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What do I need to move to Thailand if I was born there but raised in America?

Apr 27, 2026
3 days ago
Thongchai ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
I was born in Udorn Thani, but raised in America. My mother is Thai. What would I need if I want to move to Thailand?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
If you were born in Udorn Thani, Thailand, and your mother is Thai, you are likely eligible for Thai citizenship. To move back to Thailand, you will need to secure your Thai ID card and passport. If you have lost your birth certificate, contact the Thai consulate or local district office for assistance in obtaining a copy. Having documents from your Thai parent, such as an ID and passport, will help prove your citizenship. If you encounter difficulties, joining a Thai citizenship Facebook group or consulting the Thai embassy may provide additional guidance.
Boonyalite *******
Thai ID card and Thai passport for a start
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Mike **************
Birth certificate
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Dca *****
Look for any of your Thai Citizen Mother's Thai documents, particularly her Thai identification documents:

her Thai Passport, her Thai ID Card ( บัตรประจำตัวประชาชน ), her Thai Birth Certificate ( สูติบัตร )

>
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Joe *********
I would suggest coming to Thailand with your American passport and while in the Kingdom make it a goal to visit the city your born in and going to tbe proper local agency to get a copy of your Birth Certificate
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Pornpakkul *******
You need to show a Thai ID citizen card if you prefer to avoid getting a visa to live in Thailand. And as you know, it is quite annoying to get a visa at different time. Have you got it?
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Strength *********
Then you should have Thai citizens already. My kids have both nationalities
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NA'Ahulelua *********
What does it say your place of birth is on your US Passport?
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NA'Ahulelua *********
Thongchai Lioy shouldn’t your passport help you obtain the proper documents for Thailand?
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Thongchai ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
NA'Ahulelua Makekau I only have a US birth certificate. No passport yet
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Thongchai ******
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Stu *****
A shit load of money
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Robert *********
Stu Stu Always people with a fake name and fake profile picture uttering the foul mouthed nasty, unhelpful comments.
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Stu *****
@Robert ********
listen my previous Snowflake...

If the word "shit" offends you so much i suggest getting of social media....

And how is my Profile Fake?
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Stu *****
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Nigel *********
An airplane ticket?
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Thongchai ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
I didn't denounce my citizenship and my mom is Thai. I have a US birth certificate showing born in Thailand.
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John **********
@Thongchai *****
you should also have a Thai birth certificate registered at the amphur serving the area you were born in. Try contacting them as a first step, give them your mother's ID and details
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John **********
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Graham *********
You’re going to need at least a Thai birth certificate that says you are Thai . If you have that then you can begin a very very very long process. Was mother or father Thai ? If not were they permanent residents at time of your birth?
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John ********
You can dm me. I was born in udon thani and live in the states. I just got my Thai id card and passport last month. There’s some hoops you have to jump through and I can tell you the process. If you were born in Thailand you are technically a citizen but the hard part is proving you are the person on the birth certificate.
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Dave *******
Financial security
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Suwanni ******
It depends on whether you still have Thai citizenship.

Since you were born in Udon Thani, Thailand, and later grew up in America, the first thing to check is:

1. Are you still a Thai citizen?

If you were born in Thailand and at least one of your parents is Thai, you usually still keep your Thai citizenship unless you officially renounced it. Thailand generally allows dual citizenship.

If you still have Thai citizenship, the main things you need are:

* Thai birth certificate

* Old Thai ID card (if you had one)

* Old Thai passport (if any)

* House registration (Tabien Baan)

* Thai relatives who can help confirm your records if needed

Usually the process is:

1. Restore your Thai documents

2. Get your Thai ID card

3. Apply for a Thai passport

Once you have these, you can live and work in Thailand without needing a visa.

If you only have U.S. citizenship, you will need:

* A valid U.S. passport

* A suitable long-term visa (retirement, work, marriage, education, or business visa)

* Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) before entering Thailand
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Graeme *******
Well a passport would be a good starting point guess either Thai or USA. Not sure if you are allowed dual passports in either country. All it says is Thailand discourages dual citizenship, so I would ask at Thai Immigration choosing what you say very carefully
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Chaowalit ***********************
If you have birth certificate. Go to the district you were born. Make id card and passport. You will need to get out off Thailand again and enter with your Thai passport. Then you can stay.

Use your Thai passport when entering or go out. Show both passport when you want to go back to the states at check-in.

But only use Thai passport at passport control. When you are in us only show the us passport.

I have danish and Thai citizenship. Did the same thing.

