Citizenship

[Khundon1975]

Don wrote:

It was 2005, so things may have changed since then.

It was done at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , Passport Division, BK.

No the E O Validity is just a stamp put in the expiring Thai passport, in BK, with extension dates (valid from to) which gives her passport 5 more years, and the ILR stamp stays the same as the passport has not been renewed just extended, so no need to schlep to the British Embassy, thank goodness.

We're talking at cross purposes regarding the ILR stamp. You're talking about it staying the same when a passport is extended. I'm talking about transferring the status in to a new passport.

BB

Ah, in that case I have no knowledge about the transfer to a new Passport, you mentioned Home office will do it for a fee, another stealth tax.

Wife only did it in BK, as we were on the way to Australia and she had less than 6 months left on passport and they required 6months or more for visa, so we killed 2 birds with one stone and did it in BK and got in a bit of R&R with her family.
Pity, as I missed out on a Singapore stopover.
Still got one in on the way back.

[kendo]

I'm going to ruffle a few feathers here and stand to be corrected on all of this.

1. ILR is not forever, it is what it states and if you are largely out of the UK for a near two year period, don't be surprised if refused entry coming back to the UK. It is for indefinite leave to remain in the UK, if you don't do that, and say, just return once every two years, you will lose it. And boy, belatedly, is the UK getting tough. That's why it's advisable to go for citizenship. And that's going to get much harder soon.

2. Dual citizenship Thai/UK is legal at any age now. I believe there is an issue for males turning 21 re: national service? But yes, they still use each others passports in and out of each Country. And yes, the farang will have to declare any money used by the spouse, to buy land, is her's (or his). My wife will be applying for citizenship (if the rules don't change) in 8 months time (3 years in the UK) and if okay, will obviously get a British passport. Then she can really come and go as she pleases!

3. The life in the UK test can only be taken in the UK at approved locations that have direct links to home office records. The whole process is computerised and in many areas libraries are used. My wife and many friends passed this after studying the relevant books. You now have to have this to apply for ILR. Or study for an ESOL qulaification with citizenhip content included at whatever level, the applicant has to have gone from one level to a higher level at the end of the course for it to count.

I will now prepare to duck.....

Well done Caller,
You are right about ILR, if out of the U.K for more than two years you have to contact the Home Office for advice on re entry so sure that will cost you !
The life in the U.K test used to be just for ILR visa but now any non E.U national has to do the test to remain in the U.k after 2 years this test is not easy my wife is fluent english speaking and she can read and right english but failed the first time, the first text book took 16 months to produce and was out of date in 12 months i do think a lot of that book is complete bullsh*t one of the questions my wife failed on ,was how old do you have to be to perchase a lottery ticket.
I have read that book from cover to cover and i helped my wife study and do mock tests on the computer.

My under standing of national service is at 17 years old, you have to register with the authority's you will allready be on there radar because at 15 you have to register for your I.D card, failure to register and if they catch you, you will be conscripted into the army for 3 years.
At the age of 21 you will be summond to the base to do a lottery, hand go's into a box containing red and black balls, if you pull a red one, you are in the army.

Kendo.

[kendo]

Don wrote:

It was 2005, so things may have changed since then.

It was done at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , Passport Division, BK.

No the E O Validity is just a stamp put in the expiring Thai passport, in BK, with extension dates (valid from to) which gives her passport 5 more years, and the ILR stamp stays the same as the passport has not been renewed just extended, so no need to schlep to the British Embassy, thank goodness.

We're talking at cross purposes regarding the ILR stamp. You're talking about it staying the same when a passport is extended. I'm talking about transferring the status in to a new passport.

My wife got here passport extended just after we got married, just a stamp, and then another stamp for change of name, and it only cost about £10.00
Kendo.


BB

Ah, in that case I have no knowledge about the transfer to a new Passport, you mentioned Home office will do it for a fee, another stealth tax.

Wife only did it in BK, as we were on the way to Australia and she had less than 6 months left on passport and they required 6months or more for visa, so we killed 2 birds with one stone and did it in BK and got in a bit of R&R with her family.
Pity, as I missed out on a Singapore stopover.
Still got one in on the way back.

[caller]

I get my info from T-UK, from the 3 lawyers (at least), two as mods, the 3rd specialising in UK immigration law (he's now married to a Thai, as are the others) - I've met them all and they are nice, genuine guys. Plus a tax consulatant who appears equally knowledgable as an immigration advisor and Mersey Mike aka Khan Davies, who are sponsors - plus others who have gone down this route and are either living in LOS, or travelling regularly from the UK, plus one of the the forum owners who now lives in LOS with his wife and family.

This subject has been much discussed there for obvious reasons and the laws that backs this up, I am assured, are as follows:

The British Nationality Act 1948 and 1981 is the relevant UK law relating to dual nationality.

Section 13 of the Thai Citizenship Act 1965 (2535) stipulates that a female Thai national who marries a foreigner and is later granted citizenship by her foreign husband’s home country shall maintain her Thai nationality.

[Khundon1975]

[quote="caller"]I get my info from T-UK, from the 3 lawyers (at least), two as mods, the 3rd specialising in UK immigration law (he's now married to a Thai, as are the others) - I've met them all and they are nice, genuine guys. Plus a tax consulatant who appears equally knowledgable as an immigration advisor and Mersey Mike aka Khan Davies, who are sponsors - plus others who have gone down this route and are either living in LOS, or travelling regularly from the UK, plus one of the the forum owners who now lives in LOS with his wife and family.

This subject has been much discussed there for obvious reasons and the laws that backs this up, I am assured, are as follows:

The British Nationality Act 1948 and 1981 is the relevant UK law relating to dual nationality.

