Imagine if you had to prove that you belong

Imagine if your parents worked hard to provide for the family, but they were unable to register your birth because they didn’t have the money to return to your province of birth to get you registered. Imagine if, as a result, you were considered stateless and could not get free basic medical care at the hospital, and any potentially life-threatening injuries you might suffer would go untreated.

Then, imagine if you were required to go back to the place where you were born to seek out people who have witnessed your birth so that you can be granted a nationality. Or, that you would need to undergo DNA testing to prove unequivocally that your mother is indeed your mother.

This can be the day-to-day reality for some of the half a million registered stateless persons living in Thailand.

Navigating administrative processes can often be cumbersome, but being stateless means that there is an additional layer of challenges that start with the need to prove that you belong. Thailand’s commitment and effort to reduce statelessness are most commendable. However, it will take the country several years to end statelessness at the current reduction rate.

In this context, many civil society organizations, often composed of former stateless individuals, step in to fill in the gaps and support stateless navigating the legal system and, eventually, successfully applying for Thai nationality.    

Among them are siblings Nantana and Wananont Liangwong, who have been trying over the past three decades to be recognized as Thai citizens.

“My father is a Thai citizen, and my mother is a Thai citizen, but due to issues – which I don’t really understand – I’ve lived to this day without having an ID,” said Nantana.

Their mother, Wanida Mahawan, 62, is a Thai national as was their father before he passed away.  Unfortunately, the failure to register the siblings at birth has resulted in disastrous consequences.

 “Our mother kept trying to process our citizenship, and it never worked, even until today. […] If (she) had stayed in the same province, I might have gotten my nationality. Instead, my mom had to move to another province to work, which is why this happened,” Nantana added.

Wanida and her husband moved around Thailand wherever they could find work, and Nantana and Wananont were born in two different provinces before the family settled permanently in Chiang Mai. However, in order for the children to be recognized citizens,  Wanida had to register them in their place of birth instead of place of residence. The costs of travel and the administrative procedure were something the family could never manage to afford.  

Wananont currently works in construction which requires frequent travel between provinces. Without a Thai ID, his freedom of movement within Thailand remains subject to restrictions and puts not only Wananont, but also his co-workers, and his employer at constant risk of arrest. The lack of nationality also carries other challenges. 

“A few years ago, I suffered a knee injury which required stitches from the doctor, but I did not have the money. So I decided to stay home and endured the pain. I could not work for a while either.”

Thailand has made several reforms to its nationality and civil registration laws to address the statelessness Still individual applicants can face challenges meeting evidence requirements. In Nantana’s case, she contacted the local district office for support several times and was advised to return to her birthplace in order to find witnesses.

“The problem is it has been more than 30 years. Even if I were to find witnesses, there is no guarantee that they are either alive or willing to come forward. I asked if there was an easier way to get citizenship, as my mother is Thai. But it seems no solution is in sight,”said a clearly defeated Nantana.  

Refusing to give up, Wanida discovered that she could use DNA testing to prove her children’s parentage, to support their applications for Thai nationality. However, DNA testing is expensive, costing more than 7,000 THB or 200 dollars per test. That’s more than two-thirds of the minimum monthly wage in Thailand,

Desperate for assistance, last year Nantana reached out to Titang, an NGO which was founded by three stateless persons, Suchart Ingtha, Pathiparn Nalong, and Tee Nayord, in order to help other stateless with their nationality registration process. Civil Society organizations such as Titang play a crucial role in supporting the local community to comply with administrative requirements by providing guidance and human resources.

For Nantana and Wananont, meeting Suchart at Titang was a game changer in their journey to apply for nationality. In late 2022, the organizations successfully sourced a scheme that offers free DNA testing, and, both Nantana and Wananont submitted their applications.

“We’ve just handed in our paperwork! I had lost all hope, but now I am optimistic again. I never imagined that at my age, I could still be able to get an ID card”, said Wananont. “I want to have my Thai ID card”.