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.
For those born overseas, there are three main options to register yourself as a Thai citizen. These are listed easiest to hardest (for reasons I’ll explain below).
- Applying for a Thai birth certificate via the Thai embassy in the country you were born.
- Applying at a district office in Thailand – where option (1) is not possible.
- Applying at a district office in Thailand using DNA testing in the event that (2) is not possible.
Once you have done one of the above, it will be possible to then get registered in a house book/tabien baan from which you’ll be able to get a Thai ID card and Passport.
Option 1: 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 becomes increasingly difficult to get registered on a Thai House Registration – the ‘tabien baan’ (ทะเบียนบ้าน) – which is needed to be able to then get a Thai ID card (บัตรประชาชน) or a Thai passport (หนังสือเดินทาง) 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.
1.1 – Thai birth certificate for a foreign-born child (applying 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. They will do this by liaising with the Thai embassy in the country of birth for the child. The requirements will be exactly the same as required by the Thai embassy in question, however the Department of Consular Affairs will also request that any non-Thai language documents need to be translated into Thai first – something that doesn’t need to be done when dealing with the embassy directly. 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]
Links for major Thai embassies are outlined in the FAQ section at the end of the article
1.2 Registering your name on the house registration in Thailand
The expectation is once the embassy has issued you with your Thai birth certificate 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).
Option 2: Applying at a district office in Thailand
In some cases, a person born to a Thai citizen overseas won’t be able to gather the documents necessary to satisfy the requirements from at the Thai embassy in the country they were born. In this event, district offices in Thailand will be responsible for registering an overseas born Thai citizen onto the national citizenship database and issuing an ID card.
This option should not be confused with option 1 or 1.1 above as at the end, you will have a Thai ID card and house registration, but you won’t have a birth certificate issued.
At the heart of all this, is proving you have a Thai parent at the time of your birth. Doing so, under Thai law, entitles you to citizenship too.
The thing to understand about this option is that while there is a list of documents that a district office will ask for, there is a level of discretion that the district office has in determining whether an applicant is genuinely entitled to Thai citizenship or not, and the head of the district office will be required to sign off on any request. Unfortunately, recent controversies about foreigners illegally getting added to Thai house registrations (effectively giving them Thai citizenship) means that a district office will be wary, or downright refuse to even consider getting your name on a house register via this method. So while on paper it may actually sound easier than Option One above, people may find themselves stonewalled by district officers refusing to assist.
And even if they do decide they can assist, be prepared to accept that the burden of proof may be significantly higher than Option One above, and the district officer will have discretion in asking for more if they aren’t satisfied that you are indeed the child of a Thai citizen.
- Your foreign birth certificate translated and stamped by Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Your foreign passport
- Copies of your Thai parents ID card and tabien baan
- Copies of your non-Thai parents ID
- The ID card of the Thai citizen who’s house registry you will be put on
- A copy of the house registration book that you will be put on
- Three 2×2 inch photos of the applicant
- Two Thai witnesses to certify your identity and relations to a Thai citizen parent.
Option 3: DNA tests
In many ways, this option is an extension of Option Two above. As mentioned there, given the standard of proof is quite high, district officers may ask for blood tests to be done to definitively prove your relationship to a Thai citizen parent.
Fortunately, 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. Given this is a process in and of itself, we have outlined the steps in an article Thai Citizenship using DNA Testing for those who, for whatever reason, are unable to take advantage of the standard ‘paperwork routes’ to Thai citizenship.
FAQ’s
Question: What are the websites for major Thai consulates and embassies around the world that can issue Thai birth certificates?
AUSTRALIARoyal Thai Embassy, CanberraClick this link Royal Thai Consulate General, SydneyClick this link |
UNITED STATESRoyal Thai Embassy, Washington DCInstruction for applying (Thai only): click this link List of forms: click this link Birth certificate form: click this link |
GERMANYRoyal Thai Embassy, BerlinClick this link (available in Thai and German only) |
Thai Consulate, LAList of forms: click this link (Thai) List of forms: click this link (English) |
IRELAND & UNITED KINGDOMRoyal Thai Embassy, LondonFor all births in the Republic of Ireland, N.I., and the UK click this link (available in Thai only) |
Question: At what age can I get a Thai birth certificate?
