to get my thai citizenship so I can stay out there longer to help take are of her.
My Thai birth certificate arrived in the mail last week 😀
Just have one question though, your guide mentions applying for a passport at the same time. Due to my mother not being able to come to the embassy with me in the UK, i wasn’t able to get the passport I think and told to get that in Thailand.
Will I have any issues getting the Thai ID in thailand with out a passport first?
Hi Stephen
So it shouldn’t be a problem. When you go to the district office they will probably ask you for a copy of your foreign passport to meet the ID requirement. Strange however that the embassy didn’t issue you with a passport. If you are over 20 then you should be able to apply for one yourself.
I tried so hard in Thailand to get an ID card. I went with my two aunties and a police officer from my village, but they refused to grant the ID card to me without my mother present. I tried both in my mother’s village and in Chiangmai. I had copies of everything I needed.
What really annoyed me, was after this ordeal, I was stopped by police officers in Bangkok and they wanted to fine me for not having my passport on me. I told them I was half thai, then fined me for not having my Thai ID card.
Was very very fed up by this stage.
Hi – sorry to hear and i would imagine it being very frustrating. Is there any reason the district office gave for not entering you on the tabieen baan? Or simply was it because your mother wasn’t there?
Assuming you have all the documents – an alternative is to perhaps try another district office. Would a friend be willing to put you on their house registration?
The only reason was that my mother wasn’t there. I tried two district offices. I explained that my mother lives in the UK and is not with me this time, and they said she would have to come back. They just got out the rule book and pointed to a line and said – see it says your mother has to be here.
I will have a friend in Bangkok who would let me I am sure. Do you have a recommendation for a district office I should try?
That is strange. Normally just two Thai citizens (being a relative helps) who can vouch for you + all your other ID is normally enough. I’d definetly try another district office. If your friend in Bangkok is happy to put you on then I’d go for that option.
Thank you so much. I am in the US and have had no luck contacting Iran. Curious why the US cert of birth abroad isn’t sufficient. I have already done the DNA test and have the results fyi. Thank you again as getting this done is a huge priority but I feel stuck
I’m just speculating that it won’t be sufficient as the thai embassy generally requires a local birth certificate from that country to issue a thai birth certificate.
As said, the department of consular affairs in thailand has a dedicated office and counter to handle liason with overseas embassies. It’s normally used by those who are in thailand but it might be worth emailing them and see if they reply.
Note that in the meantime if you are intending to come to thailand there is a special visa available to you as a child of a thai parent which lasts for a year each time you apply for it but extendable an unlimited amount of times in country.
That will let you be in thailand and have the breathing space to either sort your birth certificate in thailand (liaising with Iran) or do the DNA tests (which have to be done at an accredited thai government hospital).
https://www.thaicitizenship.com/thai-ancestry-visas/
Just spoke with ministry of foreign affairs for Iran in Washington DC and was told I cannot get an Iranian birth certificate
I didn’t know Iran had a diplomatic mission in DC!
So back to basics.
– you need a thai birth certificate. Thai embassy in Tehran not communicating. Have you contacted the department of consular affairs in Bangkok yet to get them to liase with the Thai embassy in Tehran?
– the final option is DNA, but you are going to need to do that in Thailand unfortunately via the processes laid out there.
I do have a dna test completed with my brother from thailand 2 years ago. Both parents have passed which is why it was done with my brother. He is a dual citizen and lives permanently in Thailand. Are there instructions on gaining dual citizenship with just the Dna test since Iran is not helping
In one of my original replies to you I gave you a link to a document and a page in it which suggests that the process begins at the district office where you wish to be registered.
They essentially (I think!) have to start the process and get the paperwork in motion after which point requests will be made for your DNA to prove the link. But that is just my basic understanding of it and you’ll need to handle that from thailand.
I also want to reiterate that I don’t think the Iran option is totally exhausted yet – the department of consular affairs in Bangkok can formally request that the embassy in Tehran issue you the birth certificate (as they can with all those born overseas to thai parents). So if it were me, I’d be looking to exhaust that route before doing DNA.
Desperately need some help in obtaining dual citizenship. My father was American and my mother Thai. Both passed away 2 years ago. I have family including a brother who live in Korat Thailand. The problem is I was born in Iran and it is impossible to get a hold of anyone there to obtain a birth certificate which I think I need. I do have a certificate of birth abroad from 1976 issued from the USA.
Hi Ben,
So the ‘first best’ option is obliviously to try and get a birth certificate issued via the Thai embassy in Tehran. If you are in Thailand – then you can access the Department of Consular Affairs which is mentioned in this article. No doubt however given the timing, and the revolution in 1977, then there will likely be some explaining to do with the paperwork, but hopefully the Department can help you on that at least liaise with the embassy there.
The ‘second best’ option is to prove your citizenship via DNA testing. Its good you have a brother as his co-operation will likely be needed. This is where I don’t have much knowledge however and you’ll probably need to consult with DOPA on this. Page 45 of this following document appears to outline some of the process. It may be that you head to the district office where your brother is registered at and ask them to start a case to forward to DOPA through which a DNA test will be requested. However I’m not 100% (or even 50%) knowledgeable on the process so (unfortunately) it is something I think you might have to feel your way through.
https://www.dopa.go.th/assets/modules/news/uploads/a4e66d67cd2ddd28ee63d56e899244985fb3df067c2393140970917625059374.pdf
If you ARE in Thailand at the moment and are looking for an easy way to stay, so long as you have your mums Thai ID details with you then it should be enough to get an extension of stay based on having a Thai parent. This is good for a years stay and effectively renewable indefinitely. I’ve written about it here:
https://www.thaicitizenship.com/thai-ancestry-visas/
Hopefully I’ve been of some help.
TC
Thank you so much. I am in the US and have had no luck contacting Iran. Curious why the US cert of birth abroad isn’t sufficient. I have already done the DNA test and have the results fyi. Thank you again as getting this done is a huge priority but I feel stuck
hi all
about:
my wife in process of thai birth certificate of a foreign born child, in foreign affair in bangkok, restart i would say …
she started back in nov 2019-mar 2020, got few papers stamped, mailed back ,then had a last appointment to give them all papers ( son was 12 y.o) ,
we knew we had to do visa run to clear overstay (june 2015, last entry stamp) on french passport, (before he was 15, immigration and embassy always said no need visa until 15yo , living in thailand )
we did plan a malaysia visa run in march 2020 (son 13yo) .
then covid in march 2020.
so no visa run possible/ country closed, etc, when wanted to add son on O visa, officier said do visa run…. in may 2020 and may 2021 (son 14yo)…
now son is 15yo on overstay french passport, in process to get thai birth certificate at foreign affairs, but with covid, not easy and slow process,
can not go high school as they require a ed visa or thai id…
immigration said, banned 10 years and 20000 thb fine, i saw prayut Order of Minister of Interior No. 1/2558 that state that if less than 18, can not be banned,
but immigration say something else,
so restarted all process in december 2021,still in process of stamps go and come back mail… and wife need to go foreign affair to give all papers again,
then wait to get thai birth certificate from french embassy, any ideas how long it could take?
then tabien bann , then thai ID and thai passport
my question is what will happen when he go out of thailand?
plane or land, as a minor or adult?
as a thai, will they be able to track his name and french overstay?
as a french, will he be banned and fine 20000thb, but still be allowed to get back in as a thai?
not easy, i will be happy to answer if you have questions
thank you so much
Hi there – so it sounds like a huge saga! Good to hear you have the birth certificate and his ID now sorted however.
So the standard way is just to leave on the French PP, pay to 20,000 baht fine. They may ban him on that passport however he is free to return on the thai passport and there is no way they can block his entry.
I hope this helps, but he should be totally fine doing it this way as he is a natural born thai citizen who can not be refused entry into thailand.
thank you so much for your answer
Thank you for the information provided here. I was wondering would it be easier to get the Thai birth certificate in Thailand or in the country of birth. My Thai mother married my father in the 70s and moved to the US where I was born in 1975 and my sister in 1981. I don’t recall her ever applying for our Thai birth certificates. I didn’t even know it was a thing until I read this article.
My mother passed away in the 90s and her Thai and US passports or military/state identification cards have been lost over the years. However, I do still have her alien registration card issued to her when she first moved to the states. I do also have my parents Thai marriage license, my mother’s house registration documents and death certificate. My sister and I are planning to go to Thailand soon and are interested in moving to Thailand in the future. Because of this, I was wondering, while in Thailand, with my mother’s documents, our US birth certificates and passports would we be able to apply for and obtain our Thai birth certificates? I’ve email the Thai embassy in DC, explained my situation, and sent copies of the documents as requested by person who responded to my initial email but I’ve not heard anything back from them since.
Thanks in advance for any information you can provide!
Hi Christina
So with you being born in the US, there is no way around the fact you can ONLY apply for your birth certificate via the Thai embassy in DC (or the nearest Thai consulate scattered around the US).
What documents they require will be the question and what they will accept and is something they will tell you.
The Thai marriage license, house registration and death certificate all sound promising however as they will all contain her Thai ID number which can be use to confirm her ID within the thai registration system. So it’s a good start.
Beyond this however you’ll just have to hassle them to find out what else they want in terms of documents which will allow them to issue you with your own thai birth certificates.
Sorry I can’t be of more help!
You have helped just by sharing this irritation! Thank you for your response! I saw the article for extending the visas so that’s an idea for extending my stay in Thailand. I’m sure with that I’ll be able to get all the documents I need. Plus, I have an older brother who is still in Thailand. (My mother had a son prior to marrying my dad) I haven’t seen him since I was a child but my auntie (my mother’s best friend) found him when she died. I am sure if I reached out to him he would be more than willing to help. Especially since the last message he sent to us with my auntie was for us to come back home to live with them.
