Mr_Pedantic

Sorry about her mom.

May I ask why both daughters passports are not with daughter (if this is correct per my understanding of your initial post)?

Depending on daughters length of stay in Thailand, jurisdiction of custody may be in Thailand and theoretically whoever she has been living with could hassle you because Thai court does not define decision making age for child. Someone I know has a similar situation.

Best of luck

The Op is the legal father of the child and has custody over her, unless he gave it to someone else. He decides where the child lives and now simply has decided that the child will live somewhere else.

I personally know of a case in which the legal father went to pick up his daughter but the grandmother(domicile guardian) objected and police would not side with legal father (legal marriage, birth certificate even confirmed by grandmother, documents at hand) This is the basis of my comment above re; could be hassled. I don't claim the domicile guardian will prevail in the matter.

I had no problems, my daughter phoned her relatives when she got to the UK now they all want to come and live with me.

Hi. I am not British but I am very surprise that UK guys can still get a Passport by mail!??

It seems to me that most countries now have new "electronic" or "biometric" passport and then, when you live abroad, you need to go to your consulate or embassy for a specific numeric picture, for fingers print, ...

Do UK still use old system passports?

Chang Wattana in Bangkok have a very good system. 62 desks,62 photo booths with 62 digital cameras with 62 scanners to copy your documents. The only 'delay' is that because of the biometric stuff you now pick your passport up two days later. All for 1000 baht.

The Emergency passport from British Embassy is a thin beige passport with no biometrics, costs £100 and is valid for day of use only (although)it is valid for 9 months which is unusual as you could get a new one within 9 months. The passport is kept when handed in at immigration UK. One thing not mentioned anywhere is that you need to have an itinerary of your flight before the application will be accepted. Emirates were very helpful and faxed my itinerary straight to British Embassy in Bangkok before I had even paid a penny for the ticket. But the date of travel is entered into the Emergency passport so no deviation possible I guess.

UK passports still need two photos for every application one of them needs to be signed, ridiculous old fashioned system especially as they are very picky on which photos will be accepted.

The reason I have both her passports, was last year when I visited her I told her that I would take them to England and see if I could renew them, so she didn't have to come to Bangkok with me etc. Little did I realise she had to be in the UK at the time to do this. The police officer who usually signs my passport forms etc said he couldn't sign as it was an offence to do so. If I tried to avoid this procedure the discrepancy could easily be picked up on when they see her passport has been renewed yet she has not been anywhere near the UK. (Although now with the new chipped passports you go through machines that don't judge you, but just see your face is the same one that is on the passport)

Bringing her to the UK on an expired UK passport would cause me no end of anxiety on the flight back, especially as the photo inside her old UK passport is so old.

Anyway crunch time is nearly here my flight is tomorrow (30th) and I've booked a quiet day for our return so I can get her on the same flight home as mine (because I can't book a one way flight from Bangkok for her in England)

Anyone know a travel shop in Bangkok (around Silom area) where I can get a cheap one way Emirates flight?

Thanks snuggzzz, crossed fingers hoping cloud doesn't come back.

I have everything in Thai and English all certified with me in the UK. She had all her shots in England. Just need to ensure mother's death certificate is copied and translated into English. I will have plenty of time now I know I can get an emergency travel document for her. Thanks for the reminder.

Yes thanks for that. As I am cursed I usually have to expect the unexpected. Went through something similar when my dad died while living in Pattaya a while back. Fortunately he had the forethought to state in his will that he wished to be cremated and his remains be put in the crematorium section in a Pattaya church.

Thanks for all your information. Yet another burden has been added to the melting pot, flights out of the UK are being cancelled due to the volcanic ash cloud. I was going to fly with Emirates but their flight to Dubai today has been cancelled and this is going to cause a backlog and lack of seats.

I finally got in touch with the British Embassy in Thailand and they said the best way forward was an emergency travel document, as she has already had a UK passport it is just a 3 hour process.

Thank you Mrjlh, I will take everything possible including photos. I have everything including all the stuff from when she was a baby in the UK so I shall look through that for anything relevant.

If its as slow as the one's in the UK it won't help at all. The biggest queues in the Uk are now for the automated passport checkers.

That's interesting to note, perhaps her teacher will do. How long exactly did you say it took to get the passport back?

The Thai passport is not a problem just go in the morning and pick it up three hours later. Pretty much the same as she could do here in the UK if she were here.

The photos in her old passports are quite old, the last time she came to the UK I had a problem with Thai immigration letting her out of the country and only when they spoke to her did they believe it was her. So I may have a problem with old passport in the UK as she has changed quite a bit.

There is no way I can bypass the signature required on the back of the photo as this is top of the checklist.

