Dear seekers of Thai citizenship, you may need more than a clean record, good income, and reams of documents to qualify.
The cabinet yesterday added a Thai language test for applicants to pass in order to obtain citizenship and doubled the fee, according to government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek.
Previously, applicants must have the ability to speak and understand Thai. Once the new rules are enacted, applicants will need to either pass a test or hold an Education Ministry-issued certificate that they have completed at least Thai primary education.
That’s not it: The application fee also doubled from THB5,000 to THB10,000 for adults, and the fee for children rose from THB2,500 to THB5,000.
The new regulations also set a deadline for consideration. Applicants filing domestically must get an answer within 90 days; those filed from abroad must be decided within 120 days. The deadlines can be extended two times, each up to 30 days.
