Fongchan Suksaneh

Crystal Elizabeth Long (born March 7, 1983), better known by her Thai name Fongchan Suksaneh, was the first person to receive Thai citizenship under Article 23 of the Citizenship Act 2008. On the day that her national identification card was issued it made national news.
Born in Thailand to American citizen parents, she grew up among the Mlabri people in Phrae, Thailand. She was instrumental in a Thai literacy program that her father started for the Mlabri children.
She refers to her status before becoming a Thai citizen as "quasi-stateless". Her parents and elder brother are also listed as examples of "quasi-stateless" people. She originally applied for Thai citizenship under Article 11 of the Citizenship Act. However it is doubtful she would have been approved as her father and her brother applied and were turned down. After several appeals were not addressed by the Ministry of Interior and Department of Provincial Administration, her father and brother appealed the matter to the King of Thailand.
She plans to study law after she gains her undergraduate degree so that she can use her knowledge to help create a better society and to raise awareness of the rights of ethnic minorities.<ref name="thailandqa1"/>

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