Thread: Should My Son Renounce Thai Citizenship?

Originally Posted by Loner

hmm...my wife's nephew just returned from a 6 month stint in Yala.

This was his FIRST posting as a soldier and he is about 18 now I believe (if that). He has now been posted to Petchaburi.

It would make commonsence to send only experienced soldiers to the deep south, though this is Thailand were commonsense is a scarce commodity.

Exactly how does this experience get gained? Do you mean experience filling sandbags upcountry when it is flooding? The officers and NCO's are the ones that should have experience before being posted into an area that is 'troubled'. Otherwise, it is often the newest recruits (and sometimes the weekend warriors) that get sent to hotspots.

Originally Posted by samran

I don't think he should.

I've got dual nationality like Heng, though mine is Thai and Australian. Thai law gives you the choice to renounce Thai citizenship between ages 20 and 21. It isn't complusory, but for those born to a foreign father, the law provides a one year window to renoucne- if you so wish. There is no penalty if you don't.

As for military service, if your son stays overseas, then she should be fine, though it is best to take him off the family's tabieen baan, if he is on it. At that point, the military can't send out draft letters when he turns 18. No draft letter, no avoidance, officially.

The military can only draft you between 18 and and the year you turn 30. Once over 30, you are home free. In my case, I stayed off the tabieen baan until I was 29. Once I did that, I reported to my local sasadee, or conscription office.

I was officially fined 100 baht for reporting late, but then officially exempted as I was over 30. I received my draft exemption certificate and a letter stating under which law this was possible. Technically, like all non-active Thai males, I'm actually on a reserves list, but those who are exempted after 30 are so down the pecking order of potentially being called up that you don't worry about it.

As for travelling to and from Thailand before 30, that is not a problem. I came to Thailand for extend periods of time before turning 30, using my Thai passport. Immigration and the military don't talk to each other, so they won't know/don't care about your draft status.

As for my Thai passport, before 30 I alway made sure that I applied for my Thai PP at an embassy outside of Thailand. When you do this, they only require a Thai birth certificate as proof to apply for a passport. If you apply in Thailand, you need to be on the tabieen baan, which means, that you are on the radar for being conscripted.

I've posted lots about this issue over at the Thai Visa forum, I suggest you look there for more info.

I'm Th & Oz too. Turning 28 at the end of this year. I've had my name in the same house reg since I was born. I apparently did receive the draft letter (haven't actually seen it yet) and was notified by my aunt. But since then I've just completely ignored the thing. I've not have any problems whatsoever with any of the various government agencies when either getting new ID cards, making passports, driver's license, or even buying a house and getting my very own house reg book.

The key here is that the different agencies don't actually share much information with each other. It's worked well for me

don't some boys in Thai schools join like a cadet force and this then exempts them from the draft at 21?