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UNHCR asylum registration and refugee-status determination

ThailandHumanitarian protection

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Explore pathways in Thailand Read the five questions ↓

What exactly is this: asylum, temporary protection, humanitarian admission, resettlement or another protection mechanism?

This is refugee status determination carried out by UNHCR, not a national asylum system. UNHCR states that the Royal Thai Government does not have an asylum system for the protection of refugees, and that in Thailand UNHCR is the only organisation responsible for receiving and processing asylum applications. The process has two stages: registration with UNHCR and then, only for some cases, a Refugee Status Determination (RSD) interview. The status it produces is a UNHCR status, and UNHCR warns that asylum-seeker and refugee status documents are not visas.

See recorded sources

Which population, circumstances or geographic group does the mechanism cover?

It covers a person physically present in Thailand who fears persecution, cannot return home and needs international protection. UNHCR defines a refugee as someone outside their country of origin with a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, and unable or unwilling to receive that country's protection because of that fear; an asylum-seeker has applied for refugee status but has no decision yet. It concerns urban refugees and asylum-seekers, not the camp-based population on the Thailand-Myanmar border.

See recorded sources
  • Asylum in Thailand, How to apply for asylum in Thailand
    You have to be physically present in Thailand and cannot return to your home country because you fear persecution and need international protection, you may request registration with UNHCR. During registration, UNHCR records, verifies and updates information about you and your family, including the reasons for your application for international protection.
  • Asylum in Thailand
    A refugee is someone who has a well-founded fear of persecution based on their race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion. They must be outside of their country of origin and unable or unwilling to receive protection from their country of origin because of their fear of persecution.
  • Asylum in Thailand
    An asylum-seeker is someone who has applied for refugee status but who has not yet received a decision as to whether he/she has been recognized as a refugee.
  • Asylum in Thailand
    ATTENTION! The information above is relevant to urban Refugees and Asylum seekers in Thailand.

Where can protection be requested, and is this a direct application, border/in-country request, referral or other process?

The request is made directly to UNHCR in Thailand after arrival: the applicant must be physically present in Thailand to request registration, and no application from abroad or border referral is described. During registration UNHCR records, verifies and updates information about the applicant and their family, including the reasons for the application for international protection. UNHCR warns that reduced funding and the volume of requests mean most individuals will have to wait up to two years before being registered.

See recorded sources
  • Asylum in Thailand, How to apply for asylum in Thailand
    You have to be physically present in Thailand and cannot return to your home country because you fear persecution and need international protection, you may request registration with UNHCR. During registration, UNHCR records, verifies and updates information about you and your family, including the reasons for your application for international protection.
  • Asylum in Thailand, How to apply for asylum in Thailand
    Please note that decreased funding for UNHCR has significantly reduced the number of individuals that UNHCR can register each month. Due to these limitations and the large volume of requests received, most individuals will have to wait for up to two years before being registered.
  • Asylum in Thailand
    If you wish to ask for asylum in Thailand, you will first have to register with UNHCR. To seek protection from deportation by the Thai authorities, you may apply to the National Screening Mechanism.
  • National Screening Mechanism (NSM)
    The Royal Thai Government (RTG) launched the National Screening Mechanism (NSM) in September 2023. The NSM is a legal process created by the Royal Thai Government to identify individuals who may qualify for “Protected Person” status in Thailand.

What happens after the request: registration, family handling, major support and rights where officially stated?

Registration does not make the stay lawful. UNHCR states that upon registration it considers the person in need of international protection, but that without a valid Thai visa the Royal Thai Government may still arrest or detain them. After the registration interview UNHCR assesses whether an RSD interview is necessary; this may take months or even years, and not all registered asylum-seekers will be invited. Those whose case requires an interview are informed directly and do not need to contact UNHCR. UNHCR advises keeping a valid Thai visa for the entire stay if at all possible.

See recorded sources
  • Asylum in Thailand
    Before you come to Thailand, you should know that the Royal Thai Government does not have an asylum system for the protection of refugees. Anyone without a valid visa is at risk of detention.
  • Asylum in Thailand, How to apply for asylum in Thailand
    Upon registration, UNHCR considers you in need of international protection, but if you do not have a valid Thai visa, the Royal Thai Government may still arrest or detain you.
  • Asylum in Thailand, How to apply for asylum in Thailand
    UNHCR will assess the details of your claim to determine whether a Refugee Status Determination (RSD) interview is necessary. This process may take months or even years, and not all registered asylum-seekers will be invited for an RSD interview.
  • Asylum in Thailand, How to apply for asylum in Thailand
    If your case requires an interview, you will be informed directly. There is no need to contact UNHCR to request or follow up about the interview.
  • Asylum in Thailand, How to apply for asylum in Thailand
    For more information on the RSD process, please visit this page. Please note that not all registered asylum-seekers who are interviewed will be recognized as refugees, and globally, very few recognized refugees—less than 0.1%—are resettled to third countries.
  • Asylum in Thailand
    If you can, make sure to have a valid visa with the Government of Thailand during your entire stay in Thailand.

Which competent authority, UN body or official assistance channel should the person use?

The competent body for asylum is UNHCR Thailand, the only organisation receiving and processing asylum applications in the country. For protection from deportation by the Thai authorities the separate channel is the National Screening Mechanism under the Thai Immigration Bureau; UNHCR states that it has no control or authority over the NSM and that a person can apply to both without affecting their UNHCR status. UNHCR also points to organisations assisting refugees and asylum-seekers. UNHCR warns that asylum-seeker and refugee status documents are not visas.

See recorded sources
  • Asylum in Thailand
    In Thailand, UNHCR is the only organization responsible for receiving and processing asylum applications.
  • Asylum in Thailand
    Registration
  • Asylum in Thailand
    Refugee Status Determination (RSD)
  • Asylum in Thailand
    National Screening Mechanism
  • Asylum in Thailand
    Organisations assisting refugees and asylum seekers in Thailand
  • Asylum in Thailand
    ATTENTION! Asylum-seeker and refugee status documents are NOT VISAS!
  • National Screening Mechanism (NSM)
    The NSM is not part of the UNHCR process. UNHCR has no control or authority over the NSM process. UNHCR’s registration and Refugee Status Determination (RSD) processes are completely separate from the NSM. You can apply to both UNHCR and the NSM, and applying to the NSM does not affect your UNHCR status.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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