The information you have provided on this site has been very valuable. Thank you for taking the time to pass on you knowledge!
Sorry for the typo…I meant “information”.
My father is Thai and currently retired in Thailand. I was born overseas and have been an American citizen most of my life. I don’t have my Thai birth certificate, but my father does have my Thai ID card and the house registration with my name. Will I be able to apply for citizenship and passport with just those documents? Or do I still need to obtain a Thai birth certificate?
Hi there Kate.
If you are already on the house registration then you are already down as a Thai citizen. No need to register for anything.
So you’ll need to check if you Thai ID card is still valid, but if it is, then you’ll be able to get a passport via the Thai embassy or consulate nearest to you. If the ID card is expired, you’ll need a new one first. Fortunately these days most large embassies have the capacity to issue new ID cards to those who’s old ones have expired. So you’ll need to bring that old one along, as well as probably a copy of your current house registration for them to issue a new ID card. Once issued, you should able to apply for a new Thai passport straight away.
In terms of your Thai BC. The way the Thai system works is they can’t re-issue you with a new one, but the Thai embassy in the country you were born in (presumably the US) should be able to give you a replacement document. From time to time a Thai BC is still needed when dealing with the Thai bureaucracy!
Hope this is of help.
TC
This helps a lot! My birth certificate is actually from Malaysia. I will look into getting a replacement. But it’s good to know that I don’t need it right away to get a passport.
Thank you
This helps a lot! My birth certificate is actually from Malaysia. I wouldn’t be surprised if my ID card is expired. I will look into getting a replacement. But it’s good to know that I don’t need it right away to get a passport. House registration is key, got it!
Thank you
Hi, I was a Thai born overseas in the U.S. and now I live in Thailand with a Thai birth certificate and passport. I own 90% of it to the helpful advice I read on this site. Just wanted to pop back in and say thanks!
Will, that awesome to hear. I appreciate you letting me know. Please feel free to share also the 10% we missed out on so it can be useful to other people!
Cheers
TC
I have my original Thai birth certificate. My mom is Thai but now a US citizen. My father is American. I came to the US in 1966 using my father’s US passport as I was only 8 months old. My parents did not have a Thai passport issued for me. I do have my mom’s expired Thai passport and ID. My mom’s name was taken off of her house registration after marrying my father sometime in the 60’s. How can I get my Thai ID and passport? The Thai consulate said I need to go back to BKK and inquire further. Thank you for any advice.
Hi Kat,
Thanks for your message. So rest assured your Thai citizenship is still fully intact. As a natural born Thai citizen it can never be taken away from you.
With respect to the Thai ID however, the consulate is correct. Given the way the house registration system in Thailand works you need to physically return to Thailand to be put back on a house register. This could be a family members place, or a friend. But without doing so it is impossible to be issued an ID card or a passport.
I’d take all your ID (US and Thai) as well as any Thai ID you have of your mum as well as copies of your fathers ID. This will allow them to cross reference your original birth certificate with more current ID you may hold. The district office should then be able to process putting you back on the house registration.
Anyway hope this is all of assistance please do not hesitate to ask any further questions.
My son has a Thai birth certificate and an expired Thai passport. He is now 21 years old and returning to Thailand with his Thai mother. She changed her mind and now wants her son to be registered in her family’s house book and obtain a Thai ID for him so he can renew his Thai passport. The problem is that I, his US born father, won’t be traveling back with them. The Thai embassy couldn’t tell me what documents they need to take with them and If I need to supply something like a power of attorney so that my wife can sign any documents that need my signature.
Hi Don,
In the article above in the very last line is a link to the documents that are needed. From your end, a certified copy of your passport will likely be required as the house register requires the parents name be put on the records as well.
Given he is 21 I’m not sure he’s looked into the issue of military conscription, but if he is below 30 and on the house registration, it means he is liable for conscription.
https://www.thaicitizenship.com/thai-military-service/
Obviously if he is returning to live and work in Thailand there is no real way around this, but if he isn’t going to stay in Thailand, my advice is to delay getting back on the house registration until he is 30. Of course, that means he can’t renew his Thai ID card and Passport for that period of time, so he’s going to have to weigh up the pro’s and con’s of the situation. However it will mean he will be off the radar for the military.
If he’s just interested in hanging around Thailand for a few months to travel, there is a special visa available to him to stay up to a year at the time. Very easy to get and available to Thai citizens or former Thai citizens entering Thailand on a foreign passport. He’ll have to go to an immigration office to get it, but he can convert his initial airport 30 day stay into a one year stay showing proof of Thai citizenship. His Thai BC and old passport will more than suffice. Its super easy to get too.
https://www.thaicitizenship.com/thai-ancestry-visas/
Hope this has been of help.
TC
Thank you very much for this informative response. The reason my wife didn’t place my son in a house register earlier is because she was concerned about the military conscription. His younger sisters are already in the house register and have Thai IDs. The process took an entire day just to get the Thai ID so that they could renew their Thai passport. That was four years ago and I was there to provide my signature. My wife isn’t concerned about the military conscription now because she has been told that Phatthalung has enough volunteers and that he most likely won’t be selected for military service. The main reason for wanting a Thai ID and Thai passport for our son is so that he can inherit property that my wife owns in Thailand.
How do I get a certified copy of my passport? The Thai Embassy in DC said I need a notarized document confirming my signature to be used when my daughters renew their Thai passport since they are both under the age of 20. Does this document certify my passport? They couldn’t tell me what was needed for getting my son’s Thai ID which you indicate is a certified copy of my passport. I also saw some documents on the embassy website (all in Thai) for providing a general power of attorney which I think would allow my wife to act on my behalf for both my son’s Thai ID and for my daughters’ Thai passports. They said it would need to be submitted to the embassy’s legal department with a money order of $15. It wasn’t clear to me if I needed to submit the notarized signature document to the legal department as well or if just having it notarized was sufficient.
Hi Don,
So when it comes to what is needed, there are two separate elements here.
– For the registration of your son in Thailand on the house book, a notorised and translated copy of your passport will be needed (at most). In some cases only a simple photocopy suffices. No signature is needed per se, not is any particular ‘permission’ needed from you. The district office will just want the ID’s of both parents as part of the process.
– Given your son is now over 20, he won’t need any parental approval and can apply for a Thai passport himself, once he has his ID card issued. For your kids under 20, yes your signature will be needed. If you can’t attend the passport office with them and your wife at the same time, basically a power of attorney needs to be issued. The Thai embassy and the consulates should be able to take care of that for you, and then your daughter and wife take that piece of paper to the passport office when they go to apply.
I hope this helps!
Hi,
I am a 33 year old Canadian with a Thai father and Canadian mother. I have been living a bureaucratic nightmare with my Thai birth certificate. Let me summarize in a few words.
I live in Canada, I called the Embassy in Ottawa and asked them if I could apply for a Thai birth certificate. They told me that because of my age (born before 1992) my father should apply directly in Thailand(where he is currently living). So I notarized my Canadian birth certificate and authenticated at the Thai Embassy in Ottawa. Sent it over to Thailand. My father then went to the Department of Consular Affairs in Bangkok and they told him that I should do it in Canada. Now the problem is each entity believes the other is responsible for this process and I have no idea what to do. Is there a document that states procedures and policies in order for me to use a proof? I’m being thrown in all directions and I’m losing all hope. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you
Hi there
So there probably is a bit of misunderstanding or miscommunication along the way.
You will have to do it via the embassy on Ottawa, but as part of the process given you were born before 1992, it requires your parents to be present in person at the embassy as part of the process.
Given it sounds like your dad is in Thailand, you’ll have to arrange via the embassy so your dad can appear at the department of consular affairs in bangkok as part of the process to basically vouch for the fact that he is your parent.
The Thai embassy in London goes into a bit more detail about this (the info on the embassy in Ottawa is pretty basic). The link is below, in thai. But I suspect if you print it out and take it to the embassy it will probably give them a bit of guidance on the matter, if indeed they are giving you the wrong info. You can probably run the page through google translate to get an idea on what it is asking for (though note there will be some UK specific steps in there as well).
Good luck with it all.
https://london.thaiembassy.org/th/page/82031-ทะเบียนราษฎร์?menu=5d6636ce15e39c3bd000730f
Thank you! I appreciate the time you took to answer. I think it clears thing up in my mind. Hopefully I can clarify things on my father’s side and at the Department of Consular Affairs
Have a nice day!
Hi,
I a 32 year old U.S. citizen. My Mother is born in Isaan specifically Thailand, Nakhorn Panom and my dad is from Laos. I never got my Birth Certificate nor my mom has any document of her birth certificate. I dont believe she has any papers or documents with her but she told me she went to school in Thai before moving to America. IIRC she also told me she was born at home instead of the hospital (1950s). I think my mom has to get her birth certificate before applying for her Thai ID. Could you explain more how my mom would register Tabian Baan in our situation? Do you know the first steps I should take to get my Thai ID, Citizenship and become a nationalist?
Hi there.
So your mothers predicament isn’t unusual – lots of people born around that time and then left to live overseas when young. Rest assured that the situation can be fixed, but requires some legwork on her behalf. Your mum will need to come back to Thailand at some point to speak to the district office. If she maintains relations with family back in Thailand it may be the district office she is registered at (if she is registered at all). IF not, then it will be the district office which covers the area where she was born. The later might require some detective work, but she’ll need to organise for the district office to dig up her old birth records. She’ll need to bring any and all Thai and US ID she has to connect her identity to the district records and probably a Thai citizen who can ‘vouch’ for her identity too. However the district office will have a better idea on the exact process.
At that point she can then get her house registration sorted, get an ID card and Thai passport, at which point you will then be able to register for Thai citizenship.
So unfortunately it isn’t a straight forward process and it is one which probably requires a face to face participation by your mum. Not easy in these COVID times to be sure. But based on people I know, it is totally a doable thing.