The C2 form has to be countersigned by someone official that has known me two years which means nobody in Thailand can sign it and they can't sign the photo because my daughter is not in the Uk

That's a good idea there must be some exceptions for bereavements. I really can't see the point of making documents travel half way round the world and back again when they only need to travel a few miles down the road.

I've just found out that due to the new technology involved all UK passports are now made in the UK. But to gain a UK passport for my daughter I have to fly to Thailand process my application, send it to Hong Kong, wait 4 weeks for the passport to be delivered and then I can book a flight and come back.

Instead of nipping to Liverpool Passport office getting it done in a day and flying out immediately and bringing her back after making a one day Thai passport in Bangkok. Ludicrous.

Thanks I'll phone tomorrow

Yes was a legal marriage at Banglamung Amphur in 1998. I have wedding certificate and official translation.

I contacted the IPS with all the details and this was their reply:-

Dear sir/madam,

Thank you for your enquiry

You will not be able to apply from the UK as the passport holder is not in the UK. This would be fraudulent activity.

If you need to renew or apply for a British passport whilst overseas, or you have any queries relating to this, you will need to contact your nearest British Embassy. If you check the website of the Foreign Commonwealth Office you will be able to locate the nearest consular post. Their web address is: www.fco.gov.uk.

Not so helpful although it did direct to the right place.

Someone mentioned an emergency travel document but I need to show them need of urgency and without a flight ticket (which I don't want to buy until I have all documents in my hand) it will be tough. If I send off my daughter's application without a countersign they could return my application to me and I'll lose my payment.

I've just found out I also need verified English translation of my wife's death certificate too, as I need authorisation from the mother that she can get a passport. Looks like I'm in for a long trip.

Ok thanks for that the Thai passport looks easy enough. Getting her UK passport application countersigned is going to be a problem. Do you think a teacher would do?

My daughter(aged 11) is stuck in Thailand, both her UK and Thai passports have expired(I have both old passports here in the UK with me at the moment). I need to travel to Thailand to make her new passports so she can travel back with me.

My Thai wife died a few days ago and my daughter wants to come and live with me in the UK. I have tried to renew her UK passport before but the person who has to declare they know her also has to sign that she is currently in the UK - so it never got done.

My daughter was born in Oxford so she is a UK national, will she still be able to hold a Thai passport? As it could make things difficult to only have a UK passport. I would appreciate any help with any information as to going about getting a UK passport through the British Embassy in Bangkok and where I would need to go to get a Thai passport for her and what paperwork would I need.

Also do you think I will have a problem getting her out of Thailand and into the UK even with passports. Is there anything important you think I must do to make things run smoothly.

Thanks in advance for any help.

I thought Jomtien was the next town down from Pattaya.

Many thanks

Just wondered if anyone has the telephone number of the Sakon Nakhon hospital my wife is very sick and I need to find exact details as I need to know if I need to fly to london to take a direct flight to bangkok or can wait until tomorrow and fly from Manchester.

The Thai Government are like Thai girls they don't want long stayers with no money they want short stayers with lots of money

I just wondered if anyone has any experience of using prepaid credit cards to use or send money to Thailand.

Paypal have a new card that can be uploaded with cash at a paypoint machine in the UK or through your paypal account and can then be used in stores or withdrawn at an ATM in Thailand. Or Tesco have a travel Mastercard that can be loaded up with funds (unusally only in Euros and dollars making the need for two conversions pounds-euros-baht). Or there is a Payzone Mastercard that advertises sharing money with family abroad.

There are various charges but it is still cheaper than sending cash(international signed for) to Thailand or paying £21 for a bank transfer.

I hate Songkran celebrations with a passion I make sure I am never in Thailand for the month of April.

The whole experience is a stupid affair sometimes water is so short and then they go and fill up their oil drums and like terrorists ride around town on the back of wagons soaking everyone in sight no matter what they are wearing. With the 'celebrations' lasting 2-3 weeks in Pattaya it clearly is a no-go zone.

I recall 4 years back it was the first week in April I was riding a baht bus up second road with my 4 year old daughter and the girls on Soi nine (who time this to perfection) threw a whole bucket of water and it hit her 'full on' she screamed as she didn't have a clue what was happening and it took me ten minutes to console her as she was soaked from head to foot in her favourite t-shirt and jeans. The driver felt so bad he gave us a lift all the way home and didn't even charge. She doesn't remember much about being 4 years old but she hasn't forgotten that experience.

Personally I like those 'games' where you drop the money into a selected slot and it bounces through a pin maze and lands on the shelf and if you are really lucky they will push a whole bunch of coins off the shelf into your win tray. My wife loved those on a visit to the UK, so roll on with the 'Penny Arcades' I say.

No appointment needed then, just turn up at opening time?

Is it the same cost as UK passport office prices in baht?