Answer:
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.
Question: Someone told me even though I was born overseas I can apply for a Thai birth certificate via a district office in Thailand
Answer:
No, this is a myth. 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.
Question: Why is applying for a Thai birth certificate overseas the best option?
This is for a couple of reasons:
- A Thai birth certificate issued overseas is instantly recognized as a document entitling you to Thai citizenship by birth and any government office you deal with will treat it as such. It is very difficult for them to refuse to add you to a house registration with this proof.
- Since 2023, all Thai citizens who apply for a birth certificate via a Thai embassy will also automatically get a Thai ID number allocated to them. This literally means you are ‘in the system’. Upon going to Thailand, any district office will automatically be able to put your name into a house book easily and without fuss.
Question: 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!
Question: How do I now get a Thai passport?
If you are born overseas and applying via the Thai embassy there, 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.
However, if you choose one of the other methods above that doesn’t involve applying for your Thai birth certificate via the embassy, you’ll need to return to Thailand, get your name on the house registry/tabien baan and have a Thai ID card issued before you can apply for a passport (which can be done quite easily in Thailand).
Hello,
I was born in Bangkok in 1987. Neither of my parents is Thai. I believe I was registered under a Thai household’s book (the house belonging to my Thai aunt, who is my aunt through marriage to my blood-relative, my uncle). I was registered and attended school there as well until the age of 6. Would it be even remotely possible to apply for citizenship based on Article 3 of the 2008 Nationality Act (as I was born before 1992)?
Currently, I travel to Thailand regularly for medical care, and wish to stay longer as my health improves when I am in Thailand. I know the chances of getting Thai citizenship are slim, as I have no Thai blood, but still, I just thought I would ask: do you know of any people who were born during this window of time, who were able to get citizenship on the basis of jus solis alone?
Hi there – so this is a really difficult question to answer as there is no real public reporting about it.
If you look at the story of Khun Fongchan Suksaneh https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_nationality_law she did manage to get citizenship under this clause. The main question (to which I don’t know the answer) is if your time abroad extinguishes your right. My undertstanding is that you have to show ongoing links to Thailand to be able to claim citizenship this way. The only way to do that is to have a chat with the district office where you are registered to see what documents/evidence/proof they might need.
Sorry I can’t be of more assistance.
Hello,
I just got back from a trip to Thailand. I got my Thai birth certificate and passport in 2023. On this trip i got my uncle to add my name to the blue book tabien baan and get him, some cousins, an english translator and my dad to follow me to the district office.
At first the office worker gave me some crap for not looking thai or chinese enough or something (im half Thai), couldn’t quite understand what he said with the mask on and not even looking at me. Then he started ranting about how some people get their ID’s and never come back or do anything for the country. After a short rant he started writing down a bunch of steps that i had to complete or something, he never finished with it because another worker pointed out to him that i already have a Thai identification number or something.
When he realized that, he scrapped the paper he was working on and explained that i cant get a ID this time, because i’m leaving too soon and because i’m over the age of 15, and if i were 15 or under i’d get the ID the same day. And next time i should get a 3 month visa because the process will take at least 1 month and i will have to perform some tests? I told him that i can only speak very basic and understand basic Thai, but he said that the tests could be in english. After that should i be able to receive the Thai ID card.
I really didn’t wanna have to bother with visa ever when coming to Thailand, that’s why i want to get a Thai ID card.
So my question to you, what exactly happened to me, did i get a lazy or bad office worker or what?
Since i have a Thai passport, how long can i stay in Thailand with it and don’t have to bother with visums?
Oh man, why should it be so time consuming to get a Thai ID card? Isnt me flying across the world dedication enough or what? I had all the right documents and passports with me, why not just green light me on the spot and give the ID card to my uncle to hold on to until i get back, or just mail it to the embassy in my country like they did with the passport…..
Thanks.
/Ed
Hi there Ed.
