Thai children under 18 to need birth certificate to leave Thailand

“The airport notice also lists a consent letter from the father and/or mother issued by a government agency among the documents that may need to be shown to officials.”

I wonder which government agency issues letters of consent in the USA.

Or is it a state agency? Or municipal?

And how would a Thai IO know what is a legitimate document?

I can see it now. Step father with his step daughter (mother divorced and remarried) leaving Thailand after their family vacation. Child has her father’s name. Child’s mother changed her name back to her maiden name. Step father is stopped by a Thai IO, then not allowed to depart for home. Maybe not allowed to leave the airport. Maybe accused of child trafficking.

Hi, Thailand. You get an A for effort. a F for execution.

The article only mentions it being required at Suvarnabhumi what about the other airports ?

2 hours ago, StevieAus said:

It’s required when you obtain or renew the passport in Chiang Mai

Maybe that's for very young Thai kids getting a first PP or who haven't received an ID card yet? I don't recall the first PP we got for our kids, maybe we did need a BC. But for renewals it was always a breeze. We'd take the old PP to the passport office, pay the fee, they cancel the old PP, they get in line for their new photo, sign their name and that's it. In and out in 30 minutes. The new PP would be sent by EMS within a week. (surprisingly easy given other government dealings)

8 hours ago, Yumthai said:

Yes, I don't get it. How can an extra piece of paper, much more falsifiable than a passport, can help "to protect children's best interests and prevent them being taken out of Thailand unlawfully or without the permission of a parent or legal guardian."?

It may be more to do with meeting the requirements of other countries. eg If Thailand lets them leave and the UK refuses entry, where do they stand.

Extra Documentation for Children

While a passport and visa are legally sufficient for UK border control, traveling with a minor requires extra safety documents. Border officials or airlines may ask for:

• Consent Letter: A signed letter from any parent or legal guardian who is not traveling with the child, proving they permit the trip.

• Birth Certificate: To prove the relationship between the child and the accompanying adult.

• Custody/Legal Papers: Court orders or adoption papers if only one parent has sole legal custody. [1, 2]

11 hours ago, Nemises said:

Wonder how many tourists will only find out about this when they’re standing at the immigration counter...

How many tourists are Thai?

“Thai nationals aged under 18 leaving Thailand via Suvarnabhumi Airport must now show a birth certificate to immigration officers,”

3 hours ago, Front Row said:

“The airport notice also lists a consent letter from the father and/or mother issued by a government agency among the documents that may need to be shown to officials.”

I wonder which government agency issues letters of consent in the USA.

Or is it a state agency? Or municipal?

And how would a Thai IO know what is a legitimate document?

I can see it now. Step father with his step daughter (mother divorced and remarried) leaving Thailand after their family vacation. Child has her father’s name. Child’s mother changed her name back to her maiden name. Step father is stopped by a Thai IO, then not allowed to depart for home. Maybe not allowed to leave the airport. Maybe accused of child trafficking.

Hi, Thailand. You get an A for effort. a F for execution.

A child has theoretically always required a consent letter issued by the Amphur, to travel. So this is formalizing an existing process that was rarely implemented. I was on only one occasion asked for it for my daughter. But it was definitely required by the Spanish embassy when I applied for a Spanish student visa for her.

The question is, why only 18 years and under? 20 years is the age of majority in Thailand. So why isn’t it required for 19 year olds? Legally they are children.

11 hours ago, jacko45k said:

How about a 17 year old travelling unaccompanied?

They can carry a consent to travel document issued by the Amphur. The parents have to apply for it, but the child can carry it. My daughter has hers on her whenever she travels alone or with only me accompanying her.

I wonder what happens when one parent is no longer in the picture, or gone missing as often happens here.

13 hours ago, Jim Waldron said:

Thailand has had recurring cases of minors being taken abroad without the consent of one parent. And while this may be well‑intentioned, it's sure to be poorly rolled out, and guaranteed to cause headaches until people adapt.

