Govt urged to grant elderly stateless people citizenship

The Hill Area and Community Development Foundation (HADF) is urging the government to expedite the granting of citizenship status to elderly stateless individuals, thereby improving their access to basic healthcare and state welfare schemes.

- POST REPORTERS

HADF founder, Tuenjai Deetes, said the foundation organised a discussion in Toet Thai village in Chiang Rai's Mae Fah Luang district last week, which was attended by the village chief and about 80 elderly stateless individuals from the community - many of whom have lived in Thailand for over 40 years.

Among the elderly who were at the meeting was Jongjue Sae-Huang, 73, who emigrated from Yunnan, China, in 1964, when he was 14, but has yet to receive Thai citizenship.

Another individual, Sang-oung Khamsai, 73, immigrated to Thailand via Mae Sai district in 1974.

"I have worked and built a family here. I would be proud if I had the Thai nationality," she said.