Mr. Surapong Kongchantuk, a prominent Thai human rights lawyer and chairman of the Subcommittee on Children, Women, and Stateless Persons, told VOA that Thailand is accelerating the process for granting permanent residence and citizenship rights to 500,000 migrants, including Myanmar nationals who have been living in the country as migrants for many years.
“There are two groups – those who have the right to live in Thailand permanently and those who are applying for Thai citizenship. There have been instances within certain processes for which no documentation has been available for nearly 30 years,” said Mr. Surapong.
Mr. Surapong Kongchantuk remarked that the provision of such opportunities constitutes a positive development for individuals who have resided in Thailand, stateless persons, those born in Thailand, and those who have migrated and established residence in the country."
The availability of these opportunities is anticipated within a few days. Some individuals have previously endured long waiting periods to secure such documentation. Currently, applications may be submitted and are projected to be processed within five days. In certain instances, the application process for Thai citizenship has extended to durations ranging from 270 days to nearly 30 years.
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