Very important you get out off Thailand once you get Thai passport. As your passport from us will be banned if you stay longer then visa.

You will need to bring a parent, and a relative as a witness
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Galenus ******
Money 🤗
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Bob **********
What ever parent is Thai get their documentation,ID ,passport birth certificate and contact the closest Thai Consulate
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Michael ********
If you have a Thai parent you can get an ancestry visa while you sort out all the paperwork. As others have suggested go to Thai citizenship group.

If you dont have Thai heritage then you are same as any other foriegn citizen.

Edited added link for ancestry visa as some numpties dont believe they exist

Thailand ancestry visas | Thai Citizenship
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Sasi ************
Michael Dawson No! He is not as sane as another foreigner! His mother is Thai , he is a Thai person.

By the way there is no such thing as ancestry visa!
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Michael ********
Sasi Techapunyo h well he doesnt mention thai mother in his post at least not in his original post he edited it since i answered

Yes there is an ancestry visa so get off your high horse and let the people that know stuff answer

Thailand ancestry visas | Thai Citizenship
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Michael ********
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Geoffrey **********
I have a Thai friend with a child born in Australia, with Australian father. The boy was easily able to get Thai I.D. and passport.
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Thongchai ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Geoffrey *********
How did he get the Thai ID? Did he have to go there to get it?
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Nita **********
Thongchai Lioy you can get that to Thai Consulate .. I got mine in Thai Conulate in Los Angeles
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Sasi ************
Nita Califano only if you were issued Thai birth certificate! If the American born aboard certificate he will not able to.
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Sasi ************
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Geoffrey **********
Thongchai Lioy Through Thai Consulate in Sydney, I think.
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Geoffrey **********
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Bolle ************
Youre pasport
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Craig ************
Sorry, but all the people here saying if you were born in Thailand then you're a citizen are wrong. Thailand doesn't have birthright citizenship. What matters is if one or both parents are Thai citizens. If so, then it doesn't matter where you were born, you are a Thai citizen. If your parents got your citizenship in whatever country you currently live in, then you are a dual citizen. You just might have to get your documents in order. If not, then you are not a citizen. I think I saw you say your mom is Thai. If so, you just need your documents to get a Thai passport, then you can move to Thailand. I saw someone post a link to thaicitizenship.com . That website has lots of resources to help you get the documents you need. If you are able to visit Thailand on a passport from whatever country you're currently living in, it would probably be easier to get all your documents when you're in Thailand. You might even be able to get the Thai Id and not have to leave if you're diligent. Best of luck!
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Clayton ***********
Must have one Thai parent my kid was born in Thailand with two American parents and he is called an american-born abroad but if one parent is Thai then they'll get dual citizenship
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Matthew *******
Over $
*****
as a minimum in saving for the visas and a good remote job not utube planning doing it myself in 2 years time .
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Wannisa ********
If you were born in Thailand hope you had birth certificate and you can bring that to your local district office where you registered birth certificate and you can ask for ID card that all done but I think you need bring one of your parents and the person who’s the house owner, where is you had your name on in those house

If you don’t have birth certificate with you or lost you need your parents documents and you need to proof that you’re their child and you’re Thai also your Thai family can help you too

And In the local district office will be able to help you with more details.
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Thongchai ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Don't have family in Thailand
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Thongchai ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
Wannisa Cooper No help from my parents. My father died and my mom is in critical senior care.
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Wannisa ********
Thongchai Lioy do you know anything about your Thai family? They might can help you for that you can find your parents documents in the local district office and you also can find your copy documents too but you need your family in Thailand help to proof that