All the best.
Thanks!
I wasn’t confident in trying to start this endeavor before speaking with you and now you gave me the motivation and hope I can accomplish this task successfully. I will report back with any road blocks and if I’m successful in getting my passport and Thailand ID, I owe you lunch and a drink!
An addendum to this article: Based on this information, we met with the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington DC on 26 July 2021. What they disclosed was that you may not apply for citizenship through birth to a Thai parent if you have served in a foreign military, or if you are an employee of a foreign government (to include State level in the US). Additionally, you must register for the Thai military by your 21st birthday or renounce your citizenship.
This discounts a large portion of Thai/American luk khrueng from ever obtaining their birthright citizenship after a certain age.
I wasted a lot of time learning this, so I hope this helps someone in the future.
Joe,
Thanks for your message and sharing your experience. I’d appreciate you sharing any written material from the Thai embassy or other sources on what you’ve said.
However I doubt it exists and what I expect to find is what you’ve been told is simply wrong. Embassy officials are well known for providing incorrect information. Once clear example is the statement regarding needing renounce citizenship by the age of 21. The law clearly does not state that (see THIS article) for instance. The ins and outs of military service are here. Not registering has no impact on citizenship.
As for the other advice, I’d be wary of it. Citizenship law is very clear, a child of a Thai citizen is automatically a Thai citizen. No caveats to it.
Regards
Hello,
I was born to a Thai mom and Malaysian dad in the US > 40 years ago. I’ve been holding a Malaysian passport and my birth was never reported to the Thai consular in the US. I have never been offered a choice of citizenship to any country, I was just following my father’s nationality.
Now I’m working in Thailand and would like to get a Thai citizenship (my own choice). How do I start? I called the Consular Office listed in your site but they referred me to the Thai Police Special Branch division, so I am a little confused. Please advice, thank you!
Hi Prasit, in your case you need to start the process with the Thai embassy in Washington DC given you were born there. As you are in Thailand, you can work via the consular office. I’m not sure why they referred you to Special Branch so I can only assume the person you spoke to had their wires crossed. I know things are probably closed down on that front for now, but generally face to face probably helps.
In the meantime I’d perhaps try to liase with the embassy in the US directly as there are a few steps you have to complete independently of them before they can issue with a Thai birth certificate anyway.
Hope this helps,
Thank you! I will try this approach
Hi,
I’m a U.S. citizen with a Thai mother and American father. My mother and father divorced when I was just a baby, so neither of them made much effort to get my thai birth certificate. I am now 32 and attempting to obtain my birth certificate, passport, and id card. I have no contact with either of my parents, and so I’m stuck on how to proceed with the process. I did an ancestry DNA test and have found that while my mother and grandparents were born in Thailand, we have no thai DNA, it is Vietnamese and Lao. Because of this, I’m not sure that doing a DNA test to prove ancestry would work for me. Any advice on how to proceed? Also, I noticed that a few times, there was something mentioned about house registration after 30. Can you clarify what that means exactly?
Hi Ashley,
Last thing first. The house registration is simply a book sized document linked to a specific address that all Thai citizens are registered in. It provides a registered address and ID number and off the the basis of it, your details can be used to get passports, drivers licenses etc. In the case of 30 years of age – that is simply the age where you are no longer eligible for military service.
So the DNA thing. Its not any regular ancestry.com type test. Its a proper DNA test from a recognised government hospital in Bangkok which can prove you are a blood relative of one of your mothers siblings or one of her parents. It’s a process I don’t know much about apart from that and you’ll need to be in Thailand to start the process liasing (likely) with BORA to certify your Thai citizenship. So someone from that side of the family will need to agree to proving a DNA sample to prove the link.
So, short of getting back in contact with your mum, the Thai government endorsed DNA route is the only method open to you.
Hopefully this is of some use to you!
Regards
Hi!
I am a 25 y/o male living in america, thai mother and american father. I am unsure of my citizenship status with Thailand – my mother claimed in the past that I am registered with a Thai Birth Certificate, but she was a compulsive liar and I do not keep any contact with her, although I remember her traveling to Thailand under claim of keeping up my citizenship paperwork when I was a teen. I’m a bit worried that I may be registered and under a tabien baan under her family home in thailand, and am years late for compulsory service. For what it’s worth, I have never seen any proof of this birth certificate or any other paperwork and would not be able to acquire any sort of paperwork from my mom regarding her own citizenship status.
If it turns out I’m not registered, I understand they waive the necessity for the tabien baan for the first time passport w/ birth certificate, so would I be able to get a Thai passport and travel to thailand without worry of military conscription as I’m not a resident? Can I even get a birth certificate without my mom’s input?
Any idea where to start with this? Should I just hold out until I’m 30 to do anything? I wish to travel to Thailand in the future and potentially own a home and live there, just not really sure how that will all be handled. Admittedly, I’m in no rush to head over there right now as I’m unable to really travel at all due to familial obligations for the foreseeable future, but I would like to keep my opportunities open.
Thanks for your time!
Hi there,
You don’t say where you are born, but I assume you are born in the US. Easiest way to check is obviously check with the embassy if you’ve had a birth certificate issued to you, and if so, you’d like to get a document to replace it. If you are in contact with her family in Thailand, you could also check I guess to see if you are registered on anyones tabien baan.
If not, you’d have to obviously start one from scratch which will obviously involve proof of your mothers Thai citizenship – so you’ll have to deal with getting that somehow. (nb. there are ways of proving citizenship back in Thailand using DNA evidence to one of your mothers siblings, but that would require their co-operation and I don’t totally understand the process myself, other than that it is long and time consuming).
On the off chance you are indeed properly registered in Thailand, it doesn’t sound like you’ve been sent any call up notices by your family, and the lack of an ID card would make it hard for you to be registered for conscription anyway (see THIS article on military conscription rules). So no problem getting your Thai birth certificate and first passport sorted now (yes you are right about not needing a house registration for the first one issued overseas) and then sort out your house registration formally after 30.
Hope this has been helpful!
So my wife is a thai citizen and we are considering getting a thai birth certificate for our son. My wife is worried about the requirements for military service in thailand when he turns 21. Does anyone have any information or experience in dealing with that issue?
Hi Kyle,
Please check out our article on this issue HERE.
Once you’ve had a read of the article and understood the dynamics, my advice is get the Thai birth certificate for your son. You’d be surprised the amount of messages I get from adult children of Thai parents born overseas who’s parents never got them one, and then death, divorce or some other life events got in the way either preventing them, or making it extremely challenging to claim their Thai citizenship rights in adulthood.
hi,
i have a question concerning birth certificate, my dad is french, my mom is thai (passport/ID/tabien baan), i was born in france, every documents asked by the thai embassy are ok but the only issue is that the embassy wants my parents mariage certificate but in the the certificate my mom’s nationality isn’t thai but laos (due to error) the embassy ask me to rectify the error but my country town hall won’t change it.
i know that asking the thai embassy won’t be of any help because they always say to look at their website which isn’t helpful at all.
Is their another way to register my thai birth certificate, should i just tell them that i can’t change the mariage certificate, isn’t my mom’s official documents enough?
Hi Anthony
Sounds like a bureaucratic nightmare!
To be honest I don’t know the best answer here.
One option may just be to tell the embassy that is the only paperwork available to you. Given that birth to a Thai mother automatically grants citizenship whether married or unmarried shouldn’t make a difference. You should remind the embassy of this.
Obviously tell the embassy that your country office refuses to rectify the mistake also.
One option which is possible in Thailand is DNA test to prove you are your mothers son. This is done in cases where paperwork has been lost etc or a parent has passed away. Im not sure if the embassy can accept such evidence – although I know in Thailand there are processes to confirm Thai nationality via DNA testing.
Beyond that I’m not sure what else to advise given they appears that the functionaires from France and Thailand seem to be not budging.
All the best and hopefully a good outcome eventuates.
hi
apologies if this has already been asked but i couldn’t find an exact reference.
my girlfriend is thai , her daughter was born in the uk and is 20 years old , her daughter had a passport when she was a child, over 10 years ago . we went to the thai embassy with divorce certificate , letter from her ex , her daughter has a thai birth certificate from when she got her child passport , so nearly all the documents but they asked for a thai house registration document . could you kindly advise us as to how we could get this thai house registration . we were told we have to go to thailand to get it . many thanks
Hi Brendan,
So the house registration document, or tabieen baan in Thai, is booklet which registers a Thai citizen at an address in Thailand. If you are born in Thailand you are normally registered on one within 15 days of birth (normally your home address) and that registration is needed so you can get a Thai ID card and Thai passport.
For those born overseas, obviously you can’t be registered on a tabieen baan at birth. Thai embassy’s overseas normally grant a waiver on the requirement to be registered on the tabieen baan for the first passport application from the embassy, with the expectation that when you travel to Thailand you head to the district office where you live (or where relatives live) and get your name put on the tabieen baan.
Sounds like your girlfriend’s daughter has never been registered on a tabieen baan, and and as such, administratively they have their hands tied in issuing a full passport. Your GF and daughter will need to travel to thailand and get her registered.
The good news is that Thai citizens are normally allowed to enter Thailand on an expired passport. This is in normal times, but given covid, I’d check with the airline and the embassy. The embassy however should be able to issue the daughter with a certificate of identity/temp passport good for a one way journey to Thailand. Once there, you can register for the Tabieen Baan, get an ID card (compulsory for anyone over 15) and apply for a full passport. Your GF’s daughter will need her Thai BC, any other Thai ID she might have (eg old passports), copies of her parents ID’s and two Thai citizens to vouch for her (which is essentially the same as being a witness to confirm someones identity).
Unfortunately there is no way around being in Thailand for the tabieen baan registration.
