Nathathai Chakhot has lived in the Rochester community for five years, but now it’s official: she’s an Australian Citizen.
On Friday afternoon, Nathathai was one of 20 new citizens in the Campaspe Shire, after she applied in June.
“I only had to wait one-and-a-half months,” Ms Chakhot said.
“I applied on June 26, and found out in August — it was very quick!”
Nathathai is from Udon Thani in Thailand, which, with a population over 130,000, is a far cry from her new home of Rochester.
“It’s perfect — I love it here, I love Australia,” Ms Chakhot said.
“Especially in Rochester, it’s very quiet, and not far from Echuca.”
Nathathai lives in Rochester with her husband, local man Anton Damen. The couple has been married for five years, after being introduced by a mutual friend.
“We were together for five months, and then we got married,” Ms Chakhot said.
“A friend in Rochester said ‘there’s a girl in Thailand’, and I thought that would last five minutes,” Mr Damen said.
“I said ‘how’s that going to work’, but it’s been great.”
“[Nathathai] was a qualified nurse, a matron, in Thailand, but at 60 you have to retire,” Mr Damen said.
“You can still work, but the pay is pretty poor, and the pension is pretty poor too.”
Nathathai now works at the Moama Bowling Club, and has worked there for two years.
Australian Citizenship Day was on Friday, September 17, the date chosen to reflect the renaming of the Nationality and Citizenship Act.
Australia’s first Citizenship Day was staged in 2001, to coincide with the Centenary of Federation.