Section 13 of the Thai Citizenship Act 1965 (2535) stipulates that a female Thai national who marries a foreigner and is later granted citizenship by her foreign husband’s home country shall maintain her Thai nationality.[/quote]



Hi Caller

Well knock me down with a wet mop.

Can your good friends please answer this one, as I am totally ignorant when it comes to Thai laws relating to the highlighted section of your answer.

Can the wife who has gained British citizenship/Passport, and who has Thai ID in married name, own house and property in Thailand.?

Any info on that, would earn you loads of brownie points with my wife.

[ozuncle]

I get my info from T-UK, from the 3 lawyers (at least), two as mods, the 3rd specialising in UK immigration law (he's now married to a Thai, as are the others) - I've met them all and they are nice, genuine guys. Plus a tax consulatant who appears equally knowledgable as an immigration advisor and Mersey Mike aka Khan Davies, who are sponsors - plus others who have gone down this route and are either living in LOS, or travelling regularly from the UK, plus one of the the forum owners who now lives in LOS with his wife and family.

This subject has been much discussed there for obvious reasons and the laws that backs this up, I am assured, are as follows:

The British Nationality Act 1948 and 1981 is the relevant UK law relating to dual nationality.

Section 13 of the Thai Citizenship Act 1965 (2535) stipulates that a female Thai national who marries a foreigner and is later granted citizenship by her foreign husband’s home country shall maintain her Thai nationality.[/quote]



Hi Caller

Well knock me down with a wet mop.

Can your good friends please answer this one, as I am totally ignorant when it comes to Thai laws relating to the highlighted section of your answer.

Can the wife who has gained British citizenship/Passport, and who has Thai ID in married name, own house and property in Thailand.?

Any info on that, would earn you loads of brownie points with my wife.

Sorry to butt in and I too am interested in Callers reply.

My wife has dual Oz/Thai citizenship.
Both passports are in her Oz married name. (Also her Thai ID)
She has purchased land in Thailand with no hastle except the well known declaration that Hubby has to sign.

The big advantages to her in having dual citizenship are:

If she wants to stay indefinately in Thailand she can.
If she wants to stay indefinately in Oz she can. (And get the pension and free medical etc.)

Please carry on now.

[caller]

Don, the answer to your question is yes. Another subject much debated. I could post some links here, but to view them, you would have to join and they don't accept hotmail and the like (my join date is about 6 months before I actually posted as I used the work address, which is really a no-no).

BB alluded to this in his earlier posts. As irrespective of the fact it is lawful, how would the Thai's know in any case?

If anyone is thinking of taking their lady to the UK, think quick, as all the visa fees go up again from April 1st!

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitec ... iew=Binary

[Khundon1975]

Don, the answer to your question is yes. Another subject much debated. I could post some links here, but to view them, you would have to join and they don't accept hotmail and the like (my join date is about 6 months before I actually posted as I used the work address, which is really a no-no).

BB alluded to this in his earlier posts. As irrespective of the fact it is lawful, how would the Thai's know in any case?

If anyone is thinking of taking their lady to the UK, think quick, as all the visa fees go up again from April 1st!

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitec ... iew=Binary

Hi caller

True they would not know, it's just that I like to be legal and above board.

Visa fees are a rip off though, £655 for citizenship, how do they price themselves?
In our case they only had to look at 2 passports, marriage certificate and translated documents from Thailand.

Still Mr Brown has to get back some of the Billions he has given the banks.

No probs with e-mail as I have Gmail as well.

Naughty boy, using the firms computer

Caller.

[Khundon1975]

Hi ozuncle

Thanks for that info on your wifes dual nationality.

Most Thai girls who are married to a foreigner and hold a foreign passport/citizenship etc buy land in Thailand and build a house on it.

What I was really after was a definitive answer as to the legality of this.

Caller mentioned in his post that under the Thai Nationality act they retain Thai Nationality.

Does this also mean that they retain all the same rights, regarding land ownership as they would have, if they had not obtained citizenship of a foreign country.

Thanks.

[Big Boy]

Hi Guys,

It's not that I don't believe you, but as it is so important, I will write to the Thai Embassy either this evening (very busy) or tomorrow. I will try to encompass everybody's questions.

I will post the answer when received.

[PJG]

Hi guys,

My wife has UK citizenship but her Thai Passport is in her maiden name. The Passport recently ran out but when we applied to have the ILR certificate applied to her new Passport we were refused by the Home Office even though the old Passport had an ILR. It seems that the regulations were changed last year and now it is not allowed to have an ILR in another Passport if you are a UK Passport holder.

[caller]

PJG - That seems reasonable to me. Why would your wife continue to need a UK ILR stamp in her Thai passport if she is now a UK citizen?

Or have you not applied for a UK passport yet?

[ozuncle]

Hi ozuncle



What I was really after was a definitive answer as to the legality of this.

Caller mentioned in his post that under the Thai Nationality act they retain Thai Nationality.

Does this also mean that they retain all the same rights, regarding land ownership as they would have, if they had not obtained citizenship of a foreign country.

Thanks.

Sorry Khundon I don,t know for sure.
Perhaps BB and or Caller will be able to give a definitive answer although embassies around the world will probably all have different answers.

It would be a brave official though who tried to take the land back from my wife and daughter.

[caller]

Sorry Don, I thought that had been answered? Well, I guess they could downgrade a Thai citizenship if they have nationality elsewhere, but I think it unlikely? No, again from what I have read, this is another urban myth.

[Khundon1975]

Sorry Don, I thought that had been answered? Well, I guess they could downgrade a Thai citizenship if they have nationality elsewhere, but I think it unlikely? No, again from what I have read, this is another urban myth.

Hi Caller

Yes maybe as you say, a myth.