Hopefully this clarifies things for you.
thanks very much.
this is very helpful and i very much appreciate your reply .
hi
my girlfriend is under the impression that she needs to get a letter from the thai embassy in london to show the house registration office to say that they will not give her daughter a passport in london .
could you kindly tell us if we need this as we do not want to travel to thailand only to find we don’t have the correct documents
we will have her daughters :
thai child passport
thai birth certificate
mothers birth certificate
mother tabieen baan
divorce certificate
is there anything else we would need ?
thanks again
Hi Brendan,
So I’ve never heard of needing a letter from the embassy to get the tabieen Baan. I guess getting one can’t hurt, but don’t be surprised if the embassy hasn’t heard of this requirement either. The embassy issued Thai birth certificate and first, now expired passport, are normally enough in terms of what is needed for the tabieen baan registration (in terms of embassy issued documents).
As said in the previous post, ask the embassy if a certificate of identity/temp passport is needed for your daughter to travel to thailand at the moment, or if the expired Thai passport will be sufficient for her to enter thailand as a Thai citizen (note – entering on a Thai passport is essential otherwise your daughter will be considered a foreigner for immigration purposes – see this link HERE which explains this).
The only thing I see missing from the list is the fathers passport and ID and house registration (if the father is a Thai citizen). Even though divorced the tabieen Baan has a space for both the parents names. Having the birth fathers name doesn’t confer any rights which conflict with the court order, it’s merely an administrative thing which they’ll need.
once again , thank you very much for taking the time to reply to me . it has been most helpful
all the best
Hi,
I am a New Zealand born citizen with a Thai mother. I think we have all of the documents we need for my parents to be able to apply for my Thai birth certificate at the Consulate in NZ (I was born 1985), but they live very far away so I am wondering.. Since I am currently in Thailand already, is it possible for me to skip getting a birth certificate / citizen ID , and just go straight to getting my first Thai passport? The goal at the moment is to be able to stay in Thailand. At the moment I’m here on a Covid Amnesty Visa but I’m not sure how long they will keep renewing it for.
Thank you in advance for your advice!
Hi Jane.
So the thing to understand about the thai citizens registration system is that without the birth certificate you don’t get on the tabieen Baan. Without the tabieen Baan you can’t get an ID card and without an ID card you can’t get a passport. So the birth certificate is really the foundation document for everything.
Give you are in Thailand already as I’ve stated in the article you can liase via the Consular affairs department (based in Bangkok) who will work with Wellington to issue your birth certificate. If the embassy in Wellington need anything from your parents it should be possible for them to do it by post, so no need for them to attend the embassy.
In the mean time, you should apply for an ancestry visa (see HERE.
Note that will give you a renewable years permission to stay but you will still be considered a foreigner and need a work permit etc and have to do 90 day reporting, but it sounds like that could be a good interim option for you.
Hello again everyone,
Will Ezell here again. I was born in 1984. So as per the nationality act of 1992 it says to:
“prepare a statement requesting the birth certificate per the nationality act(ISSUE 2) BE 2535 (1992)”
What exactly should i do?
If it helps i am applying through the Los Angeles Consulate via mail as it is Covid regulations.
Also, should i apply for my passport or ID during the same application? Is this possible?’
Thanks a million again!
Will
Hi Will
So it sounds like you are applying for a Thai birth certificate based on the fact you are born to a thai parent. Each embassy has its own proceedures depending on the country so in the case of the US there are a few steps involved including (from memory) getting your US birth certificate certified by state and federal agencies. So please follow the exact instructions of the LA consulate.
In respect to the thai passport, all thai passports require that you attend in person – not easy if you aren’t near an embassy or consulate and near impossible during covid.
In normal times, if you weren’t close to an embassy or a consulate then normally the embassy would organise mobile consulates at specific dates across the country and could could attend in person then to get a passport issued. Given covid though you’ll need to speak with the embassy to see how they are handling new passport applications.
Good luck with it all.
Hello! Currently in the process of getting a Thai birth certificate. My mother is Thai my father is American. I was born and raised in the US but plan on moving to Thailand next year as my mother is moving home to retire after living here so long. My question is: I have an American name now but my parents have been divorced forever, but can I embrace my Thai heritage and take a Thai name on my Thai birth certificate to honor my mother’s family name?
Hi William,
To be honest, in the first instance, my answer is ‘I’m not sure’. It may be that the embassy require that your name follows your US birth certificate just as a process formality, but that is just a guess on my part. Rest assured though, even if that is the case, once you have established your ID card in Thailand and are recorded on a house registry, it is very easy to change your name. In fact, Thai people do it all the time and sometimes multiple times during their life for various reasons, some serious, many not so serious. So if using a Thai name is a goal, then at the end of the day it won’t be an issue – but in the first instance at the embassy, I’m not sure what the answer will be.
Thanks! Much appreciated.
Hi, I was was wondering, when renewing my Thai passport at the UK embassy (when travel is allowed and the embassy opens up again of course), will I be expected to be fluent in Thai? I was born overseas to one Thai parent and am about to turn 20, which I believe is the age where I don’t need my parents to be present at the embassy, and so although I can speak some Thai and can write my full name in Thai, I’m unable to speak the language fluently or read any Thai due to growing up in the UK. Will that be a problem, or would it be better for me to bring my Thai parent with me even if I am 20? My parents and I would greatly appreciate some help if you are able to answer this! Thanks!
Hi Sayze, thanks for your message.
There is absolutely no need for you to speak any thai at all. Your rights to citizenship are not dependent on being able to speak thai and the embassy staff are all pretty good at English.
Just be aware however that unless you have a current Thai house registration and thai ID card it might be tricky to renew your passport as an adult. I know that overseas born thais can be issued their first passport without an ID card, but I recall reading that they are needed for subsequent passports.
If that happens however there is no great stress. Thai citizens are allowed to travel back to Thailand and enter on an expired thai passport. Once back, you can register for an ID card and then easily renew your passport.
Hope I’ve been of help.
That’s great, thank you!!
Sir
Thank you! This information is priceless!
Sir
Your site is very informative but I am still a bit confused about some processes. BLUF: My mother is a Thai Citizen and has a Thai passport. I was born in Thailand and have a Thai birth certificate. What other documents need I have to apply for Thai Passport in the U.S.? What else is needed to establish citizenship?
Hi Edward.
You don’t have to do anything further.
Being born in Thailand to a Thai parent you are already a thai citizen and your birth certificate will say as much at the top.
Being born in Thailand too means you have your name registered in a house registration (‘tabieen Baan’) somewhere as well.
You would have likely departed Thailand on a thai passport when you left there.
Normally for an adult to apply for a thai passport (either in Thailand or overseas) you need a thai ID card. You don’t say whether you’ve got one. If not, the embassy may not be able to issue you with a full passport, but if you have details of your house registration, have your old passport still they may be able to issue you with a temporary passport good for a one way journey to Thailand (but please check with them). If they are unable to, you can still enter Thailand on a US passport.
Once in Thailand you’ll need to go to the district office where you are registered, obtain the ID card, at which point you can apply for a full thai passport. If you had entered on your US passport you’ll also need to leave, by air, and then renter on your thai passport. Pre-Covid this would involve a short hop to a neighbouring country and then come back.
Hope this is helpful.
Very helpful sir! I do not have a Thai ID as I left there as an infant. Would the house registration information be on the transcribed birth certificate…I have original BC and its English transcription…
Hi Edward,
Your birth certificate only shows the district office where your birth was registered, but at birth you would have been issued with an ID number. I’m not sure if you’ve got any relatives back in Thailand but if they took a copy of your birth certificate to the district office they may be able to find out where you are currently registered. I’m guessing it’s either on one of your relatives house books, or if not, your name would have been shunted to the central database usually reserved for those with no fixed address in Thailand. If the latter is true then the embassy won’t be able to issue you a full passport and you’d need to travel back to Thailand to have your name put back on a house registration document at a regular address (which can be anywhere so long as the person in charge of that property approves).
Hi, my father was born in thailand in 1961 and immigrated to the US in 1977. He had his Thai passport renewed in the DC consulate in 1981 and it expired in 1987. He is now trying to renew his passport and get thai documents. He doesn’t remember ever having a Thai ID card or Thai ID national number, however, I was wondering if you would happen to know if it was a requirement in 1977 to have a Thai ID national number to obtain the Thai passport? Unfortunately, the LA consulate is unable to look him up using his name and they are requesting this Thai ID number or his Thai House Registration which he also doesn’t have. His brother is still in Thailand and could assist obtaining documents there if needed. Do you have any recommendations? or is this something that would need to be pursued in Thailand? Thank you so much for your insight!
His expired passport doesn’t have a 13 digit Thai ID number, but it does have a 5 digit number with this format “B XXXXX”
Hi , my father is Malaysian and mother is Thai. I was born in Malaysia and had my Thai birth certificate issued by the Royal thai embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
I knew that in order to obtain the Thai ID card, I need to register my name to the “Tabian Baan”.
My question is
1. Do I need to register my name to my mother’s “Tabian Baan”, or can I register my name to my girlfriend house in Bangkok ?
My mother is currently in Malaysia, and I am staying in Bangkok.
2. I had my DNA test from Songkhla Hospital and Thai birth certificate(without the 13digit number) with me. What any other document do I need in order to register my name to tabian baan and obtain the Thai ID card?
3. Can the process done without my mother? She can’t travel to Thailand due to the pandemic.
Hi Wai Kit,
To be honest needing the DNA test for someone in your situation is pretty unheard of. You just need you thai BC, Malaysian PP, and copies of your mother’s ID. There shouldn’t be any need for her to visit.
Also no need for you to be registered where she is, records are all centrally accessable so they can cross reference. You will need the house master present to allow you to be entered to on their tabieen Baan as well as an additional Thai citizen witness to vouch for you.