Sorry to hear that you got a grumpy district office worker! You’ve made them actually have to do some work which he probably resents! Haha.
Firstly – if you entered Thailand on your Thai passport then you can stay as long as you want. If you entered on your foreign passport, don’t worry! You can get a special visa for Thai citizens who have entered on a foreign passport (please see this link: https://www.thaicitizenship.com/thai-ancestry-visas) which will let you stay for a year at a time – no problem!
Due to some recent changes, mainly to do with some Chinese people illegally getting Thai ID cards, they have tightened up things a little so the checking process is a little bit slower.
Don’t worry – there is no ‘test’ for you. All they are talking about is a short formal interview with you and your relatives (witnesses) to make statements that you are who you say you are. It’s just part of the process to get you in the house registration.
Once on the house registry they may be a bit slow in then processing your ID card as they may need a senior to sign off on that stage to.
But don’t worry you haven’t done anything wrong. Hopefully you don’t have to wait too long for the interview but in the meantime your Thai passport should be good for 10 years to come and go from Thailand as you please.
Hopefully this has reassured you some.
TC
I can report that I too have had an issue with the application for Thai ID.
I’m 40 and arranged for my birth certificate to be issued from the British Embassy as described (I have an id number on this document)
I travelled to Thailand and was able to be put on my cousins House register as described in Phuket. However the Phuket District office informs me that to issue an ID card that I need to make a statement and have 3 witnesses (my mother, the housemaster and a C3 level government official or above) . Witness interviews would take place over several days and then the statement would be written up before sending to Bangkok for approval, this process has an undetermined timing.
After that I could return to the office to physically make the ID.
I could register also in Wongthonglang District in Bangkok, but the officer there has described the process almost identically save for the need of the c3go.
As I don’t reside in Thailand, this makes the process near impossible due to the number of trips required.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks for the info and update. I’m sorry to hear.
To be honest, I don’t have any real advice. This seems to be a new thing which many people are reporting. All I would say is to make sure that someone keeps on their back about the progress on sending the docs to Bangkok. This can often mean they get sent to a black hole somewhere and with no follow up from the applicant, falls off their radar. I’d perhaps lean to trying to get registered in Bangkok. If they are going to centralise things then you may as well have a district office closer to the centre of power on your side.
Hello,
My question is this, if my Thai relatives refuses to help me with all the house registry and tabien baan things, can i still go to the local district office where my Thai parent was last registered in Thailand by myself and apply for Thai ID card?
Our relationship is a bit rocky since my Thai parent passed away and there were a lot of misunderstandings between the families about money and such things. I just don’t like the idea of having my future in Thailand riding on whether if they are gonna help me or not with the ID card situation. It’s been gnawing at the back of my mind ever since i started this citizenship journey.
I’m over 18 and i have obtained from the embassy a Thai passport and Thai birth certificate.
also bonus question, if i later down the life change my first or last name, would that revoke any citizenship that i have claimed with my old name? I know where i live now i simply have to order a new passport and ID, i’m not sure how it would work in Thailand tho.
Thanks.
/Chop
Hi there – so first things first, you need to be on a Tabieen Baan before you can get an ID card. No way around it unfortunately.
Although it helps (just as the officials can see relatives a vouching for you) you don’t need or have to be registered on a relatives tabieen baan. Anyone who will allow you on their tabieen baan will suffice.
In terms of changing your name – you can do so at any time, though do realise you should keep meticulous records of this name change as it may be asked for later down the track in Thailand. And also realise that if you are doing it outside of Thailand it won’t be automatically valid until you have also changed your name in Thailand. As such, you might be walking around with two valid names at the same time.
Cheers
TC
Hello. I was born in Australia in 1969 (54yo) to a Thai mum and Australian father. I still live in Australia. My parents married in Ubon 1968 and divorced in the 90’s, my mother has since returned to Thailand to live. I am trying to reconnect with her. Am I eligible for Thai Passport? My BC indicates that my mum is Thai. Thank you for your work.
Hi there, yes you sound like you are eligible but you will need to follow one of the three routes outlined in this article.