In a world where having 'citizenship' is key to accessing, opportunities hundreds of thousands of children in Thailand are still growing up without a legal identity in the eyes of the state. They are excluded from basic rights, including education and healthcare. When they cannot access these essentials, their opportunities, hopes, and dreams are blocked. These are the stateless children.

Thailand ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1992, affirming that every child, regardless of legal status, must equally receive the rights to survival, development, and protection without discrimination, and that the child’s best interests must be the primary consideration. However, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC Committee) continues to express concern about the situation of stateless children in Thailand. In its report at the end of 2024, the Committee noted that many children still lack access to basic services and face life instability, despite having lived in Thailand for a long time.

The good news is that the Thai government has initiated new, systematic guidelines to address this issue. The Cabinet Resolution on October 29, 2024, marks a significant turning point, opening the way for over 480,000 stateless residents, including a large number of children, to enter the process of receiving personal status recognition and Thai nationality based on clear criteria and within a defined timeframe.

This measure covers groups who migrated to Thailand since the 1967 period and their children born in Thailand. Many of these individuals were born, studied, worked, and lived as members of Thai society throughout their lives but still lack legal status.

Assistant Professor Dr. Darunee Paisanpanichkul, Head of the Law Research and Development Center at the Faculty of Law, Chiang Mai University, stated that significant legal challenges still exist.

"The challenges include the complexity of the process, limited timeframes, overly strict interpretation of laws, and a lack of resources at the local level. This is compounded by misunderstandings and prejudices among the general public who believe these groups will steal jobs or commit crimes.""Solving the problem of statelessness is not just about documents or national security; it is about justice, restoring human dignity, and creating opportunities for people," Dr. Darunee added.

On behalf of Save the Children Thailand, Warangkana Mutumol, Strategy, Program Quality & Impact Director, discussed the support provided to stateless children: "Save the Children recognizes the importance of working with all sectors to resolve issues of personal status and access to children's basic rights sustainably. Although relevant laws and regulations have historically been designed within the framework of national security and remain complex, vague, and subject to varying interpretations across different areas, we remain committed to educating children and families about their rights to legal status and access to education. We are also promoting child protection policies and believe that collaboration, transparent processes, and flexibility will help bridge these gaps and ensure that no child is left behind."

Civil society organizations like Save the Children and its networks play a crucial role in providing policy information, working on the ground to screen and educate communities, and driving public campaigns. These efforts aim to change societal misconceptions and highlight that granting legal status is an investment in the country's future.

Ultimately, collaboration among the government, civil society, and the public is the key mechanism to ensure every child in Thailand can grow up with dignity and hope for a secure future, just like everyone else.