Hi Andrea. So your dad needs to locate where his house registration is, either it was moved (perhaps to his brothers) or perhaps more likely to the central house registry. To be honest it will probably require a visit the the offices of the latter (https://www.bora.dopa.go.th/index.php/th/) where they will probably be able to trace back your dads details.
His old passport will be useful and they will likely reissue him with a new ID number using the current ID numbering system and from that be moved to a regular house registration (eg his brothers). All this is most easily done in person but with COVID perhaps your father can sign a power of attorney for his brother to check things out on his behalf.
Hi,
Definitely read thru this page a bit, but I’d prefer just to ask it to you (it seems, since you’re THE man who respons to everyone 🙂 ) personally, since that is just more clear for me.
I’m 31,, born and raised in the Netherlands, got a Dutch passport, dad (passed away) is Dutch, but my mom is Thai. My dad brought her to NL when she was pregnant with me. But before the age of 21 I never went for the dual citizenship (face-palming myself right now).
So I wonder if there’s still a possibility for me to apply for one, or no? (without having that Thai birth certificate).
Also with the loss of my father, not sure if this is an issue or not.
FYI, my mom still lives here in NL, and still has her Thai passport though.
Apologies for probably asking a question you already have answered to before, but I thank you for the time you take.
Cheers
Hi JR,
The long and short of it is you will need a Thai BC, issued by the Thai embassy in the Netherlands. I’m not sure why you think you needed to have done that before 21. You can get it at any age so long as you can prove you have a Thai parent.
That your dad has passed shouldn’t be an issue. It may be that the embassy will want to see his death certificate at most, but mostly they will want to see your mums Thai PP and other documents if she has them (ID card etc). Best ask the embassy there exactly what you need, but it shouldn’t be an issue by the sounds of it. You should be able to apply for a Thai passport at the same time.
Cheers
Thanks for the response 🙂
Lovely to hear. I will definitely get on this asap.
I guess I fell victim to the typical ‘expat fear mongering’ type of words that made me think I couldnt possibly get one after the age of 21, and other stuff.
1 more question, if you don’t mind.
Speaking the Thai language. Is that something that needs to be required too?
Hi JR,
Given you are Thai from birth, there is no requirements of any sort beyond proving you are a child of a Thai citizen. So as long as you have the paperwork, you’ll be fine.
Good luck with it all!
Thanks again.
Got your page bookmarked, so I’ll leave a comment on here if I get all things done.
Kudos to you for making this site and being so responsive to everyone 🙂
I’ve searched your site pretty extensively trying not to ask a repeat question but I’m not quite seeing my exact situation. My mother is Thai, my father is American. I was born in Thailand but we left when I was 2 months old so I have no recollection. I know I had a Thai birth certificate, It was shown to me as a kid. There was a Thai version and an English version. However nobody seems to know where it is anymore. Probably lost in many many moves over the years. To exacerbate the situation, even though I (should) have many living relatives in Thailand, my mother is estranged from her family there (hasn’t talked to them in 40 years) and won’t talk about any of them to me no matter how much I ask. She has since become a U.S. citizen. She still has an expired Thai passport. I am a U.S. citizen by birth, and from what I can tell I am a Thai citizen by birth as well because my mom is a Thai citizen. I’d like to re-establish/document my Thai citizenship as I currently have nothing to that effect. The only thing potentially available to me is my mom’s expired Thai passport. I read elsewhere online once, that without documentation I had to go back to Thailand and get a relative to testify that I am Thai. But I’m not sure I can get my mom to do that (she doesn’t really want to go back) and I don’t know my relatives there (names, where they are, anything). Is it at all possible to show up at the Thai embassy with my mom’s expired passport and my birth certificate showing she is my mom and get the documentation I need? Or am I stuck having to do something much more complicated? Thanks in advance. Your site is an excellent resource. Every few years I do some searching about this and last time I did your site did not exist. Perhaps this time I can make progress.
Hi Shawn,
Thanks for your message and I’m glad you are finding the website useful. In my opinion, the long and the short of it is you will need to get replacement evidence of your birth certificate which is the basis for the rest of the citizenship document trail.
Thailand doesn’t issue replacement birth certificates per se, but does via documents attesting to the same thing and/or an extract of birth signed by the district office.
At a minimum, you are going to need to know the district where you were born, and the district office for that area is where your birth certificate was likely issued. You’ll need relevant details, such as your parents names, your mothers maiden name, her Thai ID details, date and location of birth as evidence. You’ll also need two Thai citizens to vouch for you. They don’t necessarily need to be family members from my understanding, but certainly people who know you and can vouch for you (maybe some friends of your mums?).
I also understand you can assign a representative to do it (lawyer, a person your know/trust etc) so they will need to have a power of attorney signed by you. Ultimately the district office needs to be convinced you say who you are, but I think off the back of your mum’s Thai ID (which will no doubt link to your details) and you knowing the main details on your birth (as outlined above) you should be fine.
All the best and feel free to circle around if you have any more questions.
Thank you, that’s what I was afraid of, but good to have affirmation. I don’t _think_ my mom has a Thai ID (at least not anymore), though I did just learn that she does have her Thai birth certificate.
Hi Shawn,
No worries.
One thing I want to stress. Your mum’s old Thai passport is a valuable document in your quest, given all Thai passports contain their Thai citizen ID number. So I’d make sure you have copies of that, as that ID number will probably be crucial in joining the dots to find out where exactly your birth was registered and proving your Thai nationality links. Similarly, her Thai birth certificate should contain her ID number as well, given they are issued at birth. Good luck with it all.
Very helpful, thank you.
My mother had me in America with my father then they got a divorce. I believe my mother got rid of her Thai citizenship for a American one but now she is deceased. Is it possible for me to have a Thai citizenship
Hi Drake,
Its unlikely your mother renounced her Thai citizenship before she naturalised as a US citizen, as it is a process in itself and requires that renunciation to be officially published in the royal gazette here in Thailand. Most likely, she simply stopped using her Thai travel documents.
It is very much possible for you to have Thai citizenship – technically you have it already but you have to get the paperwork to back it up. You need to gather as much of her Thai paperwork as possible that you may still have in your possession. Old Thai passports, IDs, birth certificates etc and then liase with the Thai embassy in Washington DC so that you can be issued with a Thai birth certificate.
Hello,
My dad was not born in thailand, however he applied for the thai citizenship and was granted it for working there for more than 20 years. Moreover, as his son from another country, can he transfer me also the citizenship or something in this sort?
Hi James,
He can pass on citizenship to you if you were born following him acquiring Thai citizenship. If you were born after he gained Thai citizenship, are still a minor (ie under 20) and living in Thailand, I believe it is possible for him to sponsor your Thai citizenship application.
Unfortunately, I was born before he got the thai citizenship. Thus, there is no way I can receive it too? 🙁
Hi James,
Not unless you were born in Thailand and both your dad and your mum were both Thai permanent residents at the time of your birth. As said, if you are still under 20 he can probably sponsor your citizenship application but you probably need to be living here to do so.
Being the child of a thai parent however allows you a special visa which essentially is automatically renewable if you want to live in Thailand, check out our article on it here https://www.thaicitizenship.com/thai-ancestry-visas/
My grandmother was Thai and had my dad in America I was also born in America can I still get a Thai citizenship?
Hi Andrew,
By rights you are already a Thai citizen but you need to prove this by obtaining the relevant paperwork. In your case this will be documents showing your grandmother is a Thai citizen (old passports, ID cards should do the trick) and then getting your father to apply for his Thai birth certificate via the Thai embassy in the US. Once your father has this you should be able to also apply for Thai birth certificate via the Thai embassy in the US as you are also the child of a Thai citizen.
Hello!
Thanks for the article, it’s very helpful! I do have several questions that I want to clarify.
I was born in Bangkok. 1987.
My mom is Thai. I do have a Thai birth certificate. Apparently on the top right corner is says My nationally is Not Thai. And not registered in the tabien baan.
Can I still apply for Thai citizen?
As the law has changed in1992? After I was born?
What documents are required?
-my BC
-my mothers tabien baan and her ID?
-my parents marriage certificare?
-my pictures
Hi Takeshi
Thanks for your question. You don’t say where you are now, but if you are in Bangkok, I would head down to the district office where your birth certificate is issued and ask them to amend your records, along with all those pieces of ID. Bring your mother too. They might need to examine ‘the rules’, but it is pretty clear you are eligible to be a Thai citizen by birth. Good luck with it all and please let us know how it goes.
Hi Thanks for the advice,
I am currently in Japan. But planning to move back to Thailand.
Hello! Thank u for the information.
My husband is a thai citizen via his mother, he has his passport and id card. He is on the house registration, but our daughters arent. Can we still move forward with a BC and passport? My MIL lives in the Usa currently and we were hoping to get it done before we go to Thailand. She visits Thailand often, but the last time she was there she couldn’t get our daughters on the house registration.
Hi Samantha,
If your husband already has his Thai ID card, there shouldn’t be any issue getting your daughters registered. If they were born in the US, then they need to have their Thai birth certificates issued by the Thai embassy in DC (or in the Thai consulate general in the state nearest to you). Once that is done, your daughters can be issued Thai passports.
Your mum not being able to register your daughters on her last trip to Thailand was because (if I’m reading it correctly) you haven’t gone through the above mentioned steps. Once done, it should be easy enough to register them back in Thailand on the house registration. There is no deadline to do this, so you can all do that on your next trip back. Likely this will require you or your husband to be present but I’m pretty sure if you have a Thai power of attorney to grant your MIL authority to register your daughters, she could probably do it.
All the best with getting the BC from the embassy and please don’t hesitate to ask any more questions.
Hello . Thank you for the great info, been an avid reader since before.
