National Identification Number or 13-digit ID Code

The Thai government issues 13-digit Identification Code to Thai and non-Thai subjects. In 1956, the Civil Registration Act B.E. 2508 (1965)42 was implemented. The Act allowed the Thai government to register people in the civil registration system nationwide. Since 1976, the Local Administration Department, Ministry of Interior (MOI), has issued the Population Identification Code (PIC) or 13-digit ID Code. A specific number indicated on an individual’s birth registration means that person is recognised by Thai law. However, unlike the non-Thai citizen colour identification card, the type of Thai citizenship is indicated with a specific number. In accordance with the government’s regulation, the code is to prove the card holder’s identity. The 13-digit Identification Code classifies laws and regulations including government services and other entitlements that apply to the various types of citizenship.

This Population Identification Code is widely known as ‘13-digit ID Code’ because it consists of a 13-digit code in this format.

Figure 5.2: The format of Thai national identification number

X - XXXX - XXXXX - XX - X

Source: Adapted from Office of Civil Registration (2009)

Each number means something different. The first digit indicates the type of citizenship which ranges from 0 to 9. The second to fifth digits signify the office where the number was issued. The sixth to twelfth digits are group and sequence numbers, whilst the last digit is a check digit (Office of Civil Registration 2009).

The type of Thai citizenship. Number can range from number 0 to 9

The registration

office Group and Sequence numbers

A last check digit

Figure 5.3: Thai citizen ID cards with 13-Digit ID code

Source: Photo by Ladawan Khaikham, 11 August 2015

The government uses this 13-digit ID Code as an important instrument to categorise population in the kingdom, emphasising the first digit that indicates type of citizenship. All individuals living in the country are issued with this code, if they are registered at a clinic, hospital or municipality office. Stateless people in Thailand, such as Indigenous people, displaced people who are fleeing from fighting and have been living in Thailand for a long time, or migrant workers are also provided with a 13-digit ID Code (Napaumporn 2014). However, these numbers do not necessarily indicate their status as a Thai citizen.

According to the Thai Law, when a person was born, one of her parents has to go to related government institutions to record their personal data in order to get her birth certificate. This record is kept in the civil registration to indicate their status as a legal person. When her name is in the civil registration record, she has a right to stay in the district where she is registered. This legal person can be a Thai citizen, other state’s citizen, or no state’s citizen (Government official, in-depth interview, Mae Hong Son, 2014).

Any new born baby can get a 13-digit ID Code along with his/her birth registration document. In practice, any child born in public and private hospitals in Thailand is provided with a birth certificate. The parent later needs to take this document to the municipality office for their birth registration document and 13-digit ID Code. If the baby is born outside a hospital without a birth certificate, parents can nevertheless present at the municipality office for the birth registration. By advising the district officer, the parents can get their new child registered in their household registration.

Issued by the municipality office, Ministry of Interior, the birth registration is a very important document which must not be lost or used by another person (Office of Civil Registration 2009). Any lost birth registration document can be replaced by advising the municipality office and requesting a replacement. However, the process of replacement is complex and requires many supporting documents, including a police report, witnesses and a small amount of processing fees (NGO representative, in-depth interview, Chiang Mai province, 4 November 2014). Once the 13-digit ID Code is issued by the Office of Civil Registration, it is unchangeable and is used as a representative of the individual when dealing with government offices, institutions and agencies. This number is very important as it certifies the individual as a legal person guaranteed by Thai law.

In contrast, for stateless people, the birth registration is very difficult to use as a reference document for Thai citizenship. In theory, the 13-digit ID Code is for preparation in applying for Thai citizenship. However, in reality, there are three different types of birth registration. The first is the document for children born to a Thai citizen (see Appendix 6). The second is for children born to alien parents who obtain temporary residency in the kingdom (see Appendix 7). The third document is for children born to parents without legal status in civil registration (see Appendix 8) (Office of Civil Registration 2009). The reason behind this is because the government aims to limit Thai nationality exclusively to the individuals who are born to at least one Thai parent.

A stateless person is recorded in the Thai civil registration as an alien indicated by the Thai authority or registrar. The problem happens here when the law allows the record of ‘the status of stateless person’. These persons who may have entered the kingdom legally or illegally, are allowed to stay temporarily in Thailand. On the other hand, those who have temporary residency are possibly born in the country, but are considered by nationality law as illegal migrants too (NGO representative, in-depth interview, Mae Sot, 7 September 2014).

My biological mother is from Karen state and I do not have a father. When I was born, I was left with my adoptive Thai mother who was a good friend of my biological mother. Now I have only my birth registration, which indicates clearly that I have ‘no nationality.’ A lawyer said that I am a stateless person. I have to apply for permanent residence in Thailand first and later apply for Thai citizenship, which is very difficult and expensive (a stateless youth, FGD, Mae Sot, Tak province, 12 September 2014).

As mentioned before, a different 13-digit ID code indicates different status. The important number relating to a stateless person or non-Thai migrant is the first digit code that

with number ‘6’ or ‘7’ is considered an ethnic minority or the child of an ethnic minority respectively. According to the Thai government, a person who holds an ID Code beginning with ‘000’, ‘00’ and ‘0’ is considered a stateless person. Such a person may be a child born to refugees in temporary shelter areas along the Thailand–Myanmar border, an illegal migrant, or a person with no legal status, respectively (Government official, in- depth interview, Mae Sot, Tak province, 20 September 2014).

When I first arrived in Thailand. I did not know who I was. I was categorised as an alien migrant worker from Myanmar. I first got number ‘00’ on my ID because whoever enters the country is accused of being an alien migrant worker. I have to work just like an alien migrant worker. When I was a freshman in university, I was helped to change my number from ‘00’ to ‘0’ as a person without legal status in civil registration. As for other stateless children and youth nationwide, it is like an ID Card. The number ‘0’ indicates my status. (Stateless youth, FGD, Chiang Mai province, 14 November 2014).