Dual Citicnship for Thais in Norway

[Frank La Rue]

I have posted in the Norwegian language section a quote from my mail to the Norwegian Immigration Authorities and their response.
Norway practices single Citicenship per Norwegian law. The Norwegian Authorities makes an exception for Thais and I got a written confirmation which is very explicit in its wording that Thais are granted dual citicenship if obtaining Norwegian citicenship i.e. they can keep their Thai citicenship and passport. This is very good news.

I will post this on the Web site for Norwegians in Hua Hin (Nordmenn I HUa Hin), Thai Visa etc in the course of the day.

The discussion about this has flourished on various web sites and amongs Thai- Norwegian families /couples in Norway and THaland sinse 2014 but no specifcs. Great news to get it confirmed.

We have allready sent off my wife's application and booked our appointment with the Immigration office for my wife to hand the required documentation. And more over, I found the response in my Inbox after I had just booked the family's tickets to Thailand with Thai Air direct in June, so a great week last week!

More over we have our appointment nedt week for our son to have his Thai passport. Normally he would have to choose Thai or Norwegian Citicenship when turning 18, now he can keep both. Jokingly we ask ourselves if he now has to serve in the military in both countries. I presume it will only have to be in the country he lives at that time.

As for me, I have not checked, but I would think I would not be granted Thai citicenship only because my wife is thai.

Has anyone here on the board tried this avenue to overcome the obstacles with visa?

[HHTel]

However, The Nationality Act of Thailand does not allow dual nationality even though Norway does!

Many Thais have two passports (dual nationality) and although not recognised, the trick is not to tell the left hand what the right hand is doing. i.e. Don't tell either country of the other.

[PeteC]

^ If that's true HH, it's being ignored. My daughter checks in for a flight and goes out on her Thai passport with no USA visa in it, hands over her US passport to check-in because she has no visa in her Thai passport for where she's going, and they say nothing. For a child, there's also a secondary check at a desk after immigration usually by a different immigration woman, and she asks to see both passports. Smiles and everyone is on their way.

This would apply for anyone checking in with a Thai passport destined for a destination that requires a visa from Thai citizens. They have to show either a visa or a different passport not needing a visa. Pete

[HHTel]

If a child is born to a foreigner outside of Thailand, the Nationality Act allows dual nationality until he/she reaches the age of majority when technically she has to choose one or the other.
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From the Nationality Act of 1965 updated to 1993:
DUAL CITIZENSHIP: NOT RECOGNIZED. Exceptions:

Child born abroad to Thai parents, who obtains the citizenship of the foreign country of birth, may retain dual citizenship until reaching the age of majority (18). At this point, person must choose which citizenship to retain.

A Thai woman who marries a foreign national and acquires her husband's citizenship has technically lost her Thai citizenship. Should the marriage end in death or divorce, the Thai national woman could regain her Thai citizenship. This is an unofficial dual citizenship designed to protect female Thai nationals.
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As I've said, many Thais have two passports including my family. Leave Thailand on a Thai passport and enter the UK on a Uk passport.

We did have a problem when going over a land border to Malaysia. Left on their Thai passports and entered Malaysia on their British passports. All was well until we arrived back and had to spend several hours in immigration and the parting of money because their was no Malaysian entry stamps in their Thai passports. As usual, immigration making up it's own understanding of the rules.

[Frank La Rue]

My wife intends to travel on her Thai passport all times but wants to obtain Norwegian citicenship so when we moveto thailand she maintains here right to Norwegian basic state pension. Now she has a permanent recidence and work permit, but if she is out of the country for more than 2 years without any re-entry to Norway, she looses her permit and the rights going with it.
As for Thailand, they do not even know she has left the coutnry, she is still registered as inhabitant on our thai address. She moved her address from the local address where she lived before marrying me, directly to the address of our house. She never informed the thai registrar that she actually left the country.

[Big Boy]

I'm in the process of re-newing my wife's Thai passport, and the official website talks openly about Thailand allowing dual nationality, but points out some nations do not.

Regarding National Service, yes your son is required to take part in the lottery. If he fails to attend, although the chances of being caught are slim, he could have difficulties during stays in Thailand.

[Big Boy]

BTW, if your son has a Norwegian education, when he reports in Thailand, he could have difficulties as a foreign education does not count, and they will try to force him back into education. You can PM me, and I will explain fully what happened with my son - not for an open forum.

[Frank La Rue]

However, The Nationality Act of Thailand does not allow dual nationality even though Norway does!

Many Thais have two passports (dual nationality) and although not recognised, the trick is not to tell the left hand what the right hand is doing. i.e. Don't tell either country of the other.

As Norway by law practices single citicenship it has as a process to notify the embassy of the other country that its up-till-now - citicen has been granted Norwegian citicenship and that in order for it to be valid the citicen has to abandon the other citicenship.
In the case of Thai's the authorities will not notify the thai embassy that Norwegian citixcenship has been granted, as Norway allows dual citicenship for Thais. Hence, it is the matter of not telling the Thais. With regards to how she travels between Norway and Thailand, she does not get a stamp in her passport when leaving Norway today as she has a visa, when she leaves Norway as a Norwegian citicen she gets no exit stamp in either passport, when she enters Thailand on a Thai passport she has no exit stamp from Norway same as before. If someone has experience with whether this works or not, please let us know.

[Frank La Rue]

BTW, if your son has a Norwegian education, when he reports in Thailand, he could have difficulties as a foreign education does not count, and they will try to force him back into education. You can PM me, and I will explain fully what happened with my son - not for an open forum.

Thank you for heads - up on this - I certainly will PM you'


Frank

[Matlot]

So what happens if my kids have been educated and lived in the UK for 18 years, and can't speak Thai anymore. Are they still required for military service?

[Big Boy]

They are required for the Military lottery. My son didn't decide he wanted Thai nationality until he was 21. He had to hand himself into the local police station because he was 3 years overdue.

The army will not recognise the foreign education. There is a thread on here where a forum member had to move his sons from a Western Curriculum school in Hua Hin because they could not issue the correct paperwork required by the military.

[Matlot]

So if they take UK citizenship at age 18 their not required to do service in Thailand.

[Big Boy]

That I don't know - my son did it the other way around.

[Dannie Boy]

So if they take UK citizenship at age 18 their not required to do service in Thailand.

Seems a fair assumption - military service is for Thai nationals, if you've taken a foreign citizenship how can it apply?

[Matlot]

Thanks BB, my partner has been discussing this subject with me recently, and I had no idea how it worked. Now we have a little understanding.