I’m born and raised in Sweden but recieved my Thai citizenship (and Thai passport) 4 years ago through my mother being from Thailand. I have now arrived to Thailand a week ago but have never had a Thai ID card.
How do I fix my first Thai ID card? Do I have to fix a Tabien baan first? Can I do them at the same time at the same place?
My mother is from Khao Lak, Phang ga, I therefor assume I have to visit the local Amphur in that area?
Does my mother have to be present in person when I fix my ID card or is it sufficient with relatives/house owner?
Sorry for so many questions, but couldn’t really find any info on this matter.
Thank you in advance.
Sincerely
Jan Isaksson
Hi Jan,
Glad to hear you find the website useful! In terms of how it works, you get on the house registration, and then following that you can get your ID card.
You can be registered anywhere you want, it doesn’t have to be where your mother is currently registered. It will require the house master who is listed on the first page of the TB to be present so to allow your name to be put on. Additionally you’ll generally require two Thai citizens to vouch for you (one can also be the house master from memory). You’ll also need your Thai BC, your Thai passport and likely copies of your parents passports (and mums Thai ID if she has it). They’ll also likely ask how to spell your parents name in Thai – these details are also needed for the house registration. This may take a visit or two as the district office will likely tell you one or two more things that you need, but once done the ID card will be easy. All the best with it all!
Hi again,
just got back from recieving my first Thai ID-card. I was already on the Tabien baan before apparantly. The process was super simple and took me only about 2 hours.
This was done in an Amphur in Phang Ga at Thai Mueang.
To notice:
I only needed one thai citizen to vouch for me.
No extra papers only the things you mentioned above (I didn’t even have copies of my parents passports, only showed them the passports on my phone).
Didn’t show my mom’s Thai ID card and didn’t even have to spell anything in Thai. Super easy! I don’t know if I was only lucky and the process might be different in other places.
Sincerely
Jan Isaksson
Hi Jan,
Super awesome news and very glad to hear it went well. I’m sure you being registered on the Tabieen Baan helped, but thank you very much for sharing your experience as it will be useful for everyone who reads it.
Hello again What if we don’t have any paper work of my grandmothers?
You are going to need it. That might mean reaching out to existing relatives to pull up her house registration details in Thailand, and corresponding ID number. Your fathers US birth certificate should have your mothers name on it, and that in turn should line up with her Thai details. You are going to have to piece that puzzle together and establish a paperwork trail as proof to the Thai authorities that your father is indeed the child of a Thai citizen.
The other option is for your dad to submit to a DNA test in Thailand with some of your mothers remaining relatives (ie uncles, aunts) to establish his thai citizenship that way, but I’m not totally familiar with that process.
My husband was born in Thailand to a Thai mother and an American father. He has a Thai birth certificate ( I think! It is not in Thai, it is in English and called a Siam Translation, is this an original birth certificate? ) He lived in Thailand until he was 8 and then moved between various countries. He is now 28 and keen to move back to Thailand in the future. At the top of his birth certificate, it says not registered as thai national. Can he still get citizenship? How do we go about it? We now live in Singapore and he is both an American and British citizen. Obviously, with the current situation, it is impossible to travel to Thailand to sort this out but his mother is currently in Thailand. I spoke to the embassy in Singapore and they said his mother could go to the district office and have his birth certificate changed to thai national. Any advise would be really helpful.
Hi there.
What you’ve got just sounds like a certified translation – which is good for when dealing with english speaking officialdom globally (given it is a formal translation) but it isn’t the original Thai BC. If his mum is still in Thailand, given your husband was born in Thailand, she needs to see about getting his original Thai birth certificate amended to reflect the fact and to have the databases update. I’m not sure the ins and outs of this, but the law is pretty clear that a child of a Thai national is also automatically a Thai citizen. The district office which first registered his birth should be best. If she doesn’t have the original BC on her she can ask for a replacement, which won’t be an exact copy of the first BC, but a document which essentially stands in place of the lost Thai BC.
Hi
This article is really helpful as I’m looking to obtain a Thai passport. My mum is Thai and my dad is Austrian, I however was born in Switzerland but am Austrian citizen. From the article I understand that I would have to apply for a Thai birth certificate at the embassy in which country I was born which in my case is Switzerland (I have a Swiss birth certificate). I however moved to Austria at a young age and now have been living in London for the past 15 years (have not been back to either Switzerland or Austria but still have an Austrian passport). Seeing as I have no connection to Switzerland any longer would I still have to apply for a Thai birth certificate in Switzerland? Or would it at all be possible to get this in London?
My mother lives in Thailand now and I go visit her every year but figured it would be much easier to get a Thai passport.
Hi Angelina,
Thanks for your message. Unfortunately there is no way around it, you’ll have to liaise with the Thai embassy in Switzerland. These things can be done by mail however, so I’d call them to see what is needed from them and how they want it handled by post. Alternatively, you mum can probably liase with the embassy via the Department of Consular affairs in Bangkok, given that the process will likely require documentation from her anyway (on top of your BC). The document list from the Thai embassy in Geneva is available here.
All the best with everything.
Hi everyone. My daughter was born in Thailand . I’m a U.K. citizen and her mum is a Filipino citizen.
I have the original Thai birth certificate of my daughter.
Is she entitled to a Thai passport ?
Hi Adam,
Thanks for your message. Unless both you and your wife were both Thai permanent residents at the time of your daughters birth, then she doesn’t gain Thai citizenship via birth in Thailand.
Good evening,
I am a overseas-born Thai and have a Thai Birth Certificate (without ID number) issued at the Thai Embassy two years ago. The staffs at the Thai Embassy said I would be issued a Thai Passport (without ID number) if application has been made two years ago. Are there any advantages or disadvantages of being issued a Thai Passport with or without ID number?
Hi there,
No disadvantage at all.
The Thai embassy normally only issues the first passport to overseas born Thai’s if they don’t have an ID number in it. After that, you are expected to have an ID number which involves a visit to Thailand to register at a district office and have an ID number and ID card issued.
Do I have to bring ID photo with me aswell?
Hi Wabi, check with the embassy on that they need, but I suspect bringing an valid passport would be a safe assumption.
Great information both in the article and in this comment section. Now for my question, I’m a Thai citizen (dual) and do have a Thai ID card and I’m registered in a tabien baan. My two kids have Thai birth certificates, but are born in Sweden (and so am I). Last trip we tried to register them so that they would get an ID number, but we weren’t able to do that as me and my wife aren’t registered as married in Thailand (although we are in Sweden). Is it necessary to be married according to Thai law to have the kids registered? It seems like a big hassle.
Hi Martin,
You don’t say what documents you presented to the district office, but I’m guessing you are going to need a certified translation of your Swedish marriage certificate, as well as what is called a ทะเบียนฐานะแห่งครอบครัว (คร.22) which is a document issued by your local district office recognizing under Thai law your foreign marriage. I suspect with this, you’ll be able to get the kids registered on your tabieen baan.
I was born in the Philippines to a Thai father and my father was never married to my mother can I still be able to claim Thai citizenship? Am I able to apply for a Thai birth certificate ?
Hi CG, the basic answer is yes you can, but because your parents aren’t married there will be a few things that the Thai embassy in the Philippines will insist on from your father to prove paternity. Unfortunately the Thai embassy website in Manila doesn’t provide much guidance. You’ll have to deal with them to get a Thai birth certificate and passport, however check out the Thai embassy in London’s website HERE as they do provide some guidance on the matter which should help you when dealing with the Thai embassy in Manila.
Hi- How would I obtain my birth certificate. My mom passed on and the one copy of my birth certificate was damaged. I have a copy of her death certificate. I may/may not have their marriage certificate. Please advise me what paper work i need to get to obtain my birth certificate. Thank you in advance. I was born in Samut Sakorn, Thailand. Moved over to the US and have been here since.
Hi Julia,
You’ll have to apply for a replacement certificate from the district office where you were born. It won’t be a replacement birth certificate per. se, but can be used in lieu of one. Given you are outside of Thailand, you’ll need to organise to sign a Thai power of attorney form and nominate someone to go and get one on your behalf. Thai power of attorney forms also allow you to specify the act you want the nominee to undertake for you. Hopefully you still have some relatives you are in contact with who can do this for you, otherwise you’ll need to hire a lawyer, or simply wait till your next visit to Thailand. The upside of the last option is that you’ll be able to get a new ID card at the same time, and then apply for a Thai passport quite painlessly while you are here.
Hi!
So from what I gather from the previous responses, I can start the process of claiming my Thai citizenship through the Thai embassy in DC? My mom was born in Thailand and came to the US around 10 yrs old. She has her American citizenship now as well. I’m not sure if she has all her documentation. I believe so as she’s pretty organized. So just wanted to clarify that if she has all her documentation I can file with the embassy but the final step will be to physically go to Thailand to get my info registered and be able to receive my ID? Thank you for this very helpful information!
Hi Taylor,
Yes, if you were born in the US you can start by getting your birth certificate via the embassy in DC, and once in hand you’ll (on paper) offically be a thai citizen. You’ll also need to get a Thai passport there which if the paperwork is in order, you can apply for at the same time. As you imply, it is heavily reliant on your mums paperwork, so any and all old Thai paperwork she has will be useful. Most useful of course will be her Thai birth certificate and any old Thai passports and IDs which she may have.
All the best and please come back if you have any questions.
Hello
Thank you for this website very helpful thus far,
I am half thai but was born in the uk and i am currently in the process of trying to obtain my thai birth certificate. At the moment I have all the documents translated , legalized and stamped by both the Thai Embassy in London as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok.
However when I was Born my father gave his middle name to our Surname therefore being a double barrell last name i.e. Harvey-Lee.
Although our last names match on my Birth Certificate they do not on his Passport. Which now seems to be causing an issue they are asking for some sort of document which they do not know of nor do i.