Foreign families with dual‑national kids will now have an extra hoop to jump through. And single‑parent travellers may also face inconsistent interpretation depending on the officer.

So, while it may provide clearer protection in custody‑dispute situations, and it's rationale may well be legitimate, the execution will likely be messy, uneven, and occasionally absurd.

I don't think the principle is unreasonable. When I was a minor in France, travelling abroad required parental authorisation. It wasn't a birth certificate, but proof that the child had the consent of the parent(s) or legal guardian.

The document required may differ from country to country, but verifying that a minor is not being taken out of the country without parental consent seems like a perfectly legitimate safeguard.

The real issue is whether the rule is applied consistently and whether travellers are clearly informed in advance.

14 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

How many tourists are Thai?

“Thai nationals aged under 18 leaving Thailand via Suvarnabhumi Airport must now show a birth certificate to immigration officers,”

Many Thais take holidays abroad with their kids - usually to Japan or S. Korea.

23 hours ago, ronnie50 said:

I can think of a couple of reasons. It confirms the name, DOB , birthplace as the same as the passport. Also it has the name of both parents - so including the one that isn't traveling but has written a permission letter.

So does the consent letter. This seems a case of implementing a new law, because the old rules are not being enforced.

16 hours ago, phetphet said:

I wonder what happens when one parent is no longer in the picture, or gone missing as often happens here.

The amphur can issue a statement to that effect.

3 minutes ago, stevenl said:

So does the consent letter. This seems a case of implementing a new law, because the old rules are not being enforced.

Maybe. But from my own experience when our son went on a high school trip to China, we had to get all that and more, and certified by MFA. Can't recall who demanded all of it, the school in China or the school here.

As an aside, getting the Chinese visa was a bit complicated too. Needed an original invitation from the Chinese school and for some reason we didn't get our original marriage registry document returned (didn't notice until some time later)

Edited August 6Aug 6 by ronnie50

On 8/5/2026 at 3:59 AM, Georgealbert said:

Thai nationals aged under 18 leaving Thailand via Suvarnabhumi Airport must now show a birth certificate to immigration officers, under a new measure announced on 3 August 2026.

So this only applies at swampy!

On 8/5/2026 at 5:42 AM, jacko45k said:

How about a 17 year old travelling unaccompanied?

My daughter is 17 (18 next month) and travelling to Malaysia tomorrow unaccompanied. Hope it doesn't include flights out of Don Mueang

On 8/4/2026 at 6:56 PM, fredwiggy said:

Seeing you need the birth certificate to get a passport for the child, it shouldn't be necessary. Having it on your phone is okay.

it says an electronic copy so I guess so

4 hours ago, Jaggg88 said:

So this only applies at swampy!

I doubt it. I'm sure it will apply to all international departures.

On 8/5/2026 at 1:08 PM, StevieAus said:

It’s required when you obtain or renew the passport in Chiang Mai

I wonder how they handle it with thai citizens that dont have birth certificates

Might be difficult in some cases to get a consent letter where the Thai father did a runner after the birth of his child and his whereabouts are unknown. The mother is now wanting to go on holiday to a nearby country but can't get the required document.

10 hours ago, Hanuman2547 said:

Might be difficult in some cases to get a consent letter where the Thai father did a runner after the birth of his child and his whereabouts are unknown. The mother is now wanting to go on holiday to a nearby country but can't get the required document.

Mother can go to the amphir and get an official letter stating she is the one having sole responsibility for the child.

On 8/6/2026 at 12:44 PM, mrbojangles said:

My daughter is 17 (18 next month) and travelling to Malaysia tomorrow unaccompanied. Hope it doesn't include flights out of Don Mueang

Update. It did include flights out of Don Mueang. Fortunately I printed copies of her birth certificates for her. A phone call to her mum and the birth certificates and immigration let her fly