Nine years have passed since Jantima Jeamvijit assured her family in Thailand she would spend a year in Australia learning English and then return.
Last week, she became an Australian citizen.
Ms Jeamvijit was in the latest group of migrants to be welcomed at Moorabool’s citizenship ceremonies on May 25.
The new citizens, from South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, India and New Zealand, were presented with a welcome gift, a certificate and a native plant.
“I’m very happy to be an Australian citizen,” Ms Jeamvijit said.
“Australia is so peaceful and it’s a beautiful country.
“I came here to learn English and I thought I could get some training and stay for one, two, three years maximum. I got a good job and started working in a restaurant like [most migrants] and decided to train as a cook. I didn’t go back.”
Instead, she settled in Bacchus Marsh, married an Australian and now has two young Aussie-born children, Noah, 3, and Ava, 1.
“I was the only one in my family [without citizenship],” she said. “I can live peacefully with my family now I’m a citizen.”
Ms Jeamvijit said that although she was a proud Australian she would never forget her Thai heritage and hoped she could pass on the language and cultural values to her children.
For information on citizenship, call the information line: 131 880.
Esther Lauaki