Don’t your parents keep your birth certificate for you? Or try contact Thai embassy see what they say might worth to do that.
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Wannisa ********
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Thongchai ******
ORIGINAL POSTER
I was born in Thailand, but lost my original birth certificate. My mother got a copy from the Thai consulate mailed to me, but they misspelled my name and it doesn't have the 13 Thai ID numbers on it.
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Angelo ***********
Thongchai Lioy of course it does not have the ID numbers on it :D that is a feature of the ID card, not of the birth certificate. Unless it got changed recently. See what Suwanni Aong is writing below. Obviously if you do not plan to use Thai passport for traveling, your current passport is good enugh, and you only need an ID card.
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Toby ******
Thongchai Lioy contact the Thai embassy directly. Dont bother engaging with a lot of farang on social media
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Sasi ************
Toby Shaw Thai embassy will not be able to do any thing about it . He need to go back to Thailand ( to where he was born, to be exact) and starting from there. It’s involving getting his mother’s relatives and the head of the community.
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Toby ******
Sasi Techapunyo they might not be able to do anything but they can probably give him accurate information. But I agree the best thing to do is probably come directly to Thailand to inquire.
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Toby ******
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Wanthong *************
It's actually very simple to get Thai citizenship if your mother is Thai, just as you mentioned.
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Nita **********
Wanthong Natthanicha you still need to be on the Tabiann Ban
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Nita **********
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Lawrence *********
That's an easy question that embassy would answer accurately , you don't need to ask facebook , friendly advice..
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Nita **********
Lawrence D Jahn you are correct but I just been through this myself ..
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Nita **********
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Rob *************
A good sense of humor!
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Nita **********
If you were born in Thailand, start with a Thai ID—I did it. After that, passport is easy and you don’t need a visa… update: must have Thai parents
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Ian *******
Nita Califano l would start with your birth certificate that would have to be the most important and deeming document.
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Nita **********
Ian Prior Ian Prior I already have my birth certificate and my Tabien Baan. I also have my Thai ID. I haven’t gotten a Thai passport yet since I’ve been using my U.S. passport.
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Nita **********
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John ********
Nita Califano it doesn't work like that, one of parents has to be Thai
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Milo *********
John Holmes I think his mum is Thai
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Nita **********
John Holmes yes my parents are Thai ..
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Nita **********
John Holmes oh yes that’s too ..
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Nita **********
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Jeff *******
If you have a Thai ID and Thai passport then all you need is a plane ticket
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Jules *****
If you were born in Thailand you're entitled to a thai citizenship I would assume
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Brandon ************
@Jules ****
Thailand does not offer citizenship based on being born in Thailand.
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Nita **********
@Brandon ***********
wrong .. yes they do.. I got dual citizenship
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Angelo ***********
Nita Califano Learn to read? Supposed mother and father do NOT have Thai citizenship, and the mother gives birth to a kid in Bangkok, Thailand: what citizenship will the child have?

Hint: it is not Thai. The rest is up to you to figure.
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Sasi ************
Nita Califano No, he is right just born in Thailand won’t granted Thai citizenship but if born to a Thai parent, yes!!!
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Nita **********
Sasi Techapunyo ok I miss understanding
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Nita **********
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Jules *****
@Brandon ***********
wow just looked it up and you're right, that's wild
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Brandon ************
@Jules ****
There's only 2 countries in Asia that have birthright citizenship. Pakistan and Cambodia (if both parents were in Cambodia legally when the child was born).
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Brandon ************
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Manuel *******
@Jules ****
only if one of the parents is Thai, of course.
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Manuel *******
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Greg ***********
do you have a Thai passport? This would make entering and living in Thailand easy. No visa or stay permit needed. Of course you can only get Thai citizenship if one of your parents is a Thai. It doesn't matter where you were born
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Nita **********
Greg Alexander before Thai Passport you must have Thai ID first.. I just went through this
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Nita **********
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Brandon ************
Where you were born doesn't matter.

Are you a Thai citizen? As in you have Thai ID card and Thai passport? If yes, then you don't need anything to move to Thailand.

If you are not a Thai citizen, then you need a proper visa.
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Ralph *******
@Brandon ***********
Perhaps they can get citizenship?
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Brandon ************
@Ralph ******
If they have a Thai parent they don't need to "get" Thai citizenship, they already have it. Just being born in Thailand means nothing.
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Brandon ************
@Ralph ******
Thailand does not offer citizenship based on where you are born.
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Graham *********
@Brandon ***********
if parents were permanent residents then it dose but I believe cut off was 1972 . If his birth certificate says he is Thai .then he is still Thai . I was born in Thailand in 1969 to uk parents and have been Thai since birth. Yes I have Thai ID and passport. His birth certificate will say khon Thai if he was born Thai . My point being,when and where and to whom is all relevant. Laws have been amended many times .just saying .not trying to be smart ass . Thai citizenship Facebook group is the place to go for all things about that .
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Brandon ************
@Graham ********
he doesn't really look 50 though 😅
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Graham *********
@Brandon ***********
if he was born before 1982 and has a Thai birth certificate that says he’s Thai .he is still Thai . Yes you are right he didn’t look 50+ but my point is that if he was born Thai ,he still is .
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Ralph *******
@Brandon ***********
But through parentage they do. A friend just got a passport for her child because she has Thai citizenship.
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John ********
Ralph Tyson if a parent is Thai then it's pretty obvious that the children will be also
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John ********
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