National —
On November 2nd, 2024, government spokesperson Mr. Jirayu Huangsap addressed public concerns following the Cabinet’s decision to simplify Thai citizenship processes for long-term stateless residents in Thailand.
Jirayu explained that past waves of immigrants, including Chinese and Indian refugees who settled in Thailand over the past 50-60 years, along with their descendants, have previously sought citizenship through the National Security Council’s proposal to streamline procedures.
The policy divides applicants into two groups. The first group consists of approximately 350,000 stateless residents with residence permits who have 13-digit ID numbers but lack citizenship.
These individuals live along Thailand’s borders. The Ministry of Interior will issue guidelines specifying that, while they will gain Thai citizenship, they will not have political rights, such as voting or running for office.
The second group comprises over 100,000 children of the first group, born in Thailand, and eligible for Thai citizenship by birth. Under current processes, they receive citizenship at a rate of about 10,000 per year, meaning the backlog would take over 40 years to clear. The new policy aims to expedite this timeline, eliminating delays.
Additionally, Jirayu assured that the changes have no political motivations and will address only registered groups, dispelling fears of unauthorized immigrants exploiting the policy, such as a group of so-called grey foreign business people in illegal businesses. Each applicant’s background and registration history will be thoroughly vetted, according to Jirayu.