Any helps or advice would be much appreciated.
Thank you
Best Regards
Alex
Hi Alex,
Is your mother for father the Thai citizen?
Not sure I’m going to be much help here, and in particular if the embassy themselves didn’t give you any reference. Maybe ask them if a statutory declaration attesting to the fact would suffice, or if the need it, maybe the document from the UK showing your dad formally changed his name. I’m guessing its going to be something like that but its hard to tell unless the embassy give a bit more of a concrete reference. Whatever you do, I’d continue to bug them, maybe asking if one of those two things would be sufficient.
Sorry I can’t be of more help at the moment.
Hi
My mother has a Thai Brith Certificate but then her family moved to Malaysia. I’m not entitled to Malaysian Citizenship as she was not born there. She’s been in the UK for 40 years now, so has a UK Passport.
Am I eligible to obtain a Thai Birth Certificate? My father is British and Deceased.
Thanks,
L
Hi there
Yes, you are a Thai citizen by blood and will be eligible for a Thai birth certificate. You should have a chat to the Thai embassy in London as to what exact evidence they will need, but it will certainly include the birth certificate, as well as yours and your mothers UK based ID, and if there was a name change for your mum, documents to show that she was the same person on the Thai birth certificate.
Good luck with it all and please let us know how you went.
Hello, Thank for his informative post!
I was born in the UK with a Thai mother however she passed away here back in 2006, so i don’t have access to her Thai ID card. How do you think this will impact the process of obtaining my Thai birth certificate ? Also what exactly is house registration and how do I obtain it?
Many Thanks!
Jessica,
You’ll certainly need evidence of your mum’s Thai citizenship. This can be via her Thai passport, her Thai ID card or birth certificate. If none of these are available then there is a DNA process which can be done which if you can be linked to a living relative then you can prove your citizenship that way – but to be honest I don’t know much about that, but it has been done.
The house registration is simply a small book, a bit like a bank book, which lists people living at a particular address. Your mum will certainly be listed somewhere – likely at a relatives house back in Thailand, so you’ll likely need to touch base with your relatives back in Thailand to get hold of a copy. Beyond that, if you don’t, then you’ll have to somehow request a copy via a district office, but that will require exact spelling of her name and and ID number, and most likely, permission to access it.
As to it impacting your obtaining a Thai BC? Each embassy will have its own guidance on it so if I was you I’d speak to the Thai embassy in London – ideally face to face – to ascertain what ID they’d want from your side to process the application.
I know I haven’t been too much help here, but I suspect speaking to the Thai embassy and taking WHATEVER identification you have from your mother indicating she was born in Thailand will be a good start.
hi
I’m Malaysian and my mom is Thai and I just obtain my Thai birth certificate, with this certificate make me as a Thai citizen, and what is the next step to get Thai Identify card?
Hi Wayne – as per the article, you next need to travel to Thailand to have your name put on a house registry, and then following that an ID card will be issued to you.
Please be aware though that Malaysia does not allow dual citizenship so you are at risk of having your Malaysian citizenship stripped from you if discovered.
My grandmother is a Thai citizen but my father was born in another country. So, does that means my father is a Thai citizen as well? As for me, am I eligible for Thai citizenship also or how does that work?
Hi Peter,
Yes, you’ll be eligible for Thai citizenship. Technically, both you and your father already are. First your father will need to establish his citizenship via applying for a Thai birth certificate from the Thai embassy in the country he was born on. Once he has that, you’ll be able to get a Thai birth certificate from the Thai embassy in the country you were born in.
Hopefully your grandmother still has all her Thai documentation etc, as that will be needed to kick the process off.
My grandmother is deceased. The only documents we can probably obtain is from the province and village she was born in. I just met my entire Thai family in Chaiyaphum and was curious if I was also eligible since I kind of already assumed my father is. My father was born in Laos, so would he have to apply for a Thai birth certificate at the Royal Thai Embassy in Vientiane? What documentation do we provide since my grandmother is deceased?
Hi Peter,
If you can get your relatives to help, but I suspect you’ll need your grandmothers Thai house registration as a start, plus obviously your fathers birth certificate from Laos stating that his mothers name. Hopefully your family members can help with the process of obtaing that.
If you are based in Thailand now then you can do that via the department of consular affairs in Bangkok (and they will help you with the nitty gritty of what paperwork is actually required) but if you are not then I suspect dealing with the embassy in Laos directly is going to required. Any help that you can get from your family obviously will be of great assistance.
HI! Thanks for the great info. I was born in the US (1973), both of my parents are from Thailand. My parents got divorced when I was young and my mom remarried an American man that adopted me. Both of my birth father and step-father have passed away. What papers would I need to get a Thai birth Cert? I’m also married now – if that makes any difference. I think my mom has both birth certs – at birth name and one for adopted name.
Thanks
Hi Kat,
You’d certainly need evidence that your mother was a Thai citizen – so all her old thai docs etc. Any Thai documents relating to your father as well (mainly so his name is on your birth certificate with the correct details, spelling etc) but likely also his death certificate in the case the embassy requires a fathers signature in the normal course of processing.
Best check with the Thai embassy in DC on this to see exactly what you need. But you will certainly need the cooperation from your mum just to make sure you have all the paperwork you need.
All the best.
Good day,
I would like to thank you for your informative advice to us readers.
I am a Singapore Citizen born to to a Thai mother.
I would like to inquire if I can apply for Thai PR using my Thai birth certificate instead of applying it through the non-immigrant visa under the Humanitarian category?
I would appreciate If you could provide me with more information or the most feasible way in obtaining my Thai PR.
Hi Carrie,
Effectively, despite being born to a Thai parent you will have to qualify for PR with the same basics as every other applicant – 3 years of tax returns and work permits with the correct income level. Unlike Singapore, Thai PR offers very few additional rights. There is no automatic work rights with Thai PR, nor any additional rights to purchase land. For most it is a step towards citizenship, or for people like yourself who can’t have dual citizenship, PR offers them the ability to stay in Thailand indefinitely without having to renew visas annually.
Unless you are seeking to give up Singaporean citizenship to gain Thai citizenship (which you can do via simply applying for a Thai birth certificate at the embassy in Singapore), I’d suggest getting an annual extension of stay by virtue being born to a Thai citizen. This is an annual visa which needs to be renewed, but will allow you to stay in Thailand legally. Effectively, there will be very little difference between holding that visa and PR for someone like you, other than the need to renew your visa each year – but this will be fairly automatic.
Hopefully Ive made sense!
Hello,
I was born in Bangkok, Thailand and moved to America at the age of 6. My Thail mother married an American and I was naturalized in America and took on a different name than my Thai name. I want to move back to Thailand to live in 5 years. I was wondering if I could seek dual citizenship? I have a Thai birth certificate. Thank you in advance for any information you can provide or point me in the direction I need to go. James
James,
If you have the Thai birth certificate and born to a Thai parent then in the top right hand corner it will state your nationality as ‘Thai’. Above that, your Thai ID number will be listed. As such, you’ll already be a dual national. With any luck, given you didn’t leave Thailand immediately after you were born, you name will also be registered on the ‘tabieen baan’, house registry (which you should look to get a copy of – ask your mother). Most people are usually registered on a house register of a relative.
Depending on how old you are, you may be able to apply for a new Thai passport via the embassy or the local Thai consulate, but this may be an issue if you are older than 20 as typically the passport system is set up so that you need an ID card to apply for a passport as an adult. T
Nevertheless, have a chat with the embassy to see if they can issue a one off travel document to enter Thailand on (as a Thai citizen). Once in, you should look to head to where you have your house registry and have a new Thai ID card issued.
Hope this is useful.
Hello,
First of all I would like to thank you for your kindness to help all people.
I am a Thai with Thai ID but I do not speak Thai. My family has recently moved to BKK from Hong Kong, members are my wife, aged-8 elder son, and aged-5 younger son.
They entered Thailand with non-immigrant O visa on 4-Mar, permit to stay until 1-Jun.
My sons have received their BCs from Thai embassy in HK, and as they have entered Thailand using HK VISA. I am confused on what we should do now.
Due to covid-19 we cannot register at the district office. Can they apply for passport without registering at district office?
Harry
Hi Harry,
As you say, everything that is normally possible is not at the moment. So your wife and children will need to get an annual extensions of stays here based off being your dependents. That won’t be too hard as females married to Thai husbands don’t need to show money in the bank or income (which is what foreign men married to Thai women have to to do). Your kids have the option of getting extensions of stay based off being dependents of you, or having extensions of stay based on also being Thai citizens (see section 2.23 http://www.samutprakanimmigration.go.th/downloads/policy777-2551_en.pdf).
In the longer term, if you are staying here permanently you should look to get your boys registered on the house registration. They will need this before they can get a Thai passport. Kids aged 7 and above can get ID cards issued as well. When they have the ID card they can then apply for a passport, and at some point they’ll need to depart Thailand on their HK passports and re-enter Thailand on their Thai passports so they don’t have to worry about immigration rules.
Longer term, you need to remember that your boys will be liable for military service (see here on options on how to handle this https://www.thaicitizenship.com/thai-military-service/) but also that your wife is also eligible for applying for Thai citizenship as well, based off marriage to you (https://www.thaicitizenship.com/thai-citizenship-based-on-marriage-to-a-thai-husband/).
Hi
Very helpful and useful info! I was born in Australia, lived here my entire life and am now 28 years old. My parents did my Thai birth certificate when I was born so all I need to do now is get a Thai ID card. Question is if I do my Thai passport now, are there obligations for me to do military service? Should I wait until I’m outside the age bracket of eligibility? Any info would be greatly appreciated!
Cheers,
Jason
Hi Jason,
The Thai embassy in Canberra may still be able to process a Thai passport for you. To get one normally you need to have an ID number allocated (which happens at birth in Thailand) but embassies normally waive that requirment for overseas born Thai’s, at least when they are young. Give them a call to check it out.
The issue of needing to do military service is outlined here: https://www.thaicitizenship.com/thai-military-service/
Having a passport is neither here nor there – you are already a Thai citizen as per your birth certificate. It really comes down to if you are normally resident in Thailand. You’ll be automatically exempted anyway on the 1st of Jan on the year you turn 30, so it doesn’t sound like you are too far off anyway.
Hello,
My son is 18, and has a Thai passport through his mum who is a Thai citizen. I am British and he has dual nationality. He is currently in Thailand and needs to get his Thai ID card, but the local office has said he needs his parents consent. His mum and I both live in the UK so this is not practical, although I could in theory travel to give consent. Is this actually correct?
He has his Thai BC with him and is now on the family Tabien Baan. He has a current Thai passport and has his British passport with him too. His Thai grandad is with him and he has had the housemaster and one other vouch for him, but seems we are stuck at the moment!!
Any advice gratefully received
Hi Tom,
Yep, anyone under 20 in Thailand is considered a minor, so need both parents to sign off on most things. There are probably two things you can do, short of travelling out to Thailand (which obviously will work but also the most expensive).
– Speak to the Thai embassy in London and see if they have any forms which you can sign there (and witnessed by them) which would be acceptable to the district office where you are at.
– If the ID card isn’t urgent, given he is now registered on the tabieen baan he should be able to get the ID card from the embassy. They do issue them, but again check to see if they will issue his first one for him. I seem to recall that sometimes the can’t.
Anyway, they are the two main options I can think of.
Thanks very much. His mum has asked at the embassy and they say they can’t help! Our son is in Thailand so can’t easily come back to the UK. So basically the only way is for both his mother and I to be there at the office with him to give consent? That seems incredible, and expensive!
Seems to be the case! Is your son living permanently in Thailand? Have the district office given any alternative suggestions as to what to do in the case the father can’t attend? It wouldn’t be unusual for that to be the case where one parent (for whatever reason) can’t attend.
Hello,
Thanks for your help so far. I’ve been doing some reading.
The reason I was given that I can’t give consent is that his mother and we were not married and I am not a legitimate parent section 1546. I see that we can complete a form here in the UK at the Thai embassy that gives me the same authorising rights as if we were married.
Section 1557 states this is possible and would be in effect from day of registration. As I said before I can travel more readily than our sons mother and if this is the case I would return and sign the papers at the tanbien next week. As neither myself nor his mum speak Thai ( she was born here in the UK) asking the tanbien office for help is not so easy!!!
Totally understood. Hopefully the embassy can help with the documents. I didn’t realise you weren’t married at the time of birth which also adds another layer of complexity. If I’m not mistaken, if you married in Thailand following your sons birth that would have given you parental rights automatically, but it sounds like there is a way to legitimise your status under Thai law via the embassy, which is good.
Note though that he will still need both parents to sign off, so that will mean your wife will need to front the embassy as well to sign, or if possible allocate a power of attorney to say your wifes father.
Hi there, My name is Jidee and I’m 47. I was born in America to a Thai mother. I’m a dual citizen and went through the process and just recently received my Thai birth certificate and first Thai passport. I was told at the embassy in Washington D.C. that I cant renew my passport till I get a national id card. I am coming to Thailand in April to get this, my question is; do I register in a house book first and then go to get my id and where does one do these things? I was also wondering if I have to worry about paying the fine for not being around for army conscription. I don’t plan on moving to there any time soon but I know I will retire there someday.
Thanks, Jidee
Hi Jidee.
First congratulations of the Thai passport on getting the paperwork done. Its good to hear they issued you your first passport at the embassy.
They are correct, in that while they may be able to issue you a first passport being overseas born, the passport system essentially requires you to have an ID card. That requires you to register yourself in Thailand at a district office. For this you’ll require someone (a relative or a friend who is the ‘house master’) to allow you to be put on their house book, or ‘tabieen baan’. You’ll need your Thai BC, Thai passport and two witnesses to vouch that you are who you are. It may take couple of visits, but once on, you’ll be issued with an ID number, and following that, you can immediately get an ID card which is very straight forward.
As for the military stuff, given you are over 45, you aren’t required to undertake any type of registration at all, so I think you should be fine. Even if they query it, there isn’t much they can do.
Anyway, hopefully this has been helpful. All the best.
Hi,
I am a thai citizen,married in Malaysia.
I never got my marriage registered in Thailand.
I am due to deliver in March 2020 in Malaysia.
I want to enquire if my baby will get thai citizenship here in Thailand, (i mean the i.d card) even if my marriage not registered here and never change my initials from Miss. to Mrs.???
Thank you in advance!
Hi Naiyana – if you are the Thai citizen mother then your child will be a Thai citizen automatically at birth whether you are married or not. Please see the Thai embassy website there where you can register the birth certificate http://www.thaiembassy.org/kualalumpur/th/services/50710-การทะเบียน-(สูติบัตร-มรณบัตร-ทะเบียนสมรส-ทะเบียนหย.html
Hi,
I was born overseas and dont have the Thai BC and was thinking of fixing this now.
However I no longer live in the country I was born in and im wondering if I can get the BC in the current country I recide in if I contact the thai embassy here?
And if possible what documents would be needed?
BR,
Peter
Hi Peter,
Where were you born?
As far as I know you can only work via the Thai embassy in the country you were born in and via the Department of Consular affairs in Bangkok, which will just liaise with the embassy in the country of your birth.
No harm in approaching the Thai embassy in the country you are in now and see if they will act as liaison, but I suspect it may be something they refuse to do. Having said that, applying for a birth certificate can usually be done via mail, so you are probably going to have more luck dealing with them directly, and asking the documents they will require. The documents you need will likely be the ones outlined in the article above.
All the best.
Hi,
I’m born overseas and my parents got me a thai birth certificate and when I was little I also had a thai passport which is expired now. I called my local embassy to ask on how to get my passport renewed which I can only do with a registration in a ta bien baan and an ID number which I can both only obtain in Thailand.
To my knowledge I was not registered in a Ta bien baan as a child. If I fly into Thailand with my foreign passport and then try to get registered in my moms or her family’s ta bien baan, are there any issues I will face? How long does the process take? Which documents should I take with me? And will if I want to get an Id afterwards will I have to choose between my two nationalities?
Thank you!
Hi Jen,
Thanks for your message. Given you were born outside of Thailand you aren’t automatically registered on a tabieen baan, so it will be up to you to register in person. There won’t be any (nor should there be) issues registering having your name put on your family members tabieen baan, but it may take a couple of visits to sort the paperwork and have Thai citizen witnesses (usually family members) come vouch for you. Following being registered on the tabieen baan you then need to get your ID card, usually in the same office but that is more a formality once you have your registration done.
Once fully in the system, you’ll be able to easily get a new Thai Passport. If you are looking to stay in Thailand for any extended length of time you’ll need to depart Thailand on your foreign passport and the re-enter Thailand on your new Thai passport.
Thailand has no issues with dual citizenship. You are already a Thai citizen from birth so already a dual citizen. You will however need to check if your current citizenship allows you to maintain another citizenship.
Hope this helps.
HI,
I’m currently based in Bangkok, I entered on my Thai passport. I was advised that I won’t be able to renew my passport unless i get a Thai Id card. IN my passport I already have an Thai ID number, so it seems i was registered as a child to a Tabieen baan. I also have my BC from both countries. One of my parents has passed away so would a death certificate suffice?
Hi Karlee,
So you’ll need to figure out where you’ve been registered on the tabieen baan to start with (but any district office can do that) and get your Thai ID card organised. Whether that requires a copy of the actual tabieen baan with your name on it, I’m not sure, but once you have the ID card you can renew your Thai Passport very easily.
The other option is to renew your Thai passport at the embassy in the country of your birth (if you were indeed born overseas). They have been know to waive the requirement for an ID card given its not always possible for Thai citizens living overseas to have an up to date ID card, or even have one at all.
Hope this helps.
Hi, can you provide any further information if having a Thai Birth Certificate and Passport (with the 13 digit number) is enough to get my Thai ID card. This is my first passport and I do not have access to my Tabien Baan or know if Im registered in one.
Any extra info would be great as I don’t speak Thai and need to organise someone to come with me to the district office.
Hi Karlee,
Where are you based currently?
If you were born overseas, it is unlikely you have been registered on a Tabieen baan unless it was done for you as a child. It is easy enough to check anyway.
But if you aren’t you’ll need to get registered on the Tabieen baan first before you can get your ID card.
You’ll need to bring your original Thai BC issued overseas by the embassy, and the passport you entered Thailand on. Do you also have a thai passport issued by the embassy?
Other likely pieces of information are copies of you parents ID and their names transliterated into Thai. You’ll need two Thai citizens to vouch for you, plus the ‘house master’ of the tabieen baan where you want to be registered.
Hello,
I’m an American, I married a Thai woman in America. We had a son in America. He’s 13 now.
My wife and I divorced but get along great.
We’ve both talked about maybe moving to Thailand to raise our son.
Can I stay in Thailand being divorced…?(I am the father of a Thai child). Soooo… ?
I’m 49 and I’ve read about the the retirement visa with minimum income, 50 years of age n Thai bank account $ requirements….
but, just wondering if I am eligibile to stay in Thailand now. Because of my son.
Pls only reply if there is no charge, a free consultation.
Tks much
Scott
Hi Scott,
Thanks for your question. I’m not an expert in this area, but I believe you’d be given an extension of stay based on supporting a Thai citizen child. It requires 400,000 baht to be held in a bank account, so you are going to have to compare this vs going a simple retirement visa and the